Each year, faculty and staff prepare for the new school year during University Conference week. Dean Richard Young began the 2012 McKay School meetings held during this annual event by reiterating the importance of the BYU mission and aims, and discussing their connection to preparing for eternal life.  “I hope every faculty member in the McKay School is continuing to grow,” said Dean Young.

He also urged staff and faculty to pursue unity as a goal. While acknowledging that differences are good and healthy, Dean Young encouraged McKay School colleagues to seek to understand one another, and to listen to staff, administrators, and public school partners. “They bring with them much knowledge and expertise and insight.”

Dean Young recalled how a former colleague and dear friend, Marie Tuttle, often said that partnering doesn’t always mean getting your way. “It is through partnering and collaboration that we learn,” expressed Young.

The dean also touched on scholarship and grant acquisition. “Scholarship weighs heavy on our minds,” Dean Young said. “What’s happening at BYU is the right thing. We need to be a better scholarly university. For some of us, that means we need to improve skills.” Speaking on grants, Dean Young reiterated his desire for a growing collaborative relationship with WestEd, acknowledging the great expertise now available to faculty.

Several awards were presented during college meetings. Tina Taylor Dyches was recognized for having received the Wesley P. Lloyd Award for Distinction in Graduate Education, a university-wide award announced during the full university meetings. This award is given to a member of BYU’s graduate faculty who has demonstrated exemplary teaching, research, and citizenship. Three McKay School faculty were honored with The Nancy Peery Marriott award: Pam Hallam for Outstanding Teaching, Rick West as Outstanding Scholar, and Scott Ferrin as Outstanding Mentor More information is available here.  Five staff members and administrators were also honored for their service and time at the university: Julie Cloward, Steve Burton, Diane Hannock, Sandy Alger, and Kristine Abbott. More information on these awards can be found here.

New and re-assigned staff, faculty and clinical faculty associates were announced by their respective supervisors. A full list with brief biographies is available here. Dean Young also announced that Professor Scott Ferrin was recently appointed by President Samuelson as an associate chair in the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations.

Two panels, one on teaching and one on research, were presented during the day—each panel member offering insights that had contributed to their personal success in that area. Faculty and staff were offered several breakout sessions to choose from on topics that included assessment, blended learning, learning outcomes, grants, and collaborative research. For a full list or to see handouts, faculty or staff can click here.

The day concluded with an inspiring report on the school’s newest student teaching opportunity in Guangzhou, China. Professors Damon Bahr and Peter Chan recently returned from China. Both gave professional and personal insights about their experiences. Bahr brought a chuckle when he said, “The good news is they asked us to come back next year.”

Two student participants shared experiences from their time in China.  Patrick Hoffmeier told about several personal miracles that occurred during his experience. He said, “I miss Chinese people. There is a special place in my heart for them, always.”

Amandine Giraud-Carrier told about Andrew, a student who struggled to keep up with his peers. “I worked really hard with this student.  I told him, ‘Do your best.’”  On the last day, after the children had left her classroom, Amandine was reflecting on her experience and wondering if she had made a difference when a woman approached her and said, “I am Andrew’s mother. You have noticed that Andrew is different.” The mother then told Amandine, or Miss A as she was known, that Andrew had begun to come home and speak to her in English. “He tells me you told him to do his best,” said the woman.  Amandine concluded, “It was really touching to me to know this program has made this kind of impact on students.”

Click here for more information about the China student teaching experience.

September 24, 2012