The men’s golf team will compete in the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Region Championships May 2-4 at Timber Banks Golf Club in Baldwinsville, N.Y.

The top five teams and the top two golfers not with a team from each region will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships, set for May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colo.

This marks the ninth consecutive year that the Cal U men’s golf team has competed in the NCAA Regional contest. Last spring the Vulcans finished 11th in regional competition. The team last qualified for the NCAA National Championship in 2013, when Cal U finished in 20^th place.

Follow the Vulcans atwww.calvulcans.comor on Twitter at @calvulcans.

The women’s golf team will compete in the NCAA Division II East Region Championships May 2-4 at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill. 

The top three teams and the top three golfers not with a team from each region will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships, set for May 18-21 at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, Colo.

Cal U’s was the only PSAC team selected to compete in the 12-team regional event.

This marks the ninth time in 10 years that the Cal U women’s golf team has competed in the NCAA Regional contest. The team last qualified for the NCAA National Championship in 2013, when Cal U finished in ninth place.

Follow the Vulcans atwww.calvulcans.comor on Twitter at @calvulcans.

Power Quality Workshop 
8 a.m.-4 p.m.
May 4, 2016
Convocation Center 

Managers of industrial and manufacturing facilities may join the campus community May 4 at a free workshop focusing on advances in power quality technology that can help the region’s industrial and manufacturing facilities remain competitive and productive.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., followed by the workshop from 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in the Cal U Convocation Center.

Lunch is provided, with a keynote address by Todd Kirkpatrick, program manager at FirstEnergy.

Tours of Cal U’s laboratory facilities follow from 2:30-4 p.m.

Workshop sponsors

In addition to Cal U, the event is sponsored by:

• West Penn Power, which serves about 720,000 customers in 24 Pennsylvania counties.
• FirstEnergy, whose 10 electric distribution companies serve customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an independent nonprofit organization that conducts research and development on technology, operations and the environment for the global electric power industry.

Workshop topics

Experts from EPRI will discuss low-cost power quality (PQ) solutions, efficiency applications and advanced manufacturing technologies that can improve competitiveness.

They also will outline techniques that can make industrial and manufacturing facilities more efficient, productive and resilient to power system anomalies.

The event includes case studies, PQ equipment demonstrations and tours of California University’s laboratories, including the energy control lab, electrical engineering and computer engineering technology labs, and the automated manufacturing center.

Register online

Registration is required for this free event. Four Professional Development Hour (PDH) continuing education credits are available.

View a complete schedule and register online.

Parking is available in the Vulcan Garage, off Third Street near the campus entrance in California, Pa.

Get directions or a campus map.

National Robotics League Competition 
May 20-21, 2016
Cal U Convocation Center 
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED MAY 19-21.Sign up here 

Robots return to the Convocation Center May 20-21 for the National Robotics League’s 2016 national competition.

For the first time at Cal U, 68 teams from nine states — including some BotsIQ competitors from southwestern Pennsylvania — will battle to see who has the best 15-pound robot in the country.

The National Robotics League (NRL) is a workforce development program of the National Tooling & Machining Association that invites students to design and build remote-controlled robots to face off in gladiator-style competition.

Teams earn points not only for their robots’ performance in the arena, but also for their engineering documentation and the presentations they give before a panel of industry experts.

Volunteer at the competition

Volunteers are needed to assist with the National Robotics League competition at California University of Pennsylvania.

• Thursday, May 19— Set up. Volunteers are needed to help with assembling the two impact-resistant arenas where the ’bots will battle.
• Friday, May 20 — Safety inspections and interviews/documentation reviews. The NRL needs volunteer safety inspectors and monitors, as well as individuals with technical experience who can interview students and review their documentation binders.
• Saturday, May 21 — Competition Day. Volunteers are needed for technical and non-technical positions, including safety inspectors, monitors and runners to work in the backstage “pit” area where robots are repaired between bouts.

Sign up here to volunteer for the National Robotics League competition at Cal U.

See photos and a list of winners from the 2016 BotsIQ Southwestern Regional Finals at Cal U.

Join us

Visit the Convocation Center, where the robots come out to play!

The National Robotics League Competition is free and open to the public.

Get directions and a campus map

The softball team earned the Atlantic Region’s fifth seed and will compete in a four-team regional component of the NCAA Division II Tournament May 5-7 at Buckhannon, W.Va., on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan University. 

The Vulcans (35-4) will face fourth-seeded Bloomsburg (44-7) at noon May 5.

In the other first-round game, top-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan will face eighth-seeded Winton-Salem State (N.C.) University at 2:30 p.m. May 5. 

Charleston (W.Va.), the second seed, will host the other Atlantic Regional contest, playing Lock Haven University, while West Chester and Kutztown also face off in first-round competition.

Winners of the double-elimination tournaments this weekend will advance to the NCAA Super Regionals. They will play a best-of-three series from May 11-12 at the site of the highest remaining seed.

Eight Super Regional champions from across the country will compete in the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament May 17-21 at the Regency Athletic Complex Softball Field in Denver, Colo. 

The Vulcans, who were national semifinalists a year ago,  are making their ninth consecutive NCAA post-season appearance. The team has qualified for NCAA post-season play in 25 of the past 27 years.

Pittsburgh Passion Women’s Football
7 p.m. May 7, 2016
Adamson Stadium at Roadman Park

Women’s football comes to Adamson Stadium May 7 when the undefeated Pittsburgh Passion takes on the Keystone Assault.

Kick-off is at 7 p.m.

It will be Breast Cancer Awareness Night at the stadium on Cal U’s upper campus, so wear pink to show your support.

About the Pittsburgh Passion

Winner of the 2014 and 2015 Independent Women’s Football League world championships, the Pittsburgh Passion is one of the world’s best-recognized full-contact women’s football franchises.

The team is committed to community engagement, teaching life lessons through sport and making a difference in the lives of others.

The 2016 roster includes Cal U alumnae Lorraine Stanek and Madison Baxter.

See the Pittsburgh Passion at Cal U’s Adamson Stadium

Tickets for the May 7 game at Adamson Stadium are $15.

Buy tickets online

Get directions to Adamson Stadium, 217 California Road, Brownsville, Pa.

The women’s tennis team earned the Atlantic Region’s top seed and will host preliminary-round matches of the NCAA Division II Tournament May 7-8 at Roadman Park.

West Virginia State and Slippery Rock will meet in a first-round match Park at noon May 7, and the Vulcans (17-3) will face the winner of that match at noon May 8.

In case of inclement weather, the matches could be moved to the Glen Creek Tennis Club in South Park Township, Pa.

The winner of the preliminary-round tournament will advance to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Division II Championships. Those games will be played May 18-21 at the Regency Athletic Complex in Denver, Colo.

Cal U earned the automatic qualifier for the regional contest after winning an unprecedented 10th straight PSAC championship with conference tournament victories April 30 over Millersville and IUP.

The Vulcans are making their 12^th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. They have advanced to the national quarterfinals six of the past seven seasons.

Follow the Vulcans atwww.calvulcans.comor on Twitter at @calvulcans.

California University is one of six State System universities participating as a full partner in the Pennsylvania Global Education & Business Hub, an initiative begun nearly four years ago to help promote Pennsylvania colleges and universities to students from India.

Representatives of more than 20 public and private schools in Pennsylvania, along with the Ryan international Group of Institutions in Mumbai, India, signed an international partnership agreement recently in Harrisburg.

Founded in 1976, Ryan International has established more than 130 schools in India and the United Arab Emirates, and it now serves more than 270,000 students in grades K-12.

A pair of Pennsylvania Education Centers, in Mumbai and Bangalore, already have been established through the Penn Hub initiative to promote universities, including Cal U, to potential students. The centers are funded and staffed by partner institutions in India.

“India’s population is so large that universities there simply don’t have the capacity to enroll tens of thousands of young people who are seeking higher education,” explains Elizabeth “Bessy” Bennellick, Cal U’s director of International Programming.

“This partnership provides a clear pathway for students from the Ryan schools in India to further their education in the United States.”

Signing the partnership agreement is just the first step toward bringing students to Cal U. The program must introduce Pennsylvania’s universities to Indian teachers and guidance counselors, and work with individual students and their families to find a U.S. school that’s the right fit.

Penn Hub connection

Cal U has been a member of the Penn Hub group for two years, Bennellick said. The formal agreement recognizes that “we are committed to diversifying our student population and attracting students who otherwise might not know about our Pennsylvania schools.”

While the partnership was designed primarily as a recruitment tool for Pennsylvania colleges and universities, it also provides educational opportunities for students and faculty from participating schools.

These include faculty-led workshops in India, student and faculty exchanges, and lessons offered through virtual classrooms.

Cal U is participating in the initiative with sister institutions East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Millersville, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. More than a dozen private colleges and universities also are partnering in the effort.

Cal U is trimming the cost of higher education for military veterans and their families. 

Beginning with the Fall 2016 semester, tuition costs will be discounted for veterans of all U.S. military branches, as well as their spouses and eligible dependents, when they enroll in Cal U Global Online, California University’s 100% online learning community.

Undergraduates seeking an associate or bachelor’s degree through Global Online will pay a reduced rate of $250 per credit. Master’s degree students will pay $399 per credit, or 90 percent of the in-state rate, no matter where they reside.

Use the Global Online Tuition and Fees Calculator

The discount for veterans mirrors the reduced tuition rate for active-duty military members that Cal U first offered in summer 2014. Since its inception, the program for active-duty military has increased online enrollment by service members and their families by more than 80 percent.

About Cal U Global Online

Cal U Global Online offers more than 40 programs leading to career-focused associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Online delivery allows students to complete their assignments at any time, from anywhere with Internet access, making Global Online a convenient option for students who are combining higher education with family or career responsibilities.

Cal U Global Online programs meet the same academic standards as campus-based programs, and courses are taught by the same expert professors. Support staff work closely with Global Online students from their initial inquiry through graduation, and resources are available to assist students who may be eligible for military or veterans’ education benefits. 

Contact Global Online

Request information about Cal U Global Online or contact the Global Online staff by e-mail at calugo@calu.edu or by phone at 724-938-5958 or 866-595-6348. 

Junior Julie Friend and sophomore Summer Hill will compete in the NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track and Field National Championships held May 26-28 at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Cal U’s first NCAA competitor will be Hill, who will run in the 1,500-meter preliminary event at 6:10 p.m. May 26. 

Friend will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase preliminary event at 7:55 p.m. the same day.

If Friend advances, the 3,000-meter steeplechase finals will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 27.

Hill will hope to make the 1,500-meter finals, which will take place at 5:45 p.m. May 28.

In 2014 Friend earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Hill also completed at the 2014 Nationals, in the 1,500-meter event, but did not advance to the finals.

Neither student-athlete competed in the 2015 outdoor season.

Awards of Distinction Luncheon 
Noon
June 4, 2016
Convocation Center, North Wing

The Cal U Alumni Association will recognize some of the University’s most distinguished graduates and faculty members when it presents its 2016 Awards of Distinction.

The public may attend the awards luncheon at noon June 4 in the north wing of the Convocation Center.

Presented annually since 1967, the awards recognize service to the University and the professional accomplishments of some of California University’s more than 53,000 living alumni.

The 2016 Cal U Alumni Association Awards of Distinction will be presented to these recipients:

• John R. Gregg Award for Loyalty and Service: Dr. George Crane, of California, Pa.
• C.B. Wilson Distinguished Faculty Award: Dr. David Argent, of McMurray, Pa.
• W.S. Jackman Award of Distinction: Shantey Hill ’01, of Merrick, N.Y.
• Michael Duda Award for Athletic Achievement: Jess Strom ’09, of Homestead, Pa.)
• Pavlak/Shutsy Special Service Award: Dr. Caryl Sheffield ’73, of Sarasota, Fla. (formerly of New Brighton, Pa.)
• Professional Excellence Award: Michael Grace ’95, of Connellsville, Pa.
• Young Alumni Award: Cynthia James ’02, of Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Meritorious Award: Carol (Nesti) Riley ’69, of Haymarket, Va.

Ticket price for the luncheon is $25; the public may attend. For reservations, contact Staci Tedrow at 724-938-4418 or tedrow@calu.edu.

Students who earn an associate degree in Arabic through the Defense Department’s foreign language institute now can apply those college credits toward a four-year degree at Cal U.

Students who complete an associate degree in Modern Standard Arabic at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, Calif., now can transfer 45 academic credits toward a Bachelor of Arts in Arabic Language and Culture at Cal U.

Cal U’s Arabic Language and Culture program is offered 100% online, so students can complete their studies from any location with Internet access. Courses are taught by native speakers of Arabic, and they cover cultural topics as well as reading, writing and speaking the Arabic language.

The program is offered through Cal U Global Online, the University’s 100% online learning community. Because there is no residency requirement, the Arabic Language and Culture program is a convenient and affordable option for working professionals, including Defense personnel, military members and other Defense Language Institute graduates who wish to complete a bachelor’s degree while actively pursuing a career.

Currently, 26 Defense Language Institute graduates are enrolled in Cal U Global Online, and nine others have graduated from Cal U. While many of those DLI graduates are studying Arabic, others are enrolled in a variety of Global Online undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

About the Defense Language Institute

Accredited since 2002, the Defense Language Institute provides language and cultural training to the Defense Department and other federal agencies. It teaches more than 20 languages and has awarded over 12,000 associate degrees.

This is the first time the institute has signed an agreement with an accredited university to accept the transfer of 45 academic credits for a foreign language program.

Prior to the agreement, colleges and universities “had the ability to pick and choose what they wanted to accept as transferable units (from DLIFLC),” an institute spokesman said in a news release. “Now, our graduates will be able to directly transfer their work … and get all the units they earned.”

Learn more about Global Online

Cal U Global Online offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as certification, certificate and professional licensure programs. For details, visit www.calu.edu/go.

A new edition of the Cal U Journal is available online. The latest headlines include: 2016 graduates look ahead to careers; Cal U partners with schools in India; Annual event celebrates Cal U women. Read the Cal U Journal online.

Meet with faculty and staff to learn more about assistantships, scholarships and federal aid at the School of Graduate Studies and Research Open House.

For more information, visit http://www.calu.edu/prospective/graduate/admissions-events/index.htm

Register for SEEK 

SEEK, Cal U’s annual Summer Educational Enrichment for Kids program, will offer two weeklong sessions for children entering grades 1-8.

Classes will be held June 20-24 and July 11-15. Sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. daily.

This year’s session has an “Olympics” theme, with classes focused on science, arts and crafts, performing arts and more. See what classes SEEK offers

Cost is $135 per child for a full-week, full-day program, or $90 per child for a full-week, half-day (morning or afternoon) program.

Participants are escorted between classes and supervised at lunchtime. Each child should bring a bag lunch; refrigeration is not available.

Since it was founded in 2000, the award-winning summer program has provided children with learning experiences that are entertaining, yet academically challenging. The curriculum is tailored to specific age groups and encourages all participants to reach their maximum learning potential.

Register for SEEK

Questions?

For more information, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 724-938-4407 or email seek@calu.edu. Office hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge 
July 1-2 (rain or shine)
Cal U campus locations

As America prepares to mark Independence Day, more than 30 members of the active-duty, reserve and National Guard components of the U.S. military will be competing to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge.

Service members must pass a series of rigorous physical challenges and safety tests in order to earn the badge, one of the few foreign awards that U.S. military members may wear on their uniform.

Physical fitness tests will take place July 1-2, rain or shine, on the Cal U campus. The marksmanship test will be held at the Westmoreland County Community College Public Safety Training Center in Smithton, Pa. 

These events are scheduled:

• 11x10 meter sprint
• Flexed-arm hang
• 1,000-meter run
• 100-meter swim in uniform
• Pistol qualification
• NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) hazards test
• First-aid proficiency test
• Road march with pack (at least 33 pounds)

A ceremony recognizing participants who complete the badge requirements will be held at 2 p.m. July 2.

See the schedule and locations

This is the fourth year that the Office of Veterans Affairs at Cal U has organized the testing.

Service members are expected to arrive from communities in Pennsylvania, and eight additional states. See their hometowns

About the badge

A decoration of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge has been available since 1972 to U.S. service members who meet rigorous proficiency standards.

All eligible members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard may compete for the award. The badge is awarded in gold, silver or bronze, depending on the results of the pistol qualification, the first-aid test and the road march.

More information

Capt. Robert Prah, director, Office of Veterans Affairs: prah@calu.edu or 724-938-4076.

Join us for Cal U's 35th annual Golf Outing benefiting the Cal U Athletic Scholarship Fund. This year's event will take place on June 20 at Southpointe Golf Club in Canonsburg, Pa. Click 'more' to view a brochure.

For more information, visit http://www.calu.edu/alumni/files/2016%20Cal%20U%20Golf%20Outing%20Brochure.pdf

Tune into the podcast series “More Perfect” and hear the voice of Cal U history professor Dr. Craig Smith, the author of Failing Justice: Charles Evans Whittaker on the Supreme Court (McFarland, 2005).

Smith is an expert in judicial politics and the history of law. His research interests include the work of the Supreme Court and its justices, and how legal decisions affect people’s lives.

Listen now

About the podcast

“More Perfect” is the first spin-off series presented by Radiolab, produced by WNYC Studios in New York City. The series explores how the Supreme Court shapes “everything from marriage and money, to safety and sex for an entire nation.” Weekly episodes are presented every Thursday.

Smith contributes to the series’ first episode, “Into the Thicket.” It describes Baker v. Carr, a 1962 court case that the late Chief Justice Earl Warren described as the most important case of his tenure on the High Court.

One key player in the case was Charles Evans Whittaker, the subject of Smith’s biography.

Listen now

Cal U student Ellen ‘Mari’ Boyle is Pennsylvania’s student delegate at CollegeDebate16, a national, non-partisan initiative to empower young voters to identify issues and engage peers in the presidential election. Read her blog about the CollegeDebate16 experience.

For more information, visit http://www.calu.edu/academics/american-democracy-project/student-participation/index.htm