School of Education A Leader in Cross-Department Partnerships

By Bruce Buchanan

Most colleges and universities would list collaboration as a core value, or a goal worthy of aspiration. But UNCG’s School of Education is actively putting collaboration into practice every day.

The following are three of the numbers partnerships between the School of Education and other UNCG schools or departments. Through these partnerships, the School of Education improves opportunities for students and maximizes the use of the university’s valuable resources.

Friends Helping Friends Program Working to Eliminate Student Suicide at UNCG

By Bruce Buchanan

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among U.S. college students, with 1,100 students dying preventable deaths every year. Many thousands more college students attempt suicide each year. However, many are reluctant to seek help, in part because of lingering stigmas about mental illness.

UNCG School of Education Associate Professor Dr. Deborah Taub is working with other concerned faculty members, staff and students to change these tragic facts. Taub helped organize Friends Helping Friends, a peer training program that educates UNCG students about the warning signs of suicidal behavior. Students are given the tools to recognize and respond to classmates who exhibit these troubling signs.

School of Education Works to Engage Students Online

By Bruce Buchanan

Today’s college students have been described “digital natives”—to their generation, the Internet, e-mail, social networking and other forms of online communication always have existed. To them, firing off a text message or performing a Google search comes just as naturally as picking up the telephone or opening a textbook did for previous generations. Not surprisingly, millions of college students each year are taking online classes – even on-campus students who also take traditional courses. A 2010 report found that 73 percent of colleges and universities were seeing an increase in the demand for online classes.

Something to talk about

In the coming months you might notice something different about UNCG communications. A different look. A different feel. And the small words at the bottom — Do something bigger altogether.

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