an undergraduate degree in business will be required to take an online examination testing their business acumen. If they do not pass the examination, they will go through a series of online classes, and then be retested. Both programs also formalized a group of core courses and common electives from which students may chose. These changes will make the programs much stronger and easier to administer. Research productivity by SBAEL faculty was particularly high this academic year. Various faculty members’ research was accepted for publication in a variety of journals including the Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics, Journal of Technology Research, World Review of Business Research, Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business, Journal of Business Cases and Applications, Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, and the Journal of Management and Marketing Research. There were also a number of successful events that were either hosted by or in which the SBAEL participated. The School participated in the Emergency Disaster Incident Training Symposium in support of its Fire Science and Public Safety program. As part of its Annual Speakers Series, the School was fortunate enough to have Dr. Rebecca Mercuri, a lead forensics scientist with Notable Software, Inc., present her views on Computer Forensics, Elections, and the Internet. Dean Dickinson was the keynote speaker at the Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce fall meeting, and representatives of the SBAEL also participated in a round-table discussion about Social Media, in conjunction with the Bensalem Business Association.
School of Education
T
his year, the School of Education developed an Autism Endorsement Program and obtained approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Teachers may add the endorsement to their existing Level I or Level II certifications. The endorsement requires completion of four courses, each with a 20-hour supervised field experience. This timely program has proved to be extremely popular with students. The School of Education also obtained approval for a new Health and Physical Education teacher certification program from the Pennsyl-
10
Eight hundred and fifty-four diplomas were awarded at the Academy of Music for our 56th Commencement Ceremonies. The University bestowed honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees to Fire Captain Randy J. Coddington; nurse theorist S. Callista Roy, CSJ; and Philadelphia business leaders Dominic C. Marano and Robert E. Tepfer. vania Department of Education. Faculty in the School of Education worked collaboratively with the Athletic Department to design the program. Further work on program implementation will continue during the coming academic year to permit the enrollment of students in Fall 2014. It was an exciting year for collaborative learning as the School of Education hosted two important scholarly gatherings. The Honor Society of the International Reading Association, Alpha Upsilon Alpha (AUA), Beta Upsilon Chapter of Holy Family University’s MEd Reading program and the new doctoral program in the School of Education co-sponsored a literacy conference, Literacy Open Minds, on October 13, 2012. The keynote speaker, Sneed Collard III, gave an inspiring talk on his personal journey to become an award-winning author of children’s