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Faculty & Staff Newsletter

November 10, 2020

Academic Affairs Updates – November 10, 2020

Good is good.

As individuals and as a country, we are currently navigating many challenges including a global pandemic, political divisions, economic uncertainty, racial injustices, and more. My grandmother would reply to such a statement by saying something like, “Yes I hear and understand all that [baby], But God still gets the last word.” After a simple reminder like this, my grandmother would often sing a song to comfort a weary heart and mind.

Todd Galberth wrote a song, “Lord You Are Good”, and it includes the words:

Lord you are good, you’ve been so good,
Lord you are good, you’ve been better than good,
I can’t praise you enough, I owe you my life,
I can’t praise you enough even if I tried cause you’ve been so good to me. Full song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mztyl7oIlRY

To the community, I offer the question for your reflection.

  • In spite of our individual and collective challenges, how has God been better than good to you?

New Academic Affairs Faculty & Staff

  • Dr. Gail Lis will begin serving as a Professor of Nursing and Assistant Dean of Nursing in December 2020.
  • Ms. Jessica Kisonas began serving as an Instructor of Nursing and Nursing Skills Lab Assistant in October 2020

Academic Searches

  • Pending searches:
    • Administrative Coordinator for Academic Affairs – interviews begin this week led by Academic Council.
  • Searches for positions in Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies are continuing or planned for 2021.
  • Any new positions are pending 2021 budget approval.

Assessment & Accreditation

  • The College received notice from the ARC-PA regarding the Master of Physician Studies Program (MPAS) receiving Provisional Accreditation Status in October 2020. The new status will allow the MPAS to proceed with a planned summer 2021 start.
  • The College has received approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to transition to a 15-week semester with 7-week sessions within each full semester and to add a new calendar for the MPAS program. The next step in the process involves the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) reviewing our request. More to come.
  • The Division of Nursing is awaiting feedback from the Ohio Board of Nursing after their virtual site visit to review the BSN program in October 2020.

Faculty Assembly

  • Plans are moving forward for the Spring 2021 Faculty Development Day focused on scholarship. The Faculty Development Committee is leading this effort.

Academic Administration Projects

  • The Academic Strategic Action Plan (ASAP) has been developed and is moving forward under the leadership of Deans and Directors with the Executive Committee of Faculty Assembly (ECFA) support to make progress toward academic initiatives in the College’s Strategic Plan. The four task areas are:
    • Faculty Development & Governance Supports
    • Student Education & Experience
    • Program Efficiency and Revenue
    • Institutional Quality Assessments
  • Academic Council submitted a detailed plan for Spring 2021 on-campus teaching activities that will be implemented to Dr. Wajert and Marc Adkins (Incident Commander) for review in October.
  • The Academic Program Review process will begin under the leadership of Academic Deans for 2020-2021.
  • Student Records and Institutional Research are Supporting data requests associated with the Ruffalo Noel-Levitz consultant group.
  • Distance Education and Teaching resources will be rolling out ProctorU as an option for Faculty to offer proctored exams.
  • The Library has reviewed resources and will be moving forward with plans to enhance electronic resources that will benefit faculty, staff, and students.
  • During the next College Assembly, Dr. Kim Watson and I will lead the rollout of the College’s plan for maintaining current information and evidence related to our regional accreditation requirements from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
  • Plans are moving forward for the Spring 2021 Faculty Development Day focused on scholarship. The Faculty Development Committee is leading this effort.

Blessings,

Trevor M. Bates, DHSc, AT, ATC

Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean of Faculty, and Professor of Health Sciences

Please direct questions and/or comments about this sampling of Academic Affairs updates to Dr. Bates at trevor.bates@mercycollege.edu.

Mercy Café Menu

Submitted by Steve Joyce

Mercy Café Menu

Phishing Scams

Submitted by Jeff Metzger

Please continue to be on alert for phishing scams arriving via email. Malware and ransomware threats have recently been increasing, especially targeting health care systems and schools. Always check the return address of incoming mail before responding to messages. If a message seems unusual or suspicious, call the sender to confirm the request is legitimate or send a separate message to ask them (not a reply). You can also use the "Report Phishing" button in the Outlook menu bar to alert the BSMH Cybersecurity team of suspicious messages. I encourage you to read the news bulletin from Laishy Williams-Carlson, BSMH Chief Information Officer, which discusses cybercrime and mitigation efforts in more detail.

Coolest Mask Contest at College Assembly

Submitted by Hannah Bohn

At College Assembly on November 16, wear your mask and we will vote on "Coolest Mask."
Let's all stay safe together.

*The winner will receive a $15 Amazon e-gift card.*

Remembering in Prayer

Submitted by Annie Devine

November is traditionally a time when Christians remember those who have died, especially those in the past year. This prayer is offered for the college community, for those we have lost and continue to hold in our hearts.

Prayer of Remembrance: https://youtu.be/Wp10haWlaSI

Current Student/Alumni Spotlight

Submitted by Hannah Bohn

We're proud of the ambitions and accomplishments of our current students and alumni. Please encourage your students/alumni to complete the Current Student/Alumni Spotlight form.

Testimonials are shared in Marketing/Communications materials, including but not limited to the website, social media, newsletters, print material, and more!

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Send a message to the Mercy College President using this link.

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