Seminole State College’s Upward Bound program recently hosted approximately 160 students for a summer camp on campus. The purpose of the camp is to simulate a college environment that includes hands-on, interactive enrichment classes, social and cultural activities, overnight field trips and a variety of team building events. Continue reading “Upward Bound Hosts Summer Camp”
The Seminole State College Educational Foundation recently received a $64,200 donation from Stanley and Inez Symons of Seminole upon the closing of their estate. The Foundation received an initial gift of $343,000 in December of 2017 from the couple who named the College as a beneficiary, along with several other local charities. The funds have been designated to support SSC academics and student scholarships SSC President Lana Reynolds (right) accepts the additional check from Estate Trustee Bill Thompson (left). President Reynolds said, “It is extremely touching to me that this couple believed enough in our mission and the impact we have through educating students to give this unsolicited donation. The Symons’ developed a love and appreciation for SSC and were interested in helping students to achieve their academic dreams. What a legacy to leave!”
A retirement reception was held for Seminole State College employee Deedra Eldredge on June 27. Eldredge worked for the College for 21 years in a number of roles. Most recently she held the position of NASNTI Coaching Specialist. She holds an associate’s degree from Seminole State College, a bachelor’s degree from Mid-American Christian University, and a master’s degree from East Central University. She and her husband of 41 years reside in Seminole. They have one grown son. She looks forward to gardening more and discovering new hobbies now that she has retired.
The Seminole State College Educational Foundation recently received a $10,000 grant from the Arvest Foundation. The donation will help provide leadership opportunities for students at the College – specifically members of the President’s Leadership Class.
The PLC program was established at Seminole State College over a decade ago. The two-year scholarship program provides approximately 40 to 45 students with unique educational, cultural, volunteer and leadership opportunities. Throughout the year, they are able to meet with state leaders, learn about local government and philanthropy, study leadership styles and participate in community volunteer work.
Each year, the Arvest Foundation asks for suggestions of outstanding nonprofit charity organizations doing great work to improve their local communities for consideration of grant funding. This year, Arvest Bank President Chris Clark provided a recommendation for the SSC Educational Foundation.
Clark has served as President of Arvest Bank in Shawnee for the past 20 years. A native of Seminole. His family has a long association with Seminole and Seminole State College. His father, C.M. Clark was a Seminole banker, member of the Seminole School Board and on the first Board of Regents for Seminole “Junior” College. Chris Clark graduated from SJC in 1975 and was inducted into the College’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 1998. He served many years as a Trustee on the Seminole State College Educational Foundation.
SSC President Lana Reynolds expressed her appreciation to the Arvest Foundation and to Clark for recommending SSC for the grant. “The funds from this grant will help provide students in the PLC program additional opportunities to develop their leadership skills and further enhance their personal and professional growth. We are always excited to expand this exceptional program at SSC, and we are extremely thankful to Mr. Clark and Arvest for helping us to continue to do that.”
Arvest Bank owns and operates 14 community banks in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas offering banking, mortgages, credit cards and investments. The bank began in Bentonville, Arkansas in 1961. They now have more than 270 locations in more than 135 communities.
For more information about the PLC program at Seminole State College, contact Director of Community Services Kristin Dunn, who serves as coordinator of the program, at 405-382-9218 or k.dunn@sscok.edu.
Seminole State College and East Central University have announced a partnership to share the employment of a full-time English instructor.
According to the Presidents of both institutions, the shared employee is an example of a partnership created to better utilize resources allocated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the Oklahoma Legislature.
“Over the past few months, we have been discussing ways to make joint purchases and share costs of services, as well as looking at possible positions that could be shared. This English position was a great fit – filling a need for both institutions,” said Seminole State College President Lana Reynolds.
She added, “SSC and ECU have a long history of working together to provide academic and cultural programs for the students and communities in our area. I appreciate Dr. Pierson’s leadership in making this shared employment possible. We look forward to working with our friends and colleagues in Ada on additional joint efforts in the future.”
Dr. Katricia G. Pierson, President of East Central University, said, “Efficiency and excellence have been a part of the Seminole State College and East Central University partnership for years and we are happy that it’s being enhanced. Seminole State has much to offer and ECU has always been an extension of students desiring to further their education. Working with President Reynolds and her staff is always a positive process. Our ongoing collaboration to create a smooth transition for students seeking an education degree has solidified our partnerships and we knew we could even do more. We are now sharing a faculty member for our English programs. Sharing resources is good for both institutions and, more importantly, is good for the students we serve.”
Beginning in August, Jamie Worthley will start working as a full-time English instructor for both SSC and ECU. Recognizing that the needs of one institution may be greater than the other at any given time, Worthley will devote approximately 40 percent of her services to ECU and 60 percent to SSC. As part of the collaboration, Worthley will teach 15 hours of language arts courses each year for SSC and hold office hours on campus.
Worthley, who has taught part-time in the English Departments of both institutions, is a graduate of Paden High School. Previously, she worked as an English tutor for SSC for five years. She also worked as an Upward Bound Composition Instructor for two years at ECU. She has been an adjunct professor at SSC for six years and ECU for five years. She holds an Associate’s degree from Seminole State College and a Bachelor’s in English from East Central University. She received a Master of Arts in Composition Rhetoric from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond in 2012.
Worthley’s full-time employment will begin on August 12. Services will be evaluated each spring before March 1 to determine each institution’s needs for the next academic year.
The Seminole State College Board of Regents convened June 20 for their monthly meeting. The Board approved the college’s budget for the 2020 fiscal year, a 3.5% salary increase for all employees and a 3.3% increase in tuition and fees. Continue reading “SSC Regents Approve Salary Increases for Faculty and Staff”
The Seminole State College Educational Foundation approved a plan to begin construction on the Brian Crawford Memorial Sports Complex at their meeting on June 12.
The complex will be constructed on a plot approximately half of a mile west of the SSC campus on Highway 9, adjacent to the new Seminole High School site. Continue reading “SSC Educational Foundation Approves Plan to Build Sports Complex”
Seminole State College is currently hosting Kids on Campus, a variety of children and youth camps scheduled throughout the summer. The Picasso Painting Camp builds creativity and self-esteem as each student sees his/her artwork through to a finished piece.
A retirement reception was held for Seminole State College employee Mary Higgins on May 30. Higgins worked for the College for 18 years as the Accounts Payable Clerk. She received her associate’s degree from SSC in 2000 and began working for the College shortly thereafter. She was an active member of the Classified Staff Association. She and her husband Wesley make their home in Tecumseh. She has two children, Matt Higgins and Sarah Stutzman. Higgins looks forward to spending more time with her three grandchildren now that she has retired. Pictured (l-r): Sarah, Matt, Mary and Wesley. Continue reading “Longtime SSC Employee Celebrates Retirement”
Thirty-five student-athletes and five athletic teams at Seminole State College have been recognized for their outstanding academic achievements this year by the National Junior College Athletic Association. The NJCAA All-American Student Athlete Awards are divided into the three groups based on GPA – First Team requires a 4.0 GPA, Second Team requires a GPA between 3.80 and 3.99, and Third Team requires a GPA between 3.60 and 3.79. Continue reading “SSC Student-Athletes Receive Academic All-American Honors”