Who has been doing what?
University of Limerick Ollscoil Luimnigh: External Examiner Appointment,
Gail Whitchurch, Ph.D.--
Dr. Whitchurch has been appointed as External Examiner by the University of Limerick (Ireland) for two Special Needs Education programs. She began her term in January 2007 and will serve through 2010.
The Special Needs Education programs are taught at off-campus sites--in the Conamara and West Kerry Gaeltachts (government-designated Irish-speaking areas). The students, who are all adults who have never attended college before, earn either a one-year Certificate or a two-year Diploma (an associate's degree in the United States is its approximate equivalent). The programs' mission is three-fold: (1) to shorten the waiting lists for services to families of children with special needs such as autism, learning disabilities, and physical, intellectual, or emotional disabilities; (2) to decrease the chronic shortage of jobs in the Gaeltachts other than those related to tourists or language students; (3) to provide opportunities for adults who would not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue third-level education. In short, the programs are a community response to community needs.
School of Liberal Arts Sabbatical Speakers:
Kim White-Mills, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Communication Studies -- Catherine Dobris, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication Studies--
Rhetorical Visions of Motherhood: A Feminist Analysis of the What to Expect series--Fantasy theme analysis is used to illuminate themes implicit in the construction of motherhood by authors Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, and Sandee Hathaway in their What to Expect series on childbirth and childrearing. Whether the messages originate from the dominant culture, from men or women, or are produced by marginalized groups for the consumption of their own membership, stereotypical assumptions may be used to promulgate idealizations of motherhood and childrearing. The purpose of this project is to identify themes in the What to Expect series to understand their contributions to the patriarchal vision of motherhood.
United States Agency for International Development Grant: South East European University Project: John Parrish-Sprowl, Ph.D. -- Kristina Sheeler, Ph.D.
Both Drs.John Parrish-Sprowl and Kristina Sheeler have been teaching and working with faculty members at South East European University (SEEU). SEEU is a relatively new university in Tetovo, Macedonia founded with the mission of offering educational opportunities to Albanian and ethnic Albanian students. Not only is it the first university to offer educational opportunities to Albanian students, but it is also the first university in the Balkan region to offer communication as a course of study.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is a part of the U.S. Mission to Macedonia, provides support for the development of programs by IUPUI professors who are engaged in teaching a number of courses at SEE University through the Higher Education Linkage Project. Dr. Parrish-Sprowl has taught at the university for nearly the duration of the USAID grant and has been instrumental in the development of the undergraduate curriculum in communication as well as the development of the graduate curriculum at SEEU in communication, to be implemented for the first time in the fall semester. Dr. Sheeler has taught and worked with faculty members at SEEU since October 2005.
Dr. Sheeler is currently facilitating four sections of public relations to over 120 students and has taught two courses during prior semesters: Gender and Communication and Advanced Public Communication. In general both professors travel to SEEU for the first two weeks and the last two weeks of the semester. During their stay they lecture extensively to students and work with faculty to train them to deliver the course in the future. Dr. Sheeler also provided faculty development opportunities on topics such as syllabus development and classroom management. During her visit in January 2006, she had the opportunity to deliver a lecture and facilitate a panel discussion with many prominent female politicians in Macedonia.
Dr. Parrish-Sprowl taught a variety of courses such as communication theory, media strategies, and introduction to advertising. He also provided a wide range of training and consulting not only for the university but for local businesses such as Pro Credit Bank and Gudalat Juice Company.
Both professors will return in June 2007 to complete the semester and hope to return in the fall to begin SEEU’s MA program in communication