VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
MEET THE DEAN:
DR. MICHAEL E. OROK
SECOND ANNUAL
SANKOFA FILM FESTIVAL
NEW PUBLIC
RELATIONS SEQUENCE
PAGE 4
PAGE 8
PAGE 10
In Union there is Strength.
– Aesop
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
FEAT U R E S
Meet The Dean of The School of Humanities and Social Sciences... 2
SHSS Open House............................................................................. 3
D EPA R T ME N T S
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Inside Out Prison Exchange............................................................... 4
UNIONWORKS magazine
is published semi-annually
by The School of Humanities
& Social Sciences
VIRGINIA UNION
UNIVERSITY
1500 North Lombardy Street
Richmond, VA 23220
804.257.5600
www.vuu.edu
Dean of The School of Humanities
& Social Sciences
Dr. Michael Orok
Editor
Heidi Wilson
Contributing Writers
Heidi Wilson
Marquis Clarke
Shannan Wilson
Darlene Scott
Dr. Naomi Franklin
Dr. Julie Molloy
Dr. Raymond Hylton
Margarette Joyner
Kristie White
Photography
Heidi Wilson
Sukenya Best
Tracy Lucas
Ayasha Sledge
Shannan Wilson
Criminal Justice Summer Academy.................................................... 4
Fine Arts
Faculty Spotlight Margarette Joyner................................................... 5
Faculty Spotlight Fayesha Cousins.................................................... 5
History/Political Science
New Political Science Honor Society Established.............................. 6
Model United Nations Conference..................................................... 6
Languages and Literature
Second Annual Sankofa Film Festival................................................ 8
The Writer Speaks of Freedom........................................................... 9
Mass Communications
New Public Relations Sequence....................................................... 10
New Courses for Fall 2015............................................................... 11
Religious Studies
Faculty Spotlight............................................................................... 16
Send Questions or Comments about
UNIONWORKS Magazine to:
Heidi Wilson
hlwilson@vuu.edu
Interested in becoming a student of VUU’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences?
Contact the Office of Enrollment Management at 804.342.3570 or visit www.vuu.edu.
FALL 2015
UNIONWORKS 1
Features
Meet The School of Humanities
and Social Sciences Dean
r. Michael E. Orok currently
serves as a tenured professor
of Political Science and Dean
of the School of Humanities
and Social Sciences at Virginia Union
University in Richmond Virginia.
He previously served as the Dean of the
School of Graduate Studies and Research
at Tennessee State University, a position
he assumed in July 2012. Orok also
previously served for 6 years as the
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
and Graduate Studies at Alabama A &M
University (AAMU) in Huntsville, Alabama.
Orok is a seasoned academician and
higher education administrator with more
than 27 years of experience in the field.
While Associate Provost at AAMU,
Orok also served simultaneously as
Interim Dean of the School of Graduate
Studies and as tenured Professor
of Political Science and Director of
International Programs.
Dr. Orok served for several years as
a tenured professor and chair of the
Department of History and Political
Science at Albany State University in
Albany, Georgia, and Special Assistant to
the Vice President for Academic Affairs
specializing in accreditation matters. He
has served as an accreditation liaison
for close to ten years and periodically
serves as an accreditation off-site visit
reviewer for the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (SACS). Dr. Orok is
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UNIONWORKS
the immediate former Vice President of
the Council of Historically Black Graduate
Schools (CHBGS) and a 2005 graduate of
the Millennium Leadership Institute of the
American Association of State Colleges
and Universities. He is also a graduate of
the Center for Strategic Leadership.
Dr. Orok has been involved in numerous
public service and professional activities,
including previous membership on
the Commission of Peer Review and
Accreditation (COPRA), founding President
of the Southwest Georgia Chapter of the
American Society for Public Administration,
admission into the Hall of Champions
of the American Society for Public
Administration in 2000 and is also listed
as a life member of Cambridge’s “Who is
Who” registry of Executives, Professionals
and Entrepreneurs. He currently serves as
the Vice President of the Conference of
Minority Public Administrators (COMPA),
past treasurer of the Tennessee Council
of Graduate Schools and serves on the
executive committee of The Conference of
Southern Graduate Schools.
Dr. Orok holds a B.A. degree in Political
Science from Central State University
(Ohio), an M.A. in Management and
Supervision (Public Administration) from
Central Michigan University, and a Ph.D.
in Political Science from Atlanta University
(now Clark Atlanta). Dr. Orok is the
past president of the Rho Eta Lambda
Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,
Incorporated,
where he is a
life member.
He is married
to Dr. Teresa
Merriweather
Orok, the Vice
“My intention is to raise
President for
our standard and make
Institutional
the School of Humanities
Research,
Planning and
and Social Sciences the
Sponsored
most progressive, stable
Programs
and productive academic
and Executive
unit at the university.”
Director of
the Center for
– Dr. Michael E. Orok
Entrepreneurship
and Economic Development at Alabama
A & M University in Huntsville, Alabama.
They have one daughter, Ekemini Ima
Orok, a 2013 graduate of Spelman
College and a first year medical
student at Meharry Medical College
in Nashville, Tennessee.
Visioning and Creating…
Dr. Orok states, “My intention is to raise
our standard and make the School of
Humanities and Social Sciences the
most progressive, stable and productive
academic unit at the university. However, I
can only do this if you buy into the general
vision and support our planned activities.
Hence, your input is of paramount
importance and necessary if any plan for
improvement is to succeed. I look forward
to working with all of you.”
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences: A Brief History
n 1899, a full-fledged Department
of History & Sociology had been
established, and the legendary
Dr. Joshua B. Simpson taught the
first Sociology classes ever offered
in Virginia. “Josh” Simpson taught
at VUU for 52 years (1891-1943).
Dr. Simpson was a strict, old-school
disciplinarian, whom the students
both loved and dreaded. He would
quickly call out students if they were a
second late, or came to class dressed
with one button out of place. Other
great names in the Social Sciences
are: Dr. Rayford Whittingham Logan,
an uncompromising foe of racism and
pioneering scholar in African-American
history who chaired the History &
Sociology Department from
1925-1930; and Dr. Gordon Blaine
Hancock, who offered the first courses
in Race Relations ever taught at a
Southern Institution.
The Humanities loomed large in those
early years. It included such luminary
teachers as: Dr. G. M. P. King, whose
career as a Professor of English
Language & Literature spanned a
half century from 1867-1917; Dr.
Joseph Endom Jones, a former slave
who taught Religious Studies and
Philosophy classes from 1876-1922;
Dr. May Elizabeth Johnson, the first
female Department Chair (Languages
& Literature), and initiator of the
long-running Fine Arts Festival; and
incomparable Dr. John A. Watson,
renowned tennis coach and professor at
VUU (Spanish) for a record 57½ years.
Fabled alumni of the school include:
Samuel Gravely, first African American
admiral in the US Navy (History);
Walter Fauntroy, Civil Rights leader and
organizer of the March on Washington
in 1963 (History). Both Henry L. Marsh,
III and Dwight C. Jones (Sociology),
mayors of the city of Richmond;
internationally-famous journalist
Simeon Booker, Jr. (English); Kemba
Smith Pradia, Criminal rights advocate
and motivational speaker (Social
Work); and author/social activist/
historian Randall Robinson (Sociology).
The present School of Humanities
and Social Sciences was formed in
2006 out of the former School of Arts
& Sciences, with Dr. Raymond Pierre
Hylton as its first Dean (2006-2008);
succeeded by Dr. Linda Schlicting
(2008-2013); Dr. Heidi Villanueva
(2014-Interim); and Dr. Michael Orok
(2014-present).
SHSS Open House
In March 2015, The School of Humanities and Social Sciences hosted a Spring
Open House event. Dr. Michael E. Orok, Dean of the SHSS, felt it was essential
to expose the community to the various programs offered within the SHSS
at VUU. The event began with Dr. Orok introducing chairs from the following
departments: Criminal Justice, Language and Literature, Religious Studies,
History, Fine Arts, and Mass Communications. Several programs offered in
the School of Humanities displayed boards and flyers to inform students of
the various events in each individual department. Professor Shannan Wilson,
Interim Chair of the Language and Literature Department said the following,
“I think each department benefited from the Open House event, because each
department was able to showcase what they do, and it also helped undeclared
students understand each department clearly. This Open House event gave light
to each department as a whole on VUU campus.” The School of Humanities and
Social Sciences is driven on exposing students to the various programs within
the school, and enriching students with knowledge to excel in the real world.
FALL 2015
UNIONWORKS 3
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Inside-Out Prison Exchange
he Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at
Virginia Union University (VUU) offered the first InsideOut Prison Exchange Program in the Commonwealth of
Virginia in the spring of 2012. This course is held at the newly constructed
City of Richmond Justice Center and brings together traditional college students and
incarcerated men and women to learn as peers in the same classroom.
The Inside-Out model is a national program founded at Temple University in 1997. It
is currently offered at more than 120 universities across the country, making higher
education more available to people who are or have been incarcerated. Participants
explore profound social issues together, building a classroom community based on
collaborative learning and sharing. Within the course, students develop class projects
that have the potential to make a difference in the real world.
On the Job Training
with Henrico County
Sheriff’s Office
The 15 week class is taught by VUU professor Dr. Julie Molloy, who went through
instructor certification training in the summer of 2010. Her course is titled
“Exploring Issues of Crime and Justice,” and students read books such as “Mother
California”, and “Life on the Outside,”, as well as reports published by groups such
as The Sentencing Project and PEW Center on the States.
On July 30, 2015, eleven Virginia Union
University Criminology and Criminal
Justice majors were sworn in by the
Henrico County Sheriff’s Office as
DCJS-certified correctional officers and
began working part-time in the county
jails as early as August. The students
successfully completed the 8-week
long training academy over summer,
which included coursework on criminal
law, court procedures, jail regulations,
inmate behavior, defensive tactics,
defensive driving, marksmanship,
gun safety, and related topics. The
academy is part of a partnership with
VUU, Virginia Commonwealth University
and the Henrico County Sheriff’s Office.
Students who successfully complete
the summer academy are hired to
work part-time in the county jails while
completing their college education.
Students not only receive valuable
work experience, but can also receive
internship credit for their time in the
training academy. The program is
unique in the country and won the 2012
achievement award from the National
Association of Counties.
The program is open to VUU Criminology and Criminal Justice majors. During the
Spring 2015, the course focused on how gender intersects with the criminal justice
system by conducting the course in conjunction with female inmates.
Commitment to Excellence Award
The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
awards the William Gibson and James Johnson
Commitment to Excellence Award each spring to
the outstanding rising senior in the department who
demonstrates excellence in all areas of his/her life. Spring
2014, the recipient of this prestigious award was Zavius
Edgeston. Zavius also received an award in the amount
of $500. The award is named after William Gibson and
James Johnson who were instrumental in starting the
department more than 15 years ago; both taught at the
university for many years and retired five years ago.
Roslyn Muraskin Emerging Scholar Award
Dr. Veronyka James, Assistant Professor within the Department of Criminology
and Criminal Justice, was recently the recipient of the 2015 Roslyn Muraskin
Emerging Scholar Award. This award, presented annually, recognizes a member
of the Northeastern Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (NEACJS), who
during the first five years of his/her career, has made outstanding scholarly
contributions in the field of criminal justice. Dr. James received this award
during the NEACJS meeting held in Portsmouth, RI from June 10-13, 2015.
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VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Fine Arts
Faculty Spotlight
Margarette Joyner
Virginia Union University, Instructor Theatre
Margarette Joyner, an instructor in the Theatre Department, hails
from New Brunswick, New Jersey, but has made Richmond her
home for the past 9 years. She received her BFA in Theatre with
a concentration in Performance from the University of South
Alabama and received her MFA in Theatre with a concentration
in Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University. Presently,
Joyner is the Founder/Artistic Director of The Heritage Ensemble Theatre Company and for
two years was the face of Glory Foods, in which her cooking show is currently featured on
their website. Joyner also has been the director of the culminating events for the Mayor
Youth Academy and has worked in costume shops from New York’s Broadway to New
Mexico’s Santa Fe Opera. Ms. Joyner is a director, actress, singer, playwright, costume
designer and set dresser, but states that her greatest accomplishment thus far is being
blessed enough to create a safe environment for students to spread their wings!
Fayesha Cousins
Virginia Union University, Director of Bands
Fayesha Cousins is Director of Bands at Virginia Union University.
She earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Norfolk
State University. “This is where my passion for music grew to
greater heights,” says Cousins. High School never came easy
to Cousins, but music kept her motivated! She works everyday
to keep her students encouraged and motivated by stating daily,
“attitude is a choice and it’s up to us whether we will have a
good or bad one.”
“Bridging students from adolescent to adulthood through music education is my
life’s goal,” states Ms. Cousins.
Noteworthy
Jumohny was a featured artist
at the Limye Foundaysion charity
event at VUU and she also
performed her Junior recital
where she was featured in “An
Afternoon of Classical Arts Sons,
Arias and Spirituals” on the
Belgian stage.
FALL 2015
UNIONWORKS 5
History/Political Science
New Political Science Honor
Society Established
he Department of History/Political Science is proud to announce that the
Alpha Kappa Mu chapter of the National Political Science Honor Society,
Pi Sigma Alpha has been established as the 799th chapter of the Society.
Students who qualify for membership will be initiated as charter members after which
officers will be elected and chapter by-laws drafted. Pi Sigma Alpha was founded in
1920 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Model United Nations
New York Conference
Dr. Muriel Yeboah organized student trips for the Model United Nations which is an
educational simulation and academic competition where students learn about diplomacy,
international relations, and the United Nation.
FACULTY
Two faculty members in the
Department of History/Political
Science recently published books:
Dr. Michael Orok, Dean of
the School of
Humanities and
Social Sciences
completed:
Jim Crow: A
Postmortem
Political
Analysis,
which was published in
2014 by AuthorHouse in
Bloomington, Indiana.
Dr. Raymond Pierre Hylton,
Chair of the
Department of
History/Political
Science,
completed
Virginia Union
University (The
Campus History
Series), which was published by
Arcadia Publishing of Charleston,
South Carolina.
Mrs. Marilyn Yancy, Associate
Professor History, retired in May
2015, after 30 years of service,
including a term as History/
Political Science Department
Chair from 1990-1991.
Model United Nations New York Conference
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UNIONWORKS
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
STUDENTS ALUMNI
Dr. John-Paul Wilson published an article
entitled “Forced Relocation: Catalyst
for Indigenous
Resistance on
Nicaragua’s Atlantic
Coast, 1980-1990”
in From Exsilium
to Exile: Coercion
in Migration, a
special issue of
Studia Historica
Gedanensia, a peer-reviewed
academic journal based at the
University of Gdansk in Poland. He
also presented a paper entitled
“CIA Subversion and Subterfuge in
Sandinista Nicaragua: A Case Study
of the Cold War in Central America”
at the 23rd Annual Conference of the
World History Association in San Jose,
Costa Rica.
Calethia Christmas, Perri Wiggins and
Roderick Ford, Jr. are teaching
English in China.
Ms. Courtni Weaver (Junior) (above right)
is currently serving an internship at the
Office of Congressman Bobby Scott
Ms. Jessica Osornio was the first
recipient of the Magda and Gerald
Whitrow Scholarship, awarded
alternately to achieving and deserving
majors in History/Political Science
and Mathematics. This scholarship
was established by Dr. and Mrs.
Raymond Pierre Hylton, in memory
of their aunt and uncle, Dr. Gerald
Whitrow and Mrs. Magda Whitrow,
for worthy and deserving students in
the Departments of History/Political
Science, and Mathematics”.
Alumna Kiwana Evans Yates, Principal
at Carver Elementary School, was
recently awarded recognition as the
Principal of the year for Richmond
Public Schools.
Alumnus Darryl Boyd
completed his
requirements for a
Master’s Degree in
History at Virginia
State University and
graduated in May
2015. Mr. Boyd has
also been accepted
to the David A. Clarke
School of Law in
Washington, D. C.
Alumnus Vincent Smith, Jr. is studying
for a M.A. degree in History at Virginia
State University.
Alumnus John Chore (2014) is studying
for his J.D. degree at Suffolk Law
School in Boston, Massachusetts.
Alumna Kendra Waddy, 2014 graduate
of the History/Political Science
department, has successfully
completed her first semester at
George Mason University’s graduate
program in Public Administration.
FALL 2015
UNIONWORKS 7
Languages and Literature
Second Annual Sankofa Film Festival
The Department of Languages and Literature at Virginia
Union University hosted its second annual Sankofa Film
Festival from April 13th through April 16th.
The festival’s theme was “When and Where I Enter: The
Impact of Black Women on Community Building and
Enrichment.” The theme borrows from educator and
activist Anna Julia Cooper’s assertion, “Only the Black
woman can say when and where I enter, in the quiet,
undisputed dignity of my womanhood, without violence
and without suing or special patronage, then and there
the whole...race enters with me.”
International
Education Week
n November 17, 2014, the
Languages and Literature
Department kicked off
International Education
Week with a keynote address by Dr.
Monique L. Akassi, The Activist Scholar.
Dr. Akassi’s primary research focus
consists of utilizing the culture of
marginalized students as a method to
teach composition and other various
forms of writing. Dr. Akassi is an
international scholar in the area of
Composition and Rhetoric. She is
Assistant Professor of Composition and
Rhetoric and Director of The Writing
Center at Morgan State University. Dr.
Akassi is the author of several books,
including Neo Hybrid Pedagogy: An
Investigation on Writing Portfolios for
African American Students and PostColonial Composition Pedagogy: Using
the Culture of Marginalized Students
to Teach Writing. Dr. Akassi’s most
recent book, published by Cambridge,
is entitled, W.E.B. Du Bois and Africana
Rhetoric of Dealienation.
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UNIONWORKS
Coordinated by Professor Darlene A. Scott, the festival
screened and discussed a line-up of films that
examined the critical and unique role played by black women in the struggle for freedom
and equality. The films included Free Angela and All Political Prisoners chronicling the
incarceration of Angela Davis; Winnie which reveals the little known activism of the former
wife of Nelson Mandela; and the documentary, The Interrupters which follows Ameena
Matthews and other activists working in Chicago’s CeaseFire program to offset youth
violence in the city.
Opening night featured a panel of
“women warriors” discussing their
community building work in the Richmond
metropolitan area. Moderated by author
and professor of political science at
the University of Richmond, Dr. Andrea
Richardson, the panel consisted of:
Evandra Catherine, community activist and Director of Community Engagement for VCU’s
African American Studies Department; Sister Faye Walker, cultural ambassador and
founder of Ezibu Muntu Dance and Cultural Foundation; Lenora Mariner, triathlete and
member of Sportbackers Board of Directors; Sabrina Adams, run coordinator for Black
Girls Run and past president of Richmond Road Runners Club; Ana Edwards, community
activist and chair of the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project; and Angela Patton,
founder of Camp Diva and CEO of Girls for a Change.
Each year the Sankofa Film Festival seeks to bring to the Virginia Union University
community films and discussion that follow the Adinkra sankofa symbol’s directive “to go
back for that which we have forgotten.” Through the Festival we are able to remember,
learn about, and pay respect to the ancestors on whose shoulders we stand.
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
The Writer Speaks of Freedom
ichmond was the largest slave
trading center outside of New
Orleans in the earliest days of slavery
in the U.S. During the Civil War, it
served as the capital of the Confederacy. It was in
April 1865 that Richmond was liberated, marking
the end Civil War and liberating African slaves
throughout the nation. Most important for us, it marked the founding of a school for the newly
freed slaves, what would eventually become Virginia Union University.
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of that historical moment, the Department of
Languages and Literature hosted The Writer Speaks of Freedom: A Writer’s Roundtable on
the evening of October 30th in the L. Douglas Wilder Library Lecture Hall.
The writers on the panel included Chris Allen, a social worker with the City of Richmond;
Tiffany Austin, a professor at Florida Memorial University; Hoke “Brother Yao” Glover, the
former owner of Karibu Books and Bowie State University professor; and RVA Fitness
Warrior and wellness advocate, Glynis Boyd. Each writer read from their poetry and prose
and discussed the struggle and the responsibility of freedom, especially as it applies to one
of the most freeing things we all do: create.
The University’s history shows that freedom is not gained without struggle and like the
American Home Mission Society decided when it began the institution that would become
Virginia Union, it doesn’t come without some responsibility on the part of the free.
The lively discussion visited the burden of responsibility
to the communities to which the writers are loyal or
represent and the struggle to really practice freedom in
that context. Writers also engaged questions from the
about the burden and freedom of using a language that
is, historically, not their own.
Studying in Salamanca, Spain
During the summer of 2014 Mrs. Collins
and one of her students traveled to
Salamanca, Spain to study. Britannie Dixon
received 9 credits, giving her a minor in
Spanish. While in Spain we lived with
Spanish families, and were able to travel.
Brittanie was able to go to Portugal.
This past summer she went to Brazil
with fellow Spanish student Sashanna
Marsden for 6 to 8 weeks to study.
This past summer we had one student
that went to Salamanca to study.
Another Spanish student, William
Fortune, traveled to Germany to study in
Germany with the group from VUU.
Last fall Britannie and I presented a
program in the Belgium Theater about
our experiences in Spain during the
International Education Week. I also
held an open house in Ellison Hall
to encourage travel abroad. We will
continue to do this.
Durante el verano de 2014 la Sra.
Collins y una de sus estudiantes
estudiaron y viajaron a Salamanca,
Espana. Brittanie fue a la Universidad
de Salamanca. Este verano estudiantes
de la Sra. Collins fueron a Espana,
Brazil y Alemania para estudiar.
Language and Literature Thesis Presentations
the Curriculum. The Journal of Collegiate
tudents from the Department
that publishes the research work of underUndergraduate Research and Writing Across graduate students annually. Congratulations
of Languages and Literature’s
the Curriculum is a peer-reviewed journal
graduating class of 2015 preto this talented group of scholars!
sented their final thesis research
projects to faculty and administration on April
28, 2015. Several of the newly graduates’
articles will be published in the forthcoming publication of The Journal of Collegiate
Undergraduate Research and Writing Across (Left to Right): Shaleka Barnes, Leemu Freeman, Miyatt Harrison, Lela Hatcher, Holley Jackson, Jasmine Shelton, Justin-Mychal White
FALL 2015
UNIONWORKS 9
Mass Communications
New Public Relations Sequence
The department of Mass
Communications launched
a new Public Relations
sequence in January 2014.
The new sequence created new
courses for students to experience
such as Social Media, Public Relations
Writing and Production, Media and
Crisis Communications, Research
in Public Relations, Event Planning,
Principles of Public Relations, Public
Relations Campaigns, and Persuasion &
Propaganda. The new sequence has changed the entire
Mass Communications curriculum. The
new curriculum is now divided into two
tracks where students can declare a focus
on either Public Relations or Broadcast
Journalism. Not just the university, but the
community has taken notice to the newly
founded sequence. The Department has
had several professional guests visit the
(From Left to Right) Amie Mclain, News Anchor; Padilla Art Representatives and Holly
Clayton, Public Relations Director of Special Olympics of Virginia
campus including: Amie Mclain, Former
WRIC 8 News Morning News Anchor; DJ
Sir RJ-DJ of 106.5 the Beat (IHeart radio);
Robert Youngblood, Marketing Officer of
the VUU National Alumni Association; Marc
Cheatham, Assistant to Senator Tim Kaine
and Bloggers Sharvette Mitchell, Social
Media Professional and Online Radio Host
and Holly Clayton, PR Director of Special
Olympics of Virginia. In addition, several
internship opportunities have been made
available to students in the area of PR,
Social Media, Radio, Television, Marketing
and Graphic Design.
Ms. Heidi Wilson, Department Interim
Chair of Mass Communications said,
“I am very excited to see the new PR
sequence. As an alumna of the VUU Mass
Communications Department, it is a proud
moment to see how the department is
growing.” The Mass Communications
Department has increased its branding
efforts with a new logo and is currently
active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
and Youtube.
(From Left to Right) DJ Sir RJ/ IHeart Radio, Sharvette Mitchell/Online Radio Host,
Robert Youngblood/Senior Manager at INROADS
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VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
New Courses Fall 2015!
he department of Mass Communications is flourishing and amplifying!
Two new courses are being put in motion fall 2015! The courses being
offered are Event Planning and Public Relations Campaigns!
The Event Planning course will focus on planning events that are
essential to the Public Relations profession such as: conferences, workshops,
seminars, business luncheons and more.
The Public Relations Campaigns course will allow students the opportunity to
work on campaigns for local companies through Richmond, Virginia. Students will
actively participate in the strategic planning process for these companies.
MCM 309 Radio Production
Although Radio Production is not a new course to the Mass Communications
department, it will be offered fall semester and will give students the opportunity
to study and practice basic concepts, skills, and techniques involved in the
production of radio programs.
Keep Virginia Beautiful Awards
$750 Grant to VUU’s Mass
Communications Program
Virginia Union University was awarded a 30 in 30 Grant of $750 in the Recycling
category. These 30 in 30 Grants are made possible by Altria and MeadWestvaco.
The Mass Communications Department at Virginia Union University seeks to bring
awareness of the importance of recycling to everyone on campus through events,
group challenges, and the purchase of additional recycling bins. The project aims to
increase recycling within the community, and teach young adults how to recycle early
so that they will carry recycling habits with them throughout their life.
MASS COMM Student CornerInterview with Dominique Vaultz
How do you feel the Department
of Mass Communications has
helped you?
“I feel the two department tracks have
helped me decide the career path I would
like to pursue. I honestly did not care for
journalism, so when the public relations
track was implemented, I feel it really
benefited me overall.”
How do you feel the Department
overall has improved since your
freshmen year here at Virginia
Union University?
“I feel now students are more active in
the department than before, and I feel
the department can still expand, and
grow. Because we are one of the smallest
departments on campus, we should
really try to be more active in the school
community like other departments.”
What would you like to
see change in the Mass
Communications Department?
“I feel as though we should have an
active radio show on campus, or even a
web series about campus activities and
events. Overall, I just want to see more
Mass Communication students involved in
helping this department prosper.”
FALL 2015
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Mass Communications
Mass Comm All Stars
Ms. Heidi Wilson/Interim Chair
What does it mean to be a Mass Comm All-Star? A Mass
Comm All-Star is someone who strives to make a positive
change and is active in the VUU community, throughout the
campus and Richmond community. A Mass Comm All-Star
is known throughout the campus for his or her good deeds,
and also known to excel academically. A Mass Comm
All-Star is also someone who is recognized as the most
involved students in the Mass Communications Department.
Professor Heidi Wilson,
Interim Chair of the Department of
Mass Communications is an alumna
of Virginia Union University. Ms.
Wilson is a graduate of Virginia Union
University’s School of Humanities and
Social Sciences; with a concentration
in Mass Communications. She also holds a Master of Science degree in
Strategic Public Relations from Virginia Commonwealth University. Wilson is a
prominent member of the Public Relations Society of America where she has
worked in the role of Vice-President of Professional Development for Public
Relations Society of America (PRSA) TarHeel Chapter.
Victor Lilly is a member player on Virginia Union’s Honda
Campus Academic All-Star team. Victor has competed
against schools all over the United States. Victor
has competed with more than $300,000 at stake
in the knowledge game of quick recall for America’s
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Victor also recently became a member of Iota Phi
Theta. The Department of Mass Communications is
proud to announce Victor as a Mass Comm All-Star
for all his hard work and dedication.
Mass Communications student, Gerard Woodridge was
featured in the local newspaper, The Richmond Times
Dispatch, for his involvement in the VUU’s 150th
Rededication March, Service and Ceremony. Members
of the VUU marching band lead a procession to VUU
from Ebenezer Baptist Church up Leigh Street in honor
of Virginia Union’s 150th anniversary. Once back to
the campus, there was a rededication ceremony right
outside Coburn Hall (VUU’s chapel) Congrats Gerard on
your feature!
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After visiting the Mass Communications program in 2012, she saw a
need for a new area of study—Public Relations. Under the leadership of
Professor Wilson the Department of Mass Communications has undergone a
reformation. Students not only get to explore new courses, but they also get
to take advantage of many new opportunities such as networking, internships,
projects, associations, events, working with real clients and more!
Professor Hill to Teach Learning
Community Program Course on
Media and the Civil Rights Movement
Ms. Aloni Hill, Professor of Mass Communications
will teach a learning community course focused on
the role of media during the Civil Rights Movement
leading up to the present. Students will examine how
the media covered events during this time through
print, radio, television, social media and internet.
Students will critically examine various topics during
the Civil Rights Movement and will complete writing
intensive projects expressing their views.
This course will be implemented under The National Endowment for the
Humanities (N.E.H) Learning Community Program (L.C.P.) that was awarded to
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Virginia Union University.
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
FALL 2015
UNIONWORKS 1 3
Mass Communications
STUDENTS
Internships
Scholarships
Mass Communications major
Marquis Clarke
was awarded the
John Lennon Endowed Scholarship for $5,000.
The scholarship
is awarded to
students pursuing studies in Communications and Performing Arts at
UNCF-member colleges and universities. To qualify for this scholarship,
students must have a 3.0 GPA.
Cherry Payne was nominated to
represent Virginia Union University in
the Toyota Green Initiative Campus
Ambassador project. Cherry was given
the mission to bring sustainability
to VUU’s campus through this
program by creating or enhancing
a campus-wide recycling program.
Cherry received
a $1,500.00
scholarship for
her participation
in ensuring
Virginia Union
University is
aware of the
Green Initiative.
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Karl Thomas interned for iHeart Radio
Promotions. Karl’s daily duties
included updating social media and
posting daily blogs on 106.5thebeat.
com for Big Nat, on air personality for
The Big Nate Show. Karl also assisted
personalities in celebrity interviews,
and worked for the iHeart Radio
promotional street team.
Shekeya Hayes interned at Richmond
Independent Radio WRIR 97.3 FM.
Hayes daily duties consisted of using
production and editing equipment.
Shekeya
also
participated
in various
tasks such
as: board
operations,
recorded live
interviews,
announced underwriting scripts on air,
and co-hosted a show.
Mass Comm students Frank Charles,
Sara Saunders and Sylvester
Oni worked with the Department
of Athletics spring semester 2015.
Some of their responsibilities included
participating in on scene interviews
at athletic home events, learning
multiple film techniques, providing
camera coverage for several events
and more!
ALUMNI
Raymond Hawkes is
a 2007 graduate
of Virginia Union
University’s Mass
Communications
program. He joined the CBS 6 News
Team in June 2008, but has worked
at CBS 6 since November 2005.
He serves as a Beat the Traffic
Reporter and also covers live events
around Richmond.
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Raymond is a native of Richmond,
Virginia and fell in love with television
when he was in the 4th grade after
being interviewed by former CBS 6
Reporter Michael Ford. After graduating from Monacan High School in
Chesterfield County, he continued his
education at Virginia Union University
where he earned his Bachelors of Arts
in Mass Communications.
Nia Harden is a 2011 graduate of Virginia
Union University’s
Mass Communications program. She
was born and raised
in Tacoma, WA home
of the “Seahawks”
and has recently
completed her master’s program in International Relations
at Troy University.
Nia is currently a News Journalist for
KWTX located in Waco, Texas. Prior
to joining the Killeen Bureau she
married a soldier and worked with the
U.S. Military in Seoul, South Korea
as a Broadcast Liaison. She hosted
a weekly radio show with the Armed
Forces Network. Nia has also worked
and trained at WTVR, NBC-12, KEPR
and CNN.
Nia loves to travel and explore other
cultures. She has traveled in Europe,
Belize and spent time in many
Southeast Asian countries including
China, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan.
Candace M. Moore is
the CEO and Principal Consultant of
More 2 See Image
Development LLC,
a boutique image
consulting firm
specializing in
style consulting, media relations and
employment training services for individuals, organizations and businesses.
She delivers a REAL message for
REAL people seeking REAL solutions
in a REAL world. Candace has trained
collegiate turned professional athletes
on interview coaching, as well as
delivered various image related services for individuals in the private and
public sector.
As a speaker and panelist, she has
been a featured expert on Hampton
University-WHOV 88.1’s popular radio
show, “The Pastor’s Study,” and at
churches, universities and secondary
schools across the country.
Candace attained a Master of Arts
Degree in Public Relations from Ball
State University and Bachelor of Arts
Degree in Mass Communications and
English from Virginia Union University. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Incorporated, Candace enjoys
serving her community in several ways,
especially by mentoring young women.
She also has a heart for domestic and
foreign missions. This has led her to
serve in projects across the nation,
as well as internationally, in Uganda,
Nigeria and Haiti. Candace’s personal
mission in life is to use her God-given
gifts to help others succeed and reach
their full potential, which is the driving
force behind her company tagline—
capture the elite in you.
Ms. Leha Byrd, a 2000
Virginia Union
University graduate
with a Bachelor
of Arts Degree
in Journalism/
Communications
recently published a book titled, 15
Days, 15 Minutes, which is a daily
devotional to help others connect with
God as they start their day. Byrd holds
a Master of Arts Degree in Corporate
Communications from Baruch College.
She is active within several ministries
at her church and serves periodically
throughout the year as a missionary
in Haiti. 15 Days, 15 Minutes, is her
first publication.
FALL 2015
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Religious Studies
Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Peter A. Sutton
Dr. Naomi Franklin
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Chair/Associate Professor of
Religious Studies
Dr. Peter A. Sutton, Associate Professor
of Philosophy, recently published
“Moore’s ‘New’ Open Question
Argument,” in Res Philosophica, vol. 91
issue 4 and “Freedom, Foreknowledge,
and Weeping Angels: How to Tie a Knot in a Causal Loop,”
forthcoming in Doctor Who and Philosophy: Regenerated. Dr.
Sutton served as President Emeritus and Acting Vice President
of the Virginia Philosophical Association from 2013-2014 and is
currently the coach of VUU’s Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
Team, as well as President of the VUU Faculty Senate. In addition,
Dr. Sutton is also Blind Referee for the journal Mind.
Dr. John Johnson
Assistant Professor of
Religious Studies
Dr. John Johnson, Assistant Professor
of Religious Studies, recently published
the following articles: “Is Apologetics
Counter-Productive? An Evaluation and
Critique of Myron Penner’s The End of Apologetics (forthcoming,
Global Journal of Classical Theology); “Christian Themes in
the Heavy Metal Music of Black Sabbath?” Journal of Implicit
Religion 17, no. 3 (December 2014); and “A Critique of American
Evangelicals’ Abstinence Position on Alcohol, from Pre-Prohibition
to Today,”Evangelical Review of Theology and Politics (July
2014). Dr. Johnson also conducted book reviews on Theology’s
Epistemological Dilemma by Kevin Diller (forthcoming, Criswell
Theological Review) and Introduction to Eastern Orthodox Theology
by Andrew Louth, (Criswell Theological Review).
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In the spring of 2014, Dr. Naomi
Franklin, Chair and Associate Professor
of Religious Studies, created an
internationalized version of the course
on Black Religion to include the religions of Africans prior to the
Atlantic Slave Trade. In July 2014, Dr. Franklin represented VUU
at the Womanist Conference held at The University of Ghana in
Legon. Dr. Franklin also participated in a tour of the Elmina Slave
Castle, where she viewed firsthand the manifestations of the slave
trade in Ghana.
Dr. Franklin was invited to be a guest at the University of Ghana in
Legon, where she met with faculty and staff of the Department for
the Study of Religions.
Based upon her travel to the conference in Ghana, Dr. Franklin
has expanded the course offerings on Womanist Religious Thought
to include Africana women’s writings, which will be made into a
separate course offering.
Dr. Franklin is in the beginning stages of a work on the Atlantic
Slave Trade from a womanist perspective.
GRANTS
VUU mini-grant, summer, 2014, “Comparing and
Contrasting Pedagogical Methods: Just War Theory
in Christianity and Islam.” This grant has lead to the
creation of a new course for Fall 2015, entitled, “Just
War in Christianity and Islam.”
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Enrollment
Enrollment
Application
Applicants must provide evidence of
having been awarded a secondary high
school diploma or a GED. A minimum
of 14 units, accumulated in grades nine
through twelve are required for high
school graduates. A unit represents a
year’s study of a subject in secondary
school. For all required application forms,
please visit http://www.vuuemsa.com/
vuuenrollment.
14 Units Requirement
•
English................................... 4 units
•
Mathematics ......................... 3 units
(Algebra I & II, Geometry)
•
Natural Sciences.................... 2 units
(2 courses from Biology,
Chemistry, Physics)
•
Social Science....................... 2 units
(2 courses from History,
Government, Civics)
•
Electives................................ 3 units
Requirements
•
Grade point average 2.30 or higher
•
SAT (code 5862) or ACT (code 4428)
•
Official final high school transcript
•
Official college transcript(s)
(for dual enrolled students and
transfer students)
•
Personal statement
•
Financial verification form
(for international students)
•
Copy of passport
(for international students)
Learning Community Workshop, (Left to Right)Dr. John-Paul Wilson, Dr. Timothy
Wenzell, Ms. Aloni Hill, Dr. Raymond Hylton, Dr. Luminita Dragulescu
V.U.U.’s School of Humanities Awarded
$98,456 Federal Grant for Learning
Community Program
The National Endowment for the Humanities (N.E.H.) has
awarded Virginia Union University $98,456 to create and
implement a Learning Community Program (L.C.P.). The
general theme of the program is Teaching African American
Heritage through Learning Communities and it will engage
four topics, over a period of four semesters (January, 2015
to January, 2017). Dr. Luminita Dragulescu,
Learning Community
Program Director
The Project Director, Dr. Luminita Dragulescu, assisted by
the Project Coordinator, Dr. Raymond P. Hylton, will train
faculty from three participating humanities departments: Languages and Literature,
History and Political Science, and Mass Communications.
The mission is to create an educational environment where students acquire and
expand their intellectual and academic skills through interdisciplinary courses.
The Inaugural Learning Community Cluster, during the spring 2015 semester, has
two components: The History of the Civil Rights Era and The Literature of the Civil
Rights Era.
The four topics of the program are “The Facts and the Fiction of the Civil Rights
Era;” (Spring, 2015), “In Pursuit of Freedom: Slavery and the Civil War” (Fall, 2015),
“Claiming the Heritage: From Emancipation to Harlem Renaissance” (Spring, 2016),
and “For the Country: African Americans in the Twentieth Century International
Conflagrations” (Fall, 2016)
Faculty will be trained one semester and will teach the learning community clusters
(L.C.C.S.) the following semester.
Virginia Union University’s award is part of 17.9 million in grants awarded by N.E.H.
to support 233 humanities projects,” according to neh.org. Created in 1965 “as an
independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports
research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the
humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation.”
FALL 2015
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Did You Know?
Did you know that the School of Humanities and Social Sciences is the largest
school on campus?
Did you know that Ellison Hall is named after the first university Alumnus and first
African American President of Virginia Union University?
Did you know that Virginia Union University had a Law School from 1922-1931?
Did you know that the Department of Languages and Literature has the
current longest serving faculty member at Virginia Union University? Professor
Margaret Duckworth.
Did you know that the Department of Mass Communications houses a state-ofthe-art television studio in the L. Douglas Wilder Library?
Did you know that the Criminal Justice Department at VUU is one of the only
departments in the country with a police training academy on campus which is
open to students for classroom instruction?
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VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES