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Slattery chairs symposium at APA annual meetings

November 24, 2014

Jeanne Slattery, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Clarion University, recently chaired a symposium, "Project Syllabus: Student Responses to Syllabi," which was presented at the annual meetings of the American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C.

Slattery and colleagues from universities across the country, including Indiana University Southeast, Berry College, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Spalding University, discussed strategies that faculty should consider when creating syllabi in order to make the syllabus more appealing to students.  In particular, they suggested that faculty write syllabi in a warmer, more collaborative fashion.

Slattery also presented a paper with Crystal Park (’85), Ph.D., called “Links between Trauma and Spirituality: A Systematic Review.” In this paper, they examined differences of spiritualties associated with different traumas. They concluded that child abuse and other interpersonal traumas seem to be related to lower levels of spirituality, especially increased anger toward God, while people diagnosed with cancer and other significant illnesses report higher levels of spirituality and religiosity. Slattery and Park found that people experiencing interpersonal traumas feel violated by or unprotected by God (in the same ways that they may feel angry toward an offending parent), while people with cancer may turn to their higher power in order to cope with their illness.

 Park, who teaches at the University of Connecticut, received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Clarion University in 1985 and her doctorate from University of Delaware in 1993.  She received Clarion University's Distinguished Achievement Award in 1999.  Slattery received her B.A. degree from Illinois State University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Miami University.  She has taught at Clarion University since 1984.

Last Updated 1/11/21