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MESSAGES & DEPARTMENT UPDATES
MESSAGES & DEPARTMENT UPDATES
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I hope this week has started well for you. I have several items to share.
Black History Month: February is Black History Month, a time to recognize African American triumphs and struggles in U.S. history. While I can't cover all the highlights here, key milestones include slavery, the Civil War era, the Emancipation Proclamation, Plessy v. Ferguson, the Civil Rights Movement, Brown v. Board of Education, Central High School in Little Rock, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Maya Angelou, and former President Barack Obama. Notable at Murray State University are Mary Ford Holland, the first Black student in 1955, and Nancy Tyler Demartra, the first African American graduate in 1961 with a degree in elementary education. This year's theme, African Americans and the Arts, celebrates the cultural contributions of Black practitioners and scholars.
CAA Accreditation: The COEHS Speech-Language Pathology program is undergoing a crucial accreditation review by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA), led by Dr. Stephanie Schaaf. With her exceptional leadership, faculty and staff diligently prepare for the Feb 26 & 27 onsite visit. The program's success is evident, attracting over 100 applicants for approximately 24 admissions annually.
Social Work Finalists: The Social Work Program in the Criminal Justice & Social Work Department is bringing two finalists to campus to fill their soon-to-be-open tenure-track line. Peg Pittman-Munke is leading this search. The candidates have been invited to campus on February 14 and 28.
Director of Assessment and Accreditation: The search committee to fill the position previously held by Dr. Jessica Evans was unsuccessful in finding a qualified applicant to accept this position. The search committee comprised Dr. Kemaly Parr, Dr. Alesa Walker, and Dr. Jennifer Earls, and they carefully reviewed several applicants. However, salary and working conditions interfered with securing a qualified replacement. Dr. Abbie Morris has graciously handled these duties since Dr. Evans’ departure.
Areas vs. Majors: The University is migrating away from "areas" and intends to replace areas with majors. So that you know – this is currently in process.
Assistant Dean of COEHS: I sincerely thank the faculty and staff involved in interviewing our three finalists. Your input greatly influenced the search committee's discussions. The committee faces a challenging decision. We aim to finalize our choice this week, with an announcement to the College expected late this week or early next.
Faculty/Staff Incentive Grants: We will soon issue an RFP for 10 $2,500 grants focusing on recruitment and retention in the College. Our overall retention of first-time freshmen is now about 74%. We have a target of 80% retention of FTF. Student enrollments have stabilized somewhat, but our overall enrollment dropped considerably with the COVID crisis.
Adjuncts: We were notified that we can only hire adjunct faculty from Kentucky and Illinois. No other adjuncts are eligible. This has to do with worker comp, etc.
Admitted Student Kickoff: The recent Admitted Student Kickoff was a success, with over 65 attendees in the first session. Dr. Chanel Schwenck's "Lively Movement" workshop and Dr. Stephanie Ford's session on "The Places You Can Go- VR in the Classroom!" were highlights. Special thanks to Tressa Ross for coordinating the COEHS events.
Draft Revisions to COEHS Constitution & Faculty Evaluation Guidelines Handbook
A committee led by Daniel Hepworth, including Melissa Chapman, Kemaly Parr, Stephanie Schaaf, and Miguel Gomez, revised the COEHS Faculty Evaluation Guidelines & the College Constitution. I would appreciate your input on these revisions by Monday, February 19. Following your feedback, a final committee review will take place, and both documents will undergo a college-wide vote. Adopted changes will apply to newly hired faculty and staff starting fall semester 2024. Special thanks to Dr. Hepworth and the committee for their valuable contributions!
Dr. Miguel Gomez
Last week I had the pleasure to visit Dr. Gomez’s EDU 480 class and much to my surprise, Dr. Gomez did a cartwheel in front of his class. Amazing events take place every day in our innovative faculty's classrooms.
2024 General Assembly
This is a 60-day session for the Kentucky legislature. The session will begin on January 2 and end on April 15. It is a budget session that occurs every two years. The last day to introduce new House bills is February 26, while the last day for new Senate bills is February 28. Here are some of the key bills filed in the state legislature that are relevant to Murray State, the COEHS, and/or public education:
House Bill (HB) 6, which would set the budget for the 2024-26 biennium.
HB 9 would prohibit a public college or university from offering diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
HB 224 would require public colleges & universities to adopt a policy that does not restrict off-campus speech & extends free speech protections to the public.
HB 228 would require performance evaluations for all faculty members at least once every four years.
HB 400 would allow Murray State University to offer doctoral degrees for professional practice and licensure in veterinary medicine.
Senate Bill (SB) 6 is similar to HB 9 with proposed restrictions on diversity efforts.
HB 118 would lower the age from 21 to 18 to lawfully possess a firearm and permit individuals to carry a concealed firearm without a concealed carry license in the same locations as persons with valid licenses.
HB 96 would require moments of silence or reflection at the start of each school day.
Wishing you much success with the remainder of the week, and thank you for all you do for our students and each other.
-- David Whaley
Upcoming Events
This is a Try-A-Byte.
It's a pop-quest for the EdTech Explorer program worth 20 points for the month of January, & 15 points afterwards. This pop-up quest takes 10 minutes or less to complete and adds great Google knowledge for a better workflow. Faculty & Staff can use this for office hour scheduling or if people need to meet one-on-one with them.
They can access the links shown at the bottom of the picture via the PDF Copy Link or by the EdTech Explorer Website.
Photo of the Week
Thank you to the COEHS faculty (including Dr. Chanel Schwenck) who presented during Admitted Student Weekend this Saturday (Feb 3rd).
SHOUT-OUTS
SHOUT-OUTS
Shout-out to Tressa Ross from Dr. Stephanie Ford:
"Tressa always goes above and beyond to meet the individual needs of each of our students. She continuously advocates for them to succeed with a smile on her face. Tressa is a true asset to COEHS!"
Shout-out to Cooper Levering (College Technology Coordinator) from everyone at the COEHS Dean's Office:
"We want to express our gratitude to Cooper Levering for his tireless diligence and proficiency in maintaining the COEHS technology. His role effects all of the Faculty/ Staff throughout our building by making sure their tech (TVS, computers, laptops, printers, cameras, etc.) functions efficiently and receives prompt attention when needing repairs. Thank you for your professionalism, hard work, and positive attitude because it does not go unnoticed."
Shout-out to Dr. Donna Crouch from Dr. Jamie Mahoney:
"Donna has been such a trooper! She continues to work through the pain with a smile on her face! She always provides a positive resolution to any problems any of us have to face. If you need a pick me up- Go see Donna!"
Shout-Out to Dee Gupton from Dr. Katy Hancock:
"Dee is wonderful! She is the heart of the department and makes all of the faculty, staff, GAs, and student workers feel appreciated. We would be lost without her!"
Shout-out to Nicole Kennedy from Holly Bloodworth:
"Thank you for being so helpful and having such a great attitude! "
Shoutout to Rebecca Simons from Dr. Brian Bourke:
"Huge thanks for Rebecca for teaching me how to get the tech working flawlessly for my hybrid class last night (01/24). Not only did she help get everything up and running, she checked back in after class started to make sure I didn't have any problems. Without her instruction, I would have had a tech mess on my hands!"
Shout-out to the Diversity Action Committee from Dr. Samir Patel:
"Awesome job on navigating the weather impact and delivering an informative and engaging panel discussion!"
Shout-Out to Jeff Wylie from Dr. Katy Hancock:
"Jeff Wylie has been a valued member of our department for many years. His caring for students and work with the student organization are not unnoticed, by myself or by the students, who love Jeff. He will be missed after he retires."
Shout-Out to Dr. Alaina Steele from Dr. Katy Hancock:
"Dr. Steele is a wonderful member of CJSW! She goes above and beyond for her students and advisees-it is clear she really cares about their success. She is thoughtful about making her courses improve student learning and experience, and she really gets to know her advisees and works to address all their problems, both academic and non. Dr. Steele is also always ready to contribute to department projects and celebrations. We are so blessed to have her!"
Shout-Out to Dianna Eldredge from Dr. Katy Hancock:
"Dianna is always on time and ready to work, with a smile and a great attitude! She is a pleasant presence to have in the social work suite and CJSW offices. I enjoy her "good morning!" when I see her!"
Shout-Out to Adam Blair from Dr. Mi-Hwa Park:
"Adam Blair, the 2+2 Teacher Education Coordinator on the Henderson Campus, has recruited students for the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) program. Moreover, he helped us locate a high-quality early childhood program in Hendersonville for practicum students. Due to his cooperation, IECE practicum students have access to high quality practicum opportunities. The IECE program appreciates Adam's support!"
Shout-Out to Delmie Lopez from Angie Young:
"Thank you for working so hard and always being kind and helpful to everyone!"
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
COEHS CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS
Spring Semester - 2024
KATE First Friday - February 9
KATE First Friday/ Inclusive Learning & Assistive Technology - March 1
1st HALF ENDS - March 6
2nd HALF BEGINS - March 7
SPRING BREAK - March 18 - 22
EdTech Workshop Time - April 19
CLASSES END - May 3
FINALS - May 4 - 10
COMMENCEMENT - May 11
The Summit - June 11 - 12
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us."
“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us."
- Wilma Rudolph
- Wilma Rudolph
Celebrities of the Week
Congratulations to the COEHS celebrities of the week:
Dr. Peggy Pittman-Munke (Faculty) and Claire Layne (Staff)!
We applaud each of you for your outstanding contributions and appreciate all that you do for COEHS.
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE
Want to add something to the next Midweek Round-Up?
Want to add something to the next Midweek Round-Up?
Click the button below to let Claire Layne in the Dean's Office know!
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.
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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