Graduate degree gaining national media attention for innovation
The first graduate course is more than a year away, but the recently approved M.S. in First-Year Studies is gaining national media attention. Insight into Diversity published a short article about the innovative degree program in its December issue, and the National Journal asked program director Stephanie Foote to write an article for its latest issue. Click here to read "A Studied Effort to Ease College Transitions."
First-Year and Transition Studies also gained national media recognition for KSU 1111 when Change magazine featured Ken Hill and the globally focused first-year seminar in its recent article on AASCU's Global Engagement Initiative.
|
INTS alumna featured in KSU Magazine
Flora Lowe-Rockett, a summer semester graduate from the Integrative Studies program, is featured in the latest issue of the university's premiere publication, KSU Magazine. The "alumni profile" summarizes Lowe-Rockett's career at the United Nations before returning to school six years ago to complete her degree.The article highlights Lowe-Rockett's position with Volunteer KSU (VKSU) and her decision to pursue a second degree in culinary sustainability and hospitality. Click here to read the profile.
|
Girl Talk learning communities raise needed funds for Indian women's shelter
Students in the two "Girl Talk" themed learning communities raised almost $900 for the Sneha Women's Shelter in Calcutta, India, this semester as part of their service project. They presented the check to Sucheta Rawal of the Go Eat Give Foundation at the Girl Talk Capstone Event, held Dec. 7.
Each fall the learning communities faculty work collaboratively to design assignments and service opportunities to allow KSU students to learn more about gender roles in other countries. This fall students learned about several challenges faced by women in India.
Gail Scott from psychology, Jeannie Parker-Beard from English, Cathy Bradford and Hillary Steiner were pleased with their students' accomplishments.
|
Mosholder, Larsen receive CETL grant
Richard Mosholder is teaming up with Carolee Larsen and Charles Winn from history to empirically investigate problem-based learning within a learning communities structure as part of an $8,000 Incentive Funding for Research & Creative Activity grant. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) grant will allow the faculty to continue their research on the effectiveness of problem-based instruction within learning communities to "enable students to think beyond Piaget's formal operational level," explained Mosholder. They plan to compare the learning communities structure with a General Education history course that will also utilize problem-based learning and three General Education history sections taught traditionally. Initial results are anticipated in late 2014.
|
Faculty continue publication successes
Hillary Steiner collaborated with Michelle Dean from chemistry and her First-Year and Transition Studies colleagues Stephanie Foote and Ruth Goldfine to publish "Applying TLC (a Targeted Learning Community) to Transform Teaching and Learning in Science" in the latest issue of Learning Communities Research and Practice. Click here to download the full article.
Debbie Smith also continued her collaborative research success, serving as second author on a co-authored article with Deborah Roebuck and Terr El Haddaoui that appears in the December issue of Advancing Women in Leadership. The title of the article is "Cross-Generational Perspectives on Work-Life Balance and its Impact on Women's Opportunities for Leadership in the Workplace." |
KSU to collaborate with Kansai University
Stephanie Foote and Deborah Mixson-Brookshire will serve as primary researchers in a collaborative project with Kansai University of International Studies in Miki City, Japan. An official Agreement for Academic Cooperation was signed earlier this year to "promote and facilitate the advancement of learning through international exchange and cooperation in research, teaching and service."
Yasuo Sakamoto, Kansai's vice president for international relations, and Ayuko Tanaka, director of first-year education department, will be working closely with Foote and Mixson-Brookshire. This agreement is yet another example of University College's commitment to global learning and collaborative research.
|
Sunny Pradhan to graduate with IS degree
University College's Technology Support Specialist Sunny Pradhan graduates this week with a bachelor's degree in information systems. He is already investigating graduate programs and has no plans to leave his position, which is a joint appointment between the college and Information Technology Services.
Pradhan will walk across the stage during the Friday morning Commencement ceremony.
|