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The W recognizes Fall 2022 Academic Honors List

Published: 9 December 2022
Written by Webmaster
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Categories: News
Front view of Callaway Hall with sun shining through trees

The W has recognized students named to the President’s List and to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2022 semester.

In order to qualify for the President’s List, the student must be enrolled full-time and have a quality point average of 4.0 on a 4.0 scale for the semester.

Those on the Dean’s List have earned a quality point average of 3.5 to 3.99 on a 4.0 scale.

The university congratulates those students who choose to be bold and tower with blue.

President’s List

To qualify for the President’s List, the student must be enrolled full-time and have a perfect 4.0 quality point average.

Maria Acosta McMinn
Crystal Adams
Yvette Akakpo-Nukpezah
Clara Allen
Princess Allen
Mallory Anderson
Madeline Anglin
Ainsley Ashcraft
Allan Bass
Chloelyn Bearden
Kayla Beckham
Natalie Beddingfield
Taylor Bennett
Avery Benson
Madison Benson
Stephanie Bivens
Johneisha Bland
Twana Bland
Christian Bobo
Jena Bobo
Tashi Bolton
Haley Bonner
Sidney Bosman
Martha Boswell
Amelia Bowers
Katelyn Bowles
Shelbi Box
Daysha Boyd
Palmer Brantley
Hannah Britt
Danielle Brooks
Ashley Brown
Emma Brown
Olivia Brown
Sara Brown
Monteria Brownlee
Tabitha Butler
Megan Butterfield
Richard Byars
Avery Byerley
Ricarrdo Byrd
Moira Cairns
Alexis Cameron
Joniyah Campbell
Ana Carpenter
Hailey Carpenter
Taylor Chandler
Donna Chapman
Kadriana Clerk
Haley Coffman
Jordan Coker
Cristie Colbaugh
Derriuhna Coleman
Dianna Coleman
McKinley Coleman
Anna Collums
Mollie Conn
Kristy Cook
Emilee Cordova
Jonathan Corpstein
Jennifer Couch
Gabrielle Courtney
Brianna Crimm
Erielle Crozier
Joseph Cumberland
Cynthia Cunningham
Molly-Kay Darling
Kimberly Davis
Seline Decoteau
Sasha Deloach
Jessica Deming
Olivia Derbyshire
Emily Dew
Jenna Dixon
Stephanie Dorr
Amie Dowe
Ricky Dubuisson
Joshua Dukes
Jillian Dutcher
Katherine Easterling
Skylar Eaves
Alexandria Edmonds
Alexis Edwards
Norcleesia Edwards
Riley Edwards
Rachel Eiynck
Chelsie Elliott
Brandy Ellis
Laura Ellis
Jennifer Embrey
Tyler Estabrook
Olivia Eubanks
Madison Evans
Tanner Evans
Jodi Everett
Juanita Ewing
Joseph Fennell
Jacey Ferguson
Abby Fields
Kiara Finderson
Patrick Flanery
Miranda Flippo
Ta’Dashia Flowers
Audrey Foreman
Colton Fortner
Alexis Foster
Jordan Frazier
Jill Gafford
Mary Gammel
Sanderson Garner
Samuel Garrie
Sydney Gazaway
Aaliyah Gibson
Breanna Gibson
Martha Gill
Joshua Gonsalves
Hallie Goodwin
Kortney Gordon
Leslie Gordon
Maggie Grady
Alexandria Green
Jamie Green
Lillie Greenlaw
Jada Griffin
Sydney Griffin
Bailey Grimes
Rylie Grisham
Maddie Guerin
Kayla Guin
Caleb Gunn
Cassidy Guy
Shamieka Hall
Stephanie Hammond
Xena Handy
Taylor Hankins
Mackenzie Hanlon
Zachariah Harden
Maggie Hardin
Frederica Hargrove
Brittany Harper
Rebecca Harper
Shelby Harrington
James Harris
Rachel Harris
William Harris
Kaylah Hearn
Emily Henderson
Maria Hernandez
Paola Hernandez
Karrigan Hewitt
Jada Hiatt
Kendis Hickman
Hanna Higginbotham
Acacia Hill
Kay-Leigh Hill
Niesha Hodges
Jessica Hogan
Kimberly Holifield
Mallory Holley
Robert Holly
Hanna Holsonback
Nyishi Howard
Micaela Hudgins
Angeleque Hughes
Brittany Hughes
Lacy Hurd
Ashley Imes
Qyhdijha Ivy
Christopher Jackson
Mary James
Sheryl Jefferies
Patricia Jenkins
Tiffani Jernigan
Camryn Johnson
Jamia Johnson
Lucretia Johnson
Paityn Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Taylor Johnson
Elizabeth Jones
Gabrielle Jones
Murrietta Jones
Harleigh Kelly
Jasmine Kelly
Carlie Kitchings
Margaret Lampton
Marilyn Landrum
Conley Langford
Lauren Latham
Charles Lawton
Maggie Ledbetter
Allison Lee
Rina Leigh
Tatyana Lenard
Kaitlyn Lewis
Sarah Lewis
Bret Linton
Audrey Littlejohn
Brandi Logan
Laura Logue
Austin Long
Breanna Long
Grayson Long
Katelyn Lowe
Derika Lucas
Anna Lucius
Laila Luckett
Mollie Lyons
Laura MacLellan
Cedric Malone
Macie Manasco
Katherine Marsh
Brandi Martin
Millie Mask
Brandi Matthews
Mercedes Mattix
Paulo Eugenio Maues Dias Carneiro
Destiney Mayabb-Bowles
Laura McBrayer
Ambra McCaskill
Bailey McClellan
Kaylee McCollum
Karmen McCrory
Audrey McDonald
Baylee McDonald
Macy McGregor
Anna McKee
Derek McKenzie
Nathan McLemore
Alicia McMillian
Jameka McMillian
Shankerra McMorris
Aaliyah McPhail
Molly Mclain
Brittany Menshy
Hannah Middleton
Annabelle Miller
Samantha Miller
Addison Mims
Audrea Minor
Audrey Mitchell
Mikira Montgomery
Dylan Moore
Jennifer Moore
Madison Moore
Monica Morris
Lauren Morrow
Lindsie Jo Moseley
Britney Murphree
Brittany Murphy
Leanna Murphy
Erikka Nelson
Kayla Nelson
Emma Newman
Kristynn Nichols
Macy Nordquist
Angela Olden
Mickie Palfreman
Jennifer Palmertree
Mallory Parker
Wendy Parker
Holly Parson
Jasmine Patrick
Mackenzie Pearce
Courtnee Pennington
La’Charity Perry
Madalynn Pettit
Larry Pierson
Madelyn Polk
LaQuesha Porter
Allison Potamitis
Natalie Potter
Allison Pride
Carsen Prince
Kennedy Pugh
Tres Ray
Mary Redman
Brittney Renfroe
Sara Rente
Kala Reynolds
Lee-Anna Richey
Nicole Rivera
Laila Roaton
William Roberts
Kathryn Robinson
Malcolm Robinson
Wendell Robinson
Jadelynn Rudolf
Tremya Rush
Shelby Russell
Destiny Rutledge
Tessa Sanders
Anna Sandlin
Pedro Santana
Skylar Sardin
Kernisha Scales
Madison Scruggs
Tyneshia Shelton
Andrew Shepherd
Amonie Silas
Courtney Sillimon
Jasmine Simmons
Helen Singleton
Kristin Skinner
Emilee Slade
Allie Smith
Evelyn Smith
Holly Smith
Laney Smith
Ryan Smith
Sierra Smith-Johns
Haley Speaks
Hunter Spearman
Lache’ Spraggins
Ken-Yetta Stallings
Tammy Stanley
Abigail Stauffer
Janet Stewart
Nola Stewart
Lillian Stone
Mary Stone
Madison Suggs
Adelyne Suitor
Katelyn Sumner
Tracy Sutton
Mandi Tallent
Tyra Tate
Hannah Taylor
Maggie Taylor
Lanesha Temple
Kenyana Terry
Tybrisha Thedford
Emily Thompson
Lauren Thompson
Mirion Thompson
Hanna Tichy
Madison Tipton
Rosie Toran
Ty’Reika Townsend
Elizabeth Truelock
Trey Tyler
Jacob Vickers
Meaghan Vines
Brandy Waldo
Carla Walker
Morgan Walker
Carissa Wallace
Meghan Ward
Hilary Ware
Makayla Washington
Ashley Wilkie
Emily Williams
Hannah Williams
Kelly Williams
Kyla Williams
Makayla Williams
Miriam Williams
Rashunda Williams
Samiyah Williams
Kaila Willis
McKenzie Willis
Anna Wilson
Giana Wilson
Katelyn Wilson
Patricia Wilson
Anna Winter
Ashley Woods
Anna Woodworth
Mackenzie Wright
Breanna Yarbrough
Glenda Yat
Lateisha Young

Dean’s List

To qualify for the Dean’s List, the student must be enrolled full-time and have a quality point average of 3.5 to 3.99 on a 4.0 scale.

Megan Akins
Janika Alexander
Madeline Allsup
Kristin Anderson
Madalyn Anglada
Winter Anthony
Chloe Ard
Joseph Ard
TaKoia Armstead
Cezar Arroyo Torres
Ashley Aycock
Oluwabukola Ayoola
Chesney Bailey
Olivia Baird
Andrea Baker
Makayla Barnes
Julianna Barron
Kaitlyn Bass
Abigail Bates
Madison Baucom
Tyler Beaird
Kaitlyn Bearley
Addison Beasley
Kaylin Belue
Anna Bennett
Brooke Bennett
Skye Berquist
Autumn Bigham
Brittany Bigott
Ravyn Bishop
Kelly Blose
Kyndal Blythe
Devenique Bolden
Kelsey Bolden
Natalie Bonner
Kaelin Branham
Grayci Brantley
Eleanor Brooking
Christopher Broussard
Ajah Brown
Braxton Brown
Collins Brown
Honor Brown
Lakia Brown
Autumn Buckley
Keyundrea Buggs
Olivia Bullock
Leslie Burns
Brianna Burrage
Isabella Butts
Hannah Cain
Starlett Cannady
Ethan Carrouth
Briana Carter
Keaunna Carter
Caroline Casey
Ashley Cash
Aysha Celestin
Brittany Chancellor
Hallie Chastain
Aashma Chaudhary
Cherranda Chavez
Parker Childers
Naomi Childs
Destiny Clark
Keesha Clark
Landon Clark
Erica Cleveland
Savannah Cockrell
Carlee Collins
LaTasha Collins
DeShonda Commadore
William Cook
Isaiah Cooper
Alyssa Cox
Caitlyn Craft
Callie Craig
Abbigail Crane
Macy Crawford
Haylie Crimm
Caroline Criswell
Deja Dailey
Christina Dale
Kenterrius Davison
Jazz Dawkins
Kerry DiTullo
Lekresha Dilworth
Tera Dora
Monica Drummond
Julissa Duck-Reed
Mckenna Dudiak
Cameren Duke
Michael Duncan
Alejandra Duran
Coleman Eakes
Kyiah Edwards
Taylor Ellis
Lillian Ergle
Elizabeth Eubank
Cineka Evans
Lacey Evans
Lindsey Evans
John Fain
Shaderia Fairley
Shara Fairley
Brandon Fenimore
Mary Ferguson
Carol Ferrell
Addie Fetcko
Haley Fisackerly
Britney Fitch
Emily Fleming
Reagan Ford
Emilee Forrester
Destiney Fountain
Alexis Frasher
Kelanie Frazier
Irelyn French
Summer Frost
Richard Fuller
Mark Furnari
Savannah Gabriel
Faith Gammel
Nyrka Garcia
Kaliel Gardner
Emily Garrard
Jacob Garrett
Benny Garrison
Kalaysha Gavin
Tatyana Gibbs
Ashley Gibson
Nakita Grandberry
Abbie Graves
Katherine Gray
Kendra Gray
Ronnieshya Grayer
Ashley Green
Rebecca Gregory
Anna Griffith
Amber Hall
Jason Hall
Ka’Tanja Hall
Katheryn Hall
John Hankins
Timothy Harden
Hailey Hardy
Renee Harris
Xavier Harrison
Jennifer Harvey
Alexis Hawthorne
Sierra Haynes
Julious Heidelberg
Kayleigh Helstad
Marlee Hemphill
Jurnee Henderson
Sora Henderson
Montgomery Henry
Tanya Hernandez
Chance Herring
Coleman Herrington
Emma Hicks
Ethan Higginbotham
Cayla Hill
Kayleigh Hill
Victoria Hodge
Janna Hodges
Morgan Hodum
Megan Holbrook
Garrett Holdiness
Bianca Holifield
Elizabeth Holland
Pamela Holland
Annie Hollis
Shelby Holloway
Westlee Honeycutt
Makayla Hood
Sydney Horel
Aliyah Howell
Lucas Hudgens
Catherine Hudson
April Humphreys
Ethan Humphreys
Cassidy Hunt
Montanna Hurd
Abigale Hurt
Terriaua Ickom
Ayooluwa Ilesanmi
Chimique Ivy
Brittany Jackson
Alicia Jefferson
Bionca Johnson
Brandi Johnson
Conesha Johnson
Jakaiya Johnson
Sabrina Johnson
Alena Jones
Chelsea Jones
Katie Jones
Tamera Jones
Erika Jordan
Taylor Jordan
Chesne Joyner
Sarah Kackley
Fannie Kenard
Cole Kent
Brien Kimmons
Jahon King
Karli King
Nyssa King
Shelby King
Reilly Lack
Jennifer Landers
Micaiah Latham
Harley Lawrence
Asia Lehaman
Jessica Lenoir
Alantra Lewis
Allen Lewis
Sydney Linton
Ryan Lloyd
Sarah Long
Adriana Love
Stephen Lowrey
Lauren Lumampao
Cynthia Lutzenberger
Rayshanda Madison
Keanna Magee
Katilyn Maneice
Abby Martin
Mabry Mayfield
Courtney McAlister
Marshall McAteer
Emily McCarley
Blair McCleskey
Campbell McCluney
Addie McCool
Hailey McCool
Jessica McCray
Katelyn McDill
Kimberly McEwen
Aziyah McGhee
Leah McGrew
Mary McGuffie
Desmond McIver
Doris McKinnie
Ariel McKnight
Katelyn McNair
Daisie McPherson
Kaitlyn McRee
Tyesha Metcalf Mabry
Kameron Miller
Madison Miller
William Miller
Bobbie Mills
Angela Mingo
Zavier Minor
Collier Mitchell
Angel Moore
Charity Moore
Molly Moore
Ashley Morgan
Madison Morgan
Madison Morgan
Emma Morrison
Alyssa Moses
Miranda Mosley
Trinity Mosley
Dewonna Munson
Deborah Myers
Anitra Naylor
Philip Neal
Alysa Newman
Kylie Nicholson
Morgan Norris
Shelldreonna Odoms
Christopher Oglesby
Jonathan Oglesby
Kelsey Oliver
Abigail Orand
Rebecca Owens
Rachel Page
Logan Pannell
Virginia Panter
Madison Partridge
Jennah Pate
Ashley Pearson
Reggi Pech
Lillie Pegram
Jordan Perry
Jocelyn Peters
Madison Pharr
Felicia Poindexter
Sierra Poire
Porsha Pole
Summer Porter
Maggie Porterfield
Anna Post
Harrison Powell
Amelia Pratt
Mallory Pressley
McKenna Prisock
Taylor Pritchett
Madison Pruden
Ava Rachal
Diamond Rayford
Kayla Redmond
Madison Reed
Hailey Reel
Hillary Reeves
Jayde Richardson
Samuel Richardson
Aneatra Rideout-Johnson
Jaiden Ridge
Luiz Antonio Riedlinger dos Santos
Erin Rigdon
Grecia Ringo
Aaron Rishel
Ansley Ritter
Cameron Robbins
Savannah Robbins
Sarah Roberson
Ella Robertson
Sarah Robertson
Stormy Rodriguez
NaToshie Rogers
Ashley Rounsavall
Anna Rucker
Shantasia Ruffin
Lynzy Sandoval
Channy Sap
Joao Schroeder
Madalyn Schwalenberg
Cadarius Scott
Nicole Seals
Haley Senter
Alesia Shambry
Harper Short
Brandy Simmons
Dominique Sims
Julia Slaven
Alexia Smith
Alisa Smith
Allie Smith
Allyiah Smith
Alyssa Smith
Annaleigh Smith
Elizabeth Smith
Jayla Smith
Lewis Smith
Miracle Smith
Nakhiya Smith
Summer Smith
Reagan Sonnier
Belinda Spearman
Diamond Spears
LaNautica Stamps
Ariska Stasher
Alexis Stegall
Casey Stevens
Isaiah Stevenson
Janetta Stevenson
Cali Steverson
Adrienne Stewart
Alexicia Stovall
Marquetta Streater
Kameran Stringfellow
Carson Suber
Jessica Sullivan
Shelby Swain
Laprecious Tabb
Dana Tackett
Taliyah Tate
Isabella Taylor
Jordan Taylor
Karley Taylor
Hanna Tedder
Shakira Thomas
McKenzie Thompson
Jordan Tillman
Johnay Tillmon
Kaitlin Townsend
Zyanne Turner
Kyla Tyler
Stephen Ulerich
TiaMiya Vance
Andrew Vasser
Bethany Vintson
Brooke WIlliams
Tiffany Waddell
Nathan Wade
Savana Waldon
Austin Waldrop
Ladoria Walker
Kimberly Walls
Anaya Walters
Lashonda Ward
Bobby Ware
Aleisha Washington
Ambreah Waters
Sam Watford
RoMona Watts
Jonathan Waycaster
Charles Weathersby
Katherine Webster
William Webster
Dyamond Wells
Lindsey Westbrook
JaBazz White
Ethan Wilkins
Brieanna Williams
Daygon Williams
Makayla Williams
Quintavin Williams
Shakinah Williams
Tyler Williams
Briana Wilson
Dakota Wilson
Shelby Wilson
Matthew Windham
Charles Wise
Mason Wise
Kaitlin Woodrick
Laila Wrenn
Samuel Yarborough
Regina Yarbrough
Hunter Yeatman
Jacquette Young
Kameron Young

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MAT at The W lands top-three in national ranking

Published: 6 December 2022
Written by Tyler Wheat
No comments
Categories: Academic Affairs, Education, News

Learn.org recently ranked Mississippi University for Women’s Master of Arts in Teaching as the third best online education degree program in the country.

“We are very proud of this recognition, an honor not only for the faculty and staff of the School of Education, but for the collaborative efforts across so many departments devoted to providing students opportunities to become professional educators,” said Dr. Marty Hatton, dean of the School of Education at The W.

From the 35 universities ranked, the website highlighted The W’s program for its completely online delivery and the 17 certification areas from which students can choose, including subjects such as English, chemistry, biology, social studies and Spanish.

Learn.org stated, “The Master of Arts in Teaching allows students to take a different path toward certification as a secondary education teacher…  Tuition per semester is quite affordable for this type of program”

To develop the ranking, Learn.org evaluated program length, practical experience, online readiness and other important elements of secondary education programs.

The W’s Master of Arts in Teaching is an alternative initial licensure program that provides completers of this graduate degree with an opportunity to teach in Mississippi secondary schools (grades seventh through 12th).

Students who are enrolled in the program participate 100% online and are eligible to teach in Mississippi after the successful completion of six hours. The program allows students to earn a master’s degree within two years.

To learn more about The W’s MAT program, please email gse@muw.edu or visit muw.edu/education.

Spanish Service-Learning Internship allows Winter to give back

Published: 6 December 2022
Written by Tyler Wheat
No comments
Categories: Arts & Sciences, News, Uncategorized

Walker Winter couldn’t pass up the opportunity to serve.

Walker Winter

But Winter never imagined his involvement in the Spanish Service-Learning Internship at Mississippi University for Women would help him grow as much as it did.

“If I hadn’t had this experience, I wouldn’t be the Spanish speaker I am today,” Winter said. “I also would not have been prepared to the extent I was to begin a career as an educator.”

Winter, who is from Houlka, earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish (2020) and a master’s degree in teaching (2022) from The W, and is in his third year as an English as a Second Language (ESL) and Spanish teacher at Pontotoc Junior High School. He said he participated in the Spanish Service-Learning Internship because he wanted to do something meaningful with the language skills he had learned and help meet the needs of the Spanish-speaking community in the area.

Winter realized those goals with the help of Dr. Reyna Vergara, an assistant professor of Spanish at The W. Vergara and WInter worked together with different organizations, schools and people from the Hispanic community. He said Vergara guided him as he taught English classes to adults, youth and children in the area.

“We had the opportunity to help a high school student from Colombia learn basic English as she transitioned to her new life in the United States,” Winter said. “We provided ESL classes for adults in Starkville via the Emerson Family School. I also had the privilege of working with a 3-year-old from El Salvador integrate into his new school environment at Jumpstart in Columbus. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the vast opportunity for Spanish-service learning in our area.”
 
Winter said he also benefited immensely from the “incredible” internship and that it has prepared him to be a better global citizen in all of his future endeavors. He credits communicating only in Spanish with Vergara for helping him cross over from translating everything to English to simply thinking in Spanish, which he said is critical for all language learning.

Winter also praised Vergara for teaching him effective lesson-planning strategies and for helping him to see the most important teaching points for language learning.

“This is all just an added bonus to the internship. I have seen practical results of how the people we served benefited from the program,” Winter said. “The high school student we worked with is now achieving well academically and working at a restaurant—and she’s doing it all in English. I’m very proud how she’s doing and that God gave us the opportunity to play a part in her story.”

Vergara said the first priority in the Spanish program is to send students abroad because it provides them with full immersion in the language and culture. Given COVID and other hardships or responsibilities some students are encountering, Vergara said the class was a needed alternative to the study-abroad experience for the Spanish major and the Spanish Education K-12 Certification requirement. As a result, in the spring of 2020, Vergara started teaching the internship as a special topic to explore the possibility of developing it into a new course. The course features 120 hours divided between theory and practice, and its enrollment has grown each year since inception.

“I have seen the internship evolve in very positive ways,” Vergara said. “This past spring, all three interns had another major. Two of them were double-majors and one was a minor who got accepted in the school of nursing that semester. It gave me great pleasure to see the interest that these interns had not only in serving the communities of Spanish-speaking descent presently, wherever there was a need, but also in their future careers. They wanted to learn terminology and be able to communicate in Spanish in their respective fields.”

Winter said he would highly recommend the internship to other students in part because it will help them grow – regardless of their field — but that it also will help serve the many needs of the Spanish-speaking community.

“Dr. Vergara is a magnificent professor and director,” Winter said. “This internship will help any student who is ready to put themselves out there, to serve and to grow.”

Students with questions about the Spanish Service-Learning Internship or the Spanish program can contact Dr. Vergara at revergara@muw.edu​.

School of Education will hold inaugural Teacher Academy Conference

Published: 5 December 2022
Written by Tyler Wheat
No comments
Categories: News

Mississippi University for Women’s School of Education will hold its inaugural Teacher Academy Conference from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, on campus.

“We see this as a high priority task given the state’s critical need for educators,” said Dr. Hope Durst, an assistant professor in the School of Education at The W. “The primary focus of this event is to give students with an interest in education a ‘day in the life’ experience of a student in The W’s School of Education.”

Durst said the goal of the conference is to reach out to area high school students who are interested in becoming educators. Durst said the conference is the brainchild of The W’s School of Education Marketing, Recruitment & Retention Committee, which is made up of Dr. Marty Hatton, the dean of the School of Education; Dr. Bob Fuller, the department chair; herself; Jackson Ellard; Melinda Lowe; Brittany Hunnicutt; Christi Dillon and Karen Partain.

Attendees will interact with faculty, tour campus and go to an information fair to obtain all the pertinent information they may need to consider their future at The W. The School of Education’s ambassadors, who are current undergraduate students, will serve as guides and will be available to answer student questions about life at The W.

Durst said a highlight of the day will be conference sessions that will allow attendees to engage and interact with faculty members in the School of Education. The students also will be able to see the instructional style offered at The W. Durst said the conference will include a tour of the newly renovated Child & Parent Development Center and a chance to examine the plans for the new and improved playground for the School of Education’s Early Childhood program.

“Planning our first Teacher Academy Conference Day has been a joy,” Durst said. “Knowing we can show potential students the type of support and care they get before they even apply to The W is indicative of the priorities of the School of Education.”

The conference will close with a walking tour of campus, lunch in Hogarth Cafeteria and an information session in Pope Room. Cookies and cocoa will be served before the students leave campus.

Durst said the conference will give students “an invaluable opportunity” to envision their career in part through their interactions with new technologies such as Virtual Reality to learn how to safely and effectively implement these in their future classrooms. She said she and the rest of the committee are excited to show the next generation of educators everything The W has to offer to help ensure they have a successful career.

“I think this event will impact The W by revealing to all attendees the beautiful campus and culture of The W,” Durst said. “Because we will have many students attending from outside Lowndes County, this will be many high-schoolers’ first exposure to our campus, so we are focused on showing all of the attendees The W is a special place.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 5, 2022
Contact: Adam Minichino
acminichino@muw.edu
(662) 329-1976

The W named participant in Institute on ePortfolios

Published: 1 December 2022
Written by Tyler Wheat
No comments
Categories: News

Mississippi University for Women was one of 23 institutions announced Thursday as a participant in the third annual Institute on ePortfolios.

The American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) will launch the Institute on ePortfolios Jan. 13, 2023, in collaboration with the Association for Authentic, Experiential, and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). The yearlong program will aid The W in implementing its Signature Pathway concept, which includes e-portfolios. An e-portfolio is a digital resource that records, stores and archives a student’s learning over time. It can include essays, posters, videos, photographs, blogs and other items that showcase development. Several academic programs at The W already use them, but the instrument in the Signature Pathway will be distinctive by allowing a student to connect their academic progress to community engagement and their development as a leader.

Dr. Brian Anderson, dean of The W’s College of Arts and Sciences, said COVID-19 disrupted development of the Signature Pathway concept and the Institute on ePortfolios will help The W restart a pilot program this spring in preparation for a full launch of the Signature Pathway in 2024.

“We want to make sure that our program, which is modeled after other institutions that use e-portfolios as part of ‘signature’ programs, ensures that the tool is equitable and can be used by students along a range of academic abilities,” Anderson said. “It also has to be accessible to transfers/commuters and not limited to four-year residential students.”

The Signature Pathway program is a component of The W’s strategic enrollment plan and will require collaboration among units in Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. It will encourage students to understand that their education links experiences inside and outside the classroom. By the end, a student’s e-portfolio will be a textual and visual statement of their development, all in a format that is transportable and attractive to prospective employers and graduate school admissions committees.

“The W is excited to participate in the Institute on ePortfolios,” Anderson said. He will be The W’s team leader for the Institute, joined by Russell Brandon, director of the Kossen Center for Teaching and Learning; Dr. Sheila Morgan, instructional designer; Dr. Cecilia Brooks, assistant professor of family science; and Richard Morgan, instructor of public health education. The Institute will feature monthly online workshops and consultations with digital learning experts, and an in-person conference in July. All teams will present a finished e-portfolio prototype in an online forum in January 2024.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 1, 2022
Contact: Adam Minichino
acminichino@muw.edu
(662) 329-1976