Archives for October 2016

Dear Lecturers,

Save the date: Thursday, October 13, at 4:30-5:30pm in the Grucci Room

Thank you to everyone who attended the open conversation with the department’s Lecturer Advisory Committee (LAC) in August. It was a productive discussion that raised many familiar concerns and suggestions, as well as a few new ones.

At our next meeting, Gregg Rogers, Interim Director of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric, will attend the first 20 minutes to make some announcements (concerning SRTEs and grade distribution) and answer questions. After he leaves, we will have some administration-free time to discuss concerns within the lecturer community.

Agenda for the meeting:
1. Gregg: impact of SRTEs and grade distribution
2. Updates on our efforts regarding the professional development requirement (PWR lectures)
3. Discussion of formal documentation of lecturer concerns
4. Open the floor for discussion

We want to continue the conversation with input from as many of you as possible. Please join your LAC reps on Thursday, October 13, 2016, at 4:30 p.m. in the Grucci Room in Burrowes where, during a lively and open discussion, we’ll mull over and prioritize the issues that have been brought to our attention, as well as brainstorm ways to proceed as we address these issues.

See you on October 13!

LAC Reps
Erica Fleming (Committee Chair) efleming@psu.edu
Teresa Hamilton, tlh40@psu.edu
Lorena Waselinko, law17@psu.edu
Jan Babcock, jra125@psu.edu
Rachael Wiley, rwiley@psu.edu

Penn State College of Arts and Architecture published a story recently about Rachel Hill, former student in Leslie Mateer’s English 202D, who credits the business writing course for helping her snag a $25,000 donation to help offset travel costs for landscape architecture students.

A nice shot in the arm for English 202D instructors and students!

https://artsandarchitecture.psu.edu/news/landscape-architecture-student%E2%80%99s-persuasive-paper-leads-new-fund-offset-field-trip-expenses

The following is a richly informative email received this week from Keith Jervis, Director of Student Disability Resources:

During the month of October, as we have since 2009, Student Disability Resources, as a unit of Educational Equity, with faculty and other campus partners will again be sponsoring: Diversability Month.  This year the events are part of the “WE ARE ALL IN” The name, Diversability was suggested by Dr. Michael Berube, Director, Institute for the Arts and Humanities and he was the impetus for the establishment of this annual month long event.

Each year,  we focus on one topic, while offering an array of programming highlighting and celebrating the abilities of individuals with different ability.  This year our focus is on employment for individuals with disabilities and features three employment themed programs (Disability in the Workplace, An Employment Perspective, The Power of People, Partnership, Perception and Potential: A discussion with Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Executive Director David DeNortaris, and an Evening with Ms. Wheelchair America).  (Ms. Wheelchair America is not a contest to select the most attractive individual. It is instead a competition based on advocacy, achievement, communication and presentation to select the most accomplished and articulate spokeswoman for persons with disabilities, see:  http://www.mswheelchairamerica.org/)

You will find programming this month (October) for Diversability woven into the “WE ARE, ALL IN” campaign and included on the “All IN” calendar, see:  http://www.events.psu.edu/cgi-bin/cal272/webevent.cgi?cmd=listmonth&cat=&sib=1&sort=e,m,t&ws=0&cf=list&set=1&swe=1&sa=1&de=1&tf=0&sb=0&stz=Default&cal=cal425&d=6&m=10&y=2016

For your information, I have attached a description of the Diversability Month events for October 2016.

Last year we focused on LD and AD/HD in our programming.  In previous years our focus has included Autism Spectrum Disorder, we hosted Temple Grandin as one of featured speakers.

We are in the planning stages for next year and we plan to return to a focus on individuals having neurodiversity, particularly ASD.

For your information and for the students in your class, there is a student group that includes neuro-diverse students referred to as WINGS.  This year SDR funded the establishment of  a chapter of “Eye to Eye” a mentoring program that students with LD and AD/HD participate in mentoring elementary students in SC with LD and AD/LD, see:  http://eyetoeyenational.org/  Perhaps your students would be interested in becoming mentors.  We also are active participants in creating job opportunities for our students with disabilities, student are presently signing up for the Workforce Recruitment Program that SDR offers with the federal government, see: https://wrp.gov/LoginPre.do?method=login

I look forward to the involvement of your students in our “WE ARE, ALL IN” events.

 

Thank you,

Keith Jervis

Director, Student Disability Resources

Many congrats to Alison Condie Jaenicke, whose “I Slept Well If You Slept Well” was selected as one of the 100 Notable Essays of 2015, a list at the end of Best American Essays 2016, edited by Jonathon Franzen, just released this week. A really big deal!

https://www.amazon.com/Best-American-Essays-20…/…/0544812107

 

Cynthia’s own Tempest Productions will be on the main stage of The State Theatre on Friday, Nov 18 at 8pm. Let’s sign up on the bulletin board and gather a great host of hard-working teachers for the performance, which is called: “Poe:Deep Into That Darkness.”  We can honor the ghost of Poe by gathering, perhaps, for drinks before the show?

Business librarians Diane Zabel and Lauren Reiter announce a new, updated English 202D Library Course Guide.  This new guide focuses on job search and professional reading resources which are provided only through the library.  As usual, the course guide provides easy contact information for a number of business librarians.

This guide joins similar course guides for English 202C, English 15, English 137H, and English 30: Rhetoric Across Borders.

Thanks to Diane Zabel, Lauren Reiter and Leslie Mateer.