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September 2020 Contents
NDMU continues to be listed among the top colleges and universities in this year’s U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges 2021.” The University climbed 10 slots in the Best Region Universities in the North classification under the best school for “Top Performers in Social Mobility.” NDMU rose from No. 22 to No. 11 in 2021 and marks the highest-ranking school in Maryland, in the area.
This is the second year NDMU was ranked in the “Top Performers in Social Mobility” category for its strong success rate in advancing a student’s ability to complete their degree and find good-paying jobs. This U.S. News classification evaluates which schools best serve underrepresented students. Using Pell Grants as a proxy measure, the ranking looks at enrollment and graduation rates of low-income students.
NDMU also rose 15 slots in the magazine’s rankings in “Best Value Schools” to No. 55 and overall the University is ranked as tied for No. 59 out of 176 colleges and universities in this grouping. The U.S. News rankings focus on full-time undergraduate education.
NDMU was also ranked 10th Best Women’s College by CollegeChoice. This ranking highlights women’s colleges in the US “based exclusively on factors actual college freshmen said were most important to their college decision.” The rankings were determined using publicly available sources that featured “academic reputation, financial aid offerings, overall cost, and success of graduates in the post-college job market,” which according to the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA are major determining factors for freshmen.
Originally charged by the University's 2020 Strategic Plan, Notre Dame of Maryland University completed a 3-year branding initiative with the launch of a new brand and tagline, The Best You. The new brand captures the Notre Dame mission and the transformative education students receive by placing the focus on the individual. When you become the best version of yourself, you can then go on to help create a better world, which is exactly what NDMU is all about.
The new brand was officially launched with a special presentation for faculty and staff at the University Assembly on August 21, 2020. If you were unable to attend the presentation, please WATCH the recording for more information about the branding process and the reasons behind how the creative elements were developed. #TheBestYouNDMU
As we get closer to wrapping up the first month of the fall semester, NDMU would like to thank our campus community for their continued dedication to the health and safety at NDMU. Beyond our NDMU Together initiatives including mask mandates, daily self-screening, and social distancing, NDMU has implemented a program for COVID-19 surveillance testing in partnership with LifeBridge Health and the University of Maryland Baltimore’s Institute for Genomic Sciences. Faculty, staff, and students who come to campus on a regular basis are participating in random on-campus COVID-19 testing with no cost to selected community members. The approximately 50 selections per-week will be generated randomly. Selected community members will be emailed with detailed instructions for registration. #NDMUTogether
In support of NDMU Together and keeping our campus safe, the NDMU Office of Institutional Advancement is holding a random drawing for a PPE gift bag. The 125 canvas tote bag includes a facemask, hand sanitizer, face shield, and other gifts to thank the campus community for helping keep NDMU healthy and safe. Faculty and staff members that come to campus on a regular basis are encouraged to enter the drawing. Ten (10) winners will be selected and will be hand-delivered their gift minding social distancing. #NDMUTogether
Sister Kathleen Feeley was selected as an Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement honoree by Marquis Who’s Who. Additional details regarding her recognition will be forthcoming.
“Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment.” #NDMUProud
Current NDMU Women’s College students are encouraged to apply to become a peer tutor. Students interested must fill out the application to be considered. A resume, two faculty recommendation letters, your most current transcript and current class resume must be submitted upon application. Additional qualifications required.
Teaching from your home office this fall? Mix it up a bit by moving your workspace on-campus every now and again. The Multimedia Studio is here for all NDMU educators in need of:
We offer all of the above and personalized training if you need it! Learn more about the studio, get certified, or schedule your time by emailing Simone Christian at schristian@ndm.edu. Weekly scheduled space is limited, so get in touch today!
We are just under a month away from celebrating Reunion 2020! This past week, we just reached the 200-registrants milestone for our virtual reunion celebration. Prior to Reunion on starting October 7, our registrants will receive their Virtual Reunion 2020 care package that will enhance the festivities during the week. There is still time to register as registration will remain open until October 11.
Join us for a live-streamed version of this traditional Reunion mass at 11:00 a.m. on October 11. We will come together to remember those who have passed and pray as a Notre Dame community. We will also honor this and last year’s newest Montrose Society members with a virtual pinning ceremony. Due to safety concerns, Mass will not be held in person.
This summer has brought a change in Alumnae and Alumni Council leadership. We are thrilled to announce that Nichole' C. Gatewood, Esq. ’01 has been elected as the President of the Alumnae and Alumni Council. Nichole', who goes by Nikki, has for the past three years, served as an at-large member on the AAC and for far longer has been part of NDMU's Networking Committee, First Impressions Committee, and served as an ambassador for our community.
Check out all the Council representatives
Thank you to Victoria Meadows ’15 who has served in the President role for the past three years.
Camp Notre Dame launched the first-ever virtual summer camp. Virtual camp complied of sending campers activity boxes with daily crafts, pre-recorded instructions, and included live sessions. Camp was a riving success, sending out over 100 boxes throughout Maryland, D.C, and Pennsylvania. Each of the themed sessions sold at least 25 boxes with the most popular session Ocean Commotion selling 29. The Camp Notre Dame team also worked with SAGE to provide a cooking at home program. SAGE compiled boxes of professional cooking tools to campers at home. There were 10 boxes sold but 30 live videos session with a SAGE chef sold. Some of the popular weeks were hand pies and sushi.
Keep an eye out from the CND team for information on our Winter Wonderland Camp at Home session in December!
Virtual career and internship fairs are coming up soon, and they are great for students of smaller schools. Don’t miss the chance to meet a diverse array of employers.
NDMU’s Fair – Thursday, October 1, 2:00 to 5:00 pm (co-hosted with five local liberal arts schools)
UMBC’s Fair (NDMU students are eligible to attend) – Wednesday, September 23, 11:30 am to 3:30 pm
Virtual internships are possible. This Summer, 46% of employers moved to this format. Use these tips to make it a productive experience.
The LNDL building is open!
Learn more about visiting the Library as well as remote services, resources, and technology.
Rightfully Hers Pop-up Exhibit Now on Display
Did you know 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote in the US? The exhibit Rightfully Hers is on view in the gallery of the library through the fall semester. This pop-up display from the National Archives commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Explore the history of the ratification of this historic amendment, women’s voting rights before and after, and its impact today.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Mask Making
Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 12pm
Join us as we discuss and make pleated face masks. Make for yourself, a friend, or an organization in need, or just practice your sewing skills.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Photography with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 12:30 pm
This exploratory session covers photography basics with a focus on aspect ratios, framing, composition, and their application within the Adobe Lightroom mobile app.
LNDL Online Copyright Workshop: Copyright and Online Instruction
Wednesday, September 16, 3-4 pm
Are you wondering if your online course materials comply with copyright law? This workshop will provide the basics of copyright law for online instruction and how it differs from teaching in the face-to-face classroom. You will learn how to use a copyright framework to work through your copyright questions and determine if you need permissions for your use.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Games as a new literacy tool: Teaching and Learning Through Games and Virtual Reality Technology
Thursday, September 17, 2020, 12 pm
This workshop is for participants interested in incorporating games and digital interactive technology as trans-disciplinary teaching and learning tools in the classroom.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Working with Fonts in Cricut Design Space
Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 12 pm
In this workshop you will explore using the type tool, select fonts, designate linetype and manipulate size, spacing, alignment, color and more. By the end of this workshop you will have the basics to add text to any project, whether wall art, a tumbler decal or a card.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Learn the Basics of Amazon Cloud (AWS) and Explore Simple Artificial Intelligence Widgets
Monday, September 28, 2020, 12pm
What is AWS and what can you do with it? Learn how to set up an AWS Educate account and explore ways you can leverage its capability to deploy simple artificial intelligence widgets such as semantic analysis and feature recognition.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Sticker Making with Cricut Print Then Cut
Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 12pm
In this workshop you will explore the Cricut Print Then Cut function and walk through the steps to make personalized stickers.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Velfie Videography with Adobe Premiere Rush
Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 12:30 pm
This exploratory session covers mobile videography basics, with an emphasis on exposure, focus, and its use in creating quality 'Velfies' (video selfies) within the Adobe Premiere mobile app.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Creating Digital Maps in ArcGIS
Tuesday, October 6, 2020, 12 pm
Learn how to use ArcGIS software to create digital maps! These maps can be posted on digital scholarship sites and are a great way to visualize location data for your research projects. In this class, you’ll learn about all the tools this software has to offer, as well as how to create, edit, and publish a map of your own.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: Designing for Social Media with Adobe Spark
Wednesday, October 7, 2020, 12:30 pm
This session provides an overview of Adobe Spark, a powerful tool that enables graphic design on your mobile device, which can be output to various image formats and dimensions for social media.
LNDL Online Copyright Workshop: How to Find and Legally Use Images
Wednesday, October 7, 3-4 pm
Ever wonder if it's okay to use an image in your course materials, publication, or conference presentation? This workshop will help you identify when it's okay to use images without permission. It will also provide tips for locating images that can be freely used under Creative Commons licenses or the public domain.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-Up Class: ArcGIS StoryMaps
Tuesday, October 13, 2020, 12 pm
Learn how to use ArcGIS StoryMaps to create a virtual narrative experience for your research project! This software enables you to incorporate photos, videos, audio files, and more to create an immersive storytelling experience from your research.
LNDL Online Copyright Workshop: Open Access and Open Educational Resources
Wednesday, October 21, 3-4 pm
Hoping to reduce textbook costs for your students? This workshop will provide an introduction to open access and open educational resources and provide information on where to located open educational materials.
The Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) is proud to announce the "Raise Your Game" virtual programming series slated to kick off during the Fall 2020 semester.
The CSAC has developed a series of virtual programs for student-athletes in an effort to enhance the Division III experience in the absence of fall competition. Each program will be developed and hosted by one or more of the 11 CSAC core institutions. The series will touch on various topics such as leadership, mental health, nutrition and citizenship.
In addition to the student-athlete programming series, the #RaiseYourGame initiative will also feature a series of "fireside chats" with each fall sport coaching group. The fireside chats will give student-athletes and CSAC fans an opportunity to learn more about not only their coach, but all the coaches who lead programs in the CSAC.
The #RaiseYourGame series is slated to start on Wednesday, September 23 and continue through the fall semester.
For the most up to date information on the series, please visit www.csacsports.org/raiseyourgame or follow the CSAC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @CSACsports. Student-athletes may also submit their suggestions for programming topics by visiting the website or using the hashtag #RaiseYourGame.
Ethics Discussion
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (virtual)
Alpha Phi Sigma and Women for Justice of the Criminology Department present a follow up ethics discussion on social, philosophical, and moral issues surrounding the continued impact of COVID-19. Join us for a discussion on issues surrounding social distancing and mask-wearing, racial and ethnic disparities, and more.
Alpha Phi Sigma Induction Ceremony
5:30 p.m. (virtual)
Open Hour w/ Dr. Garlic (Assoc. VP of Student Life)
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Drop by to say hi to Dr. Garlic & chat.
Open Hour w/ Amber (Director of SECP)
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Drop by to say hi to Amber and watch a few Ted talks. #TedTalkThursday
Biology Seminar
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (virtual)
Dr. Emily Taylor, University of Southern California. “Weathering the Change: How will Lizards and Snakes Respond to Increasing Temperatures?”
Seven Stages of Grief & COVID19
12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Join the Peer Educators in a Zoom Session as we inform you about the seven stages of grief and how to overcome it! We will discuss about grief stemming from the impacts of COVID-19 and missing out on in-person activities on campus.
LNDL Online Technology Pop-up Class: Games as a new Literacy tool: Teaching & Learning though games and Virtual Reality Technology
12:00 p.m.
This workshop is for participants interested in incorporating games and digital interactive technology as trans-disciplinary teaching and learning tools in the classroom.
Gentle Yoga
9:00 a.m.
Join this free and accessible yoga class which is inclusive to everyone, including beginners.
Cap & Gown Investiture
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Movie Night: The Color Purple
7:00 p.m.
UMBC Career Fair
11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
NDMU Career Fair
2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Registration will remain open throughout the Virtual Reunion celebration. Due to the virtual nature of the program, a flat fee of $35 per person will grant you access to all of the celebratory events. There is no early-bird price this year.
Biology Seminar
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (virtual)
Dr. Amy Klion, M.D., Chief, Human Eosinophil Section, National Institutes of Health. ”Eosinophils: the Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful”
Healing Racial Trauma with Dietra Hawkins, Psy.D.
9:00am to 12:00pm
Notre Dame of Maryland University Psychology Department, as an APA approved sponsor, is pleased to offer a series of continuing education seminars for psychologists and other mental health professionals. All seminars are held on Fridays from 9am-12pm (3 hours) and upon completion, participants will earn 3 continuing education credits. All seminars will be conducted via Zoom.
Philosophy Happy Hour
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Come learn about new classes and clubs, chat with faculty and majors about the discipline, or just take a moment to appreciate the love of wisdom with others. Philosophy faculty will give a brief presentation, then provide time for dialogue. Students of any major are welcome!
Biology Seminar
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (virtual)
Dr. Jack Gilbert, Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego. “Understanding the Power of the Microbiome"