Daily Brief

Faculty Explore Study Abroad Program Development at Title III Grant Workshop

The Office of International Education and Global Engagement facilitated a comprehensive workshop for Kutztown University faculty interested in creating a faculty/staff-led study abroad program. The workshop provided participants with an overview of study abroad trends at KU, insights into program design and practical guidance through reviewing case studies. Faculty members also began drafting proposals for their own study abroad trips, laying the foundation for enriching global experiences for KU students. This initiative underscores the university's dedication to expanding international opportunities through the support of the Title III Grant. The $2.2 million grant focuses on providing high-impact practices and targeted student-support services. Read more about the Title III Grant's study abroad goals here. Participants included Drs. Sue Kong, Deborah Duenyas, Jill Krahwinkel-Bower, SungEun Min, Colleen Clemens, Andrew Arnold, Derek Mace and Mary Weller. The workshop was led by Dr. Christina Kinney.

Christina Kinney, Office of International Education and Global Engagement

Spring New Student Orientation

We will be hosting New Student Orientation for incoming students starting at KU for the Spring 2025 semester Wednesday, Jan. 22 (freshmen), and Thursday, Jan. 23 (transfer students and international students). Feel free to stop by 218 MSU, starting at 8:30 a.m., to welcome our new Golden Bears.

New Student Orientation

Brett Santos, New Student Orientation

Farewell for Tania Brown

You are welcome to join us for a farewell reception for Tania (Ms. T) Brown, Director of Military and Veteran Services, 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, 250 MSU. Light refreshments will be served.  Please join us as your schedule allows. T is the founding director of Military and Veteran Services, starting the role and opening the center in 2013. She previously worked in Admissions at KU since 2001. She served the students of KU while also serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring as Sergeant Major in Sept. 2024. T's last day will be Friday, Jan. 31.

Jerry Schearer, Diversity and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer

Writing Center Opens Jan. 27

Please have your students reach out to the KU Writing Center (UWC) for help and to schedule a writing session concerning papers for any subject/discipline. Also, please include this information in your syllabi and share the poster or flyer on your D2L pages. We have two methods of writing tutoring available: in-person and online sessions. Please use the following Google form link (or email me) to let us know if you would like an in-person or Zoom information session about the UWC or any in-class writing information sessions (the writing process, writing stress, citation styles, etc.). Please let your students know they can choose to have you emailed after coming to the UWC for help with work from your class. Please direct any questions to pytleski@kutztown.edu.
For Your Students:
Making an appointment:
- In-person sessions: please call 610-683-4733 or email wrcenter@kutztown.edu to setup an in-person appointment. You can also stop by the Writing Center, 100c Rohrbach, 2-6 p.m. Sundays; 2-8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
- Online sessions: visit the WCOnline website to schedule an online session. Please see our website for additional helpful instructions and screenshots. Online hours are 2-6 p.m. Sundays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; 3-8 p.m. Wednesdays; and noon to 4 p.m. Fridays.

Writing Center

Patricia D. Pytleski, KU Writing Center

Is it Safe to Feed the Birds?

When asked about the health and safety of feeding birds now, Kutztown University ornithologist Dr. Todd Underwood replied:

“It is safe to keep your bird feeder filled and active right now. Songbirds are not that susceptible to avian flu and there is no current outbreak of any diseases among songbirds visiting feeders. No wildlife agency has made any recommendation to take down feeders right now.

You should responsibly feed the birds and keep your feeder clean though. This means once a month scrubbing the feeder with soap and water and then a 10-minute soak in 10% bleach. Best to do in a laundry room sink or a bucket outside and not in your kitchen sink. I bought a few extra feeders so I can just swap out a clean one each month and then I wash the dirty ones sometime when the weather is nice. The main diseases we might have at our feeders around here are mycoplasmal conjunctivitis (bad pink eye for birds) that occurs in finches or salmonellosis (less common). These can spread at bird feeders. I occasionally see conjunctivitis at my home feeder in House Finches. If you see a bird with eyes nearly swollen shut or looking lethargic (doesn't fly when you get close to it), you should then clean the feeder once a week and maybe take down the feeder for a week or two. Also, be sure to wash your hands after filling your bird feeders or washing them.”

Isn't it great having experts like Todd in our community?

Kurt Friehauf, Physical Sciences

CURE Course Design Institute: Call for Participants

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) offer a powerful teaching approach that can create transformative educational experiences for students. Applicable at any course level and across all fields, CUREs integrate faculty scholarship and creative work into the classroom while aligning with program goals and workforce outcomes. At Kutztown University, faculty who use CUREs report that the format is highly rewarding, as it motivates and deeply engages students. However, developing a CURE requires significant time and presents unique challenges, such as assessing open-ended outcomes, scaffolding original work and providing adequate student support. To help faculty develop new CUREs, the Center for Engaged Learning (CEL), supported by the Title III grant, is offering a special Faculty Development Course Design Institute. This program supports faculty interested in learning about and designing a CURE for one of their courses. Apply online. Priority selection deadline is Friday, Feb. 7. For more information, please visit the Title III website. For additional details or questions, please contact cel@kutztown.edu.

Brandy Leininger, Academic Affairs

CEL Communities of Practice

Are you interested in participating in a Community of Practice (CoP)? This spring, the Center for Engaged Learning (CEL) is looking for faculty members to participate in a CoP on the topics below. CoP meetings can take various forms (in-person, Zoom or hybrid) and ideally support the KU Strategic Plan. Spring 2025 topics, include:
- Classroom Visits: we can learn so much from visiting each other's classes. What's teaching a studio, FYS, large lecture, seminar or lab course like? How does a colleague work with groups or facilitate discussion? This community of practice will focus on informally visiting each other's classes and then discussing what we notice about teaching.
- Research and Scholarship: Maintaining a research or creative practice at a 4-4 teaching institution can be challenging. This CoP will focus on fostering a supportive accountability network while sharing resources and strategies for prioritizing scholarly growth.
- Teaching and Learning with Digital Tools: Leveraging technology to enable teaching can be challenging. Effective teaching is driven by sound pedagogical principles, not the tools used, and technology should support student learning outcomes, not define them. This community will focus on the equitable and impactful use of digital tools to support student learning.
Please join today. If you'd like to participate in one or more of the above Communities of Practice, please complete this form. Visit our CEL Services page for more information.

Center for Engaged Learning

Call for UGRC Faculty Mentorship Award Selection Committee Members

Undergraduate Research and Creativity (UGRC) is seeking committee members for evaluating and selecting 2025 UGRC Faculty Mentorship Award recipients. Please find a description of the award and a list of past recipients here. Important Dates: Saturday, March 1 (nominations due); Tuesday, April 1, (candidates notified); 11 a.m. Thursday, April 17, (Awards Ceremony as Part of KU Inspires). If you would like to support UGRC and your colleagues in this way, please complete this form by Friday, Jan. 31.

Faculty Mentorship Awards

Lynn M. Kutch, Undergraduate Research and Creativity