CAMPUS LIFE

Coming Soon: Premier Center for Special Education

UMHB is breaking ground this fall on a new 11,000-square-foot special education training and instructional facility unlike any other in the country. With a completion date of next fall, the Marek-Smith Center for Teacher Preparation will serve as the premier center for special education training and instruction in the country and enable UMHB's College of Education to continue to train and inspire college students to pursue a career in special education. Aaron Rodeffer '14 joined the fundraising staff as a gift officer this semester.

Aaron has been with the university since 2008, first as the men’s golf coach and then as director of facility operations for Crusader Stadium, Frank & Sue Mayborn Campus Center, Bawcom Student Union and the Sue & Frank Mayborn Performing Arts Center.

UMHB is the only known university in the United States to currently have a special needs lab where undergraduate education majors work directly with children with disabilities, ages 3-21. The new center will be located at the corner of Pearl Street and 11th Avenue, just one block east of the current facility.

To find out about giving opportunities, visit umhb.edu/specialneeds.

First Transformational Development Graduate

Dannah Fritschle walked across the May 7 graduation stage as the first Bachelor of Transformational Development (BTD) graduate. Dannah graduated with a 4.0 and won the Loyalty Cup and the Outstanding Christian Studies Student Award. Dannah has been accepted to Pepperdine for Law School but will defer for a year and work for a nonprofit in Germany.

Rodeffer Joins

Advancement Team

More Chick-fil-A!

Students returning to campus were excited to see a larger, renovated Chickfil-A with an expanded menu that now offers breakfast items.

“What we are hearing most is the excitement around chicken minis for breakfast and the addition of mac and cheese,” said Michael Sanders, general manager of Sodexo Campus Services, which manages the Chickfil-A. “With the addition of breakfast, we are expecting to increase our daily transaction count by approximately 30% — from 500 to approximately 650 transactions daily.”

The campus location opened in Bawcom Student Union in fall 2013.

EXPLORE Cru Nursing Camp

Each summer, the Scott & White School of Nursing offers highly motivated high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to experience nursing school and college life at the Explore Cru Nursing Camp.

This year, 24 students from all over Texas came to UMHB for an up-close look at the nursing program, spirit and traditions, faith and learning, and campus life.

“The students who come to camp are always eager to learn and excited to live on a college campus for a week,” said Kelda McMullen, an assistant professor who facilitates the camp. “I look forward every summer to meeting new students who have the desire to take a week of their vacation and learn about the profession of nursing.”

After camp, 15 students participated in a survey, and 14 strongly agreed with the statement “Explore Cru Nursing Camp has influenced my decision to go into the nursing profession” and one student somewhat agreed.

To find out more about next summer’s camp, which will be the 10th anniversary of Explore Cru Nursing Camp, email kmcmullen@umhb.edu.

CRUNEWS

MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOLS AWARD

UMHB was named to the gold level in the category of private schools offering a doctorate for the 2022-23 Military Friendly® Schools Awards.

The Military Friendly® designations and awards are sourced through public data sources, proprietary data from surveys and personal data from surveys of veterans.

Only two other Texas universities were named to the gold level: Dallas Baptist University and Houston Baptist University. Institutions that appear on the list of Military Friendly® Schools are evaluated in areas such as student retention, graduation, job placement and loan repayment for all students and student veterans, using public data sources and surveys.

CRUNEWS

Teaching Candidate Interviews

Belton ISD recently expanded its partnership with the UMHB Educator Preparation Program with a commitment to provide interviews to teaching candidates hoping to land positions with BISD.

“It’s not a guarantee of a job, of course, but just securing an interview is a great opportunity for anyone nearing completion of a college degree,” said Dr. Joan Berry, dean of the College of Education.

The interviews will help graduates hone their skills in describing their experiences, promoting their strengths as potential new teachers, and demonstrating their knowledge and proficiency to a potential employer.

OT Now Providing DME

UMHB’s occupational therapy program realized a need in the community for durable medical equipment (DME) for uninsured and underinsured patients and started a loaner program this fall at the Cru Community Clinic.

Over the summer, the clinic collected donations of gently used equipment, including pediatric wheelchairs, walkers, standers, bath seats and patient transfer equipment.

“Durable medical equipment is expensive and unattainable for many in our community,” said Dr. Giulianne Krug, founding program director and professor. “Our students have the opportunity to learn to identify different equipment types and fit it to the user.”

CAMP CAPABLE

Students in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy organized a weeklong camp this summer for adults with special needs. The camp's goal was to facilitate opportunities for social participation and active leisure. Around 20 participants attended camp each day and participated in occupational therapy-based activities such as teamwork games, scavenger hunts, sports, arts and crafts, cooking, and more.

“Our OT students gained valuable experience working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) while also serving their community,” said Dr. Amanda Frias, assistant professor. “Camp Capable provided the students with an opportunity to develop and implement group activities in preparation for practicing in the field of occupational therapy. Campers seemed to have a great time interacting with one another and with our OT students. Everyone is looking forward to doing it again in the future!”