The countdown to the end of the semester is here. Spring 2018 Commencement is May 12, at Panther Stadium. This year’s speaker is a historian, author, curator, and educator, Lonnie G. Bunch III, who is also the founding director of Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. More details about Commencement can be found at pvamu.edu/academicaffairs/commencement.

April 20, 2018, was the Inauguration of Ruth J. Simmons, the eighth president of PVAMU. Events took place were each College and School at the University hosted a showcase for visitors featuring creative endeavors, new research and facilities, learning platforms, scholarship, and demonstrations. 

As mentioned in the February issue of Academic Insights, feedback is encouraged for the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP is a carefully designed course of action that addresses a focused topic or issue related to improving the quality of student learning or success.

RELLIS, which is an acronym for the six core values of A&M — respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service. PVAMU moves forward with plans for inclusion in the Texas A&M University System’s new RELLIS Campus this fall in Bryan, Texas. PVAMU intends to offer its RN to BSN Program, and beginning the following year, its BS in Criminal Justice with a focus on Criminalistics. The RN- BSN Program partners with RELLIS to produce even more Bachelor of Science in Nursing-prepared registered nurses to decrease the nursing shortage in the future. The Criminal Justice program was chosen to be at RELLIS because it is multidisciplinary and intends a very hands-on approach to learning through lab simulations, case studies, and internships with experienced professionals in the field. Information about RELLIS is at pvamu.edu/academics/rellis and rellis.tamus.edu.

During Spring Break, students traveled the world. A group led by two of our College of Agriculture and Human Sciences faculty went to Costa Rica. The U.S. Embassy there welcomed them and featured the group in a social media post. In the School of Architecture, one group traveled to Dubai, and another group went to Nepal to present their work to UNESCO. Current students can visit the University’s study abroad site, studyabroad.pvamu. edu, to find out how to participate in future exciting global outreach opportunities.

In closing, much is happening on “The Hill,” and we hope to highlight our faculty, staff, and students’ numerous and varied academic endeavors.