» Submit an Event
» Full Campus Calendar
» Alumni Calendar
»
Academic Calendar

Upcoming
   Events

Classes Resume
Monday, January 14

Martin Luther King Jr.
Celebration

Monday, January 21
Panther's Den
7:00 PM

Club Fair
Wednesday, January 23
Panther's Den
4:30 PM

American Red Cross Blood Drive
Wednesday, January 30
Fitness Center
11:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Coffeehouse
Thursday, January 31
Panther's Den
8:30 PM

Community Partner Gathering
Wednesday, February 13
Panther's Den
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM

"The Resurrection of Harriet Tubman" & Military Women Exhibit
Tuesday, February 14
Panther's Den
8:00 PM

Kevin Hurley Magic Show
Tuesday, February 19
Panther's Den
9:00 PM

Coffeehouse
Thursday, February 28
Panther's Den
8:00 PM

Panther Preview
Saturday, February 23
Register Online »

Bingo
Wednesday, March 12
Panther's Den
9:00 PM

Panther Preview
Saturday, March 15
Register Online »

Holocaust Concert
Wednesday, March 19
Grousbeck Auditorium
7:30 PM

Frank X. Walker
Wednesday, March 26
Blue Ridge Mountain Room
7:00 PM

Coffeehouse
Thursday, March 27
Panther's Den
8:00 PM

Relay for Life
Friday, April 4
Baseball Field
Begins 6:00 PM and Ends 6:00 AM

 

Alumni
   
Events

February

Roanoke and Franklin County Chapters
Thursday, February 21st
Montano’s Restaurant, 6:00 pm
Special Guest, Dr. Joe Stogner

March

Staunton/Shenandoah Valley Chapter
Thursday, March 27th
Rowe’s Family Restaurant, 6:00 pm

April

Secretarial Sciences Tea Party
Saturday, April 5th, 3:00 pm
The Virginia Room of Franklin Hall
Dr. Jennifer Braaten, President of Ferrum College, will provide updates from the College.




More info
»

Ferrum Baseball vs. Emory and Henry
Monday, April 21st, 7:00 pm
Calfee Park, Pulaski

Ferrum Baseball vs. Guilford College
Tuesday, April 22nd, 6:00 pm
Hooker Field, Martinsville

Alumni Board of Directors Meeting
Saturday, April 26th, 11:00 am
Founders Room, Stanley Library

Senior Dinner Dance
Wednesday, April 30th, 6:00 pm
Westlake Golf and Country Club

Attention Class
of 2007!

The Career Services Office staff hopes you are settling into the next phase of your life direction.
    
Although you have graduated, we are still very interested in your accomplishments.  Your comments will help us develop a 2007 Class Profile and assess how we can improve Ferrum’s offerings and services.  All the data you give us will be reported in a manner that will not disclose individual responses.
Continue Reading
»

Online Graduate Survey! »



Athletics News:

Panther Women Win Third Straight
Ali Davenport and Miranda Carrasco had 19 points each and Brittney Bullock added 14 as Ferrum opened USA South play with a 71-57 road win over Mary Baldwin. The Panthers led by as man as 22 points in the second half. more»

Mitchell Named Rookie of Week
Derek Mitchell has been named USA South Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week for the third time this season after averaging a double-double in two Ferrum games last week. This is Mitchell's third such honor this season. more»

Mitchell, Godsey Named All-Tournament at Domino's Classic
Derek Mitchell and Jon Godsey were named to the All-Tournament Team at the Domino's New Year's Classic after Ferrum fell 83-67 to host Roanoke College in the title game Jan. 5. more»

Women's Basketball Picks Up 79-71 Win Over Bridgewater
Ali Davenport had 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead Ferrum to a 79-71 non-conference women's basketball win over Bridgewater Jan. 3 at home. Tonya Wright had 14 points, and Kierra Parker added 10 points. more»

Ferrum 's Mitchell Nabs Second Rookie of the Week Honor
Derek Mitchell has been named USA South Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week for his play in three Panther games. The freshman forward from Newport News, Virginia, also earned the award Dec. 11. more»

More Athletics News»


Download the newsletter...

 

 

Ferrum College Receives Financial Aid Grant from Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation

    Ferrum College has received a grant in the amount of $25,500 from the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation to be used for financial aid.  Students with financial need who have demonstrated a commitment to service above self and service to the community are eligible.  Additionally, the Foundation has made a grant of $5,000 dollars to the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Endowment at Ferrum College.  This endowment was established in 1998 to provide support in perpetuity for Sullivan Scholars at Ferrum College. Continue Reading »


A Message from Dr. Andrea Zuschin, Dean of Student Affiars:

The Student Affairs Division is excited to welcome all of our students back to campus for the spring semester and we are looking forward to the success of our upcoming programs!

The Residence Education Office continues to educate students outside the classroom in a variety of ways. Our Residence Education staff use bulletin boards and a wide variety of programs to educate students about making good choices, safety awareness, civility, and numerous issues that college students face. We also continue to educate students through our judicial education system; our belief is that every interaction with a student holds some promise for learning. The staff are currently working to schedule housing sign-ups and to attract candidates for Community Advisor positions for the coming 2008-2009 academic year.
Continue Reading »

 



Dear Friends:

Happy New Year, and greetings from Ferrum College.  It is our sincere wish that your year will be one filled with great blessings.
Just as our students have returned from Christmas break refreshed and renewed for a new semester ahead, our staff and faculty share the same excitement as we look to continual growth in our programs, facilities, and in our student body.  It is invigorating to anticipate the many opportunities that lie ahead. 

The news from campus covers many areas.  In this edition of Fe, we celebrate the accomplishments of Dr. Jason Powell, a distinguished young faculty member.  We are protecting an important part of our region’s past in the enhancements we are making to our farm museum at the Blue Ridge Institute.  Facilities continue to change as we update John Wesley Hall and plan for a new entrance design for the corner of Ferrum Mountain Road.  New changes are coming to our alumni relations programming with more focus being placed on local chapter development.    

I also encourage you to closely examine the information about our School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, as well as the great news from Academic Affairs regarding new grants, faculty scholarship and our second E-Term.  Ferrum is blessed with the exceptional quality of our faculty and academic programs.  Faculty excellence is a hallmark of a Ferrum education.

Thank you for helping to make Ferrum College the strong and vibrant institution that it is.  We appreciate your on-going partnership with us in our mission of educating our students as we forge full speed ahead into 2008.

Sincerely,

Jennifer L. Braaten
President

 

Top Stories

Dr. Jason Powell Selected as a Finalist for Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA) 2007



Ferrum College is proud to announce that Dr. Jason Powell, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Physics, was recently selected as a semi-finalist for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA) 2007.  The award is designed to recognize creative and committed teachers under the age of 40 who make a difference in the lives of their students and who strive in achieving excellence and equity in teaching and learning.  The OYEA Selection Committee selected Powell from a highly qualified pool of applicants.

Dr. Powell, who was nominated for the award by colleague Nancy Beach, says, “I am honored to be nominated for this award.  ASCD is one of the premiere organizations in the world for educational leadership and curricular design, and it is encouraging that they consider my work at Ferrum to be ‘outstanding.’  It is a significant milestone in my career to be named a semifinalist for the ASCD Outstanding Young Educator Award.”

Dr. Powell is the program coordinator for Chemistry, Forensic Science (minor) and Pre-Professional Science at Ferrum College.  He has designed and developed curriculum requirements for several campus-wide programs.  He has also implemented several new courses at Ferrum and spends much of his time advising and working with area elementary, middle and high school students.  Science is his passion, and when not working on campus, Dr. Powell volunteers with several outreach activities within the community and helps judge numerous science-related competitions in the region.

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is the largest non-partisan, non-profit education association in the world, with more than 175,000 members in 119 countries.  ASCD works to facilitate the success of each learner worldwide through advocacy, partnerships, professional development, learning tools, and outreach.



Ferrum College President Elected to Serve on National Association of Independent College and Universities (NAICU) Board of Directors

Ferrum College President, Dr. Jennifer Braaten, has been elected to sit on the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) Board of Directors.  President Braaten will formally be elected on February 6, 2008 at the annual meeting.

“Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten was selected by her peers because of her expertise in the field, proven leadership, and commitment to America’s college students,” said NAICU President David L. Warren.  “She assumes these responsibilities at a time of great challenge and transformation for American higher education.”

Members of NAICU’s board of directors set the association’s agenda on federal higher education policy; actively encourage support of NAICU priorities and initiatives; and oversee the association’s financial administration.  Members serve three-year terms. 

NAICU is the leading national association representing private higher education, serving as the unified voice of nearly 1,000 independent college and university presidents, and specialized, state, and regional association executives.  NAICU member institutions enroll nine of every 10 students attending a private college or university in the United States.


Renovation of Blue Ridge Farm Museum is Underway

The sight of construction work and heavy equipment hasn’t been an uncommon one over the last couple of years at Ferrum College, but students, faculty, staff, and motorists traveling down route 40 will see something not seen very often; the renovation of an 1800 Virginia Blue Ridge German farm replica.  The work to accomplish this renovation is slow and meticulous and is expected to take up to two years to complete.

The new location of the buildings will remain on the south side of route 40 west, across from the BRI building, but will be moved several hundred feet away from the road.  This adds a safety element when area elementary schools come for educational tours.  The move also puts the farm museum in an accurate historic position. The buildings will now authentically represent what an 1800-era Virginia German farm would have looked like, something Executive Director Roddy Moore says is necessary. “Any time we interpret the past, we need to look at the entire cultural setting and landscape.  It is important that we make sure that we place each building in a similar setting where they would have originally been found.”

The renovation of the buildings is funded through a grant from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Committee and private donors. 


» See how our move is progressing



John Wesley Hall Undergoes Construction Work

New life is being breathed into John Wesley Hall as the administrative building is undergoing some major renovation work. The building, which was one of the first structures built on campus in 1914, was originally a men’s residence hall. It was converted to house administrative offices in the 60’s when new residence halls were built throughout campus. Now, as a result of the recent enrollment surge and the expanding need to serve an expanded campus community, the third floor of John Wesley Hall is being transformed to house the offices of many administrative and professional services. For nearly 40 years, the third floor was used solely for file and record storage space for various departments. That storage space has been cleared out to make room for the new offices. For several weeks, workers have been knocking down walls, putting in new windows and doors and sanding the floors in order to preserve the original hardwood floors. When completed, offices will have been created for the design team in the Public Relations Department, the administrative oversight for food services and physical plant, the offices of Emergency Services and Safety, along with student employee support staff.

See some of renovation work here:

While cleaning out some of the storage spaces, crews made some interesting discoveries. One of their findings was a hand-written letter from the mother of Mr. Claude Seymour Jr. in 1941. We are currently working on contacting Mr. Seymour to inform him of the discovery.


Alumni Office Update

Happy 2008 from the Alumni Office! We are looking forward to seeing you at an alumni gathering this year. Plans are in progress for Homecoming 2008, October 10-12. The weekend will kick off with the Corron Classic Panther Open to be held at Westlake Golf and Country Club on Friday, October 10. More details to follow!

Big changes are happening with our alumni chapters this year. We are currently working with a committee in each chapter focus area to help us better serve and engage our alumni family. This enhancement will allow our alumni base to truly have ownership of their chapter events. Our thanks to our Alumni Board of Directors for their leadership and assistance with this exciting endeavor! If you have had a chance to attend an alumni chapter event before, now is the time!

Also, our thanks to Parents Council leaders Teresa Coleman and Gar and Debbie Brandt (left) for their assistance with getting our Parents Council project for the year underway. Gar and Debbie raised almost $700 for a new college entrance during the Folklife Festival! Efforts are underway to raise additional funds for the entrance. For more information on the Parents Council project, please contact Alumni and Family Services at 1-877-FERRUM1 or alumni@ferrum.edu.



» Click for more detail

We will see you soon! Keep sending us updates for the class notes section of the magazine! We love to hear from you. Contact us anytime at 1-877-FERRUM1 or alumni@ferrum.edu


An Update from the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Hello and greetings from the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics!  We are now in our second year as one of the three schools that comprise the academic department at Ferrum College.  Restructuring the academic department was apparently a brilliant move as enrollment has increased significantly each of the past two years.  As the Associate Dean, I have had the honor of leading the well-qualified and generally amazing faculty of the school.  With the rapid growth of the student body and the strides we’re making as an institution, it has been a challenging time and the faculty has demonstrated time and again that they are, indeed, amazing.

When approached by Natalie Faunce, our Director of Public Relations called about doing an article on the school, I asked that two things be highlighted.  First, I want to recognize the new faculty members who joined the school this year, three in mathematics and three in science. Each of the six is an excellent recruit and a fine person and, together, they bring great wealth to the college in terms of intellectual capital. Secondly, I want to brag about the fine line-up of course offerings for this spring’s E-term.  Some of you may not have heard that we have revised the academic calendar at Ferrum, shortening the fall and spring semester by 1.5 weeks in order to add a three-week experiential term in May.  The offerings are challenging, interesting, and diverse;

  • a pair of math classes, one a traditional math course and the other a new math course using manipulatives;
  • an advanced chemistry lab specifically designed for E-term;
  • a pair of science classes, one featuring movies that contain “bad science” in need of recognition and correction and the other a CSI-type course in which students spend a week participating in a short course on forensic anthropology at the “body farm” at the University of Tennessee;
  • a pair of international travel courses including the venerated “Tropical and Marine Ecology” course taught in the Virgin Islands and a new course, South African Ecology and Culture, taught in South Africa at the Southern African Wildlife College.

As fast as some things are changing, other characteristics of the college have been intentionally preserved; we’re still small, students still get a lot of individualized attention, we still enjoy working together and love teaching… and we still really like hearing from our former students!

Dave Johnson,
Associate Dean, NSM

New faculty members
Mr. Keith Cooley, Instructor of Mathematics
Dr. Bryan Faulkner, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Michaela Gazdik, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology
Dr. Natalia Smelkova, Assistant Professor of Bio-Chemistry
Dr. Tirtha Timsina, Instructor of Mathematics
Dr. Brian Whitaker, Assistant Professor of Agriculture


Dave Johnson introduces new faculty at the opening conference.

E-term courses; CHM 405, ESC 205, ESC 207, MTH 105, MTH 106, SCI 144, SCI 145

» More about the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics


Academic Updates:

2008 is off to an exciting start for Ferrum Faculty and Students. Here are just a few updates:

Ferrum College has been selected as one of the participating institutions in the 2008 NELL (Network for Effective Language Learning) grant from the Council for Independent Colleges. A team will go to Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington in July. CIC received a very large number of applications for this highly competitive program and we are honored to have been selected for this exciting new program.

Three of our faculty just returned from Salzburg, Austria on the Mellon Fellow Community Initiative Seminar. This seminar offers global perspectives and thoughtful discussion on a number of topics and explores a comprehensive approach to global education within colleges. Faculty members also discuss strategies to incorporate a more comprehensive approach to global education.

Ferrum College is a recipient of a grant under The Appalachian College Community Economic Development Partnership (ACCEDP). A broad-based community team has just completed its second planning retreat, its aim being to align community and college resources to strengthen a key strategic goal in the community. We will be working with Franklin County, the City of Rocky Mount and various community agencies.

The college is preparing for its second Experiential Term (e-Term). This year, approximately 400 students will participate in their choice of about 30 courses (domestic and international travel courses as well as courses on campus). E-term is a 3-week term focused on hands-on, experiential learning strategies. The faculty member in charge of the course teaches one course, and likewise, the student only takes one course at a time.

Ferrum will be establishing a Ferrum Faculty Scholar Program beginning in the 2008-2009 Academic Year. Plans are underway and we will provide more information to the campus community very soon.

A number of Ferrum students and their faculty mentors will be engaged in our summer faculty/student scholarship program. In this program, students work side by side with faculty on research and other scholarly projects.

More than 12 national searches are underway for 2008-2009 faculty positions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


» Login to your account
» Register with e2Campus

WeatherBug!

 

Facebook!



Join our new facebook group, brought to you by the Ferrum Dispatch!



Photo
  Galleries


January 2008
Winter Weather hits Ferrum College


January 2008
Blue Ridge Institute Renovation Project


November 2007
Southern Virginia University Faculty


November 6, 2007
Bread & Puppet Theatre


November 2, 2007
Moore Hall Dedication


October 2007
United Way Bowlathon


October 27, 2007
Blue Ridge Folklife Festival


October 13, 2007
Homecoming Weekend


October 12, 2007
Corron Classic Panther Open


October 10, 2007
Human Services Career Fair


October 2007
Blue Ridge Clay Invitational


September 2007
Family Weekend Photos


September 2007
Moore Hall


September 2007
Betsy Bannan Art Exhibit



Wallpapers


Schoolfield Hall & Sale Theater


Farm Museum

More Wallpapers...



Publications:


» Ferrum Magazine
» FP Newsletter
» Iron Blade
» FNS Newsletter

 

Podcasting:

» Read about Podcasting
» Subscribe to Podcasts on iTunes

» FerrumRadio.com

 

The Helpdesk
Has Moved!


The Help Desk has moved to a more accessible location (beside the Academic Resources Center in the Stanley Library) where we will be able to offer students, staff, and faculty technology support during the evening hours.

This was possible because of the diligent and combined efforts of Physical Plant staff, Information Services staff, and Telephone Services staff.

Call for Nominations for the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards

Ferrum College will recognize the outstanding achievements of alumni who exemplify the three eras of Ferrum College: Ferrum Training School, Ferrum Junior College, and Ferrum College.

Nominees should:
have a record of exceptional career achievement and of service to their community, church, or other organizations.

have been active in College life during their time at Ferrum and have remained involved in and supportive of Ferrum College as alumni.

be an alumnus or alumna of Ferrum College. If not a graduate, nominees should have attended for three or more semesters.

exemplify in all aspects of their lives the spirit of Ferrum's motto, "Not Self, But Others."

Names, addresses, and biographical information should be sent to Ferrum College, Alumni Office, PO Box 1000, Ferrum, VA 24088-9000, by FAX 540-365-4203, or by E-Mail to alumni@ferrum.edu. All nominations must be received by February 15, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 


 



 


Click for an online version of this e-Newsletter

Check the Ferrum Dispatch regularly for all the latest news, events and more!
Alumni:
Click here to update your information and class notes online!
For More News, Calendars and Events Check Ferrum.edu/News

Refer A Student:...And His or Her Fee Is Waived!

Download
the form for Alumni Referral, give it to a prospective student and they
can use it to defer the application fee! It's a small Word document
file that could make a big impact! Download here!

Read Past Newsletters: Click here for more!

» Click here to unsubscribe

NOTE: If you know of any friends or alumni that are not getting Fe, email us and we will send them a copy!

Click to Return To Ferrum.edu