June 21, 2011
Vol. III, No. 10
WheelerNotes
BaskinNotes
Teaching Excellence – Nominating Dr. Purvis:
Each year the University System of Georgia invites
nominations of individuals with “a strong
commitment to teaching and service to students” to be
considered for the Regent’s Teaching Excellence
Award. This year Gordon College nominated Dr.
Anne Purvis for the “Two Year and State College”
award. Here are excerpts from the twenty page
nomination package submitted on her behalf.
• For nursing students at Gordon College, the
annual graduation ceremony is of modest
importance. Rather it is the “pinning
ceremony” that occurs after the graduation into
which is poured the greater amount of emotion
and energy. As part of that pinning ceremony
each Gordon nursing faculty is introduced.
Some faculty members receive polite applause,
others are cheered warmly, and then Dr. Anne
Purvis is introduced. At that point the gym fills
with joyful and decibel- rich acclaim. It is the
closest we will ever come to hearing “love”
translated into “sound.”
• The affection and respect of students does not
guarantee that the teacher has done a good job.
For that guarantee we will need to look to
outside assessment. Here the evidence is very
clear. Dr. Purvis is the lead teacher in the
fourth and final semester of our two-year ASN
program. Immediately after taking her course
students must sit for the all-important NCLEX
examination. Over the last three years, Gordon
College students have achieved pass rates of
93%, 100%, and 100%. This compares to
national success rates in the 87-89% range.
The affection and respect directed toward Dr.
Purvis by her students is justified; she has
taught them well.
Conference reminder:
Columbus State University is hosting its second
annual Distance Learning Conference on September
29-30, 2011. The deadline for submitting abstracts is
July 1. The conference theme is “Making
Connections . . . Instructional Strategies and Online
Technologies for Distance Learning.” For full
information and to submit an abstract, go to
http://online.columbusstate.edu/dlconference/index.php.
Emphasizing Learning Communities:
For the next few NSO’s, you will see posters touting
our fall Learning Communities on the walls of the
registration rooms. Please keep the LC’s in mind
when you give advising presentations or personal
assistance. As the name says, an LC creates a
community among learners. Retention tends to be
higher in LC’s, as does student-faculty interaction.
Because of its thematic ties and mutually reinforcing
assignments, an LC helps students understand the
inter-connectedness of knowledge.
GahrNotes
Gordon students Ryan Haire and Jennie Thaeter are
currently involved in a summer research project under
the supervision of Dr. Cris Fermin-Ennis. This
research was made possible through funding from the
President's Faculty Development Initiative for
summer 2011. The students are engaged in
the chemical, biological and bacterial monitoring of
sections of Cabin Creek, the Towaliga at High Falls,
and the Flint River. Preliminary results have already
been uploaded on the Adopt-a-Stream website. This
research is in line with the watershed protection
initiatives of the Water Protection Branch of the
Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
DEANotes is a quasi-monthly publication of Academic Affairs
Dr. John George has been informed that an article
entitled: Enumerating Perfect Matchings in
Inductively-Defined Families of Graphs, co-authored
with WD Wallis, will appear in the February 2012
issue (volume 80) of The Journal of Combinatorial
Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing.
Dr. Greg Hartman served as a judge for the annual
RESA Regional Science Fair held in Griffin during
February. He received a Gordon College Faculty
Development Grant (with Michael Bender) to help to
fund research on bats in Lamar and surrounding
counties. Dr. Hartman reviewed and ranked
19 student research proposals and 12 Doctoral
Fellowship application proposals for the American
Society of Mammalogists as a member of that
Society's Grants-in-Aid of the Research Committee.
Dr. Beike Jia has been informed that his article:
Particle-exchange Heat Engine Working Between
Bosonic and Fermionic Reservoirs has been accepted
by Physical Review E, a peer-reviewed journal
published by the American Physical Society.
Dr. Andy Osborne is supervising three Gordon
students involved in a summer research project made
possible through funding from the President's Faculty
Development Initiative for summer 2011. Brian
Abreau, Pria, Faraon, and Aaron Gilliam are engaged
in
the chemical,
biological
and
bacterial monitoring of sections of the Towaliga River
east of Griffin, GA. This research is in line with the
watershed protection initiatives of the Water
Protection Branch of the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division.
Dr. Theresa Stanley and Gordon student Monique
Tinsley are conducting initial chemical, biological
and bacterial monitoring of sections of the
Tobesofkee beginning at the headwaters near campus
and for several miles downstream. This summer
research project was made possible through funding
from the President's Faculty Development Initiative
for summer 2011. This research is in line with the
watershed protection initiatives of the Water
Protection Branch of the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division.
Dr. Marwan Zabdawi conducted an interactive
power point presentation explaining the Core and
academic majors to students and parents on Campus
Visit Day and moderated presentations for the
Teaching Matters Conference last March. In April,
Marwan took members of the Engineering Club to the
World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta.
HigginsNotes
STAR: In Summer 2010, we began requiring
readmitted students coming back from academic
suspension to take STAR 0098, a success strategies
course designed to help them become more effective,
responsible college students. We have now run the
STAR class for a full academic year and have some
encouraging results to report:
• In Fall 2010, 60% of our STAR students
returned for the Spring 2011; in Fall 2009
(pre-STAR), only 36% of students coming
back from academic suspension returned
for Spring 2010.
• In Spring 2011, 47% of STAR students are
eligible to return for Summer/Fall 2011,
compared to only 26% in Spring 2010
(pre-STAR).
Thus the class seems to be doing a relatively good job
of retaining these students, some of whom need only
a few classes to graduate. Many of you have had
STAR students in your classes, and if you ever have
any feedback about them or the class, please feel free
to contact me.
Many Thanks: We just finished tallying up the
responses to the surveys we encourage students to fill
out in the Success Center. For the question asking
students how they found out about the SSC and its
services, the most popular answer was “Faculty
Referral.” I would just like to thank all faculty
members who have sent students our way over the
past two years. The staff and I truly appreciate the
confidence you’ve shown in us. Also, I am proud to
report that the surveys indicated a 97% “satisfaction
rate” among our clients.
DEANotes is a quasi-monthly publication of Academic Affairs
JanssenNotes
Truly, it is an honor to have the opportunity to lead
our Honors Program for the next three years. Many
thanks are due to Dr. Mark Milewicz for his
leadership in the last three years establishing our
Honors Program. His dedication and commitment to
the program have made for a very smooth transition,
and I of course am most grateful for that.
One of the most important tasks that lie ahead in the
coming year is to expand our Honors Program to
include four-year criteria for our Honors students in
Gordon’s growing list of baccalaureate programs. To
that end, I will be seeking input from those of you
who administer and teach those programs early in Fall
semester.
Please let me know if you have any questions about
our Honors Program.
Tonya Moore
GC@FVSU DeaNotes
Please join me in welcoming Chandler Wagoner as
our Tutorial Program Coordinator. Mr. Wagoner will
be implementing all tutoring services and maintaining
annual reports of tutoring services in the GC@FVSU
Program. Mr. Wagoner has provided instruction in
the program for the past two years.
WhitelockDeaNotes
Advising Note: Please spread the word to advisees
regarding two Learning Community opportunities tied
to different levels of English Composition. PreNursing majors enrolling in BIOL 1111, 1107, or
2210 should be directed to ENGL 1101 I with
Dr. Stephen Powers, whose assigned readings and
writings will be related to the field of Nursing.
English, Education, Psychology, Sociology or
Criminal Justice majors might benefit from
Dr. Marc Muneal’s ENGL 1102 I, which is paired
with Dr. Elizabeth Watts-Warren’s SOCI 1101 G
and which will focus on elements of Sociolinguistics
as part of the course structure.
Dr. Joan Ashford, who teaches as a part-time
instructor of English, is completing work on her book
Ecocritical Theology, which has been accepted for
publication by McFarland Publishing Co.
Dr. Caesar Perkowski has been awarded a Master’s
of Education degree in Educational Technology with
concentration in Instructional Technology from
Georgia College & State University.
Dr. LaRonda Sanders-Senu successfully defended
her dissertation, Toward a Progressive African
Americanism: Africanism and Intraracial Class
Conflict in Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Century
African American Literature in May 2011 at the
University of Tennessee and will be joining Gordon
College as an Assistant Professor of English in
August.
Dr. Rhonda Wilcox was invited to write the closing
essay for the PopMatters Spotlight series of essays on
Joss Whedon. The essay was titled "Whedon and
Company: Worlds Await" and appeared on April 15,
2011. Also in April, Dr. Wilcox presented “'Una
Selva Oscura': Dantean Echoes in Fringe" at the
Popular Culture Association Conference in San
Antonio, TX.
Prof. Rhonda Wooley portrayed the lead character,
Lily Garland, in Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s
play “Twentieth Century” as part of Theater Macon’s
25th anniversary season in May.
Teaching Tips From Faculty
Please send your teaching tips!
.
DEANotes is a quasi-monthly publication of Academic Affairs
Dates & Deadlines
June 22
June 22
NSO – Alumni Memorial Hall
Group Advising & Registration (Fall Semester)
Georgia History & US Constitution Exam
June 27
Drop/Add and Open/Late Registration
2nd Session Classes
Midterm for Full Session Classes (6/1-7/22)
and all evening classes.
Withdrawals after June 24 will be an automatic
WF except in cases of hardship documented &
approved by a student petition.
Last Day of classes for 1st Session.
Final Exams for 1st Session Classes (6/1-6/24)
June 28
2nd Session Classes begin (6/28-7/22)
June 29
Final Payment Deadline for 2nd Sessions 4 PM
Last day to get a refund for reduction of hours
for 2nd Session Classes
Faculty Enrollment Verification Deadline 8
AM (Second Session)
Independence Day Holiday
June 22-29
June 24
July 1
July 4
July 6
July 11
July 12
July 21
July 22
July 25
July 26
August 2 -12
August 3
August 8
August 10
Aug 12
Aug 12
Aug 15
Deadline for Student Petitions for
Reinstatement to Class Rolls –5 PM (Second
Session)
Midterm for 2nd Session Classes (6/28–7/22)
Withdrawals after July 11 will be an automatic
July 11 WF except in cases of hardship
documented & approved by a student petition.
New Student Orientation – Alumni Mem Hall
Group Advising & Registration (Fall Semester)
New Student Orientation – Alumni Mem Hall
Group Advising & Registration (Fall Semester)
Last Day for 2nd Session Classes
Aug 15-17
Aug 15-17
Drop/Add
Late Registration
Aug17
Payment Deadline for Late Registration and
Drop/Add Periods—4 PM
Last day to receive a refund for reduction of
hours.
Faculty Enrollment Verification Deadline --8
AM
Deadline for Student Petitions for
Reinstatement to Class Rolls—5 PM
Labor Day Holiday, College Closed
Aug24
Sept 2
Sept 5
Oct 10, 11
Midterm – Withdrawals and grade appeals after
October 6 will be an automatic WF except in
cases of hardship as documented and approved
by processing a Student Petition.
Fall Break for Faculty and Students
Oct 12
Georgia History & U.S>. Constitution Exam
Oct 31Nov 8
Nov 17
Early Registration for Continuing Students
Oct 6
Nov 23
New Student Orientation – Alumni Mem Hall
Group Advising /Registration (Spring 2012
Semester)
Administrative Offices are open
Nov 23-25
Thanksgiving Holidays for Faculty & Students
Nov 24-25
Thanksgiving Holidays for Administrative Staff
Dec 5
College Closed
Last day of classes
Dec 6-9
Final Exams
Dec 19-Jan 2
College Closed
Final Exams for all
M, W evening classes (6/1-7/20),
2nd Session Day Classes (6/28–7/22)
& Full Session Day classes ((6/1–7/22)
Final exams for all T, R, evening classes
(6/2–7/21) End of summer semester
Open Registration for Continuing &
Readmitted Students
New Student Orientation – Alumni Mem Hall
Group Advising & Registration (Fall Semester)
Joint Faculty Staff Meeting - Fine Arts Auditor
New Faculty Orientation (more at later date)
New Student Orientation – Alumni Mem Hall
Group Advising & Registration (Fall Semester)
Full Faculty Meeting (refreshments at 7AM –
Russ Hall Lobby) Meeting 8AM in Russ 211)
Payment Deadline for August 2 12
Open Registration --4 PM
2011 Fall Semester Classes Begin
DEANotes is a quasi-monthly publication of Academic Affairs