Last Thursday, the Undergraduate Student Association’s (USA) Student Interest Committee buried a time capsule to commemorate the Sesquicentennial 150-year anniversary of the college. After burying the box, students enjoyed lawn games and sunshine.
Items in the time capsule include a letter from President Hurley, a Sesquicentennial magazine, a Kairos cross and blessing from Fr. Jack Mattimore, Welcome Week items from 2019-21, Athletics rosters from 2019-21, a scrapbook containing Canisius and global news from 2019-21, a few editions of The Griffin, an Honors thesis, hand sanitizer and masks to remember the unique year and a few other items of Canisius memorabilia.
We can’t wait to open this in the future and reflect on Canisius College’s 150th birthday!
Several media outlets shared the good news that the college received 400 doses of the Johnson and Johnson Janssen Covid-19 vaccine available to registered Canisius students. The Student Health Center began administering the vaccines on Sunday, April 11 and will continue through Tuesday, April 13.
Click here to read the story in today’s Buffalo News.
Click hereto watch the report that aired on WGRZ-TV Channel 2.
Click here to watch the story broadcast on WIVB-TV Channel 4.
Click here to watch the story that aired on Spectrum News.
In the case that there are unused vaccines at the end of each vaccination day, the college will then offer them to faculty and staff. Faculty and staff can join a wait list by following the link below and filling out the form. If doses are available, those on the wait list will be called during the vaccination hours outlined below.
The college is proceeding with all the necessary safety measures to ensure a safe campus environment. We encourage everyone in the Canisius community to get vaccinated as soon as they can.
First Year Experience (FYE) programs are a best practice in higher education to assist students with the transition to college and to create a sense of belongingness to the campus community. Upon the recommendation of the Retention Committee to the Senior Leadership Team, an ad-hoc working group was formed this semester in partnership with faculty senate representatives to explore a pilot FYE program. A FYE will likely be even more important this upcoming academic year to address the effects of the pandemic on the student experience over the last year and half and to address both educational and support inequity among our students.
We foresee a one-credit FYE pilot course being offered to first year students this coming fall. This course would not be required. Instead, we anticipate that students would be strongly encouraged to enroll during their freshman class selection process this summer, though some students whose programs already include a similar experience would register for that instead. The goals of this program are to improve academic success and retention by ensuring our students have the opportunity to develop expected college-level academic skills and strategies, reinforce the resources available on campus, develop connections to the college and build community on campus.
We invite you to join us in learning more and providing your input on the preliminary plan for a pilot FYE for fall 2021 by attending one of our informational sessions. If neither of the below times work for you and you are interested in learning more, feel free to reach out to us and we can schedule a time to meet.
We are grateful for your continued support of student success at Canisius!
FYE working group:
Debra Burhans, associate professor, Computer Science; faculty senate representative
Tom Chambers, dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Jen Desiderio, associate professor, English; faculty senate representative
Kathleen Farley, associate dean of Students
Mark Harrington, assistant VP for Student Success; director, Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESAA); assistant professor, Graduate Education and Leadership
Mark Hodin, professor, English; faculty senate representative
Dennis Koch, associate professor, Kinesiology; director, Professional Studies; faculty senate representative
Jenn Lodi-Smith, assistant VP, Academic Affairs; associate professor, Psychology
Graham Stowe, assistant professor, English; director, Writing Center
Submitted by: Mark Harrington, EdD, assistant vice president for Student Success; director, HESAA; assistant professor, Graduate Education and Leadership
April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day. If you haven’t done so already, now is a great time to fill out a healthcare proxy, which is a document that tells your loved ones and doctors your wishes should you become incapacitated. This is just one simple way you can set the minds of your loved ones at ease during an already stressful time. The short article above, from Independent Health, covers the details on how to approach this process.
The Institute for Classical and Medieval Studies (ICMS) continues its spring 2021 lifelong learners courses with The Crusades. On Thursdays, April 15 through May 20 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., this course will look at one of the most sensationalized eras of medieval history.
Jeffery Brubaker, PhD, from the Classics Department, will lead an examination of the history of this movement, from 1095 to 1291. We will look at those who “took the Cross,” their motivations, relationships with the surrounding cultures and peoples, and the politics and narratives of the age. This course will examine the cultural, economic, religious and political consequences of the crusading movement through the analysis of written materials from the period.
There is still room to join us. Sessions are held via ZOOM. For more information, visit our website here. Click here to register.
Submitted by: Kristina Laun, social media & website administrator, ICMS
