Daily Brief

Perkins Family Bestowed with Kutztown University President's Medal for Tradition of Philanthropy

Bonita B. Perkins ’68 and Charles O. Perkins ’68 were presented with Kutztown University President’s Medals Thursday, Sept. 5, for their leadership and commitment to the university through decades of philanthropy and support. The Perkins’ have supported KU through giving for 36 years, including each of the last 21 years. They created the Burke Perkins Endowed Scholarship and contribute to the Ladies Tea Endowed Scholarship, earning their membership in the George B. Hatcher Society at the Kutztown University Foundation. They are members of the Golden Bear Athletics Club; 1866 Giving Challenge Champions Fund; Bears Band Together Emergency Fund; Class of 1968 Endowed Scholarship; and the Football Legacy Club. They co-chaired the Foundation’s annual fund in 1998 and served on the executive committee for KU’s capital campaign in 2008.

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University Relations

Local Color: Dyes from Plants

Discover eco-friendly methods of creating color using homegrown and foraged materials from the plants around us. We'll spend time in the campus dye gardens to talk about the art of cultivating dye plants in regenerative organic gardens. We will also discuss how to do low-impact foraging of wild color from plant sources around us, guided by a sense of reciprocity with our local ecosystem. We’ll be making dye baths for fabric and yarn from the plants grown in our gardens and discovering ways of shifting the colors produced. Each student will make a color journal with samples of the colors they produced, along with their notes and recipes.
- Noon Saturday, Sept. 28, 108 Sharadin: Scouring and Mordanting Fibers and Fabric, Immersion
Dyebaths, Regenerative Organic Gardening, Local Traditions.
- Noon Saturday, Oct. 12, 108 Sharadin: Building Color on Fibers and Fabric; Layering Color using
Indigo Vat with Garden Plant Dyebaths; Bundle Dyeing.
- Noon Saturday, Oct. 26, 108 Sharadin: Building Color on Fibers and Fabric II; Painting and Printing on Fabric with Mordant Pastes.
- Noon Saturday, Nov. 9, 108 Sharadin: Building Color on Fibers and Fabric III; Making Pigments from Plant-Based Dye Materials; Making Inks, Paints, Crayons, and Chalks.

Extended Learning

KU Advance Office of Extended Learning

Condolences

The university community is saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Stephen Tibbits, Thursday Aug. 22. Dr. Tibbits or “Tibi” as he was affectionately known, came to KU in the mid-70s and served as director of Commuter and Judicial Affairs. During his tenure, he also coached the KU baseball team for two years and started the association of non-traditional students to mentor and provide support for those students over the age of 24 returning to college. He retired from KU as Acting Dean of Students in 1987. He then moved to Hilton Head, S.C., with his wife, Christine. Following his time in Hilton Head, he and Christine retired to Royal Highlands in Leesburg, Fla. In 2013, they relocated to Lakeview Terrace, a continuing care community in Altoona, Fla. Contributions may be made to the Tibbits/Watrous Environmental Sciences Scholarship Fund through the KU Foundation.

University Relations

Bernard McCree Appointed Assistant Dean of Students

Bernard McCree has been appointed Assistant Dean of Students for Underrepresented and At-Risk Populations in the Dean of Students office. In this new role, Bernard will oversee initiatives to increase the retention of underrepresented and at-risk students. He begins his new role today and can be reached at the Dean of Students Office at 610-683-1396.

Jim Carideo will serve as interim director of Financial Aid while we conduct a national search. Jim can be reached at the Financial Aid office at 610-683-4077.

Dr. Stephen St. Onge, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs

KU Magnetic Name Badges

KU has branded name badges. Department chairs or secretaries can email sales@waitzcorp.com at Waitz Corporation (610-437-5409) to request a quote for:
- 3.5” x 1.5” name badge gold/burgundy engraved with KU logo, name and department; or
- 3.25” x 2” name badge gold/burgundy engraved with KU logo, name, title and department.
Enter a purchase requisition in SourcePoint (Vendor #0081001839) using your cost center or department p-card. Prices range from $9.75 to $14, depending on quantity. Contact University Relations at ur@kutztown.edu with questions.

University Relations

15% Off Pawbucks Sale

KU Campus Store will have 15% off apparel and gift today only. In-store and online. Excludes other sales and promotions.

KU Campus Store

Kyle Rex, KU Campus Store

UPC/UTC Informational Sessions

UPC/UTC will hold informational sessions on the following dates/times: 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, Sept. 19; 3-4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9. Please use the Zoom link to attend.

Nicole Johnson, UPC Chair

Presidential Search Committee: Faculty Willingness to Serve

The Presidential Search Committee is a university-wide, cross-representative group that is central to the success of the search for the university’s next president. According to PASSHE’s procedures and standards, the committee will gather input from students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university to develop a Leadership Profile document that captures what the university needs in its next president. The committee will review applications, conduct interviews of candidates and identify a small number of individuals who will do on-campus, day-long meetings with members of the university community. At the end of that process, the committee will recommend two candidates to the Council of Trustees for its consideration — from which the Board of Governors and Chancellor will make a final selection. Anyone who wishes to be considered for the role of president may not serve on the committee. Any faculty member is eligible to serve on this committee in this role.

Presidential Search Committee nominations for elected positions are now being accepted for one faculty member. Faculty member receiving the second-highest vote tally will become the alternate faculty member on the committee. To self-nominate to be on the ballot, please complete the electronic form. You will be prompted to log in to Engage@KU with your KU email address and password. Form submissions must be received by 11:45 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15. To resume a form you have already started or view a form you have completed, click here. If you have questions about the position, contact senate@kutztown.edu. If you experience problems with the online system, contact Leah Cassellia at casselli@kutztown.edu.

Lisa Frye, University Senate President

Week-by-Week Workplace Wellness – Fall Pilot

You are invited to join a fall semester pilot designed to cultivate wellness in our work lives with minimal time investment -- a continuation of a summer pilot that 50 people participated in, with the fall semester being more inclusive of faculty as well as staff​. It will begin with an in-person launch 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, 138 Old Main. During the launch, we'll clarify the purpose of the initiative, workshop and articulate individual priorities and goals, set up wellness partners for anyone interested and review the plan. If you can’t be there for the launch, we'll send you the activity to do on your own. 

Every weekday, Monday, Sept. 16 to Monday, Nov. 11, participants will receive a brief email prompt, which you can decide to do (or not). Each day's action is designed to take minimal time, be integrated into everyday life and have maximum impact when adopted regularly.
- Motivation Monday: Set a personal intention for the week.
- Tune-In Tuesday: Pay attention to your breath and your physical body.
- Wisdom Wednesday: Enjoy a wellness tidbit that may improve your quality of life.
- Thankful Thursday: Thank yourself for something, thank someone else (either verbally or in writing) and notice something beautiful.
- Fun Friday: Do something that causes you and others to laugh or do a creative, playful activity. To multiply the effectiveness, involve at least one other person in the fun or creative activity. 

If you want to participate, email danrutt@kutztown.edu by Tuesday, Sept. 10, with the subject line “Workplace Wellness.”

Workplace Wellness

Laurie McMillan, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Faculty and Staff Pickleball League

Recreational Services is excited to announce that we are offering a Faculty and Staff 2v2 Pickleball League this fall. For more information or to sign up your team, please email Matt Barrett at barrett@kutztown.edu. Registration ends Sunday, Sept. 15.

Matt Barrett, Recreational Services

Speak at Ignite Kutztown

We are seeking speakers for Ignite Kutztown, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, 135 Rickenbach. Mark your calendar to, at the very least, attend and see what this is all about. Ignite is a speaking event that follows a specific format. The basic idea behind Ignite is: 'what’s the nerdy passion you want to share with other people?' Make a five-minute speech about it, with 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. This can be anything you’re passionate about, from a hobby, to a research subject to a general interest. Thus far, we’ve had topics ranging from "The Last of Us," to "Apples," to "Playing with Action Figures as an Adult," and many others. Here’s a great video of an Ignite talk about giving an Ignite talk. If you’re stumped for topics, there are many YouTube videos of Ignite talks from around the country. Contact cripe@kutztown.edu for more information.

Emily Cripe, Communication Studies

Counseling Center Walk-In Hours

The Counseling Center hosts walk-in hours for students 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays, 3-5 p.m. Wednesdays, 1-3 p.m. Thursdays. Walk-in sessions are your go-to for 30-minute sessions offering immediate, short-term support. Whether you're stressed, need support or other resources, our counselors are here to help. No appointments are necessary; stop in the Health Center in Beck Hall.

Cara Sanfilippo, Counseling and Psychological Services

Join the CEL Advisory Council

All faculty members are invited to join the Center for Engaged Learning (CEL) Advisory Council (open to full time, part time, tenure track, adjunct, non-instructional, all ranks). The CEL Advisory Council provides advice to the CEL staff on emerging issues, supports CEL programs and events. We ‘meet’ asynchronously through a small list-serve and synchronously in person for a short workshop during finals week at the end of each semester. All council members will receive a certificate of service. See this document for a full description the role. Follow this link to sign up to be an advisory council member for 2024-25. For fall advisory council, please respond by Monday, Sept. 16. Thanks for your consideration.

Erin Kraal, Center for Engaged Learning

Luncheon for Women Faculty

APSCUF Social Justice Committee, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and REVEALS grant, will host a Luncheon for Women Faculty 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30, 223 MSU. As we embark on a new academic year, we will embrace community, celebrate accomplishments and promote wellness. In addition to a delicious lunch, you can participate in an interactive and introspective experience with author, educator and wellness advocate Veronica Moore titled, "Plant Therapy," where we will explore the connection between plants and mental wellness.

Marlene Nanouh Fares, APSCUF Social Justice Committee

Free Walk-in Math Tutoring

The Department of Mathematics offers free walk-in peer tutoring for students in mathematics classes from MATH 17 through and including the Calculus sequence. Please encourage your students to take advantage of this valuable resource. Tutors are available 2-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 207 Lytle.

Math Tutoring

Brian Kronenthal, Mathematics

University Writing Center

Please have your students reach out to the KU Writing Center (UWC) for writing help and to schedule a writing session concerning papers for any subject/discipline. Also, please include the "For Students" information below in your syllabi. We have two methods of writing tutoring available: in-person and online sessions. In-person hours at 100C Rohrbach are 2-6 p.m. Sunday, 2-8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Online hours are 2-6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 3-8 p.m. Wednesday, noon to 4 p.m. Friday. Please direct any questions to pytleski@kutztown.edu.
For Faculty: Please use the Google form (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, citations, academic stress, etc.). Also, please let your students know that they can choose to have you emailed after coming to the UWC for help with work from your class.
For Your Students: In-person sessions - please call 610-683-4733 or email wrcenter@kutztown.edu to set up an in-person appointment. You can also stop by the UWC at 100C Rohrbach. Online sessions - to begin using the WCOnline site and schedule an online session, please go to https://kutztown.mywconline.com. Please see our website for additional helpful instructions and screenshots at https://kutztownwritingcenter.wordpress.com/.

Writing Center

Patricia Pytleski , University Writing Center