 Weekly News for Faculty, Staff and Friends of the Worcester State College Community |
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Students, Faculty and Local Leaders Celebrated
Graduate Students Told to Embrace Joy KCACTF Nominees from Spring 2008 Play Announced Graduate Honor Society Celebrates First Anniversary Freshman Wins $5000 National Honor Society Scholarship Students Investigate Mock Crime Scene on Campus RESEARCH Surviving Urban and Domestic Warfare
NOTEWORTHY Julie Frechette (Communication) has published an article titled "Crossing the (Digital) Line" in Insider Higher Ed (May 16). Click here to read it.
AROUND CAMPUS
WSC Graduate Honor Society Celebrates
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Criminal Justice students wrapped up the semester in their Principals of Investigations class, taught by Professor Stephen Morreale, with a practical exercise. An area outside the Learning Resource Center was cordoned off as a "Crime Scene" with yellow tape marked Police Scene-Do Not Cross. Students combed the area for potential "evidence," photographed the scene, sketched, marked and collected the evidence in evidence bags, wearing gloves and working in teams. |
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Surviving Urban
and Domestic Warfare:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children
Barbara Zang, Ph.D.
Sue Foo (Education) noticed a trend in the
reports her graduate students were submitting in her special education classes.
These students, who teach in elementary, middle and high schools, were
identifying behavior problems they called post-traumatic stress disorders.
“Children
diagnosed with PTSD, which is a medical diagnosis, are being placed in special
education,” Foo said of her graduate students’ examples. “They’re not getting
the help they need because those teachers don’t have enough information to
provide the needed support services.”
Indeed, this sort of help isn’t something that is part of the
special education teacher’s curriculum.
Foo’s 2007-08 mini-grant, “PTSD: Hidden Burden in Schools,”
is her attempt to address that.
She
first surveyed her former students who are now special education teachers and
counselors throughout Worcester County. She crafted eight questions to find out
what they knew about PTSD in their classrooms. She learned that they’ve heard of
PTSD, but they don’t know much about it.
Her respondents said that they saw certain behaviors, but
they did not know the underlying reasons for those behaviors. A child can be
dealing with flashbacks, for example, and the teacher doesn’t seem able to help.
Some of these PTSD-diagnosed children have experienced
physical abuse. Others have been sexually abused and are in foster care. Still
others have witnessed violence. Each child requires special treatment in terms
of the specific trauma.
“Most often, these children are medicated as a way to deal
with their behavior problems,” Foo said.
So far, she has not discovered any place in Worcester that
has the expertise to deal effectively with PTSD-related classroom problems.
“There’s lots more data about Iraq war veterans,” Foo said,
“and very little about PTSD and children.”
Furthermore, it’s hard to know whether interventions used for
adults will be effective for children.
Last fall, as part of her mini-grant project, Foo
participated in a two-day workshop, “New Frontiers in Trauma Treatment,” to
learn more about PTSD.
This spring, she is organizing focus groups with teachers and
school counselors to find out what they know about PTSD, how they deal with it
and what kind of help they need to address it.
From there, she hopes to be able to provide workshop help for
special education teachers who have in their classrooms children diagnosed with
PTSD. She may also design a new course to help teachers help these children.
The extent of the problem is not fully known. But it is
growing.
“We’re also seeing children diagnosed with PTSD in regular
classrooms,” Foo said. “These children are referred to the school counselor when
their academic performance drops.”
Their
PTSD gets labeled a “disorder,” so that the children can get some help. They
wind up in special education services. And, as Foo notes, they’re not getting
any help there either.
She hopes to change that.
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Ms. Elizabeth Rooney, Class of 2010, Communication Sciences & Disorders major has been elected as the next Student Trustee. Ms. Rooney will take the place of Brandon Huggon '08 who served during the 2007-2008 academic year.
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OPEN ENROLLMENT for Health Insurance for Non-Benefited Employees
Part-time, non-benefited employees who do not have health insurance (or want to change health plans) may enroll through the Massachusetts Health Connector during the open enrollment period from May 1 to May 31. The coverage will be effective July 1.
Under the Health Care Reform law, all Commonwealth employees must carry health insurance or be subject to a penalty when they file their state income tax return.
If you are already covered under a health plan other than through the Connector, you must complete a HIRD Form before July 1 and provide proof of coverage (copy of your health insurance card). These forms are available in the Payroll Office. Please contact Mary Zona (ext. 8491, or mzona@worcester.edu) to obtain a form. The College is required to obtain a new HIRD form every year from all employees who are not insured through the GIC or the Connector; and we are required to keep them on file for 3 years.To view FAQ’s about this health insurance benefit, please visit the GIC’s website at www.mass.gov/gic. To get an idea of the costs and various plans offered through the Connector or to enroll in a plan, please visit the Connector’s website at www.mahealthconnector.org. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Employer ID # is 149683 – you will need this number to enroll.
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WSC GIRLS BASKETBALL CAMP: July 21-25, ages 7-16, 9 am - 3 p.m. The camp will cover skill development and include team games. Cost is $175 with a $10 discount for WSC employees. Contact Karen Tessmer for brochure at ext. 8769 or check the WSC Athletic Department website to get brochure.
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BRIDGE TO HER FUTURE AWARD: The WSC Women's Forum received a matching grant of $500 to help fund their first annual "Bridge To Her Future" award. For each additional dollar raised by the Women's Forum from now through May 30, the donor will match the contribution dollar for dollar up to a maximum of $500. Donations are continuing to flow in and if the matching grant is realized, the Women's Forum will be very close to their overall fundraising target of $2000. Contact Bonnie Orcutt at borcutt@worcester.edu.
Smiles, pride dominate DCU Center
Grads urged to seize opportunities
WORCESTER STATE COLLEGE GRADUATION
Telegram & Gazette
(5-19-08)
Excerpt:
Frame shops of greater Worcester take note: 655 freshly
printed Worcester State College diplomas hit the streets
yesterday afternoon.
College Town
Telegram & Gazette (5-18-08)
Excerpt:
Worcester
State College juniors Jack D. Wilson of Clinton and Anthony M. Archambault
of Gardner are taking the associate’s degrees in business administration they
received from Mount Wachusett Community College last year and are opening a
Jumpin’ Juice & Java, “the hippest drinks on earth,” in 3,500 square feet at 335
Chandler St.
Jobs for youth worth a million
State ups ante for summer
Telegram & Gazette (5-15-08)
Excerpt: Audrey, who will attend Worcester State
College, said UMass Memorial has offered her a position if she wants to
return..
Local players shine on Worcester diamond
Wicked Local Brockton
(5-14-08)
Excerpt: The
Worcester State College baseball team has reached the NCAA Div. 3
tournament with the help of two area players.
Never too late - Lancers come off the deck
Telegram & Gazette (5-14-08)
Excerpt: It was the beginning of April
and Worcester State was 6-13, struggling and dealing with some discord, but
Lancers senior Chris Gusha hadn’t given up on the team.
Pay of professors at Mass. state colleges trails peers
Boston.com
(5-14-08)
Excerpt:
The study, conducted by Sibson Consulting, surveyed
professors at Bridgewater, Fitchburg, Framingham, Salem, Westfield, and
Worcester state colleges, ...
A tip
of the hat..
Telegram & Gazette (5-13-08)
… to Arthur and Martha Pappas,
recognized with Worcester State College’s Community Service Award as leaders “in
community improvement in education, medicine, athletics, recreation and
culture.”
**Please Note - Links to online newspaper articles may no longer be available after a certain period of time.**
Monday,
May 19, 2008
Tuesday, May 20
Your Life Options
Workshop
Student Center, Blue Lounge
2:30 p.m.
RSVP required
May 21 - July 2
Monday, May 26
Memorial Day
College Closed
May 30- June 1
Friday, May 30
Alumni Association's
15th Annual Alumni
Scholarship Golf
Tournament
Tuesday, June 17
June 23-27
Friday, July 4
Independence Day
College Closed
July 7 - August 15
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