Dear Faculty and Staff:

It was an honor to be a part of the college’s 30th Commencement on May 12. The ceremony included a wonderful keynote from Zora Mulligan, Missouri’s Commissioner of Higher Education. She encouraged graduates to strive to go forward with “grace and grit,” sharing lessons learned from her own experiences. The graduates also heard an inspiring message from this year’s student speaker, Mr. Darrin Wilson Green. Darrin spoke passionately about progress, which he called “that splendid mark of approval.”

Watching each graduate make his or her solo journey across the stage contributed to a sense of pride and accomplishment for the SCC community and for the family and friends in attendance. Thank you to the staff and faculty members who participated in a successful 2018 Commencement ceremony.

 

Have a good week, and I hope you all are able to enjoy the long weekend coming up in observance of Memorial Day.

CAMPUS HAPPENINGS

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The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) approved the college’s request to increase from one cohort start to two cohort starts per year, allowing for double the enrollment in the program. This is great news. Congratulations to the faculty and staff in the Occupational Therapy program for an extraordinary accomplishment.
At the Board meeting last night, the Trustees approved the Addendum to Full-Time Faculty Memorandum of Understanding. I wish to extend my appreciation to both the faculty and administrative negotiation teams for a collaborative process and a successful outcome.

SCC remains an active player in the Missouri Campus Compact service learning program. SCC was featured in the program’s recent newsletter as one of the campus visits that took place in April. The newsletter also highlighted that Bryonie Carter, SCC assistant professor of English and literature, will serve on the planning committee for the 2019 Midwest Campus Compact Conference on behalf of Missouri. Thank you to everyone who helps keep this program running on our campus. 

PERSONNEL

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Congratulations to Professor Dave Van Mierlo, J.D., SCC criminal justice faculty, on his retirement. Your years of service to our students and our college are greatly appreciated. I wish you a happy retirement.

The college completed the search for a new Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Science. Based on Dr. Bookstaver’s recommendation, Dr. Mara Vorachek-Warren was selected. Please join me in congratulating Mara on her new assignment.