Congratulations to these members of the NIU College of Education family!
Ben Creed, associate professor of Educational Administration in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, was elected this spring as president of the NIU Faculty Senate and chair of the University Council. He assumed office July 1.
The University Council has the power to participate in the selection of faculty committees; advise the president on the appointment of administrative officers, including the selection of a president; and participate and advise the president and the vice presidents in preparing and administering the annual budget, setting goals and priorities for the utilization of resources, and providing periodic evaluation of progress in achieving goals and priorities.
Members also aid in developing basic policies for the university and advise the president, and the vice presidents, on policies affecting the quality of student life on campus.
NIU’s Faculty Senate, meanwhile, is a representative body of the faculty that with its related councils and committees has the responsibility to establish, direct and oversee academic matters.
This includes making policy decisions related to the faculty personnel system, the university curriculum and admissions and academic standards along with promoting a climate of academic freedom for the university community and advancing the instructional mission of the university by maintaining an optimal learning environment.
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Joseph Flynn, associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, won first place for commentary from the Public Media Journalists Association for his Northern Public Radio perspective “Racial Groundhog Day.”
Flynn is also executive director for equity and inclusion in the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
He’s a regular contributor to WNIJ’s Perspective series, which offers 90-second commentaries by and for WNIJ listeners. Flynn shares his perspective as a scholar of race, media, popular culture and curriculum. In this episode, he lamented the repetitive cycle of white supremacist mass violence, which feels all too much like the movie “Groundhog Day.”
“Since I was first invited to be a contributor to Perspectives, I have tried to use this platform to encourage listeners to think more broadly about a range of issues, especially race,” Flynn says. “These commentaries – including those from my fellow commentators – take oftentimes challenging ideas, distill them into an engaging 90 seconds and offer listeners thoughts to consider throughout their day. I am truly honored by this accolade and sincerely thank our producer, Susan Stephens, for her support and the support of our listeners.”
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