Season's Greetings!
Arcadia University CTLM Newsletter Issue #9
Sustaining Learning & Caring: None of Us Can Do It All
By Dr. Ellen Skilton
When I was in college 35 years ago, I did something I had never done before. I was up most of the night preparing for a final presentation for a class and ended up sleeping through it. I was horrified and reached out (by phone because there wasn’t email!) to my professor explaining that I understood why he would need to give me zero credit for the assignment. We made an appointment to meet in the coffee shop to discuss it. His response still surprises me. He said “Why would I fail you if you did the work? Can you do the presentation for me now?”
A lot has changed in the intervening years, but the ways that I had internalized performance and production over learning (and hadn’t realized it) has stayed with me ever since. And in the teaching, learning, and mentoring I do now, I try to stay focused on the learning and not primarily on checking off a set of timely requirements. As CTLM works on how to support Inclusive Excellence and embrace Universal Design for Learning and anti-racist teaching practices in the learning communities we are building at Arcadia, I remember often the college moment when I was sure I deserved to fail and someone in power reminded me that it was really the learning that mattered. My humanity was not an impediment to successfully completing the course even when it meant that I had “failed” to show up to class and did the presentation at a different time than my classmates.
This week, our colleague Jennifer Riggan posted on Facebook about “accommodation fatigue” in higher education right now as we continue to traverse the COVID-19 teaching & learning landscape. The discussion that followed was spirited and illuminating from faculty across the country who were avoiding grading by checking social media one more time. She said:
I said this at the end of last semester too, but I am having accommodation fatigue. Not documented accommodations [for disabilities]. Those are fine. But the constant calibration of deadlines and schedules, the constant tweaking of assignments and expectations, the ongoing flexibility, the creativity it takes to break down an assignment that used to be easy that now needs to be explained a new way, the student meetings that border on therapy, that we are consistently engaged in to help our students cope and thrive in this complicated moment. Accommodating is the right thing to do, but I just wish that someone were also recognizing how much work this is and giving teachers and professors [and staff members] some accommodations too…Everything – every meeting, every class, every student, sometimes even our colleagues, requires us to go above and beyond our normal duties. And we are wiped out. I believe in this work. I am happy to do this work. I just need folks to acknowledge that it IS work, extra work, to move it out of the realm of the invisible, and to consider extending us some grace (and maybe an occasional course release or email that tells us how to prioritize or takes something off our plate.)
We are all wiped out. And yet, when someone responded to Jennifer’s post and asked “when did a focus on learning become a focus on caring?” she responded in much the same way I would have. For me, teaching has always been about caring. It has always been, at the root, a social, human, endeavor that requires humility, vulnerability and care as well as the generation of knowledge, creativity and understanding. It seems to me that any “Inclusive Excellence Framework” has to also center learners, learning and care.
At CTLM, we are in the process of doing a lot of planning for our sustainability – asking questions about our capacity as a Center and what our priorities are. We have loved (nearly) every minute of the shared explorations we’ve been doing about how to navigate teaching, learning, and mentoring in the midst of COVID-19, but none of us can do it all. As we prioritize as a Center, we hope to also take part in a robust discussion about “accommodation fatigue” and how to prioritize as individuals and as an institution. We are especially excited about the arrival of and future collaborations with CASAA (The Center for Anti-Racist Scholarship, Advocacy and Action) and how our individual and joint work can help us build the kind of university we all want, need, and can sustain for many years to come.
As some of you know, I will be on sabbatical this Spring. Stay tuned for exciting news about our Acting Faculty Director for next semester, news about plans and priorities, and upcoming opportunities to visit our new space in Taylor Hall.
Pedagogical Consultant Work in the English Department
By Leigh Ferrier
When I first received the email inviting me to apply for a job called “Pedagogical Consultant,” I had actually been writing an essay that involved that very word—“pedagogy.” I thought it was an odd coincidence because it wasn't a word that I had been using in my daily life. Now, as a Pedagogical Consultant for the English Department as well as being a CTLM fellow, I find myself using the word a lot.
I’m actually surprised with just how relevant pedagogy is to my life, considering how I never really thought to use the word before arriving at this opportunity. To be more clear, the very simplified definition of pedagogy via Merriam Webster is “the art, science, or profession of teaching.” In other words, it’s the study of teaching, the theory of teaching, or how the process or use of pedagogy influences students.
As a Pedagogical Consultant I have a variety of different responsibilities, all which I honestly find to be incredibly rewarding. I have the absolute pleasure of working with Drs. Matt Heitzman and Michelle Reale as well as fellow student Julie Edmunson, and our interests all align enough that we really are able to have fun while doing this important work. I’ve worked a lot of different jobs in my lifetime thus far, and I’ve never had the experience of working on such a dynamic team. It really feels great to get together with this pedagogical team and brainstorm ways we can make the class more engaging, more inclusive, and help students make better use of the library and its resources.
I’m an English major with career goals in academia, so being a Pedagogical Consultant gives me real life experience and it gives me the ability to contribute directly to the pedagogy within Arcadia’s English department. The class I’m consulting for, EN 299 or Interpreting Literature II, is one that I took previously and really enjoyed. Now, as a consultant, I get to sit in on the class and be a part of it all over again, but in a different way. Many of the discussion points are familiar, but I get to see how an entirely different class takes on these same texts. I’m able to see how different minds collaborate and how everyone’s unique ways of thinking contribute to the overall discussion. Every class has a different “vibe,” and maybe that’s obvious, but it’s something that I didn’t think about fully until I was able to see it.
Honestly, I like to work and I like to be doing something that I feel contributes back in some kind of way, so this job has been kind of a dream for me. I know that everyone has a different school experience and everyone learns in different ways; and making the information in class accessible to everyone is something that’s really important to me. I love school. Really, I do. I didn’t always, but I love it now (even with this huge workload of a semester that I’m getting through). As an older student, I realize how much potential a college education has and what kind of seeds can be planted through this education. As someone who also dreams about becoming an educator in her future, I strive to one day foster an environment where students feel welcome and students want to learn, so
So what do I actually do as a Pedagogical Consultant and CTLM Fellow? Every week, Julie and I sit in on Dr. Heitzman’s EN299 class and observe. We’ll listen to conversations, questions, and sometimes respond to discussions in our class Discord server. Every other week, we meet with Dr. Reale and Dr. Heitzman on zoom to discuss what’s been going on in the class, what concerns have come up, and how we can make the classroom more inclusive and assignments more clear / less intimidating. Julie and I also lead break out sessions where we give the students an opportunity to have an open forum for feedback, good or bad, just student to student. We take that information into our meetings and discuss how we can remedy issues and how we can apply the positive feedback for future classes and assignments. As a CTLM Fellow, I also participate in monthly meetings to get to know other CTLM members better, discuss our work, collaborate—faculty and student fellows, and figure out ways to expand on the student work experience and the overall Arcadia experience.
Being given the opportunity to become a Pedagogical Consultant and CTLM Fellow was really exciting to me, and it’s just one of those things that continues to ignite the fire that keeps me going—it continues to remind me that I am actually on the right path. If I enjoy this so much, then I must be following my dreams, right? Not to end this on a corny note, but honestly, I think the answer is yes. I’ve worked enough jobs to know what I don’t want to do, so when I find something I enjoy doing, I really commit myself to it fully so I can get everything I can out of it. Figuring out what to do with oneself and finding a career to commit to can be daunting, but finding these opportunities where I can “test out” the kind of things I see myself involved in. Even if I didn’t enjoy this job as much as I actually do, there’s so much someone can learn from a position like this.
If you’re reading this and considering a work study, a volunteer opportunity, an internship, or anything that could give you insight into what you’re pursuing, I’d tell you to go for it!! If you have the time and you can fit in something a little extra, taking on something new can be really beneficial in the long run. There’s the obvious thing—no bit of experience looks bad on a resume, but showcasing that experience on paper is for other people, the actual experience is for you. Dabbling a bit into jobs and opportunities can really help with networking, branching out, and finding what you like and don’t like about your field or career. The only experience I had in a college classroom before becoming a Pedagogical Consultant was being student, and now I get access into how a class is actually built, how concerns are addressed, how students react to decisions (that I’ve even had a small part in making), how syllabi are adjusted, and how faculty are navigating this current climate. I’ve gotten into the position where I’m both still a student, but also a collaborator with English faculty, and while it seems like a pretty unique opportunity, I think it’s an important job and I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot more Pedagogical Consultants in the future.
The Power of Student Voice in LOVE
By Allyson McCreery
In several campus discussions this semester, centering student voices has been a key element of community endeavors. This semester, six working groups in the LOVE Pilot came together, centered student voices and perspectives, and discussed how to affect change within our campus community and beyond. The working groups showcase student innovation and passion, from sport equipment drives, to initiating student awards, and fighting for justice and equity of community members. It is truly an honor to experience the magic of students’ passion for creating a better tomorrow. As a member of the LOVE Pilot Team, I was able to witness the formation of this incredible student work. Sometimes student voices and perspectives are dismissed as lacking wisdom, knowledge, or credibility, but the LOVE Pilot really empowers students to lead this charge. Supporting student engagement in the LOVE Pilot has been a very gratifying experience—knowing that these students will depart LOVE and go onto to create change in their communities provides hope for a more just and equitable future for us all.
The Student Survival Guide for Finals Week
By Ryan Hiemenz
Finals week is just about one of the worst recurring weeks that anyone has ever had to deal with. So much pressure and anxiety, and for what? A nice final grade in a course? It doesn’t feel worth it to me. I’ll spare you my rant about the frustrations of being a college student and just take finals week for what it is: a bad time. However, I’m here to bring you 7 tips to help you survive the week and do as well as you possibly can on your finals. Good luck!
1. Make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep:
I know from personal experience that getting 8 hours of sleep might be asking a bit too much. I get that. I know every ounce of your being wants to be awake cramming in as much studying as possible. It’s all completely valid. However, as someone who fell asleep during my first final of my first year in college, I can honestly say that it’s not worth it. Study to your heart's content, but I HIGHLY recommend not going past midnight, your brain will be mush by then anyways. If you can manage to get at the very least 6 hours (but shoot for 8+) of sleep, you will feel well rested and ready for the exam… and hopefully not drool on your blue book like I did.
2. Drink WATER (not only coffee):
I’m a coffee addict, so this one is going to be more of a do as I say, not as I do type of scenario. Sometimes though, it’s important to take a break from the caffeine and fuel your body with water. I’m not a science major so I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure water is good for you or whatever. For finals week though, it’s more about the caffeine intake being a problem than anything else. High levels of caffeine in the body can actually result in more stress and anxiety, and the only way to flush out those high levels is with good ol’ water. I don't know about any of you, but I definitely don't need any more anxiety or stress in my life, so I GUESS I’ll give this one a try.
3. Take lots of breaks:
Now, this one’s my favorite piece of advice, I’m very good at it. While studying, I take so many breaks that It might be considered relaxing and taking breaks to study. However, I know for a fact that there have been times where I’m working on something and I think I would rather power through to be done than take longer by breaking. I’m here to tell you that that’s not healthy. It’s not even helping you either! Sunlight and activity have the power to rejuvenate your brain, allowing you to get more done and retain more information while working. Just taking a quick break to walk around your room can make a massive difference in your studying, and it might not feel so painful if you break it up a bit. Or you can just be like me and take breaks from doing nothing to study… your call.
4. Don’t forget to eat:
Similar to the last one, just studying without taking a second to do anything cannot be healthy or beneficial. This time though, it’s all about food. Make sure that you take some time to eat, even if it’s just little snacks here and there. Taking a final on an empty stomach is not a great plan, you’ll be distracted by your hunger AND everyone else will hear your stomach growling throughout the exam period. Don’t be that person. Also, you get bonus points for having healthy snacks to keep your brain happy, but I will stick to my go-to, Goldfish. Can’t beat em.
5. Take it one final at a time:
I’m the type of person to look at finals week as an entire circle of hell. I don’t see each final for what it is, I’m just immediately overwhelmed by the fact that I have all of those finals. For example, I could have 3 finals that are barely exams and 1 that might actually be difficult, but I’ll stress myself out over it because there's 4 finals to get through. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but I recommend trying to just focus on one final at a time. If you’re studying for one final at a time, you can give it your full attention, allowing you to retain more and feel more prepared. From there you can move onto the next one and so on. Give it a shot and you might cut your late night studying breakdowns to a minimum!
6. Reward yourself:
What’s better than feeling good about all the work you’ve just completed? Probably not having to do the work in the first place, but we have to take wins where we can find them. Setting goals for yourself and then rewarding yourself when you reach them is actually a really strong studying tactic that I use to get myself motivated. I’m not saying a reward as in buying yourself a new car or something, more like allowing yourself 10 minutes of TikTok time after finishing up a chapter. It’s simple, but it makes me want to get things done, and in doing so I’m processing more information to prepare for the finals. Plus, it adds a little bit of fun to what is otherwise a painful experience.
7. BREATHE!:
Believe me, I understand that this might be the hardest one on this list. It’s nearly impossible to contain the stress that is coupled with finals week. However, being able to take a step back to breathe and calm down when you are getting worked up will always feel better than a 2 a.m. mental breakdown. We’ve all been there. It’s not fun. If you only take 1 thing from this list, I hope that it’s this one. As we get closer and closer to our finals, don’t forget that you can always close your eyes and take a deep breath to collect yourself before getting back to acing your final!
The Faculty Survival Guide for Finals Week
By Maggie Malloy Rakaczewski
Hey there, superstar! It’s that time of the year again: Time to spend five extra minutes in the parking lot making yourself presentable and professional for your first class after laying waste to the haters and belting out Mariah Carey with the windows down all the way to campus. Well, actually, it’s been that time for about two weeks now, and you are going to need all of the Mariah Carey that Sirius has to offer, because it is time, once again, for finals here at Arcadia.
This year’s finals week marks a special milestone for professors at Arcadia. This will be the first time giving and grading them while back on campus after (what seems like) 486 semesters online. While you might be stressed thinking about conducting conferences, proctoring exams, correcting mountains of physical and or digital papers and tests, and getting grades in within the 72 hour time frame, you may be forgetting one beautiful, nay blissful, advantage of this semester...you have an office for finals again! Sure it might have been a difficult adjustment getting back onto campus, paying $7 dollars a gallon in gas for the drive, hanging 10 different things from your ears at the same time, and remembering how to people, but it’s all worth it, because you have an office, and you deserve it. This brings me to our first finals tip for faculty.
1. Use your space:
You are the life’s blood of the education students get at this esteemed University, you shaper of minds, you scribe of intellectual progress, and you have earned this! No longer do you have to get up from your hunched position over your laptop on the couch (and under the weighted blanket) while your partner asks you to read the wifi password for the twelfthteenth time this week because they had to reboot the router after getting kicked offline again from their wfh job (“It’s 7389-whale-Blob-gopher, not Bob-gopher, how many times do I have to tell you?!”). No longer do you have to hide under that weighted blanket while your kids play lightsabers with cardboard wrapping paper tubes on the Millenium Falcon that is your couch while chanting for snacks. No longer do you have to dodge the neighbors trying to get you to pregame the holidays, because they think a day grading is a day off. You have an oasis now. Make it an oasis. Use it. It’s your space, it’s your happy place, your productive place. Surround your computer with things that bring you joy, pop in your buds, and lean back in that scratchy office chair and get some rewarding work done. While you are at it, here are some other gentle reminders to keep in mind as you make your way through these not-as-trying-as-the-past-three-semesters times.
2. Make Sure to get at Least Eight Hours of Sleep:
I can hear you laughing, so I am just going to skip this one. I know you know the metabolic and mental health benefits of this, and I also know you haven’t ever been able to make it work. Just shoot for four and try not to fall over.
3. Keep Hydrated:
We all have a tendency to chug the coffee until we are as desiccated as Movie-7 Lord Voldemort, but I’m here to tell you, don’t do it. Not only is it terrible for your long-term health, but can lead to headaches and even more fatigue. Be sure to have lots of water and electrolytes in that office, and when you get home, skip that glass of wine. Your future self will thank you in the morning!
4. Take Lots of Breaks:
This is a biggy, and one you will be tempted to skip. There are so many kinds of breaks: eye breaks, back breaks, mental health breaks, snack breaks, etc. You're going to be staring at that screen even more than usual. If you don’t want to end up with a crazy-expensive prescription for blue-light, anti-glare, prismatic bifocals, follow the 20/20/20 rule that many optometrists recommend: Stop every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. My Physical Therapist (yes, you can herniate a disc from Zooming too much with bad posture, and that herniated disc will give you migraines) recommends taking full 20 minute breaks to stand up and walk around, because that’s how long it takes those puppies to slide back into place. Don’t forget those mindfulness exercises too, I’m not going to get too much into that here, because I am not trying to give medical advice, but most sources say they are pretty important. Stay grounded, stay focused, and stay calm...and if you figure out how to do that last one, let me know!
5. Don’t forget to Eat:
Try to get as much protein and vitamins as possible. If you don’t have allergies, trail mix is a great way to get energy, but watch the sugar. Ideally, you’ll have healthy little meals prepped and ready for finals weeks before it starts, but a half of a bagel in the bottom of your bag is also a valid life choice. Just make sure to keep that blood sugar regulated. And if, like Ryan, Goldfish crackers are your go-to, be sure to bring a toothpick or toothbrush to Canvas, because those things are terrible for your teeth...gave my kid one thousand dollars worth of cavities…grumble grumble.
6. Reward Yourself:
I’m not saying that you should take your laptop out in a field Office Space style when you are done grading, but hey, you do you! Whatever you do, reward yourself. Be kind to yourself. You deserve it. And don’t wait until finals are finished. When you reach the midpoint number of graded papers or test on your Canvas screen, go for a drive and enjoy the foliage, grab a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha with a coworker, buy a sheet mask, or some woodsy smelling beard oil, ditch the hard pants for joggers, get a stone message, or just belt out those “Yoou Baby’s!” with the Queen of the Season. This semester wouldn’t have happened without you, treat yourself like the priority you are!
I’m going to end there, because I have gone on far too long. The main takeaway here is that you are important; be sure to treat yourself like you are. You have been on call with that google account and open office door all semester working with these amazing Arcadia students, and you have helped them hone the craft that is your class. You have juggled Zoom, and hybrid, and in person, and screaming through a mask so you can be heard in the back of the room. You have worked so hard all semester, don’t forget the hero you are just because you are on a time limit. It will get done. You get it done every year. Just remember to be good to yourself!
Transitions are Hard
By Daniel Pieczkolon
This is our 9th issue of the CTLM Newsletter, and I’ve written at least one piece for each one. And—aside from your standard feelings of frustration and inadequacy that accompany any writing endeavor—I’ve mostly enjoyed getting to contribute to this project. This piece, however, (which is supposed to be about the CTLM’s new physical space on the first floor of Taylor Hall!) has proven remarkably difficult to write.
At first, I thought it’d be fun to try to approximate the rhetoric & style of something like Southern Home Magazine. I’d use phrases like “mid-century modern” and “tastefully understated” to describe the cinder block and formica of our new space, but something felt off, so I moved on to a pastiche of MTV Cribs—that wonderful artifact of early 2000s excess. I could embrace the gauche & garish as a way to ironically introduce our humble new abode, and the very idea of what it will mean for the CTLM to have a brick & mortar place on campus. This too felt misguided though. Try as I might, I just couldn’t seem to find a way to use the medium of home decor writing to say something worthwhile about what will soon be our new CTLM home. And then it dawned on me: it’s because I’m not quite sure what to say about what this space will or could or should be.
Each of the aforementioned modes of writing uses description as a means of articulating the ethos of some physical space. I was struggling to transition from the description to the ethos because I’m still unsure of what the ethos of our new space will be. Also, because transitions are hard.
Anyway, there’s this John Ashbery poem called “This Room” and it’s never far from the front of my brain. I’ve probably read it hundreds of times, and I find it endlessly beguiling. Only nine lines, it begins with a physical space and a dream (and the first of a series of the slipperiest pronouns) before passing through a number of images that simultaneously feel mundane & bizarre and, ultimately, ending with these lines: “Why do I tell you these things? / you are not even here” (8-9). These closing lines—which feel exhilaratingly abrupt on first read—still send me circling back to the beginning of the poem, (re)navigating through the images to make sense of this (in)direct address at the end. Who could “you” possibly be?
There’s one reading of this poem where “you” refers to some lost loved one. Many of the images in the short poem evoke feelings of domesticity and nostalgia. Surely, the “you” must be a deceased parent or sibling or lover—someone who helped the speaker hang the portraits on the wall and ate macaroni with them every day.
There’s another reading of this poem though where “you” refers directly to us, the reader. In this reading, the speaker is questioning the very function of the poem itself, or, more accurately, they are posing the question to us, the reader. In this reading, the poem is no longer a closed circuit of meaning that we are meant to decipher. Instead, we are responsible for assembling these fragments of image & memory & language into something meaningful—despite the fact that we “are not even here” (9).
I’ve always liked this second reading because it positions the poem as an act of evocation and us—all of us—as the ultimate constructors of meaning. I don’t know what to say about the new CTLM space because we—all of us, that is—haven't imbued it with meaning yet. One day, I hope to enter that space and find it a realized dream. A space where the power dynamics of the classroom or the departmental meeting are temporarily dissolved, and faculty, staff, & students are working as equals to nurture the wonderful teaching, learning, & mentoring that is happening on campus while also striving to re-imagine the possibilities of each of those distinct relationships.
I tell you these things because I’d like your help in achieving them.
An American Thanksgiving in London
By Barbara St. Fleur
This academic year, I didn’t think that I would be experiencing any American traditions because I’m abroad. Luckily, I met amazing fellow Americans who also wanted an extravagant Thanksgiving. My friends and I decided to cook a whole thanksgiving feast. We only planned for Thanksgiving to be a one-day event, but little did we know that we would be having a Thanksgiving week. I had a week full of ice skating, shopping, and eating at fancy restaurants.
My Thanksgiving experience started on Tuesday when my flatmates decided to go ice skating. FYI, I don’t know how to ice skate and I still don't know how to ice skate. I had a fun time and I didn't fall, which is the highlight of the evening. The day before Thanksgiving, we started some overnight planning. On the day of Thanksgiving, everyone decided to buy our ingredients. We didn’t plan on who was buying what so we ended up with seven sticks of butter and two cartons of milk and a lot of cheese. You can never have too many ingredients. Everyone had previous experience helping family members with Thanksgiving, but none of us have ever been in charge of Thanksgiving, but all in all, it was a beautiful experience. The food turned out great. On Friday, one of my flatmates’ mothers decided to treat all of us to a meal at one of Gordon Ramsay's amazing restaurants, fulfilling something on my London Bucket-list.
Mentor Spotlight: Michael D. Dwyer
By Danita Mapes
Going to a small school such as Arcadia has its benefits. You can make close-knit friendships, especially within your department, travel to and from buildings with ease, and very importantly, create important connections with your professors. The student-to-professor ratio here is 11:1, which means that you’ll probably (at least if you’re in a small department like I am, Media and Communication) have the same professor a handful of times and work very closely together. Not only is this useful for networking purposes, but for mentorship. College is really scary and overwhelming, and having someone who knows the ropes and teaches things you’re genuinely interested in is essential.
I got really lucky with my advisor, professor, and someone I’d consider a mentor: Michael Dwyer, Associate Professor of Media and Communication here. I came to Arcadia anxious and confused (which is still honestly true), not having set foot in a brick-and-mortar institution since 7th grade. No less, an expensive private University I definitely couldn’t afford. I was already terrified enough by the cheery orientation leaders and optimistic upperclassmen. I was incredibly shy and filled with anxiety when I first met with Michael, who I already heard was an amazing professor and advisor.
I feel like some professors wouldn't know what to do when some awkward student in the middle of a perpetual meltdown came into their office and started freaking out about what classes to take and preparing for every possible combination of bad outcomes. But not only was Michael equipped to handle it, he actively quelled all my fears and still does. The special thing about him is that he treats his students like the adults and the people they are, rather than children or just another number. Sure, we don’t have degrees or wealth of experience yet, but we’re adults all the same, and Michael and his advisees have a mutual respect and understanding of one another that’s really refreshing to see, and something I’ve benefited from a lot.
I’m not the most confident, often bookending my sentences with “I guess…” or, “Maybe this is stupid,” to which Michael immediately rejects in a direct but absolutely needed way. I had to learn how to get out of my comfort zone, and if not for his redirection, I’d be far more annoying and apologetic in class than usual.
Michael also encouraged me to participate in Publication Practicum, a 2-credit course where students run their own online lifestyle magazine. This type of course allowed us to work more like coworkers than students, and Michael serves as a gentle guide while the editor-in-chief and their appointed staff facilitates the meetings. This experience really allowed me to not only get some real-world experience but engage with my peers in a more laid-back and open setting. Having the magazine be entirely student-directed makes us have to hold one another accountable and really work together to get things done, and it’s so fulfilling.
Crazy enough, I’m now the Co-Editor-in-Chief with my peer, something I never thought I would’ve been able to do when I was a freshman here. I really owe a lot of it to Michael, who encouraged me to speak up and allowed space for me to say what I had to say as a very quiet and introverted individual.
The CTLM Team
Faculty Director
Dr. Ellen Skilton, Professor of Education
Projects & Strategies Lead
Dr. Brittani Smit
Administrative Liaison
Monica Day
Faculty & Staff Fellows
Dr. Jodi Bornstein, Associate Professor of Education
Lindsay McGann, Student Success Projects Manager (Division of Student Success) and Professional Faculty, Public Health
Dr. Katherine Moore, Associate Professor of Psychology
Daniel Pieczkolon, Adjunct Professor of English
Dr. Brittani Smit, TCGS, Resident Director, South Africa
Allyson McCreery, Program Coordinator, International Peace and Conflict Resolution Graduate Program (IPCR); Adjunct Professor, Undergraduate Studies
Student Fellows
Ryan Hiemenz, ‘23
Keisha Robinson, '23
Barbara St. Fleur, '22
Anna Cheluget Kawira ‘21
Sam Jackson, ‘23
Dillon Shash, ‘24
Leigh Ferrier, ‘22
Julie Edmundson (SGO Liaison), ‘23
Courtney Thoroughgood, ‘22
Email: ctlm@arcadia.edu
Website: https://www.arcadia.edu/university/offices-facilities/center-teaching-learning-and-mentoring-ctlm
Location: 450 S Easton Rd, Glenside, PA 19038
Phone: (215) 570-2900
