Daily Brief

Your Marketing Help Desk: Live Q&A

Looking to strengthen your marketing skills while getting real-time answers to your questions? Join "Your Marketing Help Desk: Social Media, Canva and Branding Essentials (Live Q&A)," noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 7.  In this free weekly virtual session small-business owners and entrepreneurs can bring their questions about digital marketing, social media strategy, Canva and branding and get expert answers in real time. This interactive "help desk" format provides practical insights, tools and strategies to strengthen your brand and grow your business in today's digital marketplace. Hosted by Valerie Deneen, GA for Market Trends and Strategic Communication Specialist, who helps facilitate the session as part of Kutztown University SBDC’s commitment to experiential learning and showcasing student talent in real-world business consulting. She is joined by Rachael Wolfe, Consulting Manager at Kutztown University SBDC. Bring your questions, learn from others and leave with practical strategies, new tools and a stronger understanding of how to grow your business in today’s digital landscape.

Register

Rachael Wolfe, Kutztown Small Business Development Center

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award

Dr. Khori Newlander, Department of Society, History and Culture, is the recipient of the 2026 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award. This honor recognizes a faculty member in the college with a consistent and conscientious commitment to student success, both in and out of the classroom. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Newlander for his dedication to our students.

Dr. Laurie McMillan, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

President's Open Hour

Faculty, staff and students are invited to stop by and talk with President Cavalier during his open hour 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 6, MSU Fireside Lounge. President Cavalier welcomes your thoughts, concerns and suggestions regarding KU.

Office of the President

Global Connections Hour

Join the International Initiatives Committee for a Global Connections Hour 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, Old Main Concourse (right of lobby). This social hour is a welcoming space for international students, faculty and friends of the global campus community to come together, enjoy international treats and connect across cultures. This casual gathering provides an opportunity to share stories, traditions and experiences while meeting new people in a relaxed setting. Whether you are new to campus or a longtime member of our community, Global Connections Hour is a chance to celebrate diversity, build friendships and learn from one another.

Mathias J. Le Bossé, International Initiatives Committee

Gary Burton and Escape Ten Duo

Join us for a truly unique evening of percussion history 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7 at the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research. At 5 p.m. we welcome Gary Burton, seven-time Grammy Award winner, to present his historical lecture on the history of the jazz vibraphone. Then at 6:30 p.m. we welcome the Escape Ten Duo, Annie Stevens and Andrea Venet, to perform several of their commissioned contemporary percussion compositions. Tickets for Gary Butron and Escape Ten Duo.

Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research

Andrew Veit, Music

End of Carry-Over Leave Period

Reminder that the leave carry-over period ends after Friday, April 17. Any unused personal or excess annual leave carried over from the 2025 leave year must be used by April 17. Personal carry-over leave not used by April 17 will expire. Excess annual time not used by April 17 will be converted to sick leave, up to the maximum allowed by the respective bargaining agreement. Please submit all requests for carry-over leave through ESS as soon as possible. Supervisors are asked to act on all leave requests through April 17 as soon as possible.

Jennifer Weidman, Human Resources

KU Environmental Science Students at Mid-Atlantic Ecology Conference

Six Environmental Science students (Jack Monahan, Meg Byerly, Janelle Feeney, Morgan Herb, Ava Esterly and Jarod Pokorny) recently attended the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Ecological Society of America conference at Towson University in Maryland. They were joined by Drs. Chris Habeck and Andrew Mashintonio. Together, they presented three posters and one talk on a diversity of subjects including the efficacy of biochar as a soil amendment, the response of soil and pollinating invertebrate communities to agricultural management and the importance of science-based study abroad opportunities for STEM students. Travel and registration were supported by a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant awarded to the Environmental Science program. State Representative Mark Rozzi '96 played a pivotal role in securing this funding.

Environmental Science

Dr. Chris Habeck, Environmental Science

Spring 2026 Late-Start Courses Attendance Verification Process

The initial attendance verification for late-start courses, which is federally required for awarding financial aid per Policy ACA-090, is available in Starfish Wednesday, April 1 through Tuesday, April 7. Faculty should indicate whether students have attended or never attended by utilizing one of two flags. Please be sure to verify the attendance status of every student. For additional assistance, please email starfish@kutztown.edu, call 610-683-4106 or join a Starfish Express Workshop.

Nancy Brynildsen, Center for Student Success and Academic Excellence

University Curriculum Committee

The last University Curriculum Committee (UCC) meeting of the 2025-2026 academic year will be held on Thursday, April 23. The proposal deadline is noon, Thursday, April 9. Please submit proposals to the UCC SharePoint site. Contact Brian Meares at meares@kutztown.edu with any questions.

Brian Meares, University Curriculum Committee

CEL Professional Learning Opportunity for Faculty

The Center for Engaged Learning (CEL) invites faculty to apply for a professional development opportunity focusing on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL focuses on designing learning environments and curricula by anticipating variability and proactively reducing barriers to access and engagement. Participants will complete an asynchronous course from Monday, June 1 through Friday, June 12, that introduces the foundations of UDL, then apply these principles in a selected future course by developing, implementing and assessing an inclusive teaching approach. The intended outcome is a deliberately designed learning environment that fosters rigorous, meaningful learning and supports students’ growth as purposeful, motivated learners. Five participants will be allotted $300 of professional development funding for time spent completing the training, attending a mandatory Zoom meeting to discuss how they plan to implement UDL in their course(s) and writing a short article for the CEL online journal. Proposals are due Monday, April 20. For more information, visit our Basics of UDL page. Please note that this is a repeat of the 2023-25 courses. Those who have already completed the Basics of UDL summer or winter course offerings in previous years are not eligible for the professional development funding award.

Center for Engaged Learning Events

Center for Engaged Learning