The Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business recently unveiled its inaugural Professional-in-Residence program. Designed to enrich the University learning environment by exposing students to industry professionals who will help ensure that the Belmont learning experience remains dynamic, the Professional-in-Residence program will provide a small group of senior level students the opportunity to engage with an industry professional in an intimate conversation setting. This year’s Professional-in-Residence topic will be “Journey of the Creative Business Mind.” Wynonna, her long-time producer and friend Don Potter, and her manager Kerry Hansen will explore topics related to the singer’s personal journey in the entertainment industry as both an artist and a business woman.
Curb College Initiates Inaugural Professional-in-Residence Program
Williams Interns for National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Political science major Chloe Williams spent the summer interning at the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. Williams worked in a number of significant policy areas and studied issues connected to economic security, education and civic engagement. Additionally, she participated in the NCBCP’s Black Women’s Roundtable meeting with Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor and assistant to President Barack Obama. Williams noted, “I am so blessed to have had the chance to be a part of this confident and devoted group of women.” Williams is a rising senior who is interested in studying public policy at the graduate level.
Ikenberry Elected to SAIR Offices for Next Two Years
Dr. Roy “Ike” Ikenberry, director of institutional research, has been elected to the office of vice-president and program chair (2010) and president (2011) for the Southern Association for Institutional Research (SAIR). His immediate activities will be directed toward developing the program for the 2010 convention to be held in New Orleans, La. in October 2010.
SAIR is dedicated to the advancement of research leading to improved understanding, planning and operation of institutions of post-secondary education. SAIR provides a forum for the dissemination of information and interchange of ideas on problems of common interest in the field of institutional research. In addition, SAIR promotes the continued professional development of individuals engaging in institutional research and fosters the unity and cooperation among persons having interests and activities related to research. Members of SAIR come from 15 southern states encompassed by an area from West Virginia to Florida and from North Carolina to Texas.
Ikenberry has been a member of SAIR since 1981, helped found the Tennessee Association for Institutional Research and has been a member of the national forum of the Association for Institutional Research since 1982. He has presented papers, served on panels and served on various committees of all three organizations.
Belmont Initiates ‘Mentoring for Mission’ Program
All 2008-09 first-year full-time faculty members at Belmont were invited to apply to the 2009-10 Mentoring for Mission (MfM) program. As a result, nine second-year faculty members are paired with mentors selected from current experienced faculty on campus. The Mentoring for Mission program was launched thanks to a grant proposal last summer prepared by Dr. Kim Daus, professor of chemistry and physics and director of the teaching center at that time. This inaugural year for the MfM program will be supported by a Mentoring Program grant from the Lilly Foundation.
Dr. Mike Pinter, professor of math and computer science, is serving as the director of the MfM program at Belmont, with additional support provided by Merrie King and Nanci Alsup from the Teaching Center. More information about the Lilly grant program is available at http://www.lillyfellows.org/mentor_programs.htm .
The MfM program at Belmont is being developed with the belief that an extended mentoring program can help both newer and experienced faculty achieve an integral sense of identity and mission through one-to-one mentoring of second-year faculty by experienced faculty, and through gatherings, readings and discussions for all participants. Group meetings in the fall semester will focus on understanding and living the Belmont mission and in the spring semester will center on teaching and learning. Common readings on the topics will frame the sessions.
Shen-Miller Publishes Article, Presents Paper
Dr. Seraphine Shen-Miller, assistant professor of psychology, has published an article in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, a top tier journal in the field. The title of the article, coauthored with her major professor and others, is “Patterns of Thinking in Militant Extremism.” The article describes a cross-cultural project in which they examined multiple violent extremist groups from a diverse range of continents, cultures and political and religious orientations. Based on content analyses of statements by and about these groups, they identified 16 themes common to the militant-extremist mindset. Among these themes were perceptions of a crisis involving violations of sacred values, along with justifications for violence to remediate such problems.
Shen-Miller also recently presented a paper at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention held in Toronto, Canada , August 6-9. The paper’s title is “Materialism and Maladaptive Psychosocial Tendencies: What Accounts for the Relation?” She presented a project in which facets of materialism demonstrated distinct patterns of associations with aspects of maladaptive psychosocial tendencies, and that it would be useful to treat each facet of materialism as a separate construct. She also talked about findings which suggested that materialism was not the only source of associations with maladaptive psychosocial tendencies.
Alumnus Makes First Round of U.S. Amateur Championship
Belmont alum Brenton Flynn (’06) fell in the first round of match play at the 109th U.S. Amateur Championship held Wednesday at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Flynn, who advanced to match play Wednesday morning after surviving a 28-man playoff, fell to former Florida golfer Will Strickler of Gainesville, Florida 2&1 in a first round match Wednesday afternoon. Click here for more on this story.
Parry Publishes Book Review, Named Teacher of the Year
![Jenks&Parry[2].jpg](http://forum.belmont.edu/achievers/archives/Jenks%26Parry%5B2%5D.jpg)
Pam Parry, associate professor of journalism, was named Teacher of the Year by the Small Programs Interest Group (SPIG) at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Aug. 7 in Boston. Parry also will serve as the Teaching Co-Chair and Secretary of SPIG for 2009-2010. Parry is pictured at right with John Jenks, Head of SPIG.
Parry also had a book review published in the Spring 2009 issue of American Journalism, the publication of the American Journalism Historians Association. She reviewed Deborah Nelson’s The War Behind Me: Vietnam Veterans Confront the Truth About U.S. War Crimes. Parry is currently writing her dissertation for a doctor of philosophy degree in media history from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
Belmont Breaks Enrollment Record… Again
5,393 students registered for university’s fall 2009 semester
Belmont University is welcoming a record-breaking number of students to its first day of classes today with a fall 2009 enrollment of 5,393. The growth marks an increase of 7.9 percent from last year and a rise of 81 percent since 2000 when the school enrolled 2,976 students. The Belmont student body currently consists of 1,005 graduate students and 4,388 undergraduates, representing record enrollment in both categories.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “Belmont’s continued growth is a reflection of the impressive academic reputation this university is garnering across the nation, a fact that was evident in the recent U.S. News & World Report rankings. Students see Belmont as a source for an academically challenging education that will empower them to engage and transform the world. That mission—and Belmont’s ability to meet it—are drawing the best and the brightest to this campus.”
In the annual U.S. News & World Report ranking of America’s best colleges and universities, Belmont was cited most as a Top School to Watch and was ranked 7th in the South in the “Best Universities – Masters” category, the highest ranking for the university to date. Once again, Belmont was also the highest ranked university in Tennessee in this category and was also praised for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and the strength of its general education programs. The rankings are based on several quality indicators including student retention rates, graduation rates, student-faculty ratios and scores on college entrance exams.
This year’s incoming freshman class represents 45 states and eight foreign countries. The university received a record number of applications, more than 3,200. The average ACT score for the 2009-10 freshman class is 26. Thirty-five percent of new freshmen at Belmont were in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, and 67 percent were in the top quarter. This year’s freshman class of 995 students held an average un-weighted cumulative high school GPA of 3.53, with 5.6 percent graduating as either valedictorians (42) or salutatorians (14).
In addition to the well-qualified freshman class, Belmont’s graduate programs are growing in size and diversity. The School of Pharmacy welcomed its second class of 75 doctoral students this fall, and the New Teacher Project—a partnership between Belmont and Metro Schools—saw nearly 100 Masters of Education candidates begin coursework this summer.
Williams Appointed to ISC Board of Governors
Dr. Susan Williams, professor of management, has been appointed to the Board of Governors of the International Storytelling Center (ISC). As an organization, ISC is associated with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and is committed to teaching leaders and managers how to tap into the power of storytelling to enhance leadership, management and service. Professor Williams was selected based on the combination of her background, experience and passion and the fit with ISC’s mission. Her three-year term of office began with the August 2009 meeting.
CEMB Faculty, SESAC Execs Explore Ways to Co-Educate
Last week at the SESAC main office, Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business faculty and SESAC executives discussed collaborative approaches to challenges facing education and the entertainment industry. Parties shared respective histories and areas of concern before opening conversation for creative input. Two topics of discussion revolved around Belmont supplying feedback on SESAC’s online music business education tool and SESAC execs visiting Belmont classes to give students a real world perspective on the industry today. Belmont faculty’s trip down Music Row is the first action of an initiative to promote an ongoing conversation between campus and the Nashville entertainment community.
“We are grateful for our relationship with SESAC,” said Curb College Strategic Programs Director Sarah Cates. “Belmont has wonderful industry partners. In a spirit of continued learning and finding new ways for us to serve the entertainment community, this session was part of an ongoing initiative for Belmont’s faculty to engage the industry. We have an exceptional faculty that really distinguishes us from other entertainment education programs. We recognize the need to learn from our industry, and at the same time believe, by taking an active part, our faculty will make significant contributions to this dialogue.”
Tim Fink, SESAC associate vice-president of writer/publisher relations, added, “It was a pleasure to spend time with some of Belmont University’s faculty members and learn more details about the many exciting events and educational initiatives taking place at Belmont. SESAC and Belmont have always enjoyed a great working relationship, and we look forward to joining forces on many productive events in the future.”
