View Social Change Conference Online

 

Alumni, students, and faculty shared ways to improve communities in the university’s fourth annual Social Change Conference. The Oct. 2, 2008, event is now archived online.

 

The keynote speaker, Kelly Hodge-Williams, the executive director of Business Volunteers Unlimited Maryland, talked about her eventual move from the for-profit world to the nonprofit arena. She developed an organization that facilitates partnerships between businesses and nonprofit organizations.

 

Other speakers on the conference panel shared insights into social change leadership

• Sarah Jane Byar, a Walden Ed.D. candidate and a 35- year teacher who serves at Brookland-Cayce High School in Columbia, S.C., spoke about engaging teens in service. Byar worked with teen volunteers to assist Hurricane Katrina victims, including taking residents of a retirement home outside their facility for fresh-air respites.
• Dr. Souror Baetjer, a Walden Ph.D. graduate and 2008 Walden Outstanding Alumni Award recipient, addressed total health through better education. She observed the need in the United States to extend health care education at all levels. “The majority of us do not prioritize health and health education. We do not educate; we do not offer comprehensive health education like we do other subjects.” (Read more about Dr. Baetjer on page 33.)
• Gray G. Davis, a Walden M.B.A. graduate and chief operating officer of Oswald Trippe and Company and a board member of the Uncommon Friends Foundation, offered some practical advice for embarking on social change: “You must be able to extend yourself—it takes a lot of personal time … frequently after-hours and on the weekends.”

 

 

Disseminating Research

 

The latest issue of the Walden-sponsored, peer-reviewed online Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences explores the psychological effects of massage on running, children’s goal profiles and perceptions of the motivational climate in physical education, and the psychosocial determinants of childhood and adolescent obesity.

 

The journal’s objectives include encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue between scholars and practitioners in order to foster integration of research with practice, promoting innovative models of interdisciplinary collaboration that address complex social problems, and informing the relationship between practice and research.

 

The journal also has an open call for papers.

 

 

Social Impact Speakers

 

To support Walden University’s mission of social change, the College of Management and Technology Social Impact Speakers Series offers the opportunity to learn from industry and thought leaders in corporate social responsibility.

 

The online series is hosted by Dr. Wanda Gravett, associate dean of the School of Management, and Dr. Ahmed Naumaan, associate dean of the NTU School of Engineering and Applied Science, to provide knowledge and insight to business professionals, students, and academics around the world.

 

Past speakers include

• Claire Broido Johnson, senior advisor at Hannon Armstrong, a privately held financial services company with a client base that includes Fortune 100 companies, who presented “Environmental Entrepreneurship: Thoughts on Starting a Business in the Environmental Field”
• Seth Goldman, TeaEO of Honest Tea, who presented “Mission in a Bottle: Building and Growing Honest Tea”
• Chris Deri, executive vice president and global leader, corporate social responsibility and sustainability at Edelman, a global public relations firm, on “Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Communications: Who’s Listening? Who’s Leading? What Matters Most?”

 

National Day of Service Grows

 

Nearly 400 Walden University alumni, faculty, students, and staff served 20 communities across the country and internationally during the third annual National Day of Service on Oct. 4, 2008.

 

Walden also launched its new online Walden Service Network to provide a community networking resource that supports the many ongoing local, national, and international service activities of its students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

 

Walden put its mission of social change into action, with Walden community members leading service projects globally—reaching eight more regions than last year—and donating time and expertise to help neighbors in need. The event spurred 370 volunteers in 17 cities across the country, and in San Luis Potosi and Queretaro, Mexico.

 

Projects included

• Working at schools in Atlanta, Baltimore, and Jacksonville, Fla.
• Landscaping public spaces in Minneapolis and San Francisco
• Working in food banks and serving food to those in need in Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C.
• Participating in fund-raisers to help fight breast cancer in Boston and Houston
• Working at a fashion show to benefit developmentally disabled adults, children, and their families in Chicago
• Collecting batteries for recycling in Queretaro and winter clothing for those in
  need in San Luis Potosi

Volunteers invested a combined 1,452 manpower hours, as compared with 630 in 2007, and they shared services estimated to be worth $28,333.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Programs, Specializations, Certificates

 

Focused on increasing its reach and reputation by serving more working professionals in important social change areas, Walden University continues to add new programs, specializations, and certificates.

 

New program offerings include

• B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Doctor of Business Administration
• Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Technology

New specializations include

• M.S. in Education with a specialization in Adolescent Literacy and Technology (Grades 6–12)
• M.S. in Education with a specialization in Special Education (Non-Licensure) (Grades K–12)
• Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

New certificate programs include

• Organizational Psychology and Development Certificate
• Post-Master’s Certificate Programs in Nursing

These new offerings, in addition to Walden’s established graduate degree programs in education, psychology, management, public policy and administration, nursing, and health and human services, help working adults accomplish personal goals and prepare for career advancement.

 

 

Full Scholarships for Teachers

 

At the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Hong Kong on Dec. 3, 2008, Walden University announced it will provide 100 full scholarships to highly deserving teachers to help them earn their master’s degree in education. Those selected will be known as Riley Scholars, in honor of Richard W. Riley, the former U.S. Secretary of Education during the Clinton Administration and a champion of making higher education accessible for those in need.

 

 

Walden, a member of the Laureate International Universities network, has named its College of Education for Riley

 

“Our global network of universities will grant more than 1,000 scholarships to teachers around the world because we know that teachers have a tremendous impact on the lives of students and families and the positive development of society,” said Douglas L. Becker, chief executive officer of Laureate Education. “Providing highly deserving teachers with advanced education empowers them to effect positive change and to make their communities stronger.”

 

The scholarship selection criteria and application process will be announced in early 2009.

 

 

Presidential Scholarships

 

Walden University awards $5,000 Presidential Scholarships to graduates of a Walden master's program who are enrolled in aWalden doctoral program. Applicants must demonstrate a personal, continued commitment to public service and demonstrate how their doctorate will improve their professional effectiveness.

 

The deadline for 2009 applications is March 14.

 

 

 

 

Presidential Youth Debate

 

To bring positive social change to a younger generation, Walden University sponsored the 2008 Presidential Youth Debate online.

 

The debate allowed young Americans nationwide to submit questions to U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. Questions covered a range of topics from the financial crisis to the No Child Left Behind Act to health care coverage.

 

“Civic involvement is the cornerstone of social change in our society,” said Jonathan Kaplan, president of Walden University. “We are deeply honored to have had this opportunity to encourage greater civic engagement among our nation’s youth through this landmark event.”

 

Individuals between the ages of 13 and 35 submitted questions for the candidates online. From those submissions, 25 questions were selected by debate moderators to be voted on by young Americans. Fourteen final questions were then posed to McCain and Obama for their responses via video. Presidential candidates have been participating in this youth-oriented debate since 1996.

 

 

Top Producer of Minority Graduates

 

Walden University continues its proud tradition of providing diversity and access for adult learners. According to the publication Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, Walden ranks high on the list across numerous multicultural segments and degree programs.

 

In its 2008 Top Graduate Degree Producers analysis, Diverse ranked Walden a top producer of master’s and doctorate minority graduates in the following disciplines:

The analysis considered graduate degrees awarded during the 2006–2007 academic year and is based on data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Set (IPEDS).

 

Riley Honored

 

Richard W. Riley has been named one of the top 10 best cabinet members by Time magazine. Riley, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton, was selected from a prestigious group of 20thcentury cabinet members who distinguished their offices.

 

Walden University’s College of Education is named in honor of Secretary Riley, a leading advocate in advancing education as a national priority. Secretary Riley has committed himself to improving education for more than three decades, beginning with his tenure as governor of South Carolina. His lifelong passion for education and ensuring diversity in education is a perfect complement to Walden’s own commitment to preparing educators to make a difference in the lives of others.

 

 

 

To promote the presence of Walden University on campus at the Universidad del Valle de México (UVM), several Walden Study Centers have opened. The centers help expand Walden University’s increasing focus as a global university. Walden has students enrolled from more than 70 countries worldwide. Walden and UVM offer a Bachelor of Science Dual Degree Program.

 

All Study Centers offer iMac computers with software for videoconferencing and webcams built in. Each center is connected to a Walden Coordinators Office. Students view the centers as the “Walden University Embassy.”

 

The new centers are located at UVM’s Queretaro, Lomas Verdes, San Luis Potosi, Toluca, Guadalajara, and Torreon campuses. Campuses set to build Walden Study Centers in 2009 are Saltillo, Puebla, Hermosillo, and Tlalpan.

 

In addition to the Walden Study Centers, many of the campuses have established Walden Student Associations. The associations conduct community service projects that carry out the Walden mission of social change. The associations also organize Walden Days, business conferences, and community events centered around Walden and the dual-degree program.

 

Six campuses have formed Walden Student Associations: Queretaro, Toluca, Saltillo, San Luis Potosi, Aguascalientes, and Torreon.

 

 

 

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