2008-09 Theatre season off to a great start

The Theatre Company's new slogan "great theatre" seems to be emblematic of the season thus far as evidenced by the record attendance for the first production, The Sunshine Boys. The Theatre department received 104 new season subscribers, up 110 percent from last year. While the average attendance per performance last year was 40.1 people, The Sunshine Boys averaged 103 people per night, an increase of 150 percent.

Great Theatre continues at UDM until April. How I Learned to Drive continues through the end of November. Speech and Debate runs from Jan. 30 through Feb. 15. The Threepenny Opera opens March 20 and runs through April 5. For tickets and other information, visit the Theatre Company online.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with UDM alumni and theatre

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day with a loved one than at a UDM Theatre Company production. On Feb. 14, the CLAE Alumni Council will host an Alumni Afterglow reception following the production of Speech and Debate. Sponsored by Robert Rogowski '77, '79, and Claire Boyce, the reception will be held in The Gallery, 4th floor, Liberal Arts Building, Marygrove College.

The play begins at 8 p.m. at Marygrove College Theatre. Another Afterglow reception, sponsored by Two Men and a Truck, Novi, follows the March 28 production of The Threepenny Opera.

Counseling program connects alumni and students

The Counseling program (CNS) held its first Connecting Counselors Forum on Sept. 17, linking approximately 60 alumni and current counseling students. The first  annual event featured an alumni panel discussion focused on transitioning from graduate school to employment as professional counselors.

The evening followed with informal discussions between individual alumni and students designed to promote long-term supportive relationships as students progress through the Counseling program and through their careers. Counseling program alumni interested in learning about next year's event and other CNS news and events can receive information through the CNS Alumni Listserv. To be added to the listserv, please contact Valerie Williams at williavw@udmercy.edu.

Fiorenza

April lecture features Harvard Divinity School professor

Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, Krister Stendahl professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School, headlines the second annual Cushing Distinguished Lecture in Religious Studies at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, 2009. Schussler Fiorenza is regarded by many to be a pioneer in biblical interpretation in the area of feminist theology.

She was the first woman president of the Society of Biblical Literature, and is co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. Read more about Schussler Fiorenza.

CIS and Information Assurance move to CLAE

With the start of the school year, the undergraduate and graduate programs in Computer and Information Systems and the graduate program in Information Assurance moved from the College of Business Administration to the College of Liberal Arts & Education.

"Relocating these programs will further the convergence of knowledge and enhance the synergy with the CLAE's existing programs in Criminal Justice, Intelligence Analysis and Security Administration," says Pamela Zarkowski, interim vice president for Academic Affairs and provost.

New undergraduate minors and "program packages" added to CLAE offerings

The College recently added new undergraduate academic minors in: Addiction Studies, English (Literature and Creative Writing), Philosophy, Psychology, Theatre and Women & Gender Studies. The College has also developed three one-plus-one master programs in Economics and Computer Information Systems with two Chinese universities. The Education Department has designed a new cohort opportunity for students to complete their bachelor's, master's and teacher's certification courses in five years.

Chinese faculty visit UDM

During July, UDM's Department of Education hosted 44 faculty members from three Chinese universities in a new program, Professional Development of Teachers in English from China. The program, directed by Associate Professor of Education Karen Selby, was designed to immerse the Chinese faculty in American culture, improve their English language teaching fluency, as well as expose them higher education in the United States.

Chinese faculty on the steps of the Commerce & Finance Building with UDM representatives of the Professional Development of Teachers in English from China program, July 30.

The intent of the Chinese teachers was to experience as much American culture as possible and to learn instructional strategies to bring back to their own classes in China. Faculty members came from Zhejiang Shuren University, Hubei University of Technology and Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.