ByLion - July 24

 

IN THIS ISSUE ... 
Biggest freshmen class -- ever
Fanfare-Columbia preview

Claflin to head student center
TAH grant gets kudos
New Capital One partnership
'Boot Camp' for businesses
Betty Attaway-Fink
Professional activities


Orientation students in Student Union mall

Orientation sessions point to largest freshman class -- ever!
This fall, Southeastern could be looking at its biggest freshman class -- ever.
     That's what the numbers are indicating and that's what President Randy Moffett has been conveying to new freshmen and their parents who have attended the five summer orientation programs.
     A total of 2,226 freshmen have registered for fall classes, a 27.6 percent increase over last fall's 1,744, said Stephen Soutullo, dean of enrollment management. Of that total, 2,126 are beginning freshman, representing a 30 percent increase over fall 2005.
     "These are great numbers as far as new student enrollment is concerned," Soutullo said.
     Anthony Ranatza, coordinator of orientation and special events, said the summer orientation programs were a big success with each filled to capacity. One more orientation program will be held during regular fall registration August 14-15. A popular new feature this year was "Meet Your Dean," during which students had the opportunity to visit with academic deans, browse interactive displays, and take tours.
     Ranatza praised the 15 Orientation Leaders who guided the five SOPs. "We had a great group this year," he said. "They worked their tails off!"
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Left, Orientation Leader Ashley Woolledge exhorts freshmen to give their all during one of the Summer Orientation fun, team-building games; right, Adrienne Kimball leads one of the campus tours. Adrienne is a the second member of her family to be an Orientation Leader, following in the footsteps of her brother Jason, who was a leader in 1999.

Columbia Theatre marqueeGlowing marquee symbolizes shining new season for Fanfare/Columbia
The new marquee on the northeast corner of the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, Southeastern's historic downtown Hammond theater, spells out "C-O-L-U-M-B-I-A" coming and going in glowing blue, pink, green and yellow neon. Flanked by electronic message panels, the classy high tech sign has arrived just in time to shine a festive light on the Fanfare 2006 and Columbia's 2006-07 seasons. 
     The new marquee gives a "Look at me now!" flair to what was once an abandoned movie house but is now the premiere performing arts complex on the north shore, home to a stellar yearlong entertainment season anchored by Southeastern's two-decade-old arts festival, Fanfare. 
     Fanfare's wealth of music, dance, theater, lectures, films, exhibits and children's events will be the "opening act" for the Columbia 2006-07 season. The yearlong Columbia season will include L.A. Theatre Works' "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," a dramatization of Herman Wouk's classic war novel; direct from New York, the musicals "Urban Cowboy" and "Children's Letters to God"; holiday, pops and family concerts by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, including Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" narrated by WDSU-TV meteorologist Margaret Orr; the stunning Russian American Kids Circus; "The Winter Dance Party," the nationally acclaimed tribute concert to rock and roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper; acclaimed vocal star Maureen McGovern; and rock legends Eric Burdon and the Animals.
     Columbia season tickets will be available August 10-31. Individual event tickets (including Fanfare tickets) go on sale beginning September 5. Tickets can be purchased at columbiatheatre.org or at the Columbia/Fanfare box office, 220 E. Thomas Street, 985-543-4371. Box office hours are noon to 5 p.m., weekdays.
     Fanfare's 21st season will kick off on September 28 with a special event -- the dedication of the Columbia's performance hall to the late Sen. John J. Hainkel Jr., whose perseverance and dedication played a key role in the historic theater's renovation.
     Fanfare-Columbia Director Donna Gay Anderson said a highlight of Fanfare 2006 will be "Louisiana Roots," which she described as "a series of Louisiana performers, subjects and personalities."
     The Louisiana Roots series includes a trio of guest lecturers with unique insights into Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath - "Rising Tide" author John Barry; Pulitzer Prize nominated "Times-Picayune" columnist Chris Rose; and Rice University historian John Boles. Also paying musical tribute to Louisiana will be the authentic New Orleans jazz ensemble the Last Straws and incomparable pianist-entertainer Ronnie Kole. Actor-author Roberts Batson will salute the Crescent City's history with his one-man show "Amazing Place, This New Orleans."
     Read more ...
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Vickie J. ClaflinClaflin to head Center for Student Excellence
Vickie J. Claflin has been appointed director of the new Center for Student Excellence, a university project designed to coordinate programs focused on enhancing student success.
     Formerly the director of research, planning and development for the Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, for the past three years, Claflin has considerable experience in developing, supervising and conducting student counseling and advising programs at the university level.
     "We are very fortunate to add the services of someone with the extensive academic background and hands-on experience in academic counseling that Dr. Claflin brings to us," said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs John Crain. "She will play an integral role in developing a new and exciting program at Southeastern that's intended to assist all our students enhance their academic performance."
     The new program will provide Southeastern students with a stronger academic advising program that coordinates with mentoring by faculty. The Center for Student Excellence will be a one-stop resource for students with the Career and Academic Planning (CAP) Center, Student Enhanced Services, Student Support Services, and Trio Dissemination Partnership Program all housed under one roof.
     "The first year of college is so important to most students' future success, but it's also a time when they need to overcome a natural sense of insecurity that they feel coming from high school and confronting the freedom of college life," Claflin said. "The center will provide a comfort zone where students can receive guidance and assistance with any of the problems they face."
     A native of Metairie, Claflin served as assistant director of the Gemstone Honors Program at the University of Maryland Institute for Systems Research from 1998 to 2003. There she directed student activities and administered a premier university-wide honors team research program and coordinated the efforts of faculty mentors.
     She served as director of Student Support Services at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville from 1991 to 1998 and held counseling and academic coordinator positions at Louisiana State University from 1987 to 1991.
     Claflin received her undergraduate degree in advertising graphics and master's degree in counseling at LSU. She earned her doctor of education degree in the area of curriculum and instruction from the University of Arkansas. Claflin also served as a visiting international lecturer and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Nottingham in England.
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TAH Workshop faculty and guestsPresident Randy Moffett and Continuing Education Dean Gerald Guidroz recently visited the teachers and faculty participating in the Teaching American History grant summer workshop,held July 10-21 on campus. From left, are guest lecturer Gene Allen Smith of Texas Christian University; History and Political Science Department Head Bill Robison, Dean Guidroz, Grant Project Director Ann Trappey, President Moffett, TAH faculty Keith Finley, and Charles Elliott.

TAH workshop draws kudos
Out of approximately 800 grants nationwide, the Teaching American History Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to Southeastern and other educational partners is one of the highest performing.
     That's the positive feedback that Ann Trappey, grant project director, is getting from Washington two years into the project. At Louisiana and American history institutes for teachers this summer, she also received kudos from the participants.
     The more than 30 teachers at each sessions said the TAH grant boosts their teaching skills through instruction on topics such as how to use primary sources in the classroom and field trips to historical sites such as the Vicksburg and Shiloh battlefields. They also enjoy "different perspectives" gleaned from instructors and peers. 
     The TAH program is designed to provide teachers -- who can earn graduate and CLU credit -- with high quality American history content, improve student achievement in history, and help teachers meet certification standards.
     In addition to the institutes, teachers can take on campus and televised graduate history courses and attend Saturday and special workshops. For additional information, contact Trappey at cynthia.trappey@tangischools.org; or William Robison at wrobison@selu.edu.
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Capital One branded cardNew Capital One partnership
Students can get quick refunds through direct deposit program
Faculty, staff, students can show pride through new Southeastern MasterCard 
Beginning with the fall 2006 semester, Southeastern will process the first refunds after late registration. To assist students in gaining access to their funds as quickly as possible, Southeastern has announced a partnership with Capital One Bank, formerly Hibernia National Bank, to deliver refunds through direct deposit.
     Students must have a checking account with Capital One to participate in the new direct deposit program.
     Completely Free Checking Accounts come with a new Southeastern-branded MasterCard debit card that can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted.
     Faculty, staff, and students not receiving refunds can also show their school spirit with the Southeastern debit card by taking advantage of free checking with Capital One.
     To receive your new Southeastern debit card, visit any local Capital One branch to open a completely free checking account and request your new Southeastern debit card.
     Representatives from Capital One will also be on campus during the first week of the fall 2006 semester to open new accounts.
     If you currently have a checking account with Capital One and possess a regular Capital One or Hibernia debit card, you may simply exchange it in August for the new Southeastern debit card.
     For more information about this exciting new program, please visit the Controller's Office Web page at http://www.selu.edu/controller or call the Controller's Office at 985-549-2068.
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SBDC, Hammond Chamber hosts seminars
The Southeastern Small Business Development Center, along with the Hammond Chamber of Commerce is hosting a "Business Boot Camp" seminar on Thursday, July 27.
     "Starting a business can be one of the most exciting, rewarding, and challenging experiences," said Sandy Summers, SBDC assistant director, "but there's a lot more to building a successful business than just being good at providing your service or producing your product. This seminar will prepare you for the critical business planning process and address the most common issues faced by startups."
     Topics include unique lifestyle requirements involved in owning a business, how to assess the feasibility of a business idea, how to develop a business plan, how to obtain financing, identifying target markets, steps get started, how to find out what regulations/licensing apply, and where to find other resources for success.
     The event will be held at the Southeast Louisiana Business Center in Hammond from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Light refreshments and lunch will be served.
     Cost is $10 to attend, and pre-registration is preferred.
     For more information or to register, contact 985-549-3831 or sbdc@selu.edu
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In memorium -- Betty Attaway-Fink
Betty Attaway-Fink, assistant professor of communication at Southeastern, died Friday, July 21. Attaway-Fink had been a member of the university's faculty since 1999.
     Funeral services were held Monday in Poplarville, Miss.
     Attaway-Fink received her doctoral degree in communication from the University of Southern Mississippi. She was features editor of the Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi, Miss., and a staff writer and photographer at the Stone County Enterprise in Wiggins, Miss. She freelanced for Coast Magazine and Business Journal in Biloxi. She was a guest lecturer at William Carey College from 1997-2001.
     At Southeastern, she was a member of the graduate faculty and authored numerous papers and presentations nationally and internationally on topics including protection of news sources and ethical issues of photojournalism. She also judged journalism competitions for the Southeast Journalism Conferences, served on numerous university committees, and assisted in organizing a new media writing class and with the development of the university's graduate program in Organizational Communication. 
     Among her professional accomplishments, she was selected for two Poynter Institute programs in media management and journalism education. She was awarded a Knight Foundation fellowship at the University of Maryland's Knight Center for Specialized Journalism and was a fellow of the Foundation for American Communications. She also was a Rotary International Group Study Exchange participant in Spain.
     She was a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Southern States Communication Association.
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Professional activities
Dr. David Ramsey
(General Business) has been appointed to the editorial board of Competition Forum, a refereed journal published by the American Society for Competitiveness (ASC). Dr. Ramsey recently reviewed several manuscripts for the ASC's November 2006 conference.
     Dr. David C. Wyld (Management), Dr. Michael A. Jones (Marketing), and Dr. Andre Honoree (Management) have published their article, "RFID is No Fake: The Smart Prescription for the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain," in the Fall 2005 issue of the The Journal of Business and Economic Perspectives. Dr. Wyld also has published his article titled "The eBay Factor: The Online Auction Solution to the Riddle of Reverse Logistics?" in the December 2005 issue of the Journal of the Academy of Production and Operations Management.
     Anna M. Kleiner (Sociology and Criminal Justice) presented a paper, "Rolling the Dice on Post-Katrina Redevelopment: Assessing the Impacts and Opportunities for Residents of East Biloxi, Mississippi," at the Community Development Society meetings in St. Louis. Her co-authors were John Green, Monica Rosas, and Sarah Leonard of Delta State University.
     Dr. Barbara Forrest (History and Political Science) was a panelist in an all-day symposium at the 2006 meeting of the Society for the Study of Evolution at the State University of New York-Stony Brook. The symposium, entitled "Intelligent Design on Trial: Lessons from the Kitzmiller v. Dover Creationism Case," included the expert  witnesses and lead attorneys for the plaintiffs. Dr. Forrest's presentation was entitled "On Being a 'Hybrid Expert': Detailing the Intelligent Design 'Wedge Strategy' in Federal Court."
     Dr. Rebecca Kruse (Chemistry & Physics) was one of 13 U.S. college faculty members invited by the American Chemical Society to participate in the development of a model chemistry course for training prospective elementary and middle school teachers. The first meeting of the development committee was held July 14-16 at ACS Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Kruse presented the "Physical Science and Everyday Thinking" curriculum, and participated in initial planning for the chemistry course. 
     Charles Elliott (History and Political Science) presented "Control and Compassion in a Catholic Creole Community: Teaching the Context of Louisiana's Code Noir of 1724" to the sixth annual American Studies Teachers' Conference on "The Historical Impact of Religion on American History" and "Control and Compassion in a Catholic Creole Community: Reconsidering the Content of Louisiana's Code Noir of 1724" to the second annual University Social Studies Students' Conference, sponsored by the American Studies Foundation and the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL) in Baton Rouge.
     Ms. Anna Bass (Management) presented a seminar on professional presence and executive etiquette to branch managers and employees of First Guaranty Bank who are enrolled in the institution's Customer Service University. The interactive presentation, titled "Your Professional Presence," featured tips for establishing professional demeanor in a variety of business situations. Participants learned skills for making positive first impressions, dining correctly at business meals, making proper introductions and conversation, and speaking publicly for business success.
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ByLion is published weekly online (bi-weekly during the summer session) for the faculty and staff of Southeastern Louisiana University. Send submissions to publicinfo@selu.edu, SLU 10880, fax 985-549-2061, or bring to Public Information Office in East Stadium. Submission deadline is noon on Friday. Contact: Christina Chapple, chapple@selu.edu, 985-549-2341/2421.

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