Jeanie, Cindy, and Lynn - "The Retirement Club"
Dr. Clemson's Surprise Retirement Reception || May 4th, 2023
Dear Colleagues,
As we rapidly approach the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your Herculean efforts this past year. The collective efforts of the faculty and staff in the College of Education and Human Services have created tremendous momentum for the College. As I have said publicly a number of times, this is a magical place of learning, innovation, and growth.
For so many reasons, this is a very special week. To name just a few, it is the last “official” week of the spring semester; it is the last official week of the academic year; it is finals week, leading up to commencement on Saturday; and it is Teacher Appreciation Week. As I wrote in a previous correspondence, we are all teachers, regardless of whether we are faculty or staff, formal teacher educators, social workers, or speech language pathologists. Some teach in a large group setting, while others teach small groups or individuals. This week is a time to celebrate accomplishments!
Over the past two weeks, I have had 17 individual meetings with our probationary faculty members and their respective chairs or directors. I am also receiving copies of the year-end tenured faculty reviews. I am in awe of the incredible accomplishments that I have seen. We have a hugely successful cadre of faculty teachers, faculty scholars, and faculty who are deeply embedded in our local, state, national, and international communities. There are too many successes from this past year to be able to highlight here, but I will attempt to spotlight some of the more significant ones at Thursday’s End-of-Year Celebration and Luncheon that will be held in the Atrium at noon.
This luncheon will also give us the opportunity to recognize Dr. Cindy Clemson and Mrs. Jeanie Robertson as they transition into retirement after each have given 30 years of service to the University. Other important events this week include the undergraduate student Honors Luncheon to be held on Friday at 11 AM, the CDI Senior Recognition Ceremony on Friday at 1 PM, the CDI Hooding Ceremony for graduating SLPs, and the Educational Studies, Leadership, and Counseling Hooding Ceremony on Friday evening.
Graduation will take place on Saturday, May 13th, in two separate ceremonies at the CFSB Center, one beginning at 9 AM and the other beginning at 1 PM. Over 500 students are expected to walk across the commencement stage during each ceremony.
I want to thank you for all that you do to ensure the success of our students, your department, and our College. My sincerest thanks for all that you have accomplished this year and my best wishes as you embark on your adventures this summer. I hope that you are able to recharge, reconnect, and relax.
Best wishes,
Dave
From Natalie Copeland:
New Education T-Shirt Order
In case you missed the email I sent on Tuesday, May 9th, be sure to fill out this order form by Wednesday, May 16th, to ensure that you receive this year's education t-shirt!
From Katie Kriesky and Natalie Copeland:
Reminder about our End-of-Year Celebration!
We hope you're ready to party at our End-of-Year Celebration! As a reminder, it is Thursday, May 11th from 12pm-2pm in the Alexander Hall Atrium!
From Dr. Katy Hancock:
Mental Health Awareness Month
Dr. Hancock shared a flyer (see below) that recognizes May as Mental Health Awareness Month! While it's always important to be mindful of our mental health and wellbeing, this month provides us a great opportunity to really stop and check-in on ourselves. Thanks for sharing, Katy!
From Dr. Teresa Clark:
Cultural Leadership Academy
Drs. Teresa and Landon Clark met with law enforcement professionals from the Paducah Police Department May 1st-4th at the Paducah Regional Campus for the 8th annual Cultural Leadership Academy. Teresa taught a module on intercultural leadership, and Landon's module covered social intelligence. This is the 8th cohort of PPD officers to participate in CLA. The Clarks will teach modules 3 and 4 in the fall semester, with the program culminating in a certificate ceremony. How incredible!
From Debbie Bushart:
Signing Day Numbers
On May 2nd, 12 COEHS faculty and staff members went to 21 area high schools to honor 85 seniors who are coming to Murray State to major in education! Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible!
Teaching and Technology Summit - Call for Proposals
The Summit will be taking place virtually on June 12th and 13th, and we would love to have faculty sign up to present. We just need 4 more to sign up! If you're interested, please fill out this form.
Payton Weitlauf from Marshall County High School signed a letter of intent to major in education here at Murray State! We are so excited to welcome her, along with her fellow new Racers, in the fall!
This is our final photo update from our student teachers in Belize! They had a fantastic time and will carry the memories and friendships they made well into their careers!
Congratulations! $515 worth of books will be shipped to our AUA alumni Phoebe Pohlman!
Dr. Chanel Schwenck was able to pull of the surprise party of the century! Her reception for Dr. Cindy Clemson on Thursday, May 4th, was incredible and SO many colleagues, friends, and family were able to join in on the fun.
Congratulations again, Dr. Clemson! We wish you the best in your future endeavors.
Dr. Walker received an anonymous shout-out: "Dr. Walker has done an amazing job filling in for Jeanie Robertson taking on the tasks of Student Teaching Coordinator. She has played the role of Super Woman this semester, and her hard work and attention to detail has not gone unnoticed! Thank you, Dr. Walker!"
Dr. G received an anonymous shout-out "for always going above and beyond in everything he does! He is an inspiration to all of his students and colleagues and never ceases to amaze me with his unique ways of thinking "outside the box" when engaging his students!"
"Dr. Melissa Chapman is the kindest, most supportive person! She is always so sweet and appreciative, and her constant encouragement is much appreciated! Thanks for all you do :)"
-Natalie Copeland
"I want to send a huge shout-out to Patricia for her participation in Sparks Lecture. She was fantastic on the panel and her message was very inspiring. Many people commented on how great the event was, and we owe a lot of that to Patricia's story and her advocacy!"
-Natalie Copeland
"Chanel pulled together the coolest video project last week; she went around the College asking everyone to read the same quote. The videos were compiled into one big video and everyone got to guess whose voices they were hearing! What a great idea, Chanel! This was such a unique way to get everyone involved in something fun and light. Thanks for being so great!"
-Natalie Copeland
Tamela received a very sweet anonymous shout-out:
"99% of the work Tamela Darnell does for the College is behind-the-scenes. She has an incredible work ethic and goes above and beyond every single day. She is one of a kind and COEHS is lucky to have her. Thanks for everything you do, Tamela - even the stuff we don’t see!"
Dr. Jessica Evans received an anonymous shout-out:
"Dr. Evans is the best model for strong, female leadership that I can think of. I know this because of the way she fearlessly faced a black bear while hiking in the woods of Tennessee. By wrestling the bear, she allowed a tribe of young girl scouts to run for safety. Also, she's done an amazing job of leading the college through the CAEP accreditation self-study submission. Much love goes to Jessica."
"Shout-out to Shelly Anderson: Thanks for all your hard work and your attention to detail! You are very much appreciated!"
Elizabeth received an anonymous shout-out!
"Elizabeth is the kindest, sweetest person. She is so dedicated to the work she does in KCSS. It’s a pleasure to work with her!"
"I want to send an anonymous shout-out to Dr. Susana Bloomdahl: She is an amazing person and deserves all the recognition! She is a great mentor."
Kristen received an anonymous shout-out:
"I just wanted to take a moment to give a huge shout-out to Kristen. I know CDI is grateful to have you as their administrative assistant and your hardwork has made a huge difference! Your dedication to making sure all your work is done correctly does not go unnoticed! Keep up the fantastic work!"
Tamela Darnell sent a shout-out:
"I would like to give a big shout-out to the Shelby Bailey, who unlocks the student kitchen each morning when she comes in! It's not part of her job duties, but it helps out the Dean's Office each morning and is greatly appreciated. thanks, Shelby! It doesn't go unnoticed!"
Dee Gupton sent Dr. Hancock a shout-out!
"Katy has done a wonderful job this past year stepping in as both Interim and now Chair for the CLHS Dept. She is very supportive of our faculty, staff, and students, and always makes herself available to us even when we barge in her office unannounced (mostly me)...sorry Katy! She has a great sense of humor as well! I feel very fortunate to be her Administrative Assistant, and I am thankful to her and the other faculty in our department for making my work life enjoyable!"
Tamela Darnell sent a shout-out to Dr. Earls:
"Her advice and knowledge have been invaluable to me, and I feel so lucky to have her as a friend and colleague. Thank you for your willingness to help me search for answers to my many questions!"
Tamela Darnell also sent a shout-out to Holly:
"Holly’s dedication to her students shines, especially in her passion for the Belize Study Abroad program. She works tirelessly to make sure our students have an amazing student teaching abroad experience in Belize. With securing services to arranging housing, it has been especially challenging this year with new changes since Covid. Holly, thank you for all that you do and safe travels in April!"
Dr. Miguel Gomez sends a shout-out to Dr. Ford:
"Dr. Ford is an outstanding teacher educator who truly goes above and beyond to support and inspire her students. With her wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for education, she is able to provide her students with invaluable insights into teaching, learning, and professional development."
Tamela received an anonymous shout-out:
"I would like to send a shout-out to Tamela. She works tirelessly behind the scenes to support our college units and makes sure things in the college run smoothly. She is truly an asset to our college and thank you for all you do!"
Dr. Chanel Schwenck also sent a shout-out to Nicole:
"I'd love to give a shout-out to Nicole Kennedy in TES for her commitment to admitting students to Teacher Education quickly and efficiently. The turnaround has been so fast and she's good about catching things that might have been overlooked in the process.
Great job, Nicole!"
Dr. Vigil received an anonymous shout-out!
"Dr. Vigil is a prime example of a great colleague and instructor. Her focus on the wellness of our students and the rigor of the educational experiences in her classroom is outstanding. Not only that, she also dedicates much of her time to student support services that connect students with the college. You are amazing Dr. Vigil!"
"Dr. Karen Mackey brings so much teaching and administrative experience to make her instruction to students be both effective and meaningful. Her passion for the teaching profession encourages many students to pursue this career path. Dr. Mackey’s respected reputation strengthens COEHS relationships with school districts to encourage schools to allow education students to complete practicum hours. She puts forth tremendous effort in her interactions with student teacher candidates to make them excited to become teachers."
"Mr. Adam Blair has done an exceptional job growing the MSU Henderson Education Program. His students consistently share that they choose teaching because of his passion for the profession. Students can always count on Mr. Blair to support them achieve their goal to become a teacher. Mr. Blair creates a positive learning environment to promote students entering the teaching profession."
Dr. Patel got a shout-out from his administrative assistant, Libby Davis:
"Dr. Patel always keeps me on my toes and continues to make me laugh! He is a great leader and very caring to his faculty, staff and students."
"As a new-ish faculty member in the college, Andrea has been impressive with her leadership skills and honesty. Her understanding of higher education and awareness of program standards has made her a valuable addition to the college. I appreciate her conscientious and purposeful feedback for program improvement, and her dedication to student growth. On a personal note, I truly appreciate her matter-of-fact communication style, and her good sense of humor. Thank you for being a great colleague, Andrea!"
Missy received an anonymous shout-out:
"Missy is not only is a rockstar for the KATE department, but she also does so much more for the college. Missy does a lot of behind the scenes work for the college from running the TVs, paperwork for tech upgrades for the building, checking calendars and so much more. Thank you for being awesome Missy. You are very much appreciated by EVERYONE in the college."
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!
Congratulations to Tamela Darnell and Dr. Jennifer Earls - they were the only 2 who guessed all 27 voices correctly from last week's challenge!
Thank you to everyone who participated!
*Dates are subject to change*
May 11th - COEHS End-of-Year Celebration - 12pm-2pm - Alexander Atrium
May 12th - Honors Luncheon; CDI Senior Recognition; CDI Hooding Ceremony; ELC Hooding Ceremony
May 13th - Commencement - 9am & 1pm - CFSB Center
May 15th - 10am - All grades due for Full Term/2nd
May 18th - 8:30am - 10:30am - MSU Staff Appreciation Breakfast - Waterfield Breezeway
May 29th - Memorial Day Observance - No Classes; University Closed
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June 1st - Racer Nation Orientation
June 2nd - BOR Meeting
June 3rd - Racer Nation Orientation
June 12th and 13th - Teaching and Technology Summit (virtual)
June 14th - Racer Nation Orientation
June 16th - Racer Nation Orientation
June 19th - Juneteenth Observance - No Classes; University Closed
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July 6th - Racer Nation Orientation
July 31st - TENTATIVE - Spring/Winter Schedule Drafts sent to Departments
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August 3rd - Racer Nation Orientation
ALL ACADEMIC DEADLINES - murraystate.edu/deadlines
Congratulations to our COEHS celebrities of the week:
Clara Bearsby (Staff) and Dr. Mi-Hwa Park (Faculty)!
We applaud each of you for your outstanding contributions and appreciate all that you do for COEHS!
Katherine Farmer, CMC ~ May 11th
Dr. Jessica Pryor, ECE ~ May 16th
Dr. Sean Simons, ELC ~ May 16th
"A little progress each day adds up to big results."
-Satya Nani
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.