SPARTANBURG, S.C. (courtesy converse.edu) — Converse College announces the appointment of Dr. Chandra Owenby Hopkins as the first Dean of the Converse College for Women, effective July 1, 2021. Converse announced in February 2020 that it would be expanding its undergraduate residential program from single-gender to co-educational, and changing its name from college to university while maintaining the Converse College for Women and expanding the international school into an international college, both under the university umbrella.

In her role as Dean of the Converse College for Women, Dr. Hopkins will lead the programmatic planning for the Women’s College along with recommendations from the Student Experience Transition Committee and will develop the signature experiences and possible courses that will distinguish the Women’s College within Converse University. She will also build on the historic and important tradition of the Women’s College and continue the invaluable connection between the strong alumnae network and current students of Converse. Dr. Hopkins came to Converse in 2013 and currently serves as an Associate Professor of Theatre, teaching courses in Theatre History, Dramaturgy, and Performance Studies.

“Dr. Hopkins brings an effective blend of leadership honed from years of campus service, community-building, and creative resource mapping that will serve Converse and the Women’s College well as higher education enters a new era, one filled with uncertainty and also rich in possibility,” said Krista L. Newkirk, Converse president. “Her experience and success as an educator, director, scholar, and a mentor who encourages each student have prepared her to serve the dynamic students and talented faculty and staff of Converse.”

Known for her passion for student mentorship and empowering Converse students toward achieving personal and professional success, Dr. Hopkins possesses both an open-hearted commitment to healthy collaboration and a proven standard of academic and professional excellence. An award-winning teacher and scholar, Dr. Hopkins has received the Cato Award for Faculty Excellence from Converse College and the Robert A. Schanke Theatre Research Award from the Mid-America Theatre Conference. She was most recently recognized with the 2020 SCICU Excellence In Teaching award, which celebrates top faculty at 20 independent colleges and universities in South Carolina.

“As a proud graduate of a women’s college myself (Brenau University), I have lived a life transformed by the incredible mentorship and empowerment that can come from a women’s college experience,” said Dr. Hopkins. “I honor the pivotal role my own education played in the development of me as an educator, theatre artist, and female leader in higher education. I embrace the larger mission of Converse, support our Founder’s Ideal, and am passionate about the power of a living and learning environment dedicated to empowering the next generation of female leaders. I believe in the incredible value of every student and the vital contributions each student can make to their profession and in their individual communities. I am eager to build the Converse College for Women.”

Among her colleagues, Dr. Hopkins has established a track record of committed, effective service on broad cross-campus initiatives, including co-chairing full campus committees and her current service as the Faculty Athletics Representative. As the Faculty Athletics Representative, she has strengthened the communication between academics and athletics and the academic support and retention of student-athletes. Additional campus roles have included serving on the Converse Faculty Senate, School of the Arts Recruiting Team, and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. In these roles, she has honed interpersonal and communication skills through her work with fellow faculty, Converse students, and their families and has fostered important conversations about Converse’s identity and future.

With proven ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders, Dr. Hopkins has developed several grant-funded theatre projects that included the larger Spartanburg community and Converse alumnae. One such project was her 2019 AARP Foundation and Council of Independent Colleges production of Growing Old: Food and Oral History in Performance which was created from community service with partners ranging from the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen to Habitat for Humanity. In this project, which explored social isolation and food insecurity among the older adult community, she taught students to use theatre as a means to listen and to serve through devised work.

As an actor, director, and dramaturg, Dr. Hopkins has worked with the Richmond Triangle Players, Kansas Summer Theatre, Georgia Shakespeare, and Tennessee Shakespeare Company. Her directing and teaching approach honors each student and creates an environment that encourages and expects students to be active partners in learning through personal accountability. In addition, she has created courses in public speaking and interdisciplinary studies that teach students transferrable skills useful for any career field.

Dr. Hopkins received her bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Brenau University, her Master of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, and her Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Kansas. Her research explores the intersections of identity and memory embodied in the performances and cultural histories of the American south. She has published articles and reviews in Theatre History Studies, Theatre Annual, Theatre Survey, Theatre Journal, and a chapter in Palgrave’s Performing Objects and Theatrical Things.

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CLINTON, S.C. (courtesy presby.edu) — Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy responded quickly when the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) issued an urgent request to academic institutions for personal protective equipment on Friday, March 20.

As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates, a top concern for those in the healthcare field is access to protective equipment.

The demand exceeds the supply

“The demand for personal protective equipment is currently greater than the available supply,” said Dr. Kurt Wargo, dean of the School of Pharmacy.

When he heard the request from DHEC, Wargo approved the donation of many of the supplies in the School’s hospital simulation lab.

“We are facing an unprecedented time in our world’s history,” Wargo said. “We need to do our part to help fight this viral pandemic. Helping those in need is what pharmacists are known for, and it’s simply the right thing to do in this case.”

The School of Pharmacy donated more than 1,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, including medical gowns, eye protection, gloves, alcohol pads, hand sanitizer, and hand soap.

Dr. Tiffaney Threatt, associate professor of pharmacy and director of the PCSP Wellness Center, helped gather the supplies to send to DHEC. The state agency then then distributed the items to first responders, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Serving healthcare workers

“Many healthcare workers are serving at full capacity during this time and risking their own safety,” Wargo said. “In this national and global response, healthcare workers are serving on the frontline and must be protected as a valuable yet vulnerable resource. Providing adequate equipment is the first step.”

“Hopefully, the manufacturing supply of personal protective equipment will soon catch up with the demand,” Wargo added. Until then, DHEC will continue to collect supplies and distribute them to facilities and healthcare workers in need.

During the pandemic, Wargo and others at the PC School of Pharmacy have also worked with Good Shepherd Free Medical Clinic in Laurens to provide emergency supplies of medications to patients in need.

“‘While we live, we serve’ is more than a campus motto for Presbyterian College,” Wargo said. “They’re words that students, alumni, faculty and staff truly live by. In uncertain times such as these, there is even more reason to serve others.”

NEWBERRY, S.C. (courtesy newberry.edu) — Newberry College’s entire class of December 2019 nursing graduates has passed the NCLEX-RN nursing licensure exam the first time. This is Newberry’s third 100% first-time pass rate since May 2018.

“We could not be prouder of our fall cohort of nursing graduates,” said Dr. Susan Ludwick, chair of the Department of Nursing. “At a time when qualified, compassionate nurses are needed, especially in South Carolina, our students have demonstrated once again that they are up to the task.”

The NCLEX-RN is a standardized exam used by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to assess the readiness of new nursing graduates to enter the profession. The board uses the percentage of students’ first-time successes to help measure the effectiveness of nursing education programs.

Over the last year, the Newberry program celebrated high marks from the South Carolina Board of Nursing, strengthened program admission requirements and welcomed a swell of student interest. The program’s average first-time pass rate during the 2018-19 academic year was 95%, higher than the state average, and 100% of nursing graduates earned their licenses.

“We are fortunate and proud to have such an excellent nursing program at Newberry,” said Dr. Sid Parrish, vice president for academic affairs. “We look forward to the continued success and lasting impact these students will bring to the health care field.”

Newberry’s nursing program is relatively new, having been established in 2009. In its first decade, it has become one of the most popular majors, leading to capacity expansions and the addition of the online RN-to-BSN program in 2017. The degree-completion program allows working registered nurses to earn their bachelor’s degrees online in as few as 12 months.

As part of its capital campaign, the college is also planning to construct a 12,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art health and nursing facility at the corner of College and Evans streets.

HARTSVILLE, S.C. (courtesy Coker Univ. Student Success Center FB page) — Knowing that internet access is critical for students in online classes, Coker University’s Student Success Center has compiled a resource list for free/reduced price internet services being offered by major carriers.

The resource also includes descriptions of the favorable terms available for students through AT&T, Comcast, Spectrum, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

Please click here to access this valuable resource compiled and shared by Coker University’s Student Success Center.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (courtesy columbiasc.edu) — After years of consideration and analysis, Columbia College has decided to expand its undergraduate residential program from single-gender to coed in fall 2021.

The President and Board of Trustees cited a decade long decline in College enrollment, a nationwide decrease of interest in enrollment at women’s colleges, and studies that show a decline in the number of high school graduates as deciding factors in the move.

Columbia College has been a pioneering institution since it was founded more than 165 years ago.

“We were pioneers when we made the decision to let male veterans participate in classes following World War II. We were pioneers again in 1964 when our school was ravaged by a devastating fire and we had to rebuild. Now we will pioneer into the future, by welcoming all academically qualified students who value an excellent liberal arts education and teachers who truly care about their students,” said Columbia College President Dr. Carol Moore.

Research from 15 single-gender colleges that added a coed component showed a two-year average enrollment growth of 74% and a four-year average growth of 86% for incoming classes.
Meantime, statistics show that fewer than two percent of female, college-bound high school students will consider a single-gender college.

While Columbia College is looking forward to expanding its student base, Trustee Kim Wellman says the recommendation to the Board was presented with guidance to preserve and maintain a women’s leadership component at Columbia College.

“I quickly learned the value of women-only programming after attending a leadership program at Columbia College,” Wellman said. “I had previously participated in other well-known, coed leadership programs in our area. As good as those were, they simply didn’t compare to the experience I had at Columbia College, where I was motivated to speak up and speak out, and explore things I hadn’t the courage to do through those other programs. I’ve been a fan of Columbia College — and how it empowers women to find their voices — ever since.”

Trustees stated that the Board’s duty is to make decisions based on the best interests of Columbia College as a whole, while maintaining a keen focus on what is best for our students.

“As a Board, we have a tremendous love and respect for the legacy of Columbia College. We are proud of the role it has played in preparing students to be successful since 1854,” Trustee Toby Goodlett said.

“Throughout its history our school has remained resilient by adapting to meet the demands of the market place. We are at a point where the school must take the next step to thrive for the next 165 years. We asked the entire Columbia College community to join us on this journey to be the premier liberal arts college of choice for academically qualified students in the Midland’s, South Carolina, and beyond,” said Goodlett.

Columbia College has a track record of student success. Currently, 96% of our undergraduate students are employed within six months of graduating. We also know that students are after more than a degree. At Columbia College students develop lifelong friends who become more like family.

The student body of the future may look more diverse, but Columbia College will continue to prepare every student personally and professionally for success through strong liberal arts and professional programs emphasizing service, social justice, and leadership development.

DUE WEST, S.C. (courtesy erskine.edu) — A lively group of classical educators, some accompanied by their children, gathered in the Bowie Arts Center on the Erskine College campus Feb. 28 to hear from two leaders of the classical education movement in the United States.

Dr. Christopher Perrin, cofounder of Classical Academic Press and director at Alcuin Fellowship with the Institute for Classical Schools, addressed attendees in the morning. In a presentation entitled “Lessons Learned: 40 Years of Seeking to Renew Classical Education in the United States,” he described efforts to renew classical education in recent decades as “building a rope bridge back to the classical tradition.”

Advising parents to “read to children from infancy” and “fill your house with good books,” he said, “The slightest knowledge of great books is better than the greatest knowledge of slight books.”

Andrew Kern, founder and president of the CiRCE Institute, which engages in research, consultation, and development of integrated resources for classical education, spoke in the afternoon. In “Rhetoric: The Spine of the Classical School,” he focused on the art of rhetoric, which he called “the essential art of the classical curriculum.”

An art “makes something,” he said, and a liberal art “makes a free people.” Describing rhetoric as “a condition of freedom,” he said it fosters deliberation, enabling a community to make decisions peacefully. “The purpose of rhetoric is life, blessing, and harmony, in communities and in minds.”

Erskine President Dr. Robert Gustafson welcomed the educators in the morning and offered some remarks during lunch in the Founders Room of Moffatt Dining Hall.

Emphasizing the role of scripture and theology as “correctives to fallen reason,” the president told the educators, “We did not start a college first—first came the seminary.” He noted that at Erskine, “We use seminary professors as resources as we do academic work in the college.”

Conference participants asked questions of both Perrin and Kern following the afternoon address.

Students in grades eight through twelve attended sessions planned and conducted by Erskine College professors and staff members and ate lunch in Moffatt Dining Hall.