Robin Jones Gunn to speak at SBU April 29

Southwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

Robin Jones Gunn to speak at SBU April 29

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Award-winning Christian author Robin Jones Gunn is speaking from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, April 29, in the Davis-Newport Theatre in the Jester Learning and Performance Center at Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, as part of the Barnett-Padgett Literary Artist Series. A book signing will be afterwards. 

“Robin Jones Gunn’s books introduced me to a world that I often escaped into as I grew up,” SBU senior Lauren Knutson said. “I am very excited about the opportunity to meet Gunn and thank her for creating good friends who stuck with me through adolescence and taught me how to live according to my faith.”

Gunn is the author of the Sisterchicks® novels and several series — including Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, Glenbrooke and Katie Weldon — for young adults. She has sold more than 5 million copies of her 82 books since her first book was published in 1988.

She began writing Christian young adult novels when she became concerned about what she saw girls in her church youth group reading. The girls then gave her ideas of what to write about, and she spent many mornings, beginning at 3 a.m., writing her books.

Admission is free and open to the public. The Jester Learning and Performance Center is the first building on the right after entering the campus from Springfield Avenue.

For more information, contact Dr. Holly Hill-Stanford, professor of English and director of the Barnett-Padgett Literary Artist Series, at (417) 328-1682.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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Intel employee to speak at SBU Feb. 28

Southwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

Intel employee to speak at SBU Feb. 28

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Jeff Jackson with Intel Corp. will be speaking about perseverance during the Southwest Baptist University College of Business and Computer Science’s Psalm 15 lecture at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, in the Jane A. Meyer Recital Hall in the Casebolt Music Building on the Bolivar campus.

Jackson graduated from SBU in 1991 with a B.S. in computer science and mathematics and received an M.S. in computer science from Purdue University in 1994. He has been employed by Intel Corp. for 18 years, holding technical individual contributor roles as well as leadership positions in both product and research groups. He currently manages a team of research scientists in Intel's research and development labs. He received the Intel Achievement Award, Intel's highest employee award, in 2005 for his work and currently holds 10 patents.

Psalm 15 lectures are held once each semester, with a guest lecturer speaking on one of the eight character traits that should be hallmarks of students and graduates of the College. Those traits were identified based on Psalm 15.

The lecturer speaks on the specific theme for that semester and relates personal experiences that highlight integrity and a Christian worldview for business leaders.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call the COBACS office at (417) 328-1694.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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SBU trustees approve two honorary doctorates

Southwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

SBU trustees approve two honorary doctorates

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Southwest Baptist University’s Board of Trustees approved the awarding of two honorary doctorates, a new strategic planning document and a revision to the faculty handbook during its Feb. 18-19 meeting in Bolivar.

Honorary doctorates, to be awarded during the Founders Day Chapel April 17, will be given to Dr. Jeff Brown, a 1992 SBU graduate who is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Judy Taylor, First Lady of SBU.

The board also accepted the review of the University’s Athletic Department, as required by NCAA, and approved the Pathways for Success strategic planning document for 2013-18. The strategic planning process has been transferred from the University Planning Advisory Council to the Executive Cabinet.

“Every unit on campus will remain involved in the strategic planning process,” SBU President Dr. C. Pat Taylor said in his State of the University Address to the trustees. “Deans and directors will lead their units in developing goals and specific objectives for each area on campus. The expectation is that everyone on campus will play a role in determining how the strategic plan will be accomplished.”

Faculty members will be receiving a larger salary increase when promoted, according to a resolution effective for the 2013-14 faculty handbook that updates a resolution that originally was passed in 1994. The amount of increase for promotions was increased from $500 to $1,000 for promotion to assistant professor; $1,000 to $2,000 for promotion to associate professor; and $1,500 to $3,000 for promotion to professor.

Tenure: Faculty members approved for tenure include Andrew Campbell, associate professor of music; Kelly Malone, associate professor of intercultural studies; Sarah Russback, assistant professor of education; Joseph Sartorius, assistant professor of education; and Jenell Wagner, assistant professor of accounting.

Junior sabbatical: Jeff Kimball, assistant professor of computer and information sciences, was granted a junior sabbatical for the Fall 2013 semester to complete his dissertation in computing technology in education from Nova Southeastern University.

Promotion recommendations

Instructor to assistant professor: Angela Wright, business administration.

Assistant professor to associate professor: David Bailey, communication arts; Julie Bryant, education; James Cain III, computer and information sciences; Amber Fleer, physical therapy; Pamela Hedgpeth, education; Baochuan Lu, computer and information sciences; Craig Masters, physics; Sarah Russback, education; and Dennis Siegfried, biology.

Associate professor to professor: Terry Cox, physical therapy; Dwight Haun, education; Shelley Kilpatrick, psychology; Connie Matheny, physical therapy; Robert Perry, educational administration; and Tom Sneed, physical therapy.

Employees recognitions

During the Tuesday luncheon, four employees were recognized for significant achievements:

• Dr. Kathy Brown, professor of music, has published a book, “Lotte Lehmann in America: Her Legacy as Artist Teacher with Commentaries from Her Master Classes.” The book was published by the College Music Society.

• Bethany Messersmith, assistant professor of library services, was selected to participate in the Immersion 2012 Program of the Association of College and Research Libraries.

• Dr. Tom Sneed, associate professor of physical therapy, attained board certification from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties as an orthopedic specialist.

• Peggy Walden, instructional technology support specialist, completed her master of science degree in instructional design and technology at Walden University.

The next board meeting is May 6 and 7.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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SBU accounting student to intern with Heritage Foundation

Southwest Baptist University Department of Accounting summer interns for the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., are Pearl Karamitros, 2012; Jordan Taylor, 2011; and Meg Goodman, 2013. Only one intern is selected for the organization’s accounting department each summer, and SBU students have been selected for that position three years in a row now.

Southwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

SBU accounting student to intern with Heritage Foundation

Third year in a row for SBU student to be selected

BOLIVAR, Mo. — For the third year in a row, a Southwest Baptist University accounting major has been chosen for the prestigious Heritage Foundation Internship Program in Washington, D.C.

Meg Goodman, a junior accounting major from Cape Girardeau, Mo., will spend this summer in Washington, D.C., as the only intern in the accounting department of the Heritage Foundation. Pearl Karamitros, a senior accounting and international business major from Fort Worth, Texas, who grew up in China, interned during the summer of 2012. Jordan Taylor, a senior marketing and economics/finance major from Greenfield, Mo., interned in 2011.

“SBU has provided our department with knowledgeable and professional accounting interns during the previous two years,” said Keith Capp, a staff accountant with Heritage Foundation. “Our experience from working with Jordan and Pearl in their internships has raised the profile of SBU applicants, and we look forward to working with Meg when she starts her internship in June.”

Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute with a mission to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense, according to its website.

“This is a very prestigious opportunity because the Heritage Foundation fits in with many of the ideals of SBU,” said Wayne Clark, chairman of the SBU Accounting Department and an assistant professor of accounting.

About 70 students across the country are chosen for internships in various departments of the organization.

“It is pretty universally accepted in D.C. as the best internship for conservatives,” Taylor said.

While these students’ internships include gaining hands-on experience in accounting in a business environment, they also are given many opportunities to learn conservative ideology and its founding principles.

“It showed me what I want to do in my free time and opened me up to being more politically informed,” Karamitros said. “It made me value a free economy and those economic principles.”

The students said their studies at SBU prepared them well for the internship.

“SBU makes us work hard,” Karamitros said. “You are used to working hard and used to being respectful. Our success at getting so many interns in the Heritage Foundation is a combination of individual drive and how SBU has helped foster that.”

Goodman said being notified of the internship that runs from June 3 through Aug. 9 “felt really surreal” — and fulfills a dream. Since she was in eighth grade, she has wanted to spend the summer between her junior and senior years of college in Washington, D.C.

“But it doesn’t really feel like it is actually happening,” she said. “I have worked the past two summers in the accounting department at a manufacturing plant, working in cost and managerial accounting. I’m hoping to see a different side of accounting.”

Karamitros, who will graduate in May and already has secured a job with KPM CPAs in Springfield, Mo., beginning in August, told Goodman that having an internship in Washington, D.C., on her resume will make a difference when she is looking for a job after graduation.

“When they see Washington, D.C., on your resume, it helps them see you as a more well-rounded person,” she said. “It helps them see some of your interpersonal skills.”

After graduation in May 2014, Goodman plans to take the CPA exam and work in public accounting in either Springfield or St. Louis.

Taylor has been called into missions and plans to use business as a tool for missions. He will spend two months in the Philippines this summer in preparation for spending the spring 2014 semester there doing research on financial literacy as part of his Honors Capstone project. His internship with the Heritage Foundation, he said, helped him to figure out how he could blend business with his calling into missions.

 “Having these three students chosen for this internship is impressive because the Heritage Foundation only hires one student intern in accounting each summer,” said Dr. Troy Bethards, associate professor of business administration and, as of June 1, dean of the College of Business and Computer Science. “It gives affirmation to the quality of our program and our students.”

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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Bolivar campus closed Feb. 26 due to snow

Southwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

SBU’s Bolivar campus closed Feb. 26

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Southwest Baptist University’s Bolivar campus is closed Tuesday, Feb. 26, due to heavy snowfall, with more on the way. Classes are cancelled, and offices are closed.

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for Bolivar at 5:40 a.m., effective until noon.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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Speaking Bearcats recapture MAFA title

Southwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

417-328-1803/cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

Speaking Bearcats recapture MAFA title

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Speaking Bearcats placed first in overall sweepstakes against a dozen colleges and universities across the state and region in the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities state tournament Feb. 15 and 16 at SBU.

“Our strong finish at the MAFA tournament was especially nice because it had been several years since the team had captured the top sweepstakes spot at the state tournament,” said Dr. David Bailey, SBU’s director of forensics, noting that the team last won the sweepstakes in 2009. “The intense level of competition we saw at this year’s tournament in both individual events and speech made this an especially satisfying achievement.”

SBU’s team overcame some unexpected challenges on the way to victory.

“A number of the Speaking Bearcats were either sick that weekend or had just gotten over being sick — which, of course, really messed around with our practice time,” Bailey said. “We were determined not to make excuses, but our team illnesses certainly did add to the challenge.”

The Speaking Bearcats finished second place in debate sweepstakes after piling up 18 debate wins in the preliminary rounds of both parliamentary and Lincoln Douglas debate. As has been the case all year, SBU’s first-year competitors fared well for their team.

·       Freshman Micah Jordan was a semi-finalist in novice Lincoln-Douglas debate. He was also the third-place speaker in that event.

·       The freshman team of Bobby Sterling and Micah Jordan was a semifinalist in novice parliamentary debate. Sterling took fifth place speaker in that event, while Micah Jordan finished fourth.

·       The novice team of Julie Strubinger and Maggie Thomas also reached the semi-finals of novice parliamentary debate. Thomas was the top speaker in novice parliamentary debate, while Strubinger took second place speaker.

·       In Open Parliamentary Debate, Meg Burns was the eighth-place speaker.

The team finished in fourth place in individual events sweepstakes behind a number of strong individual performances.

“Sophomore Meg Burns had an impressive tournament with strong finishes, including fourth place informative speaking, third place dramatic interpretation, third place prose interpretation and second place communication analysis,” Bailey said. “These strong results allowed Burns to finish the tournament in third place in pentathlon sweepstakes — essentially meaning she was the third highest individual scorer at the tournament.

Other individual achievements include:

·       Julie Strubinger placed fifth in informative speaking and fourth place and top novice in after-dinner speaking.

·       Freshman Leah Cleek placed sixth in prose interpretation, sixth in impromptu speaking and fifth  place in oratory.

·       Thomas and Sterling were named the top novice team in duo interpretation. Thomas also qualified to represent the state of Missouri at the Interstate Oratorical Competition this April in Shreveport, La., by virtue of her third-place finish in oratory.

·       Freshman Chad Bryant placed fifth in after-dinner speaking.

The MAFA State Championship Tournament was the team’s last competition prior to the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament March 13-17 in St. Louis.

Southwest Baptist University Speaking Bearcats are, from left, front row — Julie Strubinger, Leah Cleek, Kaila Todd, Meg Burns, Catie Lathrop; back row — Mrs. Rebecca Godsey (assistant director of forensics), Chad Bryant, Maggie Thomas, Bobby Sterling, Hannah Larino, Micah Jordan and Dr. David Bailey (director of forensics).

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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New trustees begin service at SBU

outhwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

 

New trustees begin service at SBU

 

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Southwest Baptist University added four new trustees during its February Board of Trustees meeting and another trustee returned for another term.

 

• The Rev. David L. Brown is pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Lebanon. He received a bachelor of science degree in business administration from SBU in 1988. He is married to Gena, who is a public school teacher, and they have two sons, Garrett, 16, and Greyson, 12.

 

• Dr. Don E. Fahrni is returning for another term on the board. He graduated from SBU with an associate’s degree in 1980. He and his wife, Lou Ann, live in Russellville, where he is a cattle order buyer, farmer and auctioneer, and have a daughter, Penny Jo, who graduated from SBU in 2002. He is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from SBU.

 

• Susan Gilmore, a third-grade teacher at Mt. Vernon Intermediate School, graduated from SBU in 1979 with a B.A. in elementary education. She and her husband, Gary, live in Mt. Vernon and have three adult children: Amy, Abbey and Amanda, an SBU PT doctoral student.

 

• Bob Ingold, an estate planning attorney in Springfield, graduated from SBU with a bachelor of arts degree in 1972. He worked in estate planning at SBU until his retirement and is a member of the SBU Alumni National Board. He and his wife, Patty, have two adult children, Ryan, and Renee.

 

• Donna Neil is chief financial officer for Meyer Communications in Springfield. She and her husband, Tom, live in Springfield.

 

SBU has a 25-member board of trustees. Each trustee serves for five years and is approved for service during the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting held each year in October.

 

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staffcreate a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

 

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SBU’s Bolivar campus closing at noon

Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications
(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Southwest Baptist University will close its Bolivar campus at noon today, Thursday, Feb. 21. The Meyer Wellness Center and Mellers Dining Commons will remain open.

Classes will resume at 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 22, and offices will open at 9 a.m. tomorrow, unless other notification is given.


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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

SBU’s Opera Workshop to feature Mozart’s ‘Cosi fan Tutte’ March 7-9

Southwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

 

SBU’s Opera Workshop to feature Mozart’s ‘Cosi fan Tutte’ March 7-9

 

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Southwest Baptist University’s Opera Workshop will present Mozart’s ensemble opera “Cosi fan tutte,” or “The School for Lovers,” at 7 p.m. nightly Thursday, March 7, through Saturday, March 9, in Davis-Newport Theatre in the Jester Learning and Performance Center.

The opera is updated to spring 2013 on campus as two music majors find out that their freshman girlfriends aren’t as faithful as they believe.

“The two young men begin as naïve, trusting Sunday school types and pretend to leave campus,” said Jane Munson-Berg, director of the production and assistant professor of voice and opera at SBU. “When they return disguised as two urban punkers to woo their girlfriends, they try to introduce a different cultural element with hilarious results. We are updating the text to be as modern as possible. Mozart’s 18^th century music is timeless and the story is universal, that human nature is rarely perfect.”

Munson-Berg also said the production is an accessible introduction to opera.

“We make the operatic form as entertaining as possible, because that is what opera has always been,” she added.

The Opera Project is a collaboration of the University’s Music and Theatre departments. Jonathan Wehmeyer, scenic designer and instructor of theatre, is providing the set and lighting, and Dr. Elissa Sartwell, associate professor of theatre, is providing the costumes. The Theatre department also oversees makeup, hair and props. In place of a full orchestra, Dr. Andrew Campbell will conduct two SBU graduates, Sara Miller and Michael Womack, at the harpsichord and keyboard to accompany the singers, all of whom are music or pastoral studies majors.

Tickets are $8 for adults; $5 for SBU alumni, senior citizens and students of other schools; $3 for SBU students; and complimentary for SBU faculty and staff. For more information, call 328-1691 or visit www.sbuniv.edu/theatre.

 

 

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staffcreate a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

 

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Larry Payton, SBU trustee, passes away Monday

Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications
(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

Larry Payton, SBU trustee, passes away Monday

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Larry Payton, a trustee at Southwest Baptist University, died Monday, Feb. 18, in Tulsa, Okla., after a brief illness. He had one year remaining on his second of two five-year terms on the University’s board of trustees.

“Larry was a wonderful board member,” said SBU President Dr. C. Pat Taylor. “Larry always knew the business and activities of our University. He and I talked quite often on the phone about what was happening here.”

Payton graduated from SBU in 1970 with a degree in physical education. He was the founder and president of Celebrity Attractions, and his wife, Kay, is vice president of the company that presents major theatrical, musical and family entertainment and handles marketing and group sales for national touring events. The company presents a Broadway Series in seven different regional markets, including Springfield, Mo., and Tulsa, Okla.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

“His primary purpose of being on earth was to be a witness,” Taylor said. “There are people who know the Lord because of him. Larry certainly made a difference and will be missed. SBU has lost a great supporter, and I have lost a great friend.”



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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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SBU graduate education students receive honors

Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

Chris McClimans

Tracy Daniels

Shane Dublin


SBU graduate education students receive honors


BOLIVAR, Mo. – Three students in Southwest Baptist University’s new educational doctoral program have received regional recognition for their work as principals and have been nominated for statewide awards from the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals and Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals.

• Chris McClimans, principal at Osceola Elementary School in Osceola, Mo., has been selected as this year’s Missouri Distinguished Principal from the Central District of the MAESP. He was a fifth-grade teacher before becoming elementary principal in Osceola 11 years ago. He is one of 12 principals from MAESP districts around the state who will be honored March 9 at a reception and banquet at Tan-Tar-A Resort at Osage Beach. He completed his master’s and specialist degrees at SBU.

Nominees are recognized as outstanding elementary principals for their achievements and to honor the importance of the role of the elementary principal in achieving quality education. They were selected by their colleagues for achievements above and beyond those expected in a school program.

• Shane Dublin, principal at Bolivar Middle School in Bolivar, Mo., was named 2012-13 Middle Level Principal of the Year from the Southwest District. Dublin has served as the principal at BMS for the past seven years after serving as principal at Half Way Junior and Senior High for one year. He taught sixth-grade math and seventh-grade Spanish for five years before that. He earned his undergraduate degree in middle school education from SBU and is a graduate of the SBU Educational Administration program.

He is one of eight finalists for the state Principal of the Year award that will be awarded in March.
The recognition is based on the principal’s impact in the areas of collaborative leadership; curriculum, instruction and assessment; and personalization of the learning environment.

• Tracy Daniels, in her second year as principal of Bolivar Primary School in Bolivar, Mo., was chosen to represent the Southwest District of MAESP as a Missouri Exemplary New Principal and is a finalist for the state award. She completed a master’s degree at SBU. She taught first and second grade for five years and was assistant principal at Bolivar Intermediate School before becoming principal at BPS.

This recognition is given for outstanding performance in the demonstration of skills that reflect the best in educational leadership.

About the SBU Doctor of Education program

Southwest Baptist University offers a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership specifically to prepare leaders and administrators for service in school administration and other leadership roles in various non profit or church affiliated organizations. The University’s Graduate Studies in Education also offers six degree paths for a master’s degree and a specialist degree in educational administration.

For more information about SBU’s graduate programs in education, call (417) 328-1700 or (800) 792-4191.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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Bethards new Dean of SBU College of Business and Computer Science

Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications
(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

Bethards new Dean of SBU College of Business and Computer Science

BOLIVAR, Mo. — After conducting a nationwide search for a new Dean of the College of Business and Computer Science at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., the University is promoting Dr. Troy Bethards, associate professor of business administration, to the Dean’s position effective June 1.

“Dr. Bethards has a tremendous breadth of knowledge and great leadership skills,” said Dr. Bill Brown, SBU provost. “He is very well respected and trusted by the faculty. He understands their goals and what’s important to each of them.”

Bethards began teaching at SBU’s Springfield campus in 2000 and transferred to the Bolivar campus in 2003. He graduated from SBU in 1993 with a bachelor of science in economics and business administration and from Missouri State University in 1996 with a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance. He completed his doctorate in business administration with a concentration in finance from Anderson University in Anderson, Ind., in 2010.

A Sam Walton Fellow, Bethards has been the adviser for the SBU Enactus (formerly Students in Free Enterprise) chapter since 2007 and was named the Ruby Letsch-Roderique Chair of Economics/Finance in 2011.

He received the Orien B. Hendrex Distinguished Teacher Award, selected by graduating students during the previous four years, in 2008. Students in the College of Business and Computer Science selected him to receive the Psalm 15 Award in 2004.

“The faculty that we have here in the College of Business and Computer Science and the culture in our college, the environment in which we interact with students, are second to none,” Bethards said. “To be able to lead out in that really excites me.”

Bethards and his wife, Monica, live in Bolivar and have a daughter, Alyssa, 14, and a son, Mason, 11. They are active in Wellspring Baptist Fellowship in Bolivar.


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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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SBU students sign up for disaster relief training Feb. 22-23

Southwest Baptist University News Release

Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications

(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

 

SBU students sign up for disaster relief training Feb. 22-23

 

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Students at Southwest Baptist University are signing up to be trained as “yellow hat” volunteer disaster relief responders through Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief Training after they were presented with information about the opportunity during the Wednesday,Feb. 6, chapel service.

 

“I am asking you to get out of your comfort zone, put your ‘yes’ on the table and get trained,” Dwain Carter, Disaster Relief Strategist with the Missouri Baptist Convention, told students. “We can train you in many different areas to go out and help people in the name of Jesus Christ.”

 

Carter added that the Disaster Relief program needs the energy college students can provide.

 

Kaytlynn Clemons, a student at University of Central Missouri, shared her experiences working in disaster relief and why she became involved in disaster relief.

 

“It is a very tangible way to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “Beyond meeting the physical needs, you can meet the spiritual needs of others. Barriers are broken down.”

 

Clemons said she has learned to work with people and build relationships — all while having fun.

 

“Like every good trip, there’s a lot of fun involved,” she said. “You get to travel. You get to meet people.”

 

The University’s Center for Global Connections wants to organize a team of SBU students who are ready to respond when disaster strikes.

 

“I want our students — you — to be ready when that call comes so we can take students,” said Kurt Caddy, Director of University Ministries.

 

Upcoming training

 

In cooperation with Southern Hills Baptist Church and the Mid-Lakes Baptist Association, SBU is hosting a Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief training session Friday, Feb. 22, and Saturday, Feb. 23, on the SBU campus. The training is also open to community members who meet guidelines established by Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief. See http://www.mobaptist.org/mbcdr for more information.

 

Training will be given in five areas. Child Care teaches how to provide care for children in the midst of disaster while their parents are working to rebuild their lies. Mud Out teaches how to work in areas that have been flooded. Shower teaches volunteers to facilitate the use of the shower trailers for volunteers and those affected by disaster. Mass Care focuses on the feeding of multitudes during disasters. Chain Saw trains volunteers in safe use of a chain saw during disaster response.

 

Training costs $40. For more information about the local training opportunity, call Whitney Prewitt, Training Coordinator in the SBU Center for Global Connections, at (417) 328-1907.

 

 

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Photo cutline: Dwain Carter, left, Disaster Relief Strategist with the Missouri Baptist Convention, visits with students after the chapel service in which he asked students to get out of their "comfort zone" and consider being trained to be disaster relief volunteers.

 

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global socity. Formore information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

 

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