Daily Brief

Bringing Hip Hop Pedagogy to Future Teachers

Ezra Jackson, a sophomore majoring in Music Business and president of KU's Hip Hop Club, visited Dr. SungEun Min's EEPK 202: Dispositions Toward Advocacy, Collaboration, and Cooperation class Wednesday, Oct. 21 as a guest speaker. Jackson shared his knowledge of and experience with Hip Hop, offering insights into its history and power as a form of storytelling. With Jackson's guidance, future elementary teachers then experienced Hip Hop firsthand by writing and performing raps based on their own daily lives. The activity helped them envision ways to bring Hip Hop pedagogy into their future classrooms to engage students, honor their voices and build literacy and community. The visit is part of Min's guest speaker series, which aligns with Pennsylvania's Common Ground Framework's Cultural Awareness Competencies, particularly Competency 5, Promote Asset-based Perspectives about Differences, and Competency 6, Collaborate with Families and Communities through Authentic Engagement Practices. By bringing community voices into teacher preparation, the series helps pre-service teachers recognize the cultures of students and their communities as assets.

SungEun Min, Elementary, Middle Level, Library and Technologies Education

No Parking – Lot F6

There will be no parking Wednesday, Oct. 28 through Friday, Oct. 30 in lot F-6 (behind Andre Reed Stadium) due to an event being held on campus. Thank you for your understanding.

University Relations

SECA Online Giving Extended by One Week

Good news: The 2026 State Employee Combined Appeal (SECA) online giving is extended to Sunday, Nov. 1. You still have time to “Answer the Call” by donating to the charitable causes that matter to you. If you didn’t get a chance to make your pledge before, here’s your chance. Don’t let this opportunity go to voicemail. Pledge to SECA using Employee Self Service (ESS) under “benefits” select “SECA Enrollment.” As a reminder, SECA pledges must be renewed on an annual basis. If you’ve already made your pledge this year, thank you for your support.
- View a list of participating charities
- New: Watch this video about SECA charities and the impact your donations are making
- Check out this video to learn how the SECA program works
- Dedicate your donation
- Learn more about SECA

Rebecca Thompson, Human Resources

Midterm Progress Survey Oct. 20-29

Faculty, thank you for your continued support of student success. The Fall 2026 Midterm Progress Survey will be available in Starfish from Tuesday, Oct. 20, through Thursday, Oct. 29. This survey provides an opportunity to support and motivate students by raising flags for those experiencing academic challenges and sending kudos to recognize student success. Both flag and kudos messages can be personalized with additional comments. Students receive an email and a notification on their Starfish dashboard directing them to appropriate resources. All message templates are available in Starfish D2L. If you have questions, join a Starfish Drop-In Session, email starfish@kutztown.edu, or call 610-683-4106.

Center for Student Success and Academic Excellence

PASSHE Annual Grant Program

The PASSHE Annual Grant Program has released the grant guidelines and scoring rubrics to use when preparing your proposal. Please email Heather Arbuckle for this information. All faculty are eligible to apply and the maximum award is $12,000. Budgets can include faculty summer stipends, student pay, travel, supplies, equipment and other operating expenses. KU can submit up to 21 proposals to PASSHE. Proposals must be submitted to the Office of Grants and Sponsored Projects by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Heather Arbuckle, Office of Grants & Sponsored Projects

January Assessment Day

We invite faculty to join us for January Assessment Day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 250 McFarland Student Union, to rate student work products from SLO 3 pertaining to category B collected in Spring 2026. Volunteers should plan to attend the entire day; the norming process requires participation in the rating sessions. Please share this information with your colleagues and encourage them to attend. For any questions or concerns, please email gepac@kutztown.edu.

January 2027 Assessment Day - Registration

General Education Program and Assessment Committee