text:
University Technology
Feedback and Comments on the IT Strategic Plan
Comments were requested through September 5, 2013. This cutoff date allows time for final editing and approval before the documents are submitted for inclusion with materials that go to the Board of Trustees prior to their October 11 meeting. The backdating is as follows:
- October 11: Board of Trustees Meeting
- September 11: Final version is submitted before noon for inclusion in packet of information that is sent to the Board of Trustees prior to their meeting
- September 9: IT Strategic Plan is submitted to the President for his final approval
- September 5: Final comments due by close of business
Return to review the IT Strategic Plan and IT Governance documents.
What students, faculty and staff are saying about the IT Strategic Plan
I strongly support action item 2.2 and recommend that the CIO have a seat at the table as a member of the University's leadership team, even if the CIO does not report directly to the President.
Posted September 5, 2013
I went through the IT Strategic plan with much interest. I can see many technology initiatives being planned. Hopefully these will allow our university to be competitive in the educational market place. It is nice to see the move/consideration of open source/cloud platforms for various application areas. Though we had few challenges with WesternOnline being a SaaS offering, we seem to have adapted to it. This experience with the core educational software being SaaS can give further impetus for other SaaS based offerings for applications (e.g., e-mail, etc.).
I see lot of discussions on the consolidation of uTech and other technology departments (especially support). I can see the predicament of the user groups. As mentioned, centralization and decentralization seem to be the major issue here. Both have advantages and disadvantages. I see the benefits of having a centralized Tech support department. Federal approach could also help in allocating responsibilities to the business units for certain technology functions and to the IT unit for certain other technology functions. Based on the strategic plan, I can see the IT landscape may be drastically changed in the coming years with newer ERP, BYOD/mobile initiatives, consideration of cloud for various applications, classroom initiatives (including VC), etc. Nature of tech support may even change with these initiatives (already I can see that in WesternOnline with D2L providing support through our CITR/uTech).
It is nice this plan dovetails with the IT Governance initiative that is being undertaken here at the university. It is true future IT strategic plans could be created by that Governance group. However, I also strongly believe there should be ways for general users to give their opinion (just as done this time).
Nice to see that there may a person working part-time to foster communications between uTech and the user departments. It will greatly help with operational issues. I also believe the IT Governance process can also eliminate or reduce the communication issues with regard to new initiatives.
I also believe this IT Strategic plan should reflect the university strategic plan ideals in some fashion. Looking at the university strategic plan, I see the values of academic excellence, educational opportunity, personal growth, social responsibility could be easily mapped on to some of the recommendations (if not all) in the IT Strategic plan. By doing that we can clearly see how the IT is aligned with the overall university strategic plan.
Posted September 5, 2013
13. Under Recommendation 5: CIT recommends adding a new Action Item 5.6: Surplus IT Infrastructure Dedicated to Innovation in Teaching and Research. For instance, provide the capabilities for online-only degrees including being able to complete the registration process without being physically present on campus. Another example would be the capability to create research/teaching virtual labs for disciplines like behavioral economics, computer science, psychology, etc.
14. There is a typo on page 16 in Action Item 5.1 "modern than the on in Horrabin". Should be "modern than the one in Horrabin".
15. Action Item 6.4. While CIT fundamentally agrees with the sentiment here (and this was a topic of debate in CIT two years ago), this seems more like a curriculum issue than an IT/administration issue and thus is under the purview of the faculty senate. CIT did collect data two years ago on faculty's perception on their students technical skills. Overall, students need grounding in basic information technology skills.
16. Action Item 7.2: At the end of the third paragraph (counting the italicized text in bold as paragraph 1) explicitly add "… and research" so that the last sentence reads
"Faculty members are beginning to request help in the development of mobile apps that they can use for instructional purposes and research."
17. There is a typo in Action Item 7.3 on p. 21, line 2: "… currently on ongoing effort …". Should be "currently an ongoing
Posted September 5, 2013
1. Action Item 2.1: ESS concerns need to be addressed as they are rolled into Utech. Similarly, University Libraries rely heavily on their support staff who reside in the Digital Commons. The University Libraries does not want to see this go away, unless the tech structure adds more support there.
2. Action Item 2.2 is too vague: the CIO should or should not report the President? Which one is actually proposed?
3. Action Item 2.3: CIT feels that paragraph two provides the context needed for paragraph one to make sense. Therefore, we recommend swapping the two paragraphs.
4. Action Item 2.4: CIT recognizes the importance of continued training but how is this going to be funded, when faculty just had all their professional development/travel funding swept. Both IT staff and faculty continued professional development and training are important. IT staff can be very well trained but if the front line users (faculty) aren't provided with training and innovation opportunities then only a few people will use any given technology (or will use that tech well).
5. Action Item 2.6: The University has been looking into this since 1994. What is in place now at the University Libraries is a vast improvement from the previous practices, as students have to release their print job, which cuts down on duplicate and accidental printing. It is worth implementing this across the whole university. Still, even at University Libraries, there is a lot of unnecessary printing, some of which can be left in .pdf format for on-screen reading. The option of limiting the amount of printed materials students can utilize should be considered, as well as increasing the technology student fee in order to cover the actual cost of printing.
6. Recommendation 4: Scholarly Enablement. "Scholarly" includes not only teaching/instruction, but also research activities which are a major faculty responsibility. Therefore, the wording should be changed from: "Western Illinois University should continue to develop and improve its technological resources that, when used by faculty in effective and innovative ways, have a direct impact on student scholarly achievement." to
"Western Illinois University should continue to develop and improve its technological resources that, when used by faculty in effective and innovative ways, have a direct impact on FACULTY AND student scholarly achievement."
7. Action Item 4.2: Significant percentage of faculty feels that D2L does not work as well as Blackboard. More than a steering committee is needed in order to address the state of and future initiatives for Western Online.
8. Action Items 4.3 & 4.4: Faculty also need dedicated computer classrooms with instructor stations. Currently many faculty do not have access to a classroom with computers in it that they can use all semester long, regardless of the fact that using specific software packages is part of the coursework. Faculty can use the library twice (instructor stations no whiteboard) or Morgan 102 (blackboard no instructor station) or Stipes 331 (no instruction station, tiny whiteboard) for limited times. This also forces the students to move around campus during their semester. In addition, faculty should have some input when the hardware is changed in these rooms. Morgan 102 was switched over to tiny netbooks and while they may be cheaper it just makes it that more difficult for students to view and interpret for example their SPSS (SAS, MINITAB, etc.) outputs.
9. Action Item 4.5: Add "and research" at the end of the first italicized paragraph in bold, so that the end of the sentence reads: "…emerging technologies that have potential application in instruction and research."
10. Under Action Item 4.5: Instead of "sandbox", provide more support for a technology research/resource center either university wide or for each college – model it off the current technology center in the College of Education and Human Services.
11. Under recommendation 4: CIT recommends adding a new Action Item 4.8: Faculty Support for Development of Online Course Materials. CAIT used to provide resources to set up new online courses, these are no longer available. The University needs to create replacement for this service. In addition, for already existing online courses, there should be support for the creation of original instructional content that goes beyond the basics. Without such support services, WIU would hardly be able to compete in the Online Education market.
12. Under Recommendation 4: CIT recommends adding a new Action Item 4.9: Faculty Research, in order to explicitly address faculty research IT needs, including hardware, software, and training needs.
Posted September 5, 2013
1. There is no entry point in the proposed governance structure for IT proposals that are driven by/would enable research activities. CIT recommends that research along with education be the responsibility of the Education Alliance. To better reflect its responsibilities, CIT recommends that this alliance be called Scholarly Alliance.
2. CIT fully supports the Faculty Senate Chair recommendation: "Assure that the faculty members in the Education" (Scholarly ) "Alliance are the majority of voting members. With that in mind, make the Registrar an ex-officio (non-voting)." Without this, it may be the case that there is no faculty representative on the Executive committee which CIT finds counterproductive to the governance process. The idea is the chair of the Education (Scholarly) Alliance to be a faculty member, who will then carry on as a member of the Executive Committee.
3. Add three faculty members to each of the Administration and Marketing/External Alliances. Thus, there will be an equal number of faculty and student representation on these alliances. This is needed because the Faculty, as well as students, are stakeholders in the processes which will be overseen by these alliances.
4. The faculty members in each alliance should come from the CIT, thus ensuring smooth communication with the Faculty Senate and the faculty body as a whole. CIT has 12 members, of which 5 can serve on the Education (Scholarly) Alliance, 3 on the Administration, and 3 on the Marketing/External Alliance.
5. CIT would like to see a mechanism in place which will ensure that the members of the alliances will have strong interest or knowledge of IT. In view of item 4 above, we need to work closely with the Faculty Senate to ensure that the members of the CIT have such interest/knowledge. However, for the rest of the Alliances members, a mechanism has to be established by another governing body. CIT would like to see that addressed in the revised governance proposal.
6. In the current governance proposal there is an imbalance between the faculty/administration representation, with practically no faculty representation at the level of decision makers. To partially remediate that and ensure proper communication in the decision making process CIT recommends a Faculty Senate designee serve on all three bodies: CIT, IT Executive Committee, and IT Governance Council.
7. In terms of proposal flow through the IT governance structure, CIT recommends to make the status of proposals and accompanying comments known to the campus community at each stage of discussion/approval, i.e. ensure a transparent process while proposals are in the pipeline.
8. "Tech Reps" are currently listed as Advisory members of the Education (Scholarly) Alliance. CIT notes that according to the current practice it is not clear in all cases who carries out the role of "Tech Reps" within the various colleges.
9. Overall, more clarification is needed as to the mechanism according to which members at all levels of the governance structure will be chosen.
10. While the current proposal allows for a student ex officio member of the IT Governance Council when discussions affect the student body, any such provision is lacking when discussions affect faculty (which practically would always be the case). Therefore, CIT recommends item 6 above, or the inclusion of a similar mechanism for faculty representation at all levels of the decision making process.
Posted September 5, 2013
The Tower and The Cloud, Katz, Beyond the False Dichotomy of Centralized and Decentralized IT Deployment, Jim Davis, pg 118, Educause, 2008.
"As we consider IT deployment in higher education, we must take into account factors that include growing expectations when it comes to access and functionality, the integrative effects of a "network economy," and the movement toward data as an institutional resource. IT is also playing an increasingly important role in research and education, compelling institutional IT to become more deeply involved with individual academic units. The university's teaching and research economies are becoming more interlinked while simultaneously regulatory and security requirements escalate rapidly and accountability broadens. It's true that one of the challenges to operating in this complicated environment has to do with the technology itself—the sheer complexity of technology deployment is increasing and technology requirements continue to change.
But our long-standing IT deployment practices are also breaking down. As universities struggle with how to piece together centralized and decentralized models in a way that will meet the needs of both the institution as a whole and the individual units it comprises, powerful forces are pushing these models toward failure. The centralized-versus-decentralized approach no longer aligns well with the programmatic objectives and regulatory requirements of the university. Hierarchical IT organizations and empowerment through budget and reporting lines are faltering and the organizational chart is failing to describe the real practice of IT. Institutional and departmental IT units can no longer compartmentalize their services and are forced to wrestle with their respective roles, turf, and accountability about services that are inherently integrated. Too often, we refer to IT services provided by a central organization versus those provided by individual units or departments. This has become a false dichotomy, creating an unproductive kind of competition among IT operations and preventing our common goal of a seamless, responsive, end-user IT environment."
Posted September 3, 2013
Organizing Information Professionals on Campus
Educause Quarterly, November 2002
By Fredrick Miller
It discusses a hybrid approach to centralized and decentralized IT.
"...Illinois Wesleyan University began using a new model when it reorganized its academic computing, administrative systems, and telecommunications departments into a single Office of Information Technology. ...
"...The question of decentralizing versus centralizing is important when discussing new organizational structures for information resources in higher education. In colleges and universities, a decentralized structure is typically organized around departments or constituencies, providing a strong department focus and strategic alignment with department needs. It gives individual departments more control over priorities. Unfortunately, a decentralized IT structure tends to place multiple demands on the people performing the decentralized function, causing them to act more like information generalists than specialists in a particular technology function.
A centralized information resources structure, on the other hand, lets an institution pull together its information workers and provides more opportunities for technology specialization. The centralized structure allows for more professional development for staff and lets organizations more effectively apply lessons learned within departments across the organization.
The disadvantage of the centralized model is that the one-size-fits-all approach allows more organizational efficiencies at the price of solutions that might not fit some departments. Conversely, a decentralized solution provides better tailoring to the needs of individual departments at the cost of efficiency, along with a need for more communication.
New hybrid information resources organizations may provide the benefits of both decentralized and centralized structures. In a hybrid IR model, the top-level information access layer (closest to users) is more likely to be decentralized within an institution. At the same time, the model's lower layers will likely have more centralized structures, to deliver more efficient services."
Posted August 30, 2013
Every external or new person that comes to campus says that all technology should be under one group. The question that is never asked is why is it the way it is currently? Electronic Student Services was created because we needed quicker and more specialized technical support. This plan would then move those people back into the old way that didn't work.
Steve says that he will make sure that the level of service we are used to, will continue to be the level we receive. Why would we like the plan when we are already getting that level of service and the only thing that can happen is that it stays the same or gets worse? This plan does more for the people that don't get the service than those who already have it. It actually sounds like a way to fix some of the issues with Utech.
OK, so you suck up ESS and AIMS. Why is it that we aren't talking about the tech reps? I'm guessing one of two things. One, they are seen as low level people to deal with later. Two, no one wants to try to force anything on the teachers. What I see happening is that all the areas will end up with tech reps. Not tech reps supplied by Utech but, by hiring their own like the colleges have already done. What's the end result it this? ESS and AIMS are gone. We now have thirty tech reps around campus that have to follow Utech's rules to a degree but, not completely. Steve says that everyone area would have a representative; we have that now!
I work directly with AIMS on a weekly basis. You work with one or two of those people because they are over your area. So instead of sending an email to those people, I will have to submit a ticket to Utech, they will route it to the AIMS groups. Now someone in AIMS has to figure out who should end up with that ticket. Sound like it solves one thing – the chance of quick support.
That begs the next question. Currently we contact our own help desk and use WES to do it for us. I know Utech has something similar that directs you to a web page but, how will those calls be handled. We no longer have WES so we have to use the web or call. We contact the help desk who doesn't know the way ESS does things. They try to help but, in most cases won't because Utech does things differently. So now we have a lag in support while they figure out it's an ESS supported area. Not that ticket is routed to the ESS area of the ticket system. Finally my area gets the support that they would have already received if things were left alone. I'm sure the answer is to standardize the way things are done. This would change the way things work. Our office would then be less affective due to this change. I would also like to site an example of this already happening and doing exactly what I have listed: Zimbra.
Money! This is a huge topic on-campus. How is it that you plan to move ESS and AIMS into Utech but, nothing is being said about money? AIMS makes its own money. Does that money now become Utech's money? How does AIMS pay for the next piece of software, the next mainframe? ESS is paid for out of Student Services money. In some cases, those areas directly pay for the salary of the person. How do we take money directly from Student Services departments and use it for the entire campus? When those bigger Student Service departments don't get the service they are used to, drag their money back, how do those people now get paid. I personally have information that tells me that those departments are already prepared to take that money back if ESS is moved.
I think this plan does fix one thing. People don't know who to contact for what. I understand that is an issue for new people especially. So we will now know to contact Utech for everything. Of course we can't get the service because the people that typically take care of our issues are now dealing with other things. I heard a rumor that said if this happens, ESS and AIMS will still do much the same thing. So if things aren't changing except who to contact. That contact is now longer due to people not understanding the difference in how things are done. What is actually improving?
Last, I would like to say something about Utech. I have worked with those people for over 15 years. Every area has their issues and Utech is no exception to that. That being said, those people work hard. They have a lot of people to support to with very little control. ESS has the support of their vice President. That doesn't happen with Utech. I know those people do good work but, I already have someone supporting me that does a better job for me. It might not be a better job for the Math department but, it's better for me; hence why ESS was created!
Posted August 29, 2013
Overall, there is a strong trend toward centralization of the IT infrastructure and services with corresponding advantages (noted in the plan) and disadvantages (often neglected in the plan). Some disadvantages include the varying needs and funding resources of different units on campus. Though a humanities department may not have the same needs as a tech oriented department, there are still significant needs in electronic classrooms, infrastructure, hardware, etc for both. But to standardize the hardware, electronic classrooms, etc. in these various areas would either produce waste on the one hand or a lack of resources on the other. Standardizing will inevitably require prioritizing resources, but this often results in those with lower, but just as important needs being neglected for those whose needs are more obvious. I urge caution on the attempts to provide uniform resources and a standardized approach to IT.
Posted August 28, 2013
Hello. It seems to me the #1 priority should be classroom instruction--as this is a school of learning. Meaning all classrooms should be wired and as fast as possible. Also, that we finally get some decent/quality rooms where we can have better interactions b/w Macomb and QC campuses--or just use Skype. It's sad that we don't have such facilities including for regular classes as well as interviews; the current system is utterly inadequate for remote interactions. These all come under Recommendation 4; that all teaching/instruction come under just one of the many (ten?) recommendations speaks volumes as to the (somewhat incorrect) priorities of the authors of this draft.
I also believe that faculty and students should play a central role in creating and implementing such a plan but see "centralization" as implying that will not be the case.
Posted August 28, 2013
The previous comment linked the wrong document. This is the cirrect link.
IT Organizations: Balancing Centralized Efficiencies with Localized Needs
John Voloudakis, ECAR
Center for Applied Research
Posted August 26, 2013
All previous comments posted here regarding section 2.1 center around the potential of a decline in response to user services if AIMS and ESS are Centralized under an umbrella with uTech to improve efficiency.
This article from Educause highlights that the decntralized model is generally well liked from users and staff in these cases. And that unique local needs are important and should not be disregarded. However, efficiency improvement is in regards to financial means - and WIU is now finding it necessary to look at all cost savings where possible, as the article discusses.
IT Organizations: Balancing Centralized Efficiencies with Localized Needs
"Information technology (IT) services at many colleges and universities are delivered through a complex organizational structure combining one or more central IT groups with numerous local providers. In universities that have more than one physical location, this complexity is often multiplied across the campuses. The decentralized model for providing IT services is generally well liked by those who work outside the central administration, but it is often criticized for duplicating services, confusing constituents, and raising the overall cost of delivering IT services. ...
This research bulletin outlines an approach for rethinking the structure for delivery of IT services in colleges and universities that have multiple IT groups. It examines where in the institution IT services can be delivered and how such delivery can be streamlined, while recognizing that there are unique local needs that are not likely to be effectively met by a single, centralized approach."
It should be noted that the previous combination of departments under uTech did not eliminate their individual visibility or unique services to WIU, but instead where possible and where user services was not sacrificed, inefficiencies were eliminated.
It will be difficult to manage an IT Governance model at this university without a more centralized umbrella leadership. Many Universities have already gone this route, and WIU must evaluate how to do it without turning over the apple cart.
Posted August 26, 2013
This is a good reference for existing EdTech implementations by other Universities.
These fall within the Strategic Plan (from edCetera article below):
- Indiana University - WiFi, BYOD
- University of Arizona - Web Site-in-a-Box
- Youngstown State University - Student Retention System
New Tech on Campus: 10 Universities on the Cutting Edge of Tech
via edCetera
A lot of attention has been paid to off-campus higher education of late. Some even went so far as to call 2012 "The year of the MOOC." While all of these virtual campuses and massive open online courses were busy grabbing the spotlight, a lot of brick-and-mortar universities are taking their on-campus technology to the next level. ...
Why This Matters: This list details 10 Higher Ed Institutions have taken their on-campus technology up a notch. From lecture-free classrooms to BYOD policies, there are plenty of ideas to incorporate into your own EdTech plans.
Posted August 26, 2013
Recommendation 2: Won't Improve Efficiencies
Action Item 2.1: Centralization of IT services
1.Consolidation of ESS, the Library Tech Support into UTECH if very concerning for us in the library. UTECH doesn't have the staff or time to respond within minutes of an issue when we have time critical e-document delivery. The libraries have very specialized software for checkout, ordering and delivery of documents. When service is down it impacts faculty, staff and students (not just on campus) but global information sharing.
Just last fall as our servers were migrated and that action stopped document delivery services for well over 3 months while UTECH figured out a solution. Our deliveries go to faculty, staff, and students here on campus as well as others around Illinois and the world. Presently, there is another server issue that has been ongoing all summer not allowing the libraries to save, store, and back up our digital collection to the server. This too has been ongoing for well over 3 months now. The potential for data loss is high at this time only being able to backup these images to portable drives.
So to say the least, my department would be against this complete integration as UTECH has not been appropriately given staff to cover campus wide issues nor the applicable training to solve these types of issues quickly. I believe Ess and the Library Tech staff should remain separate entities.
Posted August 16, 2013
Comments by Section:
Recommendation 1: IT Governance
While this section provides a reasonable proposal for funds specifically allocated by the University for IT purposes, it fails to address the use of non-appropriated funds utilized by individual departments. These funds are often allocated as needed for high priority departmental needs. These may be needs that the University Technology Advising Group would consider as a low campus priority. The expectation that these funds be allocated to support the "greater campus needs" at the expense of the individual department would likely cause these funds to be allocated for other purposes.
Action Item 1.2: Effective communication
1. The proposal fails to include non-academic staff representation in this group. The proposal includes appointing a faculty member and a student to work with University Technology senior leadership to more effectively communicate. The inclusion of a non-academic staff representative would serve to improve communication with all of the groups.
Recommendation 2: Improve Efficiencies
Action Item 2.1: Centralization of IT services
1. The consolidation of ESS into University Technology is a cause for concern for the Health Center. Beu has invested significant resources into the virtual desktop technology implemented by ESS with an understanding of a certain level of support. Current response time from ESS is usually measured in minutes. This is critical for the Health center as our providers are usually fully scheduled and need access to patient medical records to provide the best possible treatment. By contrast, our historical experience with University Technology support issues has been measured in hours to in some cases months. Any consolidation that would reduce responsiveness to outages would be unacceptable.
2. We have concern regarding any possible decrease in functionality with the integration of existing virtual desktop equipment.
Action Item 2.3: Focus on Mission Critical Differentiators
1. Health Care provides little differentiation from other Universities. Would this factor make support for campus health care a low priority item within a combined unit?
2. Salaries of some IT staff are supported by Student Services departments based on specialized skills needed to support our equipment and software. We would be concerned if these staff members were to be refocused resulting in a reduction in the support we receive from our salary contributions.
Recommendation 4: Scholarly Enablement
Action Item 4.1: Desktop and Application Virtualization
1. As the pioneer test site for VDI with ESS, the Health Center has made a significant investment in this technology. Are provisions being implemented to ensure that new systems are compatible with existing systems preventing the need for additional investment in competing technologies?
Recommendation 8: Strategic Technology Alliances
Action Item 8.1: Telecommunication Partnerships
1. Due to security concerns with VOIP sharing campus network resources, a transition to VOIP would force some campus departments to discontinue accepting credit card payments. The expense involved in the SAQ certification for transmission over a VOIP system is cost prohibitive. Integration of the VOIP system with data also raises some concerns regarding security and confidentiality of voice mails.
2. Would the migration of all phones to VOIP affect the speed of the campus network during peak times?
3. Based on communication with other departments currently using VOIP technology, it is unclear if this system supports paging functions. This is a function of the legacy telecommunications system that is used extensively by the Health Center. Would a migration to VOIP necessitate the installation of a 3rd party paging system?
4. Moving the phone system onto the campus network would reduce staff productivity during a network outage. Currently during network outages our staff can utilize this time to catch up on phone calls, this would not be possible if all resources were dependent on the campus network.
Posted August 13, 2013
I believe that ESS should remain a separate entity. ESS was created approximately 15 years ago due to poor support response from (then) Academic Computing. Offices within the Division of Student Services came together to create (then) ITSS (Info. Tech Student Services). Since that time, ESS has been providing service tailored to the needs of the offices in the Student Services division, along with select other offices. Were ESS to be merged into UCSS, and were they to be put into mainstream support, I believe that these offices would no longer receive the support that they are accustomed to. ESS provides a necessary and valuable service to one-quarter of University staff that would most likely be lost if they were merged. ESS already works closely with UCSS in many areas, without being a part of them. This partnership can continue without actually being merged. I believe it is in the best interest of the Division of Student Services that ESS remain as they are so they can continue to support those users effectively. If anything, my suggestion would be that ESS be left as-is and tasked with supporting other "business-processing" offices, which would fit into their specialty. This would relieve UCSS of some support burden, thus allowing them to concentrate on more University-wide infrastructure projects and other University-wide and academic area needs. There are options such as this that should be considered rather than a merge of ESS and UCSS.
Posted August 1, 2013
I am not in favor of ESS falling under the umbrella of Utech. I feel that this change would result in decreased customer service and slowed customer support. In a business where urgency is the utmost importance I worry that adding extra responsibility to Utech would be overwhelming for their staff. ESS has been an asset to my department and they make sure that the work they complete is efficient and done in a quality manner. Thank you.
Posted July 25, 2013
Please leave ESS where they are. I feel that the way ESS is set up currently is where they need to remain. They are so efficient and helpful I don't know what our office would do without them!
Posted July 25, 2013
I would not be in favor of moving ESS under the umbrella of Utech. Our department demands prompt feedback on IT related issues and joining these two entities would not expedite our needs. ESS has been done a good job working on any issues that have come our way and we will need their department to remain the same to satisfy our future needs.
Posted July 24, 2013
It is important that we look at the broad scope of how our University functions through information technology. As a football program I deal daily with the ESS staff, they get back to me at the latest within the hour. This service is necessary for our success as a program. My biggest fear is that we would have an issue during the season and UTEP, who have proven to be far worse in response time, would not get back to us for few days. This could cost us competitions. As for a university we need to understand that as we move forward we will continue to rely more and more on technology and putting a big umbrella on support would really hurt day to day operations as a University. I feel very strongly regarding this matter. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Andrew Prevost, firstname.lastname@example.com
Posted July 23, 2013


text:
dnaman needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 87 designs submitted by 34 freelance designers.
Be the logo designer for a new business that will use cutting edge DNA research and technology to protect the environment and better humanity.
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As a certification business, the logo must inspire confidence and reflect its clinical underpinnings. But as a young and cutting-edge for-profit business that is bringing to bear DNA testing technology for the betterment of the environment, the logo shoul
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Are There Clear U.S. Military Objectives in Syria?
If the U.S. military gets directly involved with the conflict in Syria, what would be the objective? U.S Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Campbell outlines the challenges facing the United States regarding the Syrian civil war, in an excerpt from the Big Interview.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... in Syria are ... their ... nuclear military objectives ... for the nine states are there ... we are allies in this conflict rebel groups that have a very broad ... of amorphous termed the rubble groups ... either actual groups that ... of one of ... clearly are all lined with US interest that could be supported ... and what what our military ... interest the answer what would objectives were left with red nail in the military has great planning Stosur has proved that we continue planning now going for certain other ... hot spots in the world ... no the present are governess to align our national security objectives and what our nation interests or ... with Syria we know that there's been reported that the BOJ would make sure that that given the ... weapons of mass destruction ... is not there will come at a certain exported in state and church groups they can have bad news having ... gets from people use it against other countries to the States ... so they've talked about the Vo breadline ... and I think of yesterday ... White House now said it would be some sort of support back to Syria ... my read on that now just read the newspapers now on this piece is gonna be ... O supplies baby in addition to the light weapons I don't know for sure what that will be ... but again I think though what would bother me the motions of capability of the weapons of mass destruction ... aam ... has been telling how to steer getting out of Syria ... to get into the wrong and that should be aren't one of our objectives ... he I think so data Thursday keep that ... from happening ... um but are there of groups within of the Assyrian ... sort of of opponents of a sign ... that you feel comfortable ... arming ... but I don't know study on the peaceful vote as part of a part of our reason ... people say hey gotta get in you gotta do something illegal weapon you gotta train the rebel force ... for the last several months last year plus but it's been a whole bunch of different forces ... hearted NFI who's actually in charge of this group that group yet with a unified do they have the same objectives ... I think has been very hard for ... Ford to figure out exactly ... how we tied in together ... again not only for the U S for this is not only us fine art the world as the Karma from this ... new coalition is to come together ... for the kids ... yet but they're definitely countries ... that report to the ... um ... I think you're a stage in other countries continuing to use them as well to try to make sure that they have the best interest of the world ... and in the core of the world that ... you keep it under control


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St. Pat's Pumpkin Fest unites school, community
ONEIDA -- With less than 10 days until Halloween, pumpkin seekers had plenty to choose from at the ninth annual Pumpkin Fest held Saturday at St. Patrick's School in Oneida.
Jeremiah Buhl of Oneida chose one of the smaller varieties since it was easier for him to carry. He and his father had plans to carve a happy face on the soon-to-be jack-o-lantern.
"I don't want it to look scary, just funny," Jeremiah said.
Parent and teacher volunteers from St. Patrick's School kept busy all day serving food, operating games and selling baked goods and other items. Vendors and crafters from throughout Central New York provided visitors with a chance to stock up on seasonal decorations and handmade crafts.
Rosa DeContratta of Canastota was intrigued with the duct tape purses the young entrepreneurs The Creative Junkies were selling.
"I know that my granddaughter would fall in love with this for Christmas," DeContratta said.
The Creative Junkies is a business venture owned and operated by two Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School freshmen - Ashley Donaldson Kaitlyn Platt. Both young ladies enjoy making fashion accessories so they decided to start producing enough items so they could sell their artistic creations with a flare at local craft shows.
"This is our second show," Donaldson said. "We started out at the VVS Community Day several weeks ago. For our first show we did really well."
The team designs colorful duct tape purses, hair accessories and flip flops.
Jordan Montley of Sherrill was excited by the games and bounce rides assembled in the basement of the school. Raising a mallet high into the air, Jordan struck a catapult, hurling a bean bag frog projectile through the air. Jordan jumped for joy as the frog landed close to a lily pad arranged on the floor.
Children won points for their participation in the games, which could be redeemed for toy merchandise and Halloween items. "I won a truck," 6-year-old Kyle Piersall said after he turned in his tickets.
With pumpkins, games and bounce houses filling the children with excitement inside, the popular attraction outside was the fire truck on display from the Oneida City Fire Department. Children took turns climbing into the driver's seat and imagining that they were on their way to rescue someone or put out a fire.
Principal Peg Brown said the annual fall event is one of the major fundraisers the private parochial elementary school holds each year. Funds raised through this popular event are used to help offset the school's operating and tuition assistance programs.
The annual Pumpkin Fest brings together the St. Patrick's church and school family with members of the community as they take time to enjoy the festivities and help raise funds at the same time.


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City Guides >
Electrical current is 110 or 220 volts, 60Hz. Most
hotels operate on 220 volts.
The official language is Korean.
Tipping is not customary in Korea. Sometimes, expensive
restaurants and luxury hotels may add a service charge of 10%. Taxi
drivers are usually tipped if they assist with baggage.
Most visits to South Korea are trouble-free. The crime rate
against foreigners is low, but it is still advisable to use
sensible precautions particularly in safeguarding passports, money
and credit cards in crowded areas. There has been an increased
number of rapes reported in the nightlife areas of Seoul, as well
as in private homes and travellers should be cautious, particularly
at night, travelling only in legitimate taxis or public transport.
The political situation is generally stable but since the Korean
peninsula was divided by a demilitarised zone in 1953, tensions
have risen and fallen on occasion. It is wise to be informed about
current conditions. You should carry some form of identification at
all times and ensure your next-of-kin details have been entered
into the back of your passport.
English is not widely spoken or understood, so if you plan to
use taxis or other local services it is wise to have instructions
written down in Korean. It is advisable to carry some form of
identification at all times. Social harmony is crucial, and public
anger or criticism that causes an individual to 'lose face' or
dignity is a serious breach of etiquette. Koreans will go out of
their way to maintain a comfortable situation.
The increase in trade with Western countries has meant that
Koreans do not expect visitors to understand all the nuances of
their culture, however they are appreciated. Koreans dress
conservatively and formally and it is important to do the same.
Koreans like to do business with people whom they know and often
introductions via a third known party are necessary. Greetings
often consist of a bow, followed by a handshake. Introductions are
very important and ascertain the hierarchy, often according to age,
which is to be observed and respected. Often the most important
person will be introduced first. Greeting in Korean,
'an-yong-ha-say-yo' (hello), and 'kam-sa-ham-ni-da' (thank you), is
a good way to earn respect. Business card etiquette is vital; they
should be given and received with both hands, with the details
translated from English into Korean or Chinese on the alternate
side, and must be treated with the utmost respect. Each one is to
be read carefully and the name acknowledged. It is important, when
issuing cards, not to stack them or keep them in one's wallet or
purse. Koreans are referred to by their surnames or family names
first and then their given names second and it is best to ask in
advance how to address the person. The giving of gifts is
appreciated and often reciprocated. Business hours are generally
9am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
The international dialling code for South Korea is +82, and the
outgoing code is 001 or 002 followed by the relevant country code
(e.g. 00144 for the UK). The outgoing code when using some mobile
phones is 00700. City or area codes are in use, e.g. (0)2 for
Seoul. Telecommunications are well developed and call boxes
accepting both cash and cards are prevalent. Internet cafes are
widely available. Although mobile telephones are widely used by
locals, there is no GSM network and foreign phones will not usually
work in the country, even when on international roaming. Local
mobile phones may be rented.
Travellers (over the age of 19) arriving in South Korea may
bring in the following items free of customs duty: 200 cigarettes
or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco products; 57g perfume; 1 litre of
alcohol (only those over 20 years old); and gifts valued at not
more than 400,000 won. Products from communist countries are
prohibited, as are fruit, seeds and any published or recorded
material deemed to be subversive or obscene.
Share with the community >
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Sunday, October 31, 2010
Dish of the Day & Spelt Carrot Cake Muffins
Imagine this:
You have breakfast (all together, at the table, with heaps of butter for the muffins and a coffee for the grown ups). You pack lunches (healthy ones, with lots of colour and texture). You drop the kids at kindy. You get into work. You smile at all your co-workers - because out of all of you, who else made muffins this morning? No one. That's right - just you. Be proud.
Makes 10-12 muffins (depending on how overly-generous you are early in the filling of muffin cups)
10 min prep + 15 min baking
Adapted from Deceptively Delicious
The ingredients
1/4 c rapadura sugar
1/4 c olive oil
1 egg
juice of 1/2 an orange
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/4 c chopped dried apricots
1/4 c chopped prunes
2 c wholemeal spelt flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
+ one lovely thrifted dish, to hold your muffins
*Try to use organic ingredients when you can, and unsulphured dried apricots.
**You can substitute brown sugar for the rapadura if you don't have any ... but try to get ahold of some. You can also substitute regular wholemeal flour for the spelt, but I encourage you to try the spelt - it makes the muffins so incredibly soft and yummy!
The process
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350 F). Line a muffin tin with paper cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, egg, orange juice, vanilla, carrots and chopped dried fruit.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir to combine. Careful not to overmix - that'll make for flat muffins. Gently stir until the batter is all mixed together, wet and dry.
4. Divide into muffin cups. Put into preheated oven and bake for 12-15 min, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven, remove from the muffin tray and cool on a rack for a few minutes before eating!
I used all organic ingredients, and my muffins came to about $0.60 each (for 12).
Oh, and $0.50 for the gorgeous enamel dish you see the muffins sitting in. I love enamel. Want to see some more thrifty finds? I play along here.
Have a great week - muffined or not!
Amanda xx
10 comments:
- Medifast Coupon said... [Reply to comment]
Anything to help out a Monday!!! Thanks for the muffin recipe to try.
- November 1, 2010 at 10:48 AM
- Karen C. @ DEVOUR|DESTROY said... [Reply to comment]
Not sure how to get my hands on these ingredients but I have to recommend whole wheat pastry flour for muffins-- turns out amazingly! I'm glad you're getting into baking this week, I'm going to try my hand at a crusty loaf of whole-grain bread for the first time soon. EXCITING! Butter, bread, carbo-overload yayyy!
- November 2, 2010 at 3:30 PM
- Easy peasy organic said... [Reply to comment]
Hope your Monday was a good one! My daughter lost it, and ended up having a 3 hr nap in the afternoon - so I had some unexpected free time (yay!)
Karen, do you live near a Wholefoods? Betcha they'd have the ingredients! I really want to try wholemeal pastry flour, but I have the problem that I can't seem to find it here! Good luck with the bread! :)
- November 2, 2010 at 7:26 PM
- Matthew Kadey said... [Reply to comment]
I love the addition of the apricots and prunes. I really like serving whole spelt berries as a side-dish. They have a wonderful chewy texture. But I'll have to grind some down into a flour and try these out.
- November 4, 2010 at 8:53 AM
- Easy peasy organic said... [Reply to comment]
I'm with you Matthew - the dried fruit makes these amazing! I've never tried spelt berries ... will have to find them somewhere and give them a go! Thanks for the tip :)
- November 4, 2010 at 9:48 PM
If I were to substitute honey or maple syrup for sugar, how much should I use? I was also wondering is 1 and a half carrots about 1 cup shredded?
- November 19, 2010 at 8:37 PM
- Easy peasy organic said... [Reply to comment]
Hiya, thanks for asking that ... I'm a bit of a dabbler in the kitchen (as in, I look at the texture and thickness of the batter and play with proportions). So .... I googled this for you!
Check out this link for sugar substitution tips:
And I'd say 1-2 carrots = 1 cup usually.
Hope this helps!
- November 20, 2010 at 11:09 PM
- Elva@ Gluten Free said... [Reply to comment]
This is something I was looking for. Surely I am going to try it and let you know how it goes. Thank you so much for sharing such a nice recipe.
- April 9, 2012 at 2:10 AM
- Kootenay Mom and Dad said... [Reply to comment]
Just made your recipe! It was so delicious! I think I put too many carrots in so I had to add more liquid to make it work. I added buttermilk and they turned out perfect. Thanks!
- October 28, 2012 at 11:39 PM
I Made these today,absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe. :)
- January 5, 2013 at 10:43 AM


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Western Maine casino recruiting blackjack dealers, table game operators
OXFORD, Maine (AP) � Western Maine's Oxford Casino is looking for people interested in becoming blackjack dealers and running roulette, craps and other casino table games.
The casino is holding a recruitment event at Lewiston's Career Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday in hopes of getting a large number of applicants interested in becoming card dealers and table game operators.
Casino officials say they're hoping to attract 75 people to attend the casino's six-week training classes in anticipation of a busy summer season. The casino says it'll consider people interested in working either full- or part-time.


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Family says restaurant locked them inside over tip refusal
Police called over restaurant tipping policy
HOUSTON – Jasmine Marks said she was trying to enjoy dinner recently with several friends at La Fisherman, located at 1935 Highway 6 South. She said the service was less than stellar; the wait staff was rude, their drinks didn't get refilled and they didn't receive their entire order.
When the bill came, Marks said there was a problem. The restaurant added an automatic 17 percent gratuity because their party had more than five people in it, but Marks didn't feel like the staff earned the full tip so she asked to speak to a manager.
"We asked her, could the gratuity be removed? Could we give our own tip? She said it was part of their policy and there was nothing she could do about," Marks said. "If you're not satisfied with the service, you shouldn't have to pay gratuity."
The gratuity policy was clearly marked on the restaurant's menus. But Marks said when they questioned it the workers wouldn't let her or her friends leave; she claims they locked the door and called the police.
"She was like, 'You have an unsettled bill and ya'll can't leave until you pay it,'" Marks said. "We paid our bill for what we ate, we paid the bill."
Marks said it was only the 17 percent tip they were questioning.
"She said, 'That's fine. If you don't want to pay the gratuity we have HPD outside,'" Marks said. "I asked the police officer twice, maybe three times, is it against the law if we don't pay the gratuity and he never gave me a straight answer."
The on-duty manager at La Fisherman Restaurant told KPRC Local 2 they usually don't have a problem with people paying their gratuity, it but admitted they have called police for this type of issue before.
That action has gotten the attention of Houston's Better Business Bureau who said they are now looking into the complaint.
Dan Parson, president of the BBB, recommends customers know the restaurant's policies before they sit down for a meal.
"Consumers need to understand the policy going in," he said. "I mean every sign walking in the door. What credit cards do you accept, not accept? What are your hours? Seventeen percent gratuity for the six of you? If you don't like it, leave."
But his message to restaurant managers is this: "They call it the hospitality business, I know you love food, but you got to love the people who eat the food."
In the end, the family ended up paying the 17 percent gratuity because they wanted to avoid any further problems.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Amy Irby-Shasanmi '05 Receives ASA Minority Fellowship
August 15, 2012
Amy Irby-Shasanmi, a 2005 graduate of DePauw University, has been named a 2012-13 American Sociological Association Minority Fellow. Currently working toward her doctoral degree in sociology at Indiana University-Bloomington, Irby-Shasanmi is one of eight new Fellows. The program "consists of Ph.D. candidates with strong and diverse sociological research interests," according to ASA.
The new Fellows began the program on August 1 and are attending the ASA's 2012 annual meeting in Denver.
A sociology major at DePauw, Irby-Shasanmi has worked at a group home for at-risk youth as a resident advisor. "With these youth, she became aware of negative public attitudes toward mental illness and saw the effect stigma had on their lives," notes ASA's website. "In this regard, her applied work experience is an integral part of her understanding of issues surrounding health. As a scholar, she seeks to understand the interrelated roles of race/ethnicity, social relationships, and stratification in shaping health disparities."
Read more by clicking here.Back


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jerk around(redirected from jerk her around)
jerk around
1. rude slang To waste or pass time idly or by doing nothing or engaging in foolish behavior. Stop jerking around and start cleaning this place up—my parents will be home soon!
2. rude slang To tease someone, often by trying to convince them of something untrue. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is sometimes used between "jerk" and "around." Quit jerking me around, I know there isn't a Hollywood director calling me right now.
3. rude slang To waste someone's time, often by being indirect. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is sometimes used between "jerk" and "around." I don't understand why they didn't just tell me no right away. Instead, they jerked me around for three weeks when I could have been looking for other jobs.
jerk someone aroundand jerk someone over
to hassle someone; to waste someone's time. Stop jerking me around and give me my money back. They sure like to jerk around people in that music shop.
jerk around
Take unfair advantage of, manipulate or deceive, as in Leave me alone; quit jerking me around! or He was jerking you around when he said he was home all evening. [Slang; mid-1900s]
jerk around
1. Slang To waste time: They jerked around for hours instead of doing their homework.
2. To take unfair advantage of someone, especially by deception or manipulation: Don't jerk me around; tell me what's going on. The con artist jerked around the unsuspecting tourists at the carnival.
jerk around
in. to waste time. All you do is jerk around. Get a move on!


text:
I call to witness the ink, the quill, and the script,
which flows from the quill;
I call to witness the faltering shadows of the sinking evening,
the night and all she enlivens;
I call to witness the moon when she waxes, and the sunrise
when it dawns.
I call to witness the Resurrection Day and the soul
that accuses itself;
I call to witness time, the beginning and end
of all things - to witness that every man always suffers loss,
Mesa Selimovic "Dervish and Death"
Copyright © 2020 by Ziyah Gafic. All rights reserved.
Design by Creative 24/7


text:
- Font:
- +
- -
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government fought an uphill battle Wednesday to convince a skeptical judge that tobacco companies should be required to put large graphic photos on cigarette packs to show that the habit kills smokers and their babies.
Don't miss these Health stories
More women opting for preventive mastectomy - but should they be?
Rates of women who are opting for preventive mastectomies, such as Angeline Jolie, have increased by an estimated 50 percent in recent years, experts say. But many doctors are puzzled because the operation doesn't carry a 100 percent guarantee, it's major surgery -- and women have other options, from a once-a-day pill to careful monitoring.
- Larry Page's damaged vocal cords: Treatment comes with trade-offs
- Report questioning salt guidelines riles heart experts
- CDC: 2012 was deadliest year for West Nile in US
- What stresses moms most? Themselves, survey says
- More women opting for preventive mastectomy - but should they be?
Cigarette makers told U.S. District Judge Richard Leon at a hearing that they can't be forced to spread the government's anti-smoking advocacy with "massive, shocking, gruesome warnings" on products they legally sell. Attorneys for the Obama administration countered that the photos of dead and diseased smokers it wants on all cigarette packs are "factually uncontroverted."
Leon has already ruled that the cigarette makers are likely to succeed in their lawsuit to stop the requirement, which was supposed to go into effect next year. Leon blocked the rule from taking effect until after the lawsuit is resolved.
Leon found in his earlier ruling that the nine graphic images approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June go beyond conveying the facts about the health risks of smoking or go beyond that into advocacy — a critical distinction in a case over free speech.
Leon also ruled the size of the labels suggests they are unconstitutional — the FDA requirement said the labels were to cover the entire top half of cigarette packs, front and back and include a number for a stop-smoking hotline. The labels were to constitute 20 percent of cigarette advertising, and marketers were to rotate use of the images.
The judge showed no sign that he was changing his position in favor of the government after the hour-long hearing Wednesday. "It sounds like they are headed to a place where you have to watch a 10-minute video before you can even buy a pack of cigarettes," he said.
The packaging the government wanted to require included color images of a man exhaling cigarette smoke through a tracheotomy hole in his throat; a plume of cigarette smoke enveloping an infant receiving a mother's kiss; a pair of diseased lungs next to a pair of healthy lungs; a diseased mouth afflicted with what appears to be cancerous lesions; a man breathing into an oxygen mask; a cadaver on a table with post-autopsy chest staples; a woman weeping; a premature baby in an incubator; and a man wearing a T-shirt that features a "No Smoking" symbol and the words "I Quit"
The Obama administration has appealed Leon's preliminary injunction stopping the rule from taking effect. The U.S. Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear the case April 10.
Attorney Mark Stern, representing the government, told Leon they do not expect he will change his mind after siding so strongly with the tobacco companies in his initial ruling. But he said the government disagrees and argued the images factually show what can happen to smokers. "This will kill you," Stern said. "This will kill your baby."
Tobacco lawyer Noel Francisco said the government is free to try to tell Americans how to live their lives, but not to require cigarette manufacturers "to serve as the government's unwilling spokesman in that paternalistic endeavor."
Congress instructed the FDA to require the labels by a wide bipartisan majority, following the lead of the Canadian regulations that require similarly graphic images on cigarette packs. But Leon said Wednesday "there's just nothing — nothing — on the record" to indicate lawmakers consider the First Amendment implications of compelling commercial speech.
The cigarette makers that sued the FDA are R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Lorillard Tobacco Co., Commonwealth Brands Inc., Liggett Group and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Hey Adafruit forums,
I'm building a small circuit for a project I'm working on. I would like it to run off a Lipoly. It will have an ATtiny85 onboard and I wanted to know if a regulator such as the MIC5225 on the trinket is necessary if I uses a MCP73831? Is the regulator, regulating the voltage that goes into the ATtiny85 therefore making it necessary? Did I just answer my own question.
Also I'd really like to express my gratitude for all the services and products you provide. Huge fan! I've entered a new frontier of tinkering. SO A BIG THANK YOU!


text:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Tommy Tuberville and Cincinnati are back in the Belk Bowl - and this time he'll actually get to coach the Bearcats.
Tuberville was hired on Dec. 8, 2012, by the Bearcats, but didn't coach in last year's Belk Bowl. Instead, Steve Stripling served as the interim coach after Butch Jones resigned weeks before to take a job at Tennessee.
However, Tuberville was on hand for the practices leading up to the game and said that experience gave him a jump start on this season.
"I'm not as stressed as I was this time last year," Tuberville said Friday with a laugh. "But it was good to come in last year and get to know a lot of these players, watch practice and watch the game and figure out, hey, we might need to do this or that in recruiting. So I got a head start."
On Saturday, the Bearcats (9-3) will try to become the first team to win back-to-back Belk Bowl titles when they face North Carolina. The Tar Heels (6-6) became bowl eligible despite starting the season 1-5 in their second year under coach Larry Fedora.
Tuberville said he never thought the Bearcats would win nine games, especially in a year in which offensive lineman Ben Flick died in a car accident in September and 16 other players sustained season-ending injuries.
"These kids persevered," Tuberville said. "I'm proud of them. It's been a hard year on them."
Fedora, in his second season as coach, is looking for his first bowl win with the Tar Heels. His team overcame some adversity as well, battling back from a 1-5 start to become bowl eligible.
"I don't want anybody to think we're just happy to be here," Fedora said. "We're not. We want to win a football game. We want to end this season the right way. Getting back to being bowl eligible was a big accomplishment. Now let's go out there and finish the job."
Five things to watch between North Carolina and Cincinnati.
� Stopping Ebron: Tar Heels tight end Eric Ebron is being billed as a likely first-round pick in next year's NFL draft. It's easy to see why. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound junior is the team's leading receiver in what he said will be his final game with the Tar Heels before turning pro. He caught 55 passes this season for 895 yards and three touchdowns.
"He's the prototype tight end that a lot of NFL teams will be looking for," Fedora said. "He's a big guy who can run like a wideout and catches balls like a wideout. He can be a huge factor at the next level."
Said Ebron: "This is my last game as a Tar Heel and I just want to go out and do what I've been doing all season."
� Kay looks to repeat: Brendon Kay gets a chance to pull off a rare feat and become the first player in Belk Bowl history to earn MVP honors in back-to-back seasons. Kay threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 76 yards to lead the Bearcats to a victory last season over Duke.
"It was a lot of fun last year," Kay said. "For me, as far as the MVP thing, as long as we win the game then great. If it takes me getting that trophy then great. I don't care who gets it. I just want the W."
� Martin's rush: Senior defensive end Kareem Martin is the latest in a long line of top-notch North Carolina pass rushers. Martin, who has 11 sacks on the season, said the key will be pressuring Kay.
"We have to make him uncomfortable," Martin said. "I've watched a few games and if we can get him off the spot we can make him force throws. If we can get him forcing throws into tight coverages our defensive backs will be able to pick it off."
� Williams' return: Tar Heels quarterback Marquis Williams returns to Charlotte, where he excelled as a high school athlete. He is the focal point of North Carolina's offense throwing for 14 touchdown passes, while also leading the team in rushing in 490 yards and six touchdowns.
� Bouncing back: Both teams have endured a long layoff since falling to their rivals in the final regular-season game. North Carolina lost to Duke, while Cincinnati was beat by Louisville.
"I think both teams will have to pick themselves up," Tuberville said. "It's tough losing to your rivals. It takes something out of you. I think that's the key, which team is able to get the mojo back. And the one that finds it the quickest is going to have the advantage."


text:
|PickDropGo EC2 Moorgate offer a very competitive flatpack furniture assembly service in EC2 Moorgate. All our flatpack assembly work in EC2 Moorgate is carried out by our team of professional flatpack installers. Our EC2 Moorgate flatpack assembly services are widely used by most flatpack furniture retailers. We aim to save you the frustration and time in having to build your flatpack furniture by making our services available seven days a week at a time that best suites you.
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