In The Know – Issue 104

One Exciting Day for Montclair’s Campus Community

Montclair’s annual day of giving was elevated by World’s Fair Day and Take Your Child to Work Day.

Capstone Conference Prepares Next Generation of Leaders

Graduate students will present research that addresses the challenges facing higher education on college campuses.

The Best of the Best

The 2024 Research Symposium gave students the opportunity to present research on topics ranging from environmental concerns to affirmative action and legacy admissions.

In the News

• Information from the Montclair LGBTQ Center page was cited in this Yahoo! News article about the history and meaning of LGBTQ terminology.
• NorthJersey.com published a list of TikTok accounts that would be missed if the social media platform were banned, and Montclair senior Joe Lepinski (also known as “Jersey Joe”), a frequent collaborator on University social media content, was included.
• Jason Williams (Justice Studies) is quoted in this New Jersey Monitor article about the case of a 22-year-old man who was shot and killed by Englewood police.
• Erik Jacobson (Teaching and Learning) is quoted in this Christian Science Monitor article about adults seeking assistance in learning to read.
• Dawn Marie Hayes (History) was interviewed by Staten Island Live about her recent award from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
• Emily Isaacs (Office for Faculty Excellence) and Danielle Insalaco-Egan (University College) were guests on a recent episode of the EAB podcast to discuss “How to Build a Better Student.” Isaacs was also featured in an Inside Higher Ed article about the success of Montclair’s recent campaign to increase students’ academic engagement.

In Case You Missed It

• Students and alumni from the Feliciano School of Business volunteered more than 650 hours at the United Way of Passaic County to prepare tax returns at no charge for underserved members of the community.
• Read the spring 2024 issue of Psychology Matters, the official newsletter from the Department of Psychology at Montclair.

Trenton Lobby Day

• Your voice matters! Register to join faculty, staff and students on Thursday, May 2 in Trenton to speak with state legislators to ask them to fund higher education at Montclair and Bloomfield College of Montclair State University. Participants must be registered voters, preferably in the State of New Jersey. Participants not registered to vote will be registered on event day. Food and transportation will be provided. For more information, contact Maria Rodriguez-Gregg, rodriguezgrm@montclair.edu, 609-456-5225.

Montclair and Bloomfield Day at the Capitol – Now Thursday, May 9

• Due to the observance of funeral services for the late Congressman Donald Payne Jr., the N.J. Legislature canceled all committee hearings for May 2. The University will now be visiting the Capitol on Thursday, May 9. Remember, your voice matters! Register to join faculty, staff and students in Trenton to speak with state legislators to ask them to fund higher education at Montclair and Bloomfield College of Montclair State University. Those who registered previously will have to register to attend again. Participants must be registered voters, preferably in the State of New Jersey. Participants not registered to vote will be registered on event day. For more information, contact Maria Rodriguez-Gregg, rodriguezgrm@montclair.edu, 609-456-5225.
• You can also make your voice heard by visiting our online platform at fundmontclairandbloomfield.com where you can find customizable email language you can send to your representatives to show your support for equitable higher education funding in New Jersey.

Employee Communications Survey – Last Chance!

• As a loyal reader of In The Know, we value your feedback! University Communications and Marketing is working to enhance communications with employees, and we want to hear your communication preferences, including frequency of communication, preferred channels and the types of information you consider most valuable. Please complete our Employee Communications survey. Your responses will be anonymous and will assist in identifying areas for improvement, developing strategies to enhance communication effectiveness and strengthen employee engagement. To learn more about this initiative, contact Internal Communications Editor Brittany John at johnbr@montclair.edu. Direct questions about this survey to Karen Ramsden, Market Research Analyst, at ramsdenk@montclair.edu.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

• Sign up for Mental Health First Aid Training and learn to identify, understand and provide initial aid to someone who may be struggling.
• Take an online mental health screening and try TAO Connect, an online self-guided program to help support your mental health.
• Campus recreation offers a wide variety of fitness programs for employees to take care of their minds and bodies.
• Faculty and staff can refer students to counselors via Let’s Talk, Uwill or CAPS at 973-655-5211.

Reminders

• Need assistance submitting end-of-term grades? Attend Do It Now: Grade Submission with the Registrar’s Office today at noon.
• Take advantage of employee discounts via the State Employee Discount Program and the Bloomfield Business Discounts list.
• Download the Parking Logix app to check for available parking on campus.
• Request our pupscot, Pebbles and Rocky the Red Hawk at your upcoming events!
• Lost and found items may be brought to the Student Center information desk in the 2nd floor lobby. Browse the inventory of lost items or file a claim for lost items.
• To receive training on the use of hemorrhage/bleeding control and Narcan kits, contact EMS at 973-655-7836 or ems@montclair.edu.

Support for Staff and Faculty

• The Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential support services for employees and their families – including locating resources for substance abuse, mental health and self-help. For more information, view the CONCERN brochure.
• Concerned about a student’s well-being? Please fill out a CARE Report form to connect students to mental health support and resources. Faculty and advisors can complete an alert via Navigate for academic concerns.
• If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.
• Email successcenter@ascendiumeducation.org or call 833-707-1220 for assistance with student loan repayment support. Visit MSU GradReady website for additional resources available to help with managing your financial needs.

Kudos

• To Team Red Hawk and the Student Interprofessional Education (IPE) committee who worked together to deliver the first IPE symposium, which brought together health professionals to discuss their experiences in providing interdisciplinary care to optimize patient outcomes. Team Red Hawk is a group of faculty who are committed to providing interprofessional education for Montclair students in health-related professional majors at both the graduate and undergraduate level.
• To Monica Taylor (Education Foundations), who served as the keynote speaker at the 10th Annual International Conference on Education 2024.
• To Karen Ramsden (University Communications and Marketing), who participated in an author panel discussion at the Southern Mississippi Institutional Repository Conference to discuss the chapter and research study she and Darren Sweeper (Sprague Library) contributed for the book Rethinking Institutional Repositories: Innovations in Management, Collections, and Inclusion.
• To Sei Eun Kim (Family Science and Human Development), who was acknowledged as a prominent alumni of Sookmyung Women’s University’s TESOL graduate program and a scholar making significant contributions to the field of adolescent development, bringing recognition to her alma mater.
• To Rachel Mecca and Hayato Suzuki (Financial Aid), who are recipients of the President’s Committee of the Year award from the New Jersey Association of Financial Aid Administrators.
• To Enza Antenos (World Languages and Cultures), who is the recipient of the Covello Service Award on behalf of the New York chapter of American Association of Teachers of Italian.
• To Barbara Chasin (Emerita, Sociology), who served as a speaker at the Conference to End Violence sponsored by St. Joseph Children’s Health.

Social Media Post of Note

Professor Choi showing us the fit

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.