Report of the President 2009

Wide Options. Single Focus.

2009 Report of the President

Dear Friends of Southern,

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am often reminded of the key roles that Southern plays as both a community resource and the educator of the leaders of tomorrow. at our 2009 distinguished and outstanding alumni Luncheon, for example, i was honored to be a presenter to a group of recipients who have excelled in their respective fields and are exemplary contributors to society. our 2009 distinguished alumna, elizabeth missan Yost, is truly living the dream of a Southern communication major. the day after her graduation in 1985, with a Bachelor of Science degree in corporate communications and a confidence far beyond her years, she headed west to Los angeles. Both talented and persistent, elizabeth worked in every aspect of the film business in a highly competitive market. now, she is vice president of development for the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark movie Channel, where her talents help to ensure the channel’s position as a top 10 network with more than 133 million subscribers globally.

But elizabeth has never forgotten her Southern roots and helped to establish an internship program that has enabled more than 30 of our communication students to work on Los angeles film sets during the summer. elizabeth is a true Southern success story — and undoubtedly there are more waiting to emerge among the throngs of our new students. record full-time enrollment has been boosted by the success of our first-Year experience and new Student orientation programs, which have achieved excellent results in boosting our retention numbers. a more selective admissions process has seen an improvement in Sat scores among incoming freshmen, and our residence halls are filled to capacity. despite these challenging economic times, with their resultant budget cutbacks, our university continues to thrive.

Last semester, for example, i reported to the campus that more than $1.3 million in grants had been obtained by our faculty members since September. these grants range from a sweeping program to address violence against women, to a new study abroad program in

Vietnam. and recently, we learned that the national Science foundation will award approximately $600,000 for our Pathways to academic excellence Program, a new offering of the Center for excellence in mathematics and Science. this interdisciplinary project is designed to draw some of the best and brightest students into our Stem (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines. the past year was also highlighted by the largest-ever gift received by the university: $1.2 million from the estate of dorothy Weisbauer Goodwin. mrs. Goodwin, who died last year at the age of 91, earned her teaching certification from then-new Haven State teachers’ College in 1939 and went on to train Southern student teachers in new Haven schools for more than 30 years. Her wonderful gift will help fund the university’s first endowed chair — or distinguished visiting professorship — which will be based in our new Center on autism Spectrum disorders. the center will be a true community resource, offering clinical services, parental support, and training and technical assistance to schools, while disseminating information on the latest research developments in the field. and mrs. Goodwin’s legacy will continue to benefit generations of students yet to come, as part of it will also support scholarships for students in the School of education. indeed, these are challenging times, but to paraphrase Walt disney: all of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. at Southern, we have that courage in abundance. With your continued support, our efforts to provide the very best in public higher education and to ensure the success of our students will remain undiminished.

Sincerely,

dr. Cheryl J. norton President

Southern at a Glance

aCademiCS 68 undergraduate, 49 graduate degree programs aCCreditation in 2002 Southern received its 10-year reaccreditation from the new england association of Schools and Colleges. aLumni 67,000 atHLetiCS ten national nCaa division ii team titles and 71 individual championships CamPuS nearly 172 acres diVerSitY more than 600 students with disabilities. minority students comprise more than 20 percent of the full-time undergraduate population.

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endoWment $9.4 million enroLLment 11,769 faCuLtY 438 full-time; 83 percent with doctoral and other terminal degrees Graduate StudentS 3,273 oPeratinG BudGet $183.2 million reSidenCe Life 2,728 students live on campus in nine residence halls underGraduate StudentS 8,496, including 1,288 new full-time freshmen

2009 Report of the President

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Tom Fleming, associate professor of earth science (above left), and his students slept in tents while exploring Antarctica during a trip several years ago. Fleming is a co-author of a National Science Foundation grant that is enabling Southern faculty and students to study volcanic rocks previously collected from Antarctica.

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N AT I O N A L S C I E N C E G R A N T S

Studying the Frozen Continent

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aCuLtY and StudentS are ConduCtinG CuttinG-edGe reSearCH on ancient volcanic rocks from antarctica as part of a two-year $329,263 national Science foundation grant shared by Southern, the massachusetts institute of technology and the ohio State university. the rocks were collected by grant co-author and associate Professor of earth Science tom fleming, who has been studying antarctic geology for more than a quarter of a century. fleming has traveled to the continent six times since 1985, bringing Southern students with him as part of the research expedition twice in the last decade. “in addition to answering important scientific questions about the geologic history of antarctica,” fleming says, “it will provide our students with a rare opportunity to participate in cutting-edge geological research as undergraduates.” the antarctic rocks studied by fleming and his students were formed by lava from volcanic eruptions during the Jurassic Period. after groups from both Southern and ohio State conduct their geo-chemical analyses,

the rocks will be sent to mit, where faculty members will use high-tech instruments to determine a precise time when the rocks were formed.

“We have estimated that all of the rocks we are interested in were formed about 182 million years ago, give or take a few million years,” fleming says. “But with new techniques developed at mit, we can determine much more precise ages. the more precise timeline will enable us to evaluate connections among volcanic rocks that are spread out over distances of as much as 2,500 miles across the antarctic continent.” in turn, that information will help answer questions about the geologic history of antarctica, such as the processes contributing to the breakup of Gondwanaland, which was the supercontinent that included antarctica, South america, africa, south asia and australia, he says. fleming was selected in 2006 as the first recipient of the annual Connecticut State university System trustee research award for his outstanding work, particularly with regard to antarctica.

New Opportunities in Math, Science SoutHern’S Center for exCeLLenCe in matH and SCienCe received $600,000 in funding from the national Science foundation for its new Pathways to Academic Excellence Program. Pace is an interdisciplinary project involving the departments of mathematics, computer science, biology, chemistry, physics and earth science that awards full scholarships to 26 students. during the program’s first two years, high school seniors are recruited and then provided – assuming they make satisfactory progress – with four years of scholarship support. in subsequent years, local community college students will be recruited and then receive scholarship support until they graduate. the students’ success will be enhanced through early involvement in faculty-mentored research and internships, by participation in a service learning course and through the formation of cohort groups and learning communities. Pace is geared to help the university recruit some of the best and brightest students into its Stem (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs.

RIGHT: Joe Fields, associate professor of mathematics, and Lara Smetana, assistant professor of elementary education, are preparing for major math and science initiatives this semester that will involve local schools.

Smetana is the newly named director of Southern’s Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science, while Fields is helping lead a new scholarship program for outstanding high school students.

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The First-Year Experience (FYE) program begins in June, when groups of about 250 new students participate in two-day orientation sessions (top).

In the fall semester, students then participate in one of three course models, each designed to foster a sense of being part of a “learning community.�

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E N RO L L M E N T A N D R E T E N T I O N

Promoting Student Success

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outHern LaunCHed itS firSt-Year exPerienCe (fYe) program three years ago in an effort to promote stronger student engagement at the university. experts believe that this type of program generally leads to fewer students leaving before completing their degree, and ultimately results in a higher graduation rate.

Based on the evidence so far, the university is receiving high grades as it strives to enhance the educational experience: • Last fall, the one-year retention rate – the percentage of first-time, full-time freshmen who returned to the university for a second year – reached 79.7 percent, an 18year high. and the two-year retention rate – the percentage of those first-time, full-time freshmen who returned to Southern for a third year – climbed to 62.6 percent, the highest since these numbers were first tracked with the Class of 1987.

• Last spring, Southern freshmen had more interaction with faculty and experienced a more challenging academic environment than

the national average of first-year students, according to the national Survey of Student engagement (nSSe). the first step of the fYe process comes in June, when groups of about 250 students participate in two-day orientation sessions that help students and parents become familiar with campus rules, programs and procedures. Students then participate in one of three course models for the fall semester, each designed to foster the sense of being part of a “learning community.” Strong relationships, mentoring, and faculty advisors are important to student success and are built into the program. most students take a two-course combination that includes english composition and a special fYe course called “introduction to intellectual/Creative inquiry.” the students take the two classes with the same group of about 20 students, who often have similar academic interests. the other two models – LinkS and Honors College – have operated at Southern for many years.

Breaking Enrollment Records a reCord-BreakinG 7,366 full-time undergraduates were enrolled at Southern last fall, continuing a trend in which that number has increased in 10 of the last 11 years, and marking an increase of 34.1 percent since 1998. a record 8,346 full-time students were enrolled – an all-time high that also included a 4.5-percent jump in full-time graduate students. the number of full-time transfer students also rose by 2.1 percent to reach 833, the highest since the university began recording that data in 1986. the average Sat scores (combined math and verbal) for this year’s freshman class rose to 962 – the highest in university annals since records were first kept in 1991. nursing emerged as the university’s top major for the first time. in September 2008, 873 undergraduates were declared as either nursing or pre-nursing majors – the highest number in university history – and the trend continued in the spring. interest in nursing at Southern has been rising throughout the decade with an 83-percent jump from 2002 alone.

In 2009, nursing emerged for the first time as the university’s top major.

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ABOVE: Alumna Anne Bianchi Gundersen (seated second from right) was joined by President Cheryl Norton (seated, second from left) and a group of students during the Alumni Homecoming Breakfast in October. Mrs. Gundersen recently made a $400,000 gift to the university in support of a scholarship fund as well as other university initiatives and priorities.

RIGHT: Dorothy Weisbauer Goodwin, also an alumna, bequeathed $1.2 million to Southern in her will, the largest gift ever received by the university. Her gift will be used to fund and support the university’s first endowed chair.

FAR RIGHT: Mrs. Goodwin, in cap and gown, at her graduation in 1939.

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SUPPORTING SOUTHERN

A Love for Education

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Wo aLumnae HaVe direCted tHeir PaSSion for eduCation into exceptional philanthropic support for Southern, where both began their teaching careers. deSPite tHe CHaLLenGeS of fundraiSinG Dorothy Weisbauer Goodwin, in a sluggish economy, Southern’s development who earned her teaching certification efforts bore fruit in fiscal year 2009, with from then-new Haven State teachers’ $1.73 million in cash support received by the College in 1939, bequeathed $1.2 university. million to Southern in her will – the When this sum is combined with new, largest-ever gift received by the multi-year pledge commitments, total support university. Goodwin trained Southern received was $1.86 million – surpassing the student teachers in new Haven schools initial goal of $1.6 million. for more than 30 years.

Southern’s annual giving program saw a $1 million of her gift will be used one-year increase in support to nearly to fund and support the university’s $350,000, including a 32 percent increase in first endowed chair, to be placed in response to direct mail appeals. the School of education, with a concentration on autism. along with this other highlights from the year included: distinguished faculty position, her gift • $1.45 million was received in support will support universitywide faculty of current operations and programs, enrichment programs and scholarships up 27 percent. for students in education. the executive • Gifts received for endowed purposes floor of the recently constructed increased nearly 17 percent over the administrative wing of engleman Hall prior year. will be named in Goodwin’s honor.

• alumni giving showed a 35 percent growth Goodwin, who died last february over a five-year period. at the age of 91, had followed her • Nearly $250,000 in new dollars was teaching certification with both received to support financial need-based bachelor’s and master’s degrees from scholarships.

Southern in the 1950s. Her “wonderful legacy” speaks not only to her commitment to lifelong learning “but also to her devotion to Southern, based upon her experiences here as a student and a teacher,” said President Cheryl J. norton.

Anne Bianchi Gundersen, 97, recently made a $400,000 gift to Southern that will both bolster a scholarship fund that she first established in 1995 and provide general support to the university’s initiatives and priorities. the anne Bianchi Gundersen endowed Scholarship provides financial support for students pursuing a degree in education. Since its establishment she has gifted more than $500,000 to the university. in 1934 Gunderson received a bachelor’s degree in education as a member of the new Haven State normal School’s first four-year class and went on to teach for 32 years.

“Leadership gifts such as this ensure that Southern will continue to meet its commitment to provide an affordable, accessible education to those seeking to earn a college degree,” President norton said.

Giving Exceeds Goal

2009 Report of the President 9

TOP and ABOVE: Joseph Solodow, professor of world languages and literatures, was named Connecticut State University Professor by the CSUS Board of Trustees. He teaches Latin, Spanish, and Spanish-American literature.

RIGHT: Diane Frankel-Gramelis (left), adjunct professor of public health, and Margaret M. Sargent, associate professor of communication, received the J. Philip Smith Outstanding Teaching Award.

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D I S T I N G U I S H E D FA C U L T Y

Recognizing Excellence

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oSePH SoLodoW, ProfeSSor of WorLd LanGuaGeS and LiteratureS and an internationally renowned scholar in the areas of classics and classical philology, was designated as a Connecticut State university Professor by the CSuS Board of trustees. Solodow, who is in his 18th year of teaching at Southern, has published four critically acclaimed books, 11 articles and nine book reviews and has delivered numerous conference papers.

His second book, “the World of ovid’s metamorphoses,” was described by one reviewer as “the single best book on this great poem.” and his translation into english of G. B. Conte’s “Latin Literature: a History” was awarded the modern Language association’s Scaglione translation Prize. a fourth book, “Latin alive: the Survival of Latin in english and the romance Languages,” was published by Cambridge university Press in december. Solodow joined Southern’s faculty in 1992 as an assistant professor in the department of foreign Languages (now World Languages and Literatures), and teaches the Spanish language and Spanishamerican literature along with Latin. He is

also a lecturer in classics at Yale university. the title of Connecticut State university Professor was created in 1987 to recognize outstanding merit among the teaching faculty in the CSu System. Solodow joins Professor Vivian Shipley (english) as one of Southern’s three CSu Professors, with one to be named. earlier, two Southern faculty were honored by the CSu System for their excellence in pedagogy and scholarship. C. Michele Thompson (top), an associate history professor, received a CSuS trustees’ research award for her significant contributions to the advancement of scholarship on the history of Vietnam and the history of medicine in east asia. Kristine Anthis (bottom), an associate psychology professor, was recognized with a trustees’ teaching award for her work as an educational innovator who has incorporated technology-assisted instruction into her classes.

Honored for Outstanding Teaching/Research tWo faCuLtY Were reCoGnized WitH tHe J. PHiLiP SmitH outStandinG teaCHinG aWard at the may undergraduate commencement ceremonies: Margaret M. Sargent, associate professor of communication, and Diane Frankel-Gramelis, adjunct professor of public health. Sargent, whose courses include interviewing and interpersonal communication, was hailed by students for her ability to create challenging courses that maximize learning while building positive student relationships. frankel-Gramelis, who teaches stress management and health promotion, received praise for her compassion for students and the life lessons they learned from her.

english Professor Paul Petrie (left) was named the 2009 faculty Scholar for a monograph examining the thought and influence of William dean Howells, a leading practitioner of literary realism in the united States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. one reviewer said “Conscience and Purpose”, Petrie’s book, does "a great service in recomplicating our understanding of realism and its relation to modernism. . . [while also serving] provocatively to reformulate our thinking about literature, ethics, and social change."

2009 Report of the President 11

LEFT: Student Life interns prepare to distribute computer equipment under the new S.M.A.R.T. (Southern Millennial Age Recycled Technology) program.

CENTER: Students, faculty, and staff teamed up for the annual Day of Service in the fall.

The Day of Service is an opportunity for members of the Southern community to work side by side on a service project that benefits the neighborhoods of New Haven.

LEFT: Students carry recycled computers, part of the S.M.A.R.T. program, to their residence halls.

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S T U D E N T L I F E I N I T I AT I V E S

Enhancing the Campus Experience

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rom free ComPuterS to more parking spaces to creating learning communities in residence halls, Southern continued to introduce new initiatives to improve the campus experience.

The Southern Millennial Age Recycled Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) program enabled up to 200 students to obtain desktops that had been used in the computer labs for the last three to four years and were scheduled for recycling. under S.m.a.r.t. – which replaces a former loan program – students can assume ownership of the machines and not have to be concerned about returning computers with which they are familiar.

S.m.a.r.t. is a collaborative effort by the office of information technology, the SCSu foundation and the Student Government association. the foundation is able to accept the used computers and the Student Government association has the task of sifting through student applications to determine need. all students can apply

for the program, but those demonstrating financial need get priority. a new policy was introduced to free up parking spaces by prohibiting freshman residential students from keeping cars on campus. Parents, in particular, are embracing the policy as a cost saver and a way to help new students make a better transition to college: without a car students become more entrenched in campus life, instead of traveling home frequently during the week. the establishment of “learning, living communities,” in which residential students can live in areas of campus with students who share common goals, links academic life with residential life. the initiative began with students in the Honors College, who can choose to be housed in the same building with other honors students. Plans call for similar types of housing arrangements to be offered to other students with common interests or majors. Special events, programs and trips will be offered.

Making a Difference SoutHern Continued itS LonGStandinG tradition of community service to the Greater new Haven area. the Southern Day of Service is an annual event for Southern students, faculty and staff to work side by side in local neighborhoods. Participation helps to foster friendship, promote service and leave a positive imprint on the community. the 2009 day of Service drew more than 300 participants, who helped clean up several tons of trash. other notable projects included Jail ‘n’ Bail and Relay for Life, which raised tens of thousands of dollars for Connecticut Special olympics and the american Cancer Society, respectively. more than 350 boxes of food were collected for needy clients of the Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis through the Adopt-A-Family food drive. and toys collected from the university community were distributed to 1,000 new Haven children at the Friends of Rudolph Party, a collaboration with the Police athletic League.

The annual Jail ‘N’ Bail event raises funds for Connecticut Special Olympics.

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ABOVE and LEFT: Elliott Horch, associate professor of physics, recently was chosen as the "platinum recipient" of the 2009 Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Innovation Prize for the device he developed, called a Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI).

Horch also was recently awarded a National Science Foundation grant for $183,447, which will enable him to continue his work on researching binary stars. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the Yale Southern Observatory.

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I N N O VAT O R S I N S C I E N C E

Shooting for the Stars

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LLiott HorCH, aSSoCiate ProfeSSor of PHYSiCS, was awarded a national Science foundation grant that will enable him to continue his groundbreaking work on researching the binary stars sprinkled throughout the milky Way Galaxy. Horch has developed a telescopic device, called a Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (dSSi), which enables astronomers to view binary stars more closely than ever before. the device includes two cameras and a scanning mirror system inside a rectangular box that can fit on a coffee table. attaching it to a telescope can sharpen the telescopic images 20-fold. the dSSi is now in use at the kitt Peak national observatory in tucson, ariz.

Binary systems are two stars that rotate around each other. most stars are formed in groups and the chances are very good the sun was one of them. many of these stars eventually leave the binary system. Studying binary systems will enable astronomers to learn

about the sun’s early years. in addition, about 10 percent of stars eventually form planets and using the dSSi will help astronomers learn about why our sun formed planets and how this was done.

Horch’s continued research – conducted in collaboration with the Yale Southern observatory – will include collecting data to gain a better understanding of binary stars, as well as the star formation and structure of the milky Way Galaxy. the $183,447 nSf grant will also allow him to run regular physics and astronomy seminars, as well as to work with high school physics teachers in the area and promote careers in science to underrepresented groups.

Horch’s work led to his selection as the 2009 “platinum recipient” of the Connecticut Quality improvement award innovation Prize. this first-place achievement enabled Horch to compete for the national-level malcolm Baldridge national Quality award for Performance excellence.

Research Showcased tHree faCuLtY memBerS participated in the “i-4 initiative” showcasing science research and applications from the Connecticut State university System at the new Connecticut Science Center.

Scott Graves, an assistant professor of science education and environmental studies, demonstrated a Wii-based tracking device showing how past cultures navigated their whereabouts. the device enables people to experience remote sensing.

Cynthia Coron, a professor of earth science, is part of a research team that has developed an artistic application to a scientific study of changes in the landscape and geological processes. Visitors to the museum experienced an overview of Connecticut’s geology and examined historical data to assess weather, erosion, plate tectonics and other changes on earth.

Barbara Glynn, a professor of nursing, demonstrated how sophisticated, high-tech mannequins can simulate responses of the human body and create experiences that are similar to those of human patients.

Scott Graves, assistant professor of science education and environmental studies, and Cynthia Coron, professor of earth science, presented their research at the Connecticut Science Center.

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LEFT: Gymnast Sarah Darst was named a Second-Team All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

ABOVE: Runner Laura Brustolon became the first runner in Southern’s history to win the Northeast-10 Conference individual championship.

BELOW: The Owls also won Northeast-10 championships in football, among other sports.

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AT H L E T I C A C H I E V E M E N T

Seasons of Success

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outHern’S atHLetiC dePartment continues to serve as a benchmark for other division ii programs to emulate through its work in the classroom, in the community and on the playing fields. from the athletic standpoint, the owls finished the year ranked among the top 20 percent of all division ii institutions in the annual Learfield Sports directors’ Cup rankings. in addition, SCSu finished third out of 15 member institutions in the annual northeast-10 Conference Presidents’ Cup, matching the owls’ highest finish since joining the league. nine teams participated in nCaa Championships action in 2009, highlighted by team appearances from the softball and men’s soccer teams. overall, 15 studentathletes were named all-americans for their athletic success. the owls won northeast-10 Championships in football, men’s indoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field. the men’s soccer and softball teams were also ne-10 tournament finalists.

Senior runner Laura Brustolon enjoyed an outstanding cross country campaign with the

owls, becoming the first runner in university history to win the northeast-10 Conference individual championship. She followed that up with a third-place finish at the nCaa division ii northeast regional, which earned her a berth in the division ii Championship. Brustolon was named a 2008-09 recipient of the division ii athletic directors association academic achievement award. in the classroom, nearly one-third of all student-athletes were recognized with either conference, regional or national honors for their academic prowess. Southern hosted its first national Student-athlete day reception in april to celebrate the success of these students. during the spring 2009 semester, a total of 124 student-athletes were recognized by the northeast-10 Conference for selection to the ne-10 Commissioner’s Honor roll. the division ii athletic directors association also selected 29 of Southern’s athletes as academic achievement award winners. Gymnast Sarah Darst was named a Second-team academic all-american by the College Sports information directors of america.

Reaching Out to the Community SoutHern Student-atHLeteS have been outstanding ambassadors for the institution through volunteer work both on campus and in the Greater new Haven community, accumulating nearly 2,000 hours during outreach efforts with an array of local goodwill causes. a driving force behind the increased community presence has been the implementation of the Community Service Cup. fifteen teams compete against each other and accumulate points based on the type of activity and number of team participants. the team that tallies the most points during the academic year is presented with a plaque at the year-end Senior awards dinner, while each individual studentathlete also receives a special award.

Southern student-athletes have impacted a wide range of groups and individuals, including the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation. the owls have also been involved with academic programs at new Haven public schools, and assisted at campus events such as Southern Day of Service and Girls and Women in Sport Day.

Girls and Women in Sport Day annually brings young girls from the community to campus to take part in activities with Southern’s women athletes.

2009 Report of the President 17

LEFT: New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, the 2009 Mary and Louis Fusco Distinguished Lecturer, talks with Fusco Corporation President Lynn Fusco.

BELOW: A display of items from the “ICE: Icons, Crosses and Eggs” exhibit.

ABOVE: Holocaust survivors, along with representatives from the Southern community, took part in a Memory Ceremony at the “Memory and Legacy” exhibit’s opening reception.

LEFT: Singer/songwriter and social activist Michael Bolton (center), guest speaker at the evening graduate school commencement ceremony, was honored by Graduate School Dean Sandra Holley and President Cheryl Norton.

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NOTEWORTHY EVENTS

ought-Provoking Programs Highlight the Year

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uSt daYS after tHe oPeninG of the new Yankee Stadium, new York Yankees General manager Brian Cashman joined legendary eSPn sports reporter Peter Gammons for a lively discussion about “the Yankees and the Business of Baseball.” the event, held in Lyman Center, was the 11th installment of the annual Mary and Louis Fusco Distinguished Lecture Series. Guided

by Cashman, the Yankees went on to win the World Series last october.

“Holocaust Remembrance at SCSU: A Week of Reflection,” took place in april, with offerings including lectures, a commemorative ceremony featuring music and poetry, a panel discussion and exhibit on Varian fry’s book Surrender on Demand, and a presentation of the academy awardwinning film “the Pianist.” in the fall, the “Memory & Legacy”exhibit, on display in the multicultural Center, told the story of the new Haven Holocaust memorial. the exhibit’s opening reception welcomed Holocaust survivors, along with members of the new Haven and Southern communities.

a remarkable exhibit on display at the multicultural Center throughout the spring semester, “ICE: Icons, Crosses and Eggs: The Soul and Culture of the Eastern Christian Faith” presented artifacts and imagery from the Yvonne Shia klancko Collection. the exhibit’s focal point was the wax batik egg-dyeing technique of pysanky and the pysanky artwork of klancko, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as her sixth year diploma from Southern. in february, the university’s annual martin Luther king, Jr. celebration featured an address by Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, president emerita of both Bennett College for Women and Spelman College, the only two historically black colleges serving women in the united States. the significance of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency was discussed during a february forum at Buley Library to mark the bicentennial of his birth. Buley also hosted an exhibit to commemorate the Lincoln bicentennial.

Inspiring Commencement Speakers Connie CHunG, former co-anchor of the CBS evening news and award-winning investigative reporter, delivered last spring’s undergraduate commencement address. about 1,438 students earned bachelor’s degrees with more than 1,000 students participating in the abbreviated ceremony under threatening skies at the Connecticut tennis Center. fortunately, the rain that hit the area earlier in the morning stopped just before the procession into the stadium. a day earlier, two graduate commencement exercises were conducted at the John Lyman Center for the Performing arts. a combined total of about 500 students participated in those ceremonies, with about 1,100 earning degrees.

Orlando Taylor, vice provost for research and dean of the graduate school at Howard university, served as the guest speaker during the afternoon ceremony. Michael Bolton, singer/songwriter, delivered the address during the evening ceremony.

A powerful force in the news industry for more than 35 years, awardwinning investigative reporter Connie Chung spoke at the undergraduate commencement ceremony.

2009 Report of the President 19

RIGHT: Music Professor Mark Kuss and cellist Mihai Marica, a Southern alumnus, rehearse Kuss’s “Cello Concerto” with Orchestra New England.

ABOVE: Photographer Yolanda del Amo, an assistant professor of art, received recognition for her work in two important photography competitions and was chosen to be a fellow at the Spanish Academy in Rome.

LEFT: A production of Othello, directed by Theatre Professor Sheila Hickey Garvey and presented by the Crescent Players and the Theatre Department, was held for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Region I Festival.

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FOSTERING THE ARTS

Creative Talent Blossoms at Southern

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He artS Continued to tHriVe at SoutHern, with students and faculty in creative writing, music, theater and art recognized for their work regionally, nationally and internationally.

Assistant Professor of Art Yolanda del Amo, a photographer, received recognition for her work on several fronts. one of her photographs – “Sarah, david” – was awarded a commendation in the outwin Boochever Portrait competition hosted by the national Portrait Gallery in Washington, d.C. another photograph – “aron, Helen, Laura” – was selected in the 2009 taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize competition, the exhibit for which opened at the national Portrait Gallery in London on nov. 3. del amo was also invited to be a fellow at the Spanish academy in rome during the spring 2010 semester. the work of Music Professor Mark Kuss, composer-in-residence for new Haven’s orchestra new england (one), was featured

at a may concert in Battell Chapel, when prize-winning cellist mihai marica — a 2008 graduate of Southern — and one premiered kuss’ “Cello Concerto.”

Several members of the Theatre Department received recognition in the 2009 kennedy Center american College theatre region i festival. two productions were held for the festival: Les Blancs, directed by William elwood, and Othello, directed by Sheila Hickey Garvey. Student Samantha Benson received a Stage management merit Honor for her work on All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go. Student mike altieri was a merit nominee for lighting design, and student Craig Burns was a merit nominee for sound design. Southern’s student team was the region i winner of the tech olympics, with Sam Benson, Bill adams and Patricia mitcalf receiving first place in “Scene & Prop Change,” and Craig Burns receiving first place in “Light Hang & focus” and in “measure, Cut, Join.”

Creative Writers enGLiSH ProfeSSor DANA SONNENSCHEIN’S poetry manuscript, Bear Country, was selected as the winner of the 2008 Stevens Poetry Book manuscript Competition, conducted by the national federation of State Poetry Societies (nfSPS). english Professor Brian Johnson’s new book, Torch Lake & Other Poems, was a finalist for the Poetry Society of america’s norma farber first Book award, one of the most prestigious first book awards in american poetry.

Lee Keylock, a graduate student in creative writing, won both the 2009 Leo Connellan Prize for his poem “the tattie Hawker” and the 2009 John Holmes Poetry award for his poem “font.”

TOP: English Professor Dana Sonnenschein.

LEFT: Lee Keylock, a graduate student in creative writing.

BOTTOM: Brian Johnson, professor of English.

2009 Report of the President 21

ABOVE: The Educational Leadership Program has added a new 6th year diploma program, “educational coach.�

RIGHT: Rafael Hernandez, associate professor of world languages and literatures, teaches a new course in Portuguese.

BELOW: A new minor in forensic science complements an existing criminal justice minor.

22 Southern Connecticut State University

N E W AC A D E M I C O F F E R I N G S

Courses for the New Century

S

outHern HaS aPProVed a new set of general education requirements – a blueprint designed to prepare students for life in the 21st century – which will take effect starting in the fall of 2011. faculty members voted in favor of the new Liberal Education Program (LeP) during a referendum last spring. the vote paves the way for the program to be implemented and concludes a 10-year process of reviewing the existing all-university requirements and creating a new set of mandates. most students will be required to take 48 credits of general education courses, similar to the 41- to 54-credit mandate currently in place. this eliminates the physical education and health requirements and restructures the program into broader themes than is currently the case, enabling students to have more freedom in their selection of courses. these range from general competencies in areas such as reading, writing and math in the first tier, to analysis and evaluation and of ideas and information in the third tier of courses. the university also introduced several new academic offerings this year. Portuguese, the third most-spoken language in the americas and used by half of Latin america – was taught at Southern this fall for the first time in recent memory. a new 6th year diploma program, “educational coach,” will be offered to certified teachers, administrators, counselors and school psychologists – the first of its kind in the state. the program will provide classroom management techniques meeting the needs of students of all abilities and backgrounds. and a national boom in interest in forensic science saw the establishment of a minor in the topic, offered for the first time last fall. the program focuses on applied aspects of natural sciences, complementing an existing criminal justice minor that concentrates on applied aspects of social sciences.

Ties with Vietnam SoutHern StudentS Soon WiLL HaVe an oPPortunitY to experience today’s Vietnam – one that is a far cry from the war-torn jungle depicted in movies and in 1970s media images – thanks to a $100,000 grant from the u.S. State department to help launch a study abroad program in Ho Chi minh City (formerly Saigon). the grant paves the way for a pilot program to begin next summer that would send faculty and two Southern students to dai Hoc Su Pham/university of Pedagogy in Ho Chi minh City, which specializes in teacher training.

Vietnam is now considered the fastest-developing market of the united States in Southeast asia.

Connecticut, meanwhile, boasts a growing Vietnamese population, with more than 7,000 Vietnamese living in the state. this would be Southern’s first direct exchange program in asia, part of an effort to increase the number of students participating in international programs and to promote asian studies.

2009 Report of the President 23

LEFT: A self-defense course, led by Dawn Stanton-Holmes, assistant director of the University Student Center, taught participants techniques for defending themselves against assailants.

LEFT: The annual campus “Take Back the Night” event is a protest against rape and other forms of sexual violence.

ABOVE: Young men and mentors in the “Developing Tomorrow’s Professionals” program work together to help the students overcome hurdles to academic success.

24 Southern Connecticut State University

C O M M U N I T Y O U T R E AC H

Working Together to Reduce Domestic, Sexual Violence

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outHern iS LeadinG a neW State CoaLition of nine universities committed to the prevention of violence against women, thanks to a 3-year, $500,000 grant from the u.S. department of Justice. these institutions, in partnership with two state service organizations, have formed the Connecticut Campus Coalition to End Violence Against Women (CCC), joining in an effort to reduce the incidence of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking on their campuses. national data shows that 32 percent of all college students report some form of dating violence and/or abuse with previous partners. the federal funding will be used to enhance sexual assault awareness and prevention programs, provide training for staff, create a unified network of support for victims of violence and bolster efforts to hold perpetrators accountable through school discipline and criminal prosecution. the CCC will include the four Connecticut State university System campuses, the university of Connecticut, Quinnipiac university, university of Bridgeport, university

of Hartford and trinity College. it also includes the Connecticut Sexual assault Crisis Services inc. and the Connecticut Police academy’s Police officers Standards and training Council Post.

Several specific initiatives are planned, including: • a training conference, followed by a series of three Webinars, focusing on best practices involving law enforcement, campus judicial processes, prevention and response programs; • additional training for judicial officers and campus law enforcement; • the creation of a coalition Web site including resources and curricula related to the prevention of violence against women; • a comprehensive survey of current practices at each institution; • the development and implementation of anti-violence and awareness programs for first-year students. the various initiatives will be sensitive to the needs of all students, including minority, international and students with disabilities.

Smoothing the Path to College SoutHern ContinueS to deVeLoP PartnerSHiPS with schools in the Greater new Haven community in an effort to better prepare students for the academic challenges of college life. the university has teamed up with Hillhouse, Hamden and maloney (of meriden) high schools to bridge the gap between high school and college academic expectations and ultimately reduce the number of entering students taking remedial courses in math and english composition. The Galileo Project teams math and english teachers from those schools with Southern faculty to share curriculum information, visit classes and collaboratively develop methods to improve student learning.

Southern also works with new Haven, meriden and West Haven high schools on “Developing Tomorrow’s Professionals.” the program, for black and Hispanic males ages 15 to 19 who are underachieving but show potential, seeks to overcome hurdles to academic success that are common in urban areas: poverty, single-parent homes and the absence of positive male role models. during the summer, students learn academic and leadership skills at 10 “academic Saturdays” on campus. Classes are taught by Stephen Hoag, a state department of education specialist who originated the program. Students are assigned professional african-american and Latino men as mentors.

2009 Report of the President 25

C A M P U S OV E RV I E W

A Green and Growing Campus

P

LanS for VariouS building projects that will continue to transform the face of Southern’s campus made significant progress during the last year. two parking garages – a 1,200-car garage on Parking Lot 7 (next to moore fieldhouse) and a 450car facility behind the existing garage on fitch Street – have moved closer to the start of construction. Work on the larger garage is projected to begin in the fall. meanwhile, the renovation of the old Student Center into a new home for the School of Business reached the design stage, and progress is also being made on plans for a 110,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art academic Science Building. the university continued its efforts toward greater sustainability with several initiatives, including a long-term plan leading to carbon neutrality by the year 2050. a reduction in carbon emissions is called for by the american College and university Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which was signed by President Cheryl J. norton in 2007. in the near term, Southern's plan includes increased recycling

programs, initiating energy efficiency projects, undertaking greater conservation efforts and increasing the percentage of purchased electricity from suppliers of renewable energy.

Southern considers the health and safety of the campus community to be of utmost importance and the university continually takes innovative and prudent steps to keep everyone safe. among the initiatives taken during the last year was an emergency management tabletop drill that simulated a crisis, with key personnel being called upon to take specific actions. the university also created and distributed flipchart emergency reference guides that provide safety recommendations to employees for a wide range of potential crises. Students were given a campus safety pocket guide and map that includes emergency phone numbers and safety tips. a campuswide siren/public address system is in the final stages of completion.

Technology Upgrades CHief information offiCer WendY CHanG arrived at Southern in december 2008, bringing over 20 years of academic and industrial experience in strategic planning and research. Previously, Chang had served as the senior adviser to the chancellor at indiana university east, one of eight campuses in the indiana university system. at Southern, she immediately developed an it roadmap for the next 18 to 24 months. in 2009, all mySCSu courses migrated to eLearning Vista, and the office of information technology (oit) began the process of merging Windows accounts and mySCSu accounts so that eventually users would have a single sign-on. the campus also looked ahead to a Banner 8 upgrade. a new, revamped campus portal, mySCSu, was introduced in the fall, and oit rolled out a new Web site in the spring that showcases many of the department’s new initiatives. SCSu Share, tech talk and free online microsoft training are among the many new features offered on the oit site. With SCSu Share, members of the campus community can upload free versions of software. tech talk, run by the Help desk, enables users to access support via an online chat.

26 Southern Connecticut State University

Chief Information Officer Wendy Chang has led the Office of Information Technology in implementing many upgrades and other changes within the arena of campus technology.

FISCAL YEAR 2009

Financial Report

Operating Revenues auxiliary Sales and Services 4.3% federal Grant revenues 2.9% State Grant revenues 1.0% Private and Local Grant revenues 0.5% other Sources of revenue 9.9% investment income 0.2% indirect Cost recoveries 3.3% tuition and fees 40.7%

State appropriations 37.2%

Operating Expenditures institutional Support 11.9% operations and maintenance – Plant 8.3% Scholarships & fellowships 10.3% auxilary enterprises 11.5%

Student Services 10.4% Library 3.1% academic Support 5.1% Public Service 0.4% research and Sponsored Programs 1.1%

instruction 37.9%

in 2009, the university again exhibited strength in its principal “lines of business”: teaching, research, and public service. although the state operating appropriation allocated to the university is 37.2 percent of total revenues, the other main sources (tuition and fees, sales of auxiliary services, and grants and contracts) continue to show steady and sustainable growth over the long term. at the close of 2009, a better understanding was gained of the state’s deteriorating fiscal condition and the discouraging outlook for the overall economy for the coming two to three fiscal years. the apparent trend may lead to even less State General fund support for the university’s operations. in fiscal year 2009, the university operating revenues increased by 2.99 percent to $190.6 million due to increases in student tuition and fees.

Correspondingly, operating expenditures increased by 3.08 percent to $187.8 million. this was primarily due to inflation and expenses associated with the retirement incentive program. the university held operating expenditures in line through conscientious fiscal oversight and was able to maintain the operating reserve guidelines established by the Board of trustees for the Connecticut State university System.

2009 Report of the President 27

Board of Trustees for the Connecticut State University System

Administrative Officers for the Connecticut State University System

karL J. kraPek Chairman • Avon

daVid G. Carter Sr. Chancellor

riCHard J. BaLduCCi Vice Chairman • Deep River tHereSa J. eBerHard-aSCH Secretary • Danbury miCHaeL a. Caron Danielson andreW CHu SCSU Student • New Haven JoHn a. doYLe Barkhamsted eLizaBetH GaGne Avon anGeLo J. meSSina Unionville JoHn H. motLeY Hartford L. daVid PanCiera Wethersfield ronaLd J. PuGLieSe Southbury aLex rodriGuez CCSU Student • Norwalk Peter m. roSa West Hartford JoHn r. SHoLtiS Jr. Marlborough tHe reVerend JoHn P. SuLLiVan New Haven andreW r. Wetmore WCSU Student • Danbury GaiL H. WiLLiamS Danbury koLBY WiLLiamS ECSU Student • Hartford

LouiSe feroe Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs PameLa J. kedderiS Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration daVid P. trainor Executive Assistant to the Chancellor / Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Labor Relations GeorGe kaHkedJian Chief Information Officer JiLL ferraioLo Associate Vice Chancellor for Government Relations / Communications WiLLiam J. GammeLL Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning, Institutional Research, Market Research, and Analysis Bernard L. kaVaLer Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs

Officers for Southern Connecticut State University CHerYL J. norton President SeLaSe W. WiLLiamS Provost / Vice President for Academic Affairs JameS e. BLake Executive Vice President ronaLd d. Herron Vice President for Student and University Affairs meGan a. roCk Vice President for Institutional Advancement marCia SmitH GLaSPer Executive Assistant to the President, Director of Diversity and Equity

Produced by the Office of Public Affairs PatriCk diLGer Director BetSY BeaCom Editor BetSY BeaCom, mike koBYLanSki, Joe muSante, ViLLia StruYk Writers iSaBeL CHenoWetH Photographer tHomaS Cain Assistant Photographer meGHan marino, JoHn SteadY Contributing Photographers BarBara kaGan Designer

Printed on 30% PoSt-ConSumer PaPer

finLaY PrintinG Printer

fSC info fPo

LEFT: Southern’s cheerleading squad celebrated a national championship in 2009.

501 Crescent Street New Haven, Connecticut 06515-1355 www.SouthernCT.edu

Southern: Leading the way in graduate studies in health/life sciences, education and social/public services.