Volume 30, No. 2
August 28, 1998
Scott A. Miller
Contact: Scott A. Miller 662-4844
NEWS
Incoming class largest since 1989
MU welcomed its largest incoming class of the 1990s when more than 950 new students began their studies Monday, Aug. 24. They represent an 8 percent increase over last year's incoming class of 879 students.
Overall university enrollment has also increased from 2,907 last fall to nearly 3,000 this year. University officials credit a combination of good marketing and a new tuition policy for the increases.
"In the last year, the university has made a strong effort to trumpet its many attributes through advertising and other means," said President John Halstead. "It's one thing to have one of the finest high-technology libraries in the state and an all-new fitness center, but it's quite another to make sure people know how uncommon these facilities are in a rural, safe environment like Mansfield's.
"Delivering that message has had a definite positive impact on enrollment."
Vice President for Academic Affairs Joseph Moore said the university's new "Good Neighbor" policy offering a reduced tuition to students from New York's Southern Tier is also responsible for some of the increase.
"We instituted the plan as a way of recognizing the traditional economic and educational ties in the Twin Tiers and because we saw a demand for more higher education choices in the Southern Tier," Moore said. "As a result we have nearly doubled our recruitment goal for students from the Southern Tier."
MU opened the academic year with a traditional academic convocation, where Halstead, who began work at Mansfield July 1, addressed the incoming class as "your Freshman President" and spoke about learning communities, being serious students, and life transitions.
"Even I, as your new president, am here to learn," Halstead said. "That is why you will discover very quickly that we are a learning community."
Halstead included a list of events and products that predate the general awareness of the freshman class, from popcorn not made in a microwave to the Reagan Era. He also urged students to try new things, take risks by going to musical, theatrical and cultural events, and put academics first.
"At our best, we are a true learning community, where you -- our students -- are central and our commitment to teaching and learning is our top priority," he said.
The keynote speaker for Convocation was Margaret Launius, psychology.
Couple offers rare glimpse of viola in recital
The husband and wife team of Timothy and Ann Deighton will present a guest viola and piano recital Sunday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. in Steadman Theatre.
The program will include works by Mozart, Glazunov, Watson and Brahms.
"The viola is not heard as frequently in recital as other string instruments," says MU's Kenneth Sarch, associate professor of string studies. "Here is an opportunity to hear the viola played by a fine artist in a program of varied styles."
Both performers teach at Penn State. Timothy Deighton, a native of New Zealand, received a bachelor of music and first class honors degree from Victoria University of Wellington, an artist diploma from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, and a doctor of musical arts degree in violin and viola from the University of Kansas. He is a national recording artist for Radio New Zealand and has been a member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and the Kansas City Camerata.
Ann Deighton, a native of Lexington, KY, earned a bachelor of music degree ro the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a master of music degree in piano and piano pedagogy and a doctor of musical arts in piano, both from the University of Kansas. While at Kansas she taught college-level piano classes as well as the Children's Piano Laboratory Program.
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Robert Wooley, social work, anthropology and sociology, presented a lecture on Alexander Manley Aug. 6 at the Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington, NC. Manley was a prominent black newspaper publisher whose editorial is said to have instigated the Wilmington Race Riot of 1898. The talk was part of an effort by Wilmington's 1898 Centennial Foundation and the Cape Fear Museum to bring about better race relations by examining the white-led riot that destroyed a vibrant black community.
Brad Holtman, foreign languages, has assumed the presidency of the Pennsylvania Association of Foreign Language Departments (PAFLD). The association, whose membership is open to the foreign language departments of all State System of Higher Education institutions, aims to promote professional competence, curricular development and cooperation among foreign language faculty members.
Jay Gertzman, English, delivered a paper entitled "Lawrence's Appeal to Today's Students" at the Seventh International D.H. Lawrence Conference in Taos, N.M. on July 13. A paper he co-authored with Michael Squires of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, entitled "New Letters from Thomas Seltzer and Robert Mountsier to D.H. Lawrence" has been accepted for publication by "The D.H. Lawrence Review." Gertzman has also put together a new web site for his course on the "noire" crime novel. It's at http://www.mnsfld.edu/~jgertzma/noire.html.
Peggy Dettwiler, music, was one of 14 conductors from five countries around the world to study in a master-class of conductors with Helmut Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene this summer. She conducted movements from Haydn's "Creation" and Bach's "Orchestral Suite No.2" in performances during the 18-day festival and attended numerous rehearsals, lectures, and recitals. She called it "the most fabulous two weeks of music-making" she ever experienced.
Eight faculty members received promotions this summer. Peggy Dettwiler, music, and Janeen Sheehe, health sciences, climbed from associate professor to full professor. Moving from assistant professor to associate professor were: Sharon Carrish-Bulkley, communication and theatre; Michael Chester, chemistry and physics; Michele Garrett, health sciences; Bradley Holtman, foreign languages; Robert Schuerman, mathematics and computer information sciences; Denise Seigart, health sciences.
Bob Graham, recently retired from the campus post office, sends his thanks to everyone who had a part in his retirement party. He writes: "A very special thanks to all those who gave money and cards. I will miss working here and will miss all of you great people. It has been a great place to work."
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