College of Education and Health Professions Appoints Assistant Dean

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The College of Education and Health Professions has appointed Stephen J. Langsner, associate professor in recreation, to be the college's first assistant dean for academic affairs. Langsner will serve as co-director of the college Honors Program, monitoring curriculum and program changes, coordinating accreditation efforts, reviewing student grievances and providing oversight for institutional agreements and off-campus programming. He will report to associate dean for academic affairs Betsy Orr.

Langsner, who earned his doctorate in recreation at Indiana University, joined the faculty of the department of health science, kinesiology, recreation and dance in 1989. Since then, he has been awarded the department's outstanding teaching award twice and received the college's Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching in April 2004.

In addition to coordinating development of a curriculum that led to the UA undergraduate recreation major becoming the first accredited recreation program in Arkansas, Langsner has developed and taught 22 different courses in recreation. He has presented sessions at several UA teaching retreats on various topics, including handling academic dishonesty, promoting group discussion and addressing student test anxiety.

Langsner has published frequently in academic journals on issues relating to continuing professional education in recreation and therapeutic recreation. He is editor of the teaching activities section of Schole," the scholarly publication of the Society of Park and Recreation Educators. He also has been active in the Midwest Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation, presenting professional development sessions and coordinating its therapeutic recreation teaching institute four times.

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Barbara Jaquish, communications director, College of Education and Health Professions, (479) 575-3138, jaquish@uark.edu