Daily Brief

Bateman-Schaeffer Senate Service Award

University Senate President, Dr. Lisa Frye (right), presented the Bateman-Schaeffer Senate Service Award to Dr. Karen Rauch (left) Thursday, Feb. 5. University Senate supports the academic mission of the university. A core component of that mission includes Middle States accreditation. There were many people involved in the work that resulted in an outstanding oral report for accreditation. Rauch kept the university informed via website updates and monthly reports to University Senate. She was instrumental in this work and the resulting report and is well deserving of this award.

Lisa Frye, University Senate President

Scholastic Art Awards Welcomes Creative Teens to Exhibit at KU

The Miller Gallery is the host of the East Central Pennsylvania region of the Scholastic Art Awards. The scholastic awards are the longest running, most prestigious awards program in the country for creative teens. Winners from our region go on to compete with other winners from across the country; top students will be celebrated at Carnegie Hall in June. More than 550 pieces of art from students in Berks, Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties are on display in the Miller Gallery through Sunday, March 1. Most of these students are taught by KU art education alumni. Please join us for a celebration of these students at an awards ceremony 2-3 p.m. Sunday, March 1, Schaeffer Auditorium. Image credit: Ella Chen, grade 10, Parkland High School, 16x24 painting.

Miller Gallery

Karen Stanford, College of Visual and Performing Arts

February AFSCME Membership Meeting

Plan on attending the AFSCME 2234 monthly membership meeting 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, 203 Academic Forum. Dinner will be provided.

Christina Ferris, Biology/AFSCME

Digital Accessibility Training

Ensuring digital accessibility is essential for creating an inclusive and digitally accessible environment. To help you streamline accessibility and improve the quality of digital assets, we're offering training sessions on powerful tools within D2L Panorama: AutoPilot and Structural Remediation. These AI-enabled tools are designed to make accessibility remediation easier, faster and more effective. Training will be:
- 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, 200 Stratton or Zoom
- 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, 200 Stratton or Zoom

Troy Vingom, CIO, Information Technology

Start Your Business in Pennsylvania: The First Steps Live Q&A

Are you searching for how to start a business in Pennsylvania but feel overwhelmed by the process? Join the official "First Step" Q&A panel noon Monday, Feb. 23, via Zoom, designed to help new entrepreneurs navigate Pennsylvania business registration, secure SBA funding and finalize their business plans. This exclusive "First Step" session brings together the state’s leading resources: the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the PA One Stop Shop, SCORE, Kutztown University SBDC and Quaint Oak Bank to answer your specific questions about business licenses and loan requirements in Pennsylvania.

Register

Rachael Wolfe, KU SBDC

Come Speak at Ignite Kutztown

We are seeking speakers for Ignite Kutztown. What is Ignite? It's a speaking event that follows a specific format (more on that below). This semester's Ignite is 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, 135 Rickenbach, so mark your calendar to at the very least attend and see what this is all about. The basic idea behind Ignite is - what’s the nerdy passion you want to share with other people? Make a five-minute speech about it, with 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. This doesn't need to be about what you teach about at all, but it could be, as long as you can cover it in five minutes. It can be anything you're passionate about, really – from a hobby to a research subject to a general interest. Thus far, we've had topics ranging from The Last of Us, to Apples, to Playing with Action Figures as an Adult, and many others. Here’s a great video, Why and How to Give an Ignite Talk. If you're stumped for topics, there are many YouTube videos of Ignite talks from around the country. Contact cripe@kutztown.edu for more information.

Emily Cripe, Communication Studies

Welcome to Student Success, Dr. Austin Haytko

The Department of Student Success and Academic Excellence welcomes Dr. Austin Haytko to the team. Haytko is the student success coordinator for academic recovery and will also work as a success navigator with students from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Haytko received his Ed.D. from Concordia University Chicago, with research on the perceived value of higher education. Prior to coming to KU, he also worked at state institutions in Iowa and Oklahoma.

Student Success and Academic Excellence

"Healthy U" Healthcare Premium Reduction Program Open Enrollment

"Healthy U" is for all staff in the following groups: APSCUF faculty and coaches, managers, OPEIU, POA and SPFPA. AFSMCE and SCUPA healthcare plans have the “Get Healthy” program, so “Healthy U” does not apply to you. To qualify for the lowest health care premium beginning July 2026, enrolled employees and spouses on your plan are required to complete “Healthy U” by Sunday, May 31, to keep the lower premium payment. If you have a spouse on your plan and they do not complete the survey through their personal Highmark login, you will pay the higher premium. This is an annual survey that must be completed each year for continued enrollment in the lower premium. Please check your email for a notice from PASSHE Employee Benefits. If you do not compete the “Healthy U” survey before May 31, you will automatically be switched to the higher premium payment from July 2026 through June 2027 and will have to wait until the enrollment period in 2027 to complete the survey for the lower premium payment starting July 2027. For more information, please visit the PASSHE Healthy U webpage.
Quick Tips:
- If you don't have a MyHighmark account, register first.
- Follow the Healthy U Step By Step Instructions – You must agree to all of the authorizations to qualify for the discounted premium rate.
- Save a screenshot when complete.
- For technical assistance with your MyHighmark account, call 1-866-306-1059, option 1
for general “Healthy U” questions, feel free to contact Highmark at 1-888-745-3212 or your university HR department. This is a quick and easy survey that takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. Be proactive and make sure you take 20 minutes to save hundreds of dollars a year.

Elisabeth Manwiller, Human Resources

Tech Week for Fiddler on the Roof

Actors Creating Theater (ACT) students involved in the upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof know they must follow instructor rules for course attendance. I'm asking for your consideration for the following students should they miss class due to Tech Week rehearsals Monday, Feb. 16 to Thursday, Feb. 19: Adam Reichelderfer, Adam Steppke, Aidan Sawyer, Alana Weirbach, Angie Cascioli, Anna Gownley, Annalise Mann, Ava Froese, Avi Lovitt, Ayden Scanlon, Billy Beck, Brenna Horger, Carlee Bonanno, Caylee Hansel, Cece Tramontana, Christian Brutsche, Clem Frey, Connor O'Brien, Dean Rabago, Elizabeth Maigur, Ellie Ott, Emilie Asch, Emily Novak, Eric Smith, Faith Spellacy, Genevive Stewart-King, Grace Bielski, Grace Pawluck, Grace Spellacy, Gretta Degerolamo, Hazel Tilder, Isabelle Franklin, Jacob Tamasco, Jade Hasbún, Jaymi Chandler, Joseph Martin, Jozsef Magyar, Kait Majury, Karina Hernandez, Kate Santarsicro, Katie Moreno, Kay Veneloski, Kora Garcia, Kyah Williams, Liam Hulse, Liv LePore, Liv Zink, Lynda Feustel, Madison Stott, Mars Smith, Mason Snyder, Max McHugh, Maya Hepler, Mia Smith, Michael Seidick, Milly Cantwell, Monika Perez-Ramirez, Oasis Driscoll, Parker Winters, Payge Haydt, Peyton Small, Poe Ott, Quincy Sheneman, Rachel Winkelbauer, Rachel Winkelbaur, Raven Snyder, Sarah Day, Sebastian Zipp, Thomas Prostko, Tommy Scuderi, William McMahon, Zack Ismael.

Derek Mace, Advisor, Actors Creating Theater

New CEL Workshop - The Writing on the Wall

The Center for Engaged learning is hosting a new workshop, The Writing on the Wall, 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6 Rohrbach Library. From assignment handouts to textbook chapters, getting students to read remains a persistent challenge, and AI is further altering the landscape. This session will share research on why students often struggle with or avoid assigned readings, followed by practical strategies instructors can use to better support students' engagement with course texts.

CEL Programs and Events

Center for Engaged Learning

Field Hockey Saw 20 Members Announced as 2025 NFHCA National Academic Squad Members

Kutztown University field hockey saw 20 members announced as National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad members. The Division II National Academic Squad honors student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher through the first semester of the 2025-2026 academic year and who were nominated by their coaching staff. 440 student-athletes from 34 Division II institutions have been named to the 2025 NFHCA Division II National Academic Squad.

Field Hockey National Academic Squad

Sports Information