Message from the Dean: November 2020
Dear SOE Billiken Alums,
I hope that this note finds you healthy and safe. While there have been many ups and
downs these last few months, we have made it through the Fall semester with most of
our classes being taught in person on campus. This major feat could not have been
accomplished without the sacrifice, commitment, flexibility, and grace displayed by
our students, faculty, and staff. Our students will soon be heading home for the Thanksgiving
holiday, where they’ll study and take their final semester exams. From that point,
we will have an atypically long break, allowing everyone time to rest and take a deep
breath.
These next few months will be challenging for all of us, and many will be seeking
opportunities to engage and interact virtually even as we must distance physically.
Here at the School of Education, we are imagining new strategies to re-connect with
all our alumni. One such strategy is our Education Speaker Series, which has been
virtual for the past few months and will continue to be virtual in 2021. We hope that
this adaptation provides an opportunity for the School of Education to engage with
you, no matter where you live.
We presented a virtual panel on “Teaching for Equity in the Midst of a Pandemic” during
the virtual Homecoming weekend in September. You can view a recording of the event
here . Our regular Speaker Series will feature a talk by Constance A. Lindsay, Ph.D.,
assistant professor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; to sign up
for this talk, entitled “Teacher Diversity and Student Success: Why Racial Representation
Matters in the Classroom,” please visit our School of Education website.
In this issue, we are pleased to highlight two academic programs. The first, the Master
of Arts in Teaching with alternative certification program, welcomed its largest cohort
this fall. The second program that we feature is the Ph.D. in Education Policy and
Equity program, now in its second year. And, last but not least, we are very pleased
to introduce Molly A. Schaller, Ph.D., recently appointed Associate Dean of the School
of Education.
Please let us know if there are ways we can support you better or communicate with you more effectively. Please stay healthy and safe, and we look forward to seeing you on campus in the future!
Best wishes,
Gary W. Ritter, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Education