Provost News to Know


From the Provost

Colleagues who were awarded tenure, promotion, and/or a sabbatical leave, recognizing their commitment to teaching excellence, service, and a significant scholarly agenda and pursuits:

Tenure & Promotion to Associate Professor
  • Cory Cummings, Social Work
  • Courtney Forbes, Psychology
  • Francesca Gentile, English & Communication
  • Rupert Johnson, Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Bishal Karna, Religious Studies
  • Heather Pyke, Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Devparna Roy, Sociology & Anthropology
Promotion

Professor

  • Linda Riek, Physical Therapy
  • Rose Hair, School of Business & Leadership
  • Zhansui Yu, World Languages & Cultures

Clinical Associate Professor

  • Season Bonino, Physical Therapy
  • Deborah Forth, Nursing
  • Tania Giorgis, Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Amy Pete, Physical Therapy
  • Michael Rood, Social Work
  • Lisa Sykes, Occupational Therapy

Senior Lecturer

  • Trista Nilsson, English & Communication
Sabbatical Leave

Fall 2024

  • Matthew Ames, Theatre & Dance
  • Doot Bokelman, Art & Design
  • Francesca Gentile, English & Communication

Spring 2025

  • Eileen Beiter, School of Business & Leadership
  • Marie Bell, Nursing
  • Leanne Charlesworth, Social Work
  • Kelly Hutchinson-Anderson, Chemistry
  • Mark Primus, Social Work
  • Matthew Schoell, Chemistry

Academic Year 24/25

  • Katie Hannigan, Music
  • Devparna Roy, Sociology

From the Associate Provost

  • The Graduate Advisory Council and the Graduate Strategic Enrollment Management Committee have been meeting monthly to refine processes and work toward defining strategy for Graduate Studies. Updates from this area include centralized evening class locations for graduate students in spring, a new loyalty program at Millie’s that earns graduate students free coffee, and an updated process for graduate students seeking funding for co-curricular opportunities. The Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) launched in Fall 2023. The following graduate students are representatives for this academic year: Amaya Barnes, Benjamin Davis, Kylee Ego-Walters, Zeba Ellikka, Chloe Fisher, and Maggie Vay. The GSAC serves the needs of graduate students by building and fostering a strong graduate community. The purpose of the GSAC is to represent all Nazareth University graduate students to the University administration with the mission to:
    • build and maintain a strong Nazareth graduate student community;
    • advocate for graduate student issues; and
    • work collaboratively with, and advise, college administration to improve the level of graduate studies.
    Graduate Student Appreciation Week will take place April 8–13. Many thanks to the offices around campus who will be offering celebratory activities, food, and swag giveaways!
  • In collaboration with our CLASBE Dean, we’ve also created an internal advising tool for students and advisors to support the bridge between undergraduate and graduate studies at Naz.
  • For all students, our Student Funding Opportunities website is now live. Please consult it as a resource to help students locate funding in the case of need, emergencies, or to support their ability to participate in all Nazareth has to offer.
  • The new Center for Professional Learning, Innovation, & Creativity is here! Welcome to Susan Sturm, the Director of the Center for PLIC, who will oversee the Teaching & Learning Technologies (TLT) team, the Teaching Innovation and Integration Lab (TIIL) and professional learning opportunities for faculty at Nazareth. Look for the Center for PLIC monthly newsletter for workshops, training, and other learning opportunities focused on inclusive pedagogies, teaching and learning online, and innovative teaching practices.
  • Welcome to our new Director of the Core Curriculum, Scott Campbell, whose work with the Core Curriculum Committee is now underway! They are moving forward on implementing the new DEIB Course Requirement. We now have 45 courses that have been approved!
  • Last fall, Nazareth University was awarded a $2.2 million grant from the Department of Education for our Revitalizing Educational Equity at Nazareth University (REENU). This grant, also known as Title III, supports the retention and graduation of our low-income, first-gen, and URM students. Felicia Bragg, joins us as our Title III Project Director. Please join her for a Lunch and Learn presentation about the grant on Wednesday, March 13th from 12:10–1:15 p.m. in the Medaille Dining Room. Bring your lunch and questions. We’ll provide dessert. Please RSVP Here.
  • Please attend the Honors Program at CARS! We have 10 Honors Scholars who will be presenting their interdisciplinary Capstone Projects, including projects in all three Honors tracks: research, community engagement, and global (our first!).
  • Join the Academic Assessment Committee to get a jump start on collecting and analyzing your 2023-2024 assessment data at our inaugural “Rock the data” collection sessions. Sessions will be held in the Shults Porthole room. Please sign up for a session if you know you can!
    • Tuesday, March 26, 9–10 a.m.
    • Thursday, April 4, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
    • Wednesday, April 10, 2–3:30 p.m.
    • Thursday, April 18, 1:30–3 p.m.
    • Friday, April 26, 9–11:30 a.m.
  • The Library is pleased to announce the rollout of our Nazareth University Institutional Repository! Hosted by Ubiquity and initiated by the Empire State Library Network, the repository allows the library to:
    • Digitally archive and make available on a long-term basis the scholarly record of Nazareth University, including students’ theses.
    • Showcase faculty, staff, and students’ intellectual and creative work by sharing it with the world
    • Preserve and share Nazareth’s history through digital recordings and photos
    • Access measures of Nazareth’s impact through usage data reports
    • Promote open access principles and encourage discussion of related issues
    We look forward to adding new scholarship and projects to the repository and welcome material in a range of formats. If you have questions or ideas to share, please contact Scholarly Communications Librarian Jennifer Burr at jburr0@naz.edu.

College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, Business & Education

English & Communication
  • Mackenzie Reed '20 visited campus on Nov. 7 and read from her debut YA novel, The Rosewood Hunt (HarperCollins).
  • University of Rochester professor Stephen Schottenfeld will visit campus on Nov. 16 to read from his latest novel, This Room is Made of Noise (U of Wisconsin Press).
  • Two Comm majors are organizing a revival of the student newspaper after a pandemic hiatus.
  • English major Katherine Oechsle has started an English/Comm Department book club.
History, Politics & Law
  • Phillip Guingona just accepted a tenure track position as Assistant Professor of Asian History. He attended the NY Conference on Asian Studies as a board member and is expecting the release of his book with Cambridge UP (news to come) by the end of the semester.
  • Timothy Kneeland recently returned from the UK as part of his efforts to continue building on his popular short-term Naz trip, "The 21st Century Museum: Diversity, Equity, and Community."
  • On Oct 27, MAP majors Alyssa Burba and Alexis Tobin presented their exhibit on change-making women Sylvia Rivera & Iris Morales, for Latinx Heritage Month.
  • HPL is currently running two faculty searches and has added several new course offerings for the upcoming semester.
  • The Law and Politics Club just held a talk on the historical background of the Israel-Palestine conflict with the collaboration of Paul Spalletta, visiting professor.
Religious Studies
  • Two new interdisciplinary minors, one in Spiritual Care and the other in DE&I and Interfaith, have recently been ushered into existence by Religious Studies faculty.
School of Business
  • SBL has started recruitment efforts for a Clinical Professor position in Accounting and a Clinical Professor position in Business Analytics.
  • SBL is reaching out to other Naz departments in an effort to recruit students who may be interested in business as a minor or just interested in taking business courses to round out their education.
School of Education
  • The School of Education, English Department, and Fairport High School are co-sponsoring a visit with young adult authors Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds. This event will be in the spring.
  • Nazareth's School of Education and University of Rochester's Warner School of Education are partners on the Monroe Regional Teacher Residency Program with Monroe 2-BOCES, Monroe One BOCES, and select districts through a $3.6 million grant from the NYS Department of Labor's Empire State Teacher Residency Program. The consortium is a paid teacher residency program designed to prepare teachers in high-need certification areas while giving them hands-on classroom teaching experience, mentorship, and employment.
  • School of Education faculty and staff attended the NYSATE/NYACTE conference: Envisioning the Future of Educator Preparation: Fostering Belonging, Equity, and Excellence. While they were there, they were greeted by Leo of Saratoga!

College of Interprofessional Health & Human Services

  • A new Children’s Mental Health Clinic in the York Institute was launched last semester that incorporates existing play therapy services for young children and a new Youth Anxiety Center for older children. Grant funding is supporting specialty supervision and some student funding. Leanne Charlesworth (Social Work) and Steve Demanchick (Creative Arts Therapy) led development of these new programs.
  • The first year of the AMPS Up grant, focused on expanding and diversifying the mental health workforce in schools, is supporting eight Naz graduate students in social work and art therapy who are now doing year-long practica in Greece schools. Project Director Erin Cole (Social Work) and Emily Genovese (Art Therapy) presented on the project at the NYS School Social Workers Association Conference this semester.
  • The new graduate physician assistant program is in the initial application phase. Students are slated to begin in 2026.
  • The fall semester’s CIHHS division meeting focused on the inclusive classroom, with a faculty panel providing practical examples of their work in this area, collaborations with students, as well as applied research.
  • Several new projects with community partners are in the works or rolling this semester: Lisa Sykes and Will Soles (Occupational Therapy) are partnering with Mary Cariola Children’s Center for a new community-engaged learning experience for 4th-year OT students. Art Therapy grad students are partnering with area rec centers to provide programming for school-age children and seniors. Andy Opett and Mike Huson met with the Buffalo Bills rehabilitation coordinator about a potential partnership opportunity that could benefit Naz DPT students.

College of Visual, Performing Arts & Design

  • In the last two years, the College of Visual, Performing Arts & Design has welcomed top-notch faculty and staff. These amazing colleagues are dedicated to community-engaged teaching and learning and to fostering creative research, artistic development, and industry leadership in state-of-the-art facilities. We continue to develop forward-looking curriculum that enables our students to grow professionally, as innovating changemakers and global citizens. Among the additions to our diverse catalog of offerings are a Film & Media Scoring Advisement Track, a 4+1 Music Education Program, and an Inclusive Childhood Education option within the B.S. in Dance. In addition to the London Programs for Musical Theatre, other global engagement and bilateral academic agreements are being developed with partners in Poland and the Dominican Republic.
  • The Visual, Performing Arts & Design Changemakers Series continues to provide engagement opportunities for our students, faculty, and external audiences. This innovative programming links to the curriculum and the strategic framework and goals, and creates internal partnerships within the College of VPAD and campus-wide, as well as externally. In the last two years, we have hosted world-class acts, artists, and guest speakers such as the American String Quartet, the Limon Dance Company, Sopranist Samuel Marino, the ATYLS Ensemble, Jane Pauley, and Marlee Matlin. This is in addition to hosting over 300 events in the calendar year that are supported by the Arts Center Team.

Student & Campus Life

  • The Well-Being Collective has launched and will begin a partnership with the JED Foundation in Spring 2024. As a recipient of the SAMHSA grant , this grant will help fund and recognize Nazareth as a JED Campus, a nationally recognized higher education program from the Jed Foundation (known as JED) that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults. JED will work with Nazareth to develop a customized strategic plan to build on existing strengths, and implement strategies that lead to improvements in mental health and a more connected community. The JED Campus Team will be a subcommittee of the Well-Being Collective, co-led by Sami Cohen, Kim Harvey, Cathy Rasmussen, and John Rigney, with faculty, staff, and student representatives.
    • The campus-wide Wellness Fair was held Tuesday, April 2.
    • Join us for a Golden Flyer Dialogue focused on Well-Being | Wednesday, April 17, 2024 from noon until 1 p.m. in the Shults Forum presented by the Well-Being Collective.
  • Reimagined Student Leader roles. Recognizing the evolving landscape of student life and the goal to meet today’s learners, we have reimagined the traditional Resident Assistant and Peer Mentor roles for 2024-25.
    • In Residential Life, we will introduce Community Assistants and Resource Assistants. These newly designed roles aim to provide more comprehensive support to our residential students within the halls. By restructuring the leadership positions, we seek to enhance the overall living experience, foster a stronger sense of community, and ensure that students have access to the resources they need to thrive academically, socially, and personally.
    • Peer Leaders will serve as a point of connection beginning over the summer and throughout Fall Orientation and beyond by serving as a mentor to students through their ACS 101 or ACS 090 classroom experience. Peer Leaders will cultivate a sense of belonging and community among new students, fostering meaningful connections and friendships that extend beyond the classroom. By offering guidance on academic resources, extracurricular opportunities, and campus services, our Peer Leaders will equip incoming students with the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive both academically and personally.
  • Orientation and First Year Experience. We are delighted to share with you the orientation schedule that promises to bring fresh energy and insight into the upcoming academic year. Your involvement and support are pivotal in ensuring a smooth transition for New to Naz students. Here's a glimpse into the exciting daily themes and sessions planned:
Schedule

August 21: Welcome to Nazareth!

  • Resident move-in and check-in
  • Taking care of business
  • Commuter check-in
  • President's picnic
  • Resource fair
  • New student welcome
  • Family & supporter farewell
  • Family & supporter happy hour
  • New student convocation
  • Candlelight ceremony
  • Flyerfest

August 22: Building Communities

  • Living on campus 101
  • Commuting to campus 101
  • Class photo
  • Naz in action
  • Creating a sense of belonging
  • Affinity spaces & club fair

August 23: All Things Academic

  • Academic life at Naz
  • International student meeting
  • Pre-health minor advising
  • School of Education advising
  • Meet your academic house
  • Understanding the culture of higher education
  • Major mixer
  • Student athlete meeting
  • Navigating Naz
  • Casino night

August 24: #Adulting

  • Title IX and campus safety
  • Bystander intervention
  • How to get a job on campus
  • On-campus job fair
  • Mix and match craft bash
  • Maximize your buzz
  • Movie night

August 25: Settling In

  • Morning mindfulness stations
  • Off-campus excursions (vans to Target, Wegmans, Brighton Farmers Market, and International Plaza)
  • Sundae scaries
    • Once sessions and presenters are confirmed a finalized version of the Orientation schedule will be posted on the New Student Website. Sessions denoted with the special icon provide an opportunity for multiple faculty-staff-student interactions. If you’d like to learn more about these opportunities, please email Nicole Juersivich.
  • Academic & College Skills (ACS) 101, a cornerstone of our first year experience, is a course that introduces students to the academic, social, and personal aspects of college life to ease the transition, promote success, and contribute to their overall well-being and development. It is currently being recalibrated and refreshed to align across the Student Success Thriving Framework.

    There will be more to come at the Core Curriculum Professional development day on Tuesday, May 21. Keep an eye out for an invitation if you are teaching a FYS, PEQ, or ACS section in Fall 2024.
  • Student Engagement and Leadership. “Party with a Purpose” is a guiding principle as we design programs and events for our community. In partnership with our students, we aim to cultivate an inclusive living and learning environment that sparks engagement, encourages and fosters well-being, and inspires a feeling of belonging for all students who are part of the Naz community. We will celebrate our students at the Presidential Student Leadership Awards on Thursday, April 25 at 5 p.m. in the Shults Forum.

    Consider joining us for one or more of these end-of-the-semester Nazareth traditions.
    • Mid-Day Breakfast | May 2 from noon-1:30 p.m.
      A new initiative, now in its second year, to better meet the needs of our commuter students, mid-day breakfast aims to connect students with faculty and staff on campus in a fun and engaging way. Volunteers help serve food and connect with students to talk about their Nazareth experience. This year's Mid-Day Breakfast theme is Candyland.
    • Midnight Breakfast | May 2 from 9 p.m.-midnight
      A staple in the Nazareth Community for over 20 years, Midnight Breakfast connects students, faculty, staff, and even alums with this once-a-semester event! Students are treated to free breakfast food, can sing karaoke, and grab some Naz swag! This year's theme is The Great Outdoors and volunteers will get a free shirt and breakfast. Interested in volunteering for Mid-day and/or Midnight Breakfast? Sign up here »
    • Springfest | May 3 from 4-9 p.m.
      Campus Activities Board, along with the Undergraduate Association, will be hosting our annual campus-wide end-of-the-year celebration, Springfest. Springfest is an annual tradition here at Nazareth University that brings together all of our students to engage in some fun! This year's theme is Glow Party. We will have activities, food trucks, a concert and more! A new exciting addition we have brought to Springfest is a 21-and-up space! We are looking for faculty and staff volunteers to help mingle with our 21+ students. As a thank you, all volunteers will get a free drink ticket. Interested in volunteering for our 21+ area? Please fill out the interest form here »

Experiential Impact

Center for International Education (CIE)
  • CIE is pleased to report that outbound study abroad programming is operating at full strength in FY2024! Traditional semester-long study abroad offerings are underway, with students studying with our partner universities in Australia, England, Finland, France, Scotland, and Spain in the fall, and Austria, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand this spring. We are offering 15 short-term international experiences this year. These programs run over Winter Break, Summer A and Summer B, and include destinations in both the Global North and the Global South. Nazareth students have or will travel to Austria, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom. All program rosters are at full capacity with the exception of Spain.
  • Our inbound international student community hails from 13 countries and study at Nazareth as exchange students or enroll as fully matriculated students seeking degrees. We are very excited to see these numbers grow again, for it represents a return to normalcy for the CIE.
Weider Community Engagement Office
  • Credit-Bearing Community Engaged Learning: The Credit-Bearing Community Engaged Learning Advisory Team is pleased to announce the recipients of the latest round of Community Engaged Learning Exploration and Implementation Grants. These exciting new initiatives should benefit Nazareth students and faculty and their community partners for years to come. Exploration grants will be awarded to support the following projects:
    • Shelly Kuzniarek (Art and Design) will explore developing a partnership with a local organization through which her students in either AVCD352: Typography II or AVCD251: Graphic Design II can work with community partners to develop printed visual communication that aims to inform, educate, and improve the lives of under-represented communities.
    • Stephanie Zamule (Biology) will explore developing a partnership with the City of Rochester’s community garden development program, through which her students in BIO 320/320L: Analysis and Remediation of Environmental Problems can work with community members to test for lead and other heavy metals and recommend the safest places for growing produce.
    An Implementation grant will be awarded to support the following project:
    • Lisa Sykes (Occupational Therapy) will implement a partnership with Rochester Childfirst Network and expand her partnership with Nativity Prep through which students in OTR204: Occupational Science will collaborate with community partners to develop programs for children that facilitate fine, gross, and sensory motor development as well as social participation.
  • We will conduct another round of grant review early in the spring semester. As a reminder, the request for proposals is available here. We are pleased to note that several grantees thus far have benefited from the TIIL's CEL Essentials course for faculty and teaching staff, and we encourage you to watch for future opportunities to engage there as well.
Partners for Health

A New Addition to the Partners for Serving and Partners for Learning Programs

  • Partners for Health is a student employment program coordinated by Jen Canning that connects Nazareth students with rural and urban communities addressing public health issues such as nutrition, community safety, and access to health interventions. Students engage in activities that support community solutions to these social issues. Currently, 26 students work weekly at three different sites, providing shopping and interpreter assistance at the Rochester Hope local food pantry, supporting migrant farm workers learning English in Brockport, and leading children's crafts and activities for the Latino Family Literacy Project in Williamson. The programs are funded in part by the Cabrini United Neighbors Grant. Campus collaborators include Jamie Fazio, Dr. Hilda Chicon, Tania Giorgis, and Dr. Mary Maher.
Career and Internship Offices
  • First Destination Data: Did you know that Nazareth graduates (both undergrad and grad!) had a 98% successful outcomes rate in 2023 (in a job or grad school within 6 months of graduation)? Collecting this information is a campus-wide effort and we thank you in advance for helping us finalize the 2023 data! We always aim to have accurate information from as many students as possible. We’ll begin our formal data collection efforts closer to graduation, but if you hear from a student or graduate with an update, please forward this information along to Zac Saeva (zsaeva5@naz.edu).
  • Spring 2024 Job and Internship Fair, March 27 from 2–5 p.m.
    • The Spring 2024 Job & Internship Fair on Wednesday, March 27, was a great opportunity for students to learn about careers and connect with employers looking to fill internships, full-time positions, summer jobs, and post-graduate opportunities.
    • Representatives from 100+ organizations were on campus! Organizations include: AmeriCorps, Buffalo Sabres, NYS Department of Health, NYS Unified Court System, Rochester Clinical Research, Pittsford Central School District, West Herr Automotive Group, WROC/TV Channel 8, and many more! Free professional/performance headshots were available at the fair as well!
    • Questions about this annual event? Please email Lisa Heisman, lheisma6@naz.edu
Office of Research Scholarship and Innovation (ORSI)
  • SAVE THE DATE: Creative Activity Research and Showcase (CARS) will be held on 4/23/23!
  • Megan Tobin (Faculty Director of ORSI, mtobin9@naz.edu) is available to consult on grant and funding opportunities.
  • Margaret Murphy (Grants and Contracts Specialist–mmurphy22@naz.edu) handles post-award financial management and support, and is available to consult on budgets for new proposals.
  • New York State Department of Education awarded Naz $2.8 million for the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) grant for the 2024-2029 cycle.
  • Together with key campus partners, we are currently working on a couple of other large grants, including an NSF S-STEM grant, which is a program designed to provide scholarships and other funding to support underrepresented students in completing education in STEM fields.

Academic Success

Academic Advisement
  • 120 Day was held on Tuesday, March 5, and students stopped by our table in the Shults Center to learn about their degree progress and talk to an advisor about their degree audit!
  • The Master Advisor program was offered on Friday, March 1. Anyone who was unable to attend but is interested in the material can participate in the Moodle version of Master Advisor. Another session will also be offered in the fall!
  • Please reach out to Mary Anne Parker-Hancock (or any of the advisors in Academic Advisement) for support or with questions during UG advisement for Fall 2024, which will be occurring between March 28 and April 18.
  • Remember that the last day for students to elect pass/fail grading or drop a course is coming up on Monday, April 8, so you may be receiving requests for this from your advisees.
Student Success
  • We will be reaching out to all students with 3 or more low (C- or below) midterm grades, encouraging them to take advantage of resources. Please continue to raise FlyerSuccess flags when a student's performance is of concern so we can do additional follow-up.
  • Nazareth University was recently named to the 2023 Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges list.
  • Our Social Coaching program has launched! Please refer any student whom you feel needs some social support or assistance finding their Naz community to our office!
  • Testing Center Update: As a reminder, we are not able to support make-up exams for students who are not connected to SAS as the testing center is only for students with an approved accommodation.
  • ReadSpeaker (Text-to-Speech) is now live in Moodle! Please enable it on your quizzes/ exams and contact TLT or SAS for support.
Registration & Records
  • Preparations for commencement and graduation are well underway in the Registration and Records office! We need everyone’s partnership in carefully reviewing student plans and submitting any final course waivers or substitutions. In order to graduate all students in a timely manner, all degree audits need to be clean and complete when the semester ends!
  • We are excited to announce that the May graduates will be the first group of students to receive digital diplomas! In addition to the printed and mailed diplomas, graduates will receive a message as soon as we have processed their graduation with a link to their digital diploma. These digital diplomas are becoming a popular item and allow graduates to post them to LinkedIn accounts as well as other social media! Nazareth has partnered with Parchment to provide these diplomas!
  • Throughout this academic year, the Registration and Records Office has been updating a number of forms to ensure ease of use and that all necessary information is being captured. We ask that everyone take a moment to review our website and familiarize themselves with the forms and begin to use them in place of direct email requests.
  • Fall semester classes will go live on March 18. We have updated the process for registration, placing each undergraduate year level within one single day to make it more transparent and easy to understand for students. The dates and an explanation of registration priorities is available on our website.

Institutional Research & Assessment

  • We have been able to expand access to our Tableau Online instance to department chairs and program directors. Weekly Tableau Office Hours will be held on the dates below; all Tableau users are welcome. Bring your questions, suggestions, and curiosity! Unless otherwise specified, office hours are virtual on Zoom.
    • Friday, 12 April, 1–2 p.m., virtual
    • Wednesday, 17 April, 1–2 p.m., GTC Conference room
    • Thursday, 25 April, 10:30–11:30 a.m., virtual
    • Wednesday, 1 May, 11 a.m.–noon, virtual
    • Monday, 6 May, 11 a.m.–noon, virtual
    • Wednesday, 15 May, 1–2 p.m., GTC Conference room
  • The Spring 2024 Fact Book addendum has been released; scroll down to the bottom of the Fact Book page to access it (login required). We appreciate your patience as we updated the page header and footer with our university status and enhanced color scheme.