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91�Թ�’s partnership with Military Spouse Advocacy Network launches second course

2025-09-05T14:31:00-04:00

Last fall, the University of 91�Թ� announced a partnership with the Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN) — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to create stronger military families through education, empowerment and support — to offer two online courses for military spouses.

The first, launched in July, focuses on mental wellness and is in line with the University’s broader commitment to fighting the nation’s mental health crisis. The course was developed and is presented by faculty from 91�Թ�’s and , who worked with 91�Թ� Learning’s (ODL) on the design of effective online content.

September marks the launch of the second course in the 91�Թ�-MSAN partnership, and like the first, it represents a collaboration between the ODL and 91�Թ� faculty, this time from the (NDDCEL) at the .

Titled Ethical Leadership with 91�Թ�, the new offering reflects NDDCEL’s mission to inform, equip and inspire values-based leadership and covers topics such as conflict management, voicing values at work and honesty and empathy in decision-making. The aim is to support military spouses in becoming leaders who foster resilient and flourishing communities.

Both of these non-credit courses are delivered as a mix of asynchronous (i.e., on-demand) content and live sessions, and the impact of the mental wellness course is already evident.

“The course material has been incredibly well-received,” said the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic’s Donna Armentrout, the course’s instructor. “The military spouse learners have had the opportunity to practice having mental health conversations and receive in-the-moment feedback from clinical psychology doctoral students under the supervision of 91�Թ� faculty and staff. Overall, it has been an enriching, meaningful experience for both the learners and facilitators.”

, Rex and Alice A. Martin Faculty Director of the 91�Թ� Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, and , associate dean for undergraduate and specialized master’s programs in the Mendoza College of Business, expect to see similar results with the ethical leadership course.

“NDDCEL is proud to partner with MSAN on this important opportunity to support military families,” McManus Warnell said. “We developed a custom curriculum for military spouses to enhance career readiness and leadership in their organizations and communities. Featuring insights from a dynamic group of faculty experts, including several who are veterans and spouses, our course provides strategies for participants to be powerful agents for positive change.”

McManus Warnell and Collett-Schmitt serve as the instructors of the ethical leadership course, which also includes contributions from 91�Թ� faculty members , , ��Ի� as well as military community members Rose Boyle, Pat Gibbons, Jen Heckel, Amy Spangler and Erin Stevens.

Admiral Christopher W. Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared a testimonial for the course, and his wife, Christine, is featured in the introductory videos for both it and the mental wellness course.

The 91�Թ�-MSAN partnership is a multidisciplinary campus project involving faculty and staff from 10 organizations. The project is spearheaded and resourced by with the support of the , the , the Mendoza College of Business, 91�Թ� Learning’s Office of Digital Learning, the , the William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, the 91�Թ� Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic, and the .

“I have been incredibly proud to welcome 91�Թ� to the MSAN family,” said Verenice Castillo, founder, CEO and president of MSAN. “Their commitment to our military community will empower these dedicated individuals to continue making a profound difference in their lives and communities. Together, we are building an army of strong community leaders, mentors and advocates.”

Originally published by ND Learning at on September 03, 2025.

Collaboration with National Education Equity Lab to Create Pathways to 91�Թ�

2025-05-07T12:32:00-04:00

, knows what it’s like to have more than your chances of being admitted on your mind when applying to college.

“When I was accepted to 91�Թ�, tuition was much lower, but still out of reach for my family,” he said during his inauguration as the University’s 18th president last September. “My mom, the head of a single-parent household, knowing that it was my dream to attend 91�Թ�, refinanced our house and took out loans to send me here. Decades later, it’s just not realistic to expect people to do what my mom did.”

Even with extraordinary financial aid, Fr. Dowd noted, rising costs have deterred far too many talented young people drawn to the University’s mission from pursuing a 91�Թ� education. That’s why during his inaugural address, he announced the University’s move to make financial aid loan-free and admissions need-blind for all undergraduate students.

Now, in the spirit of this commitment, a group of campus units led by (ODL) are building another kind of pathway to the University for students who might not otherwise envision themselves as candidates to attend. It is an initiative made possible through a collaboration with the , which partners with top universities to deliver actual college credit-bearing courses and supports to scholars in low-income high school classrooms across the nation.

Working with the Ed Equity Lab, 91�Թ� will offer a course titled Responsible and Ethical AI to approximately 250 students at Title I and Title I-eligible high schools—those with large populations of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds—on a pilot basis in fall 2025. There is no cost to the students to take the course, and they will earn college credits and a transcript from 91�Թ� upon finishing it.

High schoolers who successfully complete this or any other Ed Equity Lab course can typically apply their credits to the pursuit of a degree at any college or university at which they are accepted and subsequently enroll. In addition to contributing to the general college readiness of all students who take its AI course, 91�Թ�’s participation in the program is expected to inspire a number of harder-to-reach students with immense talent to apply to the University.

“Our collaboration with the Ed Equity Lab is very much in keeping with Fr. Dowd’s call that we should build bridges for deserving students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, to be able to attend 91�Թ�,” said , vice president and associate provost for teaching and learning. “I’m grateful to the many individuals on campus who have teamed up to turn a great idea into what promises to be a meaningful educational experience.”

Designed and developed by learning professionals in the ODL with faculty in 91�Թ�’s , the Responsible and Ethical AI course will be considered a University elective and delivered entirely online.

“As AI continues to have a profound impact on the workforce, the environment, and public trust in media, it is imperative we give students the opportunity to thoughtfully examine its societal implications as early as possible,” said , Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and the Lucy Family Institute’s founding director. “Introducing college-level coursework to interested high school students and engaging them in these thoughtful conversations can benefit not only their futures, but all of ours.”

, a professor of the practice and associate director of the Lucy Family Institute, will serve as the course’s instructor. In addition, current undergraduates in the Lucy Family Institute’s (Interdisciplinary Training and Research in Ethical Data Science) Scholars Program will work with the high school students weekly as teaching fellows while a high school teacher will support scholars directly in the classroom.

The list of 91�Թ� campus contributors doesn’t stop with the Lucy Family Institute and the ODL. The , , the , and have all played essential roles in the pilot process. So, too, has the (IEI), which will partner with the Lucy Family Institute and the ODL to evaluate the impact of the course.

“A project of this scope truly requires that we think and work together as an institution,” said , director of the ODL. “That collaboration will continue both in the delivery of the course itself and as we in the ODL work with the IEI to explore expanding the list of high schools the Ed Equity Lab serves. The goal there is to create pathways for more high-achieving students in under-resourced Catholic schools in particular to attend 91�Թ� and other leading colleges and universities.”

Through this pilot, 91�Թ� joins Howard University, Brown University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Stanford University, Wesleyan University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Arizona State University, and others as part of the Ed Equity Lab consortium.

“We are thrilled that 91�Թ� will be joining our consortium of top colleges and universities offering college courses to scholars from low-income communities across the country,” said Ed Equity Lab founder and CEO Leslie Cornfeld. “We are especially inspired by 91�Թ�’s deep commitment to expanding college access. They aren’t just saying the right things, they’re rolling up their sleeves and moving to action to enable the American Dream.”

Originally published by ND Learning at on May 05, 2025.

Acclaimed teaching scholar James Lang joins 91�Թ� Learning’s Kaneb Center

2023-10-27T08:20:00-04:00

, the author of several popular books on teaching, including “Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It” and “Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning,” has joined the faculty of the University of 91�Թ� through September of next year.

Lang’s appointment as a visiting professor of the practice is through the , a component of , which serves as the hub of learning excellence and innovation at the University. He will spend approximately one week per month on campus and one week per month working remotely with faculty.

A 91�Թ� graduate and former professor of English and director of the D’Amour Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption University, Lang stepped down from full-time academic work in 2021 to focus on his writing and teaching. He has consulted with the United Nations on a multiyear project to develop teaching materials in ethics and integrity for high school and college faculty, and he writes a monthly column for The Chronicle of Higher Education.

During Lang’s time at 91�Թ�, 91�Թ� Learning will offer regular opportunities for faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and others to interact with him and learn from his decades of experience researching student learning.

“For those of us who care deeply about the education students receive in our classes, Jim’s name is synonymous with inspired teaching,” said , 91�Թ�’s vice president and associate provost for teaching and learning, who leads the work of 91�Թ� Learning. “We are excited to be able to welcome him back to campus on an ongoing basis for the next year.”

“My undergraduate learning experiences at the University of 91�Թ� were so transformative that I have continued to reflect and ,” Lang said. “I have been admiring the innovative work of the Kaneb Center since it was founded, so I am thrilled to partner with and her team this year. The weeks I will spend at the center will offer me an opportunity to contribute new questions and ideas to the exciting conversations already happening on teaching and learning on campus.”

Upcoming events with Lang include:

1-2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, on Zoom

Lang and Rudenga, the director of the Kaneb Center, will present and discuss three pathways to creating or re-creating final assignments in light of the specific needs of students and the changing conditions in which courses are being taught (e.g., amid the growing presence of artificial intelligence). This online webinar is free and open to instructors and teachers both from 91�Թ� and elsewhere, but .

9-10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10, in Meeting Room 2 South W210, Duncan Student Center

This event is designed for members of the 91�Թ� teaching community to discuss what AI in practice means for instructors in classrooms, departments and at the University. There will be time to network with colleagues, a short overview of a current unanswered question or innovation in AI, and discussion prompts to consider together. Lang will lead the conversation with the Kaneb Center’s , ��Ի� . 91�Թ� faculty, postdocs and graduate students can .

Spring 2024

Translating the good teaching practices that support learning in the classroom to the writing strategies that engage readers and help them learn from academic research, Lang will work with 91�Թ� faculty interested in reaching audiences beyond their disciplinary peers. The faculty seminar will meet once per month from January through May. To ensure participants receive plentiful feedback on their work, enrollment will be limited. See for more details.

Future events with Lang will be posted at .

Originally published by 91�Թ� Learning at on Oct. 26.