Barry University
Spring 2019


Number of Designated ‘Personal and Social Responsibility’ Courses Increasing Steadily

Sections of 29 courses are now on the “PSR” list. Those course sections have met the criteria for the “personal and social responsibility” designation as part of Barry’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).

In a recent report, QEP Director Dr. Glenn Bowen noted that 13 of those courses are required for majors.

“In all, 73 sections of 29 courses now carry the PSR,” Bowen reported. “The designation indicates that the course sections meet the PSR criteria by intentionally emphasizing elements of personal and social responsibility.”

The QEP director said the number of PSR-designated courses was “increasing steadily.” 

Personal & Social Responsibility

College/School Total Courses Major-Area Courses Total Sections
Arts and Sciences 22 7 65
Business 1 1 1
Education 1 1 1
Nursing and Health Sciences 3 3 4
Social Work 1 1 1
Mission and Student Engagement 1 n/a 1
29 13 73


The three categories of QEP learning outcomes are Ethical and Moral Reasoning, Engaging Diverse Perspectives, and Community Engagement and Collaboration. Two specific outcomes are listed in each category.

Each PSR-designated course or course section addresses at least one of the six QEP learning outcomes.

The courses with the highest number of PSR-designated sections are ENG 111: First-Year Composition and Rhetoric (16 sections), ENG 210: Writing about Literature (9 sections), and ENG 112: Techniques of Research (8 sections). 

Learning Outcomes with Number of Courses
Ethical and moral reasoning Engaging diverse perspectives Community engagement and collaboration
ER 1 ER 2 EP 1 EP 2 CEC 1 CEC 2
2 4 7 12 8 4


Barry’s QEP is titled “Fostering Personal and Social Responsibility through Experiential Learning.”

The QEP Implementation Committee reviews all applications for the PSR course designation.

The complete list of PSR-designated courses is in the Resources section of the QEP website.


Modification Made to QEP Learning Outcome

One of the QEP learning outcomes has been modified. The first outcome in the Ethical and Moral Reasoning category now emphasizes “personal growth” rather than refer to “goals and aspirations.” 

The outcome now reads: “Students take responsibility for their own learning and development, acting ethically to achieve personal growth.”

At a meeting of the QEP Implementation Committee on March 11, members voted unanimously to approve the change to the QEP learning outcome.

Faculty members participating in a QEP Impact/Faculty Reflection meeting on October 15, 2018, had suggested the change. They noted that it was difficult for course instructors to assess such a long-term outcome (“achieve their goals and aspirations”) – which was probably why that learning outcome has been selected for only two PSR courses. It is much easier to measure personal growth, they argued. 


QEP Faculty Development Workshop Scheduled for May 13, 14

The QEP Implementation Committee will host a Faculty Development Workshop on May 13 and 14. Sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. 

Faculty interested in integrating QEP-PSR learning outcomes into their courses are invited to the two-part workshop. 

“We are soliciting undergraduate courses that satisfy general education-distribution and major-area requirements, which can be added to the QEP curriculum,” said Dr. Karen Callaghan, chair of the QEP Implementation Committee.

The workshop will cover such topics as Personal and Social Responsibility Outcomes, Active Approaches to Teaching, Designing Assignments and Rubrics, Experiential Learning, and Critical Reflection.

“The format will be interactive and will provide a step-by-step process for developing appropriate learning outcomes, assessment methods, and evaluation criteria related to personal and social responsibility,” Callaghan said.


Long-standing Community Partnership Contributes to Success of Service-Learning Course

Long-standing Community Partnership Contributes to Success of Service-Learning Course
Nadie Mondestin, executive director (second from right), received the Community Partnership Award on behalf of the Haitian Youth and Community Center of Florida, Inc. Pictured here with Mondestin are Dr. Pamela Hall, associate professor of psychology, and two of her students, Farah Calvaire and Jakob Karbowski.

A long-standing partnership between an academic department and a community-based nonprofit organization has contributed to the success of a service-learning course.

The Haitian Youth and Community Center of Florida (HYCCF) has been a partner with Barry’s Department of Psychology for 10 years. Dr. Pamela Hall, now an associate professor of psychology, initiated and developed the partnership.

“It is the most sustained partnership for HYCCF,” noted Dr. Karen Callaghan, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who presented a Community Partnership Award to the organization on March 27. She said the partnership reflected “strong collaboration” between Hall and HYCCF Executive Director Nadie Mondestin.

Under the partnership, psychology students enrolled in designated service-learning courses have supported HYCCF’s Head Start Program. Over the years, they have provided early-learning and socio-emotional support to more than 500 children, their parents, and teachers.

The objectives of designated service-learning courses are aligned with the criteria in the Community Engagement and Collaboration category of the QEP learning outcomes.


Student Poster Competition Prizes Presented at Community Engagement Symposium

Student Poster Competition Prizes Presented at Community Engagement Symposium
Barry Service Corps Fellow Paris Razor won first prize for her poster featuring a project designed to create capacity for the Student/Farmworker Alliance.

A Student Poster Competition was a feature of the 2019 Community Engagement Symposium. The competition was aimed at showcasing and recognizing students’ course-based and co-curricular community engagement in the context of Barry’s QEP.

Barry Service Corps Fellow Paris Razor, a senior majoring in English, won the first prize of a 32-inch television set for her poster titled “Developing Resources for the Student/Farmworker Alliance to Engage Peers in Supporting Farmworker Rights.”

The project featured in Razor’s poster was designed to create capacity for the Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) by compiling an instruction manual for community organizers and student leaders. The SFA organizes in support of the initiatives of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

“Nationwide, farmworkers face gender-based violence, wage theft, and, in extreme cases, slavery,” according to the abstract of Razor’s poster. “By drawing on the resources provided in the manual, groups can orchestrate their own projects in their community to promote and support farmworker rights.”

Dr. Patti H. Clayton, former director of the Service-Learning Program at North Carolina State University, presented the prize to Razor during the closing session of the symposium. Clayton was the lead presenter at the symposium.

Student Poster Competition Prizes Presented at Community Engagement Symposium
Left: Biology student Shayna Ramirez receives her prize from Saliha Nelson as Donté Roberts, a program coordinator in the Center for Community Service Initiatives, applauds. Right: Math students Kerri Richardson and Tracey Presume with their third-place poster.

Barry Service Corps Fellow Shayna Ramirez, a junior majoring in biology, took home the second prize of a smart speaker. Her poster was titled “Engaging Barry Students to Protect Florida’s Wildlife: A Partnership with Pelican Harbor.”

Saliha Nelson, chair of Barry’s Community Advisory Committee, presented the prize to Ramirez.

For their poster, “Growing Calculus: Using Calculus to Design a Garden,” mathematics students Kerri Richardson, Melody Williams, and Tracey Presume were the joint winners of the third prize. They received wireless headphones, presented by Kenneth Fuentes, a member of the Community Advisory Committee.

Student Poster Competition Prizes Presented at Community Engagement Symposium
Undergraduate Martina Muñoz points out the findings of her research project – “Building Capacity to Support Barry University’s Partnership with Atelye Thevenet Artisan Cooperative” – to Dr. Leticia Vega, chair of Barry’s Faculty Senate and a member of the QEP Implementation Committee.

The judges for the Student Poster Competition were Saliha Nelson; Charles “Charlie” Weyman, education and outreach coordinator at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park; and Fabio Naranjo, an instructor in Barry’s School of Social Work. They used such criteria as content, relevance, and visual appeal to assess the 15 entries in the competition.

A total of 19 posters by students and faculty members were on display during the poster session of the symposium.

QEP Project Assistant Daniqua Williams was the poster session coordinator.


Community Engagement Symposium: Students Demonstrate How Learning Came to Life

During concurrent sessions of this year’s Community Engagement Symposium, students demonstrated how their community-focused experiences were instrumental in “bringing learning to life.” 

Students showed that specific courses became more interesting and exciting as they participated in embedded service-learning projects.

For example, Martina Muñoz, a junior majoring in business management, and Mike Fidel, a senior majoring in political science, made a symposium session presentation titled “Student Managed Investment Fund: Enhancing Financial Literacy.” They explained that SMIF members sought to enhance the financial health of the community through the sharing of financial knowledge with students at William H. Turner Technical Arts High School.

Muñoz and Fidel indicated that Barry students were able to translate what they learned in Finance 356 into presentations at Turner Tech.

Community Engagement Symposium: Students Demonstrate How Learning Came to Life

Community Engagement Symposium: Students Demonstrate How Learning Came to Life

Community Engagement Symposium: Students Demonstrate How Learning Came to Life

Community Engagement Symposium: Students Demonstrate How Learning Came to Life

Students make presentations during concurrent sessions of the Community Engagement Symposium. From top, L-R, Davrielle Valley with Dr. Lauren Shure; Kassandra Guerrero and Pa Sheikh Ngom; Antonio Rodriguez and Stephanie Torres; Mike Fidel and Martina Muñoz; Tony Augustin and Tony Fajardo.

Master of Counseling students Davrielle Valley and Samantha Campagna, with course instructor Dr. Lauren Shure (School of Education), made a symposium session presentation titled “Bringing Suicide Prevention, Wellness and Resilience to Life through Service-Learning.” They shared how, as part of a Crisis Intervention class, they designed, delivered, and evaluated a psychoeducational wellness and resilience presentation with LGBTQ youth at the Pridelines Community Center.

Undergraduates Tony Augustin and Tony Fajardo – with Florence French, a regional organizer at Bread for the World – presented “The Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation.” They discussed the impact of federal policies on communities of color, especially an increase in poverty and hunger.

Held on March 27, the sixth annual Community Engagement Symposium was organized around the theme “Bringing Learning to Life through Community Engagement.”

The symposium consisted of seven sessions, including a workshop, a lunch-time seminar, and two concurrent sessions.

Provost Dr. John Murray delivered the symposium’s opening address and QEP Implementation Committee Chair Dr. Karen Callaghan the closing address. QEP Director Dr. Glenn Bowen was the chair of the symposium.

The concurrent session facilitators included Drs. Paige Banaji, Nichole Castater, Pamela Hall, Tamara Hamilton, Celeste Landeros, Sheila McMahon, Jamelah Morton, Maria Teahan, and Leticia Vega.

Members of the Community Engagement Symposium Committee included Dr. Sheila McMahon, chair, Proposal Review Subcommittee; Dr. Sean Erwin; Gabriel Bouani; Courtney Berrien, coordinator, general arrangements; Lizbeth James, coordinator, concurrent sessions; Daniqua Williams, coordinator, poster session; Sandra Augustin, coordinator, registration; and Amy Deutch.


Deliberative Dialogue: Spring Semester Forums Focus on Florida’s Opioid Epidemic and Global Warming

Two forums in the Deliberative Dialogue Series took place this semester. The focus of the first forum was Florida’s opioid epidemic; the second centered on climate change and global warming.

Campus and community participants said the opioid epidemic demanded urgent attention from lawmakers, healthcare professionals, communities, and families. State funds should be earmarked for multiple approaches to addressing “this serious public health issue,” they suggested.

Participants emphasized the need for more state-funded programs for people struggling with addiction. Funds should be provided for publicly owned inpatient facilities that provide opportunities to build healthy community relationships, forum participants said.

They called for a harm-reduction strategy and a variety of anti-addiction programs to deal with the opioid crisis. Besides methadone clinics, forum participants said, there should be therapy, support groups, and lifestyle solutions. Educational programs should be designed to make people aware of the value of healthy eating and regular exercise, they added.

Forum participants acknowledged that the opioid crisis was causing devastating effects – burdening families, communities, workplaces, and the healthcare system.

The CCSI assembled a small panel of local experts for the forum on “Florida’s Opioid Epidemic: A Serious Public Health Issue.” The panelists were James Jiler, co-founder and executive director of Urban GreenWorks; Daryl Lazaro Hawkins, a member of Barry’s nursing faculty; and Jordan Pate, a Barry graduate student in clinical psychology, currently working at a methadone treatment center in Broward County.

Deliberative Dialogue: Spring Semester Forums Focus on Florida’s Opioid Epidemic and Global Warming
James Jiler, co-founder and executive director of Urban GreenWorks, emphasizes the value of a “lifestyle” approach to drug treatment, including eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. Daryl Lazaro Hawkins, an instructor of nursing (left), and Jordan Pate, a student in Barry’s Master of Science Program in Clinical Psychology, listen to Jiler’s comments.

Jiler is known for promoting the physical and mental health benefits of gardening. His book, Doing Time in the Garden, outlines the gardening program he established at New York City’s Rikers Island jail. 

During the forum, Jiler emphasized the value of a “lifestyle” approach to drug treatment as he spoke about the importance of holistic health. He recommended that people eat nutritious food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, to lessen the body’s need for substances.

Lazaro Hawkins drew on her experience as a nurse consultant for the State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to draw attention to the complex issues surrounding the opioid epidemic in relation to infectious diseases. 

Pate referred to her experience working in a mental health and substance abuse facility for three years. She mentioned the medication-assisted treatment for individuals struggling with opioid addiction and her contribution to raising awareness about drug addiction. 

Earlier, forum moderator Dr. Sarah Lewis provided a personal context for the forum by sharing the experience of a family member who has struggled with opioid addiction. The associate professor of social work explained that opioid changes the chemistry of the brain, leading to dependence.

Noting that it could cost $60,000 a year for incarceration but only about $16,000 a year for treatment, forum participants suggested that less emphasis be placed on the criminalization of addiction. They said there was a need to raise awareness about the privatization of prisons, which diverts funds from drug rehabilitation and mental health treatment.

Deliberative Dialogue: Spring Semester Forums Focus on Florida’s Opioid Epidemic and Global Warming
Nancy Metayer, the New Florida Majority’s climate justice program manager, emphasizes the need for ordinary people to have “a seat at the table.”

The second forum was titled “Natural Disasters and Climate Change: Is Global Warming Causing More Hurricanes?”

Among the suggestions emerging from the forum were these: Cut greenhouse gas emissions; provide economic incentives for good environmental practices; reduce consumption by reusing products.

Forum participants recommended a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches to addressing the twin issue. They pointed to the need for the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions and for ordinary citizens to do their part by lowering their carbon footprint.

Forum participants saw the need for adherence to the Paris Agreement, the global accord that charts a new course in addressing climate change. They said people should hold policymakers accountable for their response to global warming and the climate change imperative.

The federal government should provide economic incentives for good environmental practices by corporations and communities, forum participants argued.

Deliberative Dialogue: Spring Semester Forums Focus on Florida’s Opioid Epidemic and Global Warming
Margaret R. Stewart, director of Barry Law’s Center for Earth Jurisprudence, sets the stage for the dialogue. The panelists were (from left) Nadia B. Ahmad,  assistant professor of law;  Nancy Metayer, climate justice program manager at the New Florida Majority; Dr. Bill Russell, an assistant dean in the College of Arts and Sciences; and Denis Emilio Ordoñez, Jr., a member of the Barry Green Team.

According to forum participants, progress in dealing with global warning also requires changes in consumer behavior. If people reduced their demand for certain products and reused what they have, participants said, there would be a curb on production.

A panel of lead participants shared their experiences and perspectives on the issue of climate change and global warming. The panelists were Dr. William “Bill” Russell, an assistant dean in the College of Arts and Sciences; Nadia B. Ahmad, an assistant professor of law; Denis Emilio Ordoñez, Jr., a graduate student and member of the Barry Green Team; and Nancy Metayer, the climate justice program manager at the New Florida Majority.

Russell, who spent eight years at NASA and Columbia University working with the lead scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, shared research-based information on the effects of climate change.

Ahmad noted that environmental issues affect basic human rights. She called for a “paradigm shift,” with an emphasis on disaster risk reduction.

Ordoñez spoke about the difficulties that people with physical impairments experience during hurricanes. Evacuation is particularly difficult, he said.

Metayer commented on the need for ordinary people to have “a voice” and “a seat at the table” so they will feel empowered to play a role in dealing with natural disasters and its consequences. She also suggested “social advocacy” as a way to get the attention of decision makers.

Deliberative Dialogue: Spring Semester Forums Focus on Florida’s Opioid Epidemic and Global Warming

Deliberative Dialogue: Spring Semester Forums Focus on Florida’s Opioid Epidemic and Global Warming

Students, faculty and staff members, and community partners participate in the Deliberative Dialogue forum on climate change and global warming.

Margaret R. Stewart, director of the Center for Earth Jurisprudence at Barry’s School of Law, moderated the forum. She spoke about the interconnectedness of people and the environment, and about how environmental challenges generally affect people’s livelihoods.

Sister Mary Frances Fleischaker, an adjunct professor of theology, said the community at large should consider religious and spiritual values in fulfilling its duty and responsibility to protect Earth, “our common home.” She also referred to the evidence of sea-level rise in Miami’s South Beach.

The Deliberative Dialogue Series is a “PSR”-designated co-curricular event organized by the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).


Advisory Committee Now Includes Representatives of Urban GreenWorks and Virginia Key Beach Park

Provost Dr. John Murray has appointed representatives of Urban GreenWorks and Virginia Key Beach Park to the university’s Community Advisory Committee.

The recently appointed members are Roger Horne, co-founder and director of Community Health Initiatives at Urban GreenWorks, and Guy Forchion, executive director of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust.

The Community Advisory Committee supports the implementation of Barry’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) primarily by providing feedback and recommendations.

The committee also assists in shaping institutional involvement with the community by offering suggestions and advice. Committee members share their knowledge, experience, and expertise with the university, and they also serve as liaisons to community-based entities and the wider community.

Urban GreenWorks and Virginia Key Beach Park Trust have received the Community Partnership Award presented by the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) on behalf of the university.


Advisory Committee Chair Participates in Community Engagement Awards

Advisory Committee Chair Participates in Community Engagement Awards
Saliha Nelson, chair of Barry’s Community Advisory Committee, chats with Vice Provost Dr. Christopher Starratt at the Community Engagement Awards.

Community Advisory Committee Chair Saliha Nelson participated in Barry’s sixth annual Community Engagement Awards on March 27. She presented the Community Impact Award to two student leaders.

Barry Service Corps Fellows Paola Lopez-Hernandez and Antonio Rodriguez received the award in recognition of “exemplary civic engagement with a measurable impact on the community.”


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