HAPS Leadership (#26): Steering Committee preparations for JAX!

May 7, 2014 tplehmanLeave a comment

We're here to serve you! — We’re here to serve you!

Seventeen days until the 2014 HAPS Conference in Jacksonville, Florida and the Steering Committee is busy making preparations for our 28th annual conference. As usual, there are so many things to do at the conference, and the Steering Committee Chairs are busy getting ready for all of them.

You too can earn this much bling for your ID badge!

The conference starts off Saturday evening with the Opening Reception. It’s a great chance to renew friendships and meet a lot of new people. Many of the Chairs will be out in force, welcoming people to the conference. They’ll be a great resource if you’re curious about the events and attractions in store for the week. As usual, Tom Lehman – president-elect – will be there with his tie-dye shirts, ready for the Shirt Swap. Bring your school gear and be ready to find something to take home and treasure.

Quick, there's a bulls-eye! Get'her signature! — Quick, there’s a bulls-eye! Get’her signature!

Sunday morning, the Chairs will help welcome First Timers to the First-Timer Breakfast with the Presidents Emeriti. They’ll hand out Scavenger Hunt cards to the First-Timers, who’ll have the challenge of finding chairs of each committee and getting their initials on their card. As you learn about each committee, you’ll be one step closer to the drawing for free conference registration to next year’s annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. Look for the Bulls-eye buttons and that’ll identify the Chairs and Regional Directors (make sure you know which Region you’re from so you can get the write signature).

Throughout Sunday, you’ll find various Chairs manning the Foundation table. Learn from them what the Foundation is and what it can do for you. Several of them will be near the posters, so there’s another opportunity for learning.

Nick furiously signing cards, repping the Foundation table, and describing the Animal Use Committee!

Monday morning, the Chairs will be up early and bright-eyed for the annual Foundation Fun Run. Come find them out on the Riverfront, directing participants on the Run. It’ll be a great chance to get some exercise and help raise funds for a wonderful cause. After that, come to the Business Meeting and participate in the business of HAPS. We’ve had some great discussions in the past and anticipate another lively and informative meeting.

Later that day, Shanan Atkinson and Peter English will be hosting the Vendor Raffle for amazing prizes. This will be your last chance to get Chair initials before the drawing of the Scavenger Hunt cards. Be sure to have the conference App on your Smart Phone, so you can find the pictures of the Chairs to help you hunt them down.

Why, yes I do know where the Foundation Oversight meeting is. Follow me... — Why, yes I do know where the Foundation Oversight meeting is. Follow me…

Tuesday, we’ll be at Florida State College for the Workshops. Several of the committees are having their annual meetings during lunch on Tuesday (check the Steering Committee poster for details). That’s an incredible opportunity to learn how much the committees can do and what you can get out of (and put into) a committee.

Wow, all that in less than a week. Whew, it’s going to be a busy time, but we’ve learned in the past that it’s more than worth it. See you in JAX!

Let us help make this conference as rich an experience as possible for you!

HAPS Leadership (#25): 2014 Annual Conference preparations

April 30, 2014 tplehmanLeave a comment

HAPS 2014 is in 24 days! The Annual Conference for the Human Anatomy & Physiology Society starts in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, May 24th. If you haven’t yet, start making plans. It’s a great week, full of incredible events and people. Let’s listen in on two new HAPS members planning for their first conference.

P. Langerhans: Frank, I’m excited to attend my first HAPS conference this next month. I’ve lurked on the list-serv for a few years and read the HAPS-EDucator, but otherwise I haven’t been too involved. However, I’ve always wanted to visit Florida, so I decided to sign up for the Jacksonville conference. I’ve never been to the area, so tell me what it’ll be like.

F. Netter: Paul, The Jacksonville area is gorgeous. We’ll be staying at the Hyatt Regency, which is right on the Riverfront. There’ll be a lot of neat places to see within walking distance. Best of all, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival will be just a few blocks away. Live music to sample throughout the weekend. The Marketplace is next door, with lots of great restaurants. There’s a water taxi that can easily take you to restaurants and parks across the river.

P. Langerhans: Well, I’m glad that I found you as a roommate. I don’t know any other HAPS members, so I was worried about finding a roommate. However, the HAPS website has a Roommate Finder forum as well as a Guide for First-timers. Man, that was really helpful in figuring out what to expect. I just read that the HAPS Foundation has organized a 5K Fun Run for Monday morning. We’ll be running along the Riverwalk and over the Main Street bridge. It’ll be an early morning – race starts at 7:00 a.m. – but that gives us time to make the Business meeting.

F. Netter: I’ve been reading the Sneak Peeks at the Update Seminar speakers. There’s a great diversity of topics, so I’m curious to see how they go. I’ve also signed up for one of the HAPS-I courses, so that’ll be another great way to meet HAPSters and explore the conference.

P. Langerhans: Which course did you sign up for? I was curious, but was too late. I need to learn more about those courses.

F. Netter: All HAPS-I courses are graduate credit level courses and can be applied towards a Master’s or Ph.D. program. They’re run through Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You can find the list of courses on the website. New courses are announced on Facebook and Twitter. They even have financial aid available. They accept applications four times a year and the awarded scholarships may be used anytime up to 12 months after receipt, so you might as well apply now.

P. Langerhans: Good idea. I’ll check it out and apply. I’m curious to check out the Saturday reception. President-elect Tom Lehman has mentioned the Shirt Swap for that night. Bring a shirt from your institution and be prepared to swap it for someone else’s shirt. I guess he’s into tie-dye something fierce and will be bringing several tie-dyed shirts to swap. Sunday morning, we’ve got the First-timers breakfast with the Presidents Emeriti, where we get to learn about the “ins and outs” of HAPS and realize how much we can get out of a conference and the Society as a whole.

F. Netter: You mentioned that you’re presenting a workshop. The workshops will be at Florida State College – South Campus. I’ve checked their website; it looks like an incredible campus. I can’t wait to see the labs. I’ve checked the workshop schedule and realize that I’m going to have a hard time choosing which to go to. There are so many cool ones!

P. Langerhans: I know. I was scared to present, but I’ve talked with other workshop presenters and they say it’s a great experience. The attendees are excited to learn and share. Several people said they came away with pages of new ideas to take home and try. That sounds amazing to me. I’ve even downloaded the HAPS 2014 Annual Conference app to keep track of the workshops and seminars that I want to attend. Say, are you taking the Thursday trip to St. Augustine?

F. Netter: You bet. That place sounds incredible. The restaurants look amazing! I was able to squeeze it into my travel itinerary, so I’m excited to see what the day trip is like. Man, I can’t wait for the conference and join the ranks of HAPS minions!

How about you?

HAPS Leadership (#16): HAPS-Institute

February 5, 2014February 5, 2014 tplehman2 Comments

Are you looking for graduate credit in the field of Anatomy & Physiology? Are you looking to share your expertise on a specific A&P-related topic with peers who are as passionate as you about the subject matter? If the answer to either question is “yes”, then the HAPS-Institute is the place for you.

Hi, I’m Peter English. As the Executive Director of the Human Anatomy & Physiology Society, I serve as the Director of the HAPS-Institute. I oversee the curriculum that we develop, the schedule of courses that we offer, and the enrollment of great individuals such as yourself.

At HAPS-I, we have maximized salary and minimized tuition to make this the best possible service to the HAPS community. With all of the issues surrounding accreditation, it is becoming increasingly important that faculty have graduate credit in A&P, and our credit is earned through Alverno College in Milwaukee. HAPS-I is one way in which HAPS is helping members meet the evolving needs in the changing landscape of higher education.

Every HAPS member has his or her specialty, and HAPS-I is taking advantage of this. In most cases, HAPS-I courses center around an educator teaching the class of his or her dream: a specific, incredibly rich understanding of a topic being taught by an expert with an amazing depth of knowledge. Courses can be completely online or can be a mix of online and in-person instruction. Many of the in-person components are tied to Regional Conferences or the Annual Conference. For 2014, we are offering four courses. Looking ahead, we will have our first traveling course with participants studying A&P in Italy this summer.

Future groundbreaking of our western campus.

In order to attract the best instructors, we pay an above average $2,500 per course based on an enrollment of 6 students (enrollment above this number pays more and pro-rates compensation for fewer students so that low-enrollment courses can still run). All HAPS-I courses have end-of-course surveys to ensure that we continue to hire only the best instructors.

For the students, tuition is just $550 per credit hour for HAPS members ($750 per credit hour for non-HAPS members), which is less than one-third the cost of some other graduate credit programs. Most HAPS-I courses are 2-credits, but between now and this summer, we’ll be offering 1-credit, 2-credit, and 3-credit courses to meet everyone’s demands.

The HAPS Foundation has recognized the importance of this sort of continuing education and offers HAPS-I scholarships four times per year. The scholarships cover the cost of 1-credit of instruction and the next due date for applications is February 15.

So, what do you say? Ready to be part of something incredible? The HAPS-Institute is ready for you!

HAPS Leadership (#3): Foundation Oversight Committee

November 6, 2013 tplehmanLeave a comment

The Human Anatomy & Physiology Society (HAPS) is dedicated to helping you learn. We’re working ourselves to the bone to help you gain valuable learning experiences.

The HAPS Foundation Oversight Committee offers a number of sources of financial aid to HAPS members and students. Their aims are to encourage attendance and participation at the HAPS Annual Conference, to support student and faculty research, and to encourage participation in HAPS-Institute courses. The HAPS Foundation was created in 2009 to build a financial pool of money that could make these efforts a reality.

The Committee currently administers the following grants and scholarships:

The Robert B. Anthony and Adjunct Faculty Scholarships and the HAPS Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Travel Award, which provide support for new members to attend the HAPS Annual Conference;
HAPS-I Scholarships, which cover the cost of tuition for these graduate-level courses;
The Sam Drogo Technology in the Classroom Awards, providing financial support for members presenting workshops at the Annual Conference; and
Faculty and Student Grants, providing financial support of research by HAPS members and students.

They’ve been working on improvements to our review and approval procedures. These include development of an electronic application process that will make submission and review of applications easier and more efficient and the adoption of uniform application submission deadlines. In addition, they have recently begun to consider and grant HAPS-I Scholarships on a quarterly basis, reflecting the increasing number and varying start dates of HAPS-I courses. Submission deadlines will be announced to the membership and displayed on the website.

Ask Bob about the shower caps in Las Vegas.

Look for more information on Grants and Scholarships in the near future. You can email the co-chairs if you have any questions. Don Kelly is a Professor in the Center for Life and Health Sciences at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, New York and is a past President of HAPS. Bob Crocker is a Professor at Farmingdale State College and Director of the Human Anatomy & Physiology Instruction Program at the New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, New York. Check out the web page for the Foundation Oversight/Grants and Scholarship Committee.

The deadline for the next quarter of HAPS-I scholarships is Nov. 15, so check it out quickly.

Ready for… HAPS 2014? Tell us what you want!

June 27, 2013July 8, 2013 Valerie O'Loughlin2 Comments

The HAPS 2013 annual conference in Las Vegas had record attendance, and preliminary member survey results indicate that most found the event informative and enjoyable. However, less than a month after the 2013 conference’s end, the HAPS leadership is making plans for the 2014 conference in Jacksonville, FL. The 2014 conference committee co-chairs, Steve Wood and Lourdes Norman-McKay, have already been working for a year on conference details. They’ve already been working with our Management Company and our Executive Director with respect to hotel selection, transportation to and from the school site, and overall organization of the conference. Well, less than a month after HAPS 2013 ended, discussion and planning for HAPS 2014 has sped up. This past week I joined the conversation as we all discussed some specifics, such as the number of rooms that needed to be reserved at the school, the specific social events that need to be planned, and finalizing update speakers.

florida_state_college_jacksonville — The host college for HAPS 2014!

While many of the details are still being worked out, here are a few items I can share with you:
* the organizers are trying to ensure some free time in the evenings, so people will be able to partake the Jacksonville Jazz Festival that is occurring the same weekend
* The ‘fun run’ activity to support the HAPS Foundation likely will be a scavenger hunt, held on Monday morning before the business meeting
* In 2013, we implemented a HAPS social that was free to everyone (instead of a more formal banquet, that required an additional fee). Since we received a great positive response for the Social format, we will continue to hold a Social in 2014.
* Workshop format will be similar to what we had in 2013, with the opportunity for overbooked workshops to be given as ‘second chance’ seminars

It is exciting to see the development of the conference unfold! So please tell me – what do YOU want to see at HAPS 2014? What did you especially like from past conferences that you want to see continue? Is there anything new you’d like us to try? Comment on this post and let’s get this conversation started!

HAPS Poker Walk: fun and merriment for a good cause

June 12, 2013June 12, 2013 Valerie O'LoughlinLeave a comment

Among my duties as President-elect of HAPS was to organize and oversee the yearly 5K fun run/walk that is held during the Annual Conference. This event was developed a few years ago as a way to raise monies for the HAPS Foundation, and for our members to have an opportunity to socialize and get some exercise at the same time. (For those of you not familiar with the Foundation: the HAPS Foundation was established to manage funds that may be used to advance current and future HAPS projects, such as the HAPS-Institute and the Learning Outcomes Project. The Foundation also provides money for scholarships and awards to our members.)

Look at all the registrants for the HAPS Poker Walk!

Since this year’s meeting was in Las Vegas (which typically has temps of 100+ degrees at this time of year), we were concerned about having a regular run and potentially killing off our members. (As a general rule in organizations, it is not a good idea to cause bodily harm to your membership.) 🙂 Our current President Dee Silverthorn suggested we hold a Poker Walk instead, so members would not get overheated.

BLSPjmgCYAIdh2i — All types of participants came to walk this year. 🙂

What is a Poker Walk, you ask? Some more official rules may be found here, but a nice summary is that it is part walk, part scavenger hunt, topped off with a hand of poker. Participants start off at a central location and receive a poker chip and a clue to their next destination. They walk to the next destination where they will get another poker chip and a clue to the third destination. This repeats until the participants have collected 4 chips, and they return to the starting point. There they exchange their chips for a 5-card draw poker hand. For an additional donation, they may exchange one of their cards. The best poker hand(s) win prizes.

BLSNFYvCMAAxOdt — Poker Walk volunteers dance away for participants at the first destination.

I was assisted in the planning of this event by Tom Lehman (Steering Committee chair and new President-Elect) and Bob Crocker (co-chair, Foundation Oversight Committee). The three of us were able to address various challenges in the planning and eventually came up with a route that wasn’t too terribly long and had easily identifiable landmarks. Multiple volunteers from the board, steering committee and membership got up extra early on Monday morning so they could staff the various locations. McGraw-Hill graciously donated water bottles to all participants and the annual conference committee had a variety of prizes to give both before and after the event.

But the big question remained…. Would people get up early on Monday to participate in a walk at 7am? The answer was yes! We had over 60 people participate and engage in the fun. Volunteers at each station entertained the participants, and our final station dealt poker hands like card sharks. The annual conference committee had many prizes on hand so many participants walked away with a prize. Many people commented that they had a great time and would like to so this again. So next year, when our annual conference is in Jacksonville, be prepared for another similar event. While the event may not be a poker walk per se, it will be something that is fun, gets us moving, and helps the HAPS Foundation.

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