NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2008

5 horizons T oday’s public school classroom is a reflection of our nation’s melting pot. In 2000, the National Center for Education Statistics announced that state education systems were report- ing population shifts in the number of minority students versus white students attending public K–12 schools. In fall 2003, Florida’s public schools reached a historic milestone when the number of minority students enrolled accounted for more than 51 percent of the population. NSU’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services (FSEHS) is answering the call of educators facing the impact our diverse society has on teaching. By establishing a master of science in instructional design and diversity education degree program, FSEHS aims to prepare a teacher workforce to relate to, and effec- tively educate, an increasingly diverse student population. “We are now beginning to understand the instructional implications of multiculturalism in education,” said Delores Smiley, Ed.D., dean of the Office of Community Education and Diversity Affairs at FSEHS. “If our educators are to succeed in establishing teaching methods that clearly meet the needs of our changing school demographics, we must establish and support diversity pro- grams that result in the success of students in primary, secondary, and higher education.” The new master’s degree program is designed for classroom teachers, principals, staff developers, instructional design specialists, and university professors. It develops cultural competence and organizational effectiveness skills. The curriculum provides oppor- tunities for practitioners to experience and enhance diversity from engagement in a collaboratively designed field experience. ■ Master’s degree Program Responds to Multiculturalism in the Classroom W hen the University Center (UC) opened in fall 2006, it gave NSU student-athletes and fans an arena and home court to call their own. But the UC has also given the university’s recreational athletes a home, leading to a major rise in interest in the intramural sports program. Intramural basketball, which used to hold games on outdoor courts or in the University School gym, completed its season on the UC practice courts this winter, with 50 teams and more than 400 participants—an increase of 51 percent compared to the season before the UC opened. The recent volleyball season, also housed at the UC, featured 24 teams and 260 participants, a 50 percent increase from the year before. New fields dedicated to intramurals have allowed outdoor sports to thrive as well. Last fall’s intramural flag football season fielded 45 teams and nearly 600 players, up 30 percent from 2006. This renewed enthusiasm for intramural sports from male and female students alike, along with faculty and staff mem- bers, has boosted the university’s overall commitment to wellness and fitness. “It’s great to see the courts and fields filled with games every night,” observed Tom Vitucci, NSU’s director of campus recreation. “Intramurals are really adding to the student experience, and it helps bring the campus together. We get students from just about every area of the university coming together to compete and have fun.” ■ University Center Gets the Ball Rolling for Intramural Sports