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ALUMNI NEWS
• Welcome Wagon
• Admission FAQs
• The Times, They Are A-Changin'
• Winning Palette
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Welcome Wagon
UVaExpress provides bus rides, greetings for international students
First-year student Yun Cheng arrived at U.Va. in August after a 30-hour plane trip from Beijing to Northern Virginia that included a 10-hour layover in San Francisco.
So when she was met at Dulles Airport by volunteers, whisked to Charlottesville in an air-conditioned bus with other students and greeted with fruit, bagels, cookies, banners and more volunteers at Tuttle Hall, she was appreciative.
"It’s nice to have a welcome like this," Cheng says.
Cheng was among 100 students who began life at the University with a warm welcome by UVaExpress. The program provides free transportation and helpful hands for international students whose entrée into the U.S. might otherwise be less than auspicious.
Such was the case of a student traveling from Singapore who had to spend the night in a D.C. bus station in 2006. That was the last straw for Gordon Kirtland (Col ’77, GSBA ’81), president of the UVaClub of Singapore. He’d heard about similar travails in the past, so he contacted the Office of Engagement and now provides funding for the two-year-old program.
"They do all the work, and they do a great job at it, I must say," Kirtland says.
This year, he and his wife, Chew-Mee (GSBA ’81), accompanied daughter Katie, a first-year student. One important part of the experience, says Chew-Mee, is that it allows students to meet others in similar circumstances. "They don’t feel so lonely."
 This year’s group included students from 23 countries and five continents. With eight buses and volunteers from 14 University departments, UVaExpress requires considerable coordination. "That our volunteers represent groups from radiology at the U.Va. Hospital to the Bolivar Network in Washington, D.C., reflects a global awareness among University of Virginia faculty, staff and alumni for the difficulty of acclimation to life in the U.S. today," says Kate Malay (Col ’05), a former assistant director of regional engagement at the University.
The bus ride from Dulles to Charlottesville helps with that adjustment, giving students a chance to bond and ask questions.
"One girl was very interested in seeing cows," Kirtland says. "Another was surprised at the number of churches."
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Admission FAQs Does my child need to be the president of the class, play three varsity sports, walk dogs at the SPCA and spend part of her summer at a leadership conference in Amsterdam to be competitive at U.VA.?
No. "Quantity does not always mean quality," says Jack Blackburn, dean of admission. When students spread themselves across too many activities, they can lose the ability to be invested in any organization or club.
Secondly, there is no specific activity, trip or experience the admission counselors are looking for on a college application. "Our advice is to commit yourself to endeavors that are meaningful to you," he says. "This way you and the people or entity or critters you serve will benefit."
There is a common misconception that colleges look for students involved in activities that require travel and money. Instead, U.Va. admission counselors look for students involved in activities that allow them to grow, to be stretched and to serve. These opportunities are just as likely to be available in a student’s community as they are to be offered thousands of miles away. While some will travel to faraway lands to develop leadership, service and responsibility, students can build the same skills while spending a summer working at the local swimming pool.
"First and foremost, participate in activities you find meaningful. Then let the Office of Admission know about them," Blackburn says. "We look forward to all you can bring to the University, in and outside of the classroom."
For details, visit the University's Office of Undergraduate Admission Transfer Student Web site and the Alumni Association’s Admission Liaison Program.
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| The Times, They Are A-Changin'
Flextime, telecommuting gain popularity
by Carter Hunter Hopkins
Director, Alumni Career Services
Are you a baby boomer, looking at work responsibilities in relation to retirement? Are you a new graduate interested in a career that allows balance in your life? Are you an employer wanting to achieve a stronger bottom line while retaining the best employees?
More workers are making choices that contribute to greater professional and personal success. On the flip side, businesses are examining innovative ways to increase production and satisfy employees.
Flextime as a benefit has been growing in popularity within companies for more than 20 years. Having the freedom to schedule work around personal matters is considered a win-win situation by both employees and employers. New workers and seasoned professionals alike expect organizations to provide flextime options, and the most successful companies view it as a primary criterion for worker satisfaction. When the job offer is extended and the benefits package is presented, having flextime as an option can be the factor that seals the deal.
Telecommuting also is increasing in acceptance as traditional hierarchical corporate structures evolve into forms that are more organic. Some jobs are more conducive than others to independent work away from the traditional office setting, but workers in a growing number of fields find that they can produce better results if they work from home one to three days a week. High gas prices make this an even greater benefit.
To approach your employer about a flextime or telecommuting option, consider these steps:
Assess your organization’s flex culture
• Talk with people in human resources
• Consider upper management’s commitment to flex options
• See if there are policies/procedures in place and a history regarding flextime and telecommuting
Identify work elements that cannot be changed
• Clarify that these elements will remain unchanged
Determine where and when
• What types of flexible work arrangement(s) are you interested in proposing?
• How long do you plan to work this arrangement? Will it be short-term or a permanent adjustment?
• What hours and days are you proposing to work away from the office and from what location?
List responsibilities that can be accomplished away from the office
• Prime candidates are tasks that require uninterrupted time for accuracy or completion
• Focus on ways to sustain or enhance the organization’s business objectives
List what equipment or services you will need to work from home
• The fewer on this list, the better
• Determine how you will deal with technical problems
Specify how you would handle emergencies and important in-house or client meetings
• What backup plans do you have for child care or other outside responsibilities?
• Can you be flexible about when you work away from the office?
Determine how your work away from the office will be recorded and evaluated
• How often will you meet with your supervisor to discuss your performance?
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Winning PaletteStudent's eye for color earns prize
 A painting that began with bare tree limbs and winter weather evolved into a majestic mix of colors—and a prize for one student.
Alli McKee (Col ’09) used techniques learned in an Italian art class to bring complexities of color to her painting of Pavilion IX’s garden.
"My painting professor, Megan Marlatt, taught me to put every color out on my palette and to use each color in unexpected ways," McKee says. "When you look at a scene in this way, red bricks become greens, purples, yellows and pinks."
A double major in American studies and studio art with a minor in English, McKee was the winner of the U.Va. Alumni Association’s 2009 student art contest. McKee used funds from the Alumni Association’s Leslie Baltz Fellowship for her Italian art studies, as well as classes in London.
"Art has always been one of my passions," says McKee, a Virginia Beach native. "As much as I love to make art, I also enjoy art education as a docent at the U.Va. Art Museum and as a student in the art history department. Sharing my love of art is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had at U.Va."
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