ommunity onnections Clarion University of Pennsylvania Dear Clarion University neighbor, One of the most compelling outcomes of the university’s strategic planning over the last two years is the deepening understanding that Clarion University has been and continues to be a publicly engaged university. Public engagement describes the numerous ways in which the work and expertise of Clarion University’s employees and students are shared with the public, with the goal of generating mutual benefit. At Clarion we are a publicly engaged university: • Through our teaching we promote learning beyond our campuses. • Through our research we promote the practical application of knowledge throughout the region. • Through our service we benefit society. • Through our community partnerships we work to achieve our mutual interests for the entire community. For almost 150 years, Clarion University has worked to meet the higher learning needs of our region. Now, more than ever, we are changing, improving and growing to meet the region’s future needs. Fall 2012 2013 Clarion University SBDC recognized for regional impact The U.S. Small Business Administration Western Pennsylvania District Office presented the Clarion University Small Business Development Center with the 2012 Small Business Development Center Annual Impact Award. The annual award is presented to the small business development center that provides excellence in service to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the region. “Clarion University SBDC has once again shown the positive impact it has on inspiring entrepreneurship in its 10-county footprint,” said Western Pennsylvania SBA district director Carl Knoblock. “Small businesses not only provide employment opportunities, but proprietors often will share their expertise and enthusiasm with the community, creating a win-win situation.” In 2012, Clarion University SBDC provided more than 9,700 hours of one-on-one consulting to 644 clients. The SBDC assisted 79 clients with securing financing for projects totaling almost $9,000,000, and a total of 76 clients started businesses. In addition, the SBDC provided more than 6,300 hours of training to 1,513 individuals at 94 events. Karen M. Whitney President Community Connections is a biannual publication of Clarion University Office of the President. We value your feedback. To respond to topics in this newsletter or to share thoughts about any matter concerning Clarion University, email president@clarion.edu or send mail to: Office of the President, Clarion University, 840 Wood St., Clarion, PA 16214. Cindy Nellis, assistant director of Clarion University SBDC, greets clients. Clarion University SBDC is located at Gregory Barnes Center for Biotechnology Business Development at Clarion University, at Exit 62 I-80 and Route 68 in Clarion. To learn more, visit www.clarion.edu/sbdc. 2013-14 Mary L. Seifert Cultural Series explores faith The Mary L. Seifert Cultural Series was established to provide the Clarion University community with cultural experiences that inspire learning through thoughtful discussions. Last year’s series, “The Realities of Race,” prompted discussions with visits by director Spike Lee, Jamar Rogers from “The Voice,” and Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year the Seifert Cultural Series will explore “In God We Trust?” “It’s a theme expansive enough to embrace a richness of viewpoints and perspectives, from faith to doubt and everything in between, from the eternal questions to those moral issues that influence and inspire our curiosities, choices and values,” said Shawn Hoke, director of Clarion University Center for Leadership and Involvement and co-chair of the Seifert Cultural Series Committee. • In the spring: • Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery will share “The Mystical Arts of Tibet,” a look at Tibetan culture through music, mandala sand painting and meditation. • Clarion University Concert Choir and Chamber Singers perform Hindu, Jewish, Christian and American Indian religious music in “In God We Trust: A Choral Perspective.” • The Skit Guys, Tommy Woodard and Eddie James, will use comedy to explore how people often use prayer for the wrong reasons in “The Skinny on Prayer.” • Phil Holtje, curator of the Holocaust Awareness Museum in Philadelphia, will present “Holocaust Remembrance 2014: Remembering Genocide in Popular Music.” This fall: • Poet Yehoshua November will present a lecture and poetry reading, “Art, Poetry and Jewish Mysticism.” • Author Erika Bachiochi will present “Sex, Women and the Church,” challenging the common misconception that the Catholic, and traditionally Christian, teachings are anti-women and anti-sex. Dan Gediman, editor of “This I Believe” essay series, will explore how writing the essays have allowed individuals to answer the question, “In God We Trust?” for themselves. Upward Bound, which began at Clarion in 1978, encourages acquisition of academic skills and motivation needed for success in high school, college and everyday life. Clarion University’s Master of Science in Rehabilitative Science was named a “Best Buy” on GetEducated.com’s list of Best Online Master’s in Psychology programs for 2013. This ranking indicates Clarion’s distance learning program has been independently reviewed, compared to its peers in a comprehensive national survey and found to offer one of the best values in online education for human services professionals nationwide. Clarion University’s Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Library Science programs have also been designated as Best Buys by GetEducated.com. For information, visit www.clarion.edu/ seifertseries, or www.clarion.edu/ calendar for other events. Program boosts college-bound high schoolers Eight Clarion County high school students are among 36 who participated in Clarion University’s Upward Bound summer residential program. Three Clarion distance learning programs named ‘Best Buy’ The program operates an academic year component and a six-week summer residential component for students from A-C Valley, Farrell, Oil City, Punxsutawney, Redbank Valley, Sharon and Union high schools. The six-week residential Summer Academy offers participants an opportunity to experience college life in safe environment while residing on campus in a university residence hall. (Front row, from left) Rachael Troutman, Clarion-Limestone; Rebecca Sattely, Jared Buzard, Dakota Curran and Billy Vanderbilt, all from Union; (back row) Allison Hindman and Cheyenne Barger, both from A-C Valley; and Nathan Shreckengost, Redbank Valley. Students volunteer 532 hours in Clarion community Kelly Ryan, assistant director of Clarion University Center for Leadership and Involvement, characterized spring 2013 Community Service Day as “a great success,” as 205 Golden Eagles volunteered to better the local community. With a combined total of 532.5 hours served, the 19 sites at which students served represented a record as the greatest number of sites involved in the history of the event. “We are very, very pleased about this,” Ryan said. “Adding new partners to our events is always exciting, and in this case it gives us the opportunity to help connect students and community members in a way that can lead to meaningful conversation, while tackling some manual labor projects that need to be done.” Come Together Clarion nurtures college-community relationship In an effort to bring together the Clarion University community and the Clarion area community, Clarion University Center for Leadership and Involvement hosted the second annual Come Together Clarion event April 20 in downtown Clarion. “We hope that the end result is that new connections between individuals and organizations are made.” Anna Olszewski, senior education major According to senior education major Anna Olszewski, who led initiation and organization of the event, the overall goal of Come Together Clarion is to strengthen the relationship between university students and Clarion residents. “We hope students meet residents and get a chance to talk to them, and that residents can communicate New student housing will reflect downtown style By fall 2015, Clarion’s East Main Street should have a different look. That’s when Clarion University’s new suite-style housing is projected to be ready for students to occupy. In considering new housing, Whitney sought a design that will complement and support Clarion Borough. She sees Main Street as a portal into the borough. The $66 million project will provide housing for students on both sides of the street and include university-related services – such as a book store, Starbucks coffee shop, a university theater and food service – on the ground floor of the complex. “Main Street is Clarion Borough. It’s vibrant, it’s fun and it’s personable,” she said. The housing will replace Nair and Wilkinson halls, both of which were completed in 1971, and will have the same 735-bed capacity. Both buildings are no longer sustainable, according to Clarion University President Karen M. Whitney. Clarion University Foundation, Inc., in partnership with Clarion University, will develop and build the project, funded entirely by student housing fees. The foundation has extensive experience in the development of student housing with two similar units on campus and apartment-style housing at Reinhard Villages. with students. Only through these interactions can we bring the two groups closer together and help them understand each other.” Activities included: • Family Olympics, • contests with prizes, • community advocacy tables, • a 5K race hosted by Sigma Phi Epsilon, and • the Neighborhood Star Awards ceremony. Student organizations were encouraged to partner with community organizations and businesses to host an activity table. Clarion welcomes Frese and Geiger Clarion University welcomed Dr. Phil Frese June 3 as dean of the College of Business Administration and James M. Geiger July 8 as vice president for university advancement. Frese, former CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., plans to build upon CoBA’s well formed foundation and integrate into the curriculum the Small Business Development Center. Having served most recently as vice president for university advancement at Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, Geiger will provide leadership and direction to advance the university’s mission through marketing, communication and fundraising. Clarion University Foundation, Inc., in partnership with Clarion University, will develop and build the project, funded entirely by student housing fees. Clarion University of Pennsylvania 840 Wood Street Clarion, PA 16214 Arts, culture and entertainment at Clarion Detailed information about the following events is available at www.clarion.edu/calendar. For a schedule of athletic events, visit www.clariongoldeneagles.com. 2013 Sept. 7, Family Day Sept. 27 and 28, Homecoming and Reunion Weekend/ALF Oct. 9-12, 13, “The Women of Lockerbie” (Clarion University Theatre) 8 p.m. Oct. 9-12; 2 p.m. Oct. 13; Marwick-Boyd Little Theatre Oct. 17, Community Breakfast 7:30 a.m., Clarion American Legion Oct. 18, Dawn of Astronomy 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Peirce Planetarium, STC Oct. 23 and 24, Ninth Annual High School Choral Music Festival 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Oct. 25, Senior recital, Brendan Holly, trumpet 7 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Oct. 25 and 26, Second Series (Clarion University Theatre; produced, directed, performed and often written by students) 8 p.m., Hart Chapel Oct. 26, Senior recital, Kiri Koziol, voice 3 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Oct. 26, Senior recital, Michael Guzik, French horn 7 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Oct. 27, Senior recital, Amanda Clendaniel, flute 3 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Oct. 27, Senior recital, Amanda Pries, saxophone 7 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Nov. 2, Senior recital, Seth Robertson, voice 7 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Nov. 3, Wind Ensemble concert 3 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Nov. 3, Senior recital, Justin Salada, tuba 7 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Nov. 20-23, 24, “Little Women” (Clarion University Theatre) 8 p.m., Nov. 20-23; 2 p.m. Nov. 24, Marwick-Boyd Little Theatre Nov. 24, Jazz Band concert 3 p.m., Hart Chapel Dec. 6, Concert Choir and Chamber Singers 7:30 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Dec. 7, Pennsylvania Youth Wind Symphony 1 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Dec. 8, Symphony Orchestra Concert 3 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium Dec. 14, Winter commencement Tippin Gymnasium 2014 March 5-8, 9, “Nothing is Left to Tell” (Clarion University Theatre) 8 p.m. March 5-8; 2 p.m. March 9, Marwick-Boyd Little Theatre March 28 and 29, Second Series (Clarion University Theatre) 8 p.m., Hart Chapel April 25 and 26, Moving Forward – A Dance Concert 8 p.m. April 25 and 26, Marwick-Boyd Auditorium May 10, Spring commencement Tippin Gymnasium Get into the game Clarion University invites the community to Clarion Golden Eagles football game day experience, beginning at the home opener Sept. 7 vs. Kutztown and continuing at home games throughout the season. Two hours prior to the start of each game, get into the competitive spirit by playing cornhole, ladder golf, football toss and slider games. A DJ will play music and food concessions will be available. Activities are free with a game ticket: $10 for reserved seats; $5 for general admission; $3 for children 12 and under and students without a Clarion University ID, and free for Clarion students, faculty and staff with ID. Would you like to make a gift to, or in support of, Clarion University? Give online at www.clarion.edu/givenow or call 814-393-2637. The Community Connections newsletter is published by the President’s Office, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 840 Wood Street, Clarion, PA 16214-1232. Clarion University is an affirmative action equal opportunity employer.