Dean’s Circle of Engagement
October 6-7, 2022
The Gladys W. & David H. Patton College of Education
Patton Hall 104 - Ohio University
Summary of Activities
Attendees: Ray Asik, Caryn Bailey, Mary Frances Bryja, Michelle Connavino, Maureen Coon, Linda Fife, Lisa Harrison, Chris Hayward (Chair), Sara Helfrich, Gail Houk, Marc Houk, Robert Murphy (Vice-Chair), Connie Patterson, Kevin Rice, Helen WatsonAbsent: Joan Motheral
Thursday, October 6, 2022
11:30 a.m. Violet L. Patton Lecture Series – Patton Hall 105, Dr. T. Ramon Stuart
5 p.m. Dinner at the Ohio University Inn
Friday, October 7, 2022The meeting came to order at 9:36 a.m. and Chris Hayward, DCE Chair, provided opening remarks and reviewed the days agenda. The group then went around the table and members discussed things that have happened since the last time we met in the spring - Ray Asik met the OHIO President at the OU Inn last night; Chris Hayward indicated that he had made it through 2 years of school with no COOVID and then got it this past summer; Marc Houk’s son got engaged and will be planning a wedding for September 2; Gail Houk is doing ride-alongs with law enforcement – a couple that turned into SWAT calls and she is now taking part in trainings and is on the SWAT team as part of the negotiation team; Bob Murphy is going to Portland, OR, before Thanksgiving to be with his daughter and her family-excited to see grandsons; Dean Helfrich took a nice vacation to Spain this summer; Maureen Coon has a new advising team this summer whom we will be meeting this afternoon; Connie Patterson got a new puppy, an Aussie Doodle; Kevin Rice plays golf, mows the grass, plays with the dogs; Linda Fife went to the beach this summer, Hilton Head; Caryn Bailey is working on her dissertation proposal.
Chris Hayward then talked about an article in Educational Leadership, a journal, on Education Profession: Changing the Narrative
, and on where education stands at the national level and breaking the legacy of teacher shortages, the importance of black teacher retention and diversity aspects, and feels fortunate to be working with the Patton College of Education and the things that are happening here, that we have been working on for years.
Chris then thanked Dean Helfrich for the wonderful dinner at the OU Inn last night. We were fortunate that Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, the Violet L. Patton Lecture Series speaker, was able to join us and talked about his presentation.
PCOE Updates & Direction for the Year
– Sara Helfrich, Interim Dean Dean Helfrich began by briefly going over discussions for the day. She noted that Dr. Patricia Ackermann will be joining the group this morning for a brief discussion. Dr. Ackerman is the 2022 OHIO Alumna of the Year. Dean Helfrich provided a slide presentation on undergraduate enrollment updates, including specific program areas, and a brief discussion took place. Word came out in recent days that, based on where we are right now, we are on track to meet the same number of incoming freshmen as this year, approximately 4600.
Graduate numbers are down slightly over last year. Some international students are still having difficulties getting here, so this does impact our numbers.
Although we were back on campus last year, we weren’t entirely back on campus. At the Patton College Fall Kickoff, just before classes started in August, we talked about things being nearly normal, talked about how to engage faculty, staff, and students when they haven’t been engaged in the same ways over the past years. Also, everyone’s well-being, not just related to COVID – how are we, how are we feeling with being back – everyone’s mental health. Some tough events took place leading into the year. An undergraduate student, just before classes started, died by suicide. This was very difficult for students in her classes, her cohorts, and the faculty that worked with her in various ways. We are really thinking about how we take care of one another and take care of ourselves, this was at the forefront.
At the first Academic Leadership Team (ALT) meeting of the Fall, we talked about what we need to be successfully – as a colleague, a researcher, as a human being – what kind of support do we need. We also talked about what we can give. Sometimes those are the same, sometimes not. PostIt notes from this activity are available that show the responses. These things were shared with the larger PCOE community at the Fall Kickoff.
The University has taken some new steps to address diversity, equity and inclusive education including diversity workshops.
Dr. Lisa Harrison, Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Studies – the University diversity workshop was powerful, but to think of not just the larger unit, but within the College of Education, our commitment. At our Graduate Associate Dean meeting yesterday, it was noted that 30% of graduate students are in need of mental wellness support.
Dr. Connie Patterson – Associate Dean, Academic Engagement and Outreach - discussed the cards that were distributed as part of training provided by the University – looking at things through different lenses, i.e., someone who English is not their first language, a veteran, etc.
Dean Helfrich went on to mention that Dr. Harrison noted that we, as a College, have a Diversity Statement but do not have a Mental Health Statement. Mental health is not addressed in the same way, so Dr. Harrison will be working with members of the faculty to address this, and we will be the first at the university to have a Mental Health Statement, the importance, that we take it very seriously, that it will shape what we do.
A new student group has been formed to assist in student well-being, a support system to other students. Some of our counseling students are taking part in that group. Currently they are having regular meetings and drop-in sessions for student support.
Further discussion will take place later today with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Committee update.
Dean Helfrich continued that last year she initiated a new position for a Dean’s Fellow, of which Thom Stevenson is serving in this role. The work that he has done with the DE&I committee is more than she ever expected it would be. It has been massively impressive. One of the goals is for our College to be a leader on campus for diversity, equity and inclusion, although our faculty and staff have always been active in this. The Committee has a series of events over the course of the year. The OHIO VP of Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Salome Nnoromele, is very supportive of the initiative that we are doing and what others are doing.Brothers RISE – finished our first cohort and welcome the second. Although the members were unable to schedule time for our meeting today, two members of Brothers RISE will be joining us for lunch today. Hopefully they will be able to join us in the spring and present information on their activities. Dean Helfrich shared a slide of various activities that Brothers RISE members took part in this past year.
The Patton College Black Alumni Reunion (BAR) Open House took place on Friday, September 16, 1-3 p.m. in Patton Hall. Members of Brothers RISE, including Dr. Jason Rawls, attended this event and interacted with the participants.
A moderated panel discussion titled, The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education: How it Changed My Educational and Career Trajectory, was held featuring graduates of The Patton College who have had careers in all levels of education, business, and the non-profit sector, with their core competency being their love for OHIO and how they got their start within The Patton College. The panel featured co-moderators Dr. Salome Nnoromele, Ph.D., VP of Diversity and Inclusion, Ohio University, and Dale Gresson, Executive Ph.D. Cohort 15 Program, in Higher Education, Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education. The panelists were Patton College alumni Ms. Cierra Boyd, Founder and CEO, FRISKMEGOOD; Dr. Robert Murphy, Dean’s Circle of Engagement; Dr. Ann Wagner-Hill, OHIO University Foundation Board of Trustees; Ms. LaWanna McKinley White, OUAA Board of Directors, Co-Founder, Ebony Bobcat Network, Ebony Bobcat Network Urban Scholarship Endowment, and first President serving 10 years; and Ms. Connie Lawson Davis, former OUAA Board of Directors member.
A reception was held with light refreshments prepared and served by students of the PCOE Recreation, Sport Pedagogy, and Consumer Sciences - Restaurant Hotel and Tourism program, led by Thom Stevenson. Connections were made at this event that led to interactions at other BAR events that took place over the weekend.
Bob Murphy added that the Brothers RISE presentation was very inspiring. Listening to those young men talk about their story was much better than my sitting on any panel.
Bob also noted that at the Teaching Academy in Columbus, they are in the process of recruiting 25 African American males. This will link very closely with Brothers RISE.
Dean Helfrich added that we don’t want to burden the students with too many requests. Everyone wants to talk with them. Dr. Jason Rawls did indicate that the students do want to be involved in recruiting.
We are currently providing each of the students with $1,000 scholarship and the University is matching this.
Teacher Education Work – University 1804 Grant - Lisa Harrison explained that this is a partnership with TriCounty Career Center. With teacher candidate placements there are sometimes equity and diversity issues, i.e., teacher candidates hearing problematic languages in the schools – lack of support for who they are. For example, a gay student heard homophobic language in the school that made her uncomfortable in sharing her recent marriage. Most students have very positive experiences in their placement with support of who they are. How to leverage supporting our teacher candidates in these spaces and supporting the K-12 experience so that the partnership is mutually beneficial and everyone has a say. Grant will provide a small stipend for participants.
At this time, Dr. Patricia Ackerman joined the group sharing her background. She has dedicated her life to education. Over the course of her 35-year career, she taught in the K-12 system and served as a principal and an administrator. A steadfast advocate for underserved students, she founded the Taylor Academy in Cleveland to meet the unique needs of this population and established IndeedWeCode in 2015 to help young African American women learn more about computer coding. Today, she is the executive director of the Chalkdust Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides a coding summer camp for African American girls, professional development for K-12 educators, and programs for parents.She was the first African American woman to serve on OHIO’s Board of Trustees and as its chair, and she was an influential member of the Presidential Search Committee that recommended the selection of Dr. Roderick 4 | Page McDavis as the university’s first African American president. Dr. Ackerman also completed terms on the Ohio Board of Regents and The Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees. She co-founded the Ebony Bobcat Network, and her inspiration and dedication led to the creation of the African American Alumni Heritage Wall in Memorial Auditorium and the Urban Scholars Program.
Industry Partners…Career Learning Exploration
– Thom Stevenson, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Restaurant, Hotel and Tourism, PCOE Dean’s Fellow and The Westin Hilton Head personnel
Thom began by discussing the importance of talking about our approach to experiential learning in the college. That is one of the reasons why the kitchen was built in the new Patton Hall, to give us the opportunity to create and make food real-time and provide experiential learning opportunities for our students.
Nadine Smith, Director of Human Resources – staffing is a challenge. Connecting with different universities is very important to the industry. Ohio University has really exceeded our expectations with hires such as Ben (OHIO student now working at The Westin Hilton Head). We hope to have a continued partnership with the university. The students we have hired from Ohio University have really done you proud. Sarah Pace, Human Resources Manager – was at OHIO in the spring. Met with Marcquis Parham and several students. The students were very engaging and interested in the positions we had available at the property, both seasonal and full-time. We hired two full-time students and one seasonal and are interested in continuing this partnership.
Ben – just graduated in April 2022. Met Sarah in February when she visited Ohio University. This immediately seemed like an incredible opportunity. It was a big step leaving Ohio but one he is proud that he made. He is the Payroll Administrator and HR Generalist helping with recruiting and onboarding. It is a massive role with lots of responsibilities. With my education and background from Ohio University, I feel very confident in my abilities every day.
Marya Moore, Director of Food and Beverage – executive chef/chef most of her career. Been with Marriott for 25 years - 7 different hotels – on 17 different task forces at various locations. Partnerships with universities is important. We need these partnerships to survive. Staffing calendars are harder, especially after COVID. We lost a whole realm of staff and hospitality veterans. There have been many dips and turns over the past several years. COVID was the biggest hit that the industry has taken. In her current role, she oversees culinary, outlets in restaurants, banquets division, recreation, event planning. The future of the company relies on your students. Quality and talent of staff is different now than what it has been in the past. We try to be very open and honest about the hospitality field with students – it is probably going to be at least a 50-hour work week, not 9-5 - so they know what the workforce is like so that they can be successful. The opportunities are endless and very rewarding. Very pleased with the students from OHIO who have come to them.
Discussion ensued on diversity in these types of positions and how we can improve the diversity in the restaurant, hotel and tourism field.
2021-22 Development Report
- Caryn Bailey, Director of Development, Major Giving
Caryn provided a development overview presentation – gifts committed, gift amounts and number of donors. She also provided information on the visits she and Dean Helfrich have made recently, including Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio, and also upcoming visits in the state of Ohio and California.
She provided additional information on Patton Donors Asks and Funded to Date FY23; Crowdfunding, Appeals & Giving Day 2023. She also provided details on the Ohio University Alumni Association (OUAA) – 2023 Alumni Awards Nominations – Submissions due by November 15, 2023, and indicated that these can be forwarded to her.
Lunch
PCOE Updates & Direction for the Year (continued)
– Sara Helfrich, Interim Dean
Dean Helfrich continued her update presentation with faculty and staff updates with details on those who have joined the Patton College since our Spring meeting. She also discussed the upcoming position searches that will be taking place soon.
She presented a slide on Patton College student diversity, which included overall enrollment by ethnicity and overall enrollment by gender from 2018-2022.
Dean Helfrich talked about the possibility of a Holmes Post-Doc position and that funding has been requested for 2 years. This person would teach a class both years and would be involved with current Holmes Scholars and Brothers RISE. The research would be focused on diversity.
Linda Fife asked about having a female version of Brothers RISE and Dean Helfrich indicated that she wants to do this, and they have begun to look at this with Lisa Harrison, Theda Gibbs-Grey and Danielle Dani from Teacher Education with the larger number of women of color in that program – and that there would be a connection with Brothers RISE.
Update on Dean’s Search
– Connie Patterson, Associate Dean for Outreach and Engagement
The Dean Search Committee is Chaired by Danielle Dani, Chair, Teacher Education, and Donal Skinner, Dean, Honors Tutorial College. The committee has met many times over the past several months to discuss how the position description should be written, how to be thoughtful about questions to ask, etc. The position was posted and has now closed. All applications have been read. Open forums have now been announced and scheduled on campus for five candidates. Each candidate will be on campus for 1.5 days, meeting with the search committee, department chairs, students, the Provost, center directors, etc. These will begin next week. We have five very strong candidates.
Ray Asik asked what the target date for selection was and also about a probationary period. Associate Dean Patterson answered that they want this person to start in January. Dr. Lisa Harrison stated that if someone is currently employed and needs more time, they have the option to begin in July. Dr. Patterson said that she did not know the details on probationary periods.
The search committee will make a recommendation and the final decision is up to the President and Provost.
The Patton College of Education Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Series
– Thom Stevenson, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Restaurant, Hotel and Tourism, PCOE Dean’s Fellow; Julie Francis, Director Edward Stevens Literacy Center
Mr. Stevenson and Ms. Francis provided a PowerPoint presentation that included the names of all members of the DEI Committee; the mission of the Committee; and the charge to the Committee for this year. They also provided information on the activities that have taken place thus far this year, such as:
- Patton College Faculty and Staff Fall Kickoff presentation by Dr. Falami Devoe, on Self and Collective Care Rituals for Optimal Well-Being . Dr. Devoe is a self-care ritualist.
- Journeyman Ink: Creating Safe Spaces for Authentic Conversations , which took place in late August and several faculty and staff took part in this activity.
As well as several other upcoming events.A slide was also presented on the Checklist for PCOE DE&I Committee for Recruitment, Selection and Onboarding. This is a work in progress and has not yet been finalized. This is to ensure that the College is supporting a fair and equitable hiring process that looks for and supports candidates from all groups.
Introduction of Student Affairs and Academic Advising and Experiential Learning Design Staff
– Maureen Coon, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs and Academic Advising.
Dean Coon began by saying that when she spoke earlier this morning about the good things that have happened, these are the good things – as she introduced her new staff members.
- Ken Bowald – has served as Director of Student Services for the past 1.5 years. Ken talked about the new initiative that they have just been trained for – the Ohio Guarantee + Program – a 4-year completion program. Students have to opt in. There is a template for the four years. If they do opt in, we guarantee they will finish in 4 years. There is responsibility on both sides – the student and ours. We are in year 1, but the university is in year 3. This is for first year students. Dean Coon added that there is a co-curricular part – milestones and story builders. If they choose to join a student organization or study abroad, those get added in. 88% of PCOE first-year students opted in.
- Giles Lee – former international student at Ohio University – Recreation. He is the advisor for PCOE ambassadors and also does some teaching. Also works with Turn Your Grade Around – for those struggling. Also a heads up student organization to keep track of who leaders are. Ambassadors – there are about 20.
- Chelsea Freemen – has 2 degrees from the PCOE. She loves to dig into technology. She has streamlined the check-in process for advising. When students come to their suite, they scan a QR code, and they select who they are there to see and the advisor is notified. As of week 7, we have had over 400 appointments.
- Kelly Newell is our newest advisor. She is new to the university and was a graduate student last year and worked as a graduate assistant. She is finishing her masters program. She has taken on two other roles – the exit survey process; and offering a practicum – peer mentors program. She is heading this up.
- Anita Simpson has a background in Mathematics from Notre Dame and Pitt. She is a Bobcat parent of an alum who fell in love with Athens and recently moved here. She was working at Ohio State as an academic advisor in Mathematics. Her projects as part of the communication team include serving as the contact person for the PCOE eNews, which goes to all PCOE students, faculty and staff – about 1400 people. She will also be working on the scholarship aspect of student services. Dean Coon noted that there are a lot of endowed scholarships, and some have a lot of criteria that need to be met. A lot of work to be done to pull students who fit the criteria. Anita will be working on this.
- Jake Lietzow – new member of the team. He is not employed by the Patton College. He is part of Experiential Design through the Provost Office, but works with the Patton College and three other Colleges. He is a recent graduate of the PCOE. His role is to work with students and faculty to move experiential learning forward.
Old Business and Review of Spring 2022 DCE Minutes
- Bob Murphy, DCE Vice-Chair
The Minutes were not read but Bob asked if there were any questions and there were none.
New Business: Member Updates and Spring Meeting
- Chris Hayward, DCE Chair
Chris began by stating Dr. T. Ramon Stuart’s interest in the DCE and proposed bringing him on as a new member.
Dean Helfrich stated that she is interested to talk with him but still thinks that it is important to wait until a permanent Dean is seated. Tabling this until the spring meeting.
Bob Murphy asked if the DCE will still exist once a new Dean is seated to which Dean Helfrich answered that she does see the value of an advisory group and all Colleges across campus have some version of one, and she does think that it will continue to exist.
Chris then asked about the possibility of, for future meetings, on the first day of our meetings, connecting with students in class - teaching or answering questions from a class. We could come up with topics we would be interested in talking about. This could also take place remotely at other times. Caryn Bailey suggested also engaging with alums – not only students but to a higher level with alums - for additional exposure, as another platform. Caryn can assist in scheduling.
Chris confirmed that Ellen Goldsberry has stepped down from the DCE. This will leave an additional spot to fill on the board when the permanent dean is seated.
Discussion also took place regarding student representation on the DCE. Dean Helfrich indicated that she would like to have students involved earlier so that they serve for multiple years; would like a Brothers RISE student to serve on the DCE for three years.
Spring Meeting Dates – Chris asked if we should schedule the spring meeting now or wait for the permanent dean decision. Dean Helfrich recommended that since spring semester is set, it would be good to set the spring meeting dates. If we want faculty and students to be involved, it would have to be before graduation (May 5-6. Dean Helfrich noted that the College Awards and Recognition reception is scheduled for Monday, April 24, in the evening. She proposed that we coordinate our meeting with this event – meeting for dinner on Monday evening, April 24, followed by the reception, and then the full DCE meeting on Tuesday, April 25.After a brief discussion of the DCE, the spring meeting dates are tentatively set for Monday and Tuesday, April 24-25, 2023. Dean Helfrich indicated that we would follow the same scheduling format as for the fall meeting.
One final topic that Chris wanted to discuss is that of classroom management - classroom management is critical for teachers coming into the classroom. Teachers are crashing, leaving the profession, etc. Anything that can be done to better prepare the students going into the classroom is greatly needed. Discussion ensued on this. Would like to hear in future meetings how this is being addressed. Dean Helfrich indicted that this could certainly be a topic for the spring meeting. We are noticing these issues more and more so it would be timely.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:27 p.m.