Welcome from the Dean

Dean Victor De SantisWelcome to the Millersville University inaugural edition of The Graduate Journal, aptly titled, MUsings. We are pleased and delighted to announce the unveiling of this new creative endeavor.

This has been an historic time for Millersville University. Over the course of the past year, the University has launched three new doctoral programs where students can now pursue professional doctorates in Educational Leadership (EdD), Social Work (DSW), or Nursing Practice (DNP). In 1959, Millersville began offering graduate degrees at the master’s level, and in 2015, we make history once again by adding the prestige of a doctoral-level institution. These additions constitute the need for a greater emphasis on research now more than ever before.

Graduate education is the next stage in a student’s academic journey where research development is of great importance. It is a time when students transition from that of a consumer of the research of others to the vantage point of a creator of their own research and that of a scholar adding to the research body in an academic discipline. As students enter into their chosen profession, they often times find themselves researching and writing on topics assigned to them and chosen by others. Therefore, the short time during which students are pursuing their graduate degree should be used as an opportunity to explore the topics which interest them. The mission of The Graduate Journal is to provide an outlet for our graduate students to delve into a myriad of topics and share their work with their peers, the University community, and the broader academic community.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the faculty, student editors, and student submitters who worked to see this project through to fruition. We remain committed to the task of making more resources available through the College of Graduate Studies and Adult Learning for graduate student research. This endeavor is one aspect of that support and we are confident that it is a great step forward.

We are very proud of this publication and look forward to its growth and expansion in the future!

Best Regards,
Victor S. DeSantis, PhD
Dean, College of Graduate Studies and Adult Learning
Associate Provost, Civic and Community Engagement