Provost's Post

Summer Study Abroad: A bridge to understanding cultures

(Courtesy of WCU Communications & Marketing)

The sound of French conversations echoing, the smell of fresh pastries in the morning air, and the sight of medieval streets leading toward a 2,000-year-old theater: This is just a glimpse of the summer a group of WCU students spent in Lyon, France.

Led by Dr. Roxanne Petit-Rasselle, associate professor of languages and cultures and coordinator of French, who was born and raised in the city and whose family still lives there, the month-long program (May 28 to June 25) gave students four credits in French, with courses ranging from second-semester to advanced levels. It provided them an opportunity to sharpen their French skills and explore France’s second-largest city.

Dr. Petit-Rasselle said this trip is not only transformative for students but is deeply personal for her. It is where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and curated relationships with friends who still reside there today. She describes Lyon as “super exciting” yet “very manageable,” a place where history and modern life crossover. “Lyon is French students’ favorite town, she said. “It’s very ‘young,’ dynamic, and cosmopolitan. Lyon also has the advantage of being a lot more affordable than Paris and, best of all, students can practice French there as opposed to more touristy areas.” 

For French minor Ashley Tyrrell, it was the perfect blend of guided exploration and independent adventures she’ll never forget. A communication sciences and disorders major (pre-speech-language pathology) entering her fourth year, Tyrrell said the trip was a chance to put years of studying into practice. With her French and linguistics minors, she had already taken French through the 300 level, but being surrounded daily by native speakers gave her a new, culturally rich perspective.  “Hearing locals talk at their normal pace was something I wasn’t used to, but by the end of the trip I felt like I could understand more than before,” she said. Navigating train stations, translating menus, and chatting with workers and natives became part of her daily routine.

Associate Provost for Global Engagement Dr. Angela Howard tells students, “The world is your classroom, and study abroad opens doors to experiences that will shape you for a lifetime. Whether you dream of exploring art in Florence, conducting research in Ghana, or interning in Tokyo, West Chester University offers more than 500 programs across the globe for you to choose from. These opportunities aren’t just about where you go — they’re about who you become: more confident, more adaptable, and more connected to the world around you.”

The Global Engagement Office (GEO) curates a diverse range of education abroad programs including traditional semester, winter, and summer experiences; internships; research; service learning; performances; and teaching experiences. GEO maintains a database of more than 720 education abroad programs and facilitates the application workflow, deadlines, visa requirements, payments, and travel logistics. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT OFFICE

Integrating Career Readiness into the Campus Culture

(Courtesy of WCU Communications & Marketing)

“Preparing students to launch into the world and into their careers is a team sport,” says Jennifer Rossi Long ’05, who leads campus-wide career preparation efforts at the University as the senior director of the Twardowski Career Development Center. The center is celebrating its 60th anniversary this fall.

Students have to take the initiative regarding their career journeys and there’s plenty of support across campus for them not only to prepare for professional roles but to explore companies, fields, and industries through experiences they can put on their resumes. Internships, practicums, research, job shadowing, and volunteer experiences all lead to better-prepared graduates and, in the case of internships, higher average starting salaries according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Students who complete internships and learn to network report finding their degrees more relevant.

The career center is the campus career hub, offering job fairs and meet-ups, resume review days, information tables, and workshops. Students use the Handshake career platform to connect with the center’s staff and student staff; research internships and job opportunities; and explore employer events that happen on-campus, off-campus, and virtually. In-person consultations with counselors are always an option, but integrating career planning into the campus culture means the center’s services are not confined to its physical location in Lawrence Center.

Long reports that her staff engages with 49% of the 17,000+ students enrolled.

Faculty are very involved in career development and are integral to many experiential learning opportunities, she emphasizes. “Faculty helped developed the survey that examined the state of career readiness for our students. The collective contributions of more than 1,000 voices helped drive how we focus our work.”

The center partners with WCU’s Academic Affairs division to provide faculty with support for career assignments and D2L (online) modules. The center’s staff serve as liaisons and will visit classrooms for training and activities.

Long says that building career preparation into the classroom and campus culture can “scaffold getting students ready to launch. We’re trying to move career development out of the optional space and infuse it more into the campus experience.”

New Study Abroad Program Launches this Fall

A new study abroad program at WCU under the direction of Dr. Susan Wysor-Nguema launched this semester.  The course is called Discovering Ourselves: Exploring Identity and Legacy, and it’s structured as a two-part travel study experience. Students will journey first to Benin, West Africa in January, then to Africatown and Montgomery, Alabama over Spring Break. Throughout, Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon will be a foundational text to guide students' conversations and reflections.

The first part of the program invites students to look inward, exploring personal identity, inherited memory, and individual legacy. The second part of the program shifts focus outward, considering how communities form collective identities and how the stories we choose to tell (or not tell) shape the legacy we leave behind.

If you know of any students who might be interested, please forward the link below or have them reach out to swysornguema@wcupa.edu for more information.

LINK TO APPLICATION

Applications for 1871 Award Now Open

Applications for the 1871 Award opened this past Friday, September 26, and will close on Monday, November 3. The 1871 Award is the university's most prestigious leadership award given to a select group of juniors and seniors. If you're not familiar with the award, or need a refresher, you can read all about it here.  Please consider posting this flyer in your facilities and sharing with qualified students in your network.

West Chester University’s Department of Theatre & Dance Announces 2025-2026 Season

(Courtesy of WCU's Communications & Marketing Department)

West Chester University’s Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to announce its 2025–2026 season featuring compelling plays, beloved musicals, original student work, and innovative dance concerts. This year’s lineup offers something for everyone—from family-friendly adventures to powerful dramas that examine history, identity, and moral conflict.

Tickets are on sale now at www.wcupa.edu/TheatreDanceTickets and range in price from $12 -  $15. Tickets for the Student Written One Acts are $5 at the door.

2025-2026 SCHEDULE

WCU’s Dept. of Art + Design Presents Woolly Mammoth: Paintings and Drawings by Kristopher Benedict

(Courtesy of WCU Department of Communication & Marketing)

This fall, West Chester University (WCU) invites students, faculty, staff, and members of the surrounding community to experience Woolly Mammoth, an exhibition of paintings and drawings by WCU Professor of Painting Kristopher Benedict. The exhibition will be on view Monday, September 2, through Friday, October 10, 2025, in the Knauer Gallery, Swope Music Building and Performing Arts Center, 817 S. High Street, West Chester. Admission is free and open to the public.

Benedict’s Woolly Mammoth is a body of recent work created during his Spring 2025 sabbatical, including time spent at the Jentel Artist Residency in rural Wyoming. While the exhibition’s title references the prehistoric giant, the works on display are not specifically about mammoths. Instead, Woolly Mammoth functions as a broad metaphor and entry point into Benedict’s creative process.

 “The Woolly Mammoth, for me, is a figure of contradictions,” Benedict explains. “It suggests both ruin and rebirth, childhood and extinction, the distant past and the present moment. In many ways, painting shares these same contradictions. The work in this exhibition embraces those tensions.”

The paintings and drawings presented in Woolly Mammoth explore imagery that shifts between abstraction and recognition, drawing on landscape traditions while challenging how we perceive and interpret our environment. Viewers can expect to encounter open-ended visual narratives that encourage reflection and invite multiple interpretations. Benedict has exhibited nationally and internationally, with solo shows at David Richard Gallery, Sue Scott Gallery, and Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York City, among others. His work is included in public collections such as the RISD Museum, the Flint Institute of Arts, and the Orlando Museum of Art. Based in Philadelphia, he has taught at West Chester University since 2014.

The Department of Art + Design is proud to showcase Benedict’s work and invites both the WCU campus community and residents of the greater West Chester area to engage with this thought-provoking exhibition.

Woolly Mammoth
September 2 – October 10, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 11, 4 – 6 p.m.
Artist Talk: Thursday, September 11, 2 p.m.
Knauer Gallery, Swope Music Building and Performing Arts Center, 817 S. High Street, West Chester
Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Mayor Lillian DeBaptiste ’74 to Deliver the 2025 Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste Frederick Douglass Institute Lecture on October 2

The Honorable Lillian DeBaptiste ’74, mayor of the Borough of West Chester, will deliver the Sixth Annual Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste Frederick Douglass Institute Lecture on Thursday, October 2, at 3 p.m. in Philips Autograph Library in Philips Memorial Building. Her topic is “The Struggle for Democracy and Justice in America: What Would Frederick Douglass Do?” The lecture, which is open to the public free of charge, is hosted by the Frederick Douglass Institute and is made possible through the generous gift of Dr. Clifford DeBaptiste, the first African‐American mayor of West Chester Borough and a recognized champion of education.

An alumna of the University, Mayor DeBaptiste was officially sworn in as the first Black female mayor of the Borough of West Chester on January 3, 2022. She’s following in the footsteps of her father, Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste, who served two terms as the first African American mayor in West Chester starting in 1994.

The Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste Frederick Douglass Lecture is an educational and cultural resource for advancing multicultural studies across the community and for deepening the intellectual heritage of Frederick Douglass.

The goal of the lecture is to maintain the legacy of the great abolitionist, orator, and statesman Frederick Douglass before the campus community, local community, region, and the nation. The Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste Frederick Douglass Lecture is an educational and cultural resource for advancing multicultural studies across the community and for deepening the intellectual heritage of Frederick Douglass. Each year a guest lecturer is invited to be the speaker, with the goal of attracting a wide audience.

WCU Hosts the 7th Annual Ruby Jones Conference on Race, Social Justice, and Civic Leadership on October 24

On Friday, October 24, 2025, the Dowdy Multicultural Center will host its 7th Annual Ruby Jones Conference on Race, Social Justice, and Civic Leadership from 9am – 2pm at the Sykes Student Union in the Sykes Ballrooms. In recognition of our 250th year of U.S. Independence, the theme for the conference is "250 Years Later: This is America".

The goal of this conference is to create an educational environment where participants can engage in learning that will raise awareness and promote action-oriented dialogue about race, gender, sexuality, health, disability, social and cultural issues, and so much more. This conference will help to examine how these issues impact faculty, staff, and students' lives on campus, in communities, and in society. This year marks 250 years of independence in the U.S. and our hope is that participants will be encouraged to think critically about our independence, the issues concerning their communities, and the role they play.

We are currently accepting proposals for workshop presenters. Presentation topics can include race, gender, sexuality, health, disability, social and cultural issues, and other social or cultural issues. Interested parties should register for the event and submit their proposals by Friday, October 10, 2025 at 11:59pm.  

Additionally, we are seeking student volunteers to assist with various aspects of the conference. This is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience and expand your professional network.

To register, volunteer, or submit proposals, please click the links below.

EVENT REGISTRATION

PROPOSAL SIGN-UP

VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP

WCU’s iCamp 2025: Uplifting Student Voices Through Media, Mentorship, and Social Justice

Now in its eighth season, West Chester University’s iCamp continues to serve as a powerful  launchpad for high school students from Philadelphia, helping them explore digital media, self-expression, and social justice, all while living and learning on a college campus.

From July 20 - 26, iCamp 2025 welcomed a new cohort of rising juniors and seniors to campus for a free, weeklong immersive experience in podcasting, game development, video production, and digital journalism. The program forged full steam ahead with community support, expert faculty, and the power of youth creativity behind it, despite a reduction in funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) this year.

At its core, iCamp isn’t just about teaching students how to use a camera or edit a podcast—it’s about helping young people tell their stories, grapple with the issues that impact their lives, and imagine new futures through media creation. Every student selects a Philly-based social issue to explore through their final project, resulting in powerful, student-led investigations into mental health, gentrification, racial bias, and more.

“We’re not just teaching media skills,” says Dr. Laquana Cooke, iCamp’s Founding Program Director and WCU English faculty member. “We’re giving students a chance to reflect, create, and speak out on the things that matter to them.”

The application process itself invites critical thinking. Students are asked what issues in their community inspire them to take action, and many are exploring topics they’ve never before had the chance to discuss in school. This year’s projects include an interactive game addressing the drug crisis in Kensington, a photo essay capturing the cultural beauty of Philadelphia, and a podcast on systemic inequities in urban education.

LEARN MORE ABOUT iCAMP

Getting Around: Transportation Update

In addition to the Matlack Court shuttle, there are two new off-campus shuttle routes and additional enhancements to several routes. Campus shuttle buses are free to WCU students, faculty, and staff and while the Matlack and West Goshen routes are intended for students, these shuttles are available for employees as well. Plus, new shuttle shelters are being installed at the Q-Lot and R-Lot bus stops to enhance the campus shuttle experience. They’ll be completed early this semester.

New this year is a shuttle serving apartments where many of our students live. The West Goshen Loop operates M-F 6:45 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. Stops include Aldi, West Goshen Shopping Center (beginning at 11 a.m. for these first two), Goshen Manor, Goshen Terrace, Golf Club Apartments, The Willows, RamsGate Court, The Edge, Wayne Hall. As a one-year pilot program, the free West Goshen Loop will be evaluated, and feedback will be sought from riders at the end of the fall 2025 semester.

A new Late Night Loop operates Thursdays through Sundays from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Check the schedules, routes, and adjustments for holidays and access the live shuttle tracker by clicking the buttons below.  

A collaboration between WCU and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) gives WCU students and employees the opportunity to purchase discounted monthly commuter passes.

As of August 25, 2025, all SEPTA routes to the West Chester campus — including the Paoli-Thorndale Regional Rail Line and the Route 104, 92, and 135 buses — continue in operation, although during off-peak hours there will be approximately 20% fewer vehicles on the 104 bus route and on the Paoli-Thorndale line.

If you rely on public transit, we encourage you to review your usual travel plans and watch for updates from SEPTA and the University. SEPTA’s Trip Planner is useful for understanding your options. In addition, WCU’s Transportation and Commuter Options website provides information on other public transit services, carpool, WCU shuttle, bicycling, and other commuter choices.  

WCU’s Bicycle Lending Library offers members of the WCU community the opportunity to borrow a bike for a two-week period or for the entire semester. Cyclists who own bikes can check out tune-up tool kits from the library help desk or attend any of the weekly bike maintenance workshops.

SHUTTLE INFORMATION

LIVE SHUTTLE TRACKER

SURI Student Research: Sophomore Layla King Examines College Students’ Self-awareness

(Courtesy of WCU Communication & Marketing)

Sophomore Layla King, an English secondary education major, spent the early part of this summer diving into how college students understand and talk about self-awareness as part of her Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) project. 

“As a future educator, I am especially aware of the value of soft skills,” King said. “While this is imperative… sometimes the development of those important soft skills — such as self-awareness — stays stagnant or is even lost completely.”

With guidance from Dr. Zachary Wooten, assistant professor of leadership studies and advisor for the Honors College’s civic and professional leadership minor, King analyzed student perspectives to better understand how campus culture influences personal development. The project seeks to uncover through qualitative analysis how students define, experience, and engage with self-awareness in their everyday lives. She explained that her “primary means of data collection is through focus groups, [which] allows us to gauge student perspectives through a low-pressure environment. … Participants engage in discussions with one another, collaboratively sharing ideas and viewpoints.”

Dr. Wooten emphasized that the project connects to broader themes of student development: “Combining WCU’s focus on personal and professional success, the topic of self-awareness is meaningful both in and out of the classroom. Self-awareness helps individuals better understand their values, emotions, strengths, and limitations… Layla investigates all of this and more.”

The research is structured around four key questions: how students define self-awareness, what qualities they associate with it, what shapes their understanding of it, and how self-awareness on campus compares to the world beyond. “These questions are guiding the data analysis process as we hope to find a multitude of answers and perspectives,” King shared.

Inspired by her HON 100 course on self-awareness and development, King took what she learned in the classroom and used it as a starting point for something bigger. “She built upon and moved beyond the limitations of the class to engage in phenomenological qualitative research,” Dr. Wooten said, noting her interdisciplinary approach and highlighting “her analytical mind and insatiable curiosity.”

Ultimately, King hopes that the findings from this project will not only generate meaningful discussions but also inspire broader, long-term changes in how educators and institutions approach the teaching and development of soft skills like self-awareness. “Understanding student perspectives on this topic can help future educators at WCU and beyond create curricula that implement specific examples and ways for students to grow in these skills,” she said.

Wooten agreed: “Anyone interested in personal or professional development will find her research compelling and useful as a case study for other projects focused on young adult development or higher education leadership.”

“My favorite part would probably be the introduction to research as a whole,” King said. “It’s made me excited about what’s to come and how I’ll use it as a future educator.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Provost Research Grant Proposal Due November 21st

In recognition of the importance of faculty-directed research and creative activities, Dr. Josh R. Auld, Acting Provost, has committed funds to support the Provost’s Research Grant (PRG). In keeping with the university’s mission to develop graduates who will “succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good,” the PRG encourages faculty applicants to include a model for student/faculty collaboration in their proposals. Faculty who can draw connections to making our campus student-ready, accessible, and affordable are strongly encouraged to apply.

Grants ranging between $2,000 - $10,000 will be awarded (including winter or summer salary)

The purpose of the PRG is to support faculty research, creative activity, and the production of scholarly outputs, leading to external funding opportunities; all of which should demonstrate student impact. Interdisciplinary collaborative projects are encouraged.

Eligibility:

All tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible for awards on a competitive basis. Continuing non-tenure-track faculty members are encouraged to apply with a tenured or tenure-track faculty member serving as the Primary Investigator (PI). Temporary faculty must indicate that they expect to be employed at WCU during the grant period. If awarded, it is expected that you will serve as a reviewer the year following the completion of your PRG.

Scope: 

It is expected that all Research and Creative Activities projects will enhance the professional development of the faculty members involved and demonstrate student impact. Please see the RFP attachment for additional information. 

Proposals are due by 5pm on November 21st, 2025. 

PRG Application

Sustainability on Campus

(Courtesy of WCU's Department of Communications & Marketing)

On our campus, the University’s Office of Sustainability (OoS) is the hub for all things related to sustainability.

A simple yet powerful concept, sustainability ties together human happiness and well-being with the quality and health of environmental systems, incorporating such wide-ranging topics as biodiversity loss, climate change, social justice, and more.

Anyone on campus can become involved in WCU’s sustainability efforts by attending Sustainability Council meetings, which take place monthly during the academic year on the second Fridays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. both in person and via Zoom. This semester, those occur on the following dates: September 12 (Philips Lower Level Conference Room), October 10 (Philips Lower Level Conference Room), and November 14 (location TBD). Reach out to sustainability@wcupa.edu for the Zoom link.

Together, OoS and the Sustainability Council work to further West Chester University's commitments to environmental, economic, and social sustainability in teaching, scholarship, and operations. One way they bring awareness to issues is by hosting and organizing events, most of which are listed in the OoS Sustainability Bulletin, which you can subscribe to here.

OoS organizes weekly Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars on Wednesdays at noon each semester. Held both in person in Sykes 255 A/B and on Zoom, these programs feature experts from both WCU and the community who explore and apply principles of environmental, social, and economic sustainability in their research and practice. Cookies and coffee are provided each week! The seminars are 50 minutes and are co-sponsored with the Sustainability Council’s Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL 

SUBSCRIBE TO SUSTAINABILITY BULLETIN

 

Quench Your Thirst for Knowledge with New Science on Tap Talks

Anyone with an appetite for scientific knowledge is sure to enjoy a new series of free monthly Science on Tap talks by WCU experts that will take place monthly at Barnaby’s Restaurant (15 South High Street, second floor). Each session will feature a different WCU expert sharing interesting ideas and research, new information, and discoveries. The program invites audience participation with opportunities to ask questions, spark discussion, and connect with fellow science enthusiasts. And of course, the audience can order from Barnaby’s food and beverage menus for a full dining and learning experience. 

Dr. Elliott Arnold, Earth and Space Sciences, opened the series with a discussion about “Disentangling the Subtleties of Climate Change through Observation and Inference: How can looking into the past help us salvage our future?” on September 16. The next Science on Tap program is on Tuesday, October 21, when Dr. Manuela Ramalho, Department of Biology will talk about “Ants Under the Influence ... of Evolution, not Beer!” see below and the website for the complete list of presentations. 

The University’s Science on Tap series is modeled after similar programs that pair scientific presentations with a restaurant atmosphere. WCU’s series aims to make scientific concepts accessible; connect the public with approachable, knowledgeable scientists; and overcome mistrust/misunderstanding of science. It is directed by Dr. Christopher Roemmele, associate professor and assistant chair of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, who wants to “bring science out of the labs and the halls of academia and share it with the public in an informal setting. 

“My goal is to promote science and science literacy. My colleagues here at WCU do wonderful and thought-provoking science in their diverse respective fields. And I want the greater West Chester community to be made aware of that. We do a lot of teaching, but we also do great research here, and that should be communicated.” 

Parking is available directly across from Barnaby’s at the Bicentennial Parking Garage on High Street. 

For additional information, contact Dr. Roemmele. 

SCIENCE ON TAP FULL SCHEDULE HERE

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

TLC Teaching Tools, Tips and Resources for Fall 2025

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) has published a blog with curated resources to support your teaching this fall—from student-friendly syllabus design and AI policy guidance to D2L templates, technology tools, and inclusive teaching strategies. For your convenience, this blog is also available in audio format if you prefer to listen while multitasking or commuting.

The Fall 2025 Technology Roundup showcases university-supported teaching technologies. We invite you to explore some new tools to enhance student learning.

Lastly, WCU now has a dedicated accessibility website for comprehensive resources to help faculty and staff create inclusive digital content. Whether you are creating documents, presentations, PDFs, videos, or websites, this resource hub breaks down accessibility into manageable, actionable steps.  

Teaching Tools and Tips Blog

Digital Accessibility Resources Hub

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