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FACULTY AND STAFF

Manal Kanaan

Title:Dir. High Impact Practices
Office:Warde Academic Center
Phone:773-298-3150
Email:kanaan@sxu.edu
Department:Center of Inclusive Excellence

Biography

Dr. Manal Kanaan, director of High Impact Practices, is in charge of creating and supporting an institution-wide framework to enhance curricular and co-curricular programs through high-impact educational experiences. Dr. Kanaan's work also involves implementing evidence-based pedagogies and culturally relevant practices across the curricula.

In addition to her role as Director of High Impact Practices under the Title V CASA grant (P031S190311) Dr. Kanaan serves as adjunct faculty in the Language and Literature Department, teaching writing, rhetoric and discourse. In the summer months, Dr. Kanaan also teaches English language writing and speech courses online for international Ph.D. students at The University of Chicago.

Dr. Kanaan previously served as an SXU student support specialist, working with first-generation students, students from limited-income households and students with documented disabilities, supporting and nurturing their academic, social and emotional well-being to ensure their successful college completion.

In her spare time, Dr. Kanaan enjoys going to the movies, dining out and spending time with her husband and two children. She also enjoys cooking ethnic dishes and baking Middle Eastern desserts and pastries. Next to perusing all types of bookstores, going for long walks on cool, crisp days surrounded by nature is her favorite activity.


Education

Doctor of Education in Leadership, Learning and Stewardship
University of St. Francis

Master of Arts in ESL/Bilingual and Multicultural Education (TESOL)
Saint Xavier University

Bachelor of Arts in Language and Literature
Saint Xavier University

Areas of Specialization

Student Support Specialist

Advising and Mentoring

Financial Literacy

Academic and Career Planning

Cultural Sensitivity, Inclusion and Diversity

Writing Professor

Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse

Second Language Acquisition

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Multicultural Education

TESOL (Teaching English To Speakers of Other Languages)


Certifications

  • TESOL Certification
  • ESL/Bilingual Education Certification
  • English Language Assessment Certification
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certification
  • Online Teaching Certification
  • FERPA for Higher Education Certification

Courses Taught

  • ENGL 120: Rhetoric and Writing
  • ENGL-B 120: Rhetoric and Writing Lab
  • EDU 368/EDGTE 484: Assessment of Bilingual Students (Undergraduate/Graduate)
  • ESL: Intensive English Language Writing, Reading, Speech and Grammar

 

Selected Honors/Awards

  • SXU Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award Recipient, 2021
  • SXU President's Staff Excellence Award Nominee, 2020
  • Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society Member
  • National Council of Teachers of English Member

Presentations/Publications/Productions

"The Impact of Culturally Responsive and Empathic Teaching on Writing Performance and Positive Self-identity of College English Language Learners in an Introductory Writing Course."

"Teaching Without Borders: An Improvement Plan for Understanding, Valuing, and Educating ELL Refugees and Immigrants in a Warm and Welcoming Classroom Climate."

"Three Effective Measures for Ensuring Equal Opportunities for English Language Learners: Fair Assessment, Corrective Feedback, and Appropriate Accommodations."

"Stress Management for International ESL Graduate Students."

Kanaan, M. M. (2018). The impact of culturally responsive and empathic teaching on writing performance and positive self-identity of college English language learners in an introductory writing course (Doctoral dissertation). University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL. ProQuest Number 10975051.