Fort Valley State University

Whether it’s a project proposal, a response letter, or article for a peer-reviewed journal, effective writing is the ticket to upward mobility in the workplace. Boosting the communications skills of FVSU students through the written word is the goal of a new program, “Doing the ‘Write’ Thing: Writing to Evidence Critical Thinking.” Its mission: to improve students’ critical thinking skills and encourage excellent writing in all disciplines.

Dr. Myldred Hill is a symbol of confidence, ability and style. Whenever a crisis arises, the campus administrator is somewhere nearby, bringing calm. This week, FVSU named Hill the new interim director of counseling. “The Counseling Center endeavors to help students live the healthiest, most productive and successful lives possible,” Hill said. “We hope to give all we have to make them the best people they can possibly be.”

Dr. Dawn DeVeaux is an advocate for Wildcats. On any given day, you’ll find her leading students toward solutions to problems that deal with issues such as financial aid, admissions and academics. Effective today, DeVeaux began a new assignment with a new title. The trouble-shooting, go-to administrator is now interim executive director of enrollment management.

At a time when women are taking center stage in society and receiving accolades for their hard work comes a book about their counterparts from the past who accomplished grand feats but received little notice. The book, tentatively titled “Possible Lives: Southern Women in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries,” chronicles the lives of 14 American women such as Florence Johnson Hunt, who aided her husband in building Fort Valley High and Industrial School, which later became Fort Valley State University.

Excellent writing skills can elevate the careers of students in any major. The WIN Lab, located at FVSU’s Bond Building has expanded to help students write compelling reports, award winning essays and research papers that get published. The lab now has three new instructors and nine tutors who are experts in tackling every writing obstacle.
“We encourage students to come in at any stage of the writing process,” said Caroline Lewis, one of the recently-hired WIN Lab instructors. “If they have trouble finding topics or organizing the paper, we’re here to help.”

This year’s John W. Davison Lecture Series begins with a special commemorative event to mark the seventh anniversary of the September 11 tragedy. The event, designed to promote cultural understanding and dialogue, features Fulbright Scholar and Middle East expert Dr. Pakinam El Sharkawy from Cairo University. Her talk, entitled “Democracy in the Muslim World,” takes place Thursday, Sept. 11, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the W.W.E.

Thumbs up to Dr. Anna Holloway, dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Extended Education, whose poem “A Timeline of Dresses” will be published in an upcoming work, Poetry of the Golden Generation, Vol. 4. The work is scheduled for release Sept. 20 by the Center for Active Retirement Education (CAREing), in partnership with Kennesaw State University’s English Department.

Holloway will perform her poem for a live audience at Kennesaw State University Saturday, Sept. 20,

A program that sharpens the professional skills of tomorrow’s business leaders was recently launched at Fort Valley State University. The new Business Executive Training (BET) Program, is modeled after FVSU’s Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP). “We’re trying to link our business students with the best that the industry has to offer,” said Dr. Isaac J. Crumbly, vice president of career and collaborative programs and CDEP founder.

Nontraditional students such as high school graduates with jobs, busy moms and laborers who never completed college now have six new academic programs to choose from at Fort Valley State University. The Georgia Board of Regents approved four online and two off-site programs. This month, the board approved online bachelor’s degree programs in political science, psychology and English (Technical English and Professional Writing) and off-site programs in criminal justice and business administration. This summer, the BOR approved an online criminal justice franchise.

Fort Valley State University’s dramatic enrollment increase is opening teaching opportunities for both fulltime and adjunct professors. This summer, 19 full-time faculty members were hired by the university and 30 adjuncts are now on staff or standby ready to teach classes when called. This week, new faculty and administrators gathered at an informal meeting in the President’s Conference Room to listen as President Larry E. Rivers articulated his vision, mission and goals for the upcoming school year.

Assistant Professor of History Mark A. Smith has earned recognition in his field with the publication of his article, “Engineering Slavery: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and slavery at Key West” in the Spring 2008 edition of The Florida Historical Quarterly. The book is published by the Florida Historical Society and sponsored by the University of Central Florida.

With the passing of colors from outgoing commander Lt. Col Antonio Foster to incoming commander Lt. Col. Terry L. Love, the Fort Valley State University and Albany State University Wildcat Battalion officially changed command on Monday, July 23 during a well-attended Change of Guard Ceremony in the C.W. Pettigrew Center auditorium. During the ceremony, cadets, administrators and faculty members gave moving tributes to Lt. Col. Foster, who is relinquishing command for an assignment in Korea. The university family welcomed Lt. Col. Love, an FVSU alum, back to campus and his new post.

Many Americans have heard of cloning, DNA testing, or genetic modification of foods to grow healthier crops. But few know that these fields are part of a revolutionary science called bioinformatics. The field of bioinformatics uses computers to analyze biological data. Fort Valley State University is keeping up with this cutting edge research and the Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science will hold their first bioinformatics workshop next month. The two-day meeting takes place Wednesday and Thursday, July 16 and 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the CTM building, room 321. Steven M.

The University System of Georgia awarded Fort Valley State University an academic franchise to offer an online bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice. The program, which begins January 2009, will be offered on USG’s distance and online learning Web site, www.GeorgiaONmyLINE.org.

“This will be our first fully online program,” said Dr. Daniel Wims, executive vice president and vice president for Academic Affairs at FVSU, “and there will be many others to come. We are happy to be able to serve the state by providing this online degree.”

Offering students relevant academic programs that keep pace with the demands of the workforce is one of Fort Valley State University’s missions. One career field where there is a critical shortage worldwide is nursing. To increase the number of healthcare providers, the development of a bachelor’s degree nursing program is in the works at FVSU. To support the initiative, the University System of Georgia recently awarded FVSU a Target Enhancement grant of $118,165.