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#MeetUs: FACULTY
Stephanie Morris, BA, JD
Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) Program Coordinator
Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Tri Delta Housing Board, Director
What do you do at NWACC?
I teach the CAST courses and provide training to our community in recognizing, addressing, and preventing child maltreatment. Students enrolled in CAST courses join the child maltreatment workforce years ahead of their peers who did not have the opportunity to participate in CAST. We give them practical skills using our mock house and courtroom and provide access to experts that other institutions simply do not have. In our classes, students get to participate in simulations based on real cases and take an investigation from the hotline call to search warrants, courtroom testimony, and after-care for families.
Why NWACC?
I grew up in Rogers and think there is no better place to live than Northwest Arkansas. I love how innovative the college has been from the very beginning. The college is small enough to adapt to the needs of our population quickly, but large enough to offer a truly great educational experience.
It also makes me proud to be part of a college that is so invested in its community. NWACC was one of the first institutions to adopt the CAST model and is the only community college to receive the CAST certification. Building a state-of-the-art training center and then opening to our local community to learn more about child maltreatment shows just how invested NWACC is in making a difference. I am humbled to be a part of that vision and do my best every day to try to fulfill that mission.
What can you tell us about your experience working at NWACC?
The Social & Behavioral Sciences Division is an energetic and diverse group. We have so many fields of study and faculty with practical expertise! It is always fascinating to hear from other faculty members in the division. What I love about NWACC is that our classes are taught by faculty members who are not just teaching from a book. They have been out in the world becoming experts in their fields and can bring that experience to their classrooms. There is an expression- “those who cannot do, teach”; I find that is simply not the case at NWACC. Our faculty went out and did the thing and see the importance in preparing others to go out and do the thing too.
What do you want the rest of the world to know about NWACC?
There is a house on campus! NWACC is home to the Melba Shewmaker National Child Protection Training Center. The building allows students to participate in simulations in a fully functioning mock house, courtroom, medical procedure room, and interview rooms. We can take a child maltreatment allegation and teach students and professionals the best practices for investigating the case. We are working to develop a virtual house so our online students will have the same experience as those who come to campus. The virtual house should be up and running in the very near future!
How do you like to spend your free time outside of NWACC?
I love to bake, hang out with my family, ride my bike, and read. I also serve as a Director for Tri Delta’s National Housing Board; I love helping college women develop leadership skills.
What’s your advice for anyone considering attending NWACC?
I have students fresh out of high school and others who have been in the workforce for 20 years. Our small class sizes allow for a great deal of interaction, both in the classroom and online. I am always in awe of how much my students teach each other. It is really exciting when I get to step back and be a facilitator instead of just lecturing, which not something my professors did at my four-year college. I really hope NWACC students will take advantage of this very special learning environment and make those connections with other students and faculty.
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For more information about our Child Advocacy Studies program, visit nwacc.edu/CAST or contact Stephanie at smorris6@nwacc.edu.