Provost's Post

Students Assist in Winter Salt Stream Snapshot

(Courtesy of WCU Communications & Marketing)

Too much salt is not only bad for humans, it’s bad for our waterways. To bring awareness of how road salt applied during winter weather events affects the ecosystems of local streams and rivers, WCU biologist Dr. Megan Fork partnered with Stroud Water Research Center to sample and test water collected locally. Results were evaluated and mapped in real time during a stream snapshot event at West Chester Borough Hall on January 31. Data provide a picture of where excessive road salt runoff is going.

WCU students volunteered at Borough Hall alongside Stroud Center scientists and volunteers to collect samples from across the region brought in by fellow WCU students and the public. Dr. Fork explained that the volunteers used “chloride-specific test strips to determine the concentration of salt and conductivity.”

Dr. Martin Helmke, WCU professor of Earth and space science, guided students from his classes in sampling sites at Plum Run, which runs through South Campus and the University’s Gordon Natural Area (GNA), and Goose Creek, which runs mostly east of campus. Nur Ritter, GNA steward, also submitted samples from sites on and adjacent to campus.

Stroud Center scientists used the snapshot data in real time to produce a high-resolution map of salt concentrations in streams across the region. The data map is available at stroudcenter.org/salt.

“This event gives our students the opportunity to apply their environmental science skills and passions to protect streams, but also to network,” said Dr. Fork, who manages the University’s Aquatic Ecosystems Lab.

A freshwater ecologist who has a long-standing relationship with Stroud, Dr. Fork said the first salt snapshot she conducted with the organization was in January 2023. Dr. Fork is also a board member of the Goose Creek Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the monitoring and rehabilitation of that creek.

National Survey of Student Engagement Opens February 18, Closes May 12

PASSHE is participating in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) this spring. This survey seeks to understand the experiences of first-year and senior students. Qualifying students received first notice of the survey on February 18, and periodic reminders will be issued to students who have not completed the survey. The NSSE closes on May 12, 2025.

Online MBA Program Celebrates 10 Consecutive Years in U.S. News’ Top 100

(Courtesy of WCU Communications & Marketing)

For 10 consecutive years, West Chester University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has been ranked in U.S. News’ top 100 Best Online MBA programs in the nation.

MBA Coordinator Brian J. Halsey, WCU professor of business law, noted, “We’ve maintained our status in a fiercely competitive environment. In 2025 we ranked at #88 out of several hundred online MBA programs. We’ve ranked in the top 100 in every year that we have participated in the survey. We are very proud of that accomplishment and how it reflects the quality of our MBA.”  

To produce their rankings, U.S. News surveys hundreds of schools annually to collect the data necessary to identify quality programs. In addition, they administer a separate peer assessment survey directly to the deans of business schools with online MBA programs and the top distance-learning officials at those institutions.

WCU’s online MBA is one of the most affordable AACSB-accredited programs in the country. Tuition has been frozen since 2019. The program has been online for more than 10 years and is offered in an asynchronous format taught almost exclusively by tenure and tenure-track faculty with deep connections to business and industry, many of whom have taught online for more than 20 years.

Learn more about WCU’s online MBA here.

 

WCU to Welcome Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts as part of the President's Speaker Series 

(Courtesy of WCU's Communications & Marketing Department)

West Chester University will welcome famed journalist and co-host of ABC’s Good Morning America ROBIN ROBERTS on Friday, April 4, at 7 p.m. Roberts will speak as part of the University’s President’s Speaker Series in the Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, Philips Memorial Building, 700 S. High Street, West Chester. Tickets are $20 - $55 and are on sale now at www.wcupatix.com or by calling 610.436.2266.

Following her speech, Roberts will engage in a Q&A session with WCU’s newly appointed President, Dr. Laurie Bernotsky, who will be formally inaugurated on March 28, 2025.

Robin Roberts is the co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America. Under her leadership, the broadcast has won numerous Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program, and the 2017 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Daytime TV Hosting Team.

In 2014, Roberts launched Rock'n Robin Productions, an independent production company creating original broadcast and digital programming. Current series include the award-winning Thriver Thursday digital series, the “Robin Roberts Presents” banner of scripted and documentary projects for the Lifetime Television Network, and Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts for Disney+. Roberts began contributing to Good Morning America in 1995 and was named co-anchor in May 2005. Prior to that, Roberts was a host of ESPN’s SportsCenter and contributed to NFL PrimeTime.

Roberts battled breast cancer in 2007 and MDS in 2012. Her story triggered an outpouring of support from across the nation. Her battle has been recognized with awards and honors from The Susan G. Komen Foundation and The Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. Roberts was also honored with a George Foster Peabody Award and Gracie Award. Additionally, Roberts was recognized with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY’s in July 2013 for the strength and courage she has displayed throughout her life and career.

Roberts graduated cum laude from Southeastern Louisiana University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. She was a standout performer on the women’s basketball team, ending her career as one of the school’s all-time leading scorers and rebounder. In 2012, Roberts was named an inductee to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Roberts is the author of From the Heart: 7 Rules to Live By and Everybody’s Got Something. Her third book Brighter By The Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams debuted in 2022. Roberts is a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and currently resides in New York City.

Additional WCU Live! offerings this season include: Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience on Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m., and Tamagawa University Taiko Drumming and Dance on Tuesday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. 

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

WCU Museum's Roaring in Secret Exhibit on Display through December 2025

(Story courtesy of WCU Communications & Marketing)

On Thursday, February 27, journalist and historian Michael Wolraich, author of The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age, made a guest appearance at West Chester University.  Wolraich’s visit complements the current exhibition in the University’s Museum of Anthropology and Sociology's Roaring in Secret: Subversion and Change in the 1920s. For information about this and other WCU Museum Exhibitions click here.

Wolraich’s true-crime narrative highlights early New York Police Department corruption when the body of a woman was found in 1930 leading to an investigation that ultimately exposed and destroyed years of the shady political machine’s influence. The novel provides insight into the roles that crime and politics played in New York during the Jazz Age.

Through his writings on historical events, Wolraich both sheds light on past events and pushes to create conversations about our political climate today, helping readers further understand and make connections to modern politics.

The Bishop and the Butterfly has gained ample media attention including a feature in Untapped New York: Best NYC Books of All Time; Washington Independent Review of Books: Our Favorite Books of 2024; Chicago Review of Books: Seven of the Best Historical True Crime Books of 2024; and CrimeReads: The Best Reviewed Books of the Month. The book received a nomination for Best Fact Crime at the 2025 Edgar Allen Poe Awards.

“Michael Wolraich’s book is a fascinating look at the intrigue and subversion in culture and politics of the 1920s – a key idea in the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology’s newest exhibition, Roaring in Secret: Subversion and Change in the 1920s,” shared Dr. Michael Di Giovine, professor of anthropology and museum studies. “In fact, as soon as we began planning the exhibition, I knew that we had to host him here for a book signing.”

Dr. Di Giovine, who is also the advisor of the Anthropology Club, credited the club’s participation noting, “The members are a great group of engaged students, and always plan such exciting activities that are of interest not only to West Chester University members, but the greater community as well.”

The event was sponsored by WCU’s Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology as well as the Anthropology Club. Contact museum@wcupa.edu or Dr. Di Giovine at mdigiovine@wcupa.edu or 610-436-2247 for more information.

Excellence in Community Engaged Teaching Award Nominations Now Open

Each year, the Center for Civic Engagement and Social Impact (CCESI) honors one of our many outstanding faculty for their use of community engaged learning pedagogy in their course offerings. Community engaged learning is a high impact teaching method that combines community service with curricular goals, as it focuses on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility. This growing area in higher education is distinguished from other experiential education approaches by benefiting both the provider and the recipient.

The award recipient will receive a $500 faculty development award.

In collaboration with The Teaching & Learning Center, the award will be presented at the Celebration of Teaching Awards on May 8, 2025.

Nominations are now open and can be submitted at: https://forms.gle/hp9ozi2Kg7PhTpY16 

Nominations by deans, department chairs, faculty colleagues, or self-nominations will be accepted through March 30, 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact Tina Chiarelli-Helminiak at CCHIARELLI@wcupa.edu or Katie Clay at kclay@wcupa.edu 

WCU Assistant Professor’s Innovative Book on Black Epistemology Coming This Summer

(Courtesy of WCU Communications & Marketing)

West Chester University Assistant Professor of Philosophy Dr. Adebayo Oluwayomi is set to release his much-anticipated book, Foundations of Black Epistemology: Knowledge Discourse in Africana Philosophy, this July.

His pioneering work establishes Black epistemology as a distinct sub-discipline within Africana philosophy, tracing its historical roots and exploring the critical role of knowledge in Black intellectual traditions. Epistemology is the study of knowledge, its nature, sources, and limitations.  Drawing from Black thinkers — like Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. DuBois, Frantz Fanon, Steve Bantu Biko, Huey P. Newton, and Kathleen Neal Cleaver — Dr. Oluwayomi examines the intersections of self-knowledge, Black consciousness, anticolonialism, and personal and political epistemologies. His research sheds light on how Black intellectuals have historically interrogated the nature of knowledge, agency, and liberation.

“For decades, Black philosophers have argued that their lived experiences, histories, and scientific observations offer substantial evidence of a different, if not altogether unique, epistemological tradition,” said Professor Tommy J. Curry, a philosophy professor at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. “Adebayo Oluwayomi’s Foundations of Black Epistemology has proved it. His work should be celebrated for having the courage to challenge the deliberate misrepresentation of Black knowledge production within the discipline of philosophy throughout American universities, and the patience to document the Black epistemology traditions demonstrating how Black people have understood and produced theories of knowledge to reflect the realities they have laid claim to for centuries.”

Dr. Oluwayomi’s journey to writing this book began with a fundamental question: Where are Black voices in epistemology? Despite epistemology being a critical branch of philosophy, he found that Black thinkers were frequently omitted from mainstream discussions. His extensive research uncovered a wealth of contributions from Black scholars and philosophers that had been largely ignored from the discourse of knowledge.  

Dr. Oluwayomi wants his book to teach readers to think for themselves, something he also tries to impart on his students.  “Knowledge brings liberation,” Oluwayomi said. “If we teach students to think critically, they will be empowered. They will distinguish truth from ideology—not through indoctrination, but through intellectual freedom. My hope is that everyone who reads this book will dare to be free in their minds.” 

One of the book’s most significant revelations is the critical role of Black women in shaping epistemology. Through archival research, Oluwayomi discovered that Ida B. Wells was the first to develop an empiricist model of epistemology—using data and investigative journalism to document racial violence and injustice. His work challenges conventional narratives that attribute such methods solely to W.E.B. DuBois.  

With rigorous analysis and groundbreaking discoveries, Oluwayomi’s book is poised to spark new debates and expand the boundaries of epistemological inquiry.  

Foundations of Black Epistemology: Knowledge Discourse in Africana Philosophy, published by Temple University Press, will be available in Summer 2025.  

About the Author  

Adebayo Oluwayomi is an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at West Chester University. His research focuses on Africana philosophy, Social epistemology, Black Male Studies, and Black Radical Philosophy. 

WCU Launches One-Day, National Marketing Campaign with The Chronicle of Higher Education

West Chester University (WCU) is making a major statement in higher education marketing through an impressive advertising campaign with The Chronicle of Higher Education. On Wednesday, February 19, WCU will dominate the Chronicle’s homepage, ensuring maximum visibility as it takes its place as a thought leader on a national stage.  

During this digital takeover, WCU will use all available ad space on the Chronicle’s homepage. These strategically placed ads will appear across top banners, side blocks, and footers, where they are likely to capture the attention of higher education faculty, administrators, and professionals across the country.  

All advertisements promote The Chronicle’s sponsored content profile on WCU President Laurie Bernotsky. By clicking on an ad, users will be taken to the article, “Ensuring Higher Ed Remains a Public Good,” which highlights President Bernotsky’s strategies for financial sustainability, her approach to overcoming higher education challenges, and her unwavering commitment to student success. The feature positions WCU as a leader in the evolving landscape of public higher education, reinforcing the University’s dedication to affordability, accessibility, and academic excellence.  

This initiative is part of a larger, ongoing sponsored content campaign with The Chronicle to promote President Bernotsky’s vision for the future of higher education. So far, those efforts have already generated more than 1 million impressions.  

The Chronicle of Higher Education has institutional site licenses with 1,900 colleges and universities, ensuring that faculty, staff, and administrators at those institutions have free access to its content. Non-subscribers are allowed up to four free articles per month.

As the higher education landscape continues to evolve, WCU’s strategic marketing efforts underscore its commitment to drive meaningful conversations and shape the future of accessible, high-quality education.

Moon Shot Week is Coming March 17-21

Join WCU’s Moon Shot mission by participating in Moon Shot Week (3/17 to 3/21).

As part of Spring 2025 Moon Shot Week, we invite you to join us as we watch a livestream of Delaware County Community College’s (DCCC) own Moon Shot Week keynote address by Dr. Antoinette Newsome, associate director/consultant for EAB’s Moon Shot for Social & Economic Mobility. DCCC is our ecosystem partner in the transformational mission to eliminate equity gaps and improve student outcomes. Dr. Newsome will explore the intersection of women’s leadership and equity, highlighting the persistence of gender gaps in education and leadership.

Other WCU Moon Shot Week opportunities include equity-minded leadership training and Mission Updates focused on the Academic Success and Advocacy Center (ASA) and Navigate. Use this link to learn more and to register for Moon Shot week activities.

Celebration of Teaching: Call for Proposals - Due March 30, 2025

The TLC invites proposals for two of the Celebration of Teaching events.  Facilitate a 40-minute hands-on small group mini-workshop demonstrating a teaching technology or teaching technique.  Present a teaching concept, idea, strategy, or activity at the Teaching Excellence Showcase.
For more details on both opportunities and the proposal form, see the Celebration of Teaching blog post. 

Campus Sustainability Research and Creative Activity Grant Applications Due April 7

The West Chester University Sustainability Council’s Scholarly and Creative Activities committee and the Office of Sustainability invite you to apply for the Campus Sustainability Research and Creative Activity Grant. This program enables faculty to investigate and develop sustainability-related projects on campus and is supported by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP). Funding preference will be given to proposals that address and work to realize one or more goals of WCU’s Climate Action Plan while fostering collaboration between members of the WCU community (faculty, students, and staff).  

Applicants are encouraged to include a model for student/faculty collaboration and all proposals must demonstrate student impact. Applications are limited to a 250-word abstract that specifies proposed research question(s) or creative initiative, methodology or approach, Climate Action Plan goal(s) addressed, expected expenditures, the Principal Investigator, and collaborators (student, faculty, and/or staff).

Amount of Award: Proposals will be funded for up to $2,000.00. Each applicant may submit one proposal per funding cycle. An applicant may not be listed as a team member on multiple applications during the same funding cycle.

Proposals are due by 11:30pm on April 7 th, 2025. Semi-finalists will be invited to present their proposals to a panel of judges during the week of April 14th, 2025.  Presentations are limited to 10 minutes followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. The WCU Office of Sustainability will notify grant awardees by April 21st, 2025.

This research / creative activities project will take place anytime between July 15th, 2025 – June 1st 2026. All funds must be used by June 1st, 2026.

All questions about the grant – including additional details about the application process, eligibility and funding limits – should be directed to Brad Flamm, Director, WCU Office of Sustainability (bflamm@wcupa.edu) or Dr. John Pisciotta, Chair of the Sustainability Council’s Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee (JPisciotta@wcupa.edu).

To apply, please click the button below to access the form, save as a separate Word or pdf document, and email to sustainability@wcupa.edu by 11:30 pm on April 7, 2025. 

Apply Here

Faculty Mentoring Committee Hosts AI Workshop

AI in Action @ WCU | Virtual
Join our 30-minute interactive webinars to inspire and motivate you to consider new ways to engage with AI in your teaching, scholarship, and service. Each session will feature a different WCU presenter. All sessions start with a 5 minute introduction, followed by a 15 minute presentation, and end with 10 minutes of questions and discussion. Each webinar will be recorded for later viewing. Visit the AI in Action blog post to register to attend an upcoming virtual session or view previous session recordings. If you're willing to share your own experiences working with generative AI, complete our interest form or reach out to us at tlc@wcupa.edu!

30th Annual RECAP Conference Calls for Proposals Open

The Call for Proposals is now open for the 30th Annual RECAP Conference being held in the Science and Engineering Center Commons (SECC) on Thursday, May 15, 2025! The RECAP 2025 Conference marks a significant milestone—30 years of advancing education through technology. This year’s theme, Innovation in Action: Facing the Future – Together invites educators, technologists, and support teams to collaborate in navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Join us in our mission to foster exploration, spark dialogue, and shape the future of higher education – together. For more information or to submit a proposal, visit https://wcupa.edu/RECAP

JARIHE 2025 Call for Manuscripts

The Journal of Access, Retention and Inclusion in Higher Education (JARIHE) is welcoming manuscripts through April 15, 2025. A response from the editor regarding a decision will be prior to June 30, 2025. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025. Submissions will accepted at jarihe@wcupa.edu. Please direct all questions to John B. Craig, Ed.D., Editor at jcraig@wcupa.edu.

Alumni, Faculty, and Students Honored at MLK Celebration

(Story courtesy of WCU Communications & Marketing)

This year’s West Chester University Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration, organized and hosted by the Society of WCU (formerly WCU’s Frederick Douglass Society), saw the presentation of several awards.

The program celebrates Dr. King’s civil rights work and promotion of nonviolent struggle for racial justice. WCU alumni who exemplify Dr. King’s legacy are recognized at the event with the annual Drum Major for Justice Awards, which were presented to Lisa Wright Bryant '87 and Kenneth Johnson M'17. Other awards presented during the brunch include the community service award named for former Executive Deputy to the President Lawrence A. Dowdy ’79 which was presented to Laquana Cooke, and the Society’s Student Service Leadership Award which was presented to Aaliyah Wood (president), Ronnell Williams, Madison Peacock, Myasija Rivera, Alexis Crawford, Sierra Boatwright, Ariana Dacre, Selina Finkelstein, and Nyla Mitchell.

The Society of WCU is an organization of University faculty, staff, and administrators who embrace the spirit of Frederick Douglass’ commitment to social consciousness and inclusiveness. Their programs aim to stimulate other groups on campus to enrich our multicultural climate. The MLK Brunch is one way the Society raises money for scholarship funds.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

LEARN MORE ABOUT MLK AWARDEES

Advance Reservation is the process that Sykes Union and Student Activities implemented in 2022 to assist student organizations and university departments with reserving space within Sykes Student Union for future events. Sykes Student Union is pleased to begin the 2025-2026 Advance Reservation process. Please review some of the FAQs in the link below and note the tentative timeline.

New for this year, Sykes Student Union staff, is hosting an open house Reservations Showcase and will be available for consultations on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 to walk through the Advance Reservation form and answer questions and/or support departments and student organizations in preparing their requests. Mark your calendars today!

Advance Registration

How to Submit Your Event to Online Campus Calendar

The WCU Calendar is populated by events submitted in 25Live, WCU's room reservation and calendaring program. Faculty/Staff may submit events to the calendar by selecting "WCU Featured Events Calendar" in the "Resources" section of the 25Live Event Form.

WCU Event Calendar How to Submit your event to wcu calendar

Professional Headshots Available via Iris Photo Booth at Twardowski Career Development Center

Students, Faculty, and Staff now have access to the Iris Booth, a free professional photo booth located in the

Career Development Center (Lawrence 225).

Students, Faculty, and Staff can stop by anytime Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 4pm to get a photo taken, no appointment needed.

FAST Schedule & Offerings

Check out what IS&T has on tap for the semester! The Faculty and Staff Training (FAST) unit supports WCU faculty and staff in becoming proficient in various applications, in addition to providing best practices in trending platforms (e.g., OneDrive, D2L, RamCloud). Courses are designed to accommodate all levels of learning and allow users to build on acquired skills. Click below for the full schedule or take self-paced options.

FAST Schedule

Want to learn more about Navigate?

Visit our webpage. You’ll find an overview, information about Progress Reports, and our training site.

You can also check out the FAST training site and search “navigate” to final all of the Navigate-specific offerings. Here's a quick guide to the offerings.

Navigate Home page

FREE LinkedIn Learning Content Available to WCU Faculty, Staff and Students

LinkedIn Learning with Lynda.com content is an industry leader in online training, with a digital library of over 180,000 videos, covering a wide range of technical, business, software, and creative topics. West Chester University faculty, staff and currently enrolled students have unlimited access.

Access LinkedIn Learning