The spring 2026 CIC retreat began with a message from Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Support Rex Tolliver. He urged the faculty and staff to be student-centric in their thinking and to evolve in their roles to meet the needs of each new generation of students.
“Each year, a new class of students comes to this institution. And that new class of students is not the same as the year before,” said Tolliver. “I challenge our team, each and every day, that we need to think differently and do differently, because we're serving different people.”
Al Thompkins, a Poynter Institute emeritus teacher and former journalist, was the keynote speaker for the retreat. He showcased a variety of AI platforms and their ability to rapidly generate video content that will alter the news cycle.
CIC Dean Tom Reichert gave an overview of the past year and a preview of upcoming priorities. He highlighted the new faculty hires for 2026-2027, needed to keep up with the growth in the number of students being served, as well as the new Emergent Information Technology Lab, which will come fully online in the fall.
“As I'm thinking about the things that really matter, here is where we’ve made progress: We've had some excellent hires, again. Our curricular growth momentum has been strong. We're investing in research that will have long-term benefits,” said Reichert.
The college recognized a number of faculty and staff for their accomplishments.
Dean's Award for Outstanding Leadership - Nina Brook, Ed.D., journalism sequence head, and Margaret Cook Jackson, MFA, Cocky's Reading Express coordinator
Leadership in Scholarship Award - Nicole A. Cooke, Ph.D., Augusta Baker Endowed Chair
Staff Spotlight Award - Matilda Ferguson, administrative coordinator
Staff Innovation Award - Ellyn Domanico, graduate student services manager
Rising Star Award - Haley R. Hatfield, Ph.D., assistant professor
Inclusive Excellence Award - Hannah Shikle, academic advisor
iSchool Teaching Award - Darin Freeburg, associate professor
Service Recognition - Jacqueline Keisler (20 years), Rebecca Boyd (10 years), Kevin Hull (10 years), Sam Beals (10 years) and Britt Hogg (10 years)
Retirements - Eileen Waddell, instructor, (4 years), Liz Hartnett, Ph.D., teaching assistant professor (9 years), Art Farlowe, senior academic advisor (32 years) and Terri Moorer, business and grants manager (18 years)