Years at MSU: 6 years
Have you served on Staff Congress before? No
If so, how long did you serve? N/A
The candidate was presented with the following questions. The responses are printed as received and have not been edited by Staff Congress.
1. Why would you like to serve on Staff Congress?
I am running as a candidate for Staff Congress to extend my service to the broader Murray State University community. As the Educational Placements Coordinator for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, I serve the students and faculty of our college in several ways. First, I serve as the contact point between our students and faculty and our local public schools for the field experiences for our education courses. I collaborate with school educators and administrators to provide high quality field experiences and to enhance our partnerships with the local public schools. Secondly, I serve as the Chair of our college Education Committee and assist our education faculty with communications with the College of Education and Human Services and provide support to our faculty and programs in compliance with CAEP accreditation standards. Finally, I assist our education students with the background check and application process to the Teacher Education Program. The nature of my job duties allows me to be of service to our college community. I am interested in broadening my knowledge of service to the staff of the university. Having worked at Murray State for almost six years, I have developed an understanding about the concerns of fellow staff members and wish to work with other members of the Staff Congress to address these issues and to work toward solutions that enhance our work experiences.
2. Please list work experience and community involvement.
Prior to working in my current position at Murray State, I served the local community for nine years as an educator in the local school districts. I taught middle school choir at Inman Middle School in Paris, TN, elementary music at Morgan Elementary School in Paducah, KY and gifted education at Murray Middle School in Murray, KY, and taught as a substitute teacher in the Calloway County School District. I worked with local businesses and organizations to provide enrichment opportunities for the students, including the Carson Center in Paducah, KY and the Challenger Learning Center in Paducah, KY. In addition, I received grants from the McDonald’s Corporation and the Murray Independent Foundation for Excellence. I served as the faculty advisor for the Murray Middle School Odyssey of the Mind teams and helped to raise funds to attend the World Finals in May of 2014 at Iowa State University. I was a member of the Kentucky Music Educators Association and still attend professional development sessions with the Quad State Orff Association in Murray, KY. I believe that my experience and relationships with local educators has prepared me for my current position at Murray State, as I continue to expand those relationships.
Kristen is a candidate in the Academic Affairs category.