The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, is credited with the proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
In 2020, I cannot think of truer words.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped higher education, in KNPE we have learned new ways of mentoring students, staying connected and continuing to press ahead.
A few quick examples:
- The Athletic Training program held its annual Roger and Cathy Kalisiak Lecture Series in April and drew over 300 attendees from across the country.
- This spring, the Physical Education Teacher Education program pivoted and delivered virtual learning for early clinical experiences and student teaching.
- The Sport Management and Kinesiology programs worked collaboratively with internship sites to continue placing/supervising students at sites (sometimes virtually), which matched their professional goals.
- The KNPE Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program was formally approved at a virtual meeting by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and in scheduled to begin admitting students in the Fall of 2021.
With this amount of forward momentum, it should come as no surprise that enrollment in the department has climbed in every continuing undergraduate program (and collectively, our graduate programs), as KNPE now sits at 635 students, or an 11.6% increase compared to last year!
Although it might sound cliché, the combination of expert faculty and staff, along with the support we continue to receive from alumni and donors are key mechanisms that are making this progress a reality!
Thanks again for walking alongside us on this exciting, rewarding and, dare I say … never dull journey. As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly at tgilson@niu.edu or 815-753-9399.
Todd Gilson
Chair, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education
