In the Know – Issue 72

Pre-College Summer Program Included NYC Excursions

Nearly 100 high school students attended new enrichment classes at Montclair that were complemented by access to the corporate and cultural resources of New York City.

Montclair Logo Gets a New Look

To more clearly and consistently project our distinctive institutional identity, the University has adopted a refreshed logo and established “Montclair” as our preferred shortened name. Read President Koppell’s message about why this is important.

Summer Scholars Get a Jump-start on Fall

Incoming college freshmen are matched with peer mentors to increase college preparedness through Montclair’s summer bridge program.

University Expands International Recruiting Efforts

The recruitment collaboration with INTO aims to enhance the University’s global reach and provide opportunities for international students.

Hispanic Student College Institute Connects Students to College Life

Each year, the four-day immersive program educates high school students on admissions, enrollment, academic offerings and career workshops.

In the News

• President Jonathan Koppell was interviewed on an episode of the Campus podcast, a collaboration between Times Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed about how universities can help rebuild public trust in higher education.
• Tarika Daftary-Kapur (Justice Studies) and Tina Zottoli’s (Psychology) research on juvenile lifers in Philadelphia was featured in this front page story in The New York Times.
• Jason Williams (Justice Studies) is quoted in this NorthJersey.com article about new state rules that expand the development of centers offering treatment, clean syringes and other resources for drug users. Williams is also quoted in this NJ Spotlight News article about Paterson officials’ decision to create the Office of Alternative and Community Responses, which aims to develop official responses to mental health emergencies that do not involve the police and are community-based.
• Brigid Harrison (College of Humanities and Social Sciences) contributed to this POLITICO piece commemorating the late Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who died earlier this month,
• Jaime Bedrin (School of Communication and Media) wrote a column for Montclair Local about embracing the challenges of a new academic year.
• Eric Weiner (Educational Foundations) wrote a letter to the editor published in The New York Times, in response to a piece by columnist Paul Krugman. In the letter, Weiner addresses the teacher shortage crisis.
• Paul Bologna (Biology) talked to Patch and NJ101.5 about beach safety tips.
• Joe Amditis (Center for Cooperative Media) spoke to NJ Spotlight News about how the rapid rise of artificial intelligence is impacting journalism.
• Stephanie Silvera (Public Health) spoke to NJ Spotlight News anchor Briana Vannozzi and Newsday about the status of COVID-19 this summer.
• Te Wu (Management) wrote a piece for Business Insider about what Elon Musk should do in order to transform X (formerly Twitter) into a killer app.
• A study from the Center for Research and Evaluation on Education and Human Services is cited in this NJ Spotlight News article about the latest state budget that dedicates more than $120 million to mental and behavioral health care.
• Eva Goldfarb (Public Health) is quoted in this Washington Post article about a group of principals in Maryland who voiced concerns about books in the language arts curriculum that included LGBTQ characters.
• Jesse Firestone (University Galleries) is quoted in this Artsy article about “cringe culture” appearing in contemporary art.
• Bond Benton (School of Communication and Media) is quoted in this NPR story about how voting rights groups are calling for Meta to implement policies to combat misinformation on its new Threads app.
• Mayida Zaal (Teaching and Learning) and Danielle Epps (Center of Pedagogy) were interviewed for a special Chalkbeat Newark report, which explores how New Jersey – despite its diverse overall population – has been found to have one of the most segregated public school systems in the country. The Red Hawks Rising program overseen by Zaal and Epps is highlighted for its efforts to diversify the teaching force in Newark.
• Jessica Henry (Justice Studies) is quoted in this article in The Appeal about why women’s wrongful convictions are so difficult to overcome.

Upcoming Events

• President Koppell’s Opening Day Town Hall Meeting will be held Tuesday, August 29 at 11 a.m.
• Instructional Technology and Design Services is offering faculty development events to help you get ready for the fall semester, including sessions focused on course design best practices, setting up and designing your fall courses in Canvas, AI and other generative technologies, as well as strategies for effective assessment and student engagement. The afternoon of the in-person event will provide an opportunity to work on your courses with customized support from ITDS staff and lunch will be provided. Register for one of the Preparing for the Fall 2023 events!
• Learning and Development is offering The Project Management 101 Learning Series in person monthly from September 2023 to July 2024. Each two-hour session will focus on different essentials of project management and will be taught by one of the instructors in the Management department of the Feliciano School of Business. Space is limited to 24 participants per session.

Your Input Needed

• President Koppell, Mayor Sayegh, leadership from Paterson Public Schools and The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation hope to share insights about our innovative community partnership at SXSW EDU, which brings together the brightest minds in education to create the future of learning. Help them get there by voting for their panel on the SXSW EDU panel picker page. Voting ends August 20.
• University Communications and Marketing is embarking on a new initiative to gather information and feedback from employees regarding internal communications at the University. Staff and faculty are invited to participate in focus groups and individual interviews to share thoughts and insights on current communication channels specific to employee communications. If interested, please click here. For more information about the project, contact Brittany John, Internal Communications Editor, johnbr@montclair.edu.

Reminders

• In the Know will return to its weekly schedule on Friday, September 1.
• To correspond with the University’s updated logo, please update University email signatures and download new Zoom backgrounds to reflect the change.
• For small web updates and edits to sites, please use the website update request form.
• All University-issued devices, computer systems, and/or networks are not private and are intended to be used solely for University-related purposes. University computing resources should not be used to access inappropriate content as these types of websites and content exposes University-issued devices and the University’s systems to malware and other viruses, which pose a security risk to the University’s computing infrastructure, resources and data. Each person is responsible for complying with these policies. University employees found to be in violation of the prescribed policies may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Read the full Responsible Use of Computing policy.
• The University is collecting new (or very lightly used) school supplies for students at Eastside High School in Paterson, for the annual 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Donations will be collected from now until September 9. See the Amazon wish list here. Drop off donations at the following locations: Cole Hall, Room 348; Campus Recreation Center; Center for Student Involvement 104J; and Office of Residence Life (Bohn Hall, 4th Floor). For more information contact communengage@montclair.edu.
• Explore the 2023-2024 Learning and Development Catalog for a variety of leadership and professional development opportunities including project management and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
• The Center for Academic Success and Tutoring has received free campus-wide access to Go2Knowledge from June 2023 to May 2024. Go2Knowledge hosts over 300 prerecorded and 150 additional live webinar topics in a range of Higher Education-specific topics designed for faculty and staff.
• Human Resources has a satellite office on campus at 18 Normal Avenue. Stop by to discuss employee benefits, tuition waivers, payroll matters or retirement planning. Questions regarding the satellite office location? Contact HR at hr@montclair.edu or 973-655-7736.
• The new University Calendar is here! Powered by the University’s room booking system, 25Live, all event listings should be entered here moving forward. Still need training? Register for online or in-person training.
• The Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential support services for University employees and their families – including locating resources for substance abuse, mental health and self-help. For more information, see the attached CONCERN brochure.
• Worried about a student’s well-being? Please refer them to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).
• If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the new nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.

Kudos

• To Jessica Bacon (Teaching and Learning) who was featured by the Office of Special Education Programs for her work fostering disability pride in special Education.
• To Kathleen Hughes (Sprague Library) on her retirement after 44 years of service.
• To Grover Furr (English) on the publication of a co-authored book, Stalin Exonerated: Fact-Checking the Death of Solomon Mikhoels.

Social Media Post of Note

Have an item you’d like included in Kudos or Reminders? Want to nominate a staffer for our spotlight? Use this form to tell us. Read more about our people and programs in the University News Center and in back issues of In the Know. And find out what’s happening on campus in the Events Calendar.