Thursday, June 30, 2011

Recognizing Extraordinary CASL Staff Members

Six outstanding CASL staff members were recently nominated for Chancellor's Staff Recognition Awards. 

Some of the award winners have yet to be announced but as of this writing we know that Rachel Buzzeo of the Department of Behavioral Sciences was the 2011 recipient of the Outstanding Service to the Metropolitan Community and University Award.  The Outstanding Service to the Metropolitan Community and University Award is presented annually to a regular staff member who meets at least three of the following criteria: 

1) Extends the University's mission to the metropolitan community, 2) Forges partnerships with business,  industry, educational institutions and governmental agencies, 3) Makes a significant impact on the quality of the University's community life, 4) demonstrates the best interest of the University and the people who work within it, 5) Contributes to the solutions that promote significant University communal agenda, 6) Promotes the University of Michigan-Dearborn as an institution actively engaged with the metropolitan community that it serves; and/or 7) has a recognized contribution to our metrpolitan community that has promoted the University.

Congratulations to Rachel for being recognized for her outstanding service to UM-D and to Metro Detroit!

A description of other Chancellor's Staff Recognition Awards for which CASL staff were nominated and the list CASL nominees follows.
The Exceptional Service Award is given annually to a regular staff member who has consistently demonstrated a focus on outstanding service to his/her customers and colleagues and has made exceptional contributions toward the effectiveness of his/her unit or department.  CASL nominees for the Exceptional Service Award were:

Sharie Beard, CASL Administration
Rachel Buzzeo, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Linda Grimm, Department of Natural Sciences
Christine Kelly-Williams, Department of Social Sciences
Lori Petrick, Department of Language, Culture, and Communication

The Exceptional Long-Term Achievement Award is presented annually to a regular staff member who has worked for the University of Michigan-Dearborn at least ten (10) years and whose acts or achievements have extended beyond expectations or contributed in a significant way towards the achievement of the University's mission for several years.  The CASL nominee for the Exceptional Long-Term Achievement Award is:

Michelle Rushman, Department of language, Culture, and Communication--Writing program

The Exceptional Performance Award is presented annually to a regular staff member who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to help achieve the University's mission by contributing in a significant way to the success of a project with institutional importance, developing innovative ideas and solutions that contribute to improved efficiency and effectiveness, and/or performing his/her assigned duties with extraordinary effort, deduction, and special pride. CASL Nominees for the Exceptional Performance Award were:

Sharie Beard, CASL Administration
Rachel Buzzeo, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Christine Kelly-Williams, Department of Social Sciences

Congratulations to these outstanding CASL staff members for their nominations.  Thank you for the extraordinary contributions you make to the College, University, and Community.  Additional announcements will follow as award recipients are revealed.

 






Tuesday, June 21, 2011

10th Annual Worldviews Seminar Kicks Off

This past Sunday CASL's Center for the Study of Religion and Society hosted the kickoff dinner for the 10th annual Worldviews Seminar.  The Worldviews Seminar is a six day course designed to acquaint students with the foundations and cultural identities of the world's religions. 

The Worldviews Seminar was created in the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001 and in response to a growing cultural and religious divide that followed those tragic events.  The idea was spawned by the leadership of the Episcopal Church in Metropolitan Detroit.  They contacted UM-Dearborn Anthropology Professor Claude Jacobs who also directs the Center for the Study of Religion and Society and the seminar was collaboratively developed.  

Over the six day course students will carry on discussions with religious experts and one another, and will embark aon a series of site visits to major places of worship throughout Metro Detroit. The seminar helps students understand the foundations of diverse religions that are found in the metropolitan area, to engage in intelligent dialogue with members of those religions, to understand the role of religion in American life, and to develop skills that will help students function in a multi-religion country and region.

The Worldviews Seminar kickoff dinner featured musical entertainment and short presentation from four former Worldviews students.  The students' accounts of their seminar experiences highlighted four discoveries resulting from seminar participation.  First, many students experience a self discovery as they reconnect with the religious traditions of their childhoods or consider a new religious tradition.  Second, students also experience an other discovery in that they gain a greater understanding of world religions and shared and different experiences of the practitioners of those religious.  Third, seminar students experience a world discovery as they explore the interdependence of world religions and their followers.  Fourth, students experience a dialogic discovery and are able to discuss the underpinnings, similarities, and differences of world religions in an atmosphere of mutual respect without contentious rhetoric or debate. 

The kickoff event included a chance to meet seminar students from each of the ten Worldviews Seminars UM-Dearborn has held.  The event underscored the importance of Worldviews and of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society to the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Metropolitan Vision and our outreach to Metropolitan Detroit. 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Inside Out Video

In 2007 under the direction of Sociology Professor Dr. Lora Lempert the University of Michigan-Dearborn began participating in the national Inside Out program.  The Inside Out program has incarcerated men and women and UM-Dearborn students together in classes taught at two Michigan correctional facilities.  Inmates (Inside students) and UM-D students (Outside students) agree that the non-traditional learning environment is transformative.  Inside students learn that they can succeed at college classes upon their release.  Outside students have a more informed and complete understanding of crime and punishment as a result of their experiences.

In December 2010 I was a guest at the Inside Out Completion Ceremony held at the Ryan Correctional Facility in Detroit.  University Director of Communications Ken Kettenbeil and a video crew were there videotaping the event.  Links to the edited videos from the evening are posted below.  Check out the videos from the groundbreaking CASL program.

http://www.casl.umd.umich.edu/index.php?id=693346