VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
ERAU Worldwide
ARTS & SCIENCES - Department Newsletter
Spring-Summer 2008
Inside This Issue Statement of Purpose
1 Statement of Purpose This bi-annual newsletter has been established as one means of
improving communication within the ERAU Worldwide
1 Message from the Chair Department of Arts & Sciences, as well as with others throughout
2 Let’s Get Acquainted the university. This first issue will highlight some of the recent
events that affect the Department and that may be of interest to
2 Jim Jurewicz all Department members.
3 Jim Paul
Your reaction to this newsletter would be appreciated. Did you
5 Terri Maue find the information interesting or helpful? Do you have
suggestions for topics to be included in future issues? Send
6 Joe Allen
comments to: allene38@erau.edu
7 Gold Eagles
8 Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Message from the Department Chair
9 News From the Disciplines
Welcome to the first edition of the
12 Contact Information
Department of Arts & Sciences newsletter!
12 Helpful Links The intent of this publication will be to
inform members of the department, as well
as those in other departments, of
information pertinent to the disciplines
within Arts & Sciences. Additionally, the
newsletter will include features pertaining to members within the
The intent of this department. Your participation in future newsletters is highly
publication is to inform encouraged. I just wanted to thank Dr. Charlie Joe Allen and
members of the Dr. Tom Cavanagh for their service as co-editors of the
department, as well as publication. Please feel free to e-mail any information for future
those in other newsletters to Joe.
departments, of
Thanks,
information pertinent to
the disciplines within
Arts & Sciences.
Jim
Dr. James T. Schultz
Professor, Business Administration
Chair, Department of Arts & Sciences
ERAU Worldwide
PAGE 2 ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER
What’s in a Name?
Let’s Get Better Acquainted!
In each issue of the newsletter, this section will feature a short bio
The Department name
sketch of several Directors of Academics who are also members
recently changed from of the A & S Department and several Discipline Chairs. Eventually,
Arts and Letters to this will help us to become better acquainted with one another.
Arts and Sciences.
The DAs featured in this first A & S newsletter are Jim Jurewicz and
Jim Paul. Jim Jurewicz was selected because of his leadership in
This is the department developing the GNED courses to help students new to ERAU who
title used by most may be having difficulty with basic academic skills. Jim Paul was
universities and it better selected because of his leadership in efforts to improve the
quality of the GCP.
indicates the scope of
the department.
Jim Jurewicz
Jim Jurewicz is the Director of Academics at the Charleston
Campus. He joined Embry-Riddle in 2000 and served as a Center
Director until 2005.
Jim was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After
graduating from Archbishop Ryan High School in 1973, he attended
Philadelphia Community College, and then graduated from Richard
Stockton College with a B.A. in Psychology with Honors. In 1978 he
started graduate studies in Leadership and Group Dynamics in the
school of Education, Temple University. During graduate studies he
worked as a residential counselor at a Mental Health Residential
Treatment Center for mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed
children and adolescents, and in a halfway group home facility in
B.S., Psychology, Richard
Stockton College
the local community. After graduating with a Masters of Education
Jim took a break from the mental health vocation and joined the Air
M.Ed., Psychoeducational Force in December 1979. Apparently, the short break became a
Processes, Temple University career change and he served 21 years in a variety of operational,
exercise and staff officer positions in the Air Force. His last two
M.A. Counseling Psychology, assignments were as an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies
Chapman University teaching Leadership and Management, Air Force Reserve Officer
Training Corps, The Citadel, and Director of Training, Combat
Operations Squadron, 9th Air Force in South Carolina.
ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
Jim Jurewicz, continued…
During his last five years in the Air Force Jim earned a second
Master’s in Counseling Psychology at Chapman University in
Orange, California. He holds National Certification and a South
Carolina State License as a Professional Counselor, specializing
in anger management, domestic violence, and child, marriage
& family counseling.
As Director of Academics (DA) and Assistant Professor in the
Department of Arts and Sciences, Jim took the lead to
coordinate the development of a series of General Education
courses. These courses assist some students transitioning back to
college by offering them reviews of basic college study skills,
library research, mathematics and writing. Jim also serves as the
course developer and monitor for the new SOCI 300 Marriage
and Family course, and has worked with WW Online to build the
course in the new Blackboard template. Jim teaches
classroom, online and blended courses, and serves as the
Region trainer for DAs and new adjunct instructors. He has over
20 years experience working with military and adult students.
Dr. Jim Paul
Jim worked in various forest management and forest fire control
positions on the National Forests in Georgia and Idaho during
his years as an undergraduate forestry student at the University
of Georgia.
Following graduation from the University of Georgia, Jim was an
AFIT meteorology student at the University of Texas at Austin
from 1960-61, and became an aviation forecaster at
Hunter AFB, Savannah Georgia (1962-1963).
He returned to the University of Georgia after finishing his active
duty Air Force obligation. Following completion of his Ph.D., he
joined the research staff at the Southern Forest Fire Laboratory
B.S., Forestry, University of
in Macon Georgia as a Research Forester/Meteorologist.
Georgia
During this time he designed and implemented an automated
forest fire and smoke management weather system still in use U.S. Air Force Meteorological
today. He retired from Federal Service in 1991 as Project Leader Program, University of Texas
of the Forest Meteorology and Eastern Fire Management
Research Work Unit, and established SCITRAN, Inc. which offers M.S., Forestry, University of
consultation and analysis services in meteorology, forest fire Georgia
and smoke management.
Ph.D., Forest Resources,
University of Georgia
PAGE 4 ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER
Jim Paul, continued…
His current research interest includes investigating the
meteorological conditions associated with the large forest fires
that burned over 440,000 acres forested land in Georgia in
2007.
He is a member of a number of national and international
forestry and meteorological societies, and is a registered
forester in Georgia.
He was recruited by Colleen Cordial in 1997 to teach
meteorology at the ERAU Robins Campus. The list of courses he
taught soon expanded to include physics and research
methods and statistics. He temporarily left ERAU in 2001 to
focus on his consulting interests, but returned in the spring of
2006. He applied for the Center Faculty Chair when it became
vacant and was selected for the position in the summer of 2006.
He currently teaches meteorology, physics, environmental
science and research methods and statistics.
Special ERAU assignments include mentoring new GCCP 605
instructors in the Eastern region, and serving as Chair of the
Eastern Region Focus Group working to improve the quality of
the GCCP 605/ASCI 690 process.
Meet the Discipline Chairs
The Discipline Chairs featured in this newsletter are Terri Maue
and Joe Allen. Why them? Well, someone had to be first. Our
Department Chair suggested Joe because the mathematics
chair was the first discipline chair established in the Department.
Joe selected Terri because Humanities was the second discipline
chair added to the Department. What could be more basic that
numbers and words?
ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER PAGE 5
Dr. Terri Maue
English & Humanities, ERAU Worldwide
Terri has been an English instructor for 12 years, teaching
composition, creative writing, literature, rhetoric and public
speaking at more than half a dozen colleges and universities. A
year ago, she joined the full-time faculty at Embry-Riddle, as an
Assistant Professor in the Department of Arts & Sciences. She is
also the Discipline Chair for English & Humanities.
Teaching was her second career; her first was in public
relations, where she wrote and edited award-winning
newsletters and magazines for the Cincinnati Board of
Education. She has published short stories, essays and poetry in
local, regional and national publications. Her most recent
public work was a paper on online course design presented at
the Embry-Riddle Teaching and Learning Excellence
Symposium in October 2007.
Terri believes that all writing is creative writing, and in her B.A., Communications/
classes, she incorporates exercises that she has learned at Journalism, The Union Institute
various creative writing workshops and seminars. She also
believes that learning should be fun, and encourages students MAS, Management
to play with language and take risks with their writing. Specialization, Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University
Her current aviation experience consists of flying as a passenger
on commercial flights, but she calls upon her many experiences Ph.D., English with Specialty in
as the wife of a private pilot and former aircraft mechanic. In Creative Writing, The Union
the 1970s, her husband Eddie introduced her to flying, no mean Institute
feat, since she is afraid of heights. Ask her sometime about her
first flight in a small plane. (What do you mean, the door
doesn’t lock??!!)
Eddie and Terri live with their dog George and two cats, Cindy
and Tiger, on five acres of beautiful, rolling, wooded land
outside Morrow, Ohio. Their latest project is building a house
which they will be moving into during the summer of 2008.
Under construction!
PAGE 6 ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER
Dr. Charlie Joe Allen
Mathematics & Computer Science, ERAU Worldwide
Joe’s experience includes thirty-plus years in public education.
For about half of those years he taught high school
mathematics and the other half was spent in supervision and
administration. After retiring from the school system in
Tennessee, he taught mathematics at Brevard Community
College in Florida from 1992 until 2003. Since 1992, he has also
been an adjunct faculty member at the ERAU Space Coast
Center where he previously served as DA for several years. Joe
still teaches undergraduate mathematics courses and the
graduate course that prepares students for their graduate
capstone projects.
Joe served in the U. S. Army Reserve for twenty-two-plus years
B.S., Mathematics, East
retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Two years were
Tennessee State College
spent on active duty and more than twenty were in the active
reserve. His basic branch was the Signal Corps, but he served in
M.S., Mathematics, East
a variety of assignments over the years including teaching
Tennessee State University
Command and General Staff College courses to other reserve
officers.
Ed. S., Supervision, East
Tennessee State University
His BS degree was in mathematics with a minor in physics. The
MS degree was also in mathematics. The Ed. S. (Education
Ed. D., Administration and
Specialists) was in supervision and the Ed.D. was in
Supervision, East Tennessee
administration and supervision. His dissertation involved a study
State University
of community power structures. He did additional post
graduate work in mathematics and mathematics education at
the University of Michigan, University of Tennessee, and the
University of Southern California.
He is married and has one son (deceased) and one grand-
daughter. Hobbies include hiking, kayaking and bike riding.
ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER PAGE 7
Gold Eagles
All of Worldwide Online’s courses are currently being
developed or redeveloped in a new modular Blackboard
format that has been designated the Gold Eagle. The new
format makes better use of the current capabilities of
Blackboard and is designed to facilitate student learning.
A&S Courses Already in the
Two Arts & Sciences online courses have recently been New “Gold” Format
recognized with prestigious national awards:
• CSCI 109
• ECON210
• WEAX 201 was awarded the Distinguished Distance • ECON211
Learning College Course Award by the University • ENGL 123
Continuing Education Association. • ENGL 143
o Subject matter expert: Dr. Tom Sieland • ENGL 221
• GNED 101
• GOVT 331
• GOVT 340
• MATH 106
• MATH 140
• ENGL 221 was selected for a Blackboard Exemplary • MATH 142
Course Award. • MATH 111
o Subject matter expert: Dr. Tom Cavanagh • MATH 250
• SOCI 300
• WEAX 201
A&S Courses Scheduled to be
Redeveloped in the New
Both WEAX 201 and ENGL 221 were also recognized as meeting
“Gold” Format
all of the requirements of the rigorous Quality Matters online • HIST 130
course design rubric. According to QM, only half of all • HUMN 142
submitted courses pass the rubric assessment on their first • HUMN 330
attempts. Each ERAU course passed its assessment on the first • MATH 112
submission with flying colors (79 out of 80 for WEAX 201 and 80 • MATH 211
out of 80 for ENGL 221). • MATH 251
• PHYS 102 (Available July 08)
• SOCI 210
• SPCH 219
Thanks to all of the great support from the Worldwide Online
production and delivery teams in making these and all of the
A&S courses such a success online.
PAGE 8 ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER
Assessment of Learning Outcomes
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which is the
accrediting association for ERAU, is moving from assessment of inputs to
assessment of learning outcomes. ERAU Worldwide is also seeking additional
accreditation from Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI), which also
focuses on assessment of learning outcomes. Dr. Tom Sieland is chairing a
Worldwide committee to develop plans and procedures for effective
assessment of learning outcomes down to the individual course level.
Program outcomes have been established for the A&S Department. In each
course outline the learning outcomes (LOs) are linked to the program outcomes
(POs) by citing the PO number at the end of each LO. Although some revision
may be necessary from time-to-time, the current list of program outcomes is:
1. Apply knowledge of college level mathematics to defining and solving
problems;
2. Apply statistical methods in the analysis and interpretation of data for the
purpose of drawing valid conclusions relating to the solutions of
problems;
3. Communicate ideas in written form in both technical and non-technical
areas;
4. Communicate ideas in non-written form, such as through oral
presentations or visual media;
5. Recognize the importance of professional, ethical and social
responsibility;
6. Understand the natural world, to include the impact of the environment
on aerospace operations and aerospace operations on the
environment, as well as in everyday life and professional experiences;
7. Use digitally-enabled technology to organize and manipulate data,
perform calculations, aid in solving problems, and communicate
solutions, ideas, and concepts;
8. Use scientific information in critical thinking and decision-making
processes;
9. Function on multi-cultural and/or multi-disciplinary teams;
10. Apply economic principles to identify, formulate, and solve problems
within professional and personal environments;
11. Identify and participate in professional and personal development
activities through organizations and self-directed learning;
12. Understand contemporary issues in society;
13. Recognize the complexity and diversity of the human experience,
including cultural, aesthetic, psychological, philosophical, and spiritual
dimensions;
14. Conduct and report research in accordance with professional
standards.
Course Monitors were asked to identify the Program Outcome to which each
Learning Outcome in the course outlines was related.
One of the major problems confronting the Committee on Assessment is to
design an effective plan and procedures for assessing the accomplishment of
learning outcomes at the course level. The procedure must be in place and
working effectively before the next SACS evaluation.
ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER PAGE 9
News From the Disciplines
Mathematics and Computer Science
Over the past several months the mathematics curriculum has
been revised to more effectively meet the needs of ERAU
students. Some courses that were no longer needed were
deleted and one new course to assist students who need help
with basic mathematics was added. The mathematics
curriculum was streamlined from 17 courses to a total of 14.
A mathematics assessment test is available via Blackboard to
determine the basic mathematics knowledge and skills of
students new to ERAU in order to better meet their needs in the
area of mathematics.
Contributed by: Joe Allen
English and Humanities
I am happy to share two big pieces of news. First, the new
writing assessment test has been released!
For the past several years, a search has been underway to find
an acceptable commercial product to assess student writing
proficiency. A committee investigated about a dozen
possibilities, and first decided upon COMPASS, a writing test
used by many universities. However, the technical
requirements were not possible for ERAU’s overseas campuses.
The next choice was Criterion, but a pilot test for that product
demonstrated that Criterion would not meet the University’s
needs. At that point, sometime last fall, I decided to create the
test, as Joe Allen did for math.
That test is what we have now. It has 89 questions, and most of
them focus on the typical grammar and punctuation problems
that trip students up. Students should do well on this test; if they
don’t, they are definitely not ready to write at a college level.
The test will be given to students when they enroll, just like we
give them the math test. The difference for now is that we
don’t have a course to steer them into if they do poorly on the
test. Therefore, the test can be used for counseling only. If
students at least know that they don’t write as well as they
thought they did, that might encourage them to brush up their
writing skills.
PAGE 10 ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER
English and Humanities, continued…
There are several projects designed to provide writing
assistance that are in the works right now. They include EAGLET,
the online writing lab; GNED 104, a basic writing course that will
be available in July 2008, and some online tutorials. When
these are available, they will be widely announced and
vigorously promoted.
The second piece of news is that the writing rubric has been
released. A group of more than 30 instructors from across the
Worldwide Campus collaborated for more than six months to
create a writing rubric to help instructors who do not teach
English, grade the writing portion of their students’ assignments.
Use of the rubric is not mandatory, but instructors are strongly
encouraged to use it. A project to collect feedback is being
designed.
Improving student writing is a priority across the Worldwide
Campus. I hope these new tools, as well as those still in
development, will help us achieve that goal.
Contributed by: Terri Maue
Social Science and Economics
Who says there is no free lunch?
At ERAU Worldwide, we continue the tradition of trying to break tried and true rules. There is a
free lunch. All you have to do is pick up your fork and dig in.
The current economic environment offers a real-life test-tube with which to supplement your
courses. When you’ve got it, flaunt it. ERAU encourages all Econ instructors to use as much of
real world examples to supplement theory covered in their classes. Between our political
environment, monetary policy, regulation policy and projected changes, and globalization
issues, one short term is surely not enough time to cover everything. At minimum, our goal is to
whet the student’s appetite for lifelong learning and engagement of the discipline.
It is our hope that students don’t just muster through the courses and then brain dump what
they’ve read only to exclaim zombie-like 20 years later, “guns and butter – that’s all I
remember.” Econ instructors will be able to find a plethora of supplemental content in every
Blackboard course shell. Instructors are also encouraged to make good use of all types of
media to help deliver content in classroom courses. Studies show students retain more
information when they are learning how they play. So, things like Blockbuster and YouTube can
be extremely valuable supplemental tools. Who knew?! Music, Movies, Survivor, Simulated
games and even eBay can be great tools when Instructors make students understand
Economics is not just what is in the textbook.
Of course, please send any prize supplements you might find to your Course Monitor who is
always looking for more things to use in the classroom! And finally, here is a little appetizer for
your educational care and feeding. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ_qK4g6ntM
Bon Appetite!
Contributed by: Kelly George
ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER PAGE 11
Physical and Life Sciences
The courses in the physical and life sciences discipline have gained some
added emphasis this year. We took two of the courses that are taught
often, align well with learning outcomes mapping to our General
Education Program Outcomes, and revised the course outlines with new
learning outcomes. In addition, we provided more detailed explanations
of what the topics are covered during the course and how much time we
estimate it will take to cover each topic. Furthermore, the two courses
selected, WEAX 201, Meteorology I and PHYS 102, Exploration in Physics,
are or soon will be Gold Eagle courses online. In fact, last year WEAX 201
received the Quality Matters (QM) Inter-Institutional Quality Assurance in
Online Learning logo by enduring a peer review that awarded the course
79 out of a possible 80 points. As QM states in their Underlying Principles of
Quality Matters: “Typically 50% of courses do not meet QM expectations
upon initial review.” In addition, they state:
Institutions best suited to successfully adopting the QM process are
ones that:
• Strive to improve student learning outcomes and
retention
• Commit to a systematic and comprehensive continuous
quality assurance process that includes faculty training,
course development, course revision, and accreditation
• Meet current national standards and incorporate new
technologies and research findings
• Engage in benchmarking activities with peer institutions
• Promote ongoing faculty professional development
• Encourage flexibility, creativity, and divergent thinking
• Efficiently use institutional resources
This year the course was submitted to University Continuing Education
Association (UCEA) as a candidate for the distinguished online course
award. After competing with courses from member institutions (there are
430+ colleges and universities that are members of UCEA) the WEAX
course was designated UCEA’s distinguished course award for 2008.
We are currently completing PHYS 102 for online that incorporates FMG
OnDemand videos, streaming videos of physics demonstrations,
HippoCampus video lessons, physics experiments and a whole host of
student oriented learning activities. We believe the PHYS 102 course will
rival the WEAX 201 for the quality of student learning activity. This course
was developed with the help of several physics instructors in the Worldwide
adjunct faculty, including Dr. Bob Krupp, the 2008 Online Faculty of the
Year; Jim Rose, who is a magician with visually presenting physics
experiments online; and Dr. Richard Kuseski and Dr. Ian McAndrew, who
have been diligent in reviewing material and tests to ensure we have the
right stuff in the course. We greatly appreciate their significant
contribution to building a premium online physics course.
Contributed by: Tom Sieland
PAGE 12 ARTS & SCIENCES NEWSLETTER
Departmental Contact Information
Dr. James Schultz, Arts & Sciences Department Chair
schul9fd@erau.edu
Dr. Martha Hollis, Dean, Worldwide Online
holli509@erau.ed
Dr. Ronald Thomas , Associate Dean, Online Academics
ronald.thomas@erau.edu
Dr. Thomas Cavanagh, Director, Online Course Design & Production
cavanagt@erau.edu
Dr. Tom Sieland, Discipline Chair, Physical & Life Sciences
sielandt@erau.edu
Dr. Terri Maue, Discipline Chair, English & Humanities
maue890@erau.edu
Ann Marie Ade, Associate Discipline Chair, English & Humanities
ann.ade@erau.edu
Dr. Fred Loomis, Discipline Chair, Social Sciences & Economics
loomi144@erau.edu
Leonardo Da Vinci’s
Kelly George, Associate Discipline Chair, Social Sciences & Economics ornithopter, circa 1486-1490
georged8@erau.edu
Dr. Charlie Joe Allen, Discipline Chair, Mathematics & Computer Science
allene38@erau.edu
Dr. Eugene Round, Associate Discipline Chair, Mathematics & Computer Science
rounde@erau.edu
Helpful Links
Academic Support for Faculty and Staff
• Course Outlines, Course Monitors, Worldwide Catalog, Textbook List, Faculty Handbook,
Academic Policies, and more.
Worldwide Online Administrative Support
• Course Information Summary Sheets, Online Course Schedules, FACD Training Schedules,
Information for Campus Staff, Online Course Production Schedule, Online Template Developer
List, Instructor Rosters, and more.
Department Information