JSC President Barbara E. Murphy

Greetings, Faculty and Staff,

Welcome back from break to the winter that will not end!

BOARD OF TRUSTEES @ JSC NEXT THURSDAY, MARCH 17
Johnson State College hosts the Board of Trustees meeting next Thursday, March 17, at 3 p.m. in the Stearns Performance Space. All are welcome to a reception immediately preceding the meeting at 2:30. If you would like to stay for the meeting, please email Heloisa.Herder@jsc.edu so we can be sure to have enough chairs. As host, JSC will give a brief presentation to start the meeting. Professor Gina Mireault will speak on “Infant Clowns: Discovering 'Funniness' in the First Year of Life,” about the research she is conducting with JSC students as assistants.

ANNUAL EMPLOYEE LUNCHEON: THURSDAY, MARCH 24
All are invited! Please join your colleagues on Thursday, March 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Performance Space. We will acknowledge staff and faculty celebrating “fifth year” anniversaries -- 5, 10, 15, 20, etcetera! Invitation to follow.

‘STATE OF THE COLLEGE' ADDRESS: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30
Mark your calendars and please plan to join me for my annual “State of the College” address, which will take place at 4 p.m. in the Performance Space. I plan to discuss the status of our five-year College Plan, our fiscal picture, and highlights of a very successful year to date.

2011 COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: MARIE KENNEDY
Our 2011 Commencement speaker will be Marie Kennedy, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, who combines the roles of activist and scholar in her teaching and work in community development and “participatory action research.” She is a leader in service learning and sponsored two programs through which low-income women were supported in acquiring a college education while focusing their academic work on issues of importance to homeless and low-income women. With local as well as international academic interests, Professor Kennedy is currently a visiting professor of urban planning at UCLA’s School of Public Affairs.

COUNCIL ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH (CUR) CHOOSES JSC
Under the leadership of Professors Elizabeth Dolci and Anjanette Watson, three JSC science students -- Ben Chaucer, Danielle Gregoire and Autumn Santor -- have been invited by CUR to present their research to members of Congress at the annual “Posters on the Hill” event in April. The topic of their research is “Discovery of Extremophiles from Stressed Aquatic Communities within the Vermont Asbestos Group (VAG) Mine.” Only 74 of the nearly 700 applicants nationwide were selected to participate in this prestigious event, and JSC’s was the only project selected from Vermont. This is a testament to the excellent work of our faculty and their commitment to faculty-mentored student research as well as the strength of our science program.

MANY PEOPLE TO THANK
So many people have gone “beyond the call of duty” at JSC in recent months that I hesitate to single any group or individual out for special acknowledgement. Nonetheless, I would be remiss not to extend special thanks to our Physical Plant staff for their tireless efforts this winter. As always, the staff has dedicated countless hours to maintaining and clearing College roadways and walkways -- a process made ever more difficult this winter. And our Housekeeping staff has done a superb job keeping up with all the slush and salt that finds its way inside as well.

Special thanks also to the Admissions staff and everyone who has helped plan and carry out the numerous group tours and special events so far this semester. A tremendous amount of planning went into our first “Accepted Student Day” of the semester and our second “Athlete Overnight” event, which were planned for this past Sunday and Monday, just as the record snowstorm hit. Nonetheless, eight high school students scheduled for the Athlete Overnight made it to campus Sunday night. Plans were adjusted due to the College’s closure yesterday, but otherwise the event proceeded as planned and was a success. And most of the students who signed up for yesterday’s event will be coming to campus for the next Accepted Student Day, on Monday, March 28. I very much appreciate the staff’s extra effort and perseverance in “re-routing” students and events under very trying circumstances.

Finally, thanks to everyone for being so warm and welcoming to students who come to JSC while exploring their college options. It is not unusual to receive letters of thanks from those who visit, but a note received this week from the president of MinorityRecruit Online, who brought a group of African-American students from Cincinnati to campus last week, is worth sharing. His email to Admissions Director Penny Howrigan reads in part:

“Indeed we went to the Rutgers and the Dartmouths, and truly they were great, but what you and your team are doing way up there in Vermont is absolutely fantastic. I would send my kid to JSC in a heartbeat. The college is so intimate and passionate about making a difference, and more importantly, your commitment to celebrating the differences in people was life-altering. We were made to feel special and important….We have 12-14 students right now interested in applying to JSC. I will be doing whatever it takes to let the many students and parents I come across know just how great JSC is.”

Again, thanks to all for your continued good work on behalf of our students. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events -- particularly at the March 24 luncheon and my March 30 address -- and, as always, I welcome your comments and ideas.