Warhawk Weekly 8-6: New grant project; Social work career stipends
New grant project aims to redefine student success at AUM
Auburn University at Montgomery has earned a $49,000 grant from Wake Forest University’s Educating Character Initiative to redefine student success more holistically through character-building workshops, programs, and curricula.
The one-year, capacity building grant will support AUM’s “Purpose and Character for Student Flourishing” project, led by Aaron Cobb, Department of English and Philosophy Chair and Professor of Philosophy; Stephen Bray, Director of Central Advising; and Lynn Stallings, Interim Dean of University College and Honors Program Director.
A launch event for the “Purpose and Character for Student Flourishing” project will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Fri., Aug. 30, in Taylor Center 221-223. The event will feature Anne Colby, a lifespan developmental psychologist, who will discuss the psychology of purpose and its importance for higher education. Open to faculty, staff, and student leaders. Lunch provided. RSVP online.
AUM is launching the “Purpose and Character for Student Flourishing” project with the goal of preparing students for success in college and beyond by helping them clarify their purposes and develop the traits necessary for success, such as resilience and perseverance, Bray said.
“AUM faculty and staff care deeply about our students and their success,” he said. “While traditional metrics of institutional health are critical for assessing our viability, there is value in exploring new ways of measuring and fostering student achievement. This grant affords AUM the opportunity to bring together faculty and staff who will think intentionally and deeply about students flourishing and what it will take from each of us to build a system that addresses our students’ needs holistically.”
A key component of the project will be providing opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to learn together from experts in moral psychology and philosophy about the importance of purpose and character development for student success in an institutional context. The project’s leadership plans to apply these insights to curricula, academic advising, student activities, and the UNIV Student Success Program for first-year students at AUM.
“In some ways, this work is a continuation of the efforts already taking place in key areas across campus,” Stallings said. “This project aims to strengthen that work by creating a shared language and vision and establishing a framework for our work with students.”
Three BSW students earn stipends to pursue careers in child welfare social work
An Alabama program aimed at helping to address the state and nationwide deficits of child welfare social workers will help three AUM students advance in their educational and professional development.
AUM social work majors Rickey Embry, Jamiya Hunter and LaChina Potts will each receive $10,000 awards from the state’s Title IV-E Stipend Program to support their career development in the sector of child welfare. In addition to the financial support, these awards provide internships and post-graduation employment opportunities with the Alabama Department of Human Resources (ADHR).
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students in Alabama are eligible to apply for the educational stipends, which are funded through a multifaceted grant provided by the state’s Title IV-E Traineeship Program. Coordinated by The University of Alabama, the program is part of the Alabama Higher Education Consortium on Child Welfare, in cooperation with ADHR. AUM is a member of the consortium, said Susan Cashwell, BSW program director at AUM.
“This is the second year our students have received stipend awards through our consortium membership,” Cashwell said. “As more students apply for the traineeship program, we have a greater chance to help alleviate the deficit in the child welfare workforce. We are seeing the demand for child welfare workers outpace the availability of trained professionals.”
Embry, Hunter, and Potts — who will complete their BSW degrees in December 2024 — are optimistic about the impact they will be able to make in the child welfare field after receiving the stipends, which allow them to focus more on reaching their educational goals.
Learn how to serve AUM’s military-affiliated students
AUM’s Veteran and Military Resource Center will host Green Zone training for faculty and staff on Mon., Aug. 12, at 9 a.m. in Tech Wing 110.
The training focuses on increasing awareness of the backgrounds and needs of military-affiliated students. Participants completing training receive a certificate and a Green Zone sticker to place outside their office space.
AUM welcomes first cohort for new MS-SLP program
AUM will launch its new online Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) this fall semester.
The program’s first cohort of accepted graduate students is on campus to complete their two-week clinical intensive, said Haley Adams, advising and recruiting manager in the Department of Communication Disorders in AUM’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
“We are excited to welcome our first cohort to AUM,” she said.
The group will complete their clinicals on August 9.
AUM’s online MS-SLP program strives to foster an innovative, intellectually stimulating student-centered learning environment, both academically and clinically. Founded on active learning, the program helps students develop skills in areas such as critical thinking, problem-solving, self-analysis, and research-based discovery.
The program’s goal is to prepare graduates for licensure and certification while providing excellence in clinical service. Graduates of AUM’s MS-SLP program can pursue careers as speech-language pathologists who work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) estimates that approximately 40,500 speech-language pathology jobs will be available over a 10-year period as a result of growth in the field. Alabama professionals with a master’s degree in the field can earn a median pay of $79,927, according to ASHA.
To enroll in AUM’s MS-SLP program, students must hold a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders or a related field and a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Deadline approaches for Provost-sponsored scholarships
Are you interested in expanding your academic experience and exploring your academic discipline more fully? Would you like to strengthen your written and oral communication, critical thinking, technical skills, and information literacy and build a learning community with faculty and fellow students?
The Office of the Provost is sponsoring one-credit-hour tuition scholarships for students interested in research or teaching fields.
Research scholarship
To encourage undergraduate students to participate in research and internships, a one-credit-hour scholarship is available. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be:
- Registered for an approved internship or research course.
- If you are not registered for a course or need help locating one, contact your advisor.
- Be an undergraduate student
- Apply by August 26 for the fall semester
The research-based scholarship does not apply to internship and research courses that are required as part of their program requirements.
AUMTeach scholarship
If you want to determine whether a teaching certificate is right for you, the Office of the Provost is sponsoring one-credit-hour scholarship to encourage students to take an AUMTeach course. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be:
- A junior and senior majoring in a STEM field (College of Education majors are not eligible).
The AUMTeach minor consists of eight classes. The scholarship will pay $750 towards your first two AUMTeach minor classes.
Please note that incorrect or incomplete information in the application can delay the award or exclude you from eligibility. Apply by August 26 for the fall semester.
For more information, email Molly Belew at [email protected] or visit the AUMTeach minor webpage.
Help us recognize outstanding faculty
Help the AUM Alumni Association recognize the university’s outstanding faculty members. Nominate a professor for the 2024 Faculty Service Award.
To be eligible, faculty members must have at least five years of service to AUM. The award, which includes $1,000 from the Alumni Association, will be presented during the fall semester. Nominations close September 16.
Nominations by AUM faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends must be submitted or postmarked by September 16, 2024. Nomination letters should be no more than two pages in length, and should emphasize teaching excellence as well as a strong record of service to the university and community. A vita may be attached, if available.
Send nomination letters via email to: Alumni Association Awards Committee at [email protected].
Questions? Contact the AUM Alumni Association at 334-244-3369 or [email protected].
Take your Warhawk Pride for a ride
An AUM license plate is one way to show Warhawk pride, and your commitment to AUM students.
Students who purchase an AUM License Plate will receive free registration for campus parking. Faculty and staff only pay a $5 administrative fee for reserved parking when buying an AUM license plate.
Proceeds from the sale of every AUM license plate in Alabama directly funds scholarships for AUM students.
To receive recognition for your support, be sure to opt in to share your information with AUM when you register for the plate or email us at [email protected].
Keeping up with campus events
There’s an easy way to keep up with all of the fun events offered on our campus. Enroll in AUM365 and get the 4-1-1 from Curtiss The Warhawk himself. Text curti$$ to 334-398-6025 to receive reminders about upcoming happening.
