IUP Central Calendar

February 2002

In This Issue
Oak Grove Rejuvenation to Mark Beginning of Allegheny Arboretum at IUP
IUP, Head Start in Partnership to Provide Free Child Care to Qualifying Student Parents
Stapleton Library Announces Edward Abbey Exhibit

In Every Issue
Newsmakers
It's My Turn
Announcements & Classifieds

Oak Grove Rejuvenation to Mark Beginning of Allegheny Arboretum at IUP
Students and faculty will return from spring break this year to note the first stage in the rejuvenation of the Oak Grove. The project will mark the first step in creating the Allegheny Arboretum at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a living museum of woody plants with an educational foundation.

Several trees will be pruned, and support cables will be installed between branches of some of the trees. This phase will involve the removal of several unstable and or diseased trees. This work will be done by a professional certified arborist and the University grounds staff. Eventually, under phase two, new trees will be planted to enhance the diversity of the trees in the grove.

The campus-wide arboretum will provide a learning environment to advance understanding of temperate forests and cultivate an appreciation for flora of the Allegheny Plateau region.

The Arboretum Board, approved by IUP President Dr. Lawrence K. Petitt in January of 2000 to oversee the project, has planned for the arboretum to encompass the entire campus. The Arboretum board, along with the University Engineering and Construction Group and the University grounds staff, is developing a proposal to restore parts of the campus to their original form.

The initial sites will concentrate on the Sutton Hall area, Old Fountain Sutton East and Flagstone Theater. In addition to the goal to provide a diverse and well-documented collection of native plant life, the campus will host specialty gardens.

"Over the past 30 years there has been a decrease in the diversity of the woody plants on campus," explained Dr. Jerry Pickering, IUP biology professor and chairperson of the Arboretum Board. 

"A considerable portion of the inventory is marked by short-lived species prone to pests and pathogens, invasive non-native species and others that lack character and seasonal interest. We are taking advantage of an opportunity to develop a comprehensive educational tool and beautify the campus in the process."
Pickering also noted that the oak grove phase of the arboretum project comes at an opportune time.

"We received $5,000 from a Kiski Basin Initiative grant for maintenance of the Oak Grove, and IUP has matched that amount for a total of $10,000," said Pickering. "The absence of people over the coming spring break will minimize hazards and enable workers to complete the project before students and faculty return, allowing us to attend to almost the entire grove with the funds we’ve received."

The board foresees opportunities to link the community and educational arenas from pre-school through adulthood. To this end, physical links between campus and community, advocacy links between local groups and industries, and public links with the surrounding community are planned.

"We want to make the arboretum accessible and inviting to the general public and ensure consistency with current community planning efforts," said Pickering. "One of our focuses is in creating ways for the community and industry groups to get involved in the establishment of the arboretum. We want the arboretum to be for the entire Indiana community, not just IUP."

The board is also planning for the continued maintenance of the arboretum with the implementation of a tree maintenance program, a process for donations and the development of a preferred species list to guide all campus landscape installations. This phase of the project will also include the completion of a campus tree inventory, a plant database and the promotion of landscape management techniques that are both sustainable and environmentally friendly.
written by Joseph Lacko, student writer, media relations

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IUP, Head Start in Partnership to Provide Free Child Care to Qualifying Student Parents
Thanks to a $110,000 grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services, qualifying full-time students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania have an opportunity for free child care through a partnership between IUP and Indiana County Head Start.

A childcare center is now open on the IUP campus for 20 preschool (ages 3 to 5) children. Children enrolled at the center receive the total benefit of Head Start activities, including meals, health services, social services and early childhood education, at no cost to the IUP student.

"IUP is very pleased to be in partnership with Head Start on this important initiative," said IUP President Dr. Lawrence K. Pettit. "There is an increasing number of students with children, and childcare is of paramount importance to their success at IUP," he said.

"Head Start is committed to providing high quality services," said Reed Booth, executive director of Indiana County Head Start. "This federal grant allows us to reach out to a traditionally underserved population, and we are very happy to be in partnership with the University," she said.

Indiana County’s Head Start program was one of the only programs in the state to successfully receive this grant funding.

The University President’s Commission on the Status of Women has identified childcare as its number one priority, said Cyndy Strittmatter, commission member and IUP director of budget planning. President Pettit formed the Commission to address concerns and issues related to the improvement of the campus for women. "Dr. Pettit has been very supportive of the Commission and of our efforts to enhance child care services on the campus," said Strittmatter.

Full-time University students are not eligible for any type of childcare subsidy unless they are working 25-hours per week or more, Strittmatter said. "It has been difficult for any student-parent to attend classes full-time, work, parent children, and do well academically," she said. "This partnership is a wonderful way to address this concern."

In addition to the Head Start partnership, IUP has had success with other childcare initiatives. According to Strittmatter, IUP is one of only three institutions in Pennsylvania to receive federal funding from the "Child Care Access Grant" that provides funding to students to support child care expenses. IUP has also maintained a long-term relationship with Indiana County Child Day Care, to address the childcare needs of IUP families.

For more information about the Head Start program and enrollment guidelines, persons may call IUP at 724-357-2369 or Indiana County Head Start at 724-349-6200.

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Stapleton Library Announces Edward Abbey Exhibit
Through the month of February, in the glass display case just inside the Stapleton Library's main entrance to the right, is housed a new library display titled Edward Abbey:  Internationally Acclaimed Author and Environmentalist from Indiana County. This display includes some striking photographs, first editions and other rare materials, some of them from the collection of Professor Jim Cahalan and the rest from IUP's Special Collections. The display features Professor Cahalan's new book, Edward Abbey:  A Life. The exhibit was initiated and arranged by staff member Gerrie Coy. Please stop by to see the exhibit.

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