Thursday, September 9, 2010

Enrollment surges as students choose C-SC
Momentum is building at Culver-Stockton College as the school sees an increase in new student enrollment. Totals from the Aug. 31 "census day" show new student enrollment jumped 26 percent over the previous year. C-SC President Richard Valentine says the new numbers are a direct result of the school's continued commitment to academic excellence. "Our academic reputation continues to grow locally, regionally and nationally. Our distinctly innovative curriculum -EXP@CSC - truly challenges students, helps them build real-world experiences, and allows them to explore their interests in an in-depth manner. Our student-to-faculty ratio also allows for an engaging learning experience with individual attention. Those elements all combine to create a unique learning environment that fosters student success," said Valentine. In addition to the 26 percent increase in enrollment, C-SC has also been successful in recruiting students from outside the region. "We're extremely proud of the diversity of our student body, not only has C-SC been successful in drawing students from Missouri, Iowa and Illinois; this year we've also added students from Wisconsin, Idaho, Delaware and Colorado, among other states. We also have a strong international presence on campus with new students from Denmark, Jamaica, Iraq, Serbia and the United Kingdom. The entire college staff worked very hard to attract and retain students this year and those efforts have truly paid off," said Kim Uhlmeyer, admission operations director at Culver-Stockton College. "Recruitment is paramount to the success of Culver-Stockton College," said President Valentine. "I believe the latest enrollment numbers and the diversity of our student body are a testament to the hard work of our admission staff. They are also a direct reflection of Culver-Stockton's commitment to providing students of promise, and the campus community as a whole, with the best possible education," he added. Student retention numbers also increased dramatically, with more than 89 percent of existing Culver-Stockton students returning for the 2010-2011 academic year. According to President Valentine strong retention numbers are an important indicator that the college is well-positioned for future growth. "We have everything in place to see continued success. It is the mission of C-SC to provide students with a superb education, and our faculty and staff constantly work toward that goal. I believe our 'census day' numbers prove that we are, indeed, achieving that goal, and that parents and students alike appreciate the value of a Culver-Stockton education," added Valentine.

Culver-Stockton ranks among top schools in the region
Culver-Stockton College has once again ranked among the top post-secondary schools in the Midwest. C-SC was rated 33rd on the list of Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest in the 2011 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by "U.S. News & World Report." This marks the fifth consecutive year that Culver-Stockton has been included among the top Midwest baccalaureate colleges. "We are pleased that Culver-Stockton continues to be included among the top regional schools. Although the rankings are certainly not the only measurement of educational quality, they serve as a valuable resource for prospective students and their families during the college selection process; they also reaffirm Culver-Stockton's commitment to providing students of promise with a superb educational experience," said Richard Valentine, president of Culver-Stockton College. Schools included in "America's Best Colleges" are judged on a number of criteria including: student retention, graduation rates and strength of faculty. "The success of our students and strength of our faculty speak volumes about who we are as a college. Small class sizes and low student-to-faculty ratios allow for more in-depth learning opportunities and greater individualized attention for students, which are hallmarks of small, private colleges like C-SC," added Valentine. Read more online.

C-SC to open theatre season with The Riding Club
Culver-Stockton College will open its theatre season with The Riding Club Thursday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 19. All performances will take place in the Mabee Little Theatre, located in the Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center on the C-SC campus. "I am very excited to be directing this play again; it is hard to believe that this play hasn't had a full production since I directed the premiere production in conjunction with the Festival of Southern Theatre at the University of Mississippi in 1992," said Jeff Kellogg, C-SC associate professor of theatre and director of the production. "This is a unique opportunity for Culver-Stockton's student actors and audiences to experience what is essentially a brand new play." The Riding Club is a bittersweet comedy that focuses on Addy, who is in the hospital awaiting a heart transplant. As the production unfolds, "the riding club," Addy's high school clique begins to arrive at the hospital to show their support, even though it has been twenty years since high school. Her group of high school friends is a dynamic group, Mary Louise is a doctor's wife, Christmas Carol flies in from New York City where she is living the life of a bohemian actress, Patty Lynn has been born again since high school and Bobby Joe has rediscovered her Cherokee heritage and may or may not have killed her lover. With this cast of diverse characters the audience is sure to enjoy this emotional roller-coaster ride. The cast includes: Emerald Millan, freshman psychology major from Chicago, Ill., as Bobby Joe; Hollyann Lillie, sophomore musical theatre major from Roscoe, Ill., as Nurse; Jerica Exum, senior arts management major from Chicago Heights, Ill., as Christmas; Meghan Townley, sophomore arts management major from Quincy, Ill., as Mary Louise; Erin Carmody, junior speech and theatre education major from Webster Groves, Mo., as Patty Lynn; Whitney Colston, senior theatre major from Neosho, Mo., as Addy. Ian Heath, junior theatre and legal studies major from St. Louis, Mo., will work as the assistant director/stage manager and Sara Dern, freshman theatre major from Merriam Woods, Mo., and Dillon Ezell, freshman theatre major from Neosho, Mo., will work as assistant stage managers.The production will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16 through Saturday, Sept. 18 and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19. Ticket prices are $6 for adults, $4 for non-C-SC students, and free for C-SC students, faculty, and staff. For more information, or to reserve tickets, please contact the Culver-Stockton College Fine Arts Office at (573) 288-6346 or finearts@culver.edu.

"The Human Side of Chemistry: A Portrait of Contemporary Heroes" to be held at C-SC
Culver-Stockton College will host "The Human Side of Chemistry: A Portrait of Contemporary Heroes" on Thursday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Science Center, room 208. With goals of education, inspiration and fun, this talk will focus on a number of famous chemists and will reveal their various personality characteristics and scientific behaviors. Through the use of photographs of famous chemists taken during the last 90 years, the role of various personality and societal factors will be discussed (for example, ego, pride, sincerity, roots and tradition, family, collaboration and competition, social consciousness, and humor). A key part of the presentation will be a video entitled "In the Pursuit of Discovery." This network quality documentary features three eminent chemists and reveals the essence of their personalities: the late Derek Barton, Carl Djerassi, and Koji Nakanishi. This presentation is free and open to the public. It is also a part of C-SC's Academic and Cultural Events program. For more information on this event contact Dr. Mohammed El-Bermawy, professor of chemistry/biology, at (573) 288-6344 or melbermawy@culver.edu.

BRCN students attend "Commitment to Care"
Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing students attended the "Commitment to Care" seminar, recently. This year during the seminar there was a "What Not to Wear Fashion Show" that demonstrated to new and returning students how to dress on the clinical floor. The main session was when students split up into groups and talked about what caring means to each student. The closing of the event was a "Blessing of the Hands" ceremony where faculty member's poor water over each students hands and another faculty member says a prayer.

Wild Bill Hickok: Pistoleer, Civilizer and Folk Hero
Spend an evening with James Butler Hickok, a.k.a "Wild Bill Hickok - Prince of the Pistoleeros'." Learn about the fascinating life and times of this Wild West legend portrayed by Terry Lee Hawkins. Don't miss this opportunity, Thursday, September 9 and Sunday, September 12 at 7 p.m. at the Lewis Street Playhouse. Admission is $5 or $1 for any student. Find out what this historic gunslingers life was really like.