Greetings! Can you believe that 2022 is already halfway over? Or that the fiscal year 2021-2022 is almost ending? Where does the time go? I guess it's like the saying goes “time flies when you are having fun.” I am having so much fun in the School of General Education. I mean, what’s not to enjoy? We have the most amazing faculty, leadership, and staff across the entire university, and I get to work with you all every day! We are growing, too, which is also very exciting!

We now have the following degrees, certificates and concentrations:

• General Education Certificate

• Associate of Science in Professional Studies (ASPr)

• Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies (BSPr)

• Master of Professional Studies (MPS)

• Concentrations in Decision Management (BS in Organizational Management and soon in the BS in Sustainability)

As well as these Micro-Credentials:

• Arts and Humanities

• New Media Writing

• Social Science

• Foundations of Quantitative Business Analysis

• Our math team helped with Decision Management Micro-Credential and Concentrations (BS in Organizational Management and soon in the BS in Sustainability)

Additionally, we will soon be launching:

• Graduate Certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity

• Bachelor of Science in Sustainability (BSS)

• MPS Concentration in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Finally, our Alternative Credit Center (ACC) has been busy as well. They have added numerous ASKs for students from across the university, they host all the open learning courses (e.g., Contact Tracing, remote work, etc.) and of course, don’t forget the work they do to support students with prior learning (i.e., military, professional training, work experience, transfer credit) - not just for our students but for the entire university! Did you know that through their work, students who completed the portfolio process earned an average of 35 quarter credit hours toward their degree? That doesn’t count additional training, ASKs, or transfer credit. AMAZING! It is so rewarding to know that we are helping students achieve their goals. It is through their work and seeing them successfully walk across the graduation stage that helps continue to drive and inspire me. I hope it does you too!

We continue to work with other schools on their new ideas and create new courses too (stay tuned for some additional exciting potential graduate courses we may have). I look forward to keeping this momentum going! Have a wonderful Summer and Hail Purdue!

Welcome Our New Assistant Dean of Curriculum

Tonya Scalise has worked at Purdue Global for 13 years. Most of that time was spent in the role of Curriculum Specialist in the School of General Education. She earned an MA in Adult Education and Communications Technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Before starting her career at PG, she worked in instructional design and multimedia development.

Tonya is an animal lover and has a house full of pets, including dogs, cats, and even turtles. She also enjoys interior decorating and working in her flower garden.

Please join us in congratulating Tonya on her promotion to ADoC!

14th Annual Virtual General Education Conference

Since 2009, the School of General Education has hosted the General Education Conference (GEC) with faculty and staff sharing best practices, research, discipline-specific information, and more. The conference focuses on the mission of the school and supports areas of knowledge that comprise students’ educational foundation. GEC has grown dramatically since its inception. Here are some GEC statistics from this year:

• Almost 650 registrants

• Participants from across the Purdue system including PG, PWL, PNW, Purdue Online

• Thirty-nine people registered from 24 outside institutions

• We hosted approximately 30 Diversity sessions

• Over the three days, we hosted 12 session times each day

• There were 73 presentations plus 12 Lightening sessions for a total of 85 individual presentations

We had so many wonderful presentations, and I heard so many great things from one session to the next from our participants about how they were enjoying the conference and learning so much! It was a busy yet fun-filled three days, and I wanted to express my thanks to each of you for taking the time from your busy schedules to share your expertise and ideas with us. This conference runs so seamlessly from the participant and presenter's perspective (exactly how it should), but that doesn’t just happen - it's a team effort. It starts with our great steering committee, our editors, and our reviewers. It then continues with our Logistics team (website, setting up rooms and practices, marketing, etc.), our Gen Ed leadership team, the amazing voice talents, and our fantastic session hosts! Most of these people are also presenting (often multiple times) as well.

You all make it possible! You share your talents, your expertise, and your ideas. I appreciate you all spending time with us and helping the conference run so smoothly. It takes a HUGE amount of work to make the conference happen, and we could not have done this without you! I also know that the rest of your daily tasks don’t just stop because of the GEC, so thank you for all your commitment that helps not only you, but others outside of PG too to understand the importance of General Education for students, but also helping with a collective understanding of working with our adult students.

If you missed any of the wonderful presentations, visit the conference site to review the archives. Have a wonderful summer and I am looking forward to "seeing" you at our 2023 conference!

NOSS Conference

What do PG, Coca-Cola, and the busiest airport in the world have in common? ATLANTA! The capital of Georgia hosted the 46^th annual conference of the National Organization for Student Success (NOSS). The goal of NOSS is to help students succeed. The 2022 theme was Reuniting for Student Success and it revolved around the excitement and positive outcomes provided by an in-person conference. The 4-day conference in March was a success for faculty as well as students who will benefit from the sessions.

Nine PG faculty members and administrators met up in the Big Peach to share ideas with other institutions, learn from colleagues across the nation, and have a good time being with each other. Attendees included Mary Bruce, Marsha Fields, Carol Hannahs, Michael Heeren, Peg Hohensee, Leslie Johnson, Melissa Scranton, Tami Tacker, Nikki Williams. Laura Baggett and Amy Smith, local members of the faculty, were able to join in the fun one evening, too.

Seven presentations were accepted to the conference program with topics ranging from student feedback to growth mindset. The sessions were received with enthusiasm for the topics and many ended with an involved discussion on how to incorporate the presented ideas into the participants’ schools.

And, of course, the PG crew was thrilled to see each other. Check out the many photos that were taken. The group spent time talking, laughing, brainstorming, and eating. Math Department Chair Peg Hohensee shared a variety of Elmer’s candy, a premier Louisiana candy company. Math Department faculty member Melissa Scranton brought her family to share the experience with her. Melissa and her husband, Jeff, co-presented about the Gift of Knowledge program at PG.

Whether Coca-Cola is your beverage of choice or not and whether you fly a lot or avoid the busiest airport in the world at all costs, the NOSS conference in Atlanta proved to be a profitable and engaging time.

Celebration of Juneteenth

The United States Congress passed a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday on June 16, 2021, but it has been a recognized holiday for numerous years in many states and has been celebrated in several communities. The word Juneteenth was coined by blending two words; June and nineteenth, and is the day when General Order, No. 3, also known as Juneteenth Order, was read. On January 1, 1980, with its legislation, Texas was the first to recognize June 19th as a state holiday. This legislative act is not surprising because Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, happened in a small Texas island city, named Galveston. Purdue Global will celebrate Juneteenth this year on Monday, June 20, 2022. Please click here to read more about the history and importance of Juneteenth and visit the DEI site to listen to the Juneteenth Celebration Presentations.

The SoGE DEI group would love for all of YOU to celebrate your voice on our webpage by submitting your blog posts, or spotlight videos. You can submit your ideas here. If you have questions, concerns, suggestions or ideas for the committee, please contact the committee chair, Jessica Love at jelove@purdueglobal.edu.

Make Earth Day EVERY Day

On April 22nd, 2022 Purdue Global again celebrated Earth Day. In an event sponsored by the Science Department and the PG Ambassadors, topics ranging from climate change to plastic pollution were discussed. Contributors from around the University submitted articles for the Earth Day Celebration website that included tips and topics inspired by Earth Day. The PG Ambassadors sponsored an Art Expo padlet where photography and original artworks were shared and enjoyed. Finally, a live event on Earth Day included three presentations from PG Faculty as well as games and prizes from the PG Ambassadors. This year’s PG Earth Day Celebration event was a fun and informational way to learn more about how to preserve and protect the planet that we all call home.

FT Faculty Publishes First Full-length Book

FT Faculty Barry Regan's new book, Leadership practices in speech and debate coaches: Applying full-range leadership behaviors to coaching intercollegiate forensics, focuses on intercollegiate forensics as an extracurricular activity venerated in American higher education for producing influential thought leaders, public servants, and highly trained professionals. In spite of its sterling reputation, financial support for and student participation in intercollegiate forensics teams is in an alarming state of decline. In his publication, Barry argues that intercollegiate forensics coaches, in the face of enormous challenges which threaten the continued vitality of competitive speech and debate at institutions across the United States, must chart a strategic pathway forward for current and existing intercollegiate forensics teams. This book advocates for the application of empirically validated leadership frameworks to the nuances of leading speech and debate programs. Barry explores the use of innovative pedagogical methods and coaching strategies rooted in modern perspectives of competitive access and inclusion to boost team participation from individuals and groups historically excluded from the activity. Through the recommendations laid out in this book, Barry offers a framework for intercollegiate forensics coaches to use in navigating an uncertain future. Congratulations Barry!