Computer Changes and Important Info for Students

The Vol State computer system, called Banner, will be going through an upgrade starting on Friday, October 1 and running through October 13 or so. There shouldn't be a big impact for students. The Vol State web site is not part of the change and you will have all access to your online classes as usual. Most of the changes have to do with the business functions at the College. Things like paying bills, receiving checks and getting transcripts are affected. Here's a list. If you have a specific question contact the office in question and they can give you more details:

• Students can make Deferred Payment Plan payments in person at either the Gallatin or Livingston Campus or by phone by calling 230-3585.

• Students can pick-up Financial Aid checks printed by October 1.

• No degree evaluations can be processed using CAPP.

• No transcripts can be requested in PRIDE; however, faxed and written requests will be held for processing when the system is available.

• Academic transcripts cannot be viewed.

• No clearing of holds.

• No student checks for Financial Aid or refunds from dropped classes processed.

• No online payments on student accounts from 4:30 pm on October 1, 2010 through October 13th.

• Students in the Fall 2010 Deferred Payment Plan can make payment in the Business Office at the main campus through October 11th to avoid late fees.

• No update of student accounts with payments, fee adjustments, financial aid, etc.

• No re-issuance of lost or disputed checks.

• No address, name or grade changes can be processed.

• No Financial Aid awards can be processed or applied to a student’s account.

• No Student Loans can be processed.

Earn a Bachelor's Degree from Lindsey Wilson on the Vol State campus

A new program from Lindsey Wilson College will allow students to complete a bachelor's degree in mental health in 18 months, all on the Vol State campus in Gallatin. The program is an accelerated 48 hour Bachelor of Arts in Human Services. Classes are offered in a weekend format and scheduled in an employment friendly manner via live instruction. Financial aid is available. The program starts in October.

Informational meetings will be held in the Rochelle Center in the Thigpen Library on October 4 and October 7 at 6:00pm. For more information contact Danette Hurley, Coordinator for the Volunteer State Community Campus at (615)448-5455, or at hurleyd@lindsey.edu.

Are you interested in Radiologic Technology?

Radiologic Technology is one of the most sought after programs at Vol State. Because of this popularity the faculty hold information sessions to let students know what the program is like, what is required, and how to apply for the competitive selection process.

The fall semester 2010 open advising sessions are coming up.  No appointment is required. The sessions will be held in the Wallace building, room 114 at 2:00 pm on these dates:

Thursday, October 7

Thursday, November 4

Thursday, December 2

For more info on the program visit: http://www.volstate.edu/RadTech/?ref=az

Volunteer State Community College

Quick Look at Theater Major Steven Cox

Steven Cox, 23 is currently one of Vol State’s most active theater majors, and the president of Delta Psi Omega, the campus theater club.

Cox will graduate in May 2011. “My plan right now is to transfer to the University of Memphis,” he said.

Throughout his life so far, Cox said he has been in over a dozen productions. Vol State productions include “Dearly Departed” and “Polaroid Stories.”

“I am currently stage managing “Steel Magnolias.” I feel everyone should know the technical side and at least have an understanding of it,” he said.

“I love theater.  The creative control and content is what gets me jazzed. It is such an under appreciated art form, especially with expansion of 3-D movies and television,” Cox said.

In his spare time Cox said that he loves nothing more than to go to a friend’s house and sit around a bonfire. “If I have the time, I love travelling. I would love to go see all of Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa.”

In five to 10 years Cox wants to have his Bachelor’s degree, and hopefully work professionally in New York City while pursuing his master’s degree to eventually teach theater. 

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Pioneers Looking for Newest Dance Team

Students who have a love for dance and school spirit are encouraged to attend auditions Friday from 11:30 – 12:30 for the Pioneer dance team at Vol State. The auditions will take place on the patio outside the carpeted dining room of the Wood Campus Center.

Those auditioning need to come up with a routine that is around 60-90 seconds, with their choice of music. This can be any style of dance that best suits the individual.

“We accept all styles,” said Stacy Womelduff, foundation accounts manager, and director of the Pioneer dance team. “I’m looking for someone who is dedicated, and hardworking.”

This is the fourth year Womelduff has been involved with the team. Rehearsal schedules will be posted after the new team is announced. The new team will pull together their class and work schedules to work around everyone on the team.

Womelduff said the dance team will perform at basketball and baseball games, as well as different events throughout the semester.

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Significant Changes for Vol State's Job Fair

Finding employment can sometimes be a challenge for both college students and new college graduates alike. 

Vol State will host the seventh annual career job fair, and more than 50 businesses are expected to attend.

There is a significant change this semester with the addition of the new academic showcase. This will allow students to meet faculty and staff from each academic department and get questions answered about what is offered.

Students are often undecided about what field they would like to go into, and often have undeclared majors. The academic showcase will hopefully help alleviate these questions.

“The job fair is on the main gym floor, and upstairs on the east side of the gym, is where the academic showcase will be,” said Dr. Rick Parrent, director of career placement, cooperative education, and service learning. “We are averaging about 1200 people in attendance.”

Students are already planning to attend.

“I’m getting out of this program in May and I want to see what jobs they have available,” said Joseph Adams, Physical Therapy assistance student.

“I’m going to check it out to see what employment opportunities they have,” said student Sarah Underwood.

Parrent encourages students to show up in proper business attire with a resume. Students who need help getting a resume together may email Parrent at rick.parrent@volstate.edu.

The career fair and academic showcase is from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, in the Pickel building gymnasium.

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Mock Traffic Stops for Constitution Day

Vol State drama, paralegal and criminal justice students participated in a mock traffic stop today, with some help from the pros. 

The Gallatin Police Department helped to stage the event, which was designed to start a conversation about personal liberty, search and seizure and other legal issues. It was all part of Constitution Day.


Loretta Calvert, coordinator of paralegal studies and associate professor, sent out an email with details about the event. She said, "We had over 50 people come to the Constitution Day celebration to watch our theater students be put under arrest.  Sadie, the future drug dog, made her debut and the Gallatin police officer was nice enough to let students drive his car!" 


Students and faculty from several programs took part including Kevin Cook from Criminal Justice and Edmon Thomas from Communication and Theatre. 

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Vol State Website Down Sunday - Important Info for Online Classes

The Vol State website is going to be down on Sunday, September 19 from 5am-5pm. Students taking online classes can still access their classes by going to http://elearn.volstate.edu/

 

All online classes will have full access with that web link. In fact, you can always access your online classes directly by using that address.

 

We're getting some power lines repaired to the Warf Building, so there will not be any power on Sunday for the server that runs the web site.

Fall Fling: Now You Can Be Involved!

Vol State hosts a fall fling every fall semester so that students can have the opportunity to get involved in several clubs and organizations on campus.

The Dungeons and Dragons club (D&D) is on record for being one of the most popular clubs on campus. “This semester we have incorporated anime as part of it,” said Amadeus Nunaley. “So we are probably the nerdiest club on campus, in a good way!”

Phi Theta Kappa is going to try to raise money so that two officers and two members can go to the national conference in the spring.

“We are looking forward to having a five star rating under Phi Theta Kappa,” said Stacie Stringfield, vice president of fellowship, Phi Theta Kappa. “I’m looking forward to everything we have going on.”

Delta Psi Omega is the drama club and welcomes both novices of the stage as well as fellow thespians.

“This year we are going to try something different,” said Steven Cox, president. “We will try as a group to be more hands on by going to see live performances each semester.” Cox added that this will give the students in the club more of a way to connect other than just going to meetings.

“In the spring we will be doing another student directed production,” Cox said. Last semester student Steve Parnell directed “Crazy Love.”

Students who are interested in getting involved in student clubs and organizations should contact Jamey Campbell, coordinator for student activities, in the Wood Campus Center. His number is 230-3799.

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Knowledge is Freedom

Insuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense and promoting the general welfare should be fairly self explanatory.

However, Jay Leno used to do a skit titled “Jaywalking” where he would ask several questions about the United States Constitution as well as questions from the T.V. show “The Family Guy.” The constitution questions are basic questions asked on a U.S. immigration test, and several U.S. citizens could not answer correctly. They seemed to know more about “The Family Guy.”

This is precisely one of the reasons that Vol State participates in Constitution Day, so that the students can get a better idea of their rights.

This year criminal justice students will play police officers and do mock traffic stops that are based on real cases with the drama students. The paralegal students will give the legal results in the Rochelle Center of the library.

The activities start at 12:30 p.m. Friday Sept. 17. There will be a Gallatin police car parked in the student parking lot by the tennis courts.

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Fall Fling: Free Food and Clubs

Involvement can be the key to a good college experience, and Vol State’s annual Fall Fling is a starting point.

The Fall Fling is a way for students to find out about clubs and organizations going on around campus, while getting a free lunch in the process, as well as a few other giveaways.

A new organization on campus is Team Change Agent which focuses on environmental concerns, according to Jamey Campbell, coordinator for student activities.

Campbell also said that a proposed shooting club will be at the Fall Fling. This will be a way to see how much interest is expressed for this particular organization. 

Intramurals are another change that will be coming to Vol State, and will include co-ed volleyball and tennis. 

The Fall Fling will be Wednesday Sept.15 from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. in the courtyard of the main campus. 

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What the heck is NoodleBib?

NoodleBib is a web-based citation and note-taking tool that is free for Vol State students. NoodleBib helps you create a works cited page or annotated bibliography formatted in MLA, APA or Chicago style. The folks at the Thigpen Library can show you how to use it in a quick 30 minute session.

Sep 14 (11:15 a.m.)

Oct 12 (11:15 a.m.)

Oct 13 (2:30 p.m.)

 
If you want information about how to use databases consider one of these sessions:
 
There’s more than one way to search (45 min)


Go beyond the basic search and learn how to get more precise search results from the JSTOR, ProQuest, WilsonWeb, and PsycARTICLES databases.

WilsonWeb & Proquest Oct 26 (11:15 a.m.)

JSTOR & PsycARTICLES Nov 3 (2:30 p.m.)

Databases and e-Books – your 24/7 library (45 min)

Databases are THE source for periodical articles. Learn how do you find and use the right database for your assignment and information needs. E-books are never missing or checked out; so, if you have an internet connection you have access 24/7.

Sep 22 (2:30 p.m.),

Sep 28 (11:15 a.m.)

For more information contact: Livy Simpson at 230-3414.
 
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College Students on a Mission

The collegiate ministry at Vol State will be having a car wash to raise money for upcoming mission trips on Saturday Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Gallatin Chick Fil A.

“We are a Christian group, but we don’t want to be just a Christian club,” said Cindy Chanin, associate professor and advisor of collegiate ministry. “We want to reach out to others in service and love with no strings attached.”

The collegiate ministry participates in several different ministries throughout the year. “We had a Thanksgiving luncheon for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages),” said Chanin.

In the past, they have gone to Mexico four times on mission trips. “We worked in a squatter’s camp and handed out food,” Chanin said. They have also painted murals and worked with orphans. The collegiate ministry has had the opportunity to help in the Katrina area on three different occasions for disaster relief.

In addition to disaster relief, the students and staff involved in the collegiate ministry participate in spring break missions. “We went to Panama City, Fla. and we gave sober rides to over 1,000 people,” Chanin said.

This semester there are about 25 students who are active in collegiate ministry at Vol State. They partner with other colleges as well for different activities. 

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Safety Tips on Campus

Vol State was named the sixth safest campus nationwide, according to the campus police department, but unfortunately, crime can still happen on campus , so being prepared is key.

Recently a campus email was sent out alerting students, faculty and staff of three thefts on campus this semester, and campus police want to reiterate the importance of safety.

Theft is mostly a crime of opportunity, according to Master Patrol Officer Robert Jackson. “When I go around campus, I find windows down, doors unlocked and convertible tops down. Anybody that wanted to could have taken anything. If they knew what to do they could have stolen a car.”

Jackson gives the following safety tips for students, “Keep your doors locked, and keep valuables out of site. Either put them in the trunk or take them with you.”

Victims of theft should file a report with campus police. Keep a record of all serial numbers for cell phones, I-Pods, etc. for identification purposes. Without these, the chance is most likely slim to none that the item will be recovered.

Jackson said to also make sure valuables are marked somehow, so that the owner knows where the markings are.

“On average, textbooks are the main thing that gets stolen,” said Jackson. Students should pick a random page and mark textbooks with a code. Jackson said it doesn’t have to be the student’s name, but something that can be identified.

“The basic thing to remember is to have common sense when it comes to protecting your items,” Jackson said.

For a complete list of safety tips visit the campus police page. 

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Caught On Campus: College Colors Day

Several students, faculty and staff were seen around Vol State today supporting their college of choice. These ranged from Vol State, Vanderbilt, Florida, UT Knoxville, Duke and several others.

President’s Ambassador Jamie Blurton said, “I love Vol State. I love being on campus and participating in everything we do.” She added that she truly feels this way since she is here all of the time anyway.

“I’m a very school spirited person,” said Kerensa James, PTK Vice President.

Rachel Campbell, President’s Ambassador, said that she wanted to participate in college colors day especially since some of the other students were so excited about it.

The reason for Vol State’s participation is to be a part of the national celebration of campus pride, according to Jamey Campbell, coordinator of student activities. 

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Get Ready for Pioneer Sports Action!

The Pioneer men and women will be taking to the court and to the field this school year. Basketball season kicks off at home on November 5 and the baseball and softball schedules have just been released. Visit the Athletics page for all of the schedules and get out there to show your Pioneer Spirit!

http://www.volstate.edu/Athletics/?ref=az

Best Friends Attend Vol State

Grant Richardson, 19, and Mac Hendrix, 20, grew up next to each other and are self proclaimed best friends.

Both Richardson and Hendrix are second year Vol State students, but they have different goals for their careers.

“I’m just getting whatever I need to transfer to Liberty University in Virginia,” said Richardson. “I want to major in theology and religion. I feel like it is my calling to do some form of ministry.”

“I want to get my undergrad in biology and my graduate in microbiology,” said Hendrix. “I’ve always been into that stuff to see how things work. I’m trying to go to Memphis or UTK.”

In his spare time Hendrix likes to dance and perform.

“In the future I want to write a book and start housing for underprivileged or homeless families,” said Richardson. 

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