March 2008 Issue

Around Campus

ustin College students experienced the first JanTerm in 1968 and the four-week term that allows in-depth research or investigation of new interests through on-campus courses,  career exploration through internships, travel courses, or independent projects remains one of the most popular features of the College among students 40 years later.

JanTerm is not unique to Austin College; some 50 plus schools offer a similar short term — some in January, others in May. Still, the opportunities of JanTerm — like studying the World War II while walking the actual battlefields or hiking in the rain forests of Bolivia in connection with studies of the environment — are described as life-changing by many students. International courses are often the flashiest; the courses on campus can have similar impact.  

With courses taking them from Canada to Timbuktu and points around the globe, students travel on foot, by bike and by boat, on camels and elephants, and through all kinds of environments to discover the world around them.

A Small World After All

Ben and Mary Gwen Chapin Hulsey of Houston, both 1968 graduates of Austin College, were in Aswan, Egypt, looking at an unfinished obelisk very early one morning in January 2008 when Mary Gwen, a senior member of the College’s Board of Trustees, glimpsed the crimson sweatshirt of a young woman passing and  “literally grabbed her to ask where she goes to college.” As the student turned toward her, Mary Gwen fully saw Austin College on the sweatshirt. Connections were made, other students gathered, a photo was taken to commemorate the chance meeting.

That “chance” experience is made more interesting because of past similar experiences. In January 2002, Mary Gwen, at an elevator at the Louvre in Paris, overheard a group discussing a cancelled course to Rome. She knew an Austin College student whose Rome trip had been cancelled so she asked the group where they went to school — Austin College!  And, in 2006, in Colorado, Mary Gwen boarded a ski lift, asked her seatmates where they were from, and discovered Texas connections, then Presbyterian connections, and finally, Austin College connections as beneath the scarves, hats, and goggles of ski attire, she discovered new board member Stan Woodward. In every case, last minute changes to her itinerary caused her path to cross that of students — predestination she’s sure. Whatever the cause, she’s a Kangaroo magnet — and with the many travels of students during JanTerm, she’s likely to attract even more!

During January 2008, 348 students traveled to Australia, Bolivia, brazil, Costa Rica, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, and Uruguay, studying architecture, language, environmental issues, rat, medicine, science, history, politics, and culture. Students and faculty also spent time in Austin, Texas; New York City; and Washington, D.C., studying foreign investment, independent film, leadership, and U.S. foreign policy. Many students completed career study or individual exploration, including 21 who chose international sites of Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and Pakistan.

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Stuart Baskin

Antonio Garza

Austin College Graduation Activities Scheduled May 17-18

Four years of classes, late night study sessions, research, tests, and papers culminate in graduation activities May 17-18 for the Class of 2008, highlighted by 295 seniors crossing the stage May 18 to receive diplomas from Oscar C. Page, Austin College president. 

Stuart Baskin, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, Texas, will present the Baccalaureate sermon Saturday, May 17, at 7 p.m. in Sid Richardson Center of the Robert T. Mason Athletic/Recreation Complex.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Baskin received a bachelor’s degree in international studies from Davidson College and master’s degrees in divinity and theology in church history, as well as a doctorate in theological ethics from Union Theological Seminary. Baskin formerly was senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Greenville, Mississippi, previously holding ministry positions at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston and Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church of Richmond, Va. He also served as Presbyterian campus minister at the University of Richmond.

The Commencement speaker will be The Honorable Antonio “Tony” O. Garza, Jr., Ambassador to Mexico. Elected chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission in 1998, he previously was a partner in the Austin office of Bracewell & Patterson (now Bracewell & Giuliani), a Houston-based law firm.

The 2008 Commencement exercises will begin May 18 at 8:30 a.m. on the Clyde L. Hall Graduation Court, north of Caruth Administration Building. The A Cappella Choir, directed by Wayne Crannell, associate professor of music, will perform during the event.

Axel Nze Akoue of Libreville, Gabon, Africa, was selected by his classmates to serve as senior speaker at Commencement. He is majoring in international relations and completing a minor in communication studies. An expert in martial arts, he teaches weekly kickboxing lessons for students, sponsored by the Student Life Office. He also has been involved with Student International Organization and Black Expressions. 

Members of the Class of 1958 will be on campus throughout the weekend for 50-year reunion activities. Class members in attendance will receive 50-year anniversary diplomas and medallions from President Page at a dinner in the graduates’ honor Friday, May 16. The anniversary graduates will take part in the Processional for Baccalaureate and will be recognized during Commencement exercises. Other Golden ’Roos, alumni of 50 or more years ago, also take part in the reunion activities.

New Commencement Start Time: 8:30 a.m.

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Jay Evans to Retire from Austin College

No one really knows how many high school seniors Jay Evans ’64, associate vice president for Institutional Enrollment, has recruited to Austin College, but it’s likely more than anyone else in the history of the College.  He’s been at it for almost 40 years, having joined the Office of Admission in 1969, but he’s ready to try his hand at something a bit more ‘retiring.’ Evans will give up his appointment book at the College June 30 after years of visiting high schools and sharing the Austin College story with young people and their parents. He has had primary responsibility for students in the Dallas area, but also has traveled many miles around the U.S. on behalf of the College.

Austin College will honor Evans at a campus reception May 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. Alumni are invited to attend — or to send their good wishes to Evans at admission@austincollege.edu or Suite 6N, 900 N. Grand Ave., Sherman, Texas 75090.

The Texas Association of College Admission Counselors (TACAC) also will honor Evans at a reception in April during its annual conference. Evans received the TACAC Founders Award in 2003, recognizing contribution to the profession and to the association “above and beyond the call of duty” as well as his exceptional talent and devotion to students.

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Remnants of the previous day’s heavy snowfall hid landscaping plants but did not hinder dedication ceremonies March 7 for the Betsy Dennis Forster Art Studio Complex on campus.

Peter and Betsy Forster, at center, cut the ribbon  to officially open the art complex. Monica Martinez ’09 and President Oscar Page watch.

Betsy Dennis Forster, Austin College Class of 1965, and her husband, Peter Forster, provided gifts in excess of $4 million toward the 24,000-square-foot facility. Betsy, a landscape artist, exhibited her work during the dedication, in the gallery named for her mother. The Forsters have homes in Washington, D.C., and in Jackson, Wyoming.

Art faculty and students eagerly watched construction of the Forster Complex for the past year. For many years, the Austin College Art and Art History Department occupied approximately 8,500 square feet in the east wing of Craig Hall, constructed in 1962 and enlarged in 1972 to accommodate music and art students. Today’s studio-based art courses had required modification of Craig Hall’s traditional classrooms to offer space to approximately 160 students enrolled in art classes.

The new facility, designed by Cunningham Architects of Dallas, includes faculty offices, a limited number of small classrooms, a darkroom, and studio space — lots of it with dedicated space for painting, photography, drawing, and fundamentals. The second building of the complex includes an outdoor studio for metal sculpture, workshops for metal and wood and for ceramics, and outdoor kilns.

Department faculty members hope to be moved into the new facility by the end of the term.

• Construction Photos from the Ground Up

• Dedication Photos

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Jim Lewis

Jerry Holbert

Lewis Announces Move; Holbert Assumes New Leadership Role

Jim Lewis, vice president for Institutional Advancement at Austin College for the last 13 years, will become vice president for development at the University of Texas at Arlington effective May 15.

Due to Lewis’ efforts, said President Oscar C. Page, Austin College has enjoyed “significant success in the fundraising area,” including completion in 2004 of a successful $120 million campaign, the largest in the history of the College.

Lewis has spent his entire career in college fundraising, previously serving at Millsaps College and Southern Methodist University. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University–Commerce, and his MBA from SMU.

Effective May 10, Jerry Holbert, now associate vice president for Institutional Advancement, will assume the vice president position. Holbert came to Austin College two years ago from Stephen F. Austin State University, where he served as vice president for Institutional Advancement for 13 years. “Working with Jim Lewis for the last two years,” Page said, “Jerry Holbert has become familiar with Austin College. This familiarity, along with his previous leadership experiences in this area, provides a strong background for him to step into this new leadership position on our campus.”

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Austin College Partners with Collin College

Austin College and Collin County Community College District system officials signed a special pre-admission agreement for qualified Collin students in January. The pre-admission agreement is designed for Collin students who show evidence of high academic ability and would seek to complete a four-year degree at Austin College.

While the agreement does not guarantee admission to Austin College, Collin College students can be fully informed about credit hours that are transferable and become better acquainted with Austin College programs and opportunities while attending Collin.

To be admitted into the pre-admission program, Collin students must meet with an Austin College faculty adviser and the executive director of transfer admission each semester, follow the program of study as recommended by the adviser, maintain a 3.0 grade point average with less than 30 hours or a 2.75 grade point average with more than 30 hours, and be in good academic standing. The advising meetings are an important part of the transfer process, since Collin students and their Austin College faculty adviser will review course selections to ensure a seamless transfer of credit toward a bachelor’s degree.

“Students have many options today, and we are pleased to be working with Collin College because the community college systems of Texas represent an excellent pool of prospective students,” said Nan Davis, vice president for Institutional Enrollment at Austin College. “These students are well-prepared to continue their education at a residential liberal arts college, and our proximity to the Collin College campuses makes this program beneficial to a large number of students.”

Austin College is the ninth college to establish such an agreement with Collin. Other partners include Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University–Commerce, Texas Tech University, Texas Woman’s University, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the University of North Texas.

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Senior High Youth Take Over Campus

Event staff for the Presbyterian event, known as SHYC, included 47 current
Austin College ACtivators and 13 ACtivators alumni, as well as adults from the region.

Some 700 Grace Presbytery senior high youth descended on the Austin College campus at the end of January for the annual Senior High Youth Connection. Through music, worship, small groups, energizers, and presentations, the group explored the theme “Between the Trees,” examining the bookends of God's kingdom: the tree of life in the Garden of Eden and the tree in the fulfilled heaven in Revelation.

The event is planned by a team of adults and youth from across central and northeast Texas in partnership with Austin College’s ACtivators, a mobile youth ministry team. The event, held annually at Austin College for more than 20 years, is the largest presbytery youth conference in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

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Norm Lyons

College Hosts Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Norm Lyons, vice president of external affairs for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, presented the keynote address for the fourth annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Community Celebration on campus in January. Austin College and Grayson County Rotary groups co-sponsor the event. 

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Annual Undergraduate Conference Upcoming

The fifth annual Austin College Undergraduate Conference in the Humanities and Social Sciences, “Transformation and Translation,” will be held on campus April 25-26. The conference regularly includes 30 to 40 student presenters from across the country as well as faculty speakers and other experts on the topic.

Speakers for 2008 include Trisha Sheffield, Lilly Visiting Scholar in Religious and Gender Studies at Austin College, as well as Phillip Boehm, translator, playwright, and director; Jonathan Marks, bioethicist, barrister, and professor of law; and Carmen Perez, translator and retired professor of English.

Szende Szabo ’09 of Argentina is chair of the student committee for the conference. Julie Hempel, associate professor of Spanish, and Alex Garganigo, assistant professor of English, serve as co-directors of the event. Hempel has been involved with the organization of the conference since its beginning in 2005.

Past conference topics include “Environment and the Humanities,” “Race and Nationhood,” “Gender and the Humanities,” and “Religion and Science.”

For information about the 2008 event, contact Hempel at jhempel@austincollege.edu.

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Law Symposium April 7 Features Jeffrey Toobin

Austin College’s 2008 Law Symposium Monday, April 7, will feature a luncheon keynote address by Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. Three panel discussions led by other experts in the profession will be held that afternoon.

Cost for the symposium is $50 per person and registration begins at 11 a.m. Approval is pending for 4.25 CLE credits, including 1.5 in ethics. Those interested in attending should contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations by April 1 at 1-800-467-6646 or alumni@austincollege.edu.

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Michael Maccoby

Milton Aylor

Morris Fiorina

Monica Martinez

A Woman in the White House? Maybe.

A Woman Leading Austin College’s Student Body? Nothing New for Campus

American voters are yet to determine whether they will elect a woman to the presidency in 2008, but a woman heading the Austin College student body is nothing new. (Ruth Ann Whiteside ’64 was student body president in 1963 — likely not the first female — and many women since have followed in those footsteps.) Did you have a female student body president?  Send her name to editor@austincollege.edu.

Monica Martinez ’09 continues the tradition in 2008, beginning her term as president of Austin College’s student body after Student Assembly (SA) elections in November. An international relations and combined religion/philosophy major, the Mineola native previously served SA for two years. She has been very involved with Model United Nations, is a member of Omega Zeta social sorority, and has participated in various service activities at Austin College.

Other SA Officers:

• Tayyar Unal ’10, vice president. A Duncanville, Texas, native he is a resident assistant in Dean Hall and a member of the Pre-Medical Society.
• Carla Cortez ’09, secretary. She is an Asian studies and international relations major from Mesquite, Texas, now in her third year on SA and also is a member of the Asian Student Association.
• Dallas Key ’10, treasurer. The political science major from Whiteface, Texas, is a two-year member of SA, a member of the Posey Leadership Institute, a Model UN participant, and a member of Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity and the Pre-Law Society.

Completing the Executive Committee of SA are Jessica Douglas ’09 of Allen, Texas, public relations chair; Karen Edwards ’09 of Rockwall, Texas, elections chair; Lisa Simpson ’09 of Houston, Texas, charter review chair; and Parth Shah ’09 of Murphy, Texas, budget and finance chair.

Pictured, left to right, front row, are Tayyar Unal, Monica Martinez, CarlaCortez, Dallas Key;
and back row, Jessica Douglas, Karen Edwards, LisaSimpson, and Parth Shah.

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Andrew Pickett Mobley Scholar Project Memorializes History Interests

History excited Andrew Mobley. It was an interest he was unable to pursue to the fullest as an Austin College student due to his death at age 19 in August 2003, but an interest his father wanted to be sure other Austin College students could pursue in depth.

Austin College Board of Trustees member Steven M. Mobley funded the Andrew Pickett Mobley Scholar Project in 2006 in memory of his son who died in a house fire in Sherman. The Austin College Department of History and the Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies coordinate the multi-year project, which provides collaborative learning experiences focused on Texas and regional history, said Light T. Cummins, professor of history, project director, and current Andrew Pickett Mobley Scholar.

Cummins, realizing “biography brings a personal dimension to the study of history” has taught three terms of “Seminar in Biography” covering Texas and Southwestern figures. The courses have produced award-winning papers, including the work of David Thomas ’07 that won Best Paper at a history honorary society conference in April 2007.

While students prepared biographical papers for the course, Cummins worked on the biography of Emily Austin, due to be published in late 2008 or early 2009. “It’s the only Texas biography I know of that was part of an undergraduate collaborative learning process in which undergraduates helped shape the book,” Cummins said. “In a couple cases, Austin College students offered significant advice that changed the nature of the book for the better.”

The Mobley Scholar Project involves students in biographical research in four areas: Cummins’ seminar in biography; preparation of lesson plans for Texas schools that include Mexican-Americans within Texas history; participation in the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress; and the publication of the Emily Austin biography.

The project has enabled students to present papers at conventions, visit archives and libraries across the state, develop a Web site to share their biographies and lesson plans for collaborative learning, hear on-campus presentations from award-winning biography writers, and participate in internships organizing important papers from Lyndon B. Johnson to Sam Rayburn. “The students are getting the kind of relationships with faculty members in collaborative learning that most students in the United States don’t get until they go to graduate school,” Cummins said.

They also are getting the kind of experiences Andrew Mobley would have found exciting.

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Alumna Donation of Books on Mexican Heritage
Creates Ruth T. Bello Collection at Abell Library

Thanks to the generous donation by Ruth T. Bello ’60, Austin College’s George T. and Gladys H. Abell Library Center resources on Southwestern and Mexican Studies have been bolstered. Bello donated 69 books covering Mexican and Mexican-American history, religion, sociology, economics, and art to the library in spring 2007, said John West, librarian and Abell Library director.

“Ms. Bello thought that Austin College was a good place for the books, especially now that we have a Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies,” West said. “These 69 books are important additions. A large number of those works came out in the 1970s as the interest in ethnic studies began seriously.”

Bello’s father was recruited from the State of Guerrero, Mexico, by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary to be an evangelist in the Mexican community in Texas. Though Ruth Bello was born in the United States, she wanted to maintain her Mexican heritage. An Austin College course on Mexico encouraged her to delve further into study. Starting in the 1960s, Bello bought many books on Mexican-American and Tejano history and culture, assisted by her employee discount at a Presbyterian bookstore in Dallas, Texas.

“I just hope the books will serve to increase the knowledge of Mexican and Tejano history and culture in Austin College students,” Bello said. “They have opportunities to study those topics that were not available to me during my college experience.”

The Ruth T. Bello Collection, including titles such as Zapata: A biography, Memorias de Pancho Villa, The Browning of America: the Hispanic Revolution in the American Church, and Among the Valiant: Mexican Americans in WWII and Korea is available in the circulating collection of Abell Library.

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March 2008

Feedback?

Austin College Among Top 5 Colleges for
Undergraduate Study Abroad Participation

Austin College ranked No. 4 in the nation among baccalaureate institutions in undergraduate study abroad participation, according to the Open Doors 2007 report released in November by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Since 2002, Austin College has ranked in the top five in its category on four occasions, taking the number one spot in 2004 and in 2006.  

“Austin College’s phenomenal study abroad rate has been one of higher education’s better kept secrets for some time, but it’s rewarding when the rest of the world is let in on our success,” said Austin College President Oscar C. Page. “This ranks us higher than such prestigious institutions as Colby, Lewis & Clark, and Colorado College — all included in the IIE’s top 20.”  

The IIE data includes formal semester and year-long study abroad programs as well as short-term study (such as JanTerm). 

Five Austin College students are spending this entire academic year abroad; 22 students were abroad for the fall and 20 students are studying internationally this spring. Sites for this year’s study include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, England, Ecuador, France, Italy, Japan, Mali, Peru, Samoa, Scotland, and Spain.

Nearly 72 percent of the Class of 2007 had an international study experience of at least on month at Austin College. 

• Open Doors Report 2007/Study Abroad

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