DR. JOYCE HALL-YATES ON TU'S TRAJECTORY

As a retired Vice Provost, Dean for the former School of Arts and Sciences and now-Emeriti Faculty member, Dr. Joyce Hall-Yates has been at the helm of many an important initiative or period of growth for the University.

Though she retired from her full-time role in 2022, she chooses to teach parttime, in addition to staying involved with the community. According to Dr. Hall-Yates, she chooses to do this, not only because of her passion for teaching, but since she wants to remain present for TU's many down-theroad projects and programs.

"I want to be here to see these exciting plans come to fruition," she explained. "Additional academic majors, buildings and facilities, partnerships and so much more. It's an exciting journey we're all embarking on, and I'm thrilled to be part of it."

According to Dr. Hall-Yates, she is especially proud of how the University's faculty have been so thoughtful with the planning of curricula.

"During my tenure, we worked on implementing new programs that align with the mission and vision of the institution. While general education coursework is necessary, it can and should be supplemented by more niche topics, as well as opportunities for experiential learning. We, as faculty, took the extra care to ensure our students at the undergraduate level were provided with a strong, foundational education composed of the basics pertaining to their fields. This way, no matter their ultimate career path, they would always be able to shift focus and try something new if needed. At the same time, it is important for students to have access to more specialized topics, especially within their chosen fields of study, as many of them go on to enter graduate programs."

Of the many ways in which the University has grown since her time began, Dr. Hall-Yates describes TU's expansion of its educational coursework as a standout accomplishment.

"One new program being instated often leads to others getting off the ground as well," she offered. "I remember it happening when we first added exercise and forensic science majors. This started a push for other schools to follow suit and expand their own offerings, which is how we got computer science as a major, for example."

In her own words, this is all because of a collective commitment to creating a student-focused environment, one that provides them with as many options for enrichment as possible.

Acknowledgement:

The Class Scene section of this publication was created with the significant help of TU student Samantha Sibbersen, Social Media Ambassador.

"I've had the opportunity to teach at other academic institutions throughout my career, and can say with confidence that the way members of TU's faculty support their students is unlike anything else I've encountered, even compared to what is offered at other small schools. Not only do they offer immense support to their mentees, but simultaneously hold them to high standards of academic excellence and moral character. Our students are challenged to become critical thinkers and better people. In my opinion, this unique combination sets graduates up for success later in life."