January - Seminole State College

CYAN
DATE LINE,
PAGE
8 PAGE NUMBER, ETC. GOES HERE
MAGENTA
SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGIAN
YELLOW
January 2016
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. Postage
Seminole State College
2701 Boren Blvd.
Seminole, OK 74868
PAID
Permit #164
Seminole, Okla.
Return Service Requested
We want to thank the following businesses and individuals for their support of the
Seminole State College Educational Foundation.
SC
December 14, 2015 Holiday Fund Raiser
BancFirst
Joe & Katherine Benton
Dan & Andrea Boren
C.M. & Sue Clark
Kelly Cook
Dale & Marci Donaho
Columbus Oil-Darlene Wallace
First United Bank & Trust
Ryan & Angie Franklin
Sustaining Donors
Delores Gammill
Rick Geist
Hager-Chapman Trust
Dr. Donna & Jim Hardin
Morris & Linda Helbach
Doug & Pam Humphreys
Hinson Insurance Agency
Langley Management
Kelly Kirk
Platinum
Gold
Chief Rocky Barrett
Bryan & Rita Cain
Gordon & Patricia Melson
Jack Sherry
Wrangler
Dr. Mark Ames
Suzie Brewster & Associates
Steve Degraffenreid
Dr. Linda & Mark Goeller
Karen James
Swearingen Funeral Home
Vision Bank
Bill & Jan Wantland
Melvin & Jasmine Moran
Curtis & Pam Morgan Family
D.D. Patterson Family
Kenny Pryor
Hazel Reynolds Family
Lana Reynolds
Leilani Roesler
Lance & Cindy Ruffel
Mark & Rita Schell
Silver
Boom-A-Rang Diners
Linda Capps
Bettie Conn
Mark & Judy Phelps
Jeramy & Cambor Rich
Pam Robinson Real Estate
Peoples Bank
Shawnee Office Systems
SSC Faculty Senate
SSC Professional Staff
Tiger Trucks
S
C
Security State Bank
Seminole Nation
Paige Sheffield
Jim & Vicky Smart
Larry & Sandy Smith
TS&H Shirt Company
Dr. Jim & Karrie Utterback
Ben & Bonnie Walkingstick
Bronze
ACE Hardware
Atlas Construction
LaVere Bishop
Braden Brown
Central Sheet Metal
Courtney Jones
Tim & Tessa Russell
Strother Twin Cinema
Seminole State College Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization - P.O. Box 351, Seminole, OK 74818, 405-382-9200
BLACK
CYAN
January 2016
SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGIAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW
BLACK
DATE LINE, PAGE NUMBER, ETC. GOES HERE
PAGE 1
Seminole State College
Collegian
Seminole, Oklahoma • Volume 44 • Number 5 • January 2016
Seminole Chamber Honors SSC Employees at December Forum
Two Seminole State College employees were recognized for their
hard work and dedication during the
December Seminole Chamber of
Commerce Forum. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Assistant Professor Jarrod Tollett was
honored as “Educator of the Month”
and Bookstore Director Natasha
Rodgers was honored as “Professional Staff Member of the Month.”
The Seminole Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, along
with the Lions Club and Blue Ribbon Realty, recognize SSC employees several times during Forum each
year. Individuals are nominated
from across the campus and chosen
by SSC administrators to receive the
honor.
Tollett began teaching at SSC
as an adjunct instructor in 2001. He
went on to work in both the Upward
Bound and GEAR UP grant programs before he was hired as a fulltime faculty member in 2010. Tollett
currently teaches physics, astronomy, physical science, engineering,
and mathematics courses.
Tollett holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of
Art in History from East Central
University in Ada. He also earned
a Master of Education in Secondary
Education from ECU.
Along with teaching, Tollett and
his wife Jennifer also own and operate a small retail store in Ada, The
Cave, where they sell comic books,
games and collectible toys. In his
spare time, Tollett enjoys woodworking and home remodeling and
construction. His hobbies include
painting miniature figurines, reading, bowling, watching movies and
collecting comics and action figures.
He and his wife have two girls,
Evelyn, 2, and Parker, 3 months. The
family of four reside in Ada.
Rodgers has worked for SSC
since 2012. She began as an administrative assistant in fiscal affairs
and was then hired into her present
position as bookstore director. She
currently serves as President of the
Professional Staff Association at the
college.
Rodgers earned an Associate in
Jarrod Tollett
"Educator of the Month"
Natasha Rodgers
"Professional Staff of the Month"
Science from Seminole State College and a Bachelor of Science in
Agricultural Communications from
Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. She also holds a Master of Education in Secondary Counseling
from East Central University in Ada. Outside of work, Rodgers enjoys
crafting, decorating and spending
time with her husband Corey and
two children Kreightyn and Pake. She is a member of Sharon Baptist
Church in Shawnee. Rodgers and
and her family make their home in
Shawnee.
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
Spring Semester Begins - Monday, January 11
Martin Luther King Day/Offices Closed - Monday, January 18
CYAN
DATE LINE,
PAGE
2 PAGE NUMBER, ETC. GOES HERE
SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGIAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW
January 2016
Seminole State College Night at the Lights
Crowds of kids and adults attended Seminole State College’s annual Night at the Lights event on November 30 to
tour lights, make holiday crafts, enjoy snacks and listen to SSC’s Permanent Issue Band. The event was held at the
community Snowman Wonderland Light Display showcased at Magnolia Park in Seminole.
BLACK
CYAN
January 2016
MAGENTA
YELLOW
DATE LINE, PAGE NUMBER, ETC. GOES
HERE
PAGE
7
SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGIAN
SSC Scrambles
Games are courtesy of mirroreyes.com
Puzzle 1
Puzzle 2
again
ahead
black
cheek
digit
drive
fancy
goes
guts
happy
hers
honor
improvement
louder
matron
medal
minder
mouse
nasty
packet
player
pleasure
poach
ration
rote
royalty
scare
shell
stack
stare
stories
syrup
today
ultimatum
world
wrench
Puzzle 1 Solution
Puzzle 2 Solution
BLACK
CYAN
DATE LINE,
PAGE
6 PAGE NUMBER, ETC. GOES HERE
SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGIAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW
January 2016
SSC Employees Enjoy Coffee with the President
Seminole State College faculty and staff took an early morning break on Dec. 11 to enjoy coffee and hot apple
cider with President Dr. Jim Utterback. The “Coffee with the President” event allows employees from across
campus a chance to visit with each other and the President while enjoying a few treats before the end of the fall
semester.
Santa's Helpers
The Seminole State College Classified Staff Association organized
a campus-wide effort to collect
holiday gifts for “Little Angels”
identified by the Salvation Army
and Department of Human Services. Donations were given by
various offices and individuals
across campus. Pictured (l-r) are:
Sheila Morris, Cindy Guinn, President Ann Gavin, Jessica Pospisil,
Robin Crawford, Susan Shumaker,
Mary Higgins, Annie Daniel, Toni
Wittmann, Tammy Presley, Vice
President Mechell Downey, Carol
Landes and Laquita Smith.
BLACK
CYAN
January 2016
SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGIAN
Student Spotlight
Janay Nix - Social Sciences Student
to work for the FBI.”
A criminal justice major, Nix
explained that she chose to attend
SSC because it was close to home,
an affordable option and they offered
the major she wanted to study.
“I love that SSC is small. All the
faculty and staff here are encouraging
and helpful. They really want you to
succeed,” she explained.
During her time at SSC, Nix
stayed actively involved in the
campus community. She served
as Vice President of Leadership
for the college’s Phi Theta Kappa
International Honor Society and
“I'm kind of
sad to leave. I
love it here.”
- Janay Smith
Janay Nix has always been
“When I was little, I always
interested in investigation and pretended to be a spy,” said Janay
detective work. She now hopes to Nix, a recent Seminole State College
turn her passion into a career.
graduate. “Now, I’m thinking I want
served as a Senator for SSC’s Student
Government Association. She was
also a member of the college’s Psi
Beta chapter – a National Psychology
Honor Society.
“I also played on the college’s
scout basketball team,” Nix
mentioned. She explained that the
MAGENTA
YELLOW
DATE LINE, PAGE NUMBER, ETC. GOES
HERE
PAGE
3
scout team consists of several SSC
students who attend practices to
scrimmage and run through drills
against the SSC Women’s Basketball
Team. Now that she has graduated from
SSC, Nix has plans to continue her
education at the University of Central
Oklahoma in Edmond. “They have
great internships for criminal justice.
It seems like a great choice for me,”
Nix said.
Once she has completed her
education, Nix’s dream job is to
become an FBI special agent. “I
would also like to work for the police
and work my way to detective,” Nix
stated.
Nix lives in Paden with her
mom Kathleen, dad John and older
sister Monica. Her family works
with Tyson Pork Group. “We have
our own barns and Tyson oversees
them,” Nix explained, adding that
their barns house over 600 pigs.
When she is not in the classroom,
Nix enjoys reading and riding
horses. “I love animals,” she said,
mentioning that her family has 6
horses as well as cats and dogs.
Nix also attends First Baptist
Church in Paden. “Every fourth
Sunday I teach children’s church.
Sometimes, I help out with the
youth,” she explained.
Nix graduated from SSC in
December and said, “I’m kind of sad
to leave. I love it here."
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 Kristin Dunn. 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 Shawnee News Star, is issued by Seminole State College as authorized by the President of the college.
At a cost of $275, 1,000 copies have been prepared and distributed. Questions and concerns can be directed to Kristin Dunn at (405)
382-9525.
BLACK
CYAN
DATE 4
LINE,
PAGE
PAGE NUMBER, ETC. GOES HERE
SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGIAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW
January 2016
SSC Board of Regents Convene for December Meeting
The Seminole State College
Board of Regents convened for their
December meeting to discuss approval of a contract for new campus
administrative and student software
and to review the renewal of consulting services for the College.
A special guest at the meeting
was Dr. Randy Smith, President of
the Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA). He presented Seminole State College employees with
an award honoring a presentation
they made this fall at the RCCA
annual national conference held in
Reno, Nev. Jamie Mills, Director of
Advising/Title III Project Director,
Kendall Rogers, Assistant Professor
of Sociology/Coordinator of Student
Success and Rayshell Clapper, Associate Professor of Language Arts/
Coordinator of Transitional Education, were recognized for their pre-
sentation on student engagement and
retention.
During the President’s Report,
President Dr. Jim Utterback shared
with the Board a variety of recent
SSC campus events and student activities. Utterback also informed the
Board that he has been approached
about the College sponsoring the development of a local charter school
for advanced science, technology,
engineering and math high school
students. While no plans are in
place, he told the Board that he felt
the College should be supportive
of any efforts to provide educational opportunities for students in our
area.
The President indicated that
he has visited with representatives
from the Department of Education,
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the State Legisla-
ture regarding this issue. He also has
meetings scheduled with potential
funding sources, including private
foundations. He said, “We believe
the College can be a resource in
helping insure the quality of education in these important and complex
fields.”
Under the first item of business,
Board members renewed their annual contract with Suzie Brewster &
Associates for consulting services
on the federal level. The terms of
the proposed annual contract will remain the same.
As the next item of business, the
board approved a contract with Jenzebar, a program that will provide
updated administrative and student
software for the SSC campus. The
Poise System currently being used
has been phased out by Jenzebar
and requires replacement in the near
future. The College plans to utilize
federal funds from the new Title III
grant to cover approximately onehalf of the purchase price. Final
costs are still being negotiated. The
contract was approved contingent on
final review by the College’s legal
counsel. Under the consent agenda, Regents approved the 2016-2017 Academic Calendar and program modifications to the Associate in Science
in Elementary Education. They also
approved a Program Review for
the Associate in Applied Science in
Medical Laboratory Technology.
Board members present at the
meeting were: Chair Karen James,
Bryan Cain, Marci Donaho and Curtis Morgan.
The next SSC Board of Regent’s
meeting is scheduled for Thursday,
January 14, 2016.
And the Award Goes to...
Seminole State College President Dr.
Jim Utterback (far right), congratulates SSC employees (l-r) Rayshell
Clapper, Jamie Mills and Kendall Rogers for receiving the Conference Presentation of the Year award for their
presentation on student engagement
and retention at the Rural Community College Association annual conference this fall in Reno, Nev. At the
College, Rayshell Clapper is an Associate Professor of Language Arts and
Coordinator of Transitional Education.
Jamie Mills is the Director of Advising
and the Title III Project, and Kendall
Rogers is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Coordinator of Student
Success.
BLACK
CYAN
January 2016
SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGIAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW
DATE LINE, PAGE NUMBER, ETC. GOES
HERE
PAGE
5
Finals Eve Breakfast at Seminole State College
Seminole State College faculty and staff
served a late-night breakfast at the beginning of finals week on December 7 to over
100 students from the college’s residence
halls. Students were invited to bring their
books to the E.T. Dunlap Student Union
to study for final exams while they were
served a full-course breakfast starting at
9 p.m. SSC servers (standing left to right)
are: Rita Story-Schell, Kristin Dunn, Don
Tuley, Donna Chambers, Tessa Russell,
Dr. Jim Utterback, Robin Crawford, Tammy Kasterke, Mark Goeller, Linda Goeller,
Mechell Downey, Mike Downey, Angela
Church, Richard Schroyer, Jonea Rima and
Lynette Gomez. Students seated around
the table from left to right are: Ian Hardman, San Diego, Calif.; Conner Fryrear,
Tuttle; Sydni Chilcoat, Latta; Olivia Pruitt,
Ada; Mckyla Poponick, Manitoba, Canada;
and Jordan Taylor, Seminole.
Holiday Cheer...
Seminole State College students, faculty and staff worked together this
holiday season to sign over 250 holiday cards that were delivered to Veterans and active duty personnel. This
“Operation Appreciation and Holiday
Cheer” project was organized by SSC
History Professor Marta Osby in order
to thank those who serve our country
and to bring them holiday cheer.
BLACK