However, , professor of exceptional student education in the , and postdoctoral scholar ’24±Ê³ó¶Ù have a plan to meet the critical needs. Through a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Dooley and Grays are helping further the education of 40 master’s students over the next five years with the goal of addressing the shortage of special education teachers right here in Central Florida.

The project, entitled Preparing Next-Gen Special Education Teachers (SET)/Scholars, aims to enhance exceptional student education through a cohesive academic curriculum aligning with the Department of Education’s goal to increase the number of special education teachers, including those from varying backgrounds and of multilingual capabilities. The 40 scholars are distributed across four cohorts, and each will receive a master’s in exceptional student education. Scholars will attend fully funded online courses while maintaining their current teaching jobs. They’ll also receive an annual $3,000 stipend. The inaugural cohort of 10 scholars began its studies this semester.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported in 2022 that approximately 44% of public schools nationwide had full- or part-time teaching vacancies. Of those, schools reported that 45% were special education teaching positions. During the 2022-23 school year, the Florida Department of Education ranked exceptional student education (ESE) as second on its list of critical shortages.

To help address the special education educator shortage locally, Dooley worked with school districts in Orange and Osceola counties through their superintendents to recruit returning scholars for the program. Student scholars will gain advanced skills and knowledge that will enable them to provide high-quality and linguistically responsive instruction, as well as intervention and student-centered approaches to exceptional student education.

“We brought in teachers who may not have had the full advantage of having a cohesive academic curriculum that’s relevant, relatable and value added for today’s classrooms,â€� Dooley says. “We wanted to create a program that would expose students to … relevant material, help them to understand the legislation that guides them and educate them on the extent of their roles so all of their students can be successful.”

Dooley and Grays say the program will not only be grounded in legislative knowledge and advocacy, but it will also create mentorship opportunities for this cohort and future cohorts to connect and share what they learn with their communities.

“This program is very intentionally built to be something that’s relevant to them, where they are and what their expertise is,â€� Grays says. “We also know they will be able to positively impact other educators, and we want them to be prepared to be teacher leaders who are grounded in legislation and able to advocate for their students and share that knowledge with their peers.â€�

Beyond meeting the need for special and general educators, Dooley and Grays add that their backgrounds as teachers motivated them to pursue this project. Both have witnessed firsthand what happens when children are not getting their educational needs met, whether that’s due to lack of resources or lack of knowledge regarding how to address their specific needs.

“There’s a whole host of students who are being left behind,â€� Dooley says. “There are students with disabilities and students who have been identified as having behavioral issues where those behavior issues overshadow their abilities. We believe that teachers need to have a learning curriculum that helps them determine what the deficiencies are in education, what their responsibilities are, and how they can be accountable to all learners.â€�

Grays says she was motivated to help after seeing students with behavioral issues falling behind in the classroom because their teachers did not have the proper knowledge of or resources to help them.

“I was an early childhood educator,� Grays says. “I worked with babies all the way up until they transitioned to school, and what I saw in that environment was that there were kids who were given up on before they were even in kindergarten.�

Grays adds that the scholars in this inaugural cohort say they have also identified these issues in their own classrooms.

“They’re actively experiencing what happens when we are not fully prepared,â€� she says. “Having the opportunity to help them learn what they need in order to best support their students is a privilege.â€�

One student in the inaugural cohort is Lizbetmar Vazquez, a current fifth-grade math and science teacher at Reedy Creek Elementary in Osceola County. Vazquez says she has always felt she may lack some training because she did not have a bachelor’s degree in education, which led to her desire to go back for her master’s.

“It means a great deal to me to be able to complete my master’s through NextGen,â€� she says. “They provided me with the chance to develop as a teacher and to speak up for my students. I am excited to become knowledgeable about special education regulations, acquire all the resources I need to speak up for my students, and teach parents how to be effective advocates for their kids.â€�

Jennifer Johnston, who teaches English language arts to ESE students in fifth through eighth grades, says she was grateful to be chosen for this program to continue her education at no cost to her.

“I have enjoyed learning more about the history of special education, and I look forward to learning more,â€� Johnston says. “This opportunity means that I will become more knowledgeable in my field and have the credentials to be looked at as an expert. I look forward to growing and opening my mindset to better serve the students I work with.â€�

Elizabeth Dooley
is a professor of in the and serves as the primary investigator for Project Next-Gen SET.  She also serves as the academic program director for the teaching, learning and development track in the education doctoral program. She has over 35 years of experience in higher education as a faculty member and administrator, and also serving in executive leadership positions at West Virginia University and the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. In partnership with colleagues, she has secured over $3 million in funding to support, in service teacher preparation, student success and university-community partnerships.

Ashley Grays ’24±Ê³ó¶Ù
Ashley Grays is a postdoctoral scholar in exceptional student education. She received her doctoral degree in exceptional student education from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. With over 15 years of experience in early childhood education, Grays explores innovative strategies and evidence-based interventions to reduce educational gaps.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ also was ranked as the No. 3 higher-education institution in Florida and No. 21 in the South region using the factors that WalletHub looks at, such as student-faculty ratio, graduation rate and post-attendance median salary. For the national rankings, more than 1,000 schools were reviewed; Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ was No. 97.

“We are pleased to be gaining recognition for advancing student success and faculty excellence as we offer broad access to a high-value education,” says Elizabeth A. Dooley, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½’s affordability allows students to enjoy an optimal educational experience that prepares them well for a bright future.”

To determine the top-performing schools at the lowest possible costs to undergraduates, WalletHub also analyzed post-attendance metrics — such as the student-loan default rate and the share of former students out-earning high school graduates — to show the value of the education that students can expect to receive beyond their commencement.

“Students want to know they are getting a good deal,� WalletHub says.

The University of Florida and Florida State University were the other top-performing schools in the state, according to the WalletHub rankings.

In August, Washington Monthly magazine ranked Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ the 55th best national university and 25^th “Best Bang for the Buckâ€� university in the southeast. Those rankings were based on the metrics of social mobility, research and service. The social mobility scores looked at graduation rates, number of first-generation students, tuition costs and other factors.

In the “Best Bang for the Buck� category, the magazine recognized schools that help lower- and middle-income students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.

Kiplinger and Forbes also both rank Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ among the nation’s best education values.

Glenn Hubbard ’79, chairman of the board of MetLife Inc., and his wife, Constance Pond, gave $1 million to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to establish the Kenneth White and James Xander Professorship in Economics. The professorship is in honor of the two faculty members that Hubbard credits for inspiring a career that led him to be one of the most influential economists in the U.S.

Hubbard graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in economics from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. He also earned a master’s and doctoral degree from Harvard, served as chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush, and is dean emeritus and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics at Columbia Business School.

On the Friday before Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½’s Homecoming weekend, Hubbard and Pond were recognized at the formal investiture of John Solow to the Kenneth White and James Xander Professorship in Economics at the college.

“Today is about love for the experience here [at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½],â€� Hubbard told the audience. “You know, a great teacher isn’t just somebody who conveys information. Well, it’s not even somebody who’s also a great mentor. Although the two gentleman whose names sit on this chair are both of those; it’s somebody who opens the door to the world for you.â€�

The occasion, led by Provost Elizabeth A. Dooley and College of Business Dean Paul Jarley, marked the first endowed chair investiture ceremony at the college. An investiture is regarded as one of the highest honors to be bestowed in academia and is meant to confer and celebrate the appointment of a distinguished faculty member to an endowed chair or professorship.

“Professorships, such as the one here today, allow us to attract and retain our most outstanding scholars,� Dooley says of the honor. “They also reward faculty members who go above and beyond in their dedication to teaching and learning.�

Solow, who joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ earlier this year from the University of Iowa, is a renowned economist who is published in numerous economic journals and specializes in antitrust, industrial organization, law and sport economics. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in economics at Yale University and earned his master’s and doctorate at Stanford University.

“Being a university professor is one of the best jobs in the world, up there with Ben and Jerry’s taste tester and referee at the annual Animal Planet Puppy Bowl,� Solow says after receiving a medallion from Dooley. “…With those benefits comes an obligation, I believe, to invest ourselves in our institution, to do more than just ‘do our jobs’ and go beyond to make our colleges and universities better places through service. That service can be done in many ways … Sometimes, as in the case of Dr. Hubbard and Ms. Pond, you are in a position to heed the call to serve by doing something truly transformative, and for that we are truly grateful.�

The two namesakes of the endowed professorship, White and Xander, were also recognized during the ceremony with commemorative keys for opening the door to the economic world for Hubbard and for inspiring him to establish the professorship. Looking back on his own successful career as an economist and academic, Hubbard credits White and Xander for their tutelage during his time at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

“When you talk to our alumni, they may not remember every professor they’ve ever had, but they do remember the one or two who had the biggest impact in their time in school,� Jarley says. “If you ask Glenn Hubbard that question, he would say Drs. Ken White and James Xander.�

Led by Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Elizabeth A. Dooley, the strategic alignment results from months of planning by our academic leaders with input from faculty, staff and students. It also follows various reports and assessments over the years that encouraged Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to take bold steps to enhance, reform and reimagine ways to better support students and their journey to achieving a degree.

The changes address priorities that include:

• strengthening advising, especially through the role of faculty and advising enabled by data analytics;
• defining a shared philosophy for student success; and
• aligning shared ownership, accountability and impact to deliver on our student success goals.

“Student success is much more than just reaching target metrics. Our collective efforts must focus on creating a culture of student success that goes beyond the numbers and gets straight to why we are each here: to help students graduate and be successful, productive and global lifelong learners,� Dooley says. “To achieve this goal, an area we will strive to be recognized for is our distinctive commitment to student success.�

The organizational adjustments underway seek to better align student success with academics and university support units. Here’s more on the changes:

Division of Teaching and Learning and the College of Undergraduate Studies: The Division of Teaching and Learning and the College of Undergraduate Studies will be renamed the division of Student Learning and Academic Success and College of Undergraduate Studies. As part of this alignment, the Office of Student Success, First Year Advising and Exploration, Transfer and Transition Services, Student Academic Resource Center, and the Registrar’s Office will transition from the division of Student Development and Enrollment Services to the Division of Student Learning and Academic Success. The changes will strengthen the links between academics and student success; enhance our retention, persistence and graduation rates; and increase our students’ achievements in post-graduation pursuits.

Analytics and Integrated Planning: This new division in Academic Affairs includes the Institutional Knowledge Management unit. The new division is responsible for advancing the university’s analytics capabilities, sharing new success insights and enhancing data information use. The change will align institutional planning efforts and performance accountability.

Faculty Excellence: The Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (formerly under Teaching and Learning) will now report to the vice provost for Faculty Excellence. The change will help better support faculty development, student success and academic excellence.

Academic Affairs: The Operational Excellence and Assessment Support and Academic Planning units (formerly under Teaching and Learning), along with Academic Program Quality (formerly under Analytics and Integrated Planning), and the Center for Higher Education Innovation now report to the senior associate provost. The changes will help consolidate resources and improve collaboration.

This alignment does not impact the structure of the academic colleges and the budgetary impact is minimal. Rather, the changes focus on the structures of the organizational units that support the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs.

To support this initiative, Dooley has established implementation teams. They are charged with operationalizing a new student success model and structure that will ensure a student-centric approach throughout Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s operations. She asked the teams to complete their work by January 2020.

The alignment seeks to build on Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s major strides in boosting student retention and degree completion. Last fall, for the first time, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ surpassed a 90 percent first-year student retention rate. This fall, the university has topped 91 percent.

In addition, over the past decade, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Hispanic and African American students have bucked national trends and significantly outperformed national averages for retention and completing a degree, particularly in addressing disparities with white majority counterparts.

As a result, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ was recently named a finalist for the prestigious 2019 Degree Completion Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ holds of the distinction of being the No. 1 producer of talent among public universities in the nation, with more than 16,000 degrees awarded last year. Also, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ ranks second among all public and private institutions in bachelor’s degrees awarded to African American and Hispanic students.

The Acclaimed Knights Wall outside the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union features names of students who have earned prestigious awards and fellowships.

Among others, those honors include Fulbright Scholar, Truman Scholar, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Boren Award, Astronaut Scholar and Goldwater Scholar.

The wall highlights awards of current and past students, including Tyler Fisher, who became Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s first Rhodes Scholar in 2002. He earned his doctorate at Oxford University and has returned to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ as an associate professor in modern languages and literature.

At the wall’s unveiling on Sept. 11, Fisher described the wall as “at once memorializing and motivating.�

Winners of prestigious fellowships can receive more than $100,000 in scholarships for life-changing opportunities in research, study abroad or graduate studies. The awards also distinguish Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ for excellence and factor into university rankings on national lists.

Elizabeth A. Dooley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said the wall also represents the proud results of faculty members, who energize students and inspire them to dream big and achieve.

Elizabeth A. Dooley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said the wall also represents the proud results of faculty members, who energize students and inspire them to dream big and achieve.

“When our students and faculty engage with one another, I believe no award, honor or recognition is beyond their reach,� Dooley says. “To all our students here today, there are blank spaces on this wall. Those spaces await your name.�

The idea for the wall originated from Dean Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres of the Burnett Honors College. She wanted a permanent tribute to the continued excellence of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s students.

The wall resulted at the Student Union through the joint efforts of the Burnett Honors College, Office of the President, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Communications and Marketing, Office of Research and Graduate Studies, and the Student Union.

“I hope people will see my name on the wall and know it’s not impossible to get a prestigious award,� says George Walters-Marrah, one of the names on the Acclaimed Knights Wall.

Walters-Marrah, a senior biotechnology and molecular microbiology major, earned a 2018 Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes exceptional research by undergraduate sophomores and juniors in natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.

“I don’t see myself as anything different from my friends.,” he says. “I hope people will see that if you work hard and put in the work you can be rewarded for that work. I want people to look at the names on this wall and say, ‘If they can do that, I can also do that.’ â€�

Knights interested in pursuing prestigious awards should visit the .

While political science remains at the heart of the school and the academic curriculum, the new designation better reflects the broader scope of its mission and programs, says Kerstin Hamann, the school’s director and a Pegasus Professor.

“The scope of the school is much greater than that of a traditional department. The school designation immediately signals we have numerous opportunities for faculty and students interested in political science in general, but also more broadly in security and global affairs,� Hamann says.

College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson says the new designation makes it easier to attract top academic talent from around the globe and meet the growing demand from students entering careers in international affairs.

“It is important for us to seize this opportunity to continue expanding Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s global impact.â€� — College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson

“The department has developed rapidly in recent years, both in the scope of its programs and influence in the world. It is important for us to seize this opportunity to continue expanding Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s global impact,â€� Johnson says.

The school will continue to offer the same degree options to its graduate and undergraduate students, including those interested in American politics and pre-law. Among the program academic offerings are international and global studies, a master’s degree in political science, and a doctoral program in security studies.

“This renaming recognizes the growing prominence and scope of these valuable programs within the College of Sciences,� says Elizabeth A. Dooley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “The change signals a bright future of service and impact as our academic enterprise evolves to better serve students, faculty, and workforce needs.�

Additional programs provide opportunities for partnerships, students and faculty, many of which have an international and interdisciplinary focus. These include Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s India Center and the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity (GEOO); the Kurdish Political Studies Program; the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence; and the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies; and the Lou Frey Institute of Government and Politics, which has a broad focus on civics, especially K-12 civics education, in Florida.

Borden, associate provost for Academic Program Quality and associate vice president of Institutional Knowledge Management, will lead a new analytics and integrated planning division within Academic Affairs as associate provost and analytics officer. Letzring arrives at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ from Texas A&M University-Commerce, a public research university in Commerce, Texas, where he has been dean of the College of Education and Human Services since 2014. His appointment follows a national search.

Borden and Letzring will begin their new roles Aug. 1 and report directly to Dooley.

Borden’s new division will include the current IKM office and a new Institutional Analytics Office. The division will focus on Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s efforts to achieve preeminence, excel at attaining performance-based funding, promote cross-campus collaboration and planning, and realize the goals of the Collective Impact Strategic Plan through informed insights and actions.

Borden’s latest leadership role furthers a 24-year career at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. Among other professional achievements, she has represented Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in multiple roles with the National Association for Institutional Research, as treasurer on the executive board of the Southern Association for Institutional Researchers, and as a two-term president for the Florida Association for Institutional Research.

Several of her current responsibilities – which include accreditation and academic program review – will move to Letzring’s new position.

Letzring will be responsible for the administration of various aspects of academic program development and academic planning, quality, assessment and other areas within the Division of Academic Affairs. He will partner with deans, department chairs, administrative directors, faculty and staff to support curriculum, institutional assessment, academic policies and program development to improve the effectiveness of the educational experience that Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ provides its students.

At Texas A&M-Commerce, Letzring oversaw eight academic departments, including Curriculum and Instruction, Higher Education and Learning Technology, Counseling, Nursing, and Health and Human Performance, and Psychology and Special Education. His professional experience also includes 15 years at the University of Mississippi, where he served in various leadership roles, including as chair and professor of higher education in the Department of Leadership and Counselor Education, and as an assistant professor of education law at the University of South Carolina.

Letzring earned a doctor of education degree from the University of Georgia, a law degree from Stetson University College of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Louisiana College.

Twenty-five of the faculty members are new professors, based on superior achievement on the national and international levels, personal contributions at the university, and their reputation as a leading scholar and researcher.

“A strong faculty is the heart of our academic enterprise, and a robust promotion and tenure process is vital for the continued advancement of faculty excellence and professional growth at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½,” said Elizabeth A. Dooley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “Congratulations to these faculty members for their accomplishment, which is a significant milestone in their careers.”

Tenure-earning faculty typically apply for tenure and promotion to the associate professor rank in their sixth year of service. Faculty must demonstrate their excellent research, teaching and service. Their work is voted on by reviewers at multiple levels, before making it to the provost for approval.

Associate Professor

Raheleh Ahangari, Biomedical Sciences

Rodrigo Amezcua Correa, Optics and Photonics

Thaddeus Anderson, Music

Shazia Beg, Internal Medicine

Scott Branting, Anthropology

Latarsha Chisholm, Health Management and Informatics

Robert Dvorak, Psychology

Varadraj Gurupur, Health Management and Informatics

Erin Hanson, National Center for Forensic Science (research)

Timothy Hawthorne, Sociology

Dana Joseph, Management

Juhee Kang, Hospitality Services

Murat  Kizildag, Hospitality Services

Woo Hyoung Lee, Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering

Yingru Li, Sociology

Matthew Matusiak, Criminal Justice

Cynthia Mejia, Foodservice and Lodging Management

William Moreto, Criminal Justice

Elsie Olan, School of Teacher Education

Daniel Paulson, Psychology

Susan Quelly, Nursing Systems

Michele Regalla, School of Teacher Education

Matthew Stock, School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy

Dalena Taylor, Counselor Education and School Psychology

Laurene Tetard, Physics

Daniel Topping, Medical Education

Fernando Uribe Romo, Chemistry

Professor

Kent Butler, Counselor Education and School Psychology

Maria Cannarozzi, Internal Medicine

Wingyan Chung, School of Modeling, Simulation and Training

Kenneth Fedorka, Biology

Yan Fernandez, Physics

Denise Gammonley, School of Social Work

Nora Garcia, Music

Andre Gesquiere, Chemistry

Ali Gordon, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

William Hagedorn, Counselor Education and School Psychology

Richard Hartshorne, Learning Science and Education Research

Eric Hoffman, Biology

Michelle Kelley, School of Teacher Education

Khim Kelly, Accounting

Stephen Kuebler, Chemistry

Ann Miller, Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Matthew Nobles, Criminal Justice

Fernando Rivera, Sociology

Lee Ross, Criminal Justice

Mohtashem Samsam, Biomedical Sciences

Hubert Scott, Theatre

Zixia Song, Mathematics

Gergana Vitanova-Haralampiev, Modern Languages and Literatures

Kimberly Voss, Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Ross Wolf, Criminal Justice

Associate Instructor

Sarah Angell, Computer Science

Tarek Buhagiar, Economics

Vanessa Calkins, Writing and Rhetoric

Michelle Dusseau, Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Carlos Gual, School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy

Nancy Harrington, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Courtney Jorgensen, English Language Institute

Debra Knox, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Donald Porchia, Mathematics

Gideon Shbeeb, Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Lance Speere, Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Kathleen Suchora, Statistics

Katherine Wilson, Foodservice and Lodging Management

Associate Lecturer

Cynthia Bayer, Biology

Christian Beck, English

Dean Cleavenger, Management

Marc Consalo, Legal Studies

Jason Fridrich, Foodservice and Lodging Management

Kourtney Nieves, Health Management and Informatics

Hyung Park, Sociology

Marisol Parra-Tatge, Psychology

Jessica Waesche, Psychology

Lana Williams, Anthropology

Senior Instructor

Nancy Brasel, School of Teacher Education

Lauren De George, Management

Lori Dunlop-Pyle, Mathematics

Dina Fabery, Modern Languages and Literatures

Patricia Farless, History

Paul Gregg, Finance

Arup Guha, Computer Science

Shari Hodgson, Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Alice Korosy, Modern Languages and Literatures

Frank Logiudice, Biology

Anne Prucha, Modern Languages and Literatures

Maria Redmon, Modern Languages and Literatures

Peter Telep, English

Deborah Weaver, Writing and Rhetoric

Senior Lecturer

Patricia Angley, English

James Clark, History

Thomas Fisher, School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy

Vance Geiger, Anthropology

Kathleen Hohenleitner, English

Karen Mottarella, Psychology

Rani Vajravelu, Biology

Associate University Librarian

Tina Buck, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Libraries

Michael Furlong, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Libraries

Sarah Norris, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Libraries

Andrew Todd, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Libraries

Min Tong, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Libraries

University Librarian

Ying Zhang, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Libraries

Associate Instructional Designer

Corrinne Stull, Center for Distributed Learning

Senior Instructional Designer

Kathleen Bastedo, Center for Distributed Learning

Sue Bauer, Center for Distributed Learning

Aimee deNoyelles, Center for Distributed Learning

Denise Lowe, Center for Distributed Learning

The arrangement follows more than a year of negotiations and covers the fiscal years of 2018-19 and 2019-20. Traditionally, pay agreements between the university and the union are reopened every year for negotiation. The parties agreed to a two-year memorandum of understanding to better address faculty pay raises for this fiscal year that had been pending based on the outcome of negotiations.

Under the new agreement, which is subject to the approval of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Board of Trustees, eligible Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ faculty members will receive a one-time payment of $2,250 on May 10. Starting with the Aug. 23 pay period, eligible faculty members will receive a 2 percent salary increase.

For the 2019-20 year, the agreement provides eligible salary members with an additional pay increase of 1.25 percent starting with the Sept. 20 pay period. Depending on whether the university receives additional recurring funding, eligible faculty members could receive another 1.25 percent salary increase in the same pay period, based on the agreement.

“Interim President Thad Seymour and I applaud the union for working with us to find the common ground for rewarding our hard-working faculty, which are the foundation of our academic enterprise,â€� says Elizabeth A. Dooley, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Working together, I know the union and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ will continue to find ways to support our faculty and to advance excellence in teaching and learning.â€�

Dooley commended members of both negotiating teams. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s bargaining team members are chief negotiator Michael Mattimore, Sherry Andrews, Charles Reilly, Ross Wolf and Charlie Piper. The UFF’s bargaining team is led by chief negotiator Jennifer Sandoval with assistance from Yovanna Pineda, John Raible, John Fauth, Mason Cash and Scott Launier.

“It has been my privilege to work with this incredible group of volunteers tirelessly representing the interests of faculty during our negotiations,� says Sandoval, associate professor of communication and program coordinator for Communication and Conflict. “We thank the BOT representatives for their continued engagement in good-faith bargaining this year during a time of constant change and uncertainty. Collaboration on the MOU regarding salary is a positive step forward in our ongoing work on the new contract.

“We also thank the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ administration, specifically Provost Dooley, for making faculty compensation a priority.â€�

Negotiations continue between the university and the union on the broader collective bargaining agreement for 2018-21. The United Faculty of Florida bargaining team represents more than 1,670 employees at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

For Zargar, this means furthering his long-term goal of building connections among students and faculty to talk about religion, theology and social issues.

“I hope to make Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ a center of discussions—a center of learning where scholars and artists from around the U.S. and the world are heard by a curious and participating campus community,â€� says Zargar.

Zargar, who joined the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ faculty last fall, has already made moves in advancing Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s . He hosted two public events in the fall, including a showing of the award-winning Iranian film The Color of Paradise, and is working with the university to create a new certificate in interfaith studies. His long-term goal is to build connections among students and faculty to talk about religion, theology and social issues.

Zargar believes Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is the optimal place for a program in Islamic Studies, which reaches into many disciplines, including religious studies, political science, modern languages and literature and more. “Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is not an ivory-tower sort of university,â€� says Zargar. “In each of the fields it offers for study, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has deep connections to the Orlando community. Interdisciplinarity is not scoffed at as being beneath the specialist—rather, it’s encouraged. Change is not seen as de-evolution—rather, it’s embraced.â€�

“Cultural study is the best way I can think of to teach empathy, self-awareness and global understanding.� — Jeff Moore, dean of College of Arts and Humanities

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Provost Elizabeth Dooley and College of Arts and Humanities Dean Jeff Moore presided over the investiture ceremony, which was held on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ FAIRWINDS Alumni Center.

“Cultural study is the best way I can think of to teach empathy, self-awareness and global understanding,â€� says Moore. “I look forward to the growth of the Islamic Studies program at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and to watching interfaith understanding and connectedness blossom under Dr. Zargar’s guidance.â€�

The event was attended by many members of the Islamic Center of Orlando, including Imam Tariq Rasheed. Rasheed, a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ alumnus, led the charge in creating the new position by encouraging the financial support of hundreds of members of the Islamic Center.

“Perhaps what makes this position so distinctive is that it was not founded by one wealthy benefactor, not a government, nor a corporation, but rather by the Islamic Center of Orlando,� says Zargar. “Citizens of Orlando united by their common interest in promoting learning, dialogue, the study of religion, and the de-stigmatization of Islam and Muslims contributed to making their environment richer by giving of themselves.�

The Al-Ghazali Endowed Professorship was started in 2005 and the Islamic Studies program in 2011 with the overall goal of promoting the understanding and appreciation of Islam and Muslim communities.

Learn more about the Islamic Studies program and Zargar at .