Connection: Issue 11, Number 5 by Connors State College

A Publication of Connors State College

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AFR EARNS CONNORS’ REGENTS BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARD

N U M B E R

C ON NO R S S TA TE C OL L EG E WARNER CAMPUS 700 College Road Warner, OK 74469

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N U M B E R

THREE RIVERS PORT CAMPUS 2501 N 41st St E Muskogee, OK 74403

ADMINI STRA TI ON PRESIDENT Dr. Ronald S. Ramming VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Dr. Makenna Garrison VICE PRESIDENT FOR FISCAL SERVICES

FEATURE

Regents Business Partnership

COMMUNITY

Grissom Scholarship

EDUCATION

OSU-COM Partnership • Writing Assistance • Brytewave Integration • Honors Program • Library Updates

CAMPUS LIFE

Sexual Assault Seminars • Welcome Week

Mike Lewis

CONNEC TI ON CONTRIBUTORS Ona Lou Britton-Spears Dr. Tabatha Hibbs Mike Jackson Dr. Krystle Lane Chris McBeath Derotha Rivenbark Brittany Seay

SOCIAL

MEDIA

#CONNORSSTATE

facebook.com/ connorsstate

twitter.com/ connorsstate

youtube.com/ connorsstatecollege

instagram.com/ connorsstate

Connors State College, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, crime statistics for both the Warner and Muskogee campuses may be reviewed at http:// connorsstate.edu/asr. This publication was printed and issued by Connors State College as authorized by the Director of College and Community Relations. The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination or endorsement is intended by Connors State College.

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FEATURE

AFR Honored with Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award by Connors State College American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) has received a 2021 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award. The award is designed to highlight successful partnerships between higher education institutions and businesses. AFR was nominated by Connors State College (CSC) in recognition of their longstanding partnership. AFR’s relationship with Connors State College is longstanding. CSC’s namesake, John P. Connor, served as the first vice president of Oklahoma Farmers Union, now known as AFR. In the more than 110 years since CSC’s founding, AFR has provided the institution with resources that have contributed to valuable and positive experiences for CSC students. AFR has sponsored livestock contests, provided funding for student programs and filled volunteer positions within CSC. “We are both humbled and honored by this recognition,” said AFR Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh. “Throughout our history, AFR Cooperative has encouraged the

youth of Oklahoma to pursue higher education. Connors State is a place where students can gather not only knowledge, but also life experiences that will carry them into successful futures. Connors graduates achieve great things, improve and build rural communities and shape the future of our state. We are proud to play a part in their success.” In early 2021, AFR gifted $10,000 to the CSC Development Foundation. The endowment will fund a tuition scholarship award for the CSC Top Agricultural Student each year. The scholarship is named in honor of the first president of the Oklahoma Board of Agriculture and CSC’s namesake, J.P. Connors. “AFR has been a longtime supporter of our students at Connors,” said CSC President Ron Ramming about the scholarship endowment. “We are proud of our students and grateful AFR saw our students the same way we do—bright and full of potential to make a difference in the world.” For more information about RBPEA and this year’s partnerships, visit www.okhighered.org/RBPEA. For more

information about AFR Cooperative, visit www.afrcoop.org. AFR Cooperative is a membership services organization established in 1905 as Oklahoma Farmers Union. AFR provides educational, legislative and cooperative programs across the state and serves as a watchdog for Oklahoma’s family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. The organization is actively supportive of the state’s agricultural industry and rural population with membership consisting of farmers actively involved in production agriculture and non-farmers adding their voice in support of AFR principles. – Pictured, left to right: AFR Directors Dustin Tackett and Brett Morris, AFR State Secretary Paul Jackson, AFR Directors Mason Mungle, Jim Shelton, Terry Peach and Landon Jestis, AFR CEO Jon Srna, AFR Directors Mike Goodwin, John Ogden and John Porter, CSC President Dr. Ron Ramming, AFR Vice President Ryan Plemmons, AFR President Scott Blubaugh.

CONNORS CONNECTION

COMMUNITY

Grissom Family Endows New CSC Scholarship Fund The Connors State College Development Foundation is proud to announce the creation of the Grissom Family Scholarship Endowment. The Grissom family collectively donated $41,000 to honor the legacy of their father, Sam Grissom. The gift reflects the commitment of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Grissom to fostering a spirit of generosity and a commitment to education within their career and family lives. “The Grissom’s gift will help local students achieve their goals of educational attainment,” said Dr. Ronald Ramming, of the endowment. “Connors’ mission is to positively influence the lives of our students and provide a quality education. Mr. Grissom acknowledged the benefit that Connors had on his career, and we are proud to have had him among our alumni.” Grissom attended Connors State College in 1953-1954.

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“While attending Connors, he learned the importance of hard work and studying,” his family related. “Sam worked in the cafeteria to help pay for school. He had to ride the bus to and from school, when he could not get a ride from a friend. He later finished his studies at Oklahoma A&M College, obtaining a degree in Agricultural Education. Sam taught for a time in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, before getting into the John Deere dealer business.” “Sam was a teacher at heart and never forgot his humble start at Connors State College. This scholarship is established to honor Sam Grissom, he would be very proud to help someone get a start in life,” his famly added. The CSC Development Foundation awarded over $38,000 in scholarships in the last academic year. The Grissom Family Scholarship will be open for application for the upcoming academic period.

Pictured, top: Grissom family. Above: Sam Grissom

EDUCATION

OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, Connors partner Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation and Connors State College are partnering together to provide interprofessional education for nursing students attending Connors State, alongside medical students attending the new OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah. Connors State nursing students will have the opportunity to develop their clinical skills at the new 84,000-squarefoot, state-of-the-art medical campus in Tahlequah. They will be interacting with medical students in the simulation lab, as well as using classroom spaces for seminars and learning. “We are very excited about this opportunity and grateful to OSU President Kayse Shrum and the leadership at the OSU Center for Health Sciences for working with us to make this partnership a reality. Our students in Tahlequah will now have

access to state-of-the-art simulation labs without having to travel to our campus in Muskogee. In addition, the interprofessional education will provide our nursing students with an invaluable experience as they prepare to enter the health care workforce,” said Connors State College President Ron Ramming, Ph.D. “Interprofessional education experiences allow students enrolled in different health profession degree programs, in this case our medical students and Connors State nursing students, to learn together in a supervised environment. The development of communication skills and the team-based care of patients is critical to their future success in today’s complex health care system. We are happy to be able to collaborate in this way” said Dr. Natasha Bray, interim dean of the OSU-COM at Cherokee Nation. “Simulation provides students

opportunities to practice their clinical and decision-making skills through various real-life situational experiences, without compromising patient safety. We use simulation to supplement students’ clinical experiences, promote critical thinking and clinical judgment. The implementation of utilizing simulation labs in the Nursing program ensures that nursing students are receiving the highest quality training in their field,” said Sandra Scott Watson, DNP, FNP-C, APRN, division chair for Nursing and Allied Health at Connors State. The new partnership began in August. -Pictured: OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation Interim Dean Natasha Bray, far left, welcomes Connors State nursing students to the Tahlequah campus.

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English Faculty Create Pathway to Assist All Students in Writing Process Connors State College’s mission statement is that as an institution for higher learning we are “committed to building futures one at a time.” In order to accomplish this mission, faculty and staff members focus on the individual student’s needs as well as the collective needs of the entire Connors community. This creates issues occasionally as some students need assistance with skills outside of the purview of the course, or the level of assistance required is not attainable during class time when the needs of the collective student body are being addressed. Connors works diligently towards creating support services to help students who fall into one of these categories. The CSC English faculty, over the last several semesters, noted concerns

with the division’s ability to offer additional writing assistance outside of the classroom or office hours. As the discussion regarding potential fixes for this issue developed, other CSC divisions also noted concerns with the level of writing skills being demonstrated by students. The English faculty took these concerns and created a Bookings tool in which students from any discipline or course can schedule a meeting with a member of the English faculty and receive help on any step in the writing process. This includes but is not limited to grammar, sentence structure, formatting, research, and/ or brainstorming academic research topics. The goal here at Connors is to help students succeed in the classroom

and in their communities. Creating this tool will not only allow students who need additional help in English courses to improve their writing, but it will help students across disciplines continue to practice and develop their writing skills throughout their course studies. Developing strong, academic writing skills should be pursued beyond composition courses because writing is an integral part of being successful in the workplace and in communicating academically within the structure of a community. Developing a Bookings tool that is available to all CSC students regardless of major, class rank, or campus location will allow Connors to continue encouraging students to engage with a skill that they will use outside of the institution.

Connors Integrates Follett’s Brytewave eBook App To provide students with more affordable and easier access to course materials, Connors State College has integrated Follett’s Brytewave application into Canvas. Brytewave allows students to access their course materials in an eBook format. This provides students with a convenient option to save money and avoid carrying several books during class days. In today’s digital world, students can purchase their materials without ever

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leaving their living room. Students can either purchase access codes in the bookstore or through the website for quick access to their course materials. They can also charge the access codes to their bursar account. The Brytewave eBook reader works much like the Kindle app. Students can access their eBooks online through the app on their phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Students are able to highlight text, take notes, prepare flash cards, and

print portions of their eBook. To ensure academic success, it’s important that students have easy access to course materials, and this is a step in that direction. In the near future, students will likely no longer be required to purchase an access code. They will be able to view their books from the Follett Brytewave link in Canvas and simply select a link agreeing to the charges. This will give them instant access and save the step of purchasing the code.

Connors Develops and Implements Honors Program Connors State College, in its ongoing commitment to improving student engagement, persistence, and completion, has recently begun the development and implementation of an Honors Program. The Honors Program provides eligible students the opportunity to participate in in-depth learning and research projects both in and out of the classroom setting. Such projects enrich the students’ educational experiences, as well as encouraging greater involvement in the campus community and improving student confidence and resilience. The eligibility requirements and application process are still under development. Currently, the proposed eligibility requirements are that students entering from high school have a 3.0 GPA and an ACT

composite of 20. (These are subject to adjustment). Transfer students, continuing Connors’s students, or students re-entering after an extended absence would need to have completed 12 credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 (Again, subject to adjustment). Currently, the proposed application process is simple: the student will complete an application, provide a writing sample, and interview with a member of the Honors Program committee. While the structure of the Honors Program is still in development, the working framework is that students accepted into the Honors Program will complete a series of four Honors projects, three of which are classembedded. The fourth project will be participation in either a seminar

series or a reading series culminating in a project that illustrates synthesis and application of the information garnered from the series. This project is flexible: the student could write a paper, make a poster, create an art project, etc. The final requirement for students in the Honors Program would be to publicly present one of their projects. The Honors Program intends to host an event that will allow students to present their work to their peers, faculty, as well as to family and friends. If a student successfully meets these requirements while maintaining a 3.0 GPA, the student will graduate with honors, and that designation will appear on their transcript.

Library Provides New Computers and Digital Services During fall in-service, Director of Library Services Ona Lou BrittonSpears, updated faculty and staff with library news. Of note were the library’s 32 new laptops available for student checkout, along with a few for staff use. Britton-Spears mentioned upcoming events, including the Tech

Hour of Power, the Library Virtual Escape Room, and upcoming book club meetings. She also showcased event information on the library website. During a faculty meeting, BrittonSpears demonstrated Swank Motion Pictures, a streaming movie database,

and how to request films to add to Swank and link them in Canvas. She also showcased new library instruction videos and quizzes that are available in the faculty resources section of Canvas. She finished with a demonstration of how to copy content into a Canvas course.

CONNORS CONNECTION

CAMPUS LIFE Residential Life Provides Sexual Assault Awareness Seminars Connors State College started the new school year the same way it has in the last few years with sexual assault seminars for residential students. CSC informs all of its residential students about the reality of sexual assaults on campuses every Fall with two distinct seminars for men and women. After the first residential student meeting on August 16, 2021, all male students met with Assistant Dean of Students and Rodeo Coach Jake Lawson as well as with Pastor Josh McElyea who often counsels with students on campus. Lawson discussed Title IX and its impact on all students on campuses. He talked about expectations for all residential students and the availability of

resources. McElyea discussed making good decisions. He shared with the students that an individual can choose the decisions he or she wants to make but often cannot choose the consequences coming from that decision. Those in attendance were encouraged to make decisions with a clear head and consider the repercussions before making a poor decision. On August 26 a residential meeting with female residents was held in the Fine Arts Building. Speakers included Residential Coordinator Jonathan Rowe, Integrated Care Specialist Bailey Upton, and a group of women who spoke to their own life experiences and how they managed to work and

live through them. The experiences these women shared and how they persevered showed their vivacity and resilience. More than 50% of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October, or November. Students are at increased risk during the first few months of their first and second semesters in college. Among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of male students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation while attending college. CSC wants to change these trends by sharing the reality of the effects of assault and violence on college campuses.

Campus Life Hosts Welcome Week Activities The Connors State College Office of Campus Life celebrated students returning to both Warner and Muskogee campuses with a plethora of Welcome Week activities. Staff at the Warner campus kicked off the week by hosting a pool party with games, refreshments and music, while the Muskogee campus featured a make-your-own-coffee bar on the first day so students and staff could enjoy some caffeine.

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The big event for the week was a Back to School Bash. A huge hit with students, the event featured a snowcone truck, a live band and dancing, volleyball and cornhole tournaments, as well as “Wipeout,” an inflatable obstacle course sponsored by the Oklahoma National Guard. To end the week, Campus Life hosted a hidden rock hunt on both campuses. The prizes for the competition were free t-shirts.

“We are so excited to have our students back on campus and can’t wait to see what the rest of the semester holds,” said Student Activities Coordinator Terin Sparrow. -Photos on next three pages showcase Welcome Week activities!

CONNORS CONNECTION

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CONNORS CONNECTION

CON N O RS ST A T E CO LLE G E 700 College Road | Warner, OK 74469

During the Back to School Bash – a Connors Welcome Week activity – students enjoyed competing in “Wipeout,” an inflatable obstacle course competition sponsored by the Oklahoma National Guard.

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