Help students ReConnect with CState on Dec. 11

The Office of Admission is seeking volunteers to assist with a Student ReConnect event on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Students who were enrolled at CState in Spring or Summer semesters of 2021 but did not register for Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 will be invited (via postcard, email, and text message outreach) to get back on track toward graduation by attending the ReConnect event.

On ReConnect day, students will be greeted in the Welcome Center and then directed to other campus locations for academic or career guidance, financial aid assistance, or other help needed to prepare for Spring semester.

Faculty, staff, or current students who want to help as greeters on ReConnect day can visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050d48acac2ea5f49-reconnect to sign up.

Director of Admission Debbie Poweleit said past ReConnect events have had a positive impact on retention, starting in August 2019 when 62 students attended.

As of Fall 2021, 45% of those students were still enrolled and working toward their degree or certificate.

Results of other ReConnect events are shown below.

If you have questions about ReConnect day, contact Debbie at deborah.poweleit@cincinnatistate.edu.

Nursing faculty provide special food bags for Surge Pantry; distribution starts Dec. 1

Cincinnati State Nursing faculty (with assistance from Kim Taylor from the Office of Advancement and other helpers) obtained donations and prepared 35 special food bags that will be available to students starting Dec. 1.

The food gift bags will be distributed on Wednesday, Dec. 1 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., or until supplies are gone, on the ATLC first floor near the Overlook. (If supplies remain, distribution will continue on Dec. 2 starting at 11 a.m.)

Pictured above, after food bag assembly, are (from left) faculty members Anne Dean and Kristen Dekok, along with Melissa Windau (Kristen's mother, who is also a nurse).

In addition to typical items that students can obtain at the Surge Cupboard Food Pantry, the gift bags contain a variety of staples that may be helpful during the College's winter break, including stuffing, potatoes, gravy, green beans, macaroni, bread, rice, beans, canned fruit and vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce, peanut butter & jelly, oatmeal, tuna, and granola bars and nuts.

CS "quiz masters" needed for high school Academic League

Cincinnati State has a long-standing tradition of serving as the site for academic "quiz bowl" competitions among area high school students.

The tradition continued on Nov. 13 when CState hosted the Greater Cincinnati Academic League (GCAL) Fall 2021 Tournament. 

Eight tri-state high schools came to Clifton Campus to compete in four rounds of academic challenges during the tournament, which is the culminating event for the fall GCAL season. Participating schools included:

• Carroll HS
• Elder HS
• LaSalle HS
• Mercy-McAuley HS
• Oldenburg HS
• Purcell Marian HS
• Seton HS
• St. Xavier HS

St. Xavier and Elder won their respective divisions, with the St. Xavier Bombers outscoring the Elder Panthers in the final match.

Faculty members Scott Freeman (in photo above), Heather Hatchett, Mary Repaske, and Ryan Shadle served as tournament "quiz masters" who presented the questions during each match.

Faculty or staff members interested in assisting with future matches are encouraged to contact league directors Mark Tiemeier (mark.tiemeier@cincinnatistate.edu) or Milene Donlin (milene.donlin@cincinnatistate.edu).

• The winter season of GCAL academic competions will start in January and continue until early February. Weekly matches take place on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 6 p.m. and two more tournaments will take place in January and February.
   
• In addition, CState hosts the Cincinnati Academic League (CAL), that competes on Mondays from 4-6 p.m. The CAL will have their own tournament during Spring Semester 2022 as well as a combined tournament with the GCAL schools.
   
• Volunteers don't need to commit for the entire time period on Mondays and Tuesdays-- if you can help with a few of the matches, your assistance is appreciated.

No academic league experience is required; training in the art of reading quiz questions will be provided as needed.

Wilmington master's degree info sessions this week

Wilmington College Cincinnati invites Cincinnati State faculty and staff members to learn more about the Wilmington Master's in Organizational Leadership (MOL) program at "lunch and learn" and online information sessions.

The master's degree program will begin in Spring Semester 2022, with classes offered on Cincinnati State’s campus.

Two in-person "lunch and learn" sessions are available:

• Tuesday, Nov. 30, noon to 1 p.m., Main 180
• Wednesday, Dec. 1, noon to 1 p.m., Main 180

Lunch will be provided and you'll learn about the program curriculum, the admissions process, and more.

A virtual information session will be held Thursday, Dec. 2, starting at 6 p.m. To join the Zoom meeting go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87594110596.

If you can't attend a session, but would like more information, contact Program Director Brenda Kraner (brenda.kraner@wilmington.edu or 513-569-4583) or visit wilmington.edu/MOL

Please share information with students, graduates, or friends who may be interested-- all are welcome at the information sessions.

Chef Meg Galvin provided pre-holiday cooking advice on WVXU

Faculty member Chef Meg Galvin joined a group of food experts who provided pre-Thanksgiving advice on WVXU's Cincinnati Edition radio show on Nov. 22.

If you'd like to start getting ready now for your next holiday feast, and learn Chef Galvin's tips for preparing savory sweet potatoes, you can listen to Meg and the other panel members (Chef Brad Bernstein, owner of Red Feather and Dutch's restaurants; and Cincinnati Enquirer food writer Keith Pandolfi) at the Cincinnati Edition website.

Online Learning Support for faculty - Nov. 29-Dec. 3

The Office of Online Learning is providing Blackboard Office hours and other resources for instructors this week.

For more information, visit the "Support/Training" section of the COVID-19 Faculty Resources site in Blackboard. Look for this site near the bottom of your list of Blackboard courses.

The Center for Teaching and Learning also is offering help for improving courses, regardless of format, as well as other support for faculty and staff members.

Blackboard Office Hours are facilitated by Dr. Jon McKamey (via Zoom)

• Monday, Nov. 29 - 11 a.m.-noon
  
• Tuesday, Nov. 30 - 2-3 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 1 - 1-2 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 2 - 11 a.m.-noon

Drop-in as needed to get help with specific Blackboard tools, troubleshooting, or any remote learning-related topic. Come prepared with your specific needs and you'll get help seeking solutions.

Join Jon on Zoom at https://cincinnatistate-edu.zoom.us/j/81060585299?pwd=QVRaMDJBcWNEcUxMeE4vQnZtTnU3QT09

• Meeting ID: 810 6058 5299  |  Passcode: 672017

Remote Assistance from the Instructional Designer  | Self-paced "Teaching Online" course

Dr. McKamey is available to provide remote assistance via Zoom to help individuals with online course and Blackboard issues.

Contact Jon by email (jon.mckamey@cincinnatistate.edu) for an appointment and Zoom room details.

Faculty members are encouraged to sign up for the self-paced, 6-module online course Teaching Online for Cincinnati State, facilitated by Dr. McKamey.

Faculty can enroll in the course at any time. See the weekly PDF training schedule for more information.

Zoom Support for Faculty & Staff is facilitated by Paul D. DeNu (via Zoom)

To schedule an appointment for help with Zoom troubleshooting or training, send email to Paul at pddenu@cincinnatistate.edu, and then you can join Paul on Zoom at the scheduled time.

Join Paul on Zoom at https://cincinnatistate-edu.zoom.us/j/81438614572?pwd=MWkySzBWZmRWN3hLZmpMaUZseHpRZz09

• Meeting ID: 814 3861 4572  |  Passcode: 5m201r

Paul is also available by appointment to provide individual training and help with concerns related to Zoom, as well as help with other learning technology (Collaborate, audio/video work, Screencast-O-Matic, closed captioning, accessibility, and Blackboard assistance).

Julee Johns, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, and the CTL Learning Facilitators, are available by appointment.

Call (513) 569-1724 to leave a message for a return call.

The CTL Blackboard site (in your list of Blackboard courses) has resources to assist with Fall 2021 classroom management issues.

Learning Facilitator Dr. Valencia Moses is providing individual coaching sessions for faculty and staff throughout Fall Semester.

Coaching sessions with "Dr. V" are available via Zoom during her office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

• Use this link to schedule a 30-minute session tailored to meet your needs or explore a topic of interest: https://calendly.com/drv4ctl/30min

Learning Facilitator Shannon McClure is available to provide individual assistance with data analysis, including using the College’s Tableau data, for Program Chairs, Department Chairs, and other interested faculty members.

• Examples of help available include annual self-study reporting, data collection methods for course assessment and HLC reporting, and finding funding sources and developing proposals for grants to obtain resources (such as lab equipment, marketing support, and more).
   
• Shannon is available during office hours on Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. and at other times by appointment.
   
• To schedule an online consultation with Shannon, visit this link. Or, you can send her an email message at shannon.mcclure@cincinnatistate.edu.

The new webinar series on Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) is available to complete on a self-determined schedule.

• Participants can earn Continuing Education Credit (CEU) after viewing four 30-minute sessions, and can earn additional CEUs by choosing to complete reflection worksheets.

• The PTG webinar series is available from the CTL Blackboard site, under the "Teaching and Learning" tab on the left side of the screen. (You must be logged in to Blackboard to access the link.)
   
• If you have questions, contact Dr. Valencia Moses (Valencia.Moses@cincinnatistate.edu) or any CTL team member.