Volume 7, #47

  Clayton County Commission Chair Eldrin Bell to Discuss County Government at Clayton State, Apr. 23 Eldrin Bell, chair of the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, will be contributing to the cause of higher education at Clayton State University on Monday, Apr. 23. Bell will be visiting Clayton State at the invitation of Assistant Professor of Political Science Dr. Sean Mattie. Bell will be discussing county government with Mattie’s American Government class which meets from 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m., in room UC 267 of the James M. Baker University Center.  Education Speaker Series Concludes, Apr. 23 Clayton State University’s Education Speaker Series, “Teaching in a Diverse World,” will conclude this Monday, Apr. 23 with “Creating Change: Safe Classroom Spaces Panel.” This panel discussion, designed for pre-service and in-service teachers and school counselors, will run from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in room UC272 of the James M. Baker University Center on the Clayton State main campus in Morrow. The session will focus on areas such as professional responsibilities, creating safe spaces for all students, attitude awareness and advocating for all students. All students and faculty interested in promoting equity and social justice will benefit from participating. This event is free and open to the public.

Announcements

Clayton State Library Announces New Popular Reading Collection The Clayton State Library has a new Popular Reading Collection. The collection is housed separately from the circulating collection and includes bestselling fiction and non-fiction including new releases. The Library’s most recent newsletter has more details on the front page. Go to, http://www.clayton.edu/Portals/546/docs/newsletter141.pdf. The purpose of the collection, which is located just inside the Library’s Baker Center entrance directly opposite the Circulation Desk, is to provide a convenient location for students, faculty and staff to find recreational reading materials. In addition to books from the Library’s circulating collection, the Popular Reading Collection will be refreshed each month with current books received as part of a lease/purchase plan. The collection will include bestselling authors, biography, nonfiction, hobbies, self-employment and more. Purchase Order and P-Card Cutoff Date Purchase Requisitions Submitted to Procurement Services: ¨  May 8, 2012 - All purchases requiring a purchase order.  Anything requested after this date must be approved by Budget & Finance. ¨  May 14, 2012 - No change order to PO’s after this date. P-Card Cutoff Dates: ¨  May 8, 2012 - Suggested last day to use the p-card so that the purchase will be posted to the May 2012 Visa statement (received in June). Any purchases on future statements will be charged to fiscal year 2013. Any questions, please contact Marcia Jones at marciajones@clayton.edu or ext. 4280. Student Meal Plans and Dining Dollars End May 7, 2012 All student meal plans and Dining Dollars end May 7. Meals expire at the end of lunch on May 7, and Dining Dollars expire at the end of the day. If you have a commuter meal plan, invite a friend to eat with you.  If you have Dining Dollars, don’t let them go to waste! Take a friend to Jazzman’s for coffee or a smoothie or maybe treat them to a pizza at Pizza Hut.  Faculty/Staff and Department Meal Plans Carry Forward to Fall 2012 Faculty/staff meal plans, department meal plans, and Faculty/Staff Dining Dollars do NOT close out at the end of spring 2012.  They will carry forward for future semesters.  Dining Dollars may be used during the summer at retail locations, and meals may be used when the Dining Hall opens for fall 2012 (the Dining Hall will be closed during the summer). Clayton State Mourns the Passing of Professor Emerita Dr. Martha Wood Clayton State University is mourning the passing of one of its original faculty members. Dr. Martha Wood, professor emerita of Mathematics at Clayton State, and a member of the faculty at Clayton Junior College when the University first opened its doors in 1969, passed away Wednesday night after a long battle with cancer. Along with her husband, Clayton State University Foundation founding trustee James M. “Jim” Wood, Jr., Martha Wood was a pillar of the Clayton State and Clayton County community for the past 43 years – the length of the Wood’s residence in Forest Park. Request for Assistance with SACS Reaffirmation Dear Colleagues: Every 10 years colleges and schools accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)  are required to provide evidence supporting the claim that accreditation should be reaffirmed. One part of that reaffirmation process requires the development of a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that focuses on advancing student learning in an area of perceived need.  Sections 2.12 and 3.3.2 of the Principles of Accreditation require that any such plan be developed with broad based participation of the campus and the campus community. These Principles can be found at http://sacscoc.org/pdf/2012PrinciplesOfAcreditation.pdf. Clayton State University will go through its accreditation reaffirmation in 2014. This is an initial step in the process of selecting a topic to develop for our QEP. We are asking for your help with this step of the process. Our survey contains some major topic themes identified by the University as focus areas gleaned from our Strategic Plan, Complete College Georgia, and other initiatives that are in development to enhance student learning. The first part of the survey asks you to rank the major themes that have been identified, the remaining questions will ask for your feedback on specific items. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. Please complete your responses by Apr. 25, 2012. You can access the survey at the following link: https://claytonstate.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0DpOWZ7Ml1GwfZO If you should have questions about the survey, please direct them to Dr. Jill Lane (jilllane@clayton.edu). Let me thank you in advance for participating in this process. A well designed Quality Enhancement Plan can provide an exceptional opportunity to greatly advance efforts to improve student and faculty learning—and your contributions can do much to assist in just such a well designed project. Many thanks!! Dr. Tim Hynes, President Clayton State Named One of the Top 100 Workplaces in Atlanta We are pleased to announce that Clayton State University has received from the Atlanta Journal Constitution the distinguished honor of being named one of the “Top 100 Workplaces in Atlanta” for 2012. In addition, the University is being recognized as one of only 20 institutions in the “large industry category” which includes businesses such as Woodward Academy, FedEx, Equifax, Emory Healthcare, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Ernst and Young and Verizon Wireless. Clayton State is the only University System of Georgia institution to receive this honor for 2012. The University was recognized in the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Top 100 Workplaces section, published on Sunday, Apr. 22.

This Week

Clayton State University’s Annual Service Awards, Apr. 24 Clayton State University will gather on Tuesday, Apr. 24, in Spivey Hall to honor faculty and staff with the University’s annual Service Awards ceremony. This year will also celebrate the 17th annual announcement of the Alice J. Smith award winners. The event will begin at 2 p.m., followed with a light reception. The Service Awards Ceremony is a time for Clayton State to celebrate and honor faculty and staff through recognizing years of service, tenure, promotions, and retirement. The University’s 2012 Alice J. Smith Awards will be presented at the ceremony. An annual honor since 1995, the Smith Awards are presented to the faculty member and staff member deemed most outstanding as determined by committees of their peers. The award was established by local philanthropist Joseph Smith as a memorial to his wife, Alice, to honor her career in teaching and her love for learning. Nominees for the 2012 awards will be announced in the coming weeks. Dr. David Ludley’s Retirement Party, Apr. 24 A retirement party for professor of English and Art History Dr. David Ludley, celebrating his 36 years of service to Clayton State, will be held in the Atrium of the Harry S. Downs Center from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Tuesday, Apr. 24. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. Fidelity Investments Appointments, Apr. 24 Fidelity Investments will be available for 1:1 appointments by phone on Apr. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Do you have questions about your investment strategy?
• Are you on track for retirement?
• Is your portfolio tax-efficient?

Answer these questions and more in a scheduled appointment with a Fidelity Planning & Guidance Consultant who's familiar with the CSU and BOR retirement plans. Please visit www.fidelity.com/reserve and click on Clayton State University to set-up your appointment. SBDC to Hold “Starting a Business” in Griffin, Apr. 24 Clayton State University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be holding a “Starting a Business” workshop at the Griffin Welcome Center/Griffin Chamber of Commerce, 143 N. Hill St., in Griffin, on Tuesday, Apr. 24, from 9 a.m. to noon. “Starting a Business” is a comprehensive workshop on important decisions that need to be made prior to opening a business. The cost is $69 per person with 50 percent off each additional person. All Clayton State students and employees also get 50 percent off. To register, go to; http://www.georgiasbdc.org/subpage.aspx?page_name=view_cart&addproduct=111025&cart=42bf1309-fcb0-4360-a239-8373c2ec544a. Atlanta Community Food Bank Food Drive, Apr. 25 Thank you to the Clayton State Department of Psychology, and student Heidi Ulrich, for sponsoring the Atlanta Community Food Bank Food Drive at Clayton State. The Food Drive is to be conducted in conjunction with an event on campus. Speakers from the Atlanta Community Food Bank will be on campus on Wednesday, Apr. 25, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., in Clayton Hall, room T101, to discuss the work of the organization and illustrate how anyone in the community can get involved to help those without food in our area. Everyone at Clayton State University is invited to participate and get involved by helping collect food and non-perishable items most needed at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Currently there are four collection stations, with two barrels each, located in the Student  Activity Center (by the information desk), at the information desk in the James M. Baker University Center, in the Arts and Science Building, and in the Natural and Behaviorial Sciences Building common area at the vending machines. Bags, to take home for friends and family who want to participate, will also be handed out on Apr. 25. Bring them back with donations and drop them off at one of the collection stations. The items will be collected till the end of the semester. Here is a list of the most needed items. Most Needed FOOD Items:                         NON FOOD Items: Peanut Butter                                                  Diapers (any size) Canned Tuna                                                  Adult Diapers Canned Beans                                                 Baby Wipes Canned Soups, Stews and Pastas            Feminine Hygiene Products 100% Fruit Juice                                           Toilet Tissue Canned Fruits and Vegetables                 Toothpaste Macaroni and Cheese Dinners                 Toothbrushes Whole Grain, Low Sugar Cereals             Bath soap • No Glass Containers • No Baby Food or Formula • No Condiments • No Salad Dressing • No Pet Foods CID Apple Workshops, Apr. 25 The Center for Instructional Development is sponsoring the following Apple Workshop/Seminars on Apr. 25, in UC-138. These workshops will be presented by Andre Vlajk, our Apple HigherEd Account Manager.  To sign up, click on the title of the workshop. Tips and Tricks on the iPad (10 a.m. – 11 a.m.) –  The workshop is designed to show ways to more efficiently use your iPad in education.  The seminar is designed to be sharing and interactive so bring a tip/workflow/app if you have one to share. The target audience is higher education iPad users that are either users or planning on using an iPad. Beyond Textbooks: Creating textbooks, distributing via new iTunes U, and access textbooks on the new iBooks (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.) - Apple recently announced three digitally transformative tools – iBook Author, iTunes U app and iBooks 2.  Learn about the significance of this digital transformation and how it will be applied in education.  The target audience is higher education faculty, staff, administrators, and leaders. Accessibility: Reaching all Learners (1 p.m. – 2 p.m.) - We will offer a tour of software and hardware accessibility features designed to accommodate students with disabilities.  The Target Audience is those that are responsible for ADA compliance as well as any educators that are interested in learning how to reach all learners.  This session, delivered by Chris Dunbar, senior systems engineer with Apple Education, is entitled "Accessibility: Reaching all Learners"   and will include:

• A tour of software and hardware accessibility features designed to accommodate students with disabilities
• A short history of Apple and Accessibility features
• An overview of Mac features for differing abilities
• VoiceOver (the spoken interface built in to every Mac and most Apple devices)
• Braille support iPad, iPhone  and iPod Touch Same device for any type of student
• Closed Caption topics
• Video chat for sign language (iChat and FaceTime)
• Content and apps for special education resources and profiles
• Demonstration of accessibility features, including new features of iOS 5 and Mac OSX Lion Q&A

Clayton State University Jazz Combo Presents “We Write, We Play” in Spivey Hall, Apr. 25 The Clayton State University Department of Visual & Performing Arts presents the Clayton State University Jazz Combo in “We Write, We Play,” a concert featuring student compositions and arrangements, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Apr. 25, in Spivey Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. Directed by Stacey Houghton (Rex), “We Write, We Play” will introduce several new compositions and arrangements by Clayton State University students including Josh Singleton, Kelly Jarrard, Avys Burroughs, Afolabi Giwa, and Prakash Acharya in addition to a mix of jazz standards. Jupiter String Quartet to be Featured on Public Broadcasting Atlanta., Apr. 25 Public Broadcasting Atlanta (PBA), which operates WABE 90.1 FM, will be featuring the Jupiter String Quartet on Wednesday, Apr. 25, with a recorded performance and interview. The Jupiters will air on John Lemley’s “City Café” program on WABE from noon to 1 p.m. The performance was originally given at the PBA studio for members of PBA’s Cornerstone Society. The musicians’ edited interview, also with Lemley, will air during the same program. This broadcast occurs during PBA’s pledge week. The performance in question was a highlight of the Jupiter String Quartet’s February/March 2012 residency week at Clayton State University’s Spivey Hall, under the auspices of “Project Jupiter,” a three-year community-outreach initiative of Spivey Hall and the Jupiter String Quartet. Project Jupiter is made possible with special funding support from the National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts, and The Hampton Inn of Morrow, Ga. AmeriCorps Service Cinema Screening, “KONY 2012,” Apr. 26 The Clayton State University AmeriCorps Program is hosting its next Service Cinema Screening on Thursday, Apr. 26, at 6 p.m., in room 272 of the James M. Baker University Center. AmeriCorps will be screening Invisible Children’s newest short documentaries: “KONY 2012” and “KONY 2012 BEYOND FAMOUS.” Since 1987, Joseph Kony has been accused of abducting more than 30,000 children in Central Africa, and of forcing them to be child soldiers in his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Americorps invites the public to come watch the documentaries “KONY 2012” and “KONY 2012 Part II: BEYOND FAMOUS” to learn more about Kony, the LRA, and to hear firsthand experiences from a Ugandan speaker. There will be a question and answer session following the screening. Invisible Children’s mission is to end the use of child soldiers in the rebel war going on in northern Uganda and throughout Central Africa, and to restore the region to peace and prosperity through the use of film, creativity and social action. Women’s Forum Scholarship Luncheon, Apr. 26 In partnership with the Clayton News Daily, the Clayton State Women’s Forum cordially invites you to join us on Thursday, Apr. 26 for the annual Scholarship Luncheon, with special guest speaker Ronda Rich. The luncheon will be from noon to 1:30 p.m., in room 101 of the Harry S. Downs Center. Rich is the best-selling author of “What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should).” That book launched a new career for the former award-winning sports writer, who has now become a popular Southern sage, dispensing musings and observations in her weekly, syndicated newspaper column, Dixie Divas, and speaking at more than 100 events each year as a humorous and inspirational speaker. R.S.V.P. for the luncheon are required by Apr. 23 to Francine Mocniak at (678) 466-5426, or FrancineMocniak@clayton.edu. The cost is $15. Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Auditions, Apr. 28 On Saturday, Apr. 28, the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program will hold its 19th annual season auditions. Started in spring of 1994, the choir program is wrapping up its 18th year and getting ready for the 2012/2013 season. Arguably the most famous outreach program of Clayton State University’s world-famous Spivey Hall, the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir Program offers students professional-level instruction in vocal pedagogy, music theory, sight singing, ear training, presentation, and exposure to a variety of choral styles. But that's not all. Being involved in the program also enhances children’s lives by helping them develop qualities of self-reliance, personal integrity, responsibility, compassion, and confidence in their abilities. This twofold purpose enables students to benefit as much as possible from an extracurricular activity. For more information on scheduling a student audition, go to; www.spiveyhallchildrenschoir.org, or email sing@spiveyhallchildrendschoir.org, or call (770) 946-9072.

Upcoming Events

Clayton Community Big Band Presents “2-Hour Energy” in Spivey Hall, Apr. 30 The Clayton State University Department of Visual & Performing Arts presents the Clayton Community Big Band in “2-Hour Energy,” a concert filled with fast-paced, contemporary big band music, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Apr. 30, in Spivey Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. Directed by Stacey Houghton (Rex) and Assistant Director Art Thompson (Fayetteville), “2-Hour Energy” features challenging and fast-paced instrumental compositions from composers Gordon Goodwin, Bob Mintzer, Les Hooper, Tom Kubis, Thad Jones and Sammy Nestic. Drawing from talented composers’ challenging pieces creates a high energy level that demands an equally high skill level from Clayton Community Big Band musicians. Downs Center Roof Replacement They’re raising the roof at the Harry S. Downs Center… the roof replacement project will began the week of Apr. 30 through May 4.  There will be some minor inconveniences during the tear- off, but there should be minimal noise. All-Tex Roofing will set up dumpsters along the southeast corner of the building (near kitchen area) which may occupy a portion of the sidewalk. This area will be enclosed with temporary fencing to assist in preventing hazardous conditions. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Donald West at (678) 466-4203. It’s Coming… FAFSA Day at Clayton State, May 12 It’s just a month away… the Third Annual FAFSA Day at Clayton State University… the biggest, most informative event of the year for the Clayton State Office of Financial Aid. For 2012, FAFSA Day will be held on Saturday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in room UC327 of the James M. Baker University Center on the Clayton State main campus in Morrow. Atlanta Export Symposium, May 23 Through his capacity as president of World Trade Center Atlanta, Clayton State Director of the Office of International Programs John Parkerson has arranged free attendance for any College of Business students or faculty who might wish to attend the Atlanta Export Symposium on May 23, at the World Trade Center. This is an ambitious program, with outstanding sponsors and program panelists. It should provide excellent substantive content and networking opportunities for students who are interested in international business, international marketing and supply chain. Any individuals who wish to attend should contact Parkerson at johnparkerson@clayton.edu or (678) 466-4091.