October 18th, 2023
Midweek Round-Up
The Weekly Faculty and Staff Newsletter
College of Education and Human Services at Murray State University
MESSAGES & DEPARTMENT UPDATES
Dean's Message
As I am writing this, we have just finished a successful Homecoming weekend and Tent City event; we have concluded
the CAEP “on-site” review, which began early Sunday and will conclude on Tuesday at 11 AM; and we are looking ahead
to our annual “Spooktacular Scholarship event,” the CDI sponsored Campus Plunge, the COEHS November movie night,
the COEHS hosted blood drive, and an end of November Pet Therapy and Mental Health Wellness event. Thanksgiving break begins on Wednesday, November 22; classes end on Friday, December 1; and commencement is on the Saturday, December 9. We have much to look forward to.
I want to extend a special thank you to Tamela Darnell, Amy Seavers, Claire Layne, Shelly Anderson, Tressa Ross, Cooper
Levering, and Dr. Jennifer Earls. It was this group that, on Friday night, prepared the Murray Middle School cafeteria for the
annual COEHS Homecoming Breakfast and then, delivered such a successful celebration on Saturday morning. We had
an excellent turnout, with Coach Brady being selected the Outstanding COEHS Alumnus. The breakfast was followed by
the Homecoming Parade on Main Street, Tent City in Stewart Stadium, and finally the football game. I also want to
thank Dr. Katy Hancock and her faculty and students for the Criminal Justice and Social Work tent in Tent City. Well
done, everyone. The college had an excellent presence throughout the Homecoming celebration.
We just finished our exit meeting with the CAEP and EPSB team leaders. The outcome was very, very positive. Although
we won't know the final team findings until we receive their written report, the CAEP team lead was very
complimentary, highly enthusiastic, and even indicated that she would like to work here. She wanted us to pass along
her congratulations to our faculty, staff, and students. She encouraged us to go out and celebrate the highly positive
outcome of the visit. Both Dr. Evans and I are very confident in our final results. We both have been on CAEP teams and
this feels like a huge success.
Over the 2 1/2-day visit, we had 170 on and off-campus administrators, faculty and staff, alumni, teachers, current
students, etc., attend a total of 24 sessions. I am very grateful to so many for attending one or more of these sessions.
We have much to celebrate every day in this College, including outstanding faculty and students, alumni, and robust
partnerships with our school systems. We will keep you informed as we receive the team's final report. Following
receipt of the final team report, we will have the opportunity to write a rejoinder and then to meet with the CAEP
accreditation committee later this spring. The CAEP results will be announced in the spring. The EPSB review board will
not meet until later this summer or early next fall.
I especially want to thank Dr. Jessica Evans for her outstanding leadership of this accreditation visit, both in getting us
prepared and also in terms of working with the CAEP/EPSB teams to ensure that they had a thorough understanding of
our programs and people. Dr. Evans has been working for more than two years on preparing for and leading this
accreditation review. Lastly, I want to thank the CAEP executive team comprised of Drs. Evans, Patel, Sullivan, Parr,
Walker, and Earls for their leadership. Drs. Brian Bourke and Latricia Trites are also to be thanked. I cannot overlook
the importance of the technology support that we have received from Dr. Earls, Cooper Levering, and Shelby Bailey. As I
wrote last week, it does truly take a village.
Kindness, compassion, and grace. I hope this week finishes well for you. As always, if there is anything we can do to
assist you from the Dean’s office, please let us know.
-Dave
Upcoming Events
CDI Event
The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association is hosting the annual Campus Plunge to benefit Special Olympics on November 2nd.
If you or your student organization is interested in participating or donating, please reach out to Kelly Vaughan (kvaughan1@murraystate.edu). Thank you!
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
SHOUT-OUTS
The Student Association of Social Workers were recognized for participating in The Pulsera Project many times over the last 7-10 years and selling over 1000 bracelets that raised over $7000 for the artists from Guatemala and Nicaragua. See letter and attached photos.
Dr. Vigil's PHE 380 class hosted the Fall Fest at the Brookdale Community last Thursday.
On Friday, September 22, 2023 Murray State's TES, TQI, and Career Services worked together to welcome home a great group of students for their Student Teaching Seminar.
DR. JESSICA EVANS
Dr. Evans received a shout out from Dr. Whaley:
"Thank you for your exceptional leadership of the recently successfully concluded CAEP and EPSB accreditation review of the Murray State EPP.”
SELISE RIDOLFI
Selise received a shout-out from Dr. Mahoney:
"Your expertise on the SED curriculum guides is greatly appreciated. Thank you for all your thorough research and input for the courses and alignment! "
REBECCA SIMONS
Rebecca received a shout-out from Terri Grief:
"Rebecca was SOOO patient with me as I navigated the digital flip book. THANKS for making my product awesome! "
MISSY TISH
Missy received a shout-out from Tamela:
"I appreciate all the support Missy has provided me over the summer. She is truly the epitome of a team player. Thank you for all have done for me and CoEHS. This fall semester would not have started out successfully without you!"
TAMELA DARNELL
Tamela received shout-out from Dr. Jessica Pryor:
"Thanks for helping ECE make SPARK! a success with your special delivery."
AMY SEAVERS
Amy received shout-out from Dr. Jessica Pryor:
"Amy assisted ECE in making SPARK! a success thanks to her diligence and dedication. "
Claire received a shout-out from Tamela:
"Claire has revived our college social media accounts and I am so grateful for her efforts and social media expertise! Keep doing great work! "
ERIC UMSTEAD
Dr. Umstead received a shout-out from Dr. Mahoney
"Thank you for all the hard work on the SED curriculum guides. The extensive research put into the courses and alignment is much appreciated!! "
To send your own shout-out, click on the button below to fill out the form. It's a great way to show colleagues how awesome they are!
It will appear in the Midweek Round-Up as well as on the Faculty and Staff Shout-Out Board by the Dean's Office! Be sure to check it out when you're walking by!
COEHS CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS
Fall Semester - 2023
September 16th - Racer Day
September 19th - Scholarship Banquet
September 19th - Regional Career Fair at CFSB
September 20th - SPARK Career Fair at CFSB
September 22nd - Student Teaching Seminar
September 25th - Racers Empower Pet Therapy
September 30th - COEHS honored as “College of the Game” at Murray State University home football game
September 30th-August 1st - Murray State University Family Weekend
October 4th - First half of the semester ends
October 5th-6th - Fall Break - no classes; University closed
October 9th - Second half of the semester begins
October 12th-15th - Murray State University Homecoming
October 14th - COEHS Homecoming Breakfast at Murray Middle School
October 27th - Fall Teacher Career Fair
October 27th - CoEHS Movie Night (6:00-8:00 pm)
November 2nd - Campus Plunge
November 14th - COEHS Blood Drive (10 am-4 pm) - Alexander Hall Atrium
November 15th - COEHS Blood Drive (8:30 -11:30 am) - Alexander Hall Atrium
November 18th - Racer Day
November 22nd-24th - Thanksgiving - no classes; University closed
November 27th - Racers Empower Pet Therapy
December 1st - Last day of classes
December 7th - COEHS Faculty and Staff Holiday Celebration Luncheon
December 8th - Student Teaching Seminar; Honors Luncheon for Graduating Student Teachers; Educational Studies, Leadership, and Counseling Hooding Ceremony
December 9th - Commencement
CELEBRITIES OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to the COEHS celebrities of the week:
Amy Seavers (Staff) and Dr. Jessica Branch (Faculty)!
We applaud each of you for your outstanding contributions and appreciate all that you do for COEHS.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.”
-Neil Gaiman
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE
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Click the button below to let Claire Layne in the Dean's Office know!
Remember to be as detailed as possible! Contact Claire with any questions.
The mission of the College of Education and Human Services is to prepare future leaders, advocates, and practitioners through authentic, engaging, and student-centered academic programs for successful careers that positively impact communities.
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