Students as well as faculty can expect some new enrichment and academic opportunities at Stetson University this year.<\/p>\n
For starters, two new master\u2019s degrees, a new certification program and an impressive variety of undergraduate minors have been added to Stetson\u2019s academic repertoire.<\/p>\n
New undergraduate minors include:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe continue this year to advance this transformative approach to learning by expanding experiential learning opportunities such as community-engaged learning, internships, international study, mentored research and creative activity,\u201d explained Executive Vice President and Provost Beth Paul, Ph.D. \u201cOur faculty support students to reflect on how their learning comes together to guide them in living a life of significance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the newly launched Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience will be under the expert guidance of Clay Henderson, J.D., a 1977 Stetson graduate. Read more about Henderson\u2019s new role at Stetson in Stetson Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe institute highlights our university-wide commitment to and expertise in environmental responsibility and resilience,\u201d said Paul. \u201cIt provides new learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff, as well as benefits for our community such as education, policy research and advocacy. It communicates regionally and nationally Stetson\u2019s strength and excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul also notes that new undergraduate curriculum changes are underway for the School of Business Administration and that a new Writing Fellows Program is in the works.<\/p>\n \u201cThe official launch is going to be the fall of 2016, but we\u2019ll begin working with future writing fellows during this academic year,\u201d explains Professor of English John Pearson, Ph.D., who also serves as associate vice president for Academic Affairs. Pearson says this program will involve students who are specifically trained to work in designed classes, helping their peers develop and articulate thoughtful analytical arguments with particular attention to audience and conventions of the discipline.<\/p>\n \u201cThis program advances student learning by putting students together with students to learn and develop writing skills collaboratively,\u201d says Pearson. \u201cThe Writing Fellows Effective written communication skills are essential for our students as they seek to address complex problems in their courses, their lives and the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Faculty enrichment will be paramount at Stetson with the continuation of the Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence, which aims at supporting and\u00a0invigorating faculty dialogue around progressive pedagogy and learning.<\/p>\n \u201cSimilar to our commitment to students, Stetson endeavors to challenge and stretch faculty horizons through diverse learning opportunities,\u201d says Rosalie A. Richards<\/a>, Ph.D., associate provost for Faculty Development and professor of Chemistry and Education. \u201cIn particular, our large cohorts of new faculty over the past three years will benefit significantly from the resources available at this creative time in Stetson\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n As an example of this, Richards cites Stetson\u2019s new membership in New York University\u2019s\u00a0Faculty Resource Network (frn.nyu.edu) which will expand and elevate the work of faculty through seminars on cutting-edge learning approaches as well as through scholarly residencies to advance their research and creative endeavors.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough this network, Stetson\u2019s teacher-scholar faculty participate in rich experiences in New York City, as well as in other countries, alongside faculty and administrators from universities and colleges across the nation and the world,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n By Trish Wieland<\/p>\n