These students have earned a place on the Fall 2016 dean's list at California University of Pennsylvania.

Dean’s list students are undergraduates attending full-time and have earned a grade-point average of 3.25 or higher this semester.

Spring semester classes at Cal U begin Monday, Jan. 23. Students returning to campus can ride the Vulcan Flyer shuttle between the upper and lower campuses, and take the hourly Shoppers Shuttle to the Walmart Supercenter in West Brownsville.

Shuttle service is limited during the weekend before classes begin.

Look for the Shoppers Shuttle sign on designated Vulcan Flyers. Rides are free for Cal U students with a valid CalCard; one guest per student may ride the shuttle to Walmart. All Vulcan Flyer shuttles are handicapped accessible.

Limited bus service

Friday, Jan 20: Vulcan Flyer shuttles begin with limited service from 8a.m.-8 p.m. The Shoppers Shuttle to Walmart begins hourly service at 10 a.m.; the last bus returns to campus at 7 p.m. 

Saturday, Jan. 21: Vulcan Flyer shuttles operate from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. The Shoppers Shuttle makes hourly runs to Walmart from 11 a.m. -7 p.m.; the last bus returns to campus at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 22: On spring Move-In Day, the Vulcan Flyer operates from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., without hourly Shoppers Shuttle runs from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; the last bus returns to campus at 8 p.m.

Full shuttle service resumes

Monday, Jan. 23: As spring semester classes begin, the Vulcan Flyer and Vulcan Flyer Express return to full service. Shuttles operate from 7 a.m.-11 p.m.

Shoppers Shuttle service continues hourly from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; the last bus leaves Walmart for campus at 8 p.m.

NOTE: There is no Vulcan Flyer service during spring break, March 13-18.

A new edition of the Cal U Journal is available online. The latest headlines include: Deployed soldier among winter graduates; Speaker explores roots of racism; Online bachelor program no. 6. Click here to read the latest Cal U Journal online.

Seven former Vulcan sports standouts will be inducted into the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame during a dinner set for 5 p.m. on April 22 in the Performance Center. Read about the honorees.

The third season of “Infinite Opportunities” begins Jan. 29 on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.

The half-hour public affairs show airs at 9:30 a.m. Sundays and repeats at 6 p.m. Saturday each week. The program features students, faculty, staff and initiatives at Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education universities, including Cal U, along with information from and about the State System.

The weekly discussions will include a variety of higher education topics, including life as a student, teacher education, opportunities and services for veterans, volunteerism, leadership, performing arts, graduate education, student research, global education, health and science, putting knowledge into practice and giving.

Cal U faculty and programs will be featured in four episodes: 

• March 5 (Performing Arts)
• March 26 (Global Education)
• April 2 (Health and Science)
• April 9 (Putting Knowledge into Practice)

Episodes may be viewed after they air at    

http://www.passhe.edu/infiniteopportunities/Pages/InfiniteOpportunities.aspx

Cal U will offer a Doctor of Criminal Justice (D.C.J.), a professional doctorate designed to enhance the careers of mid- and senior-level criminal justice practitioners across the country.

Cal U’s Doctor of Criminal Justice is the first regionally accredited D.C.J. degree in the United States and the second doctorate offered at Cal U.

The new doctoral degree program was approved Jan. 26, 2017, by the Board of Governors for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.

Applications are being accepted now, and classes begin this summer. 

Online learning for working professionals

Students enrolled in the two-year Doctor of Criminal Justice program will complete nearly all of their coursework through Cal U Global Online, the university’s online learning community.

Global Online’s asynchronous, Internet-based courses are an appealing option for criminal justice professionals who are looking to earn an advanced degree without taking time off from their careers.

Two five-day summer residencies on the California University campus will allow students to benefit from face-to-face interaction with nationally recognized criminal justice experts.

Cal U faculty in the D.C.J. program are full-time professors with extensive real-world backgrounds in law enforcement, international and homeland security, criminal investigative analysis, forensic science, cybercrime investigations, legal science and more.

The 42-credit program includes coursework, a comprehensive exam, capstone courses and preparation of a professional portfolio focused on theory and applied research.

Leadership in challenging times

Dr. John Cencich, a professor in Cal U’s Department of Criminal Justice, says the D.C.J. program responds to state and national calls for reform of the criminal justice system.

Unlike Ph.D. programs, which typically are designed for academics or researchers, the Doctor of Criminal Justice focuses on policy implementation and the analytical skills that are crucial for agency leaders, supervisors, investigators and managers in the field of criminal justice.

“Professionals in this program will make in-depth analyses of topics such as federal consent decree implementation and enforcement, police use-of-force, false confessions and wrongful convictions, and reducing recidivism,” Cencich says. “Leadership in criminal justice agencies goes to the very heart of the program.”

Collaborative approach

Cal U’s doctoral program in criminal justice will collaborate with the Pennsylvania Center for Criminological and Forensic Sciences, based at Cal U.

The center provides services for police, district attorneys, coroners and others involved in the administration of justice, including real-time investigative consulting and professional development training.

The center will provide additional credentials to eligible students enrolled in the D.C.J. program, such as a certificate in “Criminal Justice Instructor Development” for students who successfully complete the Criminal Justice Training (CRJ 860) course.

Learn more

To apply or learn more about the new Doctor of Criminal Justice degree at California University of Pennsylvania, visit www.calu.edy/DCJ.

In addition to the new doctorate, the Department of Criminal Justice at Cal U offers bachelor’s degree programs in criminal justice and a 100% online master’s degree in applied criminology.

For additional information, email Dr. John Cencich at cencich@calu.edu or contact the Global Online Office at calugo@calu.edu.

Board of Governors Chair Cynthia D. Shapira and Chancellor Frank T. Brogan pledge to remain strong advocates for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education as they work to ensure its sustainability. Read their message here

A new edition of the Cal U Journal is available online. The latest headlines include: First in U.S.: Doctor of Criminal Justice; Vulcans continue academic success; WSO audience hears from Cal U. Click here to read the latest Cal U Journal online.

To: All students, faculty, staff, alumni 
From: University President Geraldine M. Jones

Earlier today, at our spring convocation for faculty and staff, I spoke about our University’s future.

The prospect of a State System-wide strategic review gives us an opportunity to proactively define our direction as a university. This is our moment to tell the State System, and our future students, that Cal U has a strong and distinctive identity that sets it apart from other universities in our region and across Pennsylvania.

Since the mid-1970s, California has acknowledged a special mission in science and technology. This longstanding special mission can guide our way forward as we re-engineer Cal U for a new generation.

The University’s leadership and management teams, along with deans from our academic Colleges, have begun the process of re-defining our University under this model: 

Guided by our special mission in science and technology, California University of Pennsylvania offers professional, career-focused programs in the arts and sciences, technologies and education that engage students in applied and active learning.

 This definition is supported by well-established practices at our University.

• Cal U uses technologies as teaching tools and prioritizes technology literacy for faculty, staff and students across disciplines.
• In response to regional, state and national needs, Cal U promotes innovation and leadership to solve real-world problems and serve society.
• Cal U combines applied, active learning with a foundation in professional and liberal arts, distinguishing our University from vocational or technical colleges that focus on trade or skill development. 

This approach to Cal U’s future benefits our students by sharpening the focus on programs that blend academic excellence, innovation and applied education to create pathways to the STEM careers of the future.

It benefits the Commonwealth by developing a competent and well-educated workforce to meet employment needs in Pennsylvania’s healthcare and technology corridors and beyond.

And it benefits our University by creating a distinct and sustainable identity that will make Cal U the preferred choice for capable, career-focused students, now and in the years ahead.

Let me offer some reassurances.

To our students: You will be able to complete your degree and graduate from your current academic program. Your University is not stepping away from its historic mission in education, and we recognize that college graduates in every profession benefit from a background in the liberal arts.

Preparing students for career success has always been our goal. Data from numerous sources, including the State System’s “Gap Analysis for Southwestern Pennsylvania,” points to a need for well-educated workers with STEM-related skills. As a Cal U graduate with these vital skills, you are likely to find a wider range of career opportunities, no matter your field of study. 

To our faculty, staff, alumni and students: We welcome your input. The long process of re-defining our University has just begun, and we want to hear your voice. Your intellect, resourcefulness and commitment to excellence are vital to the success of this new approach. In the days ahead, all key stakeholders will have the opportunity to participate in organized listening sessions and working groups. I urge you to get involved.

As I said in my “State of the University” address, Cal U inevitably will be a very different place in just five or 10 years. As a campus community, it is time to take our destiny into our own hands. If we embrace this opportunity with wisdom, energy and a united will to succeed, we can ensure a stronger, brighter future for our University.

We must realize that vision together.

Sincerely yours,

Geraldine M. Jones
President, California University of Pennsylvania

Meet President Geraldine M. Jones

The Department of Music and Theatre opens its spring season with “An Evening of Creativity,” featuring a one-act play and two dances selected and performed by Cal U students.

Performances are scheduled at 7 p.m. Feb. 23-24, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Blaney Theater in Steele Hall.

The show opens with a 20-minute one-act play, Post-its® (Notes on a Marriage), written by actor, writer and comedian Paul Dooley and his wife, dramatist and screenwriter Winnie Holtzman. 

Emily Smith ’14, a graduate student in the school counseling program, directs the play about a contemporary long-term relationship. 

“This one-act really spoke to me through the emotions and nuances that were presented in the relationship between the two characters,” said Smith, who was an undergraduate theater major and now works as a graduate assistant in the department.

“I thought it would be important to display all the ups and downs of a relationship. It’s also really unique in the way it is performed.”

The “Evening of Creativity” also features “Finding Your Way,” a student-choreographed piece by the Cal U Dance Ensemble, and “Behind Closed Doors,” a dance choreographed by faculty member Diane Buffington.

Junior Kitty Hoffman is the production’s stage manager. Sound and design are handled by seniors Jeffrey Higgins and John Boldt.

See the show

Ticket price is $12 for patrons of all ages. Cal U students with valid CalCards pay 50 cents, plus a $5 deposit that is refunded at the show.

For ticket information, or to charge tickets by phone, call the Steele Hall Box Office at 724-938-5943.

Get directions or a campus map

3-D Computer Animation Workshop
9 a.m.-2 p.m. April 1 and 8
Multimedia Lab, Helsel Hall

Area high school students are invited to attend a free, hands-on 3-D computer animationworkshop at California University of Pennsylvania — and three participants will depart with a $500 Cal U scholarship when the two-day workshop ends.

The workshop will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. April 1 and April 8 in the multimedia lab in Helsel Hall. Students must commit to attending both Saturday workshop sessions.

Seating is limited to 25 participants. Lunch will be provided.

About the workshop

Assistant professor Aleksandra Prokic, who teaches computer animation in Cal U’s graphics and multimedia program, will lead the hands-on workshop.

Students will use open-source Blender software as they explore:

• Computer modeling.
• Texturing.
• Mapping.
• Lighting.
• Animation.
• Special effects.

See samples of previous students’ work in 3-D computer animation.

Scholarship opportunities

At the workshop’s conclusion, Cal U faculty and animation professionals will judge the students’ creations and award a $500 scholarship in each of three categories:

• Modeling/texture/lighting.
• Animation/special effects.
• Overall quality.

Sign up now

To apply for the 3-D computer animation workshop, students must email a request and one teacher’s letter of recommendation to prokic@calu.edu.  Questions also may be addressed to prokic@calu.edu; please put “Animation Workshop” in the subject line.

As part of its annual Black History Month series, KDKA-TV looks at President Geraldine Jones’ role as the University’s first female and first African-American president. “I want to see this University thriving and offering opportunities for individuals to fulfill their dreams,” she says.

See more of KDKA’s Black History Month features here.

A new edition of the Cal U Journal is available online. The latest headlines include: University Asserts ‘Distinctive Identity’ in Science, Technology; Cal U Junior Interns in Harrisburg; Black History Month Concludes. Click here to read the latest Cal U Journal online.

Greater Pittsburgh Regional FIRST^® Robotics Competition 
March 16-18
Cal U Convocation Center 

Gear-driven “airships” from the age of steam set the tone for this year’s Greater Pittsburgh Regional FIRST^® Robotics Competition.

Nearly 1,000 students are expected to take part in this year’s game, FIRST STEAMWORKS.

Teams from eight states, including Hawaii, will drive their robots across the playing field March 16-18 in the Cal U Convocation Center. Two teams from China are among the 40 competitors registered.

See the list of registered teams

California University of Pennsylvania welcomes the public to this family-friendly event. Admission to the Convocation Center is free.

• March 16: Noon-6:30 p.m., robot inspections and practice matches.
• March 17: 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., qualifying matches.
• March 18: 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., qualifying matches and alliances (a.m.), followed by elimination rounds and finals.

See the complete schedule

Parking is available on campus, and food can be purchased.

Directions and campus map

  About the competition

FIRST Robotics builds skills in science, technology, engineering and math, while encouraging innovation and teamwork.

Each year, FIRST Robotics teams face a new challenge designed to test their robots and entertain robotics fans. Each team begins with an identical “kit of parts,” then works with adult mentors to design, build, program and test their robots over a span of six weeks.

Students also create mascots and promotional materials to support the team and create excitement at the competition site. 

Cal U is hosting the FIRST Robotics Greater Pittsburgh Regional competition for the fourth consecutive year.

About the STEAMWORKS game

This year’s challenge takes its cue from the era of steam-powered technology. In STEAMWORKS, three-team alliances, called “adventure clubs,” work together to prepare their “airships” for a long-distance race.

Operating autonomously at first, and then under the control of student drivers, the robots:

• Feed fuel (balls) into the airships’ boilers.
• Deliver gears to the airship pilots.
• Latch onto the airship in time for “takeoff.”

Teams receive awards not only for their on-field success, but also for the design, engineering, business savvy and presentation skills they demonstrate to the FIRST Robotics judges.

See the FIRST STEAMWORKS game animation

Cal U will offer free services to military veterans and their families through Cal U’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Community residents who have served in any branch of the military are eligible to attend counseling sessions. Their dependents and family members also may receive counseling. 

University enrollment is not required to receive these services.

About the free services

Licensed clinical social worker Abbie Lieberum, from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ McKeesport Veterans Center will meet with clients on the third floor of Manderino Library, near Cal U’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Appointments are available from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays on:

• March 2, 9, 23 and 30.
• April 6, 13, 20 and 28.
• May 4.

Pay-by-meter parking is available nearby in Lot 17. Get directions

Services include:

• Individual and marriage counseling.
• Readjustment counseling.
• Drug and alcohol counseling.
• Counseling for bereavement and military sexual trauma. 

Counseling also is available, as needed, for Cal U veterans and community members with loved ones who have been deployed.

Learn more

For more information about the free veterans’ counseling at Cal U, or to request an appointment, call the University’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs at 724-938-4076 or email veterans@calu.edu.

Cal U Academic Open House
9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.  March 4
Heritage Lounge, Natali Student Center

Are you ready to apply to college? Want to learn more about Cal U? Start by attending an Academic Open House. You’ll learn about our programs of student, talk with professors and students, tour the campus, and see all that California University has to offer. The final Academic Open House this spring will be April 8.

Register Here

For More Information

Please call 724-938-4404 or email admissions@calu.edu

Get directions or a campus map

Cal U celebrates Women’s History Month with events designed to educate and engage the community on social justice issues. The learning continues in April, with Learn to Earn Week events at Manderino Library.

This year’s theme for Cal U’s Women’s History Month celebration is “Examining Inequality, Empowering Change Agents.”

All members of the campus community are encouraged to take part in these events. Admission is free, and the public may attend unless otherwise noted.

2017 Women’s History Month events

TED Talks: TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world.

Feb. 28 — TED Talk related to race, 11 a.m., Women’s Center in Natali Room 117. Discussion follows.

March 7 — TED Talk on social justice issues, 11 a.m., Women’s Center in Natali Room 117. Discussion follows.

March 21 — Ted Talk on social justice issues, 11 a.m., Women’s Center in Natali Room 117. Discussion follows.

March 22 —“You Can't Say That!" 10 a.m.-noon, Morgan Hall Auditorium. Award-winning sociologist Dr. Sam Richards, of Penn State University, joins Laurie Mulvey to lead compassionate conversations on social justice issues. Richards is a senior lecturer who teaches the largest race and ethnic relations course in the United States. He provides education in engaging with difficult dialogues, especially those related to race. A question-and-answer session follows.

March 28 — Human Trafficking Task Force, 9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m., Duda Hall, Room 113. Dr. Jo Ann Jankoski, an associate professor at Penn State-Fayette, the Eberly Campus, educates on human trafficking.

Learn to Earn Week events

Continue learning — and take steps that can improve your earning power — with these women’s studies events. All events are held in the Manderino Library, except as noted:

April 4

• Female Empowerment, 9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Gina Watts, operations manager at Vineyard Community Center in Westerville, Ohio, speaks to students about female empowerment.
• Start Smart Workshop — 11 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
• Women and Girls Foundation Talk — 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.
• Party Like it’s 2059 and Learn to Earn Art Exhibit — 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Manderino Gallery, Room 340. Why 2059? It’s the year some anticipate women may finally have equal pay! Trivia games, prizes and food.

April 5 

• Learn to Earn Art Exhibit, 9 a.m-3 p.m., Manderino Gallery, Room 340.
• Dress for Success Talk — noon.

April 6

• Learn to Earn Art Exhibit, 9 a.m-3 p.m., Manderino Gallery, Room 340.
• Breaking the Norms, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., panel discussion in the Natali Student Center, rooms 206-207.
• ‘Trailblazers’ movie, 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m., location TBA.

Learn more

For more information about Women’s History Month events, contact Dr. Marta McClintock, director of the women’s studies program, at 724-938-5246, or email mcclintock@calu.edu.

Sponsors

Women’s History Month 2017 activities are sponsored by the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the women’s studies program, the Department of Social Work and the Linda and Harry Serene Leadership Institute.

Joyfest 2017
7 p.m. March 25
Steele Hall Mainstage Theater

The Rev. Trini Lopez Massie will be the featured performer when Cal U’s Young and Gifted Gospel Choir hosts its annual Joyfest gospel concert. 

The University of Pittsburgh Gospel Choir and the Bethlehem Baptist Church Youth Choir will join Massie and Cal U’s gospel singers onstage 7 p.m. March 25 in Steele Hall.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Randy Tillmutt, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Music, is the Young and Gifted Gospel Choir’s director.

About the headliner

Massie is the minister of worship at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, where he is responsible for all music performed in the main sanctuary, as well as the young adult choir and the church’s Praise and Worship Ministry.

Massie has shared the stage with a wide variety of nationally recognized musicians, and he has facilitated workshops and ministered in concerts across the United States and in Canada, Europe, Micronesia and the Caribbean.

About the Young and Gifted Gospel Choir

Founded in the 1970s, the Young and Gifted Gospel Choir is open to all Cal U students. Its repertoire includes traditional spirituals and African-American gospel music.

At the annual Joyfest, choir members have the opportunity to learn from and perform with a gospel music professional, as well as other southwestern Pennsylvania gospel and church choirs.

Join us

Admission to Joyfest is free. Tickets are not required, and the public is invited.