Dean's Weekly Newsletter 10-31-25
Published October 31, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
Happy Halloween! Yesterday, the College of Education celebrated Oktoberfest, with a Halloween twist, and it was a smashing success. We had planned to serve food from 11 AM to 2 PM, but in less than an hour and a half, we had run out of bratwurst! Over 160 students, faculty, and staff stopped by our festival, not only from the College of Education but also from other parts of campus. It was a heartwarming occasion filled with community and laughter.
We were also honored by several important Wyoming educational partners, such as Chad Auer from the Governor's Office and Mary Garland from the John P. Ellbogen Foundation. I also appreciate the College of Education staff and faculty who attended, conversed with our students, and contributed to a positive atmosphere for all. Stay tuned for our next fun-filled event!
Here are other updates from this week:
- 2025 Giving Day
- Interview Preparation Presentation
- Faculty Highlights – Joe Schroer
- International Delegation Visit
- School Director Open Forum
- Fall 2025 Distinguished Speaker Event
- ECEC Fall 2025 Update
- Honoring Jeri Jespersen-Gibson
2025 Giving Day: The College of Education had an outstanding Giving Day this year, receiving 407 total donations and raising $112,954 in support of our programs and initiatives. This total surpassed last year’s record of $111,805 and marked a major milestone for the College. While our colleagues across campus led exemplary campaigns, it was exciting to see the College of Education rise on the College Leaderboard. Campaigns like this reflect the value of education to Wyoming and help us create new opportunities for students, faculty. amd staff. Final campaign statistics can be viewed at https://give.uwyo.edu/giving-day-2025.
Interview Preparation Presentation: The College of Education Advising, Career, and Field Experience Office invites students to attend an Interview Preparation Presentation designed to strengthen their professional communication and interview skills. Faculty and staff are encouraged to share this opportunity with their students. Those interested can RSVP before November 17 at https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7OhMSEn9IhQw2wu. For questions, please contact Jody Mitchell, Senior Program Coordinator for the College of Education, at Jody.Mitchell@uwyo.edu
Faculty Highlights: Joe Schroer and colleagues are engaging College of Education students in a range of experiential learning opportunities. Next week, students from the Exploring Teaching Careers Freshman LLC will visit a Montessori school to learn about the philosophy and goals of Montessori education. In December, Schroer and Mary Todd will host a “Classroom Management 101” workshop open to all College of Education students. His Assessment students recently completed training on Fastbridge and STAR literacy and math assessments and will soon receive additional instruction on WYTOPP and NAEP from Peter Afflerbach. Schroer and Sarah Rundall are also working with local school principals to strengthen practicum placements and develop aligned common assessments across Practicum 1–3. As a Halloween treat, Schroer shared a riddle for his costume:
“I’m dressed in green, though not quite mean,
with question marks both sharp and keen.
My mind’s a maze, my laugh’s a clue
I love a good puzzle… now who am I to you?”
International Delegation Visit: Associate Dean, Pete Moran recently met with a delegation of six faculty members from the education faculties of five universities in Turkmenistan. The delegation was on campus to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Wyoming, establishing opportunities for short-term faculty and student exchanges as well as future research collaborations. These discussions represent the first steps toward developing an ongoing international partnership, with follow-up meetings planned in the coming months. Courtney and I also had a brief opportunity to say hello and take a picture with them outside.
School Director Open Forum: CLAD Director, Courtney McKim also held an open forum on Monday with approximately 15 fauclty and staff attending in person and via Zoom. Discussion topics included advising load, job descriptions, and progress on the ongoing workload analysis.
Fall 2025 Distinguished Speaker Event: Mark your calendars! The College of Education will host Peter Afflerbach as the Fall 2025 Distinguished Speaker on Friday, November 14, at 1:00 PM in the Union Family Room. Afflerbach, an expert in assessment and long-serving member of the NAEP Board, will also meet with the Wyoming Joint Education Interim Committee during his visit. His College of Education talk will explore assessment broadly, with a special focus on literacy. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend this important event.
ECEC Fall 2025 Update: The Early Care and Education Center (ECEC) is at full capacity this fall, serving 87 children, including 8 infants, 20 toddlers, 45 preschoolers, and 14 school-age children from approximately 70 families, most of whom are UW faculty and staff. The center continues to provide practicum and observation placements for around 45 UW students and employs nearly 50 part-time student staff gaining valuable classroom experience. ECEC also surpassed its Giving Day goal of 150 donors, raising about $50,000 across three campaign years to fund new playground equipment. The center recently hosted its third annual Homecoming Celebration, featuring the UW Men’s and Women’s basketball teams, Cowboy Joe the Pony, and the Western Thunder Marching Band.
Honoring Jeri Jespersen-Gibson: At next week’s College of Education meeting on Monday, November 3, the College community will gather to honor Jeri Jespersen-Gibson, an online student in the Master of Arts in Special Education program who passed away in October 2024. At the request of her husband, Ernest Gibson, the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees approved the posthumous conferral of Jeri’s degree. Ernest and members of her family will join us for the presentation and a moment of remembrance. A light lunch will be provided, and the event is open to the campus community. You may read Jeri’s obituary at https://www.gillettememorialchapel.com/obituaries/jeri-jespersen-gibson.
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As I reflect on the past months, I am reminded that our work begins and ends with our students. They are at the center of everything we do and the reason our College continues to grow and evolve. Every program we strengthen, every partnership we build, and every conversation we share as colleagues contributes to their success and to the future of education in Wyoming and beyond.
In my time as dean, I have been grateful for the relationships I have formed with so many of you. Through collaboration, shared purpose, and care for one another, we create a community that supports not only our students, but also the faculty and staff who guide them. Building and sustaining that community takes intention and effort, yet it is the most important investment we can make.
As we move into the next phase of our shared work, I encourage each of us to continue reaching out, listening, caring for one another, and working together. Take time to connect with a student, start a new project with a colleague, or imagine how your work can inspire others. We have the power to shape the kind of community that helps students thrive and that makes our College a place of purpose, collaboration, and care. Have a wonderful weekend!
Jenna
