ELC Weekly Connection
Week 8/31
Almost September!
Hello everyone!
I cannot believe that we are already three weeks into the semester! Tomorrow begins September; pee-wee soccer has started; college football is about to begin; Labor Day! And September 15th is upon us. The day that everything is due. The “Ides of September” . . . The good news is that ELC is in excellent standing for meeting the EPSB submission deadline. At this point, there are only two program submissions that need to be reviewed, a few syllabi need to be finalized, and we’re done!! You have all worked hard on getting these completed, and I couldn’t be more appreciative. Thank you all, and especially for those who helped review more than your “share.” This is what I think about when I brag on the team quality of this department. It’s what makes us strong as a department, and it’ll be what keeps our programs resilient to challenges.
I’ve been reading the Harry Potter books to the kids (we are proud nerds), and we finished book two this weekend. Toward the end of the book, Albus Dumbledore says, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” This sparked a conversation with my son. What did Dumbledore mean? We discussed how choices determine the type of person you are. For example, you can choose to strive toward your potential, or you can focus on what’s comfortable. You can choose to be considerate of others, or you can focus on your own wants/needs. There are some choices that are more helpful than others, and each decision has its own consequences. . . . and then I explained that I will encourage him and Catalina to choose certain paths, but that any decision he makes, I’ll love them, blah, blah, blah.
But this got me thinking about our department. The reason that any of us are here is ultimately for the students. Our service, research and professional development are to benefit our students as we help maintain a healthy educational environment, maintain up-to-date with our professional trends, and serve as professional models for our students. These professional efforts are choices that are based on our motivation for excellence. And I am grateful that, as a group, you choose to focus on student needs, as evidenced by the quality of our programs. Each program is a reflection of your choices. This is a strong department, and each of you has a part . . . I won’t tell you that “I love you,” but I do appreciate you, your professionalism and your work.
- Su
Celebrate!
Announcements & Reminders
- Please submit your Leave Reports by September 8th.
- Tenure Packets are due to me on September 15th. These are cumulative from when you began your career at Murray State University.
- Program Annual Reports are due to The Office of Institutional Effectiveness by September 15th.
- Please compare your current course roster with students who are attending. If there are concerns, you can submit a Referral to Jamie Mantooth, Director of Retention, jmantooth1@murraystate.edu. Carbon-copy me in your referral, please.
- The deadline to register for December graduation is September 11th.
- To help showcase your program or student events, please complete the CoEHS Publicity Request Form, found on the Intranet site. This may also help in recruiting students.
- Since many of our classes are after hours, who do we contact in the case of an emergency? The procedure is to contact Public Safety (2222). They will radio someone to address the emergency, whether it's an overflowing toilet or an emotional crisis.
- If you ever had questions about how to separate your paper for the recycling bins, no worries. The University is using a vendor who is not particular about it. You do not need to separate your colored paper from the white paper to put in the red or blue bins. It doesn't matter. However, please do recycle.
- Finally, please think about times and dates that you can invite me to visit your classroom. I look forward to seeing you at work with students!