Greetings from SSU and welcome to the second edition of the SSU E-Mail Newsletter!  Please feel free to pass this on to other SSU alumni you know…

Homecoming 2005

It was good to see all the alumni who came back to campus for Homecoming.  Next year, we will have some special events planned, including a special reunion of former Homecoming Queens and Kings.  So, if you or anyone you know was an SSU Homecoming Queen or King, please get in touch with me.

Alumni Roundtable

The Alumni Roundtable has been re-scheduled for Monday, February 28^th at 5:30 p.m., so if you’re in town, please try to join us.  The meeting will be in the Development Office, which is on the ground floor of the Administration Building.  If you need more specific directions, please let me know.  This Roundtable is a chance for you to share your views on the Alumni Association and where it should go.  I am also looking for people willing to serve as leaders for the Association.  Please let me know if you plan to attend.

License Plate Program

No doubt you’ve noticed that many colleges across the state have their own collegiate license plate.  At one time, SSU had one as well, but production ended because we did not meet the minimum requirements.  Now, we are trying to resurrect the program.  In order to do so, we need 150 signatures of people, with Ohio vehicle registrations, “with the intent to purchase” a plate.  The plates have an annual fee of $35.00, which is in addition to your other licensing fees.  $25.00 of the annual fee goes directly to support SSU scholarships.  If you would be interested in purchasing a plate, please contact me so I can forward you the petition for your signature.

Upcoming Alumni Association Events

“Countdown to Commencement,” March 1^st, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Mickelthwaite Lounge, University Center

This is an event for graduating students sponsored by the Alumni Association, the SSU Bookstore, Career Services, the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Financial Aid.  It will be a one-stop shop for graduates to complete everything they need for graduation.  So, if you know an SSU student who will be graduating in June, please tell them to stop by.

Alumni Awards Banquet, May 7th, 6:30 p.m., Mickelthwaite Banquet Hall, University Center

Please mark this date on your calendars and plan to attend.  Details are still being set, so I will keep you updated.

At the banquet, we will award two honors: the Silver Star Alumni Award and the Alumnus of Tomorrow Award.  The Silver Star is presented to a graduate of SSU who has contributed time and effort in an exemplary manner to the University, promoted community service to improve the quality of life for residents in their community, and been a Shawnee State alumnus for at least five years.  The Alumnus of Tomorrow Award is presented to a SSU student, who graduates in June, who has displayed commitment to their individual endeavors—academic, social, and personal.  If you would like to nominate someone for either of these awards, please let me know.

Here are some happenings around campus:

SSU is beginning a new accreditation journey.  We are adopting the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) to maintain our accreditation with the North Central Association’s Higher Learning Commission.  As part of the process, we are interested in receiving alumni response to the question: “What could be done to improve Shawnee State University?”  Please e-mail your responses to that question to Dave Todt at dtodt@shawnee.edu.

SSU’s Clark Memorial Library and the Portsmouth Public Library are hosting south central Ohio and northeast Kentucky’s first “One Book, One Community” initiative, a community-wide reading and discussion program that encourages all area residents to read the same book at the same time.  The book is “She Walks These Hills” by Sharyn McCrumb, which is available at the SSU Bookstore.  To celebrate the Appalachian theme of the book, there are several events planned over the next few months:

“Coal Miner’s Daughter” (part of the “Festival of Film”)

February 24^th, 7-9 pm., Flohr Lecture Hall

A discussion will follow the film

“She Walks These Hills” Reader Group Discussion

February 24^th, 7 p.m., Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center

“An Evening of Appalachian Music” with Dr. John Sims

March 10^th, 7-9 p.m., Flohr Lecture Hall

Open Mic

March 16^th, 6 p.m., Portsmouth Public Library

Join the members of the Phoenix Writer’s Guild in a poetic competition and celebration of “She Walks These Hills.”  Everyone is invited to submit a folk ballad that must include one line from the book.  Entries will be judged and prizes awarded.  For additional information, contact Jenny Cowling at (740) 354-5688.

Here is a look at the courses University Outreach Services will be offering over the next few months.  To register, or for more information, call Penny Merritt at (740) 351-3171.

University Outreach Services Spring Courses

Grant Writing Tips and Techniques

March 18^th, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., $79

Did I Say That? (better communication skills)

April 8^th, 8 a.m.-Noon, $99

Marketing Your Business

April 22^nd, 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., $29

Campus Calendar 

Career Fair

March 9^th, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Rhodes Athletic Center

Open to all SSU alumni

For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Career Services at (740) 351-3608 or career@shawnee.edu. 

Phi Eta Sigma installation

Tuesday, April 12^th, 6:30 p.m., Vern Riffe Center for the Arts

10^th Annual SSU Spring Bear Run/Walk

May 4^th at 6:00 p.m.

Free registration for all alumni

To register, call (740) 351-3280 

Remember to keep me updated on what’s going on with you.  If you have any information you would like to share with your fellow alumni (marriage, birth, new job, etc.) please let me know and I will include it in the Alum Notes on the website.

As always, you can contact me by e-mail at alumni@shawnee.edu or you can reach me at (740) 351-3284.

I’ll have much more next month on the Alumni Awards Banquet so stay tuned…

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