Dear Colleagues,

Congratulations on reaching the end of another semester of classes. The snow did put a particular exclamation point on the moment this morning. While I know it is a nuisance to get around in this weather, I do have to say that campus looks particularly good in the snow.

I want to take a moment and express my gratitude for all the hard work done by staff and faculty this term. We started the academic year with an ambitious agenda, and we’ve made great progress on advancing the strategic plan, updating the core curriculum, significantly revising the Faculty Handbook and much more, all while continuing to provide outstanding educational opportunities to our undergraduate and graduate students. This doesn’t happen without all of us pulling together, and I want to convey my appreciation.

This is our penultimate edition of the Friday email for the semester, and we’re delighted to share the following faculty accomplishments:

• Associate professors from the College of Education Dr. Andy Markelz (Editor) and Dr. Ben Riden (Associate Editor) have published the latest issue of the Journal of Special Education Preparation(JOSEP). This open-access, peer-reviewed journal features research-to-practice articles designed for special education faculty. You can also access the journal articles in audio format through JOSEP Speaks, an AI-generated podcast.
  
  
• Stephen Gerome, instructor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, has a new book! Metaphors of Money Laundering: Teaching Specialized Text Translation with Corpus-Based Methods examines metaphors used to discuss transnational security threats and the role of language in criminal justice processes.
  
  
• Also from the Department of World Languages and Cultures, Wayside Publishing released the third book in Dr. Cynthia Chalupa’s textbook series Interkulturell. The professor and academic unit head serves as lead author.
  
  
• The Daily News Record recently featured a column by Dr. Melissa Svigelj, Justice Studies, and a co-author about their collaborative work creating the Community-Court Connection project in Harrisonburg. The piece, Justice Matters: Local Citizens Can Take Part In Court Observation, highlights the ways a court observation program can provide opportunities to students in local schools and future professionals working in the community.
  
  
• Ben Selznick, assistant professor in the School of Strategic Leadership Studies, in collaboration with Dr. Chelsey Bahlmann Bollinger, associate professor in the College of Education, published an article in Forbes titled “Training Educators, Not Chatbots: Preparing AI-Responsible Teachers.” The piece explores what higher education can and should be doing in the age of AI, particularly how educators can integrate AI into communication and literacy instruction responsibly. The authors emphasize that teacher preparation programs should help future educators strike a balance: leveraging AI tools while preserving human connection, fostering relationships and exercising professional judgment.

There’s still time to make the last email, so please keep sending highlights for yourself and your colleagues my way by emailing provost@jmu.edu. We’ll also continue to gather highlights during the break.

Sincerely,

Bob

Academic Affairs faculty and staff can use the options below to contact the provost directly.

This is an open line of communication allowing faculty and staff to ask questions, but it is not a substitute from the crucial interactions they have with their academic unit head, department head and dean.

• Submit a Question to the Provost
• Email the Provost

Students should contact AcademicQuestions@jmu.edu with questions.