Least Happy and Low Marks? A Perplexing Contradiction

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

We were more than a little perplexed to find IUP on two “bonus lists” in this year’s Princeton Review Best Colleges guidebooks: “Professors Get Low Marks” and “Least Happy Students.”

When we asked how the surveys were done, the guidebook editors would not tell us much. They did tell us that they conducted the survey for these bonus lists during the 2008-2009 academic year and that they would resurvey IUP students this year.

We know that students can be, and will be, brutally honest. But in this case, the truth from student surveys is better than any well-crafted press release.

Here’s what our students said about IUP in the Best Colleges 2012 listing:

“An affordable school that has something to offer everyone,” with “excellent academic programs” that are “academically challenging but not impossible if you make an honest effort.”

Students recognize “music, nursing, and education” as IUP’s “greatest strengths,” along with the “fantastic fine arts program,” the College of Business, the Robert E. Cook Honors College, and “solid programs in theater, mathematics, chemistry, criminology, and English.”

They said IUP is “about learning to be the best at your career in the future” and offer that IUP’s “academic programs are exceptional.”

One of the things of which we are most proud is the opinion our students have of our faculty. Here’s what they said to guidebook editors:

Students here enjoy “awesome professors” who are “concerned with [students’] welfare and academic growth,” and the students find their teachers “ridiculously easy to get into contact with–no need to make an appointment.”

Students also have positive things to say about extracurricular life at IUP:

The school also boasts a “good selection of clubs” that provide a quick way “to meet people.”

“No matter what your interest is, it wouldn’t be too hard to find someone that you can share this interest with,” students write.

I’m not a data person, nor an expert in survey methodology, but I do know that every day, I learn about students who are winning national and international awards:

Five Goldwater Scholarships in the past seven years
Ten student Fulbright awards
Sixteen national study abroad awards, including the first Bridging Scholarship for study in Japan
Phi Kappa Phi scholarships
The top ROTC cadet in the nation recognition

And the list goes on.

I wouldn’t agree that students who are working this hard, giving back to the community, and achieving these kinds of honors are the “least happy” among their peers at other colleges and universities.

Again, I’m not an expert on surveys, but I know that these accomplishments don’t happen without an excellent faculty–with members who are routinely recognized for outstanding teaching and research, who win Fulbright Scholarships on an almost annual basis (61 to date), who involve students in cutting-edge research, and who mentor students on their way to great internships and careers. Students like Chad Hurley, a 1999 graduate who went on to co-found YouTube and then donated $1 million to the university in honor of his former track coach, music professor Edwin Fry.

The accomplishments of our students and faculty would fill pages. (Check out a sampling in the archives of this blog.)

IUP has been selected by the Princeton Review for inclusion in its Best Colleges guidebook for the last eleven years, not to mention receiving recognition as “Best in the Mid-Atlantic” and on another bonus list: “Outstanding Professors.” The Eberly College of Business and Information Technology has been listed for the last seven years in the Princeton Review’s “Best Business Schools.”

Add to that list the many honors from Forbes magazine, U.S. News and World Report, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, and Washington Monthly magazine, to name a few.

The listings, literally, fill several pages and cover several decades.

There has been discussion about IUP’s inclusion on these two bonus lists by the IUP community, especially on Facebook. The student and alumni postings have vigorously defended IUP, offering that life at IUP is very happy, and its faculty is excellent.

This same discussion, I would imagine, is going on at Rutgers, the University of Oregon, the University of Connecticut, and Iowa State University (who join us on these listings).

One of the student comments in the Princeton Review is that “college is all about what you make it.” I think our faculty and students make IUP a pretty happy, A+ place.

Honoring the Honor Society

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

Not only does IUP have prestigious honor societies–its honor societies get honors.

IUP founded its chapter of Phi Kappa Phi in 1993. Designed to recognize excellence in all academic disciplines, Phi Kappa Phi is one of the oldest honor societies in the nation, with about three hundred chapters on college and university campuses throughout North America.

Earlier this fall, IUP was notified that its Phi Kappa Phi chapter was named a “Chapter of Excellence.” This designation goes to the very best of the best. In fact, IUP is one of only eleven Chapters of Excellence in North America and the only one with this designation in Pennsylvania.

What does that mean?

It shows that the IUP chapter and the IUP chapter leadership–the current president is Dennis Giever in the Department of Criminology and the immediate past president is Marveta Ryan-Sams, Department of Foreign Languages–along with all the former chapter officers, have been active in meeting, organizing meaningful initiations, and seeking national fellowships for graduate study, study abroad scholarships, and the Love of Learning awards.

These awards offer significant and very selective scholarships to students for study abroad and graduate study.

Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is by invitation only, and only the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and the top 7.5 percent of juniors will qualify for invitation for induction. Faculty and professional staff members and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.

Congratulations, IUP Phi Kappa Phi!

LiveScience Turns to IUP Professor as Source in Bullying Story

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Regan Houser

Maureen McHugh.jpg Adolescent bullying, for good reason, is a hot topic, and one of IUP’s professors is in the forefront of the discussion.

Maureen McHugh of the Psychology Department this week caught the attention of LiveScience. McHugh studies bullying, sexual harassment, and especially “slut-bashing,” the practice of peers labeling other peers as dirty and promiscuous, oftentimes in the absence of any sexual activity at all on the part of the victim.

“Their peers know what kinds of words to use to hurt them,” McHugh told LiveScience, adding that sexuality becomes an Achilles heel in the beginning of adolescence.

“It is serious, and not only in terms of something as devastating as suicide, but also people not doing their best in school to live up to their potential,” McHugh said. “They don’t apply themselves, or they skip school because they can’t bear to be there. [Bullying] has a huge number of consequences for a lot of people.”

See the full article.

McHugh serves as the associate editor of Sex Roles and teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

English Class Project Marks World AIDS Day

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

Veronica Watson‘s Topics in English class has designed a public humanities project to coincide with World AIDS Day.

“The students have done everything from conceptualize the project to arrange all the logistics to bring it to the world, to all of the publicity and media you might see around it,” she told me.

And, not only has this involved posters, fliers, other publicity materials (including a Facebook page), students have worked to collect poetry, memoirs, and photography to do a “story trail” in the Oak Grove. They will be installing the pieces this afternoon in the Oak Grove, and the story trail will be up through December 1.

Tonight from 4:00 to 7:00 in Folger Hall, the group will stage an awareness game called “Who’s on Fire.” On November 29, it will show the award-winning film Philadelphia at 5:30 p.m. in the Crimson Event Center in Folger Hall. After the film, people will be invited to offer personal testimonies. Information about AIDS also will be available.

My colleagues and I agree that one of the best things about working at a university is seeing the passion and commitment that our students have for important causes. Watching them take what they’ve learned in the classroom–and seeing how well our faculty members encourage them to take classroom experiences into real-life projects–makes me even more proud to be part of this university community.

P.S. Other AIDS awareness events on campus include the World AIDS Day Awareness Event on December 1 in the Ohio Room of the Hadley Union Building, sponsored by the IUP Office of Health Awareness and the African American Cultural Center. The event opens with an open mic session at 7:00 p.m. and continues with a presentation at 8:00 p.m. with Dr. Linda Frank, associate professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pittsburgh, who will provide an update on HIV. Dr. Frank also is the Principal Investigator and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania-MidAtlatnic AIDS Education and Training Center.

There also will be information tables in Stapleton Library November 29 and November 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. offering more information about AIDS.

Happy Anniversary, Management Services Group

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

Happy anniversary wishes are in order for IUP’s Management Services Group.

The MSG is an umbrella organization for outreach programs of IUP’s Eberly College of Business and Information Technology. The goal of the MSG is to make a significant contribution to the economic vitality of the region by providing services to ongoing and startup businesses, both profit and nonprofit.

Without question, it has met that goal.

The MSG provides specialty business services through the Center for Family Business, Excellence in Entrepreneurial Leadership Center, Government Contracting Assistance Program, Small Business Development Center, Small Business Incubator, and Small Business Institute.

All of these programs not only serve the Indiana County region and regional businesses, but the Management Services Group also offers both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity for real-life experiences and to make connections with businesses and agencies that help lead to internships and employment.

For example, the Small Business Institute serves businesses by creating teams of students to answer the specific needs of the business. The SBI has worked with Cherry Hill Manufacturing, Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort and Conference Center, Four Footed Friends, Gorell Enterprises, Indiana Regional Medical Center, Lockheed Martin, Renda Broadcasting, and the United Way of Indiana County, to name just a few of the clients. The work it has done has resulted in six national awards for excellence.

All the programs involve students and faculty members, working closely together, in one way or another. It’s just another example of how IUP takes learning outside the classroom, to benefit students AND our community.

Here’s to twenty more years of excellence…and more!

Accreditation Distinguishes IUP Programs

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

The good news keeps coming in terms of continued accreditations for IUP’s departments and programs, and for those affiliated with IUP.

Most recently, the Indiana County Child Day Care Program, which serves as the laboratory for students in IUP’s Child Development and Family Relations Program, was re-accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Earlier this month, the dietetics track in the Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition program in the Department of Food and Nutrition was recognized with full, continued accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education.

In September, the IUP Counseling Center was notified of its reaccreditation by the International Association of Counseling Services Inc., an organization of American, Canadian, and Australian counseling agencies.

In August, the Computer Science Department’s degree program in Computer Science/Languages and Systems Track was recognized with accreditation by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

In April, the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology was notified of its continued accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

And, IUP as an institution holds accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Truly, the list goes on and on, with some fifty programs on the list compiled by the Division of Academic Affairs.

So, what does this mean to the faculty, students, and parents? That IUP programs are not stagnant, for one thing. Departments must continue to be accountable for standards and outcomes, or they are at risk of losing their accreditation.

Second, that the university’s programs are designed to meet standards to help students be competitive when they graduate, as programs with accreditation are expected to measure how well students are learning.

And finally, accreditation means that a university has passed the test of independent reviewers. It’s great to see that IUP and its programs are “A” students.

Accreditation. Don’t go to a university without it!

IUP’s John McCarthy: “Let’s Talk about Suicide”

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

In addition to teaching, researching, and mentoring students, IUP’s faculty members are often part of local, regional, national, and international groups and nonprofit agencies offering expertise in a variety of fields.

John McCarthy, a professor in IUP’s Department of Counseling and director of IUP’s Center for Counselor Training and Services, is a member of the Westmoreland County Suicide and Awareness Prevention Task Force, among other organizations.

In observance of tomorrow’s Annual International Survivors of Suicide Day, Dr. McCarthy authored a powerful editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on November 17.

Titled “Let’s Talk about Suicide,” the editorial points out that the topic of suicide is often a taboo topics for families, communities, and societies. However, Dr. McCarthy notes that while homicides are often in media headlines, suicides rarely make the news.

He then offers the startling figure that the act of suicide took the lives of more than 34,000 Americans in 2007 (according to the Centers for Disease Control). This compares to more than 18,000 homicides commited that same year.

He also shares data from the American Academy of Suicidology that indicate that more than 1,500 Pennsylvanians lost their lives to suicide in 2008. And, for every life lost, as many as 25 people attempt suicide.

He ends his editorial urging awareness and discussion.

“Suicide. It is a sensitive topic, to be sure, yet it too often is on the Taboo List of things to discuss. Let’s remove it. Let’s talk.”

Dr. McCarthy is well-known in the field of counseling. In addition to his work at IUP and with this regional group, he serves on the board of directors of the Center for Credentialing and Education, a corporate affiliate of the National Board of Certified Counselors.

During spring 2011, he seved as an academic visitor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. He is widely published and, since 2009, has participated in the International Academic Fellowship Program in the Higher Education Support Program of the Open Society Institute. In this role, he works with the Department of Psychology at Yerevan State University in Armenia.

Students at International Conferences? You Bet!

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

IUP students truly do have the best of all worlds.

Faculty are committed to teaching and being available to students, AND faculty are part of cutting-edge research. Because they understand the value of both worlds, faculty know how to push students “out of the nest” and give them opportunities they may not have thought possible.

Daniel O’Hara, a Geoscience and Computer Science major from Ebensburg, has been selected to present at the American Geophysical Union Annual International Conference in San Francisco in December.

I’ve been to Ebensburg. It’s a lovely little town, population 3,091 as of the 2000 census, but my point is that it’s a long way from there to presenting at an INTERNATIONAL conference with 20,000 geoscientists from all over the planet. That is not a typo–there will be 20,000 scientists at this event.

Graduate students, especially those at the Ph.D. level, often have research and presentation opportunities at other universities, but IUP excels at giving undergraduates the chance to do research worthy of international presentations and then helping them acquire the skills and confidence to be part of prestigious conferences and meetings.

IUP also commits its financial resources to making these kinds of opportunities possible–in Daniel’s case, he received support from the Department of Geoscience, the School of Graduate Studies and Research, the dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the IUP McNair Scholars Program.

Daniel’s presentation is just the tip of the iceberg in counting up research presentation opportunities for undergraduates. It happens in all disciplines, from Anthropology to Theater and Dance.

Meggie Pace For example, Meghan Pace, an Anthropology/Archaeology Track major from Bucks County, presented her research at a national conference in Atlanta, and it resulted in her landing a summer job at a geophysical consulting firm. … That’s in addition to her doing archaeological research in China’s Fujian Province–all as an undergraduate. She’s now working on her master’s degree at IUP.

For the past six years, IUP has offered undergraduates an opportunity to prepare and present research and creative works at the Undergraduate Scholars Forum. Last year, the School of Graduate Studies and Research coordinated a forum for graduate research.

Congratulations, Daniel, and all of our students selected for these types of presentations. You bring great pride to IUP!

IUP Honors Veteran Killed in Persian Gulf with Scholarship

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

IUP works to honor and remember those who lost their lives in service to our country. The memorials on campus recognizing our veterans were the subject of a special IUP Magazine story titled “Honoring, Remembering Our Own” in 2010.

Recently, the IUP College of Education and Educational Technology remembered a very special young woman from our community who never got the opportunity to attend IUP.

Beverly Sue Clark, a native of Armagh, was one of thirteen Army reservists killed in a scud missle attack during the Persian Gulf War in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Clark, an employee of Season-All in Indiana, had planned to enter IUP’s education program and become a teacher upon her return from the Persian Gulf. In her honor, friends and family members established the Beverly Sue Clark Scholarship for students preparing for a career in teaching, with special consideration given to military personnel and veterans of the war in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan and their family members.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of her death.

The Beverly Sue Clark scholarship is is just one of several scholarships established in honor of those who have lost their lives in service to our country or who are veterans of military service.

The memorials and these memorial scholarships remind us that these special individuals are remembered and appreciated–not just on Veterans Day, but throughout the year, especially by those who have received these scholarships.

In the case of Beverly Sue Clark, her dream of touching the future through teaching comes true through the generosity of her family and friends and by all who have received her scholarship. What a wonderful way to add to her already very special legacy.

Cybersecurity Concerns? IUP’s Information Assurance Institute Has It Covered

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Ms. Michelle S. Fryling

I don’t know about you, but I still hesitate just a little bit when I enter my credit card number and click “Enter,” even if I’m completely sure of my shopping choices.

Whether you like it or not and whether or not you are a computer user, information on almost everyone is stored in some kind of computer system, be it your health records, bank records or even your grocery shopping choices (Use your Advantage Card at Giant Eagle?).

So, the point is, everyone needs to be concerned about cybersecurity.

Rose Shumba, computer science professor, and students For almost a decade, IUP has been one of the leading universities in the nation focusing on the issue of cybersecurity, or information assurance. Information assurance addresses all of those issues surrounding security of computers and data. IUP is one of fewer than one hundred universities in the nation recognized by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a national Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance. One of the things that sets IUP’s program apart is that it combines the disciplines of criminology and computer science, offering a unique perspective on this fascinating field of study.

IUP is also very proud to have an Institute of Information Assurance, directed by Rose Shumba, professor of computer science. One of the projects of the institute is an annual Information Assurance Day. Top-level speakers come to IUP to talk with students, faculty members, and the community about issues in the field. This year, the event is Thursday, November 10.

For this fourth annual event, speakers from nationally known firms and from the FBI will discuss topics as diverse as “Four Essential Requirements for Securing Your Enterprise” to “What Keeps Me Up At Night,” a discussion about botnets, malware, cybercrime, and the criminal underground. This second program is copresented by two FBI agents, both special investigators of national security and criminal cybercrime. The final program of the day will be given by IUP graduate Douglas Brown, senior vice president and IT audit senior manager for First Commonwealth Financial Corporation, who will present “Information Assurance, an IT Audit Perspective.”

All of these programs are free and open to the community.

When I know that IUP students are learning how to keep my information safe, it makes me feel a lot better about the state of our nation’s computer information.

Around the Oak Grove

A blog of IUP stories by the IUP Office of Communications