Winter 2002

Director of Multicultural Affairs Brian Johnson

Want to know more about different cultures but afraid to ask? Interested in learning more about women's rights? Or maybe you want to find out what organizations are available for students of color, international students, or gay and lesbian students at Susquehanna. A great place to start is with Brian Johnson, Susquehanna's new director of multicultural affairs.

Johnson brings to Susquehanna his own personal mission statement of "educate to elevate, expand your minds." At Susquehanna, Johnson plans to stress the importance of education and learning in order to break the cycles of negativity. "My goals are not just about me," said Johnson, "but to pave the way for future generations."

Johnson's job description includes overseeing the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Resource Center for Diversity and Cultural Awareness. The multicultural affairs mission statement underscores a "commitment to the promotion of acceptance of the diversity of cultures, languages, customs, and values of our staff and students."

Having completed his first semester at Susquehanna, Johnson is eagerly planning new multicultural programs for the entire campus. The spring 2002 semester kicked off with the University's first Martin Luther King Jr. oratorical contest and a campus-wide Black History Month presentation on "African Americans in Pennsylvania, Above Ground and Underground," featuring Temple University curator Charles Blockson.

Asian heritage festivities are planned for February 12 to celebrate the Year of the Horse. An on-campus program examining the relations between Asians and African Americans will be held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year. In March, the office will celebrate women leaders during Women's History Month. Johnson's first year will end with the annual multicultural affairs formal on April 5 at the Susquehanna Valley Country Club.

With many innovative ideas for Susquehanna underway, Johnson has begun working on his longer-range goals. Starting in January, Johnson hopes to attract more members from the community and campus to the Office of Multicultural Affairs advisory board. He feels the board is a great way for students and staff to foster change at Susquehanna.

"Diversity is a campus-wide issue. We want to conduct a survey that will give us a sense of where we are and where we need to go," commented Johnson.

Two Years Out: Dustin Suri '00

Who: Dustin Suri '00, B.S. Marketing, Susquehanna's Sigmund Weis School of Business

What He Wanted: A job in New York City to use his knowledge of marketing to promote a product or service.

Susquehanna University offers programs in elementary education and dual certification in early childhood and elementary education. The University also offers secondary education programs in biology, chemistry, communications, English, French (K-12), general science, German (K-12), mathematics, music (K-12), physics, social studies, and Spanish (K-12). There is also a post-graduate teacher intern program focusing on certification for graduates who already have bachelor's degrees.

All education programs stress hands-on training. A close working relationship between the University and area public schools provides a variety of opportunities for practicum work, student teaching, research, and volunteer service.

Early planning is crucial for education majors because they must complete not only the University liberal arts Core Curriculum and education program requirements, but also meet program admission requirements and the regulations specified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Students seeking admission to the University's teacher education program formally apply after they have completed three semesters. Requirements to be accepted into the program include, but are not limited to, the following:

• high academic achievement - overall GPA of at least 3.0,
• a 40-hour externship,
• successful scores on the Praxis I examinations, a standardized assessment used to qualify individuals for entry into teacher education programs,
• Act 34 criminal record check and Act 151 child abuse clearances,
• endorsements of University faculty,
• biographical information,
• documentation of field experiences,
• evidence of competency in skill dimensions, i.e., content mastery, planning, organization, leadership, problem analysis, decision making, oral and written communication, and personal interactions, and
• six credit hours of English and six credit hours of mathematics.

For more information, contact the Susquehanna's Department of Education at 570-372-4236 or log on to the department's Web site at www.susqu.edu/education.

Novelist Andre Dubus III meets with students in an informal class after kicking off the University's 2001-2002 Visiting Writers series. Photo by Amy Knauff '02

There's a lot in store for writing majors and other students interested in writing at Susquehanna. The University's Writers' Institute programs include an annual Visiting Writers Series, with upcoming guests including Novelist Jill McCorkle on February 25, Poet Edward Hirsch on March 20, and Colin Harrison, editor of Harper's Magazine, on April 22. Susquehanna student writers will present their work at a series of readings on March 18 and 25 and April 8, 22, and 29.

Programs for high school writers include Advanced Writers' Workshops in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction from July 7-13, 2002, the annual Writing-in-Action day in October, and The Apprentice Writer, an annual publication showcasing poems, stories, and personal essays by high school students from a 13-state area.

For more information on any of the above, log on to www.susqu.edu/Writers/

or call Professor Gary Fincke, director of the University's Writers' Institute at 570-372-4164.

Football, field hockey and men's lacrosse varsity teams will be able to compete on a new, high-tech field surface on Susquehanna's Amos Alonzo Stagg Field starting in mid-2002.

The field will also be available for intramural and recreational activities as well as a potential practice venue for varsity soccer and women's lacrosse teams.

The synthetic product, called Field Turf, "has proven to be natural in its performance and produces a lower rate of injury than even natural grass," says Don Harnum, the University's director of athletics. "The new surface will allow us to have multiple activities on the same or successive days including intramurals and other recreation."

The addition of lights will allow use of the field after dark.

A $14 million building and renovation project at Susquehanna in 2000-01 provided new athletic facilities including a football and track stadium, a 51,000-square-foot field house, a fitness center, racquetball pavilion, and baseball field.

Research assistant Amy Martinez '02, right, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Katherine Miller, and Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Dan Ressler collect samples and measure soil temperature for interdisciplinary research assessing the effects of the underground mine fire in Centralia, Pa. Faculty and students in the departments of Chemistry, Biology and Geological and Environmental Science are collaborating in a long-term project to study the effects of the extreme environmental conditions posed by the fire.

Yahoo! Internet Life's online magazine has again ranked Susquehanna University as one of the nation's "most wired colleges." Susquehanna appears as 45 on a list of the nation's top 50 small colleges.

The 2001 rankings, posted on Yahoo! Internet Life's Web site -- www.wiredcolleges.com -- are based on a survey conducted with Peterson's educational services on each school's infrastructure, student resources, web portal, teaching and e-learning, technical support, and wireless capability.

About 1,300 two- and four-year institutions participated in the 2001 survey which ranked the top 200 wired colleges, the top 20 two-year institutions, and the top 50 small colleges.

Susquehanna has been a leader among small colleges and universities in providing access to information technology. Its campus-wide local area network completed in 1991 connects all residence halls with faculty and staff offices, classrooms, laboratories, the library and other teaching and learning spaces, in addition to the Internet. The University's web address is www.susqu.edu.

Members of the Susquehanna University Choir will travel to locations in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania during their annual spring tour from March 1 until April 14. Music Director and Conductor Cyril Stretansky will lead the 50-member group, which has recently recorded "The Promise of Living," the 15th volume in its recording series.

This year's tour dates and locations include:

• March 1, Nanticoke, Pa.;
• March 2, Wilmington, Del.;
• March 3, Doylestown and West Chester, Pa.;
• March 4, Waterbury, Conn.;
• March 5, Portland, Conn.;
• March 15, Schuylkill Haven, Pa.;
• March 16, Warren, N.J.;
• March 17, Wilkes-Barre and Dallas, Pa.;
• April 5, Coplay, Pa.;
• April 6, Southampton, Pa.;
• April 7, Newport and Camp Hill, Pa.; and
• April 14, the Annual Return From Tour Concert, at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa.

For information on the choir's tour, contact Student Choir Manager Francis Anonia at 570-372-4295.

1. Identify the colleges which best meet your academic, extracurricular and geographic criteria. It may make sense to investigate schools which represent a range of costs. Do not let a higher cost keep you from seeking admission. Some schools may waive the application fee if you visit campus or apply online.

2. Don't Rule Out private colleges because they may seem to cost more. Many state-supported schools have less financial aid than private colleges do. The chance that more of your financial need will be met is actually greater at a private college or university.

3. Find Out what types of aid are available at the schools you like best. Also find out which aid application forms are required and what each school's deadline is. College and university catalogs, financial aid brochures and Web sites, and admissions and financial aid staff are your best resources for this kind of information.

4. Understand the difference between scholarships and need-based financial aid. Merit-based scholarship aid may be awarded to students with exceptional abilities in academic, music or other areas. Need-based aid is available to students whose families need help in meeting college costs. Not all schools offer both types of financial aid, but many do.

5. Apply for the types of aid you want to be considered for. Try not to rely on the advice of helpful friends. Everyone's situation is different and everyone's financial aid experience is too. Don't exclude yourself from the process because your neighbor didn't qualify for scholarships or other forms of financial aid.

6. Consider the final cost to you rather than the listed price of the school. Understand how much of your expense can be met through financial aid programs. At many schools, more than half the students pay less than the listed price thanks to financial aid.

7. Compare the aid packages (the combination of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study awards) you receive from different schools. Be sure that in each case you understand:

• your family's bottom line cost for the year,
• the amount that you are being asked to borrow, and
• the amount that you are being asked to provide through student employment.

8. Notify the financial aid office if there is a change in your family's financial status. The office can consider special circumstances only if you provide the new information. A financial aid package can even be adjusted after the academic year begins. It's important to keep the lines of communication open.

9. Investigate other kinds of long-term, low-interest loans and monthly payment plans. There are a number of opportunities for your parents to borrow or to spread their payments out over the course of the year. The interest on some loans is now tax-deductible. Be sure to check out this feature.

10. Save, save, save. It's never too late to start saving. Put aside a portion of every paycheck, graduation gift, or other silver that crosses your palm. It's important to have a nest egg for unexpected needs at school and saving is also an important lifetime habit to develop.

Select the college that offers you the best long-term value for the price and where your educational needs will best be met.