University Highlights

Academic Realignment Creates Two New Schools
A 1999 academic reorganization at Susquehanna has created two new schools to replace the former schools of Arts and Sciences and Fine Arts and Communications. Proposed by faculty and endorsed by students, the structure provides more equal size among the University's three schools and promotes collaboration in departments with common interests.

The new School of Arts, Humanities and Communications includes the departments of art, communications and theatre arts, education, English, history, modern languages, music, philosophy, and religion and classical studies. The School of Natural and Social Sciences comprises the departments of biology, chemistry, geological and environmental sciences, mathematical sciences, physics, political science, psychology, and sociology and anthropology. The University's Sigmund Weis School of Business includes departments of management, economics, and accounting and information systems.

Enthusiastic members of the orientation O-Team were on hand to move in new members of the Class of 2003

Enrollment Sets New Record for Fifth Straight Year
Marking the University's largest enrollment for the fifth year in a row, Susquehanna opened the 1999-2000 academic year with 1,639 full-time students. Four hundred and ninety-five new students, including 463 first-year students and 32 transfers, kicked off Susquehanna's 142nd academic year with a convocation on August 26th.

Applications for admission exceeded 2,200, an all-time high. The Honors Program welcomed 57 new students with the highest SAT scores ever. In addition to being well qualified academically, the class of 2003 is the most diverse class in the University's history. More than 50 students, or 10 percent of the incoming class, are members of minority groups. The University now has students from 15 countries -- each represented in a traditional flag display in Degenstein Campus Center's Evert Dining Hall.

Student Satisfaction Survey Reflects High Ratings
Results of the spring 1999 student satisfaction survey reflect continuing highly positive assessments of University programs, faculty and facilities. More than 94 percent of students responding rated the academic program, quality of faculty, faculty concern for students, academic advising and the academic ability of fellow students as good to excellent. Athletic programs and the library, computing, science, and fine arts facilities also received near or above 90 percent good to excellent ratings. Results of the bi-annual survey help to identify successes and areas in need of improvement.

Business and Science Students Gain Competitive Advantage
Science and business majors will share cross-disciplinary insights in a new University program designed to integrate professional studies and liberal learning. Students will prepare for issues they may face in future careers in the three-year pilot project developed with support from the Associated New American Colleges (ANAC) and funding by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Twenty sophomores will take courses that add principles of business to the biology and chemistry curricula or integrate basic science knowledge into business and accounting studies. Susquehanna is one of 13 charter members of the 22-member ANAC, which also includes Ithaca College, Valparaiso University, and the University of Richmond.

Members of the 1998 Sigmund Weis School of Business London Program in Munich, Germany.

Study Abroad Sets A Record
A record 132 students -- the equivalent of 36 percent of the junior class -- complemented their Susquehanna education with international study during 1998-99. The University's international opportunities abroad also grew with the expansion of Susquehanna-sponsored programs. The Sigmund Weis School of Business London Program marked its fourth year with 22 students spending the fall semester in England. The innovative Susquehanna international Focus Program, which pairs interdisciplinary coursework with short-term travel and study abroad, extended its reach to three new locations in Martinique, Southern Africa, and Australia.

Guides Recognize Susquehanna Quality and Value
Selective college guides continue to cite Susquehanna's educational quality and value. While campus visits are still the best way to choose a college, students and parents often consult guides to help narrow their search and gain information on areas such as academic reputation, student retention, faculty, and student selectivity. Susquehanna is cited in The Yale Insider's Guide to the Colleges, The Fiske Guide to Colleges, The Princeton Review's Student Advantage Guide to the Best 331 Colleges, Barron's Best Buys in College Education, Peterson's Competitive Colleges, and U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges."

Communications major Garrett Thompson '00 spent the summer working for JPL Productions in Harrisburg, Pa.

Internships Lay Groundwork for Job, Graduate School Success
A record number of Susquehanna students are gaining work experience and networking opportunities through internships. The 1998-99 academic year included 225 internships and shorter-term externships, a 27% increase from the previous year. A comprehensive program for juniors in the Sigmund Weis School of Business placed 67 interns, including 27 in positions provided through Susquehanna alumni.

Ninety seven percent of the Susquehanna Class of 1998 were either employed or enrolled in graduate or professional schools within six months of commencement. Nearly 80 percent reported employment and slightly over 17 percent indicate they are attending graduate programs in the annual Center for Career Services survey. Early reports from the Class of 1999 indicate similar strong performance. Kathryn Spence '99 was awarded a prestigious Fulbright grant to teach English in South Korea.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Pamela Chabora, right, joined students in clean-up projects at Union Cemetery at the sixth annual orientation volunteer day.

Volunteer Service Crosses New Boundaries
University Chaplain Mark Wm. Radecke led ten students to Costa Rica and Nicaragua in January for Susquehanna's first-ever international service learning project. The contingent was among approximately 1,150 students -- nearly two-thirds of the student body -- who volunteered during 1998-99. The Center for Career Services Learning and Volunteer Programs tracked more than 40,000 hours of service, including 19,600 hours by members of Susquehanna's award winning Project House system. Sorority and fraternity members volunteered 18,500 hours. Three hundred students also earned academic credit in service learning courses.

Smith Hall provides residence for 116 more students, helping to meet the University's goal of housing 80% of the student body.

Smith Hall Adds Space for 116 Students
Spring and summer construction to expand and renovate Smith Hall created space for 116 new residence hall beds on campus. The $4.65 million, bond-financed project includes a new three-story connecting link between the present east and west wings and the addition of a third floor to each wing. Originally constructed in 1961, the building will now provide residences for 276 first-year students. The additional room will help meet Susquehanna's commitment to house 80 percent of students on campus. The University's strategic plan calls for an increase in size to 1,800 students -- with a corresponding growth in quality, diversity and institutional strength -- by the year 2004.

New Minors Explore Jewish and Diversity Studies
Two new minors in Jewish studies and diversity studies are providing additional ways for students to customize their educations and broaden perspectives. The Jewish studies minor provides an interdisciplinary focus on Jewish spirituality, literature, history and culture, and has inspired an innovative course, "From Borscht to Bagels: The History and Culture of Jewish Cuisine." A new Jewish studies house and a campus chapter of Hillel, a national Jewish student organization, complement the initiative.

The diversity studies minor focuses on the impact of race, social class, culture, gender and ethnicity, along with age, disability, sexual orientation and religious affiliation, on individuals, the workplace and society. The minor is designed to help students become aware of multiple perspectives and populations in an increasingly diverse world.

New Technologies Enhance Teaching and Learning
Growing campus applications of technology-assisted teaching, learning and operations have led the Yahoo! Internet Life online magazine to rank the University as one of the nation's 200 "most wired colleges." The opportunity for classroom applications increased dramatically with the August opening of the University's new $7 million Business and Communications Building. Designed as a high-technology resource for the entire campus, the building includes three multimedia computer laboratories, a presentation classroom, and an information technology dataport at every seat. With more than two-thirds of students bringing computers to campus, the local network supports more than 1,500 machines. Initiatives for the year included Y2K planning and the hiring of the University's first full-time Webmaster.

Assistant Professor of French Adam John, left, and students in Susquehanna's Focus: Martinique program played traditional steel drums during their visit to the island.

Musical, Art and Theatre Choices Abound
Fine arts flourished on the Susquehanna campus in 1998-99. America's "First Lady of the Flute" Paula Robison and guitar virtuoso Eliot Fisk presented a concert sponsored by the Stells Freeman Weis Cultural Endowment. Notable events in the annual Artist Series included the St. Petersburg String Quartet, the Dave Leonhardt Jazz Group, Quartetto Gelato and The King's Singers. Students showcased their own developing talents in dozens of recitals and theatre productions including The King and I, Women of Troy, and Everyman. Exhibitions at the Lore Degenstein Gallery included "Marketing Mamas: The Provocative Woman in French Poster Art." Associate Professor of Art History and Gallery Director Valerie Livingston and students in the museum studies course curated the display, which featured selections from the extensive collection of posters donated by Joseph and Ann Silbaugh.

Visiting Writers and Scholars Share Insight
Distinguished visitors again helped bring the broader perspectives to campus. Poet and Memoirist Li-Young Lee and prize-winning novelist Antonya Nelson were among six guests in the Visiting Writer series. Poet Nikki Giovanni presented "Racism 101," a free public reading sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Other speakers included Jewish studies scholars Antony Polonsky and Rodger Kamenetz, civil rights activist Judi Hampton and Harsco Corporation CEO Derek C. Hathaway, who presented the annual Sigmund Weis Memorial Lecture. Author and humorist Calvin Trillin addressed the 1999 commencement class and received an honorary degree along with Salomon Smith Barney Vice President Alan R. Shaw '60, President of Senshu University Masayoshi Deushi, church leader and educator Addie Butler, and the Rev. Raymond E. Shaheen '37, who was baccalaureate speaker.

Generosity Shines with Fundraising Success
Generous alumni and friends contributed approximately $6.5 million in gifts, including a new record high of nearly $1.4 million for the Susquehanna University Fund. More than 30 percent of alumni made a gift in 1998-99. The Susquehanna 2000 capital campaign surpassed $42.5 million, exceeding the original $35 million goal and a new goal of $42 million set in November. A $350,000 challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a $1 million challenge from the Kresge Foundation are helping to fuel the effort. Tangible evidence of campaign success came with the August opening of the new $7 million Business and Communications Building. The board of directors has also approved a $14 million expansion and renovation of sports and fitness facilities with a goal of raising at least $7 million in gifts for the project with the remainder funded by bond proceeds and reserves. The 1999-2001 project includes a baseball field, football and track stadium, 51,000-square-foot fitness center addition and extensive renovations to the O.W. Houts Gymnasium.

Athletics Score a National First
Varsity, intramural, club, and individual fitness and recreational activities again played an important role in student recruitment and campus life in 1998-99. Athletic performance and scholarship earned Kristen Venne '99 the Josten's Award for the outstanding Division III women's basketball player in the country. University teams also had a successful year. The golf team won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship, the football team captured Commonwealth League honors, and women's basketball, women's lacrosse, softball, and men's and women's track all advanced to the MAC playoffs.

Bond Refinancing Illustrates Fiscal Health
Susquehanna completed its 21st consecutive year with a balanced budget in 1999. The market value of the University's endowment grew to over $87 million. The University also received an external endorsement of its fiscal health through a two-step improvement in its debt rating. The new bond rating allowed the University to borrow at more favorable interest rates for capital expenditures, and a new $23 million bond issue was completed in November 1998 to refinance existing debt and provide resources for building renovation and construction.