Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 98F. Winds light and variable..

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.

The new mural on the campus of Oklahoma Baptist University.

The new mural on the campus of Oklahoma Baptist University.

News from peers of Southern Arkansas University – the 11 other member schools of the Great American Conference.

East Central University, Ada, OK

ECU offers alternative option to high gas prices for commuters

For years students who live nearby have been commuting to East Central University. With the increase in gas prices, this may be more difficult. Thus, ECU is offering an alternate option for the first 50 students who live within 50 miles of Ada – room and board for $75 per week.

“We are extremely excited to offer the program to our first 50 students who may have planned to commute,” said ECU President Wendell Godwin. “To be eligible one must live within 50 miles of Ada, must be admissible to ECU and then must enroll as a full-time student.”

On average a commuting student could be spending around $200 a week with today’s gas prices. If a student is eligible and accepted students can live on campus for $1,200 per semester ($650 room after waiver, and $550 meal plan) which ends up being $75 per week.

“With the cost of gas, we really hope this helps students save money,” Godwin continues. “Plus, having students live on campus greatly improves retention and allows our students to get the full college experience.”

Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Ada, OK

SEOSU sees classroom improvements across campus

Just in time for the start of the fall semester, a number of classrooms are receiving a facelift.

The classroom improvement project will see enhancements and improvements completed in several buildings across campus. Various classrooms are being upgraded with new LED lighting, painting, new flooring and furniture, and technology.

And by summer’s end, 23 classrooms will have new tables/chairs, and 35 classrooms will have new lecterns, which are equipped with new computers and dual monitors.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford

Dr. Fred Gates names chair of Social Sciences Department

Dr. Fred Gates has been named chair of the Social Sciences Department for Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Gates is a professor of history and has taught on the Weatherford campus since 2002. Before being appointed chair, he was the coordinator of SWOSU’s nationally accredited History Education program.

His appointment as chair became effective May 10, 2022.

Gates received his Ph.D. in History from the University of Georgia, his M.A. in history from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and his BBA in Economics from Mercer University in Macon, GA.

Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, OK

State approves Southern Nazarene's Science Education Program

Southern Nazarene University has been approved by the State of Oklahoma to begin admitting students into the Science Education Program. Recruitment efforts are ongoing with SNU welcoming science education majors this fall.

Now, with science added, there are seven SNU School of Education Teacher Education Program undergraduate programs. The addition of science education will allow individuals to prepare to teach science content in areas of both public and private secondary schools (6th-12th grade).

The new Science Education Program will prepare science teachers by offering two separate tracks: Biology Education or Chemistry Education. Individuals who complete the Science Education Program will be able to teach these subjects in their chosen secondary school program. The Science Education Program is a perfect match for students who desire to teach in public schools, preparing them to apply for their teaching license in the State of Oklahoma.

All programs at SNU strive to value and uphold the motto of “Character, Culture, Christ.” According to Ron Titus, chair of the School of Education and Director of Educator Preparation, “all of our educator preparation programs not only help prepare excellent teachers in their specific content area, but they also help prepare Christlike educators that can positively impact P-12 students.” He went on to explain that SNU’s educator preparation program further prepares future teachers with multicultural and diversity training as SNU continues to produce educators that are can be effective for all students.”

Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Alva, OK

Northwestern releases new strategic plan

Northwestern Oklahoma State University officials have released the new strategic plan, “Success Lives Here,” that will guide the university in its endeavors for the next five years.

The university’s renewed strategic plan establishes goals and directions for the next five years that recognize and respond to the impact of an unstable economy, an ever-evolving employment market, and changing expectations for higher education institutions.

The plan addresses four principal aims: (1) empowering faculty to deliver meaningful content and experience to students; (2) improving the campus environment and culture for students and employees; (3) advancing the mission of the university by enriching resources; and (4) placing further emphasis on recruitment and retention of students.

The previous plan guided university decision-making from 2016-2021, resulting in observable change. The university accomplished upgrades and improvements to facilities, and the implementation of the new Enterprise Resource System enabled many internal functions to work more efficiently. Less obvious but equally meaningful changes to academic programs and the academic experience occurred, while the university continued to affirm and guide critical collaboration with constituencies and supporters.

CLICK HERE to see the new strategic plan.

Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, OK

Division of Art and Design Installs OBU mural on Art Annex Building

The Oklahoma Baptist University Division of Art and Design has completed a painted mural on the Shawnee campus.

The mural was installed on the north exterior wall of the Art Annex building, located at the corner of Kickapoo Avenue and Midland Street. The mural features depictions of numerous recognizable OBU icons, including Raley Chapel, Shawnee Hall, a Bison, and an OBU logo.

Corey Fuller, chair of Art and Design, Ruth Jay Odom Professor of Fine Arts, and professor of graphic design, led the project. The original artwork was created by OBU alumna Vanessa Myers. The crew included Fuller along with alumni Evie Griffin, Caleb Corff, Brock Currie, and Alyssa Briggs, as well as current students Kourtney Lester and Justus Miller. Bryan Alexis, an artist from Fort Smith, Arkansas, contributed his wisdom and experience to the project, having painted more than 30 murals. A similar mural was painted by the OBU Art Club earlier this year at the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center for the OBU Prison Divinity Program.

Fuller said the idea to place a mural on the wall came from OBU administration, including OBU President Dr. Heath A. Thomas and Dr. Susan DeWoody, former OBU provost. The project then became a group effort, with contributions made by employees, students, alumni, community members and more.

Gulfport junior earns inaugural Wink Scholarship

Alex Moore, a junior English and philosophy double major from Gulfport, MS, was named Ouachita Baptist University’s inaugural Johnny and Susan Wink Scholarship Award winner. He was recognized during a ceremony in Ouachita’s Young Auditorium.

“He’s been a student of mine in several classes,” said Dr. Johnny Wink, Betty Burton Peck Professor of English and namesake of the award along with his wife, the late Dr. Susan Wink, professor emerita of English. “He’s a splendid fellow and a stellar student. I’m pleased as punch to have him be the first awardee of this scholarship.”

Moore also is a member of the Carl Goodson Honors Program and has been named to Ouachita’s President’s List several times.

“I was incredibly happy to find out that I was the first recipient of the Wink scholarship, since Dr. Wink hails from Gulfport, Miss., as do I, and he and the whole Bugtruck mean a lot to me,” Moore said, referring to the suite in Lile Hall that houses Language & Literature faculty offices. “I love to write and to critically analyze literature, and the Ouachita English program has helped me further my skills in these areas.”

The ceremony also honored the careers of Johnny and Susan Wink; together, they have served at Ouachita for more than 80 years.

“The Winks represent the very best about Ouachita—kind, wise, brilliant teachers who challenge and nurture students,” said Dr. Doug Sonheim, professor emeritus of English and former Clarence and Bennie Sue Anthony Chair of Bible and Humanities at Ouachita. “The purpose of the scholarship is to help and honor students of language and literature, students who pay attention to the words we use, who pay attention to how we order our words into meaningful sentences, telling the truth through stories about what it means to be a human being. More than ever, we need truthful and beautiful stories, right?”

Students complete tropical marine biology course in Belize

Fifteen Henderson State University students recently completed a tropical marine biology course that took them on an adventure to Belize where they observed and studied a variety of species.

Led by Dr. James Engman, professor of biology at Henderson, the class also explored Mayan ruins in Guatemala, and a cave that still contains artifacts and skeletons of human sacrifices.

Following a week of classes on campus, the group spent a week at the Tropical Research and Education Center in San Pedro.

Engman said the facility provides dorm space, meals, classrooms, and fully-staffed catamaran that serves as a floating classroom.

“We spent every day at sites on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world,” Engman said. “This allowed the students to observe and study species that they had learned about previously, including manatees, sharks, sea turtles, many species of fish, and coral and other invertebrates.

They moved on to Caye Caulker, a smaller, less developed island, where the focus of the course shifted from basic marine biology and conservation, to understanding life on a small island. The students interviewed residents, supported the local humane society, and spent more time in the ocean on a large sailboat.

The class concluded inland in the small village of Teakettle.

Engman said the group rented a unique, small resort. Students stayed in thatched-roof cabins surrounded by a large tract of virgin rainforest, exposed to a wide range of animals and plants.

While there, they explored an undeveloped cave used by the ancient Mayans for ritual purposes. They also traveled to Guatemala to visit the spectacular ruins at Tikai, and spent another day exploring the rainforest around the resort where they encountered monkeys, toucans, snakes, and many large insects.

“To try to describe an experience as amazing as Belize is honestly a daunting task,” said Henderson student Aspen Huseman. “I cannot put into words all of the amazing things I felt, saw, and experienced while there.

“I found myself geeking out many times when I could match organisms in the field to organisms we had studied for the course. I was able to see sting rays, sea turtles, Howler monkeys, and so many other things that constitute life in the Caribbean. It was so exciting.”

Lauren Camp, a Henderson student who aspires to be a doctor, summed up her experience as “humbling.”

“I felt an even stronger desire to help those who are underserved,” Camp said. “On Caye Caulker, there was only one doctor for the entire island. The people in Belize were so kind and happy, even though (from my perspective) they had much less.

“I left knowing I want to work in an underserved community one day, or possibly be a traveling doctor. I want to see and learn about all parts of the world and different cultures – an aspiration I had not had before this trip.

University of Arkansas at Monticello

UAM benefitting from more transfer students

The University of Arkansas at Monticello has announced that transfer student enrollment for fall 2022 is trending higher than last fall.

Data currently indicates a 66% increase in transfer students enrolled for the fall 2022 semester as compared to this time last year.

“The increase in transfer students is an exciting trend,” said Dr. Peggy Doss, chancellor of UAM. “It highlights the success of our outreach efforts and confirms what we proudly know about our university: UAM is a model higher education institution with two colleges of technology in Southeast Arkansas and is very affordable. Our outstanding faculty and staff look forward to welcoming students to our beautiful campus this fall.”

Arkansas Tech executing facilities plan

The W.O. Young Building at Arkansas Tech University will remain open through mid-to-late September as ATU continues implementing its campus master plan for facilities.

The Young Building is partially surrounded by chain link fence in preparation for the demolition of the facility, which is scheduled to take place during the fall 2022 semester.

Barnes and Noble College Arkansas Tech University Bookstore and the U.S. Post Office in the Young Building will remain in their current locations for the next 6-to-8 weeks. Staff members whose offices are located in the Young Building will be re-located to new work accommodations during the month of August.

Following demolition of the Young Building, the parcel of land will be prepared as the site for a new student union and recreation center that is scheduled to open in 2025.

Harding University College of Pharmacy signs articulation agreement with Crowley’s Ridge College

Harding University College of Pharmacy signed an articulation agreement with Crowley’s Ridge College. Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, students will be able to seamlessly transfer from Crowley’s Ridge Bachelor of Arts in general studies program to Harding’s Doctor of Pharmacy program.

“We are excited to enter into this agreement with Crowley’s Ridge College, acknowledging the close relationship between our institutions,” said Dan Atchley, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “This preferred entry pathway into our pharmacy program is structurally similar to Harding’s own internal Guaranteed Seat Program that has gained popularity among Harding undergraduate students. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with CRC.”

As a part of the agreement, Crowley’s Ridge students will receive the same privileges as students in Harding University’s Guaranteed Seat Program, which is intended to guarantee highly qualified students a position in the Doctor of Pharmacy program after the successful completion of prerequisite courses and maintenance of certain academic criteria at Harding.

Currently, 562 pharmacy graduates are serving in a variety of settings across the country, from Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California, to Unity Health in Searcy, Arkansas. Others serve in the U.S. Public Health Service, hospital emergency departments and local independent pharmacies.

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