Campus News

Fall commencement ceremonies will be held at Henderson State University Friday, Dec, 14, with about 280 undergraduate and graduate students receiving their degrees.

The ceremony for School of Business and Teachers College, Henderson, will begin at 9 a.m. in the Wells Center gymnasium, followed at noon by the ceremony for the Ellis College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty charges will be presented by Dr. Judi Jenkins, associate professor of Educational Leadership, and Dr. Fred Worth, professor of mathematics. Student responses will be given by Leslie Marie Hardage Pitman and Johanna Baker..

The candidates for graduation will be presented by: Dr. Steve Adkison, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Kenneth Taylor, vice provost and dean, graduate school; Dr. Celya Taylor, dean, Teachers College, Henderson; Dr. Marc Miller, dean, School of Business; and Dr. Angela Boswell, dean, Ellis College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Glen Jones, Henderson president, will confer the degrees. Greg Gibson, assistant professor of English, is the official announcer.

Music will be provided by Arkansas Brass.

A live stream of the event will be available online at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9PB5o6Ddws

A concert of Christmas carols will be performed by the Henderson State University Chorale and Concert Choir at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at First United Methodist Church in Arkadelphia.

The program includes: “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Carol of the Bells,” My Dancing Day,” “There is Faint Music,” Te Deum,” “The Sleigh,” “Movement II” from Chichester Psalms, “A Lullaby,” “The Road Home,” “Duerme Negrito,” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

Dr. Kevin Coker is conductor. KyoungHwa Molinari (piano) and Dr. Kay McAfee (organ) will provide accompaniment.

The concert is free and open to the public.

First Methodist Church is located at 107 North 9th St.

Henderson State University’s Wind Ensemble will present its final concert of the fall semester at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5, in the Arkansas Hall Auditorium.

The concert will open with Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide,” concluding the ensemble’s year-long celebration of Bernstein’s music.

The performance is free and open to the public. It can also be viewed online via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/HSUBand.

The program also includes: “Variants on a Mediaeval Tune,” “Bach’s Fugue a la Gigue,” “The Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol,” and “Liturgical Music for Band, Op. 33.”

Dr. Steven Knight is conductor, and Dr. Shaun Popp is guest conductor.

Teachers College, Henderson has received official notification of 7-year accreditation of its initial licensure programs by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

CAEP is the single specialized accreditor for educator preparation in the United States.

“Accreditation is an important confirmation of Henderson’s ongoing dedication and commitment to academic excellence” said Dr. Celya Taylor, dean of Teachers College, Henderson. “For parents of students in our programs, accreditation means we offer reputable degree programs that meet high expectations and national standards.”

The CAEP Standards, adopted in 2013, reflect the voice of the education field on what makes a quality teacher. CAEP accreditation ensures that there is solid evidence that a provider’s graduates are competent and caring, and that there is solid evidence a provider’s staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence to be used for continuous improvement.

“Faculty in Teachers College and the Ellis College of Arts and Sciences worked together with public school teachers and administrators to examine our programs and practices with a focus on students and student success, Taylor said. “Our faculty and students should be very proud of the work that they are doing to make a difference in Arkansas and beyond.”

Educator accreditation is a seal of approval reflecting quality in educator preparation. Accreditation ensures that educator programs prepare teachers who know their subjects, understand their students, and have valuable clinical experience that allows them to enter the classroom ready to positively impact P-12 student learning.

For more information about Teachers College, Henderson, go to hsu.edu/academics/teacherscollege.

Henderson State University will present the annual Carol of Lights holiday program on Monday, Dec. 3. The sidewalks of the south lawn will be lined with hundreds of luminaries, creating a beautiful seasonal scene, and a variety of musical groups will perform.

“This year’s presentation will feature new programming of structure and talent, while keeping many of the traditions of the annual event,” said Dr. Bill Higgins, music department chair. “A variety of Henderson student ensembles and community groups will present festive music and dance for the holiday season.

“Henderson’s south lawn will be ablaze in candlelight, and Arkansas Hall Auditorium will be stylishly decorated for the occasion. We hope the Arkadelphia community will come join us.”

The festivities will begin at 5:45 p.m. with Opera Workshop carolers performing on the front steps of Arkansas Hall, followed by students from the Davis-Baker Preschool Choir.

At 6 p.m., herald trumpets will mark the beginning of the program inside Arkansas Hall, and a flute choir will perform in the lobby as guests make their way into the auditorium.

The program includes performances by the Horn Choir/Tuba Choir, Henderson Dance Company, Clarinet Choir, NuFusion Jazz Ensemble, Opera Workshop, Angelic Voices of Christ, Perritt Primary School Nickelodeon Choir, and the Ouachita Honor Choir.

Dr. David Thompson will recite “The Night Before Christmas” with children invited to join him on stage.

After the gingerbread house winners are announced, the program will conclude with the University Chorale and Nickelodeon Choir singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

The program is free and open to the public.

Henderson State University’s nursing department will benefit from a $140,447 grant to establish a health education simulation center on campus. The center will include new equipment and professional development.

The grant was awarded to the Henderson State University Foundation by the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. In all, the Blue & You Foundation gave $2.7 million in grants for 2019 to improve health in Arkansas.

Henderson hopes to increase enrollment for its nursing programs by replacing 25-50 percent of clinical hours with simulation, which would help relieve the limitations from available clinical space.

“The increased enrollment will help alleviate the nursing shortage in our region and help us reach the goal of 80 percent BSN nurses available by 2020 as recommended by the Institute of Medicine,” said Dr. Shelley Austin, nursing department chair and assistant professor.

In spring 2018, Henderson received 57 nursing applicants for the traditional BSN program. But only 24 could be admitted.

“We had to turn away 33 qualified applicants due to lack of clinical space and lack of qualified faculty,” Austin said. “The center will enable us to increase our qualified, pre-licensure nursing students to 32 each year.”

The simulation center will be available to all health professional students at Henderson, including those seeking health-related degrees other than nursing. It will provide “real-life” experiences with guided learning scenarios in a safe, innovative environment.

“Nursing will be designated as the primary user of the HESC, but we will encourage students in our other health professional degrees to utilize it,” Austin said.

Henderson’s other health professional degrees include:

• Associate of Health Science
• Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance
• Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology
• Bachelor of Science in Radiography
• Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Medicine
• Associate of Radiography

Henderson just opened two new online MSN degrees: Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Administrator with a Nurse Educator Certificate. Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner program can utilize the center for demonstration of check-offs on physical assessment at the advanced practice level.

The majority of the grant funds will be used to acquire equipment and professional development necessary to supply and sustain the center, Austin said.

“These funds will help Henderson develop a comprehensive and collaborative simulation center for regional partners and college health programs,” she said.

The center will include a Nursing Anne simulator, which is a skills proficiency full-body female mannequin built specifically for nursing education, and SimBaby Pediatric Simulator.

A grand opening is planned in May 2019, and simulation experiences will start in August 2019.

“The nursing department at Henderson is truly grateful to Blue and You for giving us this grant to develop the simulation center,” Austin said. “The center will impact not only nursing students at Henderson, but it will impact other health professionals seeking degrees at the university, and the community by providing simulation learning to the health care workers of our region.”

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield established the Blue & You Foundation in 2001 as a charitable foundation to promote better health in the state. The foundation awards grants annually to non-profit or governmental organizations and programs that positively affect the health of Arkansas.

In its 17 years of operation, the Blue & You Foundation has awarded $33 million to 1,566 health improvements in Arkansas.

Henderson State hosted around 50 legacy families Nov. 11 for Legacy Reddie Day. Alumni and employees with children who are high school juniors and seniors were invited.
The families enjoyed guided tours, followed by breakfast and a program featuring various speakers.
They received free tickets to the Battle of the Ravine.

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Henderson State University’s Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will host the Diamond Lakes Region Hospitality and Tourism Conference Nov. 8 at DeGray Lake Resort State Park Lodge.

The conference is designed for those who are interested in learning more about the hospitality and tourism industries in Arkansas. It will offer motivation and development for local businesses to create and cultivate a destination for vacation.

Educating local business owners and leaders on the trends and best practices for the hospitality and tourism industries is the conference’s goal.

Speakers include: Jim Dailey, Arkansas tourism director; Robert Raines, The Gangster Museum  of America; Dylan Roberts and Derek Huber, Freelance Society; Kayla Kesterson, Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; Michael Sindelar, DeGray Lake Resort State Park Lodge; Tiffany Bertram, Tiffany’s Bed and Breakfast; Will Byrd, Will’s Cinnamon Shop; Bill Solleder, Visit Hot Springs; Joe Jacobs, manager of marketing and revenue at Arkansas State Parks; Lance Howell, executive director of Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce; Benny Baker, The Arlington Resort and Hotel Spa; and Kat Robinson, Tie Dye Travels.

Registration begins at the lodge at 8:30 a.m. There is a $75 fee, but Henderson State employees and students can attend for free. To register, contact the ASBTDC at 870-230-5184. More information is available at http://hsu.today/asbtdc/diamond-lakes-region-hospitality-and-tourism-conference/.

The event is co-sponsored by the Diamond Lakes Travel Association.

The Battle of the Ravine is not all about competition. It can also generate great collaboration.

Henderson State University Theatre and Ouachita Baptist University Theatre will partner to present six performances of Sense & Sensibility by Kate Hamill, based on the classic novel by Jane Austen.

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on November 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13, and at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, in the Studio Theatre in Henderson’s Arkansas Hall. A reception will follow the opening performance.

This fast-paced, playful adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic offers a glimpse into the lives of Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, two young women left to find their way following the death of their father. As they navigate the waters of life and love, they struggle to listen to the rules of society and their own hearts.

Enjoy this heart-warming romp through 18th century England as the Dashwood women strive to balance sense and sensibility. Sense & Sensibility was awarded “Best Unique Theatrical Experience” by the Off-Broadway Alliance, was nominated for the Drama League Award, and was named one of the Top 10 plays of 2014 by Ben Brantley with the NY Times and by the Huffington Post.

The HSU/OBU student cast of Sense & Sensibility includes: Jess Elliff Crook from Maumelle; Kenzie Henderson, Heath, Texas; Scotty Scott, Bentonville; Emily Siemens, Bentonville; Aaron Burnside, Hot Springs; Cedar Valdez, Rogers; Emily Williams, Hot Springs; Emily Johnson,  Benton; Sophia Chiocco, Bella Vista; Adrian Hinojosa, Hot Springs; Raleigh Peterson, Branson, Missouri; Baleigh Almond, Hot Springs; Danielle Hall, Prairie Grove; Carlin Campbell, Rose Hill, Kansas; Alex Marrin, Greenwood; Hannah Hill, Alexander; Bawo Asagba, Wylie, Texas; Abigail Harris, Little Rock; Paige Price, Plano, Texas; and David Hudson, Little Rock.

The play is under the direction of Stephanie Faatz Murray, OBU assistant professor of theatre arts. Scenic and lighting design is by Douglas Gilpin, professor of theatre at Henderson. Costume and makeup design is by Christina Johnson, OBU assistant professor of theatre arts, with assistant makeup design by Jess Elliff Crook. Sound design is by Cynthia Booker, technical director of Jones Performing Arts Center. The stage manager is Magee-Lee Preston from The Colony, Texas.

The HSU Theatre Box Office in Arkansas Hall will open for advance ticket sales from 1-4 p.m. beginning Nov. 5. All seats are reserved. Admission is $10, or free with an HSU student ID, courtesy of the HSU Student Activities Board, or an OBU student ID.

For more information or reservations, call 870-230-5291, or e-mail theatre@hsu.edu.

Each year, Henderson Halloween attracts hundreds of children and their parents to campus. Various groups and organizations hand out candy and other treats to the young visitors. Because of rain, this year’s event was moved indoors to the Garrison Center Ballroom. But that didn’t deter the eager trick-or-treaters.

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