Reflections Magazine Issue #83 - Fall 2015 | Page 6

Campus News

O’Connell has Article
Published in Christianity
and Literature

Betz Named New Dean of
SHU and Barry University
the College for Professional Sign Agreement for Social
Studies
Work Students

SHU Assistant Professor of Humanities
Michael O’Connell had an article
published in the June 2015 issue of
“Christianity and Literature.” The name
of the essay is “ ‘Your Temple is Self
and Sentiment’: David Foster Wallace’s
Diagnostic Novels.”

After conducting a
national search, Cheri
Betz was named the new
dean of the College for
Professional Studies. She
began her new position
Sept. 15, replacing
retiring Dean Deb Carter. Betz has been
SHU Nursing Receives
employed at Siena Heights since 2002,
previously serving as SHU’s Southeast
10-Year Accreditation
Michigan regional director, which
The SHU Nursing program recently
includes the centers at Southfield,
received a 10-year reaccreditation—
Dearborn and Monroe. She earned her
the best a program in baccalaureate or
bachelor’s degree from Olivet Nazarene
graduate nursing education can receive— (Ill.) University, her master’s degree in
from the Commission on Collegiate
organizational leadership from SHU in
Nursing Education. Siena Heights Nursing 2007, and is completing her PhD from
met all four CCNE standards with no
Olivet Nazarene.
compliance issues. Siena Heights was
initially granted a five-year accreditation
Mathis Selected as New
in 2010 by the CCNE, and recently underDiversity and Inclusion
went an extensive self-study process that
Director
lasted more than a year. Faculty examined all aspects of the program and
Sharese Shannon Mathis
interviewed its stakeholders, including
was named the new
students, faculty and staff, alumni and
director of Diversity &
clinical site partners.
Inclusion. She began

SHU Receives Grant to
Develop Reading Program
Siena Heights University is only one of
four Michigan universities working with
the University of Florida’s Collaboration
for Effective Educator Development,
Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR)
Center and the Michigan Department
of Education to better prepare general
and special education teachers to help
students improve reading skills. SHU, as
well as Northern Michigan University,
Grand Valley State University and
Northern Michigan University will use
a $200,000 CEEDAR grant to develop
a training program aimed at improving
reading for students from kindergarten
through high school. According to
SHU Director of Education and Special
Education Program Coordinator Dr. Carrie
Mitchell, there will be several leadership
teams in which Siena will participate.
After a two-year commitment, the
participating institutions will help train
other universities. The ultimate goal,
according to CEEDAR, is to help students
achieve better college- and career-ready
standards. Mitchell said this is the first
time SHU has received such a grant.

6 | Reflections Fall ’15

her new position July 6.
A Lansing native, she
received her master’s
degree in college student development
from Eastern Illinois University and has
worked at Northern Arizona and
Vanderbilt universities.

SHU SSS Grant Renewed
Siena Heights University recently learned
that its U.S. Department of Education
grant to fund the Student Support Services (SSS) program was renewed. SHU
will receive more than $1.4 million
over the next five year ́Ѽ