Atlantic Union College

The program:

• An Admission Seminar
• A Financial Aid workshop
• A campus tour
• An opportunity to meet with some professors
• A delicious complimentary lunch
  

Those Who Are Invited:

• High School students: Grades 10-12
• Parents
• Youth leaders, church officers, and pastors
• Students currently attending a two-year college
• Students considering a transfer for fall 2010
• Adults interested in the Adult Degree Program
   

            Technology is evolving faster than ever before. Businesses need skilled employees who are confident with the latest technology—they need skills that are current, validated, and they need them now. Atlantic Union College, now a Microsoft IT Academy, can help existing and incoming students to get these skills and prepare them for the certifications needed. More than 600 free software programs are also available to the faculty and staff.

            Internet2, the foremost U.S. advanced networking consortium, gives Atlantic Union College (AUC) the cyberinfrastructure to offer Microsoft IT Academy. “Internet2 gives us an extremely robust internet,” says Atlantic Union College President Norman Wendth. “AUC is the only college within the 15 Adventist colleges and universities in the North American Division to be connected into the Internet2 system. This was accomplished through an agreement with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in nearby Worcester, Massachusetts. We are now one of their satellites.

            “I’m very excited to have more services, streaming video, intensive scientific and educational research, certifications, and the capabilities to download television programs related to students’ coursework.” 

            AUC is among 250 Internet2 participants including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, Princeton University, Tufts University, National Institutes of Health, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Ohio State University, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Microsoft IT Academy—Instruction, Validation, and Immersion

• IT Instruction provides Microsoft training curriculum supported by a wealth of online resources from Microsoft and its worldwide partners for students and educators.
• IT Validation assesses and certifies performance at many levels, and helps make certification(s) more affordable. Whether or not certification is completed, the program provides competency benchmarks that validate skills for prospective employers.
• IT Immersion surrounds students with real-world challenges, experiences, and insights to prepare them to meet the needs of employers and the professional IT community at a high level. The Microsoft IT Academy program also provides membership in an alumni program that offers graduates life-long learning.

Certifications Offered

      “We are offering training courses for the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA),” says Ademir Soares, AUC’s Chief Information Officer. Soares previously worked for NASA’s IT in New York City and at Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). He was responsible for super-computer farm operations including Craig, Amdhal, IBM and SUN.

      In addition to providing college students education with strong earning power, Soares’ long-term goal is to provide Adventist academies with IT education migrating their interest in the areas of computer science, business, and the sciences.

Tools for the Non-technical

      Internet2 also creates a global stage for those in the arts and humanities, defining ways to create, teach, perform, and collaborate. Go to www.internet2.edu.  It is a powerful tool for professionals in healthcare, science and engineering, and teaching and learning.  www.health.internet2.edu.  For additional information e-mail: auc.ita @auc .edu.

Complied by

Cindy Kurtzhals, Atlantic Union College Public Relations Director

January 14, 2010

Atlantic Union Members Respond to Requests for Assistance in Haiti Relief Efforts

A massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti, on the afternoon of January 12, 2010, leaving massive devastation in its wake. It is said to be the strongest quake to hit Haiti in more than 200 years. As a result, the death toll continues to rise and thousands have been injured and left homeless. Damage to the infrastructure—homes, office buildings, churches, schools, hotels, phone lines, power lines, and more—has been severe.

Haiti has more than 335,000 Seventh-day Adventists worshiping in 470 churches. In addition to a hospital and university, the church operates dozens of schools there. According to Larry Evans, undersecretary for the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church, two of the largest Adventist churches near the presidential palace were destroyed. There are serious concerns for the children who were attending the school attached to one of those churches. One union worker was killed when a wall fell on him. Many have been sleeping on the lawns of the Haitian Adventist University and hospitals in Port-au-Prince.

Following news of the quake, administrators in the Atlantic Union and the six local conferences met individually and collectively to determine the most effective method of mobilizing members to assist the Haitian community. According to Donald King, Atlantic Union Conference president, "Union and conference administrators . . . have agreed to declare Sabbath, January 16, 2010, as a special union-wide Day of Prayer for the people of Haiti." (See www.atlantic-union.org/news_haiti-101210.html.)

Special offering days have been designated by conference officials to give members the opportunity to donate to the relief efforts. Local church leaders will be communicating information beginning, Sabbath, January 16, regarding what actions individual conferences are taking to assist in the relief efforts. In addition, the Atlantic Union Conference has designated Sabbath, February 6, 2010, as the Sabbath to collect a special offering for relief efforts in Haiti. All churches in the Atlantic Union are being asked to join together in taking a special offering on that day. "We solicit your prayers for the leaders of the country and people of Haiti as well as the leaders and members of our churches. As you may imagine, the needs are enormous, so we request your financial support in alleviating the suffering of the people," said Louis Metellus, vice president for the Atlantic Union Haitian Ministries." (See www.atlantic-union.org/news_haiti-101210.html.)

The more than 102,370 members in the Atlantic Union worshiping in about 562 churches and 62 companies are being asked to pray for the millions of people in Haiti affected by the earthquake, along with those involved in the search and rescue efforts, and the many Haitian members in the Atlantic Union Conference who are attempting to receive word about their families.

Information about the relief efforts will disseminated as it is received. If you have credible information you believe should be communicated contact the Atlantic Union Conference Communication Department at communication@atlanticunion.org.

For more updates about Haiti and related links, visit www.atlantic-union.org.

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