May Newsletter

The inaugural University Scholarship and Best Practices Expo was held on April 13 in the Friedman Center. The event included poster presentations, roundtable discussions, traditional presentations, digital slide shows, and lightning talks. The Expo provided an opportunity for faculty and staff to share their research and best practices and allowed for interdisciplinary connections and future collaborations. We are working diligently to set a date and time for next year's Expo that will allow for maximized attendance and participation; stay tuned, and we hope to see you there!

JWU has produced exemplary student work across campuses, colleges, and disciplines since its inception. Yet, we often get siloed into our own programs with like-minded peers and colleagues. Rarely do we have the opportunity to come together across programs to expose ourselves to the exemplary work being produced and to celebrate the accomplishments of others. The symposium was born from the idea that it benefits us all to understand the breadth and depth of student scholarship and collaboration across campus. Celebrating in this way allows us to identify opportunities for future collaboration and understand the interdisciplinary and experiential learning happening at JWU.

The student presenters exuded confidence and enthusiasm in sharing their work with the public, while faculty looked on, beaming with pride. External partners were impressed with all that JWU offers, and families were clearly proud to see their Wildcats showcased in such a meaningful way.

Congratulations to Leslie Kosky, Associate Professor, College of Hospitality Management,

and Jennifer Gallagher, Associate Professor and Department Chair, College of Food Innovation & Technology, who were selected to attend the Florida Atlantic University Appreciative Advising Institute. The focus of the Institute is to share practical suggestions for translating the theory of appreciative advising into practice. Steeped in the tenets of positive psychology, appreciative inquiry, and motivational theory, appreciative advising is positively impacting student retention and outcomes at institutions across the globe. Participants will learn how to use the six phases of appreciative advising: disarm, discover, dream, design, deliver, and don’t settle to help their students optimize their educational experiences. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own goals and dreams to optimize their own lives.

Congratulations to our inaugural UDL Teaching Fellows, who will attend the Goodwin University UDL institute beginning in September.

Ezenwayi Amaechi, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Entrepreneurship

Julie Bilodeau, DBA, Professor, Doctor of Business Administration

Nicole Hebert, MBA, MSW, LICSW, Director of Accessibility Services

Erin Kalish, M.A., Instructional Designer

Maura Metheny, M.Ed., Assistant Professor, College of Food Innovation & Technology

JoAnn Moore, DNP, Associate Professor, Nursing

Diane Santurri, M.Ed., Associate Professor, College of Engineering & Design

Ray Spradlin, Ph.D, College of Health and Wellness

Shannon Strate, OTD, OTR/L, Assistant Professor, College of Health and Wellness

Douglas Stuchel, M.A.T., Associate Professor, College of Hospitality Management

Liz Fisher Sullivan, Ed.D., Senior Instructional Designer

Melody M. Sumter, MSN, Assistant Professor, Nursing

The goals of the Goodwin University Universal Design for Learning (UDL; CAST, 2018) Institute are:

1. to build participants' knowledge and skills related to applying the UDL framework to the design and implementation of curriculum and instruction and
2. to support students' engagement in learning and mastery of learning outcomes (e.g., goal, objectives).

UDL is a scientifically valid framework grounded in social justice concepts, such as inclusivity, fairness, and equity. Thoughtful application of UDL to teacher practice and the design of curriculum and instruction can afford all students not only equal access to information but also the same opportunities for success.

Fellows will be invited to share the impact of their experience on teaching and learning at the 2024 University Scholarship and Best Practices Expo.

Congratulations to Carla White Ellis, College of Arts & Sciences, and Barbara Norris, College of Business who will receive Davis Educational Grant funding this summer to work with the Reimagining Experiential and Applied Learning (REAL) team to begin the process of rethinking how we integrate active learning into our courses.

In June, the team will attend the Institute for Experiential Learning (IEL) intensive training program which is modeled after David Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory.

The additional REAL Team Members attending the IEL are:

Andrea Frost, Director of Experiential Education

Meredith Haas, Senior Instructional Designer

Katrina Herold, Professor, College of Food Innovation & Technology and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning

Dawn Lopez, Associate Professor, College of Business

Angelo Pitassi, Director of Corporate Relationships

Donna Remington, Director of Career Services

Karen Shea, Professor, College of Arts & Sciences

Kristin Wakefield, Ed.D., Director of Professional Training, College of Professional Studies

Carly Warrener, Experiential Education & Career Advisor

Christopher Westgate, Professor & Program Co-director, Media & Communication Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Sheri Young, Assistant Provost for Educational Effectiveness

Walter Zesk, Associate Professor, College of Engineering & Design

Advocates for the rights of people with disabilities have worked hard to make universal design in the built environment "just part of what we do." We no longer see curb cuts, for instance, as accommodations for people with disabilities, but perceive their usefulness every time we ride our bikes or push our strollers through crosswalks. This is also a perfect model for Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework grounded in the neuroscience of why, what, and how people learn. Tobin and Behling show that, although it is often associated with students with disabilities, UDL can be profitably broadened toward a larger ease-of-use and general diversity framework. Captioned instructional videos, for example, benefit not only learners with hearing impairments but also the student who worries about waking her young children at night or those studying on a noisy team bus.

Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone is aimed at faculty members, faculty-service staff, disability support providers, student-service staff, campus leaders, and graduate students who want to strengthen the engagement, interaction, and performance of all college students. It includes resources for readers who want to become UDL experts and advocates: real-world case studies, active-learning techniques, UDL coaching skills, micro- and macro-level UDL-adoption guidance, and use-them-now resources.

Rosie has been part of the JWU community as librarian for over thirty years. In her 15 years as library dean, Rosie has tirelessly supported the library team in their own publication and presentation endeavors, offering guidance and thoughtful constructive criticism in their professional development. From fostering faculty scholarship through research support to mentoring a team of librarians in further developing teaching and learning support on campus, Rosie has continuously demonstrated her drive and passion for education. She has consistently exemplified the highest ideals with respect to teaching, namely by humbly continuing to seek out additional educational opportunities and challenges for herself. Launching the Scholar’s Archive@JWU, our open access institutional repository, Rosie paved the way for JWU’s future open education and open access efforts.

Her latest accomplishment was also a first: writing a successful library grant for 20k towards OER initiatives on campus in support of Z courses to remove obstacles for students unable to access or afford textbooks and further support marginalized students. Faculty please watch your email for more information about this project.

Finally, Rosie will continue her commitment to teaching and learning beyond JWU as she begins her post-retirement as a newly certified Power Yoga instructor! Go Rosie!

Congratulations to Karen Shea, Ph.D. who has accepted the position of Assistant Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning beginning in August. Thank you, Karen for your service and dedication to the center!

This is an hour-long workshop on all that the university’s intranet can do and how you can be using it daily.

When: May 17, 2023

Where: JWU Center for Teaching and Learning

270 Weybosset Street 1st Floor

If you have not yet taken the IDEA survey, please take a few moments to do so. Your input is important! You can access the survey until May 19 using the QR code or link below.