Category: Montevallo Today

The University’s new Center for the Arts opened in August 2020 and began hosting classes and events with the start of the fall 2020 semester. The 36,750-square-foot building is located at the intersection of Oak Street and North Boundary Street and is unique among collegiate facilities in the state of Alabama. It brings together academic… Continue reading Center of attention: University opens state-of-the-art Center for the Arts

By Harrison Neville ’22 For this year’s College Night production, “Collide of the Sides; Royal and Loyal,” the Purple and Gold sides united to create a story that visited potential scripts of the past and told the story of a student who wants to join a side but is currently undecided. The two sides rehearsed… Continue reading Collide of the Sides: Golds, Purples present joint College Night show

Due to the challenges presented by COVID-19, the format for the University’s 124th Founders’ Day on Oct. 8 was unlike any before it. However, its purpose of celebrating this year’s seniors and UM’s more than a century of making a difference in students’ lives remained unchanged. The theme of this year’s Founders’ Day was “Building… Continue reading Founders’ Day virtually celebrates UM’s 124 years

​ While most people have experienced some form of hardship as a result of the COVID-19 quarantine, the changes have also brought unexpected positives such as more time spent with family and developing new hobbies. We asked UM alumni, students and employees to share the good changes they have experienced despite the challenges of the pandemic. Madisen Ricks Current student… Continue reading Positive changes come about during a difficult year

By Emily Reed  As the president of the University’s Student Government Association this year, Thomas Dillard has spent plenty of his time making sure the SGA is giving students at Montevallo the best college experience they can have under the unusual circumstances related to COVID-19.  “In planning events, we focus on first keeping students safe,… Continue reading Student spotlight – Dillard serves as SGA president during challenging times

By Emily Reed   When things changed this year due to COVID-19, UM Physical Plant Director Coty Jones was quick to step up with ideas to ensure students the ability to return to campus.  “One of the biggest challenges with helping students to prepare to come to campus was balancing everything with the constantly changing realities and… Continue reading Staff spotlight: Jones keeps UM going during pandemic

By Lindsay Schluntz   During the COVID-19 pandemic, Collin Williams has felt the depth of value that his role as an art professor at UM brings to campus and to society as a whole.   In light of the pandemic, in addition to balancing multiple modalities and significantly increasing the amount of content prepared online, the most substantive change that he determined to make to his teaching has been to prioritize compassion.   “None of us asked for this,” Williams said. During… Continue reading Faculty spotlight: Williams teaches compassion through art

A group of employees at the University put their expertise and resources to work for the state’s health care industry last spring and summer in an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.  In March, Michael Price ’15, the digital media and emerging technologies librarian at UM’s Carmichael Library, heard news reports about hospitals across the nation facing a severe shortage of personal protective equipment such… Continue reading UM supplies 3D printed face masks to hospitals, first responders

In the months leading up to the fall 2020 semester, the Malone Center for Excellence in Teaching played a major role in equipping the University’s faculty to offer online delivery methods for courses.   Because the effects of COVID-19 required a hybrid education model for the fall semester, the staff of five in the Malone Center performed… Continue reading Malone Center prepares faculty for remote teaching

Although students faced a fall semester different than any other, the UM Office of Student Life kept them connected to campus despite the difficulties presented by COVID-19.   The pandemic prevented large in-person events from happening, so Student Life rolled out numerous virtual offerings to keep students engaged while keeping them as safe as possible. Student Life… Continue reading Student Life pivots to overcome COVID-19 challenges