Vol State events this week:
Ongoing Sumner County Elementary Art Exhibit, Ramer Great Hall, through April 6, reception April 3 at 3:30pm
SGA Elections are Monday, March 31, and Tuesday, April 1. Elect your student representatives. There will be a table set up in the main hallway of the Wood Campus Center from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM both days. On the ballot this year is also a Referendum to increase the Student Activity Fee from $10 to $14. The increase would allow for more quality activities for the student body to participate in. Make sure you vote!
Monday, March 31
Tennessee Technological University representative Dennis Tennant will be in the Wood Campus Center main hallway in front of Student Services 10:00am—2:00pm.
Softball, versus Harper, 11am
Tuesday, April 1
Union University representative Renee Dauer will be in the Wood Campus Center main hallway in front of Student Services 10:00am—2:30pm
Lecture: “Room for Everyone: The Gay and Lesbian Experience” by Kathy Halbrooks and Deb Moore, Mattox room 104, 12:45pm
Wednesday, April 2
Tennessee State University representative Lynette Perry will be in the Wood Campus Center main hallway in front of Student Services 9:30am—11:00am.
Lecture: “Star Trek” by Laura Black, Nichols Dining Room, 12:20pm
Thursday, April 3
WWII Display by Peter Johnson, Nichols Dining Room, 8am to 3:45pm
Middle Tennessee State University representative Tyler Henson will be in the Wood Campus Center main hallway in front of Student Services 10:00am—3:00pm.
Science and Math Expo, for kids and parents, Wallace Building North, 2:30pm to 6pm
Elementary Art Exhibit Reception, Ramer Great Hall, 3:30pm-5:30pm
Monday, March 31, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
Vol State Events for April and May
Vol State April and May Events Calendar
2014
All events are free, unless
specified.
Ongoing Sumner
County Elementary Art Exhibit, Ramer Great Hall, through April 6
April 1 Lecture: “Room for Everyone: The
Gay and Lesbian Experience” by Kathy Halbrooks and Deb Moore, Mattox room 104,
12:45pm
April 2 Lecture:
“Star Trek” by Laura Black, Nichols Dining Room, 12:20pm
April 3 WWII
Display by Peter Johnson, Nichols Dining Room, 8am to 3:45pm
April 3 Science and Math Expo, for kids and
parents, Wallace Building North,
2:30pm to 6pm
April 3 Elementary
Art Exhibit Reception, Ramer Great Hall, 3:30pm-5:30pm
April 7 Student
Showcase, arts and crafts, Wood Campus Center Hallway, 10am to 1pm, 4pm to 6pm
April 7 Lecture: “The Lonesome Democracy of
American Poets” by Matthew McDonald, Mattox 104, 12:20pm
April 8 Baseball,
versus Motlow, 5pm
April 10 STEM
Expo for secondary school students, Gallatin campus
April 11 Avancemos Juntos Hispanic Higher
Education Conference, 7:30am-3pm, Nichols Dining Room, RSVP required at www.eventbrite.com
April 11 Lecture: “The Poetics of
Consciousness” by Thomas Mether and Melissa Fox, Mattox 135, 10:10am
April 11 Baseball,
versus Southwest, 3pm
April 11 Softball,
versus Walters, 4pm
April 11, 12 “A Night in Italy”, dinner and concert,
Ramer Great Hall, 6:30pm, $20 advance tickets are required through Humanities, 615-230-3201
April 12 Sumner County Bluegrass Jamboree,
free performances, register for competitions, Caudill Hall, 10am to 6pm
April 12 Vol
State Family Day, Easter Egg Hunt, Library Lawn, 11am
April 12 Vol
State Home Plate celebration, baseball and softball games at noon, free food
April 15 Honors Night: celebration and information
for students considering the honors program, Nichols Dining Room, 6pm
April 16 Lecture: “Hispanic Immigration:
Misconceptions and Truths”, by Jaime Sanchez, Mattox 104, 12:20pm
April 16 Honors
Student Presentations, Nichols Dining Room, 12:20pm
April 16 Music
Department show at the Whippoorwill on the Square in Gallatin, 6:30pm
April 17 Coffee
with the Prez, Cafeteria, 10am-11am
April 17 Spring
Fling, Plaza and Library Lawn, 10am to 2pm
April 17 Pre-Nursing
Advising Session with Belmont University, Warf 110, 12:45pm
April 22 Vol State Student Art Exhibit,
Thigpen Library and Ramer Great Hall, continuing through May
April 22 Pre-Nursing
Advising Session with Union University, Warf 110, 12:45pm
April 22 Baseball,
versus Wallace, 2pm
April 23 “The American Empire and the
Consequences for Humanity” by Michael Lenz, Nichols Dining Room, 12:20pm
April 23 Vets
Next Steps, advice for veterans, Pickel Field House room 130A, 9:30am
April 23 Job
Career Fair, Pickel Field House Gym, 10am to 1pm
April 25, 26 Music Department Spring Showcase Concert,
Wemyss Auditorium in Caudill Hall, 7:30pm, free with Vol State ID, $5 suggested
donation for public, $10 with copy of the spring music CD
April 26 Commercial
Music Ensemble, Gallatin Square Fest, Gallatin Square, Noon
May Events Calendar
2014
May 2 Student
Services Graduate Awards, Cafeteria and Nichols Dining Room, 5:30pm
May 3 Vol State Cycling Classic,
scholarship fundraiser, start 8:30am and after, Vol State campus in Gallatin,
registration required, visit www.volstate.edu/cycling
May 10 Graduation,
Pickel Field House, 10am, tickets required
Educate A Woman - April 25
Educate a Woman is an annual luncheon held by the Vol State College Foundation as a fundraising opportunity, with all proceeds benefiting women’s scholarships.
This year the guest speaker is Lisa Smartt—who is back by popular demand. Lisa Smartt was our speaker in 2010. She was so popular that many women have asked us to have her back. Lisa is from Dresden, TN, has two teenage sons and has been married for 24 years. She travels nationally as a motivational humorist and writes a weekly newspaper column called, “The Smartt View.” You won’t want to miss this fabulous experience.
Join us for this fun and inspiring event. Here are the details:
Date: Friday, April 25, 2014
Location: Long Hollow Baptist Church, Youth Center (3031 Long Hollow Pike, Hendersonville, TN)
Registration: Begins at 11:00 a.m.
Lunch and program: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: This event does not require tickets, but there is a suggested minimum donation of $40.00
Summa Cum Laude Sponsor: Ms. Sue’s Medspa and Sumner Women’s Associates
Sponsorship opportunities
For Additional Details: Please visit the Educate A Woman website.
Space is limited, reserve your place now. To RSVP or for sponsorship opportunities contact Lynn Jones at (615) 230-3506 or email lynn.jones@volstate.edu.
Pledging Your Support: An opportunity to make a pledge or donation will be extended (minimum suggested donation $40.00) during the lunch.
This year the guest speaker is Lisa Smartt—who is back by popular demand. Lisa Smartt was our speaker in 2010. She was so popular that many women have asked us to have her back. Lisa is from Dresden, TN, has two teenage sons and has been married for 24 years. She travels nationally as a motivational humorist and writes a weekly newspaper column called, “The Smartt View.” You won’t want to miss this fabulous experience.
Join us for this fun and inspiring event. Here are the details:
Date: Friday, April 25, 2014
Location: Long Hollow Baptist Church, Youth Center (3031 Long Hollow Pike, Hendersonville, TN)
Registration: Begins at 11:00 a.m.
Lunch and program: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: This event does not require tickets, but there is a suggested minimum donation of $40.00
Summa Cum Laude Sponsor: Ms. Sue’s Medspa and Sumner Women’s Associates
Sponsorship opportunities
For Additional Details: Please visit the Educate A Woman website.
Space is limited, reserve your place now. To RSVP or for sponsorship opportunities contact Lynn Jones at (615) 230-3506 or email lynn.jones@volstate.edu.
Pledging Your Support: An opportunity to make a pledge or donation will be extended (minimum suggested donation $40.00) during the lunch.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Student Tornado Tour
We live with the threat of tornadoes. Keith Bell took a class
on a tour to learn more recently. Here is his report:
My physical geography class took a tour of the National
Weather Service (NWS) in Old Hickory recently. We took this field trip as
part of the course curriculum that focuses on weather and climate. Tom
Johnstone, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, led the
tour. We learned about the mission of the NWS, and the do’s and
don’ts of extreme weather. We saw their computer programs and modeling
approaches and saw a brief video of a weather balloon launch. (Weather
balloons are launched from this site twice daily, around 6 am and 6pm.) Tom
even spoke about the trend for increasingly deadly tornadoes in our
region. We have more deaths than “Tornado Alley” (on the Great Plains)
because we have:
1) more people,
2.) more mobile
homes,
3.) more nocturnal
tornadoes, and
4.) more difficulty
seeing the tornadoes due to the undulating landscape. (The flat plains
make it very easy to see when a tornado is coming.)
Service Hydrologist James LaRosa led us outside and
described some of the older rain and temperature gauges that they still use to
generate data for the site. He also detailed the structure and function
of the Doppler radar, where all the forecast data for local news stations
originates. He told us about the dual-polarization
radar upgrade. This upgrade allows meteorologists to know what type
of precipitation is in the air: rain, snow, sleet, or hail. It can even
give an accurate rendering when debris is in the air, signaling a tornado has
touched down. This office is just one of only two offices that take ozone
readings daily.
Keith M. Bell
Associate Professor of Geography
Paralegal Students Team Up with Legal Aid
The Student Paralegal Association volunteered at the Legal
Aid Society's open clinic in Nashville recently. This type of community work gives
them real experience and a chance to network. Legal Aid Society's mission is to
enforce, advance and defend the legal rights of low-income and vulnerable
families in order to obtain for them the basic necessities of life.
Pictured from left to right: Paula Cagle, Heather Blair, and Aubrey Burns. Jeff Reynolds (not pictured) also participated.
“I worked with attorneys Richard Green and Russ Gallagher,”
said Paralegal student Aubrey Burns. “Two of the three cases I worked dealt
with employment law! One was gender discrimination and the other was ADA with a
side of defamation and possibly breach of contract. I got to read the EEOC
Right to Sue letter. I learned so much and will definitely be participating
again.”
Pictured from left to right: Paula Cagle, Heather Blair, and Aubrey Burns. Jeff Reynolds (not pictured) also participated.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Dr. Faulkner: The Cost of College
I’ve written and spoken before about the cost of college and
the value of a college education.
Currently, many people are questioning the value of a college
degree. In the face of declining state support
for higher education, more of the cost has been passed along to the students
and their families. Consequently we have
had a period of rising costs and at the same time unprecedented under and
unemployment of college graduates. You
perhaps have heard of Peter Thiele, the co-founder of PayPal offering $100,000
grants to people to not go to college.
In recent days two publications have crossed my desk that
address the issue of cost versus value. The
first is from a study conducted by Economic Modeling Specialist International
(EMSI) for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The resulting report is titled, “Where Value Meets Values: The Economic Impact of Community
College.”
I would encourage you to read the entire report. To whet your appetite here are a few main
points from the report:
During the analysis year (2012) former students of America’s
community college generated $806.4 billion in added income in the U.S. economy.
· For every
$1 students invest in America’s community colleges in the form of out-of-pocket
expenses and forgone time and money, they receive a cumulative of $4.80 in
higher future wages.
· For every
dollar of investment in America’s community colleges, society as a whole in the
U.S. will receive a cumulative value of $25.90 in benefits from reduced health,
crime and unemployment.
· For every
$1 of public money invested in America’s community colleges, taxpayers receive
a cumulative value of $6.80 over the course of students’ working lives.
The second article titled, “Is College Worth Cost? New Study Says ‘Yes’,” is from the March 3
issue of Community College Week. The report is based on research by
the Pew Research Center. Some key
findings are:
· Young
adults with just a high-school diploma earned 62 percent of the typical salary
of college graduates.
· College
graduates ages 25 to 32 typically earn about $17,500 more annually than
employed young adults with just a high school diploma.
· Young adults
with just high school diplomas now are also much more likely to live in
poverty, at 22 percent compared to 7% in 1979.
Pew’s executive vice president, Paul Taylor says, “In
today’s knowledge-based economy, the only thing more expensive than getting a college
education is not getting one.”
-Dr. Jerry Faulkner
Vol State Events March 24-29
Monday, March 24
Western Kentucky University representative Christian
Montgomery will be in the Wood Campus Center hallway by the Bookstore
10:00am—3:00pm.
Tuesday, March 25
Trevecca Nazarene University representative AnnaGee Harris
will be in the Wood Campus Center main hallway in front of Student Services
10:00am—2:00pm.
Baseball, versus
Bethel, 3pm
Softball, versus
Calhoun, 1pm
Thursday, March 27
Lindsey Wilson
College representative Danette Hurley will be in the Wood Campus Center main
hallway in front of Student Services 9:00am—3:00pm.
Honors Lecture:
“Women and Pop Culture” by Carole Bucy and Stella Pierce, Nichols Dining Room,
12:20pm
Lecture: “The deaf
Community: Diverse and Divided” by Cindy Chanin, Mattox 104, 12:45pm
Friday, March 28
Alumni Breakfast,
free for all alumni, Thigpen Library-Rochelle, 7:30am-9:30am
International
Education Presentation: “Examining the Current Situation in the Ukraine” by Dr.
Max Melnikov of Cumberland University, Dr. Melnikov is a native of Ukraine and
witnessed the breakup of the former Soviet Union, Mattox Room 102, 2:30pm
Baseball, versus Columbia State, 1pm
Softball, versus Columbia State, 4pm
Saturday, March 29
Baseball, versus Columbia State, Noon
Softball, versus Columbia State, 1pm
Monday, March 17, 2014
Dr. Faulkner: Awe Struck
Have you ever experienced something that was totally
awesome? In current society that term
gets used so much that it has lost some of its – well – awesomeness. I’ve had the good fortune to have many
experiences that I would categorize as awesome.
As a bona fide tree-hugger, one awesome experience was to see the
General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park.
This is the largest tree in the world.
Another awesome experience happened when I was driving home from work
one day. A little girl with long, fine
blond hair was running across a playground alongside the street. Just as I passed, the sun shone through her
blowing hair and golden framed the expression of childhood joy on her
face. That was awesome.
A research article that appeared in the journal
Psychological Science and was mentioned in The Atlantic reported that people “who felt awe, relative to other emotions, felt they had
more time available, were less impatient, were more willing to volunteer their
time to help others, and more strongly preferred experiences over material
goods.” One of the authors, Kathleen
Vohs, says that, “When you are in a state of awe, it puts you off balance and
as a consequence, we think people might be ready to learn new things and have
some of their assumptions questioned.”
So we might want to start making time for things
that blow our mind. Clearly we can’t
travel to a distant location every day.
But there are multiple things we can do each day. Gaze at the star filled sky. View a work of art. Watch a mind-bending You Tube video or a Ted
Talk. Spend some time closely observing
nature.
My daily experience often happens when I go out in
the morning to retrieve the daily newspaper.
Even in my manicured neighborhood there are spectacular sunrises, and
frost crystals on the grass, and birds flying, and an occasional snow flake
drifting down, and the garden spider spinning her web so delicately.
And in the classroom, when was the last time we
exposed students to something awesome? I
remember my high school chemistry teacher scaring half the class by
demonstrating a dust explosion in a paint can.
The girl who sat in front of me was so affected that after that she
flinched each time the teacher struck a match.
So look for awesomeness and be awesome!
-Dr. Jerry Faulkner
Vol State Events this Week
Tuesday, March 18
Lecture: “New Pioneers-The Renegade Culture of the DIY” by
Alyssa Dawson, Mattox 104, 12:45pm
Wednesday, March 19
Women’s History Tea, speakers and lunch. Nichols Dining
Room, 12:30pm RSVP to Lori.miller@volstate.edu
Vol State Music Night at the Whippoorwill on the Square in
Gallatin, 6:30pm
Thursday, March 20
Coffee with the Prez, ask questions and get answers,
Cafeteria, 10am-11am
Lecture: “Thomas Jefferson: Intellect, Architect and
Musician” by Patrick McGuffey, Mattox 104, 12:45pm
Saturday, March 22
Sumner County Elementary Art Exhibition opens, through April
13 in the Ramer Great Hall
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Vol State in the News
The new Wallace South Health Sciences building has a write-up on the Nashville Medical News website.
Renee Austin's promotion made the Hendersonville Star News recently.
The Associated Press picked up a story about the texting while driving simulator coming to Vol State on March 26, prompting stories across the state, including this one on Channel 5.
A Vol State student was featured in a Tennessean story about undocumented students attending college in the state.
Renee Austin's promotion made the Hendersonville Star News recently.
The Associated Press picked up a story about the texting while driving simulator coming to Vol State on March 26, prompting stories across the state, including this one on Channel 5.
A Vol State student was featured in a Tennessean story about undocumented students attending college in the state.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Dr. Faulkner: From Weeder to Leader
Perhaps you have had a classroom experience similar
to one of mine. Do you remember sitting
in a class room where on the first day of class the teacher instructed you to
look at the person on your left and then the person on your right and then
proclaimed, “One of you three will not pass this class.” I remember in my undergraduate days at U.T.
Knoxville, English Composition was the “weed out” course. They bragged about a 40% failure rate. It was a common attitude that there was a
need to eliminate early the less fit that could not succeed in college.
This all came back to me when I read a Chronicle of Higher Education blog from which I borrowed this title. Mika Nash, the author refers to this as
“pedagogy of elimination.” Nash challenges the idea that we must set our criteria
so high that only a select few can succeed.
He offers the alternative that, “If the creed of the doctor is to
“first, do no harm,” then the central tenet of the educator must be to create a
learning environment that cultivates the potential of all students. . . “
Let’s be clear.
I’m not suggesting that we reduce the rigor of our courses. Nor am I claiming that every student should
pass. Some students will fail because of
a variety of reasons including life circumstances or a lack of motivation. What I am suggesting is what Nash offers –
that we construct courses and experiences that “lead” students into an
exploration of the discipline and gives them an opportunity to succeed. The article says, “we stopped thinking about
the course as an exercise in the process of elimination and instead designed
one that would open up a new world to an interested student.”
And the idea extends beyond the classroom. What if we see that our goal is not to impose
a strict set of policies and guidelines but instead our focus is helping
students navigate the labyrinth to reach their goals?
I’m so glad that our faculty and staff are not
operating in a “weeder” mindset. But all
of us have room for improvement and so as we function in our respective roles
within the Vol State community, let’s evaluate what we do to see if we are
weeders or leaders.
Student Success Is Job One!
-Dr. Jerry Faulkner
Vol State events calendar for this week:
Here is the Vol State events calendar for this week:
Tuesday. March 4
Reflections on Women’s History, Rochelle Center of Thigpen Library, 12:30pm
Wednesday, March 5
Lecture: “Revival of the Counterculture” by Michael Lenz, Nichols Dining Room, 12:20pm
Dash for Dollars Game Show, Cafeteria, 12:30pm
Thursday, March 6
LGBTQI Awareness Rally and discussion on the awareness of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and Intersex individuals. We will have a guest speaker: Dr. Derrick Tennial who is the Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Georgia Perimeter Community College, Nichols Dining Room, 12:45pm
Friday, March 7
Lecture: “Murder at Bellamy Cave” by Dr. Joe Douglas 12:20pm, Rochelle Center of Thigpen Library
Women in Higher Education in Tennessee (WHET) Regional conference, Nichols Dining Room, 8am to 4pm
March 10-15
Spring break, no classes
Tuesday. March 4
Reflections on Women’s History, Rochelle Center of Thigpen Library, 12:30pm
Wednesday, March 5
Lecture: “Revival of the Counterculture” by Michael Lenz, Nichols Dining Room, 12:20pm
Dash for Dollars Game Show, Cafeteria, 12:30pm
Thursday, March 6
LGBTQI Awareness Rally and discussion on the awareness of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and Intersex individuals. We will have a guest speaker: Dr. Derrick Tennial who is the Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Georgia Perimeter Community College, Nichols Dining Room, 12:45pm
Friday, March 7
Lecture: “Murder at Bellamy Cave” by Dr. Joe Douglas 12:20pm, Rochelle Center of Thigpen Library
Women in Higher Education in Tennessee (WHET) Regional conference, Nichols Dining Room, 8am to 4pm
March 10-15
Spring break, no classes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)