TBR Chancellor Charles Manning. (View a larger image of the photo.)

Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Chancellor Charles Manning recently announced he will retire as chancellor at the end of fiscal year 2008-2009, with his resignation becoming effective June 30, 2009. In a prepared statement he read to the board at its quarterly meeting at the end of June 2008, Manning said, "I recently heard Governor Bredesen make a point in a speech I very much appreciated: he said he is seeking at the end of his term to leave Tennessee with higher expectations of itself and what it can accomplish. Based on everything we have accomplished, I believe I am leaving you with a Board of Regents system that has a far higher expectation of what it can do collectively for the people of Tennessee. I plan to spend this next year actively and enthusiastically serving the Board of Regents as your chancellor. I have loved the opportunity to bring a lifetime of experience to a state with so much potential and to a system filled with individuals who want to improve and are eager to take on the challenge."

After Manning's statement, Vice-Chair Bob Thomas said, "I have been vice-chair for a year and a board member for three years, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Charles Manning. I value the relationship we have developed working together. Under his leadership, all parts of the system, from the board to the staff to the institutions, are operating well. And we have some excellent projects under way that will further improve our operations. Dr. Manning has done an excellent job. I will be in touch with Governor Bredesen about designing a search process for a new chancellor, and that process will certainly involve our board members at appropriate points."

Manning joined the TBR as chancellor in April 2000 after serving for 10 years as chancellor of the university system of West Virginia. His eight years as TBR's chancellor have been marked by a range of accomplishments in improved innovation, efficiency, and responsiveness to the needs of students. Underlying all these accomplishments is an emphasis on collaboration among TBR's institutions. Further detail on Manning's accomplishments during his tenure at TBR may be found at http://www.tbr.edu/offices/chancellor.aspx?id=1540&ekmensel=e2f22c9a_610_622_btnlink.

Manning earned his B.A. in chemistry from McDaniel College and his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Maryland and has done postdoctoral work in chemistry at the Institute for Anorganische und Kkernchemie, Johannes Gutenberg Universitat. He is married to Sharon F. (Sherry) Manning; they have a son, two daughters, and two grandsons.

The TBR is the nation's sixth largest higher education system, governing 45 postsecondary educational institutions. The TBR system includes six universities, 13 two-year colleges and 26 technology centers, providing programs in 90 of Tennessee's 95 counties of more than 180,000 students.

Read the farewell letter from Chancellor Manning.

Presenter Dr. Rod Fluker takes questions from workshop participants. (View a larger image of the photo.)

More than 60 participants – faculty, staff and students – spent an inspiring four hours one afternoon last month in a presentation that defined "Mentoring." Presenters described its purpose and place in higher education, and showed how the program can work to attract and retain students at Southwest. Mentoring for Student Success and College-wide Engagement was presented by nationally known, widely acclaimed Dr. Laurie Fluker and Dr. Rod Fluker, both higher education administrators from Texas State University-San Marcos.

The presenters pointed out that mentoring is a national trend, not only for colleges, but for private sector employers as well. For implementing the program at Southwest, they described our college faculty as critical to engaging prospective students in the community and for developing relationships that affect the retention of current students. In describing how to build the mentoring program at Southwest, they emphasized four key elements needed for its success. These factors are: first, Intentional Effort; second, A Well Planned Program; third, Buy-in from the College; and fourth, Accomplishable Goals.

The workshop, held in the Farris Auditorium at the Macon Cove Campus, was co-sponsored by Student Services and Enrollment Management and the Project SUCCEED grant. It was coordinated by Dr. Cynthia Calhoun and Dr. Kenny Yarbrough, director and coordinator respectively of Project SUCCEED.

Presenter Dr. Laurie Fluker (right) makes an important point as participants (from left) Dr. Anne Mitchell-Hinton, Dr. Joanne Bassett, Lisa Jones and Carolyn Head listen intently. (View a larger image of the photo.)

Project SUCCEED (Students United for Classmates: Commitment, Empowerment and Educational Development) will be a major component of the college's effort to build the mentoring program. Project SUCCEED is an Access, Diversity, and Equity grant, in the amount of $50,000, awarded by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). It was officially launched at Southwest in spring 2008. The grant writers were Dr. Joanne Bassett, Carolyn "Blake" Burr, Dr. Calhoun, Dr. Nevin Robbins, and Dr. Carol Tosh.

The purpose of mentoring is to "positively affect the persistence rates of students enrolled in Developmental Studies reading and writing courses." Student mentors are assigned to Developmental Studies classes to provide strategies for success in overcoming challenges both inside and outside the classroom. Campus resources and one-on-one sessions are part of the mentoring process. The program is also designed to promote leadership skills and persistence for the student mentors.

Susan Wilson, manger of the CRC, distributed information to attendees of the 2008 MHEA Conference and Curriculum Fair. (View a larger image of the photo.)

Angela Ventura-Wooten, director of bioscience career ladder/dual enrollment, and Susan Wilson, manager of the Computer Resource Center (CRC), represented Southwest at the Memphis-Area Homeschoolers Education Association (MHEA) 22nd Annual Conference and Curriculum Fair held recently at the Agricenter. Judy Pierce of the MHEA indicated more than 1,000 parents and children attended this year's event.

Parents were eager to gather information on college programs including those offered by the CRC at the Agricenter this summer. The CRC is offering classes in Keyboarding, Windows XP, and Office 2007.

Ventura-Wooten met with more than 100 parents and high school students to discuss dual enrollment at Southwest. Dual enrollment provides opportunities for students to begin working toward a college degree while still pursuing a high school diploma.

To get more information on classes at the Agricenter, contact Susan Wilson at (901) 333-4277 or by e-mail at scwilson@southwest.tn.edu. For information on how to enroll in dual enrollment classes, contact Angela Ventura-Wooten at (901) 333-5272 or by e-mail at akventurawo@southwest.tn.edu.

A cohort of Southwest faculty descended on Dyersburg State Community College last Tuesday to spend part of their summer vacation attending a Service Learning Workshop. Southwest's 15-member contingent was the largest group of faculty members attending the two-day event.

The workshop, sponsored by the Tennessee Academic and Civic Engagement Program (TACEP), was designed to enhance faculty understanding of service learning and to get practical advice on how to infuse it into their courses as either a requirement or option for students. The second day focused exclusively on each individual faculty member's development of a service learning component suitable to include in their individual course syllabus.

"Participating in this workshop speaks volumes to the commitment to students on the part of this group of faculty members," says Clarence Christian, coordinator for the Southwest participants in the workshop. "They are giving up part of their summer to seek ways to better serve the college, and this [bodes] well for both the college and our students,' he continued. "The TACEP aim is to improve student learning outcomes by having them address identified community needs that are tied to the academic outcomes of their coursework."

Faculty members attending included Ezell Allen, Dr. Osborne Burks, Ken Carpenter, Joe Carson, Clarence Christian, Julie Dockery, Dr. Marcia Hunter, Evelyn Little, Shannon Little, Clim Madlock Jr., J.D.; Sandra Murrell, Bridget Smith, Rosie Taylor, Dr. Melvin Tuggle and LaDonna Young.

Faculty who attended the workshop were accompanied by VISTA member Brad Thomas and future VISTA member Lisa Lombard. The workshop was conducted by faculty from Vanderbilt University and funded by a grant from Learn and Serve America.

Women in Higher Education in Tennessee (WHET) has extended registration for their Professional Development Conference Friday, July 18, at the Macon Cove Campus. For information, please contact Deborah Reed at (901) 333-4592 or dreed@southwest.tn.edu.

Judith Davies

Wayne Smith

ArtsMemphis awarded Dance Works Inc. funding, for the 22nd year, to provide scholarships for students receiving free lunch during the 2008-09 fiscal year. The dance program was also awarded an Arts Access grant from the Tennessee Arts Commissions to bring in nationally and internationally acclaimed artists Judith Davies, Wayne Smith, and Sharona Rubinstein for residencies to work with its Intensive Study Program housed on the Union Avenue Campus of Southwest Tennessee Community College from whom the dance company leases space.

Davies began teaching July 7 and will continue through July 18. Davies has a B.A. (Hons-Fine Arts) Degree from Concordia University and is a Life Member of the Royal Academy of Dance (London, England) specializing in the teaching of children.

Smith earned his BFA in theater with an emphasis in dance at the University of Memphis and his MFA in dance and choreography at Ohio State University. Smith will be teaching July 21-August 1. He will return in October 2008.

Rubinstein, who has a master's degree in dance from UCLA, trained at the Limon and Hawkins studios in New York and was chosen to participate in the Besse Schonberg Choreographer’s Workshop. Her residency will be in April 2009.