Report of the President 2015

2015 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

Pathways to Opportunity

Dear Friends of Southern, SINCE ITS FOUNDING AS A TEACHER-TRAINING SCHOOL ALMOST 125 YEARS AGO, Southern Connecticut State University has reinvented itself – and continues to reinvent itself – several times during its long and storied history. Many of you are aware of the current challenges facing higher education, both in our state and nationwide: among them, the spiraling cost of tuition, room and board; a shrinking pool of high school applicants, and declining undergraduate retention rates.

I’m proud to say that at Southern, we are tackling these challenges head on. And I am happy to share with you, in the pages of this annual report, how we are working to transform our mission to reflect the needs of both a changing higher education landscape and the rapidly evolving, knowledge-based economy of the 21st century.

In many ways, the last 12 months represented a banner year for our university. We opened two signature buildings, the refurbished Buley Library and the new Academic Science and Laboratory Building. One is an inspiring academic heart of campus, the other a signature facility that will greatly enhance our ambitious goals in STEM education.

We extended our reach and built new partnerships internationally, regionally and in our host city of New Haven, where we now have an established downtown presence, Southern on the Green.

Our wellness and sustainability initiatives received state and national recognition, and our faculty earned accolades for research, teaching and scholarship.

We devised innovative new graduate programs that will meet the demands of Connecticut’s workforce and meet the time constraints of today’s working professionals.

And we enhanced our undergraduate experiential learning and research opportunities, even as we expanded and refined our support services to help ensure that every student’s path to a college degree is unimpeded.

These are important and necessary steps, as Connecticut’s population will need to reach higher levels of education to meet the skilled workforce needs in the foreseeable future. State projections indicate that by 2025, Connecticut’s economy will require a workforce of which 70 percent will have some education beyond high school.

But, if current education patterns continue, Connecticut will produce 23,000 fewer graduates due to the projected decline in high school graduates over the next decade and beyond. The only increases in high school graduates will occur among the state’s minority populations – yet the education attainment gaps between whites and minorities are greater in Connecticut than in almost all other states in the country.

Clearly, surmounting these challenges will require a globally competitive, regionally engaged Connecticut higher education system – and Southern will be a key player in this effort.

We will continue to respond, change and innovate as we continue to fulfill our mission to educate the next generation of leaders for our community, providing pathways to opportunity for a diverse student population yearning to achieve the American dream.

Sincerely yours,

Mary A. Papazian, Ph.D. President

Southern AT A GLANCE ACADEMICS 69 undergraduate, 47 graduate degree programs ACCREDITATION In 2012, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges

(NEASC) voted to continue Southern’s accreditation. The university’s next site visit and comprehensive evaluation by NEASC is scheduled for 2021.

ALUMNI 92,000 ATHLETICS The Owls have captured 10 national NCAA Division II team titles

and 79 individual championships.

CAMPUS Nearly 172 acres DIVERSITY Students belonging to racial or ethnic minorities comprise about

31 percent of Southern's enrollment. The university has 668 students with disabilities.

ENDOWMENT $14.5 million ENROLLMENT 10,473 students FACULTY 440 full-time; 85 percent with doctoral and other terminal degrees GRADUATE STUDENTS 2,367 OPERATING BUDGET $218 million RESIDENCE LIFE 2,617 full-time undergraduates live on campus in nine residence halls.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 8,106

1 • Nursing 2 • Liberal Studies 3 • Psychology 4 • Social Work 5 • Education 6 • Exercise Science 7 • Management 8 • Special Education

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

• Biology • Public Health • Recreation & Leisure Studies • Accounting • Communication Disorders • Communication • Computer Science • English • Marketing • Educational Leadership • History • Art

HOMETOWN : SHELTON , CONN .

MAJOR : COMMUNICATION DISORDERS : SPEECH PATHOLOGY CLASS YEAR : 2017

adam zhitomi

student

WHERE OUR GRADUATES WORK

• Aetna • AT&T • Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection • ESPN • FedEx • Indeed.com • Live Nation Entertainment

• • • • • • • • •

Men’s Health MetLife NBC News Quinnipiac University Sikorsky Aircraft Travelers UnitedHealth Care United Way Yale University

HOMETOWN : NEW HAVEN , CONN .

MAJOR : POLITICAL SCIENCE CLASS YEAR : 2017

WHAT OUR GRADUATES DO

• Entrepreneurship • Information Technology • Media and Communication • Operations • Education • Healthcare Services • Community and Social Services

• Administrative • Sales • Finance • Marketing • Arts and Design • Consulting • Research Source: LinkedIn

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“ONE OF MY LIFE GOALS is to open my own speech pathology practice, and the many leadership and interpersonal skills that I have gained here at Southern will help me achieve this. I have had many leadership roles already in my two years here…I have learned how to manage difficult tasks and work with large groups of people.

I am grateful for the many doors that Southern has opened for me.”

corey evans

“I KNEW THAT SOUTHERN’S DEDICATION TO SOCIAL JUSTICE and community engagement made it the perfect place to learn how to give back to the city that raised me. Community service has introduced me to a variety of fields, from education to community organizing, and these experiences have helped me immensely in figuring out where I can best utilize my skills after graduation.”

6869 1237 38% 1947

HOMETOWN : BRANFORD , CONN .

MAJOR : BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY CLASS YEAR : 2017

“MY INTERNSHIP TOOK ME TO ETHIOPIA, A PLACE I would never have seen, and it taught me a lot about the world. I learned how to dig without destroying what I was trying to excavate. I learned the most efficient way to catalogue in the field.

I learned that archaeology is a physically demanding profession.

And I learned from living among the local Afar people that it is possible to communicate when you don’t speak the same language.”

FULL-TIME STUDENTS

PART-TIME STUDENTS

LIVE IN CAMPUS HOUSING

262

ASIAN

OTHER/ UNKNOWN

1438 BLACK

4538 834

WHITE

HISPANIC

UNDERGRADUATES: 8106 GRADUATES: 2367

50

vicky conde

ASIAN

264 233

OTHER/ UNKNOWN

STUDENTS COME FROM

BLACK

141 HISPANIC

“I CHOSE TO STUDY ABROAD AT SOUTHERN because I wanted to learn another language, finish my degree, and play soccer, something really difficult to find in Europe. Studying in a different country offers new ways to face the world and provides you with contacts in many fields that you can use once you graduate.

Also, once you return home you feel ready for new challenges in your life because of the experience of living abroad.”

1034

FULL-AND PART-TIME STUDENT POPULATION

BY RACE/ ETHNICITY

samantha traylor

voices HOMETOWN : ALCALA DE HENARES , SPAIN MAJOR : HUMAN PERFORMANCE CLASS YEAR : 2016

FIRST-YEAR FULL-TIME STUDENTS

1679

14

STATES

WHITE

FULL-AND PART-TIME UNDERGRADUATES

4949 3157

1577 DEGREES CONFERRED IN 2014-15

1689 678 FULL-AND PART-TIME GRADUATES

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ENGAGING IN A FACT ~

THE UNIVERSITY HAS JOINED

THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION (IIE)’S GENERATION STUDY ABROAD INITIATIVE, WHICH CALLS FOR DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF AMERICAN STUDENTS WHO STUDY ABROAD BY THE END OF THE DECADE. CURRENTLY, FEWER THAN 10 PERCENT OF ALL U.S. COLLEGE STUDENTS STUDY ABROAD AT SOME POINT IN THEIR ACADEMIC CAREERS.

GLOBAL SOCIETY

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he 2014-15 academic year was an outstanding one for international education. Student participation in semesterand year-long study abroad and faculty-led programs increased, and new faculty-led programs were added to Italy (Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies), Belize (Department of Biology) and Peru (Department of Nursing).

The summer also marked the 25th anniversary of Southern’s longest-standing study abroad program —in Salamanca, Spain — and the work of its organizer, Carlos Arboleda, professor of world languages and literatures.

Another major focus of programming supported by the Office of International Education has been building institutional partnerships. Visits to several institutions in China saw students from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture visiting campus in July to take a course in social work and gain exposure to clinical environments in the United States. Doctoral-level collaborations in social work are also being explored this fall.

President Papazian led a delegation of Southern faculty and staff to Armenia to explore ways to support the needs of nursing and healthcare professionals there through the establishment of an “Armenian Center for the Continued Professional Development of Nurses.” During the visit, supported by funding from the Richard David Donchian Foundation of Greenwich, Conn., talks were held with representatives from Armenia’s Ministry of Health and other leaders in government and higher education.

Building a Bridge Across the Pond “WE ARE PART OF A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE, AND WE MUST STRIVE TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS MORE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE AT HOME AND ABROAD – AND PROVIDE STUDENTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THE CHANCE TO RECEIVE THE BENEFITS OF AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION.”

— PRESIDENT PAPAZIAN

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he university has established a unique and exciting partnership – a Trans-Atlantic Alliance – with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), an English institution that is similar to Southern in terms of its demographics and mission. LJMU is based in the famous port city of Liverpool, known for its historic role as a center for commerce and immigration, its professional soccer teams and the Beatles!

Collaborative work currently is underway with eight different academic departments – from business and nursing to creative writing and geography.

The ultimate goal is to present a multitude of programming opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students from both institutions, ideally beginning in spring 2016.

The partnership will include study abroad opportunities, a prospectus of dual-taught master’s programs, and joint research across a range of disciplines.

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Fostering the Next Generation of

Connecticut’s Scientists “ SOUTHERN IS COMMITTED TO GRADUATING A DIVERSE POPULATION OF STUDENTS WITH THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO COMPETE AND LEAD IN THE HIGH -TECH , STEM - ORIENTED 21 ST- CENTURY ECONOMY, BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY.”

– PRESIDENT MARY A. PAPAZIAN

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he expansion of science programs at Southern Connecticut State University has taken a quantum leap forward with the opening of its Academic Science and Laboratory Building. Adjacent to Jennings Hall, the new building enhances STEM curricula and research as well as the university’s capacity to educate more students in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Configured in an L-shape, the new 103,608-square-foot building works in concert with two pre-existing science buildings — Jennings and Morrill halls — to enclose a new “science enclave.” Featuring research displays

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and instrumentation visible from within and outside the building, the new center is emblematic of the importance of the sciences on campus.

Embracing innovative sustainable design, the building houses teaching and research training laboratories for the Center for Nanotechnology, Physics, Optics, Materials Sciences, Astronomy, the Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies, Environmental Studies, Earth Sciences, Chemistry, and Biology.

It is also home to the university’s Office for STEM Innovation and Leadership and BioPath, a new bioscience partnership between Southern and the City of New Haven.

GROWING STEM The cutting-edge science building will provide the launching pad for an expansion of Southern’s STEM programs. The university has committed to increasing its graduation rate in STEM degrees by 35 percent and STEM teachers with initial certification by 25 percent over the next 10 years. These efforts will include improving STEM education for low-income, female and underrepresented minority students at the university level.

ADVANCING INNOVATION Southern’s newly formed Office for STEM Innovation and Leadership, headed by Christine Broadbridge — a professor of physics and a highly regarded leader in the fields of nanotechnology and materials science — will help to generate opportunities for students to take part in internships and innovative research projects in STEM education.

The office also will seek to establish community partnerships such as the Biotechnology Academic and Career Pathway (BioPath), recently established in collaboration with the City of New Haven, providing new research, internship and careerbased opportunities with the city’s burgeoning biotechnology industry.

KEY BUILDING FEATURES • CSCU Center for Nanotechnology on the ground floor, where laboratory space is designed to isolate the building vibrations, a necessity when dealing with microscopic materials.

• Expanded wings for Earth Science, Environmental Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies, and Physics teaching and research laboratories.

• A high performance computing lab for research in theoretical science, bioinformatics, and computer science.

• Saltwater aquaria room with touch tank and phytoplankton grow tank, a centerpiece for marine studies and research as well as outreach to area schools and the community.

• Scientific displays throughout, illustrating displays of optical phenomena, the natural environment, nanotechnology, geological formations, biological specimens, and astronomical observations.

• Astronomy Control Room, linked to six rooftop Dobsonian telescopes and observatories nationwide.

• Geological rock garden and wall, with boulders from quarries throughout Connecticut.

• Two large aquaria containing both deep water and coastal marine life from Long Island Sound.

• Rain water aqueduct collection system, including a 40,000-gallon cistern, used to irrigate the science quad, faculty garden, and surrounding area.

• Two 50-seat classrooms, conference space, and student study areas.

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Downtown Presence

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he university has established a presence in the heart of the Elm City through Southern on the Green, a suite of offices and seminar rooms contiguous to the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce offices at 900 Chapel Street in downtown New Haven.

This new space enables Southern to maximize networking, development, and partnership opportunities with the city’s key players in politics, commerce, education, and the nonprofit sector.

The leased space also means that Southern can expand collaborations with nearby Gateway Community College and enhance the recruitment of transfer students. The space serves as a venue to offer off-campus classes to professionals who work in the downtown business district. And it provides a convenient location to network for student internships and job opportunities.

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initiatives

“ TOO OFTEN IN THE PAST, WE HAVE BEEN VIEWED AS AN INSTITUTION ON THE PERIPHERY OF NEW HAVEN . NOW WE HAVE A HIGHLY VISIBLE PRESENCE THAT WILL OPEN NEW DOORS AND ENHANCE THE TOWN GOWN INITIATIVES WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE .”

— PRESIDENT PAPAZIAN

In the early months of her presidency, President Papazian stressed how important it was for Southern to become a MORE VISIBLE , ACTIVE AND INTEGRAL PART OF THE WIDER COMMUNITY beyond our campus boundaries.

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BioPath Partnership

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outhern announced a new bioscience partnership last spring with the City of New Haven and its burgeoning biotechnology industry.

President Papazian and New Haven Mayor Toni Harp signed an agreement (below) that will see the development of a new biotechnology program at Southern providing an important link between academia and the science sector.

The Bioscience Academic and Career Pathway, or BioPath for short, will include four academic pathways for incoming students, including a new major in biotechnology and graduate-level certification in areas such as pharmaceutical or healthcare management.

The city will assist in promoting these offerings to industry partners and area educational institutions, support an internship program with area companies, and create biotechnology pathways in city schools that will prepare students for entry

into Southern’s programs.

Greater New Haven already is home to the second-largest cluster of biotechnology companies in New England, and Connecticut is making concerted efforts to develop further this important economic growth center.

“Southern is poised to become a key player in New Haven’s biotechnology expansion, given our location in the city, the opening of our new science building, our establishment of an Office for STEM Innovation and Leadership, and our commitment to increasing the number and quality of students graduating in the STEM disciplines,” President Papazian said.

As a result, the UNIVERSITY HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES TOWARD ENHANCING SOUTHERN ’ S PRESENCE in New Haven and in nearby municipalities, as both a community resource and an active partner in town-gown initiatives.

Bridgeport Collaboration

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outhern has engaged in extensive discussions with city leaders in Bridgeport, Connecticut’s largest city, about collaborations in a wide range of disciplines.

The city is eager to partner with a public university in areas such as education, business, and environmental science.

“We certainly have the expertise, and such partnerships also will help us establish a profile in Fairfield County as we seek to expand our presence there and enhance the recruitment of students from outside Greater New Haven,” President Papazian said.

In partnership with Housatonic Community College, a multi-pronged initiative is being developed that will enable the university to strengthen its community engagement, and implement innovative sustainability projects. Southern will also align its mission with that of the city to promote community well-being, economic growth, and social justice.

“We anticipate that our work in Bridgeport will help shape future research projects, special topics, and directed work experiences in the classrooms here at Southern,” President Papazian said.

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EMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY DUG INTO CULTURAL DIVERSITY ON MANY LEVELS THIS YEAR , FROM THE ENTERTAINING TO THE DEEPLY THOUGHT- PROVOKING . u The 2014 Southern Reads selection, Fear and What Follows: The Violent Education of a Christian Racist,

by English Professor Tim Parrish (right), generated many campus conversations – both inside and outside of classrooms – on the topic of racism in America.

“Courageous Conversation on White Privilege” and other discussions on race and racism also were part of campus culture throughout the year. u The Multicultural Center sponsored several major campus events, such as the Martin Luther King Day Celebration, Chinese New Year Celebration, and spring Cultural Fest, with tastes of soul food and Caribbean, Mediterranean, Turkish, Asian, African, and Latino cuisines, along with performances and activities reflecting an array of cultures. u The university held several art and music events in observance of the

centenary of the Armenian Genocide, with visits and performances by guest musicians Anna Hayrapetyan and Tatev Amiryan and the installation of an art exhibit, Ashfall (below), by artist Robert Barsamian.

u Social Justice Week, sponsored by the Minority Recruitment and Retention Committee, presented nationally-known speakers Michael Eric Dyson and Jane Elliott, panel discussions, and a variety of films pertaining to social justice. u Organized by Spanish Professor Ruben Pelayo, a conference to discuss the works of Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez brought several leading scholars to campus.

u The Mary and Louis Fusco Distinguished Lecture Series brought New York Yankees legends Mariano Rivera and Joe Torre (above) to Southern, where their conversation thrilled the audience in a packed Lyman Center. u The Latino & Native American Film Festival (LANAFF) celebrated its fifth year of presenting feature films, documentaries, shorts and animations, as well as other artistic manifestations, by or about Latinos and Native Americans. Organized by Spanish Professor Carlos Torre and Anna Rivera-Alfaro, academic and career advising, the festival is dedicated to the recruitment and retention of Latino and Native American students.

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he university took significant steps toward enhancing health and wellness among students and staff this year. Southern’s new Student Health and Wellness Center coordinator, Emily Rosenthal, MPH, MSW, right, was hired in late 2014 to develop a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to health and wellness education for students. Rosenthal now heads a collaborative wellness team and has outlined four general priority areas for student wellness: sleep, stress, nutrition, and sexual health. “The combination of a healthy mind and healthy body is crucial for our students to be able to learn and study effectively and to live long, healthy lives,” said President Mary A. Papazian.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS ARE 12 | 2015 Report of the President | Southern Connecticut State University

FACT ~ SOON AFTER

Smoke-Free Campus

LAUNCHING ITS TOBACCO-FREE

As of August 25, 2015, the university is tobacco-free, one of more than 1,000 colleges and universities across the state and the nation to adopt such a policy. Reflecting the university’s mission to foster a safe, healthy, and respectful environment on campus, the policy was the result of a letter from U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy that encouraged Southern to join the national Tobacco-Free College Campus Initiative.

After several months of study by the university’s Health and Safety Committee, the resulting policy prohibits the use of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Designed to help reduce health risks and related employee healthcare costs, it will also increase productivity, reduce campus litter, and prepare students for careers in increasingly tobacco-free work environments.

A cessation program is available to support individuals in their efforts to quit smoking.

CAMPUS INITIATIVE, SOUTHERN WAS AWARDED A $235,000 TOBACCO GRANT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. AS WELL AS PROMOTING CESSATION ON CAMPUS THROUGH A VARIETY OF EDUCATION AND AWARENESS PROGRAMS, SOUTHERN WILL LEAD A STATEWIDE COALITION WITH ITS SISTER CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONS TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES IN TOBACCO CONTROL AND PREVENTION.

FACT ~ SOUTHERN IS ONLY THE SECOND PUBLIC INSTITUTION IN THE STATE – AFTER GATEWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE – TO MANDATE A TOBACCO-FREE ENVIRONMENT.

Heart-Healthy!

In another effort to support health and wellness, Southern “went red” for the American Heart Association (AHA) through the 2015 Greater New Haven Heart Walk, held in May, under the leadership of President Mary A. Papazian, vice-chair of the event.

The university committed to raising $5,000 in support of the AHA, and several SCSU offices and departments formed teams and raised funds by recruiting walkers and donations. The Greater New Haven Heart Walk is a non-competitive three-mile walk that raises funds and awareness for research, education, and advocacy of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

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A Library for the 21st Century ccess to a high-quality academic library is critical to the success of today’s university students, and even the choosiest of prospective freshmen would have reason to laud the new-look Hilton C. Buley Library, which completed the second half of a dramatic two-phase expansion and renovation last spring.

The first phase — construction of a 135,000-squarefoot, five-story addition – was completed in 2008, bringing with it a two-story reading room, private study areas, technological advances, and more.

In 2013, after numerous construction delays, eyes turned to the original section of the library. The building — which opened its doors in 1970 and is named for thenPresident Hilton C. Buley — had state-of-the-art features for its time, including playback phones that explained how to use the library and its services.

Times clearly have changed — and so has Buley Library, which is now among the largest libraries in the state. Inviting spaces abound throughout the facility.

Just inside the main doors, students find themselves in the Learning Commons, a full-service area that includes a computer lab, extensive seating, additional computer stations, a reference help desk, an information technology help desk, and adjoining private group study rooms. Other key areas include space for media and special collections, as well as a first-floor art gallery.

With students’ needs in mind, an Academic Success Center— with tutoring rooms, a computer lab, and conference space — opened in fall 2015. The library will also include a cyber café, an adjacent 24-hour access space, a self-checkout station, a library instruction classroom, the IT Data Center, and more.

Buley

135,000 + 98,000 + 12,000 SQUARE FEET | NEW ADDITION

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RENOVATED ORIGINAL WING

ATRIUM AND SKYWALK

BELOW: MEMBERS OF THE BULEY FAMILY GATHER UNDER A PORTRAIT OF HILTON C. BULEY AT THE LIBRARY’S GRAND RE-OPENING. BOTTOM: THE ENTRANCE TO ARTIST ROBERT BARSAMIAN’S INSTALLATION, ASHFALL.

Buley’s Crown Jewels Return Home Four magnificent stained-glass windows were recently reinstalled in the library after being kept in storage for nearly eight years while the building underwent construction. Two arched windows, known as the “Hector” window and the “Water Brooks” window, among three donated by the historic First Church of Christ in New Haven, are considered masterful examples of the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany. These three windows were originally donated to Southern in the 1960s and installed in Buley in 1972.

= 245,000 TOTAL SQUARE FEET

Southern Connecticut State University | 2015 Report of the President | 15

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OUTHERN FACULTY’S RESEARCH INTERESTS TAKE

THEM INSIDE THE HUMAN BRAIN,

OUT TO THE BEACHES OF CONNECTICUT, AND AROUND THE WORLD AND BEYOND. FROM THE PERSONAL AND LOCAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL AND INTERSTELLAR, THE SCOPE OF FACULTY RESEARCH SERVES TO ENRICH THE SOUTHERN COMMUNITY AND THE QUALITY OF STUDENTS’ EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES.

Julia Irwin, associate professor of psychology, is the lead investigator for a study that looks at whether the avoidance of eye contact in those who have an autism spectrum disorder results in the common speech difficulties and other language development problems generally seen in those with the disorder. Southern is part of this three-year study in a partnership with Haskins Laboratories, which is affiliated with both Yale University and the University of Connecticut. The research is being funded through a $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health.

faculty research: For the past several years, Philosophy Professor David Pettigrew has been researching and writing about the genocide that took place during the Bosnian War in the 1990s, focusing particularly on the widespread and systematic efforts to exclude Bosnian Muslims from their former homes.

In summer, 2014, Pettigrew served as a volunteer faculty member with Summer University Srebrenica, which draws students from around the world. He spoke at the opening ceremonies at the Bosniak Institute in Sarajevo and presented a paper titled “After Genocide: Activism in a Post-Genocide Community: ˇ Resisting Genocide Denial in Višegrad,” at Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center.

During his field work, Pettigrew helped receive and unload 175 coffins containing the remains of victims exhumed and identified in previous years, in preparation for burial.

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Troy Paddock, chair of the History Department, and an expert on German history, received the 2014 Faculty Scholar Award for his book, Creating the Russian Peril: Education, the Public Sphere and National Identity in Imperial Germany, 1890-1914.

The book explores the German perception of Russia in the years before World War I, a topic of some debate.

Drawing on extensive scholarly research conducted in several German cities, Paddock’s work explores how Russia was presented in various books, newspapers, and academic writings.

A

BRESLIN

CUSATO

Two Southern Connecticut State University faculty members and their students are analyzing the effect that Hurricane Sandy had on the coastlines of East Haven and West Haven in an effort to help those communities prepare for future storms. James Tait, above left, associate professor of science education and environmental studies, and Ezgi Akpinar Ferrand, second from left, assistant professor of geography, have been examining the beach erosion that occurred from the hurricane that hit the East Coast in 2012.

BENNETT

GEMME

YU

Professor of Anthropology Michael Rogers received $20,000 from the Leakey Foundation to further his field work in Ethiopia at an archaeological dig site where some of the earliest hominid remains have been found. Rogers has taken small groups of students with him to Ethiopia over the past few years, giving them the rare opportunity to work with and learn from some of the top researchers in this discipline.

ARONSON

team of faculty members was selected by the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE) as the recipient of the 2015 Team William E. Bennett Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Citizen Science. NCSCE is the parent organization for SENCER (Scientific Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities), whose methods and strategies have been pursued on campus during the last decade, through courses and programs connecting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics content to critical local, national, and global challenges.

Southern’s honorees were: Vincent Breslin, Susan Cusato, and James Tait, (all from science education and environmental studies); Therese Bennett (mathematics); Terese Gemme (music); and Winnie Yu (computer science).

Barbara Aronson, Professor of Nursing, secured $430,673 under the federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP). These funds will enable Ed.D. and master’s degree students in the nursing program to finance their education with the possibility of excused repayment if they become nurse educators.

Professor of English Vivian Shipley won first prize in the national poetry competition in the 2014 Hackney Literary Awards for her poem, “Foxfire.” Shipley is a Connecticut State University Distinguished Professor who has earned wide acclaim for her work, including the 2011 Paterson Award for Sustained Literary Achievement, and two Pulitzer Prize nominations.

SHIPLEY

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outhern athletics continued its timehonored tradition of excellence in 2014-15, with six programs competing in NCAA Division II championship action, resulting in one NCAA title and one runner-up. Southern finished 50th in a field of more than 300 Division II institutions in the annual Learfield Sports Directors Cup, which measures overall athletic performance, marking the ninth straight year that the Owls have finished in the top 20 percent nationally.

Four members of Southern’s women’s indoor track and field team won the NCAA National Championship in the women's 4x400 relay at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championship.

Sophomore Crystle Hill (Norwalk), junior Georgette Nixon (Naugatuck), graduate student Sarah Hill (Vernon), and sophomore Shatajah Wattely (Uncasville), earned the Owls the 79th

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individual title in program history in winning the women's 4x400 relay at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championship. The title was the fourth for women’s track and the second for the Owls’ indoor track and field program.

The quartet won the event with a time of 3:44.91, earning All-American honors and joining other Owls who also earned this national accolade last year.

Senior Michelle Grecni (Danbury) earned second place in the pole vault at the NCAA Division II Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships for the second straight year.

The Owls won Northeast-10 Conference titles in women’s and men’s outdoor track and field and men’s swimming and diving – the team’s 11th in the last 12 years. Men’s basketball won a divisional title and reached the NCAA East Regional Final for the second consecutive year on the way to a 24-8 record.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE |

10

NCAA TEAM TITLES

ACADEMIC PROWESS SOUTHERN’S ATHLETIC PROGRAM ENJOYED ITS MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR EVER IN THE CLASSROOM IN

2014-15, WITH ITS

400 3.07.

STUDENT-ATHLETES COMBINING FOR AN ALL-TIME HIGH GPA OF

ALMOST HALF WERE RECOGNIZED AT EITHER THE CONFERENCE, REGIONAL OR NATIONAL LEVELS — AND IN SOME CASES ALL THREE — FOR THEIR ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IN ADDITION, SEVEN OF OUR TEAMS WERE RECOGNIZED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE NATIONAL COACHING ORGANIZATIONS FOR EXCEPTIONAL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.

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79

AS ONE OF THE TOP-RATED NCAA DIVISION II PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY, SOUTHERN HAS ACHIEVED:

NCAA INDIVIDUAL TITLES

|

1,000

NEARLY

ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS

STANDOUT ALUM AND NUTMEG STATE STAR LEAD OWLS BASKETBALL outhern basketball produced exciting news during the summer with the introduction of Kate Lynch, ’08, as the new head coach of the women’s basketball program and then Scott Burrell as head coach of the men’s program.

Lynch, who was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, was the MVP of the Owls’ 2007 national championship team and the all-time leading scorer in the history of the women’s program. She has enjoyed success coaching at NCAA college and junior college levels since the conclusion of her playing career at Southern.

Burrell is a household name in Connecticut, thanks to his accomplishments as an all-around high school athlete in Hamden, his record-breaking basketball career at the University of Connecticut, and his winning an NBA title with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. He came to Southern after an eight-year stint as assistant coach at Quinnipiac University.

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Southern Connecticut State University | 2015 Report of the President | 19

U

ndergraduate research opportunities are a hallmark of a Southern education, and now, thanks to the creation of a new Academic Success Center, students have even more ways to succeed. Bolstering the university’s commitment to student success, the new Academic Success Center, headed by director Katie De Oliveira, right, offers a wide array of services, spaces, and technologies that enhance student learning and foster academic confidence and independence. Serving the entire student body, the Center provides an environment that is

personal, accessible, and friendly, so that students will want to make it their home for academic support. Equipped with several rooms specific to one-on-one academic support, the Center also offers collaboration labs for group work, comfortable study spaces, a reading/writing studio to provide reading and writing support, a math lab, a workshop room, two touch-screen TVs, and an eno whiteboard.

Students can take advantage of group tutoring and sessions with Peer Academic Specialists, peer-led study groups, academic workshops, and appointments with Academic Success Coaches.

20 | 2015 Report of the President | Southern Connecticut State University

Highlighting Student Research

Other New Initiatives

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t the SCSU Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference, held in the spring, students showcased their innovative studies and projects at the first of what is anticipated to be an annual event.

The conference was filled with budding talent from across the disciplinary spectrum, with oral presentations, poster presentations, an art crawl in Earl Hall, a panel discussion on careers with Southern alumni, and dramatic scenes performed by students who had recently competed at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. The conference provided an overview of the types of research opportunities available to students at Southern.

One such new opportunity is the Industry Academic Fellowship (IAF) program.

Sponsored by the Werth Family Foundation, the program provides students with the opportunity to conduct team-based interdisciplinary research in nanotechnology while exploring the business-related side of working in technology. The program is coordinated through Southern’s new Office for STEM Innovation and Leadership (STEM-IL), headed by Christine Broadbridge, a professor of physics and a highly regarded leader in the field of nanotechnology. As in the real world, the fellowship teams include members with diverse talents and perspectives: undergraduates from a variety of STEM disciplines; graduate students; Southern faculty from the sciences and the School of Business; middle school and high school teachers; and industry mentors.

• A first generation livinglearning community for firstyear students introduced last year was so successful that it tripled in size for this fall.

• The Office of New Student and Sophomore Programs was launched to provide more focus on student transitions.

• A commuter student success initiative has begun with a new lounge, targeted programming, and additional support — with the library tapped as a new venue to offer commuter students a place to relax, study, and grab a snack or a cup of coffee.

• In response to a new Board of Regents policy limiting degrees to 120 credits, advisement has been strengthened to include new curricular maps that will help students more accurately forecast their path to a degree and graduate in four years.

• Transfer articulation has been simplified, allowing transfer students from Gateway Community College to expedite their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Students earning an Associate of Arts degree in liberal arts and sciences from Gateway now automatically have nearly all their general education course requirements waived when they enroll at Southern.

Southern Connecticut State University | 2015 Report of the President | 21

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outhern has one of the largest graduate schools in the Northeast, enrolling more than 2,300 students in business, education, health and human services, and programs in the arts and sciences.

The university has been devising ways to make its offerings more responsive to workforce needs by developing programs that show promise for significant growth by meeting both marketplace demand and the time constraints of professional working adults.

Examples include: • an Accelerated MBA, in which students can earn their degree in 17 months through a combination of Saturday and online courses; • a fully online master’s program in sport and entertainment management; • an M.S. in applied physics management and research positions in the high-tech industry; • and new computer science graduate tracks in the growth fields of cyber-security and software development – listed as the number one career field for 2014 by Forbes magazine.

workforce DEVELOPMENT 22 | 2015 Report of the President | Southern Connecticut State University

A

New Program Offsets the “Graying of the Industry”

new undergraduate program in Utilities Management that is being developed by the School of Business in partnership with Gateway Community College in New Haven is being hailed as a model for responding to an industry’s needs.

Utilities industry leaders were motivated by the “graying of the industry,” and were interested in working with institutions that could assist them in their succession planning and leadership development.

An industry advisory board has recommended content for the new program, will provide employees as students, and has recommended jobs that its graduates can fulfill.

It is anticipated that the first students will be enrolled in fall 2016.

“SOUTHERN AND OUR SISTER INSTITUTIONS WILL NEED TO ADDRESS THIS DEMAND FOR INCREASED EDUCATION IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE CONNECTICUT ’S ECONOMIC VITALITY AND REMAIN VIABLE PROVIDERS TO ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES IN THE STATE THAT EMPLOY OUR GRADUATES.”

— PRESIDENT PAPAZIAN

Professional Doctorates

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uring spring 2015, Southern and its sister Connecticut State University institutions successfully lobbied for a legislative statute change allowing them to offer professional doctoral programs in fields such as nursing, social work, and public health.

Southern now offers doctoral degrees in educational leadership and nursing education, but due to changes in the educational requirements for employment in numerous other professions and scientific fields, expanding into offering additional advanced professional doctoral degrees is a practical necessity. Essentially, the level of knowledge required to be effective at senior clinician, senior scientist, administrator, and management levels is advancing rapidly and requires a degree of specialization that only a doctoral-level education can provide.

Southern’s first professional doctorate – in social work – has already progressed through internal governance and will soon go to the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education for final review and approval.

The university has already attracted much interest in the program from institutions of higher education in China.

Streamlining the Path to a 4-Year Diploma new partnership between Gateway Community College and Southern will enable many students to expedite their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.

Students earning an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in liberal arts and sciences from Gateway automatically will have nearly all of their general education course requirements waived at Southern. The general education requirements, known at Southern as the Liberal Education Program (LEP), require most students to earn 48 credits in courses designed to ensure a wellrounded education.

Under the agreement, most students with an A.A. in liberal arts and sciences from Gateway will be exempt from at least 39 of the 48 general education credits.

Students would still have to earn three credits in a foreign language class (200 level at Southern or third level at Gateway); three credits in math above an intermediate algebra level; and a capstone course.

The math and foreign language requirements could be earned at Gateway, as well, but the capstone must be taken at Southern.

A

“WITH A GATEWAY DEGREE, STUDENTS WILL GET A BROAD SECTION OF COURSES THAT WILL LEAD THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN MAJORS AT SOUTHERN. PREVIOUSLY, STUDENTS WHO DID NOT MAKE COURSE SELECTIONS SPECIFICALLY WITH SOUTHERN IN MIND HAD TO TAKE MANY ADDITIONAL CREDITS TO COMPLETE A DEGREE AT SCSU. THIS CHANGE WILL VASTLY SIMPLIFY THE TRANSFER.” — LAUREN DONINGER, COORDINATOR OF GATEWAY’S LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES PROGRAM

Southern Connecticut State University | 2015 Report of the President | 23

100% OF NEW CAMPUS

CONSTRUCTION IS LEED CERTIFIED BY THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

15%

charter American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) signatory since 2007, Southern’s new strategic plan includes a goal to expand the university’s position as a nationally recognized leader in sustainability, and over the past year made significant strides towards attaining that goal. For the second year in a row, the university was included in the national “Princeton Review Guide to 332 Green Colleges,” a recognition of the work being done on campus to reduce the institution’s carbon footprint.

And we are educating our students for the future: an environmental living learning community offers residential students opportunities to learn about and promote environmental awareness on campus and in the larger local, national, and global communities; and the Center for Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Education promotes the integration of environmental literacy and sustainability education in undergraduate and graduate courses and programs.

WITH ITS COMMITMENT TO GOING GREEN , SCSU IS EARNING THE NICKNAME

OF SCHOOL ENERGY COMES FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES

24 | 2015 Report of the President | Southern Connecticut State University

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES HAVE BECOME WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF UNIVERSITY LIFE • Active recycling program • Green transportation options such as free or reduced price transit passes, a free campus shuttle; a carpool/vanpool matching program, and a car sharing program and plug-in stations for electric cars • Student competitions to encourage sustainability • A student-run pilot composting program whose mission is to introduce composting as a viable method of waste disposal for the campus community • Solarize Southern program, making solar panels affordable and accessible for Southern staff, faculty, and student families LEFT: PRESIDENT PAPAZIAN , WITH FACULTY AND STAFF, RECENTLY SIGNED A NEW CLIMATE LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT, WHICH INTEGRATES A GOAL OF CARBON NEUTRALITY WITH CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND PROVIDES A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO MITIGATING AND ADAPTING TO A CHANGING CLIMATE .

Southern Connecticut State University | 2015 Report of the President | 25

Building Corporate Ties

W It

has been an outstanding year for fundraising, with gifts for scholarships and awards reaching a record high, and support of university programs remaining very strong.

While the goal for this past year was $2.2 million, the SCSU Foundation reports that $2.6 million was raised — 120 percent of goal. As seen in the accompanying charts, cash commitments alone stood at $2.3 million, or 125 percent of this year’s goal of $1.87 million. Looking forward, a strong partnership unites the leaders of the university, the Alumni Association, and the SCSU Foundation — boding more success for the university as it moves forward with its 10-year strategic plan for 2015 - 2025.

Among the many high points in giving for the 2015 fiscal year was an upswing in the number of alumni and students who contributed to Southern — a tangible sign of

30

the very high value both groups place on their Southern education and their experiences at the university. The number of alumni who contributed to Southern increased 10 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. Equally telling, more than 320 students made gifts to Southern.

The SCSU Foundation continues to fund numerous important initiatives, all designed to help our talented students succeed.

Exemplifying this commitment, the SCSU Foundation Student Support Fund provides assistance outside of the traditional financial aid process. The fund finances anything from prescription eyeglasses to books and supplies for students in need. In support of real-world education, the foundation also continues funding undergraduate research grants, which award talented students $3,000 to forward their work.

1,000 1000

27.3 25.7

25

993

Donor Support of University Programs

800

Total Net Assets

754

816 757

711

20.1

20 17.4

600

600

17.2

531

15

463

466

400

Donor Support of Scholarships and Awards

10

Dollars Raised 5 1.50

1.52

1.77

1.64

2.3

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

0

200

209

0

in millions of dollars • as of fiscal year end June 30

ith the increasing need for private funding to support university initiatives, Southern has been developing fruitful partnerships with the corporate sector.

A new collaboration with PerkinElmer – a Massachusetts-based company that delivers instruments and services designed to improve human and environmental health – has seen the installation of high-tech scientific laboratory instrumentation in the university’s new science building.

Technologies provided by PerkinElmer will benefit a variety of academic disciplines, including nanotechnology, optics, biology, chemistry, environmental science, and earth science. The state-of-the-art solutions include several analytical instruments that will improve faculty research capabilities and provide students with opportunities to conduct cutting-edge research.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

in thousands of dollars • as of fiscal year end June 30

26 | 2015 Report of the President | Southern Connecticut State University

Another successful partnership has been forged with the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA), which has sponsored the university’s downtown New Haven location, Southern on the Green, for the next three years. The agreement will also see discretionary funds made available for President Papazian to support initiatives in sustainability, workforce development, and community education for the university and its students.

Why We Give.

Why it Matters.

The SCSU Foundation shares words of thanks from some recent scholarship recipients. They represent the tens of thousands of Southern students whose lives have been changed for the better through the gift of education.

“AFTER RETURNING FROM DUTY IN IRAQ , I NARROWED MY PURSUITS TO A CAREER IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD, WORKING WITH VETERANS AND CURRENTLY SERVING MILITARY PERSONNEL . . . .

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND YOUR ASSISTANCE IN HELPING ME ACHIEVE MY LIFELONG GOALS.”

R

uth Eren, Director of the Center of Excellence on Autism Spectrum Disorders and a noted expert on program development for children, was selected as the Goodwin Endowed Chair in Special Education, the first endowed professorship in Southern’s 122-year history.

Eren, along with the late former interim dean of the School of Education James Granfield, co-created the Center in 2010 to provide the state with a distinctive resource to improve the experiences of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She has spent many years consulting with public schools in Connecticut on program development for children with ASD and has served on Connecticut’s Task Force for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

“. . . I HOPE TO FIND WAYS “ I WAS UNSURE IF WOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL . . . BUT RECEIVING THIS SCHOLARSHIP REMINDS ME TO FIGHT ON . . . I WANT TO FINISH MY COLLEGE EDUCATION AT SOUTHERN TO PAVE A ROAD FOR THE WOMEN OF MY FAMILY – AND YOUR SCHOLARSHIP IS HELPING ME DO THAT. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!”

TO ALWAYS BE ENGAGED IN COMPASSIONATE WORK FOR SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE LARGER COMMUNITY AS WELL . YOUR INVESTMENT IN ME WILL BE REPAID IN FULL TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.”

“EACH YEAR, I AM WEIGHED DOWN BY THE DECISION OF RUNNING FOR THE SCSU TRACK TEAM OR WORKING TO PAY FOR SCHOOL EXPENSES. THIS YEAR, I AM ABLE TO RUN TRACK WITH LESS FINANCIAL BURDEN.”

“ . . . I WILL BE STUDENT “I CAN NOW FOCUS MORE ON MY STUDIES AND A LITTLE LESS ON PICKING UP EXTRA SHIFTS AT WORK IN ORDER TO AFFORD THE SEMESTER — AND FOR THAT I SINCERELY THANK YOU.”

TEACHING IN BRIDGEPORT AND NEW HAVEN . . . SINCE STUDENT TEACHING IS BOTH FULL-TIME AND UNPAID, THIS SCHOLARSHIP WILL REALLY HELP.”

The endowed chair is funded through a gift left by the late Dorothy Weisbauer Goodwin, who graduated from Southern in 1939, when it was still the New Haven State Teachers College. Upon her death in 2009 at the age of 91, $1 million of the $1.2 million gift to the SCSU Foundation was earmarked for an endowed chair.

Eren plans to use the endowment “to support more SCSU student engagement in the Center and its activities, bring outstanding leaders in the field of education regarding ASD to our campus to share their knowledge with our students and community, and support efforts to increase our visibility and influence at state, national and international conferences.”

Most important, she says, “the endowed chair will allow SCSU and the Center to enhance the lives of individuals with ASD by giving their teachers, related service providers and families, the evidenced-based tools that will help them all to achieve the goal of successful participation in society as adults.”

Southern Connecticut State University | 2015 Report of the President | 27

“YES, WE PREPARE OUR STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE WORKFORCE, BUT THROUGH OUR LIBERAL ARTS FOUNDATION, WE ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE INTELLECTUAL TOOLKIT – THE ABILITY TO THINK CRITICALLY, TO BE CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL – THAT THEY WILL NEED TO FACE THE REAL-LIFE CHALLENGES AND CHANGES OF THE NEW, KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY.” – PRESIDENT MARY A. PAPAZIAN, STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS, 2015

28 | 2015 Report of the President | Southern Connecticut State University

Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents for Higher Education

Officers for Southern Connecticut State University Mary A. Papazian President

Nicholas M. Donofrio Chair Yvette Meléndez Vice Chair Richard J. Balducci Naomi K. Cohen Lawrence DeNardis Matt Fleury Sarah E. Greco Merle W. Harris David R. Jimenez William J. McGurk Gordon Plouffe JoAnn H. Price Elease E. Wright

Bette Bergeron Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

MISSION STATEMENT SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY PROVIDES ExEMPLARY GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE

Mark Rozewski Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Tracy Tyree Vice President for Student Affairs

AND PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINES.

Robert L. Stamp Vice President for Institutional Advancement

AS AN INTENTIONALLY DIVERSE

Jaye Bailey Chief of Staff/Vice President for Organizational Development

Senior Administrative Officers for the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities

Robert Rennie Chief Information Officer

Mark E. Ojakian President Estela R. Lopez Interim Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs

EDUCATION IN THE LIBERAL ARTS

Terricita E. Sass Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management

Produced by the Office of Public Affairs Patrick Dilger Director Patrick Dilger, Betsy Beacom, Joe Musante Editors and Writers Mike Kobylanski, Villia Struyk Writers Isabel Chenoweth Photographer Melanie Stengel Additional Photography Barbara Kagan Designer Mansir Printing Printer

AND COMPREHENSIVE UNIVERSITY, SOUTHERN IS COMMITTED TO ACADEMIC ExCELLENCE, ACCESS, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND SERVICE FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD.