MESSAGES & DEPARTMENT UPDATES

Dean's Message

Colleagues and Friends,

     I want to start off with a special thanks to Claire Layne for her many skills in producing these Mid-Week

Roundup newsletters each week and in such a visually appealing and informative way.

As of this minute, we still have not received our final site visit report from the CAEP visit team. Just

today (Wednesday), we received our “Site Visit Report- Second Draft.” We have been asked by CAEP to

review this report and make any factual corrections needed. Following the submission of any factual

corrections, we will receive the final Site Visit Report.

I want to, again, thank Dr. Jessica Evans for leading us through this year-long (actually two-year-long)

state and national accreditation process and for her expert guidance with our day-to-day state and local

assessments. She has certainly provided us with exemplary leadership in assessment and

accreditation.

     Although we are still waiting on university approvals, we should soon be searching for an assistant dean

for supervision, assessment, and accreditation. Depending on the success of the search, we hope to

have this person in place by the start of the spring semester.

     We are now definitely on the back side of this academic semester. In counting the weeks, including the

rest of this week and the first part of Thanksgiving week, we have four weeks left before classes end.

There are many college events that take place prior to the end of finals week, including the faculty and

staff holiday celebration luncheon on December 5, the TQI-sponsored substitute teaching

seminar/workshop also on December 5, the graduating senior luncheon (the date is still to be

determined), the college hooding ceremony for graduate students which typically happens late in the

day on Friday of finals week, and the university-wide commencement on Saturday, May 9. Also, please

don’t forget to participate in the CDI-sponsored polar plunge this Thursday. Finally, TQI is sponsoring

the Regional Educator Rising Conference on November 9. They are still searching for presenters and

judges if you are interested in participating. Ashley Bourke is our contact. Over 150 high school

students and their advisers should be present.

     The teacher career fair took place last Friday, October 27. We had over 40 employers/school district

representatives in attendance. Our graduating students were dressed professionally and had their

resumes in hand. The feedback from the employers was all positive, and just this morning, I received an

email stating, “Your students were all well prepared, well spoken, and you could tell they were

passionate about their future in education.” We look forward to the spring career fair, where we should

have approximately 150 graduating students participating. Special thanks to Dr. Alesa Walker and Angie

Young and the staff of the Career Center for their excellent coordination of this important event.

As a reminder, please don’t forget to get your benefits package submitted for 2024. The final date for submission

is Friday, November 3. The site can be accessed on MyGate under the “Employee” tab.

Please look for an upcoming demonstration of software developed to track the placement of students in

schools/school districts. This has been a semester-long project by Kem Cothran, with support and

technical expertise provided by Dr. Jennifer Earls and Shelby Bailey. The software is incredible.

Do you know that not only is the month of November known for Thanksgiving and Veterans Day, but it is

also known as the National Native American Heritage Month?  This includes Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and

Native Hawaiians.

     I wish everyone well as we finish the home stretch this semester. If there is anything we can do for you

in the Dean’s office, please let me/us know. You are much appreciated and respected by your students and by so many

others. Thank you for all that you do!

Dave

P.S. Daylight Savings officially ends on Sunday, Nov. 5th.