Seminole State College Collegian

Seminole State College

CollegianSeminole, Oklahoma • Volume 36 • Number 5 • January 2008

Ten Honored During First Fall Nurses Pinning

SSC Nursing and Health Sciences Division Chair Nina Kirk pins proud nursing graduate Bevin Fletcher. SSC held its first December Nurses Pinning Ceremony on Dec. 13. Ten students were honored during the event. Graduates include: Brandi Bolin, Rosaleen Craniey, Bevin Fletcher, Erica Fraga, Kiren Kaur, Concetta Rose Mitchell, Stephany Parkey, Mubushar Raza, Kimberly Richmond and Mabruka Yazidi.

What the latest news about SSC? Visit us on the web at

www.sscok.edu

2 SeminoleStateCollegeCOLLEGIAN/January2008

Although the Mt. View School closed nearly 60 years ago, the memories and impact of the small school still live. This past summer the alumni association of Mt. View had their last official meeting and disbanded because of low membership numbers. Although such a day could be seen as a sad event, the group continued this meeting with the same zeal as always. As one of the last acts of the association, the alumni contributed the remains of the organization’s bank account to the scholarship fund they established a decade ago at Seminole State College. As time has gone on, members of the alumni association have become unable to attend the annual committee meeting. It was important to the group that their commitment to the scholarship fund be carried out. In February of 1997, the alumni created an endowment fund to the SSC Educational Foundation

to provide financial assistance for students to attend college. The fund, maintained by annual contributions to an education fund at a local bank, has provided numerous scholarships over the years. “The Mt. View alumni have always been great supporters of Seminole State College. Their dedication to higher education, particularly for those students in this community, is inspiring. Their scholarship has helped ensure higher education opportunities for students for years to come. We are thankful for their past efforts and deeply appreciate this latest gift,” said SSC Vice President for Institutional Affairs Lana Reynolds. In a 1997 Edition of the Shawnee News-Star, Paul Mathews of Seminole and member of the final graduating class of Mt. View High School, explained the establishment of the fund. “We started the educational fund with a very small amount. Our plan was to get it up to about $10,000 so that the scholarships could be paid be

paid off the earnings.” That year the association was successful in achieving that goal. The scholarship was endowed to ensure future rewards. The organization was established approximately 30 years ago when a few alumni living in Seminole decided to try to have a reunion of the alumni. They mailed letter to other alumni and held the first reunion and established the association. Mt. View School was established in the early 1900s just outside of Seminole. The small, one-room building was coveted to an elementary school and renamed Little Mt. View School in 1928. That year the new Mt. View School was opened on Sportsman’s Lake road. Mathews recalled that the new facilities included a full-size tennis courts and a modern gym. The small school had 200-300 students at one time. In 1948, the school was closed and students began attending New Lima Schools.

Mt. View Alumni Continue to Show Support for Seminole

Don’t you want to know

Details to come....look for signs on campus

SeminoleStateCollegeCOLLEGIAN/December2008 3

Trunk Full of LearningDuring their class on Dec. 4, students in Tracy Jacomo’s Social Problems presented a special trunk filled with special activities to address social issues to Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum Executive Director and SSC Board of Regents member Marci Donaho (right). Jacomo’s class divided into teams to create age-specific activities that could be used as a learning tool for primary school children.

Business Advisory MeetingSSC Business Division Chair Patricia Cokeley (left) takes notes during her conversation with Paul Todd of Eaton Corporation on Dec.7. Todd is one of several area business representatives who are a part of SSC’s Advisory Committee. Each year the group meets to discuss way that SSC can help provide services to businesses and better equip students for the workforce.

Wrapping It UpA group of Seminole State College students take a break from the work at hand to pose for a picture on December 11. The volunteers - consisting of SSC Belles basketball and Trojan volleyball players, student government association members, and International Student Association students - wrapped more than 600 hundred gifts for needy children. The gifts were passed out during the Seminole Rotary Annual Community Christmas Dinner, prepared on Christmas Day at the Seminole Senior Citizens Center.

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SSC News Shorts

Trojan Baseball Banquet

The annual Trojan Alumni Banquet will be held February 2, 2008 on the campus of Seminole State College at the Enoch Kelly Haney Center. The event will help kick-off the 2008 Trojan Baseball Season. Special recognition will be given to players from three former teams at the banquet. The 1978, 1988 and 1998 Trojans will be honored on their 10th, 20th and 30th anniversaries. Please make plans to be here – and help make this a great event. The team will open the following weekend against North Central Texas in Gainesville. Guest speaker will be former Trojan Randy Hughes.

Foundation Holiday Party a Success!

Faculty, staff and friends of the College turned out to celebrate the holiday season and support the SSC Educational Foundation on the evening of Dec. 14 at the Old Shawnee Country Club. Over $11,000 was raised at the event from corporate sponsorships and individual donations. Top - Dr. Jim Utterback, SSC President, gives a holiday hug to (left to right) wife of SSC Athletic Director Debra Beene, Social Science Instructor Tracy Jacomo and Human Resources Director Mona Ridley. Bottom - Members of the holiday event planning committee: Mark Schell, Cindy Guinn, Larry Smith, Mona Ridley, Marta Osby, Debbie Hammond and Lana Reynolds performed a karaoke rendition of Jingle Bell Rock to start off the evening.

Welcome, Steve!

Steve Cotner, who has served as the Seminole Branch President of Security State Bank since 2002, will be leaving his current position to accept a job in higher education at Seminole State College. Cotner has been hired as a Financial Aid Advisor and will begin working at the College on Jan. 14.Cotner said he is excited about this opportunity. “I have lived in Seminole since 1987 and am proud to be involved with this community. I have had the desire to be in education for a long time. In fact, my original intent was to major in business education in college. I appreciate this opportunity to work at the Seminole State College. I have had very rewarding experiences in banking in this community. I look forward to transferring those experiences into higher

education. I hope that my background will help me in assisting college students obtain their educational goals,” Cotner said. Cotner has been highly involved in community service. He has been an active member of Kiwanis and the Chamber of Commerce. He has been a long-time coach of Little League softball and baseball in Seminole.

Coats for Kids Representatives of SSC’s Leadership Development Class and one of the class’ instructors Marta Osby display some of the winter coats collected during their recent Coats for Kids drive. Coats for Kids, a service-learning project of the class, helped collect donated winter apparel for children to be distributed through the local school system. Individuals from campus and the community donated 23 new or “gently used” coats, hooded jackets and sweaters. Donations were given to area schools for distribution. “Leadership Development through the Classics” is a nationally-certified academic course offered each fall in the area of Humanities. The three-hour course examines leadership styles and skills through the study of classic literature, film and current writings. The class is taught by Osby and Lana Reynolds. Pictured are Osby, Larry Morgan of Hartshorne, Jessica Schimmel of Meeker, and Shelby Loy of Meeker.

PTK Book Drive The Alpha Theta Nu Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society helped in the fight against illiteracy by participating in the Better World Books drive. Prior to departing for the College’s holiday break, the local chapter collected over 100 text books from SSC students and faculty which will in turn go to support two selected organizations: the National Alliance for Family Literacy in the United States and Books for Africa. The Better Worlds Books initiative is a national project of PTK. The local chapter is already making plans for a spring book drive during finals week May 2008. Pictured are Brett Gowdy of Seminole (left) and Sarah Rooney of Shawnee (right).

The Seminole State COLLEGIAN is published during the fall and spring semesters by the Seminole State College Office of Media Relations, under the direction of Yashanda Anderson Scruggs. The staff reserves the right to edit submitted material for spelling and style. Consideration is given to all submitted material, but submission does not ensure publication. No anonymous material will be considered. All views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Seminole State College. The COLLEGIAN is distributed on the SSC campus and mailed to over 200 friends of the college. Seminole State College, in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, and other Federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, handicap, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid and educational services. This publication, printed by the SSC Print Shop, is issued by Seminole State College as authorized by the President of the college. At a cost of $280; 1,000 copies have been prepared and distributed. Questions, concerns, can be directed to Yashanda Scruggs at (405) 382-9525.


What is it?

Accreditation is a voluntary peer review process that provides colleges and universities with the impetus to critically evaluate their purposes and whether those purposes are being achieved. Voluntary accreditation ensures quality and institutional improvement.

Who is responsible?

Seminole State College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools is one of six regional agencies that accredits educational institutions in the United States. The North Central region includes Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Why is it important?

Accreditation: *Ensures the quality and integrity of SSC’s programs and services. *Allows students to transfer credits to other accredited colleges and universities. *Enables students to obtain financial aid and veteran’s services. *Allows the college to participate in projects funded by federal grants. *Ensures that the college can recruit and retain quality faculty and staff.

How does it happen? Following an initial accreditation, colleges and universities are evaluated every 10 years and/or periodically as necessary. It involves conducting a Self-Study which is now underway at SSC. Following this process, a report is submitted to the HLC identifying strengths and challenges at the College. SSC then will host a visiting team of peer consultant-evaluators representing the NCA. According to the HLC, these consultant-evaluators have two primary responsibilities: to offer advice to institutions to help them improve the quality of the education they provide, and to evaluate and confirm the quality of an educational institution. The team visit is scheduled for October 26-28, 2009. The HLC currently offers institutions to choose one of two approaches to seek accreditation. One approach is referred to as the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). The second approach is called the Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality or PEAQ. AQIP is a new approach that involves a continuous improvement approach to accreditation on a seven-year cycle. It involves the institution’s identification of three projects focused on the five criteria. In addition, three to five institutions would be identified by the NCA to work as a team with the AQIP institution to develop and implement the identified projects. PEAQ is the more traditional approach with a 10-year cycle of review. It includes the development of a self-study and a site visit. The institution must demonstrate that it is focused on improving its programs and services. It too, has been updated and will require substantially more support data and a greater focus on institutional improvement than in the past. After an extensive examination by the Accreditation Standing Committee of strengths and weaknesses of these two approaches, the College decided to use the Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality (PEAQ) approach to prepare for the upcoming NCA team visit. To learn more about the Higher Learning Commission, visit their web site www.ncahlc.org.


SSC Preparing for Higher Learning Commission’s Self-Study Visit


Seminole State College

employees spent the

morning of Dec. 4

enjoying some food, fun,

and fellowship during a

holiday “Coffee with the

President.”


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