Topic - Thought Leadership (151)

Iona University Celebrates National Transfer Student Week (News 4840)

ptascio@iona.edu — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:08:31 +0000

Iona University Celebrates National Transfer Student Week (News 4840) ptascio@iona.edu Fri, 10/25/2024 - 10:08 Iona University Celebrates National Transfer Student Week October 23, 2024

New Rochelle, N.Y. – Transferring from one college to another can be a unique experience filled with both excitement and uncertainty. With a commitment to academic excellence and a holistic approach to admissions, Iona University supports transfer students throughout their journey.

In honor of National Transfer Student Week, here are three tips to keep in mind if you're considering joining Gael Nation.

Plus, Meghan Bernardy ’26 shares her inspiring insights as a transfer student to help shed light on the experience.

Top 3 Tips for Transferring to Iona

1. Reach Out for Personalized Support

Transferring can feel overwhelming, but students don’t have to navigate the process alone. At Iona, a dedicated transfer admissions counselor is available to guide each student every step of the way.

With a smooth application process, applicants can expect an admissions decision within just 24 hours.

Additionally, Iona’s transfer partnership agreements allow students with an accredited associate’s degree to enter at junior status. Whether students are international transfer applicants or transitioning from a community college, Iona is committed to supporting them in completing their degrees.

For any questions, students can reach out to transfer counselor, Kylie Etwaroo, at ketwaroo@iona.edu or (914) 633-2679.

2. Visit Iona’s Vibrant Campus

Located just 20 minutes from Midtown Manhattan, Iona’s picturesque campuses in Westchester, County, N.Y., offer students the best of both worlds. Its prime location provides students with unparalleled access to internship opportunities and the chance to forge meaningful connections post-graduation. With newly renovated residence halls and an elevated dining hall and student union on the way, Iona is deeply committed to enhancing the student experience. Once on campus, you are sure to feel a sense of Iona’s close-knit, supportive community.

For more information about in-person or virtual tours, click here to register and learn more!

3. Get Involved on Campus

Once a Gael, Iona makes it easy to find your community. There are more than 80 clubs and organizations to choose from, as well as many opportunities in the performing arts, 16 club sports and 24 NCAA Division I Athletics programs.

From exciting sporting events and pre-game Gael Gates to top-tier speakers and robust service opportunities, there are so many ways to get involved on campus and beyond.

Iona students also have access to the Gaels Go Further Mentoring Program to help navigate both campus life and career opportunities, connecting students with an active network of Iona alumni eager to give back.

Explore student life at Iona here!

Meghan Bernardy ’26 Found Her Fit at Iona

Meghan Bernardy ’26, a speech language pathology and audiology major, transferred to Iona because of its welcoming atmosphere and emphasis on community. The sense of belonging and connection stood out to her as a prospective student.

“Iona empowers students to step into leadership positions early in their college careers. These opportunities help students develop critical skills such as communication, decision-making, teamwork and problem-solving,” said Bernardy, a resident assistant.

“When I attended an open house and spoke with current students, I was impressed by the level of involvement. Every student I met showed initiative and genuine care for Iona’s community.”

Describing her transfer journey as “smooth and supportive,” Bernardy credits her admissions counselor for being there every step of the way.

“Iona evaluated the credits from my previous school, and I found the process to be straightforward,” she said.

“I submitted my application and information through the Iona website, including my transcript from my previous institution. Similar to the first-year admission process, Iona uses a holistic approach to admissions, which reflects how warm and welcoming the school truly is. My transfer admissions counselor was incredibly responsive to any questions or concerns I had.”

When it came to meeting new people and forming new friendships, Bernardy joined the student theatre organization – The Iona Players. From rehearsals to live performances, she quickly formed bonds with her fellow cast members and crew.

“Joining the Iona Players was definitely one of my best decisions. Our shared passion for theater made it easy to connect on a deeper level and friendships blossomed from there.”

Contact Admissions Today!

If you have questions about the transfer process, reach out to Iona’s admissions:

(800) 231-IONA
(914) 633-2502

Email: admissions@iona.edu

ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.

Artful Intelligence: AI in the Humanities Classroom (News 4590)

ptascio@iona.edu — Wed, 15 May 2024 14:16:02 +0000

Artful Intelligence: AI in the Humanities Classroom (News 4590) ptascio@iona.edu Wed, 05/15/2024 - 10:16 Artful Intelligence: AI in the Humanities Classroom“I decided that the way I was going to handle the situation was by having open discussions with my students about AI, but also allow them to explore what AI can and can’t do well right now.” May 15, 2024

By Amy Stackhouse, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English

I first became interested in exploring AI in my course(s) — right now I’ll focus on Honors 109, the Honors writing course — when I realized what the new generative AI models could do and that it was going to completely upend the way I teach writing.

Initially, I thought about banning AI outright on my syllabus and including it with my plagiarism policy. However, I didn’t think that would be the most effective way of dealing with the situation, both because I thought it would be ineffective and also because I thought it was ignoring the larger issues.

I decided that the way I was going to handle the situation was by having open discussions with my students about AI, but also allow them to explore what AI can and can’t do well right now. So, rather than focusing on ethics, which I feared would sound like more pedantic lecturing to my students or would become irrelevant when they were actually writing papers, I focused on utility.

I’ve always tweaked my classes according to what works or doesn’t and what the latest scholarship has revealed; however, I now am reworking my courses as the AI landscape changes. In other words, I expect this to be a work in progress until the lights go out and we all return to quill and parchment.

Dr. Stackhouse has been an early adopter of using AI in the classroom. She recently led a discussion as part of the AI@Iona initiative, discussing the techniques she found effective in engaging students, the challenges she encountered, the feedback she received and her suggestions for faculty considering the role of AI in their classrooms.

Iona University President: AI is transforming our world, challenging us to reaffirm our commitment as educators (News 4594)

ptascio@iona.edu — Thu, 16 May 2024 20:17:31 +0000

Iona University President: AI is transforming our world, challenging us to reaffirm our commitment as educators (News 4594) ptascio@iona.edu Thu, 05/16/2024 - 16:17 Iona University President: AI is transforming our world, challenging us to reaffirm our commitment as educatorsA letter to the Iona University community from President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. April 26, 2024

For millennia, philosophers have wrestled with questions of knowledge: What is it? What can we know? What is knowledge for? How do we learn? How do we teach?

These questions defy definitive answers. The limits of human reason and the shifting tides of human experience force us to return to them repeatedly. Each time we do, we deepen our understanding of knowledge, but sometimes events force us to reexamine how we approach our inquiry into it. Right now, the explosion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world and what it means to teach, learn, work, and live.

In other words, the rise of AI challenges us to recognize the core motives of our mission as a University and our vocations as educators. More importantly, it gives us the opportunity to reaffirm both and help students navigate new realities.

I can think of nothing more exciting—albeit sometimes worrying—for Iona to be grappling with as we close out a terrific year and look forward to the years ahead. Every domain and discipline, as every business and industry, will feel its impact. We will need to address the challenges and opportunities it will present in how and what we teach, and reexamine why we teach it.

Students are moving into a world where their relation to knowledge will be fundamentally different. This new world does not change Iona’s mission, or its need, to prepare students to make a living and to create a life of meaning. It does, however, force us to reflect on how we can most effectively meet those goals going forward. As we continue and even grow our leadership in Catholic education, our shared purpose assumes more significance each year.

Over my years in higher education, I have been party to countless conversations about innovation and strategic priorities in several institutions. Such discussions often look past the most important inputs to answering the questions they implicitly pose: the good work that is done week in and week out by the faculty and staff that are the true stewards of the mission that the innovation and strategy are meant to serve.

So, as I think about AI and what it means for Iona, I look to the dedicated faculty we have on campus, who bring to their work particular expertise complemented by a broad commitment to delivering a transformative education to our students. I look also to the resources our librarians and other staff supply to support this faculty and to assist student journeys. And I know the best thing we can do to meet the AI moment is invest in the imagination I see all around me by making an institutional commitment to providing the resources, tools, and, importantly, the space—both literal and metaphorical—to discover the innovations and priorities that will shape Iona’s present and determine its future.

I am honored to announce today, in advance of a formal announcement to follow, the creation of The Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning at Iona University, made possible by the generosity of Marc Gabelli, his mother, Elaine Madonna Gabelli, and the EMG Madonna Foundation.

The Gabelli Center will be a catalyst for educational growth in people, pedagogy and programs. It will be the keystone of an ongoing institutional commitment to faculty development and academic excellence and distinctiveness in the service of student success.

Leveraging Iona’s integrated Library and Information Technology (IT) structure, the Gabelli Center will begin by launching a new initiative – AI@Iona – as its first focus. This will allow us to build upon the energy of the AI workshops sponsored by Provost Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., as well as on the numerous faculty-led explorations of AI tools and themes that have already taken root across disciplines.

Teaching and learning are always works in progress. That reality will inform the Gabelli Center’s development as we take incremental, iterative steps to establish a nimble, flexible, and lasting resource for our community. Librarians have already begun learning new technologies, and are now available to offer guidance and consultation on a number of AI tools. They will be monitoring and assessing others as they become available.

Beginning this fall, the Gabelli Center will sponsor a number of annual Presidential Fellowships to fund research and inquiry into major pedagogical themes, with associated grants to additional faculty. More news will be forthcoming on these key components of our plan in the coming weeks.

Even as we focus on digital technologies and peer into the proliferating screens that deliver them, we will continue to embrace—and prioritize—the traditional bulwarks of Iona’s, indeed all, teaching and learning: human relationships and face-to-face exchange. This means we recognize the importance of physical spaces that invite patterns of interaction that foster the advancement of conversations and ideas.

To create these patterns, we will give the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning a permanent home on the second floor of Ryan Library, in the area now occupied by the Advising Center, which will move over the summer to the Library’s ground floor. For the time being, the interim location for the Gabelli Center will be a dedicated area on the ground floor of the Library.

The great 18th-century philosopher Immanuel Kant shaped much of his thinking around three questions: What can I know? What should I do? What may I hope for? The Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning will support Iona faculty as we set out to ask these questions anew for ourselves and our students.

So much work has already been accomplished in building the foundations of the Gabelli Center. In addition to Marc, Elaine and the EMG Madonna Foundation, I want to thank Provost Mulligan for her leadership in moving this initiative forward; Joanne Steele and IT for providing technological support; the Library staff for sharing their knowledge of the different AI programs; Facilities for being so responsive; and Jim Mustich for providing a fresh perspective as we begin this project. Our hope is that it will grow by finding the best ways to support faculty in what they have always done so well: inspire student learning.

Our mission has never been more important. Thank you for believing in it.

Sincerely,
Seamus Carey, Ph.D.
President, Iona University

Job Prospects Continue to be Strong for the Class of 2024 (News 4543)

pmaceli — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 17:10:10 +0000

Job Prospects Continue to be Strong for the Class of 2024 (News 4543) pmaceli Thu, 04/18/2024 - 13:10 Job Prospects Continue to be Strong for the Class of 2024Majority of employers plan to increase or maintain their hiring levels for the Class of 2024

Matt Cardin, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management and Career Initiatives

April 18, 2024

By Matt Cardin
Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management and Career Initiatives at Iona University

While there are some mixed signals about the economy and the job market, overall, the Class of 2024 is entering a favorable job market.

At Iona University, we especially continue to see signs of a strong entry-level job market for graduating students. Earlier this spring, we had 90 employers actively recruiting at our Spring Career Fair and observed demand in several industry sectors, including health care, government, nonprofit, human services and education. Employers have been increasing recruiting efforts on campus and engaging more with early talent.

According to the National Association of College Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2024 Spring Update, released on April 11, 2024, 83 percent of employers indicated either increasing or maintaining their hiring levels for the Class of 2024. While 17 percent of employers surveyed planned to decrease the level of new hires, generating an overall decline in hiring projections of 5.8 percent compared to last year, it is important to place this stat in a larger context. This anticipated dip follows two years of record-setting levels of hiring post-pandemic, and even with this adjustment, there are a lot of job opportunities for the Class of 2024.

In addition, with the unemployment rate remaining at historic lows and hovering between 3.7 percent and 3.9 percent since August 2023 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this also suggests a favorable job market for the Class of 2024.

Notably, despite concerns over the cost of education, a college degree is still a wise investment. While a degree itself does not guarantee a job, it dramatically increases an individual’s earnings over their lifetime. Also, individuals with degrees are more employable and experience lower unemployment rates, in addition to being healthier, happier and more involved in their communities, according to the Lumina Foundation Report, “It’s Not Just the Money, the Benefits of College Education to Individuals and to Society.”

For members of the Class of 2024, preparation is key. If students work with Iona’s Center for Career Development and put the time and energy into their job search, they will have job offers by Commencement. The entry-level positions are there for them, and we are here to support them along the way.

What AI is Teaching Students—and Why It’s Important for Teachers (News 4522)

pmaceli — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:52:05 +0000

What AI is Teaching Students—and Why It’s Important for Teachers (News 4522) pmaceli Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:52 What AI is Teaching Students—and Why It’s Important for Teachers“We need to start thinking about AI as a tool to support our students' educational journeys and not an evil device used to cheat.” April 4, 2024

By Rob Kissner
GaelVentures Program Manager at Iona University

In the ongoing conversation about generative AI and its role in education (or the way education is going to have to change to accommodate its ubiquity), there is a wide range of opinions. Some feel that AI has no role in the classroom and others acknowledge that it's here to stay but don’t quite understand the role it will play in their curriculum. Then there are the extremes: those who want to block it from their institution’s Wi-Fi, and those who cannot go 30 minutes without talking, using, or posting about some new advancement in AI. As educators, we must accept this new reality and evolve in tandem with a new technology that will undoubtedly shape our world in many ways. Thus, we need to start thinking about AI as a tool to support our students' educational journeys and not an evil device used to cheat.

At The Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, we have been incorporating emerging technology in our courses for the last six years. We realized the value of AI in entrepreneurship education very early and have been outspoken about supporting AI initiatives across campus. The University, from the start, has accepted that AI is going to change the way we teach and approached this fact from a place of openness and intellectual curiosity, but also with a sense of urgency as we continue to engage in this conversation. Panel discussions, lunch and learn seminars, and many other engagements centering our generative AI conversation have been taking place among administrators and faculty for the past several semesters to define how we, as an institution, use this tool to support our student learning while simultaneously preparing our students for a world that is shifting so rapidly toward accelerated technological advancements in AI.

This semester, I have had the honor of collaborating with two fellow faculty, Dr. Liqian Bao, assistant professor of Business Analytics & Information Systems, and Dr. Mehedi Hasan, assistant professor of Computer Science, on a pilot course titled “AI in a Professional Setting.” This course aims to prepare students to enter a workforce that expects individuals and teams to understand how to use generative AI productively and ethically in their roles and careers.

Starting with a high-level overview of neural networks, machine learning, and large language models (LLM), the course equips students with a basic understanding of how AI works to better inform their use. The conversation then explores the ethical use of AI in various professional settings, ranging from hiring and human resources to marketing teams. Posed with a variety of scenarios, students are challenged to apply the current schools of thought and our institution’s approach to the ethical use of AI and respond with how they would handle each situation. The remainder of the course is focused on prompt engineering and practical applications of generative AI. The ultimate goal is for students to develop a playbook for their desired career – that’s to say, a guide on what AI tools to use, guidelines for prompts that are appropriate for their work requirements, and a personal code of ethics for personal and professional use.

I feel strongly that we must prepare our students for what’s to come, despite the uncertainty presented by this moment of time. It’s been interesting to learn that most of the students in the course intentionally don’t use generative AI regularly, and many have never used it beyond playing with ChatGPT here and there. This is likely because students look at generative AI as a tool for cheating, and have yet to realize that it is a tool that will enable them to work smarter and faster. Students need to be equipped with the ability to use the current tools and the mindset to continue to experiment with new AI tools as they emerge. Those who do not possess these skills and mindset will lose out on opportunities to those who do.

As an educator, I was an early adopter of ChatGPT and generally developed a practice to experiment with any new technology that has a “buzz,” so I am certainly no stranger to the value of AI. Teaching this class, however, has caused me to discover new and exciting ways to apply AI as a teaching tool. For example, when we used Microsoft’s CoPilot to generate marketing content, I discovered that we can utilize prompt writing as an exercise to develop our students’ communication skills. In doing so, we were able to teach our students to prompt AI as if they were giving instructions to their professional team. If asking AI to generate marketing content, students need to specify exactly what marketing content they need, for what platform it will be used, what details to include, the length of the content, the tone in which it should be written, and so forth. Inevitably, the results will not be perfect, so students must think about re-prompting as constructive feedback to their team to hone the desired output. Based on my experience, this self-reflective practice presents a huge educational opportunity regardless of what the AI tool outputs.

Teaching this course has helped me discover new ways of utilizing AI inside and outside the classroom. This, in turn, helps me support my fellow faculty at Iona to use AI in their curriculum and facilitate a conversation amongst peers as thought leaders in this space. The power here is Iona’s community of practice that allows us to evolve with the technology and, thus, teaching AI makes us also better at teaching with AI, and vice versa. As educators, we need to understand how to use these tools in our classrooms so students can productively use them in their careers. We have a tremendous opportunity to enable and empower our students and each other to leverage the power of AI.

5 Tips for Reducing Stress Around Finals (News 4497)

ptascio@iona.edu — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 13:29:33 +0000

5 Tips for Reducing Stress Around Finals (News 4497) ptascio@iona.edu Thu, 03/21/2024 - 09:29 5 Tips for Reducing Stress Around FinalsDr. Christina Orozco Nevers, program coordinator for Iona’s new Health and Wellness program, advocates for self-care to reduce stress March 21, 2024

With final exams just around the corner, it is important to keep one’s focus and motivation in the home stretch of the academic year.

Especially as deadlines loom, we should not neglect the needs of the mind, body and spirit. That means we must give ourselves time to breathe and refocus by pulling away from the race to the finish line by being available for self-care.

Here are five tips for reducing stress during the final stages of the year:

Exercise: Take a daily 10-minute walk outside and ask a friend to accompany you.
Nutrition: Focus on healthy snacks such as fruit or vegetables daily.
Affirmation: Get into the habit of positive self-talk and surround yourself with people who lift you up, support you and encourage you.
Kindness: Make a point to say something kind or show a random act of kindness to anyone, big or small; it may just be the one thing someone needs to feel appreciated and respected.
Soulfulness: Even people who do not practice any faith can feel the power of the spirit. The Christian concept of “fruits of the spirit” – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – are virtues everyone can practice and share to be more at peace in their life.

As members of the Iona University community, which upholds the teachings of the Christian Brothers and Blessed Edmund Rice, we can live by their principles to help guide our lives and support our motivation through finals week and beyond.

All we must do is re-examine how we can best nourish ourselves and those around us.

Dr. Christina Orozco Nevers is the program coordinator for the Bachelor of Science Health and Wellness program at the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences. You can learn more about the Health and Wellness program online here or by contacting Dr. Nevers at cnevers@iona.edu.

7 Tips on Applying to College from a Top Admissions Team (News 4301)

ptascio — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 16:59:16 +0000

7 Tips on Applying to College from a Top Admissions Team (News 4301) ptascio Tue, 12/05/2023 - 11:59 7 Tips on Applying to College from a Top Admissions Team December 5, 2023

While the process of applying to college can be a bit overwhelming, there are ways to eliminate the stress when filling out applications – and boost your chances of standing out.

As deadlines loom at colleges and universities across the U.S., we sat down with Iona University’s Kevin O’Sullivan, SVP of Enrollment and Student Affairs, and Ryan DePuy, Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions, for tips to help navigate the process.

Iona University Application Deadlines:

Early Action I/Health Sciences (non-binding): December 15, 2023
Early Action II (non-binding): January 15, 2024
Regular Decision: February 15, 2024
Deposit Deadline: May 1, 2024

To learn more, please visit Iona Admissions today!

1. Do your homework prior to applying

It is important to sit down as a family and discuss what your priorities are. Being open about tuition costs, possible majors and student goals will help you narrow down your search for the perfect choice. Ideally, students should want to target 7 to 10 schools based on the criteria you have already discussed.

2. High school counselors are more important than ever

High school counselors play a critical role in helping students navigate the entire process as well as helping deal with the fear and anxiety it can bring. Students should have an open dialogue with them to help narrow down choices as well as see if they can match them up with former graduates who can provide further insight into a school they might attend. They are also a great resource for parents to help walk them through the financial aid process.

3. Watch out for silly mistakes especially when applying on the Common App

The ability to apply for numerous schools via the same application makes the entire process a lot easier, but there is also more room for error. Be sure to check the correct boxes for majors that you have the proper requirements for along with making sure your essays don’t include other school names by mistake. Also, be mindful of adding skills or accomplishments that might appeal to an admissions officer, especially clubs.

4. Be yourself in your college essay

Don’t be overcoached by someone and just write what you think everyone is going to want to hear. Be authentic to you and boast about your accomplishments and club involvement that shows more about you! Essays that fail to stand out use cliches like sports as metaphors for life. Admissions officers want to see stories of perseverance, even if the result was not successful.

5. Letters of recommendation

Instead of having one of your favorite teachers write your letter of recommendation, consider asking a teacher that you improved the most under to show how you were able to overcome obstacles.

6. Show you are interested

If you are interested in a specific school, make sure they know you are interested. Contact the admissions office to schedule a tour, spend a day on campus, and meet with the counselors so that they know you want to attend. If you get called for an interview, do your homework in advance, and let them know how you see yourself fitting in there in a club, sport, etc. There has also been an increase in the last two years of the early admissions process. Ask the school if they have one and commit earlier for better chances of getting in.

7. Get organized

Create a spreadsheet with the colleges you applied to so that you are aware of the majors you are interested in, upcoming tours, open houses, and deadlines – especially noting deadlines of financial aid forms that will need to be filled out prior to getting financial aid.

Iona University hosted a Fall Open House for prospective students on its New Rochelle, N.Y., campus on Nov. 19, 2023.