(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Student retention continues to increase at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as Spring Semester enrollment figures show continuing undergraduate enrollment up more than 230 students from spring semester 2004, according to Boyd Bradshaw, assistant vice chancellor for Enrollment Management at SIUE.
The continuing undergraduate population for the current spring semester is at 9,309, compared with 9,076, at the same time last year. Overall, Spring Semester 2005 enrollment is steady at 12,600, compared with last spring's 12,597. Compared with spring 2002, spring enrollment is up by more than 1,000 students.
Bradshaw said he was pleased with the retention figures. "The increase in retention is an indication that students have a high level of investment in SIUE," Bradshaw said. "In addition to the retention increases, we have continued to show overall growth in enrollment at SIUE. For example, the School of Nursing shows a current increase of more than 24 percent.
"Overall enrollment also has benefited from more students entering our pre-pharmacy curriculum with anticipation of applying to the new SIUE School of Pharmacy," he said. Bradshaw also noted that first-semester freshmen this past fall declared their majors at a higher rate than in past years. "This will have a more positive effect on both retention and graduation rates in the future."
SIUE's fall (2004) enrollment was 13,493, continuing a 10-year trend of enrollment growth. Fall enrollment was up about more than six percent over fall 2002.
Todd Burrell, director of Admissions, said early projections for Fall '05 point to a slight growth in enrollment. "We believe that maintaining enrollment at a certain level best serves our students in terms of size of classes, access to professors, available resources and student services," Burrell said.
The admission application deadline for freshmen entering Fall '05 is May 1; for all other undergraduate students, including transfer students, the deadline is July 22. Graduate students also should submit applications no later than July 22. Additional information about applying for admission to SIUE is available online at www.admission.siue.edu.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Three campus-wide fund-raising events are being planned at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to benefit the victims of the Dec. 26 Asian tsunami disaster, including a concert, basketball games, and a walkathon.
SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift hailed the response as an important show of the University's commitment to "global education and citizenship" in the face of such sweeping tragedy. "We are united in our commitment to aiding and supporting the families of the victims of this tragic event," Vandegrift said. "These events provide opportunities for members of our academic community to reach out for this important need."
The three events are:
• Tsunami Relief Benefit Concert by the SIUE Gospel Choir, 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE's Morris University Center.
• Contributions will be collected at two basketball games, with the Cougars playing host to Indianapolis—the women's game at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, and the men's game at 3 p.m. the same day, both in SIUE's Vadalabene Center.
• A walkathon set for Sunday, Feb. 27, at Korte Stadium, sponsored by the Master of Marketing Research Student Association. The time of the event will be announced later.
Other contributions may be sent to the SIUE Foundation, Birger Hall, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1082, attention the Tsunami Relief Fund.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville undergraduate students—with good academic standing and a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 or above—are eligible to apply for the Ina Peabody Sledge Award. Application deadline is Feb. 23.
The award includes a stipend of $500; applicants will be selected on the following criteria that embody the positive ideology of Ina Sledge:
• Strong pursuit of educational goals,
• Strong character and moral fortitude,
• Caring, motivated, and giving attitude,
• Active community involvement.
Preference will be given to students who are residents of Alorton, Brooklyn, Centreville, East St. Louis, Venice, and Washington Park.
Sledge, a native of East St. Louis, served as Education Librarian at SIUE's Lovejoy Library from 1983 until her death in 1998. During 30 years of service at SIUE, she worked in a number of positions including head of the East St. Louis Center Library.
Colleagues said Sledge's caring, giving attitude motivated and encouraged students to pursue educational goals. She recognized and valued strong character and moral fortitude, co-workers said.
The Ina Peabody Sledge Award will to be given in the spring at the SIUE Honors Convocation on April 17. Applications are available on-line: www.library.siue.edu.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Suzuki String Program will host SIUE Music Professor Emeritus John Kendall as he conducts classes at the Suzuki Weekend Workshop on March 5-6. Deadline for participation is Feb. 15.
Other clinicians include former SIUE graduates Goran Berg, of Livermore, Calif.; Celina Boldrey, of St. Louis; and Andrew Driscoll, of Chesterfield, Mo.
Joanne Bath, of Greenville, NC, and teachers from the Webster Community Music School and SIUE Suzuki faculty will instruct more than 200 young violin, viola, and cello students in technique, repertoire, jazz, and Swedish fiddling.
Kendall, of Takoma Park, Md., who founded the string program at SIUE in the early 1960s, taught for more than 24 years at the University before retiring in 1987. Even after "retirement," Kendall remained an active part of the University's music program until moving to Maryland in 1998.
A catered dinner is planned with Kendall and area Suzuki teachers at 7 p.m. Friday, March 4, in the Morris University Center.
The final concert at 2:15 p.m. Sunday, March 6, is free and open to the public in SIUE's Dunham Hall theater. For more information, contact the Office of the Suzuki String Program, (618) 650- 2839.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Three successful Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumni are among the winners of the annual "40 Under 40" Awards, sponsored by the Washington University Olin School of Business in St. Louis and the St. Louis Business Journal..
Sherry Mohr Hausmann, who earned a bachelor's in Nursing in 1987, and Michael Schoedel and Kathryn Szedlar, who each earned MBAs in 1992 and 2000, respectively, will receive their awards Thursday, Feb. 3, at a dinner at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
Hausmann, who recently became president of St. Joseph Hospital in Kirkwood, Mo., part of the SSM Healthcare System in the St. Louis area, is leading a hospital of about 950 employees and a medical staff of 725. She's also in charge of bringing on line a $215 million SSM hospital in Fenton, which eventually will replace the Kirkwood facility.
Joining the SSM system in 1998 as director of surgical services at DePaul Health Center, Hausmann was promoted to vice president of specialty and ambulatory services less than two years later and then became executive vice president and chief operating officer. As COO at DePaul, she helped increase admissions and labor productivity, as well as DePaul's market share, all in four years.
Schoedel, who has been city manager of Clayton, Mo., since last year, began his career after graduation with a regional planning commission in Indiana. From there, he returned to the St. Louis area as city manager of Richmond Heights, Mo., from 1998 until he took the position in Clayton. Schoedel was instrumental in shepherding several high-profile developments during his tenure in Richmond Heights, including The Boulevard Development, just east of the Galleria on Brentwood Boulevard, and several projects totaling $24 million, such as the Richmond Heights public service garage, a recreation complex, a public library, and a public safety building.
As Clayton city manager, Schoedel also is involved in efforts to increase density in downtown Clayton, including residential development
Szedlar, who is executive vice president and chief operating officer for Partners Bank in Glen Carbon, is responsible for daily operations, managing the organization's investments, and supervising accounting functions at the bank, to name a few. Before joining the Partners staff, Szedlar was at First Bank for eight years as vice president and credit department manager, among other titles.
Helping a "start-up" bank, such as Partners, from concept to reality was a challenge for Szedlar but one that was rewarding, she said. Her immediate career goal is to continue overseeing the growth and development of Partners Bank, which she said is now poised for growth. The bank has about $140 million in assets.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will present its Eighth Annual Black Heritage Month Program during February, with its theme of Remembering Our Past: Building Our Future. Below is a calendar of events:
• Photography Exhibit—Feb. 1-27, Morris University Center Gallery (second floor)—“Warriors, Dreamers, and Rhymers: An Extra-Literary Exhibit from the Eugene B. Redmond Collection.”
• Opening Ceremony—11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, Goshen Lounge, Morris University Center. Features readings by SIUE Professor Eugene Redmond, a performance by the Fundisha Dance Troupe, and a performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing by the SIUE Gospel Choir.
• Panel Discussion—Blacks, Television, and History, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, Goshen Lounge, Morris University Center. Panelists include Diane White, the first black weathercaster in the nation who was with what was then known as KSD-TV in St. Louis; Bernie Hayes, former host of historic television programs “Soul Brotherhood” and Black Circle Hour,” in St. Louis; and Donn Johnson, a reporter and television anchor for 20 years in St. Louis.
• Steve Birdine, speaking about “I Never Thought About It That Way: Linking Black History and Taking Responsibility for Your Own Success,” 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, Meridian Ballroom, Morris University Center.
• Voyage Through Africa, 12:30-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, Goshen Lounge. A family event with audience interaction, featuring storytelling by African Culture Specialist Janice Lesane Katambwa.
• Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, in Meridian Ballroom; admission, $12.50; students, $8.
• Forum Discussion—African American Women and Community Building—11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 9, Goshen Lounge.
• Film and Panel Discussion—Emmett Till: A Tragedy Remembered, 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, John C. Abbott Auditorium, on the lower level of Lovejoy Library. Panelists will discuss the film, exploring the impact of Emmett Till’s death in 1955 by a lynch mob and its effect on the Civil Rights Movement.
• Annual Cultural Bazaar—10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Feb. 10-11, in Goshen Lounge, offering Afro-centric books, clothing, crafts, jewelry, and other wares, as well as entertainment and prize drawings.
• Panel discussion, “Sudan: Three Degrees of Genocide,” noon-1 p.m., Mississippi Room, Morris University Center. Discussion will center on the genocide in the Darfur region of the Sudan. The discussion is co-sponsored by Iota Phi Theta fraternity.
• Performance by the SIUE Concert Jazz Band, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11—Goshen Lounge.
• Second Annual Gospel Explosion—6-10:30 p.m., Meridian Ballroom. This event features poetry, rap, praise dance, and gospel music.
• Open forum—Mental Slavery Today, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, Goshen Lounge. Explores the physical slavery of black ancestors and how it contributed to “mental slavery of the present African-American generation today.” Sponsored by SIUE’s Black Student Union.
• Storytelling with Rudy Wilson—11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, Goshen Lounge. Wilson, SIUE assistant provost for cultural and social diversity, will weave tales of faith, hope, survival, and courage, illustrating African and African-American contributions to American history.
• Lecture—Sudan: From Slavery to Freedom—7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, Goshen Lounge. Francis Bok, a former slave from the Sudan, will share his life story and speak about issues of slavery and genocide in Africa and in the world.
• Divine Nine—7-10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 16, Meridian Ballroom. The National Pan-Hellenic Council, consisting of the nine predominately black Greek organizations on college campuses, will showcase their national programmatic initiatives, both as individual organizations and as a unified body.
• Black Heritage Month Game Show—11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, Goshen Lounge. Contestants compete concerning their knowledge about blacks in the entertainment world.
• Cosby’s Comments: Criticism and Controversy—11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Goshen Lounge. Panel discussion about recent statements by comedian Bill Cosby that ignited comments from black leaders, the media, and others.
• Keepers of the Dream: Part III—6-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, Meridian Ballroom—Carl Mack, president of the Seattle chapter of the NAACP, will speak about the importance of cultural awareness in today’s society. Sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers.
• Blacks, Bullets, and Brigades—11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 24, Goshen Lounge. A panel discussion, reviewing the historical and current role played by African Americans in the U.S. military.
• Seventh Annual Black Heritage Month Talent Show, 7-10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, Meridian Ballroom. Tickets are $3; students, $2.
• Black Theatre Workshop, 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 25-26, in Dunham Hall theater. A showcase of the works of African-American playwrights.
For more information, call the SIUE Kimmel Leadership Center, (618) 650-2686.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian and Scholarship Awards have been announced by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The awards will be presented at the university's 23rd annual celebration of the birthday of the Rev. King at SIUE on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
The awards are given each year by the university to recognize those who exemplify the philosophy of nonviolent social change as demonstrated by Rev. King. This year's guest speaker will be SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift.
The luncheon program will be held at 11:30 a.m. in Meridian Ballroom of the Delyte W. Morris University Center, followed by a reception in the Goshen Lounge for the winners of the Scholarship and Humanitarian awards to be honored at the luncheon. Winners of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. High School Essay, Poetry, and Visual Arts Awards also will be honored.
Winners of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards include:
• Tyeast Frank, of Chicago-A 28-year-old undergraduate pursuing a bachelor of science in Speech Pathology and Audiology toward a career in speech-language pathology, who will receive the MLK Scholarship and Humanitarian Award;
• James Speciale-An Edwardsville accountant and successful businessman who has served as president of the Edwardsville School board for the past 12 years, who will receive the Community Humanitarian Award;
• Cheryl Jackson-A registered nurse and instructor in the SIUE School of Nursing, who will receive the University Humanitarian Award;
Winners of the MLK high school competition awards are:
• Devin Dixon, a junior at Edwardsville (IL) High School-essay award;
• Dustin Davis, also a junior at Edwardsville-poetry award;
• Kendra Osterhage, a sophomore at Waterloo (IL) High School-visual arts award.
Before joining SIUE as chancellor in July, Vandegrift was provost and professor of Chemistry at Georgia Southern University. He also has served as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Montclair State University, chair of the Department of Chemistry at Murray State University in Kentucky, and as faculty member at SIU Carbondale and Illinois State University.
Tickets for the MLK luncheon are $12.50; students, $8. For reservations, call (618) 650-2660.
