The e-newsletter of Chestnut Hill College

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The e-newsletter of Chestnut Hill College

News & Notes

News & Notes

Progressive Pennsylvania Reformer Will Speak on Campus

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Corrections, John Wetzel, will visit CHC on February 19, and make a presentation to the College community at 1:30 p.m. in the East Parlor. His topic is “A 21st Century Penitentiary Model,” and the program will be followed by a reception in the Rotunda.

Secretary Wetzel has 25 years of experience in the corrections field, beginning as a corrections officer in Berks County in 1989. In 2002, he was appointed warden of the Franklin County jail, and during his time there led an effort to transform the correctional system, according to his official biography.

Under his leadership, Franklin County saw a 20 percent reduction in its prison population and a decline in the crime rate. The prison also established several innovative programs during his tenure, including a jail industries program, a day reporting center and improved services for mentally ill offenders.

He was selected as secretary in 2010 by then Governor-elect Tom Corbett, and was recently re-appointed by new governor Tom Wolf to remain responsible for the management and operations of the department responsible for more than 51,000 inmates and 15,000 employees.

Wetzel is the former offensive line coach for Shippensburg University and a founding member of the St. Seraphim homeless shelter. He also initiated a program to positively impact disadvantaged youth by inviting private sector/higher education entities to develop programs specifically focused on them.

Celebrating the Accomplishments of Faculty and Staff

In early January, faculty and staff who published books and book chapters between July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2014 were recognized at a reception in the East Parlor of St. Joseph Hall.

In a booklet prepared for the Celebrating Scholarship event, Wolfgang Natter, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, applauded the scholarly accomplishments of CHC faculty and staff.

He wrote, “The College has a long tradition of excellence in educating undergraduate women and men in the liberal arts and professional graduate students in their respective disciplines. Our faculty are the conduit of the knowledge, creativity and readiness demanded in a contemporary environment that is increasingly complex and interdependent. … Both faculty and staff are vital to our educational mission … the work of faculty and staff with students in class and outside, along with our service both within the College and toward other professional communities, incarnate a commitment to the world of 21st century education and scholarship.”

Read the entire booklet here. Information on additional faculty who published works between July 1 and November 1, 2014 can be found here.

 

CHC’s Institute of Forgiveness and Reconciliation will host two important and valuable programs in March.

Sunday, March 22

Join “A Conversation That Matters: The World Synod on the Family: Widening the Circle” and hear a panel of men and women from diverse families speak about their hopes and concerns.

The program will be held at SugarLoaf from 2 to 4 p.m.

Monday, March 23

Susan Stein will present “Etty” from An Interrupted Life, one young woman’s journey to freedom and forgiveness that must be told.

Also, commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

The program will be held in the East Parlor of St. Joseph Hall at 7 p.m.