Early Bird

Events roundup

Mark your calendars for the President’s Cabinet meeting, Staff Senate, the Invisibility of Students with Disabilities in STEM panel, a session on letting go of stress and more.

By Lindsey Coulter

February 8, 2021

Staff Senate meeting

Tuesday

10-11:30 a.m.

Senators and all staff, including exempt (administrative) staff, classified staff, and student employees, have the opportunity to participate in shared governance through monthly Staff Senate meetings that are open to all staff, as well as through standing and ad hoc committees, yearly social events and professional development activities. 

Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

+1 720-577-5242   United States, Denver (Toll)

Conference ID: 508 300 778#

February President’s Cabinet meeting

Wednesday

10-11:30 a.m.

Tune in via livestream

The agenda includes updates from President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., news on the upcoming MSU Denver Day of Giving, a presentation from the President’s Advisory Council on Academic Excellence and Student Success, and an overview of the University Lending Policy.

Student-led panel: the Invisibility of Students with Disabilities in STEM

Wednesday

4 p.m.

Register

The general absence of disability from the educational-equity lens makes it hard to determine and address the degree of underrepresentation of people with disabilities in the STEM fields. How do we close a gap that’s largely invisible?

Three Noyce Scholars from Metropolitan State University of Denver will be offering their perspectives on this issue and inviting feedback from session participants.

Panelists include:

Kimberlee Bourelle attained a biology degree with an emphasis in cell biology/premedicine with minors in chemistry and psychology at Western State Colorado University. She works at an inclusion high school (that she attended) as an Educational Assistant IV - Severe Needs while pursuing her teaching licensure in Secondary Science.

Adrian Clifton describes having some social and academic challenges growing up due to being on the autism spectrum. Clifton earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Reno Nevada and later a master’s degree in philosophy. He is now studying at MSU Denver to become a secondary science teacher. He hopes that as a teacher he can better assist students with disabilities than what he experienced.

Joseph Schneiderwind graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics in 2009 and a master’s degree in applied mathematics in 2011. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005 and by 2014 he was heavily dependent on a wheelchair. After leaving a Ph.D. program due to further progression of his disability, he is now attending Metropolitan State University of Denver seeking licensure to teach secondary mathematics. Schneiderwind’s reflection on his own educational experiences led him to research the underrepresentation of students with disabilities in STEM fields.

Wellness Session for Staff: Letting Go of Stress

Thursday

11 a.m.-noon

For almost a year, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced many employees to work from home and learn new ways of conducting ourselves. Adding to the pandemic stress, we have also been challenged with tumultuous social and political energies. To learn healthy strategies for managing stress, join Rob Ingle, learning and development specialist, for Part II of Letting Go of Stress (participants do not need to have attended Part I).

Participants will gain an understanding of:

• How thoughts and observations can (and do) change reality
• How being sedentary and stressed can cause the breakdown of memory, judgment and problem-solving
• Ways to let go of stress and live a healthy physical and mental life
• The power of meditation
• Foods to support memory, judgment and problem-solving skills

Enrollment Command Center Data Series

Feb. 18

2-3 p.m.

Tune in via Teams

February’s ECC Data Series presentation will cover an analysis conducted by Business Intelligence into student course grades. Given the transition to most MSU Denver courses being offered online, this project provides an in-depth comparative analysis of students’ course grades between fall 2019 and fall 2020. The analysis sought to identify any noticeable differences between a semester that was mostly delivered face-to-face and one that was mostly online.

Highlights:

• Baseline insights into the differences seen between semesters
• Differences seen between different types of online delivery methods
• Identified opportunities to better support students as they navigate through this new academic environment.