The purpose of the Gazette is to provide a space to receive messages from the dean, information regarding activities of CESW faculty and students that align with our college's mission and vision, opportunities for involvement and research, and celebrations of our accomplishments. The Gazette’s contents support the mission of the College of Education and Social Work through its distribution of information, inspiration and inquiry. We hope this publication inspires you to continue your positive contributions to your chosen profession and collaborate with one another as agents of affirmative change in the world. Rams Up!

"Optimism is essential to achievement and is also the foundation of courage and true progress." Nicholas M. Butler

Our anticipated break is finally upon us. We look forward to seeing friends and family in celebration of community and connection. In this season, I am reminded how grateful I am to lead a team of faculty and staff who are student centered, forward thinking and show gratitude towards one another daily. I hope this time affords you the ability to relax and enjoy the beginning of the holiday season. May your travels be safe and your celebrations memorable.

With gratitude,

Dean Willilams

Congratulations to our Counseling Department's Drs. Zubernis and Snyder for their latest publication. You can read "Fans of Heroes and Villains" by scanning the QR code or going to https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48129-1_246 "

Congratulations to all the CESW presenters who shared their expertise at the annual PAC-TE Teacher Education Assembly “Responding to Gen Z: Glow Up or Be Canceled” in October. Thank you to Drs. Barry, Cuozzo, McInnis, Sylvester, Selvaggi, Solic, Williams, and Winterton. Special thanks for former CESW Staff Member, Dr. Samantha Weiss, for co-chairing the great event!

Dr. Christine Cuozzo shared "Making Connections with Interactive Read-Alouds”.

Drs. Tina Selvaggi and Sally Winterton presented “Revisiting Student Teaching for Gen Z”.

Dr. Dave Barry and Dr. Daris McInnis with Katie Manwiller, WCU Education Librarian, and two fellows, Evelyn Lewis and Julie Williams offered their session - “But you Don’t Have to Take Our Word for it: Teacher Educators Learning from Gen-Z about implementing CR-SE competencies".

"Education is not the learning of fact but the training of the mind to think!"--- Albert Einstein

Our amazing WCU HPE students participated in the annual SHAPE PA 2024 conference in a variety of ways over the past 2 days! Check it out below:

WCU Students Awards presented at SHAPE PA:

Alana Floyd – WCU Outstanding Future Professional for SHAPE PA

WCU HPE Faculty Awards presented at SHAPE PA:

Jeff Jacobs – 2024 SHAPE PA Advocacy Award

WCU Students who had presentations accepted for SHAPE PA on THURSDAY, NOV. 7:

-Jayla Godfrey, Alana Floyd, Karlee Duda:

Aligning Skills Based Standards with Interactive Activities in Secondary Health Education

-Julia Vit, Megan Reidel, Evan Lowther, Justin Sandler, Jeremy Kennard:

Aligning Secondary PE Activities & Assessments to the NEW Standards by SHAPE America **Dr. Dlugolecki was the faculty mentor and co-presenter for this session

WCU Faculty who had presentations accepted for SHAPE PA on THURSDAY, NOV. 7:

-Dr. Dlugloecki & Dr. Howard (EXS professor)- Fitness Programming *This session also included 3 HPE Alumni (2023 grads)

WCU HPE Student Attendance at the Conference:

WCU HPE had over 70 students register and attend the conference over the 2 days! There was approximately 150 future professional from across the state representing all the universities/programs! WCU made up about half of the attendance and REPRESENTED STRONG!

Dr. Dlugolecki was the faculty rep that attended and chaperoned the students at the conference.

WCU Health and Physical Education - SHAPE PA 2024!

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." -- Amelia Earhart.

Dear Faculty and Staff of the CESW:

You are invited to lend your talents, perspectives, and experiences in discussing the possibility of hosting a conference around trauma informed practices/instruction and advocacy for our college's disciplines. Participation in this teamwork project could qualify as service to the College. With the understanding that it will take time to brainstorm, plan, and execute – a prospective date for an event could be Fall 2025. Please email CESW@wcupa.edu to share your interest in participation by November 15th. Let’s bring ideas to the table and create an opportunity for the greater community across all our disciplines.

Dean Williams

To assist with data we submit to US News and World Report, please let the dean know, by adding your name to the spreadsheet, if you serve or have served as editor (not assistant or associate editor) of journals listed in the spreadsheet or won any of the awards listed. Please provide the requested information by, November 15, 2024.

Fiorenza's Food for Friends, a local non-profit, organized this year's West Chester Chili Cook - Off benefiting local food recovery. Hmmm, that name sounds familiar.... Dr. Laura Fiorenza, professor in the CESW WCU is the proud mother of the event's organizer as well as a super volume chili maker! Dr. Fiorenza, her son and other family members, including her daughter Darien and son-in law (WCU 2018 graduates), committed to saving this community event and continue the benefit it provided to so many. Barbara Leisenring, a former administrative assistant for the early and middle grades education department, and her husband joined the group in preparing for the chili cook-off event. Barbara assisted with can opening and vegetable peeling and cutting at the West Chester Area Senior Center

Our gratitude goes out to the Fiorenzas and the many WCU volunteers for accepting a huge challenge and recognizing the impact it has in the community. The article from the Daily Local News and some celebratory pictures, follow. What a wonderful example of the Ram Pride and Community involvement!

Anthony and Laura Fiorenza at the West Chest Chili Cook-Off October 9, 2024

WCU Recognizes Cybersecurity Awareness Month:

IS&T launched mandatory Cybersecurity Awareness training for all employees and students. Employees will complete the training through the KnowBe4 platform, while students will access it via a module in D2L with content from LinkedIn Learning. Training must be completed by December 6, 2024.

Congrats to Thom Nixon – Student Success Coordinator – named one of the Fall 2024 Moon Shot Mission Makers!

Home - International Education Week - WCU of PA (wcupa.edu) – Keep an eye out for an exciting calendar of events!

"Democracy cannot succeed unless those that express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Hello Team,

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week! October has been busy, with the establishment of two new scholarships, the CSWE, PAC-TE, and CPED conferences, homecoming festivities, and the start of registration—on top of our regular classes! Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

As we head into November and the final stretch of the semester, please remember to take some time for self-care.

I also wanted to provide an update on our Fall enrollment data. The transition to Ramportal has made validating this data a bit complicated, and I'm still waiting for verified figures from IR. However, we can celebrate that preliminary data indicates we've met our average class size goal! Congratulations, everyone!

The Academic Support and Advocacy Center (ASA) is hosting The Registration Rally, a fun and fantastic opportunity for students to receive help with registration.

The goals of the Rally are:

1. To provide RamPortal support to students who need it to schedule the courses already approved by their advisor.
2. To register students who can be registered at the event.
3. To ensure students who attend the event and cannot be registered that day know how to contact their advisor and have a plan to do so.
4. To connect students with support offices if needed.

Academic Departments can help students navigate this event by providing expert advice or directing them to the appropriate persons or resources. Please let us know who will be attending by using the Academic Department Sign Up Sheet. OR provide us with expert guidance here: Registration Rally - Advisor Connect.

We look forward to seeing you, Monday, November 4, 2024, in the Sykes Ballroom between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm in support of our Golden Rams in their educational journey!

Student Undergraduate Research Foundations (SURF)

Do you know of a student who is interested in learning more about research and creative activities working alongside a faculty member? Click here to view our Student Undergraduate Research Foundations (SURF) flyer, which includes the application link. Applications are due November 7, 2024.

Provost Research Grant (PRG)

Looking for funding to support your research/creative activity? Reach out to your Grants Specialist, Catherine Spaur (CSpau@wcupa.edu) or Cara Williams (CWilliams@wcupa.edu), with any questions. Applications are due by 5:00pm, on Monday, November 22, 2024. Click here to apply.

he Pennsylvania Counseling Association (PCA) held its 56th Annual Conference October 25-27th in Harrisburg, PA. It was an awesome conference thanks to the great presenters and excellent organization of the conference. A huge thank you to our own adjunct faculty, Dr. Richard Charette (Conference Planning Chair) and Carol Rothera (Presenter on Suicide Prevention) and clinical mental health student, Victoria Schaible, for pre-planning, volunteer coordinator and 3 days of manning the conference registration table. Drs. Karen Dickinson and Eric Owens were speakers on a panel for Counselor Educators and Dr. Peter Boccone was the speaker for the 3-hour continuing education credits for Ethics. And a special awesome thank you to the President of PCA, Dr. Owens, for everything he did behind the scenes and during the entire conference as he spoke, facilitated, presented awards, and made sure we all had enough coffee. Excellent leadership and advocacy! Thank you!

Dr. Eric Owens, Victoria and Dr. Charette

Don't miss this exciting opportunity for pre-service teachers who are enrolled at least part-time in an undergraduate, graduate, or post-baccalaureate education program to attend the 2025 PDE Conference. Pre-service students receive registration at a reduced registration fee of $50.00.

Attending the PDE Conference 2025 presents the opportunity to:

· Engage and learn from nationally recognized presenters as they highlight effective instructional strategies and interventions.

· Network with practicing educators from across the commonwealth.

· Fill their toolbox with strategies designed to make a difference for all students.

The invitation that follows provides additional details as well as a QR code to the application. The application deadline is Friday, November 29, 2024. Please contact Christine Moon, APR State Lead, with questions. Hope to see your pre-service students there!

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."

----- Winston Churchill

Dear Colleague,

October is Careers in Student Affairs Month. Chi Sigma Alpha (Student Affairs Honor Society) needs your assistance in identifying undergraduate students who might be interested in a career in student affairs. Is there a student who has asked you how they can do the work you do? If so, please encourage them to attend this event!

The event will take place in person on Tuesday, October 29 from 12:00 – 1:00 in the Twardowski Career Development Center/Lawrence. Chi Sigma Alpha has invited a few professionals who work in Student Affairs/Student Services to share their experience. Graduate students will also share their experiences about exploring a career in the field.

As someone who works with undergraduate student leaders and paraprofessionals, will you please “shoulder-tap” someone to attend this event by forwarding the attached information. We are providing refreshments, so an RSVP is appreciated (see the flyer attached)

Any questions, please let me or Sara Hinkle (CSA Advisors) know.

Thanks for your help.

~Jackie and Sara

On October 22, 2024, a new scholarship, The Eileen Dargay '74 '77 and George Dargay '76 Scholarship Endowment was established. The scholarship is dedicated to honoring and establishing the legacy of Eileen and her late husband George, both lifelong educators, by supporting female students pursuing careers in STEM education. We are grateful to Eileen and her late husband, George for this most generous opportunity.

🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆

Please join us for the 42nd Annual College of Education and Social Work Scholarship ceremony where we celebrate our undergraduate students who were awarded scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year. The ceremony is on October 29th in the Sykes Ballroom, the reception starts at 3:00 pm with the ceremony beginning at 3:20.

Come to congratulate our awardees!

"You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress."- Maya Angelou

Professor Barry is back giving us insight into his podcast, I Still Believe in School. Click the picture below to learn more.

Each year, local APSCUF offers scholarships to students. This year, double major (MGP &Special Ed) Peter Dorley won one of the scholarships. Congratulations to Peter and all who taught him!

"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." ----- Albert Einstein

Winter graduation is almost here. Please take a minute to nominate a speaker for this memorable event. Follow the QR code below.

Nearpod Conference in Higher Education is hosting a zoom conference to empower faculty in the classroom. Take a moment and register.

Learn more about AI tools and how to use them at this event...........

Recitation Room 207 is a multi-purpose space. It serves as a small group meeting space, a faculty and staff lounge, and a kitchenette. Over the holiday, it will be refreshed regarding technology, paint, and furnishings. During this time, the space will be inaccessible, so the fridge and sink will be offline. Please plan accordingly. Therefore, it is important that all items are removed on Thursday, December 12th as everything will be tossed the next day (December 13th).

The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you. ----------By B.B. King

Registration information for a Critical Race Scholars in Social Work Virtual Convening (Critical Race Social Work Praxis: Manifesting Models of Liberation) that is happening on Friday, Oct. 18 1:30pm-6pm EST.

Please see below for more information and share with everyone in your networks.

Each month, we would like to highlight celebrations, good news and accomplishments of our CESW Community in the Gazette. If you are interested in sharing your successes, please email Janice Thompson at jt1055628@wcupa.edu. We look forward to sharing your story! (No solicitations, please.)

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

-----Dr. Suess, The Lorax

Below is a video that provides an overview of the new US DOE Regulations that has implications for all licensing and certification programs.

Thank you to the Office of Educational Accessibility for providing us with this update and the importance and benefits of accessibility. Please download the presentation for your reference.

Would you be interested in serving on the selection committee for the WCU 1871 Award? This award recognizes up to 71 junior and seniors for outstanding achievement in the academic and co-curricular realms.

This service will involve one meeting in mid-fall and approximately 5 hours independently reviewing applications over 4-6 weeks, concluding in early December.

If you are interested in serving, please email Dean Willimans (dwilliams2@wcupa.edu)

by October 3, 2024, with your letter of interest.

Early Career Researcher Innovation Grants

Sponsored by: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Deadline: Nov 15, 2024

Amount: To $140,000

Early Career Researcher Innovation Grants
Grants awarded to investigators at or below the level of assistant professor.

ELIGIBILITY AND CONDITIONS
a. AFSP research grants and fellowships are awarded to individuals affiliated with not-for-
profit………

Research grant information
Our research grants support studies that will increase our understanding of suicide or test treatments and other interventions that save lives.
Purpose
All AFSP research grants are designed to support research on suicide from a variety of disciplines including psychiatry ....

View Original Source »

Pilot Innovation Grants

Sponsored by: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Deadline: Nov 15, 2024

Amount: To $50,000

ELIGIBILITY AND CONDITIONS
a. AFSP research grants and fellowships are awarded to individuals affiliated with not-for-profit research institutions or organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Grant applications are not accepted from for-profit organizati………

Purpose
All AFSP research grants are designed to support research on suicide from a variety of disciplines including psychiatry, medicine, psychology, genetics, epidemiology, neurobiology, sociology, nursing, health services administration, social work, and many others. Grants are not intended to support the……

View Original Source »

Brady Education Foundation - Research Project (RP) Proposals

Sponsored by: Brady Education Foundation

Deadline: Dec 01, 2024

Amount: Indirect cost rates for grants to universities and colleges:

Indirect costs may not be charged on grants that have a total project budget (including all years of the grant) of $50,000 or less (i.e., the indirect costs rate on grants $50,000 or less is 0%).
For grants that have a total project budget (including all years of the grant) over $50,000, the Foundation caps indirect costs for both primary institutions and subcontracts at 10% of the direct costs of the project.

The Foundation will support up to two key personnel to attend one conference in the last (or only) year of the project, with an allowable cost of $1,500 per person. For Existing Program Evaluations, the Foundation will support one practitioner or service provider from the program to attend the conference as well at the same rate.

The Foundation recognizes that there are categories of costs that can be considered direct or indirect depending on the accounting practices of the grantee organization and the nature of the cost relative to the proposed project's specific aims......

The Foundation is currently accepting Research Project (RP) proposals and Existing Program Evaluation (EPE) proposals that have the potential to provide data that will inform how to address disparities in educational opportunities associated with race, ethnicity, and family income.

View Original Source »

Research Grants on Education: Large

Sponsored by: Spencer Foundation

Deadline: Jan 14, 2025

Amount: From $125,000 To $500,000

Eligibility
Proposals to the Research Grants on Education program must be for academic research projects that aim to study education. Proposals for activities other than research are not eligible (e.g., program evaluations, professional development, ………

The Large Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets ranging from $125,000 to $500,000 for projects ranging from one to five years.

View Original Source »

I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all."

----- Simone Biles

Hello CESW faculty and staff,

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving and has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of education, research, and administration. By forming this collaborative group, we aim to create a platform where faculty and staff members from all CESW departments can come together to explore the applications of AI in our academic community.

As a member of the AI Collaborative Group, you will have the opportunity to:

1. Share expertise and ideas: Engage in discussions with colleagues who have a shared interest in AI and its applications in education and research.
2. Collaborate on projects: Work together on interdisciplinary projects that leverage AI technology to address challenges and enhance teaching, learning, and administrative processes.
3. Access resources and support: Gain access to resources, workshops, and training sessions aimed at enhancing your understanding of AI tools and techniques.
4. Stay updated: Stay informed about the latest developments and trends in AI.

Whether you are an AI expert or just starting to explore the field, your participation in the AI Collaborative Group will contribute to building a vibrant community focused on harnessing the power of AI for the benefit of our university.

If you would like to participate in the CESW AI Collaborative Group, please complete this brief survey.

(This announcement was generated by ChatGPT.)

The 2024 Experiential Learning (ExL) Survey is open and collecting responses!

The Career Center is requesting your support in collecting as much data as possible from students between now and Friday, October 4th. The more data we collect, the better we can tell the WCU ExL story and provide more robust data to your department.

Please consider using the attached slide in class to encourage students to participate. Students do not need to have engaged in experiential learning to take the survey. The audience for this survey is sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate level students.

The data we collect allows us to…

• Better educate, encourage, and support students in their engagement in experiential learning
• Identify trends and remove barriers to student engagement in experiential learning
• Provide valuable insight to colleges and departments, both through our ExL Data Dashboard, and by request.

Join the West Chester University Faculty in celebrating reading without limits. See the flyer below for more information.

"Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time." ----Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Dean Williams opens the semester with warm welcoming wishes, great information, and an announcement of something new this semester..........

Take a few minutes to watch this video and review the Trusting Team Statement that follows. Go Rams!

https://wcupa.zoom.us/rec/share/rvZ0FH_uxSonc7u1gxaf8CxwmimUpeHGyKu63ihByFQWLzw5VZsFKFgE4Av-nZXE.jpsqylnQVkzVZyZ1

PASSCODE: d0+6QH^m

The CESW shop is open NOW! Scan the QR code for the shop and for important shipping info. Orders can be picked up in the Dean's Office, Recitation Hall 302.

Questions? Email cesw@wcupa.edu

Proceeds of the CESW Gear Shop will be added to funds to support students' travel to conferences, professional development, and international experiences.

https://wcucesw.brandingbygeiger.com/

Join the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) in creating a rich and welcoming educational experience. Unlock this incredible resource by downloading the PDF through the QR code that follows. Access is easier than you think.

Unlock the answers................

We invite all faculty members who are interested in improving their inclusive teaching methods and promoting equitable learning outcomes to apply for the 2024-25 Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Learning Community (DI FLC). By participating in the FLC, you will join a multidisciplinary group of faculty members who will collaborate to explore and enhance equitable and inclusive teaching practices. Our goal is to create supportive and inclusive learning environments where all students feel a strong sense of belonging. To learn more, please visit the FLC website, or submit your application today! Applications are due, September 20, 2024. Questions can be directed to Dr. Kimberly E. Johnson (kjohnson4@wcupa.edu) or Tiffany Bennett (tbennett@wcupa.edu).

An exciting opportunity to join colleagues to support your professional growth. Please see the flyer below. Deadline for application is, September 20, 2024. You can access the form here:

2024-25 CRSE Community of Practice Interest Form (office.com)

Please let Dean Williams know if you intend to apply.

"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."

--- Steve Jobs

Dr. Criswell, along with a multi-institutional team of teacher educators and researchers from across the country, was awarded a National Science Foundation Noyce Track 4 (Research) grant for a project titled, 'Investigating the Impact of Video-based Analysis of Classroom

Teaching on STEM Teacher Preparation, Effectiveness, and Retention.' As the title suggests, the project is focused on the use of video-based examinations of practice (i.e. video analysis and reflection) as a means of strengthening the pedagogical practices of pre- and early-in-service teachers. The particular emphasis of this project is to develop teacher candidates' capacity in noticing for equity, with the hope that these candidates design classrooms and learning experiences to give voice and agency to students. Ideally, the development of this capacity will support teacher candidates in being more effective practitioners and more likely to stay in the classroom.

If you use such video-based examinations of practice in your coursework, Dr. Criswell would enjoy talking to you about the project so that a professional learning community might eventually form at WCU in the College of Education and Social Work. That PLC would be a place to have conversations about productive approaches and tools to assist in our candidates to be the best educators – and most balanced individuals – that they can become.

The NPEA 2025 Conference is coming to Philadelphia, PA, April 2-4, 2025. The conference is seeking workshop proposals. The conference theme is Resist, Reimagine, Rebuild: A Call to Action for Educational Equity and Justice. Submissions are due September 13, 2024. Apply to present here: Annual NPEA Conference (educational-access.org)

Hone your tech skills or come with questions every Friday in September 2024 and meet with Mollie Zenz to discuss the Tevera Platform. Sessions are as follows:

When: Fridays in September

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Where: Tevera website or follow this Zoom link--------

https://wcupa.zoom.us/j/970007766267?pwd=Q1JuSu1JTzNLSIYcFBxQ2NJSkpqdz09

or go to the Tevera Website

This opportunity is open to all faculty, students, practicum instructors and tsk supervisors. Please take advantage of these events.

Student success sent this information earlier via email, but it is so important we wanted to review it again.... "...Office of Educational Accessibility has moved! We are now located in Wayne Hall 107, the former home of Candidate Services. This means that OEA is now on a ground level, improving ease of access to the office....

... In an ongoing effort to support student success, the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) has some updates related to legal requirements imposed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concerning student accommodations. WCU is required to ensure that determinations on all student accommodations are made by the University administration, and not by individual faculty members. Thus, all accommodations including Modified Attendance Agreements, Assignment Deadline Flexibility, and Alternates to Presentation must be initiated by the student in OEA. Students who approach faculty members to negotiate accommodations are required by this legal guidance to be directed to the OEA. OEA will then work with faculty members on determining appropriate accommodations for the course. This is a procedural change in the way accommodations were handled previously. Of course, when such requests are made, OEA will be soliciting and carefully considering the input of each faculty member to understand the nature of the proposed accommodation and how it might affect the specific course and coursework at issue...." Please contact OEA if you have any questions.

Want an opportunity to celebrate that colleague or student that has provided exceptional service or research to the profession? Now is the time and here is the opportunity!

PAC-TE has opened nominations for outstanding faculty research, doctoral students with exemplary dissertations or innovative collaborators in the K-12 community. The nomination process is quick and easy; however, the rewards of sharing those talents and innovative ideas supports the greater community both its learners and leaders. Consider making an impact by awarding a colleague the opportunity of recognition with your nomination. Applications can be found here: https://www.pac-te.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3298. Deadline for all nominations is September 30, 2024.

A brief listing of awards to consider are:

• Teacher Educator of the Year Award: Our top award given to the faculty member best exemplifying the values of teacher education.
• Distinguished Research Award given to an individual faculty member for outstanding empirical research.
• Exemplary Service/Partnership Award recognizes the development of partnership programs that connect IHEs with basic education and community partners and recognizes activities that provide service to the field of education.
• Outstanding Dissertation Award recognizes excellence in doctoral dissertation research that contributes to the field of educator preparation or professional teaching practice.
• Executive Director’s Scholarship is an annual scholarship honoring all past PAC-TE Executive Directors. The scholarship is to be awarded to a deserving Undergraduate or Graduate Student pursuing teacher certification at a college or university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who has a GPA of 3.5 or higher. The monetary amount of the scholarship is anticipated to be $1,000.00.

Congratulations to our WCU NCTE Student Affiliate group for earning the Excellence Award for 2024! The students met rigorous criteria to achieve this award, and we celebrate their outstanding work. The group will be honored at the NCTE National Convention in Boston, MA on November 24, 2024. Well done!

Welcome to another year of growth, opportunity and discovery. As we embark on sharing our talents and fostering the talents of our new and returning students in the College of Education and Social Work, we hope the summer months have provided you with an opportunity for rest and rejuvenation.

What better way to begin the year than our Annual Kick-off Event, September 6, 2024, from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm in the Sykes Building! As a community, it is important that we come together and decide where and how we want to grow in the year ahead. Your voice, your ideas and your presence in this community drive the mission and growth of our institution. This annual event is an opportunity to inspire one another, challenge one another and support one another as we move forward into the new year.

We look forward to welcoming all faculty and staff to this event. In the unforeseen circumstance that you are unable to attend this event, please ensure you have a university-related reason or approved leave. Your participation impacts our community’s future.

Let us begin anew and celebrate the unique opportunities that lie ahead.