- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Little Rock Congregations Study Dialogue Reveals How Congregations, Nonprofits Can Work Together to Address Community Issues

John Hill — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 14:05:26 +0000

The (LRCS) research team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock worked with a team of students from the ��Vlog��ý-Clinton School of Public Service to host a series of community dialogue discussions during the spring semester to explore how congregations and nonprofits in Little Rock can come together to make an impact on important community issues. The three community sessions focused on the issues selected as the most important from a survey of nearly 2,300 congregants from 35 places of worship across Little Rock who took part in the 2020 LRCS Survey. Their responses indicated a particular interest among the community on the issues of education, healthcare, and marriage and family. The LRCS is led by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors Rebecca Glazier, Gerald Driskill, and Kirk Leach, in consultation with the project’s Clergy Advisory Board, a group of eight clergy members in Little Rock who advise the Little Rock Congregations Study. The Clinton School of Public Service students who led the community dialogue sessions include Amanda Cady, Layne Coleman, David Lewis, Oluwaseun Olaniyi, and Essence Thomas. More than 30 people attended the community dialogue sessions from congregations and nonprofit organizations. In each session, participants from a wide variety of backgrounds discussed their own experiences with each of these issues and the ways in which they hoped to collaborate for positive change in the community. Through each session, participants identified barriers to collaboration between congregations and nonprofits, including time and money, religious and political differences, historic racial inequities, and resistance to change. They also discussed ways to overcome these barriers, including open communication, targeted efforts within congregations to raise awareness, and most importantly, building connections within the community. In small-group discussions, participants were able to meet community members with shared interest areas and discuss new and current initiatives in areas of education, healthcare, and marriage and family. “We were excited for this opportunity to bring people together, despite the pandemic,” said Glazier, director of the Little Rock Congregations Study. “The research we have done over the past few years has shown that both congregations and nonprofits in our city really have a heart to serve. The more they can connect with one another and find areas of commonality, the more we can make progress on these important issues in our community.” In the dialogue on education, participants discussed the history of Little Rock’s education system as well as numerous limitations to education, including racial inequity, poverty, and school funding. Barriers to collaboration were identified as race relations, time, and lack of economic resources. Their collaboration ideas to address issues in education include engaging with different congregations through volunteer opportunities, volunteering in mentoring programs for local students, and having individual congregations partner with a local school. In the healthcare session, participants discussed issues impacting healthcare in Little Rock, including equity and access to healthcare, rising costs, and differing priorities. One focus of the discussion included racial disparities in healthcare issues and access to healthcare. Participants were interested in finding ways to connect with organizations and congregations outside of their usual circles to learn about initiatives taking place across the city. Their collaborative ideas to address healthcare issues include collaborating to arrange health screening and vaccine clinics, building conscious connections across community groups, and prioritizing empowerment and education around health issues and rights. During the marriage and family session, participants from a wide variety of backgrounds found common ground in the stressors that marriages and families encounter and how to provide empathy and support to families in times of need. When families have a strong support system, they are able to persevere through challenges, which benefits family members and their community. Participants also explored ideas for how congregations and nonprofits can collaborate to address issues in marriage and family. Their ideas included mentoring programs for families and couples, providing support for children in foster care and their families, and outreach programs to identify and address issues facing families. “As Clinton School students, this dialogue series was a wonderful learning experience for us,” said Amanda Cady, a graduate student. “These dialogues allowed us to apply the academic skills we’ve learned in our program while connecting with the community. We learned that people in Little Rock truly care about their neighbors and want to work together to improve their community. As aspiring public service providers, this was a great way to learn from residents and give back to the city!” A of the participants found that the dialogue series overwhelmingly helped them become more willing to work through barriers to collaboration between congregations and nonprofits. Across dialogues, data showed that most participants became more willing to collaborate across differences, including religious and political differences. Additionally, all participants reported that they would participate in a similar dialogue event again.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock study explores need to form partnerships between nonprofits, congregations

John Hill — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 14:43:30 +0000

While many nonprofits and religious congregations partner together to help people in need in the Little Rock area, more partnerships are needed to meet the city’s growing demand for services, according to the results of a University of Arkansas at Little Rock study. The Little Rock Congregations study is an ongoing research project led by Dr. Rebecca Glazier, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs, stemming from research begun in 2012 about the effects of religious organizations on community engagement in Little Rock. Her research partners include Dr. Kirk Leach, assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs, and Dr. Gerald Driskill, professor of applied communication. Glazier recently released the results of the 2019 survey, which focused on surveying and interviewing nonprofit leaders to learn more about how and when collaborations with congregations occur. “We were surprised and excited about how open nonprofits are to working with congregations in Little Rock,” Glazier said. “The lens that we brought to this part of the research was to fulfill a need that we’ve heard about congregations wanting to work with more nonprofits. We saw an overwhelming amount of nonprofits that wanted to partner with congregations. We were worried that many might have policies that prevent them from working with religious organizations, but that wasn’t the case.” Researchers spoke with 118 nonprofit leaders in the Little Rock area, out of 329 that were contacted. The survey found that 70 percent of the respondents have partnered with congregations in the past. All of the respondents who’ve partnered with congregations expressed interest in partnering again. An additional 20 percent of respondents have not had a partnership with a congregation, but expressed interest in doing so, while 7 percent of respondents have no desire to partner with a congregation, and 3 percent reported their nonprofit’s policies don’t allow collaboration with a religious organization. “A lack of interest is not preventing partnerships,” Glazier said. “Nonprofit policies are not preventing partnership. Nonprofits are actively seeking partnerships. Our conclusion from this data and from the clergy study in 2018 is that more partnerships will happen as more connections across organizations are made. We hope to facilitate such connections throughout 2020.” The vast majority of respondents (79 percent) are collaborating with other organizations, including congregations, to deliver needed social serves in Little Rock. Of the nonprofit leaders surveyed, 19 percent said they collaborate to connect with the community, 17 because of the topic, and 13 percent as a cost-reduction strategy. The community services provided by nonprofits are more diverse than those offered by local congregations. In 2018, the study found that marriage and relationship counseling are the most popular services (61 percent) offered by Little Rock-based congregations followed by food pantries (48 percent) and education services (34 percent). On the other hand, the most common service offered by nonprofits is education (30 percent), followed by healthy eating (17 percent). The diverse range of services provided by Little Rock nonprofits include community gardens, pregnancy testing, and entrepreneurial support, which are all topics that never came up in previous research with congregations.There is a great potential for the expansion of partnerships between nonprofits and congregations to meet the rising needs of the Little Rock community. Out of those surveyed, 80 percent reported an increase in demand for their services. Glazier feels that two key areas for future collaboration include education, one of the highest service areas offered by both nonprofits and congregations in Little Rock, and food initiatives. “Many congregations host food pantries and many nonprofits focus on healthy eating education,” Glazier said. “Working together, the two types of organizations could get more and healthier food and better nutrition information to people in need in our community.” Since the study began in 2012, more than 170 students have conducted research. When the project began, the researchers investigated the impact of community engagement by congregations. Since 2018, they’ve looked more closely at the role of nonprofit organizations. The 2019 study focused on surveying and interviewing nonprofit leaders to learn more about how and when collaborations with congregations occur. Researchers looked at the impacts of local faith-based community engagement while also providing relevant and meaningful information and resources to the community, such as an interactive map of the city’s food pantries. “Churches may have been more focused on people in their congregations in the past, but now, more than ever, they’re raising their heads and looking around their community for opportunities to serve,” said Lauri Currier, executive director of The Call. The Little Rock Congregations Study will continue this year with a survey of congregation members in Little Rock. The surveys will include questions about community issues church members see as most important to the city, what issues they would like their congregations to be active in, and if they are willing to volunteer. Congregation leaders can use the results to prioritize their community engagement initiatives, while the researchers will connect congregations and nonprofits that are interested in working on the same issues. “We want to facilitate partnerships between nonprofits and congregations,” Glazier said. “We’ve heard them say they want to make more connections to help the community and to really make a difference for our city. We can make the process so much easier by connecting congregations and nonprofits together.” In the upper right photo, from left, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors and student researchers Gerald Driskill, Jessica Olson, Jasmine Pugh, Kaylyn Hager, and Rebecca Glazier are researching how partnerships between churches and nonprofit organizations can provide services to the community in the Little Rock Congregations Study. Photo by Ben Krain.

New degree leads to dream career for single dad

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 14:18:59 +0000

Less than 48 hours after Anthony Alexander graduates from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in applied communication on Dec. 15, he will begin his dream job as the dean of students at in Little Rock. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has given me the tools I needed to get where I am now as dean of students,” said Alexander, 32, of Little Rock. “It’s an enormous honor to come right out of graduation and start a dream position. Because they were so impressed with my resume and the education I was receiving, in their words, they couldn’t help but offer me the position. Without my education, I would not have the future I have going forward.” Alexander first started at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2004 after graduating J.A. Fair High School. He left in 2006 after learning some life-altering news. “I had to drop out due to having a child on the way,” he said. “Of course, you don’t make any money at school, and I had to go make money. Two years after Anthony Jr. was born, his mother passed, and I became a single parent. He’s 10 now.” Alexander always had a dream of finishing his education and making a difference in the lives of young people. It was that dream that led him to come back to school at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in spring 2014. “Anthony found a home in the Department of Applied Communication and started succeeding in his coursework,” said Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication and Alexander’s advisor. “He eventually switched to the online program for his major in order to work multiple jobs to support his growing family. Anthony is an example of a resilient and persistent student, who overcomes hardships to pursue his dreams. He is already paying it forward to other young people who need to be inspired to go after their dreams as well. We are very proud of Anthony’s achievements to reach his dreams!” One of Alexander’s motivations for completing his degree was to show the importance of education to his son. “That is the reason I got back into school,” he said. “I wanted to show my son that no matter how long it takes, you can always finish what you started. I can’t preach the gospel if I don’t practice it myself. It’d be hard to tell them they need to go to school when I dropped out myself. My grandmother helped me out through school. She would watch him when I had to take a final or go to class.” Over the past six years, Alexander has found his passion working with children in the Little Rock School District. “I love kids. They fulfill my life. They give me a sense that I am working for a purpose,” he said. “It’s a new experience every day when you are working with kids. I like to think that I can help mold a kid into a direction that I could have had at our age. I don’t look like your typical educator, so they tend to latch on to me. The kids at the school I work at call me ‘Unc,’ because I became the uncle of the school.” When Alexander was a child, he was raised by a wonderful single grandmother, Carol Alexander, but says he missed out on having a positive male role model in his life. “When I was in school, I was a little class clown,” Alexander said. “I’d like to crack jokes and talk a lot. My grandmother raised me, so I didn’t have either parent. I never had a male role model try to guide me when I needed to be guided. I feel like a lot of our young men need that. Education is a women-driven field, so I think young men sometimes need an adult male to guide them.” He’s a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and has found a mentor in Chatham-Carpenter. “Dr. Carpenter was a great mentor at the university,” he said. “She’s met my oldest son since I’ve had to bring him to her office several times over the years. She has always been very understanding since I am not your typical student. We’ve always had great communication. She has been really great and fun too.” Now Alexander and his fiancé, Leyonda Foote, have another son, Aceton, who will turn one the day after Alexander’s graduation. “I’m a semi-professional rugby player, and I play on the U.S. Select South team,” Alexander said. “My fiancé complimented one of the photos I did for a rugby calendar. Since then, we’ve never been apart, except when I travel. It’s like it was meant to be. She’s always treated my son like he was hers. She helped out a lot too to keep me motivated and in school.” In his new career, Alexander is looking forward to implementing new programs to help students learn and be more active. “I’ve never the type to just stay stationary or complacent,” he said. “Dean of students is a couple of stages past where I was going to start at. I would like to move up in administration and add programs that could help students learn in the future and fun activities. I’m big on physical education. Maybe I’ll be a principal of my own school one day.” In the upper right photo, Anthony Alexander will begin his job as dean of students at eStem Elementary School in Little Rock just two days after his graduation from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s 2018 Racial Attitudes Conference will discuss race, ethnicity, and education

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 20:35:02 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity will examine Pulaski County residents’ views on race, ethnicity, and education during the 15th annual Racial Attitudes in Pulaski County Conference on Tuesday, April 24. The conference will run from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Legends Room in the Jack Stephens Center. “The survey is focusing on education this year in part to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock schools and, in part, because education continues to be one of the most contentious areas in city conversations about race and ethnicity,” said Dr. John Kirk, director of the Anderson Institute. This year’s panel members include Dr. Corey Anderson, executive vice president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Dr. Gary Arnold, president of Little Rock Christian Academy, Dr. John Bacon, chief executive officer of eStem Public Charter Schools, Elizabeth Eckford, author and member of the Little Rock Nine who desegregated Central High School in 1957, and Dr. Anika Whitfield, public school advocate. A panel discussion will be followed by a lunch reception and book signing by Eckford, author of “The Worst First Day: Bullied While Desegregating Central High School.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event. The results of the study on race, ethnicity, and education are based on 1,915 phone interviews with adults living in Pulaski County conducted by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Survey Research Center between Aug. 31, 2017, and Jan. 19, 2018. The event is free and open to the public. Please register by filling out this online form. For more information, contact Tamisha Cheatham at 501-569-8932 or tmcheatham@ualr.edu.

First-generation college student builds legacy through education

Jenny Lambert — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 14:00:54 +0000

Nora Bouzihay, a doctoral student of education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, became the influence that she wanted to see. She was the first female in her family to graduate from high school, attend college, obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and pursue a doctorate.

Bouzihay’s parents had always stressed to her and her siblings the importance of getting an education. They traveled from Morocco, a country in North Africa, to the United States as a young couple to provide a better life for themselves and the children they planned to someday have. From the start, they realized education would be the key to their children’s success.

“Go to school, get an education, the more knowledge the better,” Bouzihay recited. “That’s always been ingrained in my mind.”

‘I had to do everything on my own’

When Bouzihay completed her tenth-grade year at Nettleton High School, she made a decision that would put her educational pursuit into overdrive. She was accepted into and attended the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA) in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

“[ASMSA] was really amazing,” she said. “I got a lot of exposure to and preparation for college. In fact, I did my senior thesis on diabetic research here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the chemistry department.”

Once Bouzihay became a freshman at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she was more than confident in her ability to succeed in higher education because of her pre-college experience at ASMSA. Bouzihay understood that she would encounter challenges that were unique to her, so she did everything in her power to ensure that none of those obstacles slowed her stride.

“It was tough because I had to do everything on my own like explore, network, and figure out what I needed to do to become successful,” Bouzihay said, “but I received endless support from my parents who continued to push me.”

Finding her passion

While weaving her web of connections and opportunities, Bouzihay stumbled across a program that changed the course of her quest as a future scientific researcher. Although she’d enjoyed being a part of the Donaghey and Science Scholars programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, it was the National Model Arab League that resonated with her inner self.

The National Model Arab League is a student leadership development program designed to give students a taste of life as international diplomats. Once Bouzihay graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with her bachelor’s in biology, she took her talents to the Clinton School of Public Service where she learned the ins and outs of diplomacy through public service.

Life in Dubai

Photo by Ben Krain — Photo composite of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate student, Nora Bouzihay, who studied in Dubai

As a requirement of the master’s program at the Clinton School, Bouzihay was tasked with choosing an international location for her public service abroad. Bouzihay was cleared to study in Dubai and spent eight months working with the country’s U.S. Department of State and United Arab Emirates.

Once again, Bouzihay was on her own. This time, however, she found herself in need. Nine days after she arrived in Dubai, Bouzihay’s appendix ruptured.

“I had to have emergency surgery,” Bouzihay said. “It got so bad that the doctor said if I didn’t have surgery right away I would die because of the rupture.”

Bouzihay’s mother rushed to the Middle East to be by her daughter’s side and helped nurse Bouzihay back to health. Once Bouzihay was able to work, she did so non stop, so much so that she was asked to extend her semester-long stay in Dubai to work on other projects, as well as projects in Morocco.

This time allowed Bouzihay to reconnect with her roots and visit her family. Her grandmother in Morocco had fallen ill and was hospitalized, so Bouzihay felt joy, comfort, and security being by her side, helping care for her grandmother.

“My grandmother always told me to finish school,” Bouzihay said. “She wasn’t traditionally educated, but she was educated through life’s experiences. She never knew how to read and write, but she had wisdom.”

Bouzihay’s grandmother passed away last spring, and to honor her legacy, Bouzihay dedicated her master’s degree to her.

Can’t stop, won’t stop

Following her experience in Dubai, Bouzihay was sure of what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Rather than becoming a medical doctor/biomedical researcher as she’d once imagined, Bouzihay longed to work with women and children in the Middle East and North Africa to create a pathway for their future.

To turn this dream into a reality, Bouzihay started the trek to obtaining her doctoral degree. She is currently working on her Doctorate in Education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, while serving as a graduate assistant for undergraduate academic advising and working with first-generation college students and minorities.

“It’s been a goal of mine to not stop until I get to the end,” Bouzihay said. “In the field that I want to work in, the more degrees, the more competitive you are. My parents sacrificed so much, so I can’t stop until I’m done.”

Nowara Co.

Although Bouzihay has a load of responsibilities on her shoulders, she’s made room for one more. She recently launched her own hijab/scarf company, Nowara Co. Nowara, which means “flower,” was the nickname given to her by her grandmother.

“Nowara Co. was a continuation of my grandmother’s legacy to instill in and empower young girls and women to embrace their natural [beauty],” Bouzihay said.

For every three scarves Bouzihay’s company sells, one will go to a refugee in the Middle East. Although refugees receive, food, clothes, health supplies, and water, Bouzihay says they do not receive scarves.

Freedom in the hijab

About a year and half ago, Bouzihay committed to wearing the hijab daily. Although she was first uneasy of the looks and backlash she would receive from people outside of the Muslim faith, she felt fulfilled in making that decision and wanted other women to feel free and proud, just as she did, when wearing the scarf.

“I was terrified because the political era that we were in at that time was hard,” Bouzihay explained. “Everyday, it’s hard to walk outside wearing a hijab. As soon as someone sees you, they know you’re a Muslim so they already have that image of you. I knew that my life was going to change 180 degrees, and that’s very terrifying because you don’t know how it’s going to be. God blessed me with the respect from people of all corners of life. You get the people who say racial slurs every once in a while, but it all comes down to faith.” Bouzihay has been more than an inspiration to her friends and family. She’s established a legacy through education, diligence, dedication, and resilience. After graduating from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for a second time, this time with her Ph.D in 2022, she plans to take and pass her foreign service exam, head to the Middle East, and do the work that she loves.

��Vlog��ýLR holds Shadow-A-Student program

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 15:35:57 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty members are getting a chance to better understand the student learning experience. The ��Vlog��ýLR Academy for Learning and Teaching Excellence Shadow-A-Student program pairs faculty members and students. The faculty member attends one of the student’s classes, and the pair meet to discuss the experience. Academy staff members will contact the student’s instructor in advance to gain permission for the faculty member to attend the class. After the class visit and discussion with the student, the faculty member will write a description of the experience to share at the academy’s Shadow-A-Student luncheon on Wednesday, April 6. Students are also invited to attend the luncheon. “While the classroom visit is the main activity of the program, students and faculty alike have found that a much broader conversation about learning and attending ��Vlog��ýLR results from the experience,” said Dr. Kristin Mann, co-director of the academy and a professor of history. “We have found that the program is a rare opportunity to understand student life and learning more deeply.” For more information, please contact the Academy for Learning and Teaching Excellence at 501.682.8459 or atle@ualr.edu. If you are a faculty member who would like to participate, please fill out the (). If you are a student who would like to participate, please fill out the for students. ().

Award established in honor of McAlpine

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:15:38 +0000

The Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers Association recently announced the establishment of an award named for Dr. Dave McAlpine, professor of Spanish and Second Language Education at ��Vlog��ýLR.

The honor was given in recognition of McAlpine’s 22 years of training foreign language teachers.

Outstanding undergraduate and graduate students studying foreign language teacher education in Arkansas are eligible to apply each year for the new award.

The announcement was made at the AFLTA’s annual convention in Hot Springs where McAlpine presented the keynote address and workshop titled, “What’s the Essential Question?”

McAlpine was also honored by the DeSoto Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese with the gift of a llama donated in his name to Heifer International.

He is the immediate past president of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive organization for foreign language educators.

Sewall Wins National Education Award

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:33:34 +0000

Dr. Angela Sewall, dean of the College of Education, has received the 2013 Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The award, which also was given to Dr. Virgina McLaughlin from the College of William & Mary, recognizes distinguished service to the teacher education community for the development and promotion of outstanding practices at the collegiate, state, or national level. Sewall will receive the award Thursday, Feb. 28, at ‘s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. The association’s Committee on Professional Preparation and Accountability, which reviews submissions for the award, chose two winners this year. Sewall, who is a professor in educational administration, is sought after by districts across the nation for her expertise in the areas of school law and desegregation. “Dean Sewall has earned this honor for her outstanding leadership in teacher education,” ��Vlog��ýLR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson said. “During her tenure at ��Vlog��ýLR, Dean Sewall set a standard of excellence among the faculty in the College of Education. That same commitment to excellence can be seen throughout her more than 40 years in the field of education, from her time as a teacher in the Little Rock School District to her work in higher education.” Sewall is engaged in service to profession, including NCATE, where she has been a member of the Board of Examiners, past chair of the Unit Accreditation Board and a member of the NCATE Executive Committee, a member of the ARPA (Annual Reports and Preconditions) committee and a member of the Commission and Council of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), a board member of the Reading Recovery Council of North America, and the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities. She served as dean’s representative on the RRCNA Board for six years and received the National Teacher Leader Award in 2004 for her support of improved literacy. Internationally, she served on a team of presidents and provosts from selected higher education institutions, in conjunction with the Christian A. Johnson Foundation and Artes Liberales, working in Central and Eastern Europe to help revive the liberal arts in higher education institutions in countries emerging from communism.

She served as president of TECSCU and during her tenure she worked to build collaboration between the two national teacher education agencies and also built a partnership with the Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She is a member of the AACTE Board of Directors and the AACTE Board Executive Committee. She is active in the AACTE “dean-alike” meetings and most recent worked with the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education Governmental Relations Office on issues related to higher education and K-12 accountability, leading the efforts in a national ARTQP partnership. Under her leadership, the College of Education at ��Vlog��ýLR is partnering with the Promise Neighborhood planning grant. The ��Vlog��ýLR College of Education was also the recipient of an I3 grant. Sewall is active in community service, including service to the state as a member of the Arkansas Leadership Academy executive committee and the Arkansas Education Deans’ Council, as well as the Arkansas Public Policy Panel. She has authored numerous nationally and internationally published journal articles, book chapters, a monograph and one book. Sewall also is a frequent presenter at state, regional, national and international meetings. Her particular research interests are in the areas of school policy, law and leadership. Sewall has been at ��Vlog��ýLR for 21 years, 16 of those as dean of the education college. Before coming to higher education, she worked in the Little Rock School District, first as teacher and then rising up through the ranks to become a counselor, principal, and associate superintendent for daily operations.

Grad Student Named Project Director

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:29:45 +0000

Amy Baldwin, a student in the ��Vlog��ýLR higher education doctoral program, has been named project director for Arkansas’s Complete College America (CCA) grant. Arkansas is one of only 10 states that received the ...

Sewall to Chair National Accreditation Board

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:54:35 +0000

Dr. Angela M. Sewall, dean of ��Vlog��ýLR’s College of Education, has been appointed chair of the Unit Accreditation Board of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Sewall’s year-long term will extend to June 30, 2012. “Accreditation is a service to the teaching profession and the public,” said James. G. Cibulka, president of NCATE in his letter of appointment. “As an educational leader, you are helping to shape the future of our nation’s teachers. I know that your contribution to the work of NCATE will continue to prove invaluable.” Earlier this year, Sewall was elected to a three-year term as a member of the board of directors of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. Dean of Education at ��Vlog��ýLR since 1997, Sewall is also active in educational policy in other venues including her roles as a member and deans’ representative on the board of the Reading Recovery Council of North America and as a member of the NCATE Executive Board. She is a lead partner in the Arkansas Partnership for Teacher Quality, a national initiative for teacher quality and student learning; American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education; National Education Association; and is chair of the executive committee of the Arkansas Leadership Academy. Sewall has been a professor at ��Vlog��ýLR since 1992. Prior to that time, she worked for educational change and student learning in the Little Rock School District for 22 years, as a teacher, principal, and associate superintendent.

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