Harding Magazine

Around Campus

Health Sciences breaks ground
Reaves, Walker join Trustees
Speech pathology master's gains pre-accreditation
Freshmen, Facebook help tell enrollment story
On the Net and newsstand
Diverse figures head Lecture Series
Brenda Seawel: 'Comm Mom'
Athletic Training kicks off
Business missions center realized
Degrees combine in ministry training center
Clayton, Williams move up in rank
DEDICATION - Tahkodah hall named for Lambeth
Take five with 2007-08 SA President Charlie Walker

Health Sciences breaks ground

On July 9, President David B. Burks directed the groundbreaking of the $7.7 million facility to house the College of Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Program.

During the ceremony, Dr. Mike Murphy, director of the Physician Assistant Program, said, "Projects like this don't just happen because the money is there. They are born out of desire to develop and expand Harding's ability to integrate faith, learning and living for our children and our children's children."

Dr. Julie Hixson-Wallace, dean of the College of Pharmacy, added, "The beginning of construction of the Center for Health Sciences represents an incredible vote of confidence in both the College of Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Program from the University administration."

The two-story building will provide 35,800 square feet of space on East Park Avenue. The ground floor will house an administrative suite for each program that will include offices, a reception and waiting area, conference room, and faculty workroom. Both programs will share a large laboratory, 10 examination rooms, an observation area and clinical storage.

The second floor will contain faculty offices, three large classrooms, three laboratories, small conference rooms, and a student library with specialized pharmacology and physician assistant materials.

Initially pharmacy students were to begin classes this fall. Although most administrative and faculty positions had been filled, a few key positions remained open, prompting the decision to postpone for a year.

In June Hixson-Wallace said of the decision to delay, "We are committed to ensuring that the college provides the highest quality program possible. In order to accomplish this, we believe that we need additional faculty in place at least six months in advance of our start date."

Classes are now set to begin fall 2008 - contingent upon achieving precandidate status with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. The maximum number for the first class was 40; however, with the delay, more students will be able to begin training in 2008.

"Our proposed College of Pharmacy had always been on an accelerated track," said Dr. Jim Carr, executive vice president and chair of the original committee that evaluated establishment of the program. "We planned to start much earlier than is normal for such a program. We will now revert to the more traditional path."

The first class of physician assistants graduated July 28, with 16 receiving the master of science in physician assistant studies (See the full story).

Reaves, Walker join Trustees

For Roy Reaves and Dr. Robert Walker, this Homecoming holds a special attraction - their first meeting as members of the University's Board of Trustees. President David B. Burks announced the appointments in June.

Reaves, of Russellville, Ark., is chairman and CEO of the Central Division of Liberty Bank of Arkansas. He serves as vice chairman of River Valley Regional Intermodal Facilities Authority and River Valley Heart Association, as board member of Pope County Soil Conservation District, and as a member of Rotary Club and the President's Council. The Arkansas Community Development Program honored him with its Award of Exceptional Accomplishment for Community Development.

He holds the bachelor of science degree from the University, an MBA from University of Arkansas, and a diploma from Stonier Graduate School of Banking in New Brunswick, N.J. Reaves is a member of Westside Church of Christ in Russellville.

Walker, of Decatur, Ala., works with Surgical Associates of North Alabama. He received the bachelor of science degree from the University and the doctor of medicine from University of Alabama School of Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

He serves on the board of directors for Alabama Policy Institute and Compass Bank of Decatur and is a member of the President's Council. He has received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the College of Sciences and the John A. Caddell Award from Decatur General Hospital Foundation. An elder at Beltline Church of Christ, Walker and his wife, Beth, have three children.

Speech pathology master's gains pre-accreditation

Applications are now being accepted for the master of science degree program in speech-language pathology, which will begin in fall 2008.

The program is a candidate for accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech- Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This is "pre-accreditation" status with the CAA, awarded to developing or emerging programs for a maximum of five years.

The communication sciences and disorders program, formerly housed in the Communication Department, transitioned into its own department this fall, chaired by Dr. Rebecca O. Weaver.

Weaver, past president of the Arkansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association, holds the bachelor of arts degree from the University, master of communication disorders degree from University of Mississippi, and Ph.D. from University of Memphis. She currently serves on the Council for Clinical Certification and Legislative Council for ASLHA.

Course work for the graduate degree comprises 57 credit hours that include both lecture and clinical practicum hours completed over five semesters. The curriculum will provide students with knowledge and skills in articulation, fluency, voice and resonance, swallowing, receptive and expressive language, the impact of hearing on speech and language, cognitive aspects of communication, social aspects of communication, and communication modalities.

Students will complete practicums in a wide variety of settings, including public schools, hospitals, geriatric facilities and the University's speech clinic. Plans are also underway to introduce practicum experiences at the international studies campuses in England and Zambia.

Graduates will be eligible to apply for licensure as speech-language pathologists with the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Speech Pathology and Audiology and the Certificate of Clinical Competence through the ASLHA. For information on graduate study in speech-language pathology or to schedule a visit, call (501) 279-4640 or visit www.harding.edu/cd.

Freshmen, Facebook help tell enrollment story

Matthew Fahey could not wait to join the 2007 freshman class. A countdown calendar on his Facebook page calculated - in days, hours, minutes and seconds - the time until he would leave his home in Wolcott, Conn., for the University. Also through the social medium Facebook, he connected with nearly half of the 998 first-time-in-college students in a group called "Harding Freshmen 2007!!!" before he set foot on campus.

This large freshman class contributed to the 21st consecutive record enrollment, which stands at 6,332. It is a 3.7 percent increase over last year's total of 6,108. The figure is also bolstered by a 5.7 percent increase in graduate enrollment and a strong retention rate of 80 percent.

Undergraduate enrollment is 4,154, with 1,206 of those being new students. The student body represents 49 states and 52 foreign countries. With 11 freshman National Merit Finalists, the University expects to be among the top schools in the country in the enrollment of National Merit Scholars.

The total number of graduate students grew from 2,060 to 2,178, as business and education graduate offerings continued to gain popularity, and the Physician Assistant Program added its third class. Students in various graduate education programs total 1,632, and students in the MBA Program, 221. Both programs are now offered on the Searcy campus and at the North Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas professional centers.

Adding diversity to the student body are 273 international students - 117 of whom come from China, and 69 of whom come from Central America and Mexico.

The overall number includes 134 students studying overseas at International Program sites in Brisbane, Australia; London, England; Athens, Greece; Florence, Italy; and Namwianga, Zambia.

The Honors College continues to draw students with 768 participants. Nineteen percent of first-time-in-college students are enrolled.

On the Net and newsstand

"[The University] focuses on the individual as a whole. So many schools focus on fostering intellectual growth, but they ignore the rest of the individual. Harding in its entirety helps a person grow in so many ways."

- The Princeton Review, which included the University in its listing of colleges receiving the Best in the Southeast designation, based on statistical and student opinion-based narrative information. The statement was a response to an 80 - question survey administered to students.

U.S.News & World Report magazine also ranked the University as one of the South's best in its annual America's Best Colleges issue, as well as a best value among schools in the South. For more information, visit www.harding.edu.

Diverse figures head Lecture Series

Four individuals whose roles in defense, diplomacy, community service and business have made national and international impacts comprise the American Studies Distinguished Lecture Series for 2007-08.

Retired Lt. Col. Steve Russell began the series Sept. 11. Russell, who commanded the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry in Tikrit, Iraq, from spring 2003 to 2004, was instrumental in the hunt and capture of Saddam Hussein.

President of Zambia Levy Patrick Mwanawasa spoke Sept. 27 in an event co-sponsored by L.C. Sears Collegiate Seminar Series. A lawyer, Mwanawasa served as the nation's solicitor general in 1985 and was a senior partner in his own firm from 1978 to 1992. That same year, he was named vice president of Zambia.

In August 2000, he was elected the Movement to Multiparty Democracy's presidential candidate. He won the election in December 2001, beating 10 others, and was re-elected in September 2006.

Former president and chairman of Godfather's Pizza Inc. Herman Cain will speak Nov. 8 in a presentation co-sponsored by College of Business Administration. The national chain was performing poorly before Cain became president in 1986 and led it to profitability in 14 months.

Cain was elected to the board of directors of the National Restaurant Association in 1988, serving as chairman from 1994 to 1995. He was then appointed chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He also served as a senior adviser to the 1996 Dole/Kemp presidential campaign.

In 1996, he became CEO and president of the National Restaurant Association, a position he held for two and a half years before becoming CEO and president of RetailDNA. Today Cain is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host of "The Herman Cain Show" and a Fox News business commentator.

The series continues Feb. 12, 2008, with author and historian David Barton, founder and president of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that distributes historical, legal and statistical information and helps citizens become active in their schools and communities.

He researches original writings of the Founding Era and serves as consultant to state and federal legislators. He has participated in several cases at the Supreme Court and helped develop history/social studies standards for students in California and Texas.

An author of numerous books on historical, legal and educational issues, he regularly speaks at conferences nationwide and appears on TV and radio programs.

The final speaker will be announced at a later date.

Brenda Seawel: 'Comm Mom'

One name often surfaces when an office on campus must search for an administrative assistant: Brenda Picker Seawel. Not that she's available. Seawel began working with Dr. Mike James in the Communication Department in 1999 and has no intention of going anywhere.

"I feel like I have the best of everything," she says. "Great faculty, great boss. The biggest perk is the students."

They feel the same about her. "Comm Mom" is the nickname students - and a few faculty members - have given Seawel. "That's my greatest accomplishment," she says. "To know they feel like they can come to me as a mom. Nurturing is a big part of what I do here."

Prior to 1999, Seawel and her husband, Morris, tried several times to relocate to Searcy, where her family had moved when she was in high school. She recounts a story of Dr. Jim Carr Sr. knocking on the door of her parents' house one night when she and Morris were visiting from Houston. "He said, 'We need to get you back here,' and told Morris about a job in admissions." Their twin sons, Derek and Dustin, were just beginning their senior year of high school and would soon be coming to Searcy to attend the University anyway. They gave their OK. "We prayed about it, and our house sold in one week," she recalls. "It has been such a blessing."

This May, Seawel and her daughter, Erica, will graduate together. Though Seawel began college in 1976, she lacked several courses toward a degree. "I had no intention of finishing," she says, "but Dr. [Lou] Butterfield kept encouraging me." She enrolled in the Degree Completion Program in 2006, beginning her first class when the twins moved away. "It was a good solution for 'empty nest syndrome,'" she says.

For the last seven years, Seawel has served as a sponsor for Zeta Rho social club, and she and Morris co-host a home Bible study for students. "Our group has just really bonded," she explains. "We spend a lot of time in prayer, and we have lots of conversations afterward about what's going on in their lives. We try to acknowledge when prayer is answered to see how God is working in our lives."

Due to her long-time association with the University, she also has many stories to relate to students - Carr's buttons, for example. "Students today don't know about those buttons that say, 'It's Great to be at Harding,' or that he came up with that saying," she says.

"But that's how we feel."

- April M. Fatula

"When I went through commencement the first time, I thought, 'What are they talking about? I'm done. Why call it commencement?' This is the first day of the rest of your life. Education is never ending. It does not stop with the conferring of these degrees. Education dynamically will follow you all of your life."

- Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe of Searcy, addressing graduates May 12, 2007.

Athletic Training kicks off

Following a five-year process that included a departmental study and site visits, the University's Athletic Training Education program received national accreditation this spring from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

The Kinesiology Department began the study in fall 2001 to determine the need and feasibility of changing the program from internships to a clinical-based curriculum. A committee comprising faculty and medical advisers presented its recommendations in an application filed in fall 2003. CAATE evaluators visited campus in fall 2006 and confirmed their findings in February.

During the study, students were allowed to declare athletic training as their major. Upon graduation, these individuals will be able to sit for the national exam and earn their certification.

Dr. Randy Lambeth, kinesiology associate professor and certified athletic trainer, directs the bachelor's program. He believes having clinical instructors work hands-on with students in the actual environment will only increase the opportunities available to athletic training graduates.

"Sports has become a major industry in America," he says. "It has become more important that those involved are kept safe. Certified athletic trainers are finding employment at schools, colleges, professional athletic events, medical clinics, in the military, in industry and many other venues."

The 128-hour athletic training degree places specific, rigorous requirements on students. Clinical-based courses are a major component of the program, requiring 100-200 hours of clinical work each semester from the sophomore to senior years.

Business missions center realized

In May, Eastern European Missions formalized a partnership with the College of Business Administration, establishing the Harding Character Initiative, a center for business missions.

Explained Dr. Bryan Burks, dean of the college, "The purpose is to introduce Christian moral and ethical concepts to students and business leaders in nations that formerly constituted the Soviet Bloc."

For the last eight years, Dr. Budd Hebert, professor of international business, has led a group of students on a business mission trip to Ukraine during spring break. He will continue to lead these teams as they go into Eastern European universities and present the course on business ethics Hebert authored. By presenting the material and building personal relationships with students who enroll, Hebert and his teams will seek openings to present the gospel as the source of ethical principles. Additionally, specific opportunities will be created outside of class for Hebert's teams to discuss the Bible with enrollees.

Hebert will continue to create and revise curriculum, structure seminars, and recruit and train University students and teams from other Christian universities.

In addition to providing financial support, EEM will identify universities in Eastern Europe who want their students to benefit from this program, as well as make arrangements for housing and off-campus meetings, translate material, and provide translators and guides.

The goal is to create a replicable program in which others could take part, Dr. Mike Armour, president of EEM, explained. "We now know that this program can be packaged so it is replicable. This is the time for us to enter into a formal relationship. Whatever lies ahead, I know that much good will be done, the kingdom will be expanded, and Christ's name will be glorified."

Degrees combine in ministry training center

This fall, the School of Biblical Studies became the Center for Advanced Ministry Training. Including both bachelor and master of ministry degree programs, the center is the latest evolution of the original Christian Communications Program that began in 1974.

"Regardless of the name or administrative organization, the objectives of the program have not changed through the years," says Dr. Bill Richardson, director of the center.

"Our goal is to prepare students to faithfully engage in fruitful Christian ministry as capable students of biblical literature and theology, effective communicators of the message, and humble servants."

The bachelor of ministry is an intensive 128-hour degree program designed to equip mature students to preach the gospel and prepare for missions and other areas of service. Fifteen fully funded tuition scholarships are available to qualified students. The curriculum, which includes 94 hours of Bible and ministry classes and 34 hours of liberal arts, may be completed in three years or less. A new component is the practical apprenticeship, which exposes students to field work in diverse areas of ministry under the tutelage of local church mentors.

Richardson says he hopes that bachelor of ministry degree students will continue toward the master of ministry degree, a 36-hour non-thesis graduate program aiming to help Christian servants hone their ministry talents. The program provides foundational courses in theology and culture, along with 10 practical ministry courses. A number of 40-percent tuition scholarships are available to qualified students, who may take in-residence and at-a-distance courses, which combine online virtual classrooms, streaming video and teleconferencing. Theoretically, a student with a high school diploma could earn both degrees in four years.

The center currently enrolls 30 undergraduate students; 42 students are pursuing the master's degree.

"Our students have a passion for what they're doing," Richardson says. "It's exciting to see how many of them have experienced God's grace in a profound way."

For more information on the Bachelor of Ministry Program, contact Gary Gregg, associate director of the center, at (501) 279-4290 or e-mail gwgregg@harding.edu. For information on the Master of Ministry Program, contact Richardson at (501) 279-4252 or e-mail mmin@harding.edu.

Clayton, Williams move up in rank

Two academic administrative appointments in nursing and English went into effect this fall.

Dr. Da'Lynn Clayton, who had been serving as interim associate dean of the College of Nursing for the past year and a half, was formally named to the position. She joined the faculty in 1985, left in 1992 to pursue the Ph.D. at University of Texas, returned in 1998, and in 2001 was promoted to associate professor. She also holds the bachelor of science in nursing degree from Harding and the master of science degree from University of Michigan.

She is nationally recognized for her work in clinical practice using the Modeling/Role Modeling Theory and is actively involved in research regarding ways to prevent harm to children during health examinations.

Dr. John Williams, professor of English who joined the faculty in 1992, is now chair of the Department of English. He previously taught at Ohio Valley University, where he also served as acting vice president for instruction and division chair.

He holds the bachelor's and master's degrees from University of Memphis and the Ph.D. in American Literature from Ohio University. Williams coordinates capstone projects for senior English majors and directs the Jo Cleveland Creative Writing Contest. He has authored Fiction as False Document: The Reception of E.L. Doctorow in the Postmodern Age, a book on criticism of the American writer. He also co-authored Making History: Ray Muncy in His Time, a biography on the late faculty member, department chair and noted historian.

Williams replaced Dr. Gary Elliott, who retired.

DEDICATION
Tahkodah hall named for Lambeth

The new $500,000 dining hall at Camp Tahkodah was dedicated to former director Randy Lambeth in a surprise ceremony July 14.

More than 70 guests - in addition to 165 campers, 23 counselors and 15 other staff members - attended the grand-opening celebration, including former camp directors Cliff Sharp and Matthew Henderson.

Lambeth, now athletic trainer and associate professor of kinesiology at the University, directed the camp from 1988 to 2003. His association with Tahkodah dates back to 1977, when he worked as a counselor. He served as assistant director from 1979 to 1988. Under his leadership, the program expanded to five sessions, and facilities were developed for year-round use.

The 6,748-square-foot building seats 240 and includes a rock fireplace and wraparound porch. It also houses a dishwashing room, kitchen, laundry room, infirmary and nurses quarters.

Said current director Ross Cochran, "The new mess hall is the fulfillment of a dream that is at least 10 years old."

Take five with 2007-08 SA President Charlie Walker

1. How will this year's SA run differently than previous administrations?

After talking with several former presidents, my understanding is that the Student Association has often felt obligated to wear too many hats. It has felt pressure to be the service project team on campus, in charge of campus activities, the school spirit team, etc. In other words, the SA was expected to do it all.

And to a degree this is true. The SA needs to be involved in many aspects of campus life. But when this is the case, we can easily get so wrapped up in worthy pursuits that the chief objective is pushed to the back seat.

This year we do not want to lose sight of our organization's main goal: to be the voice for students' interests and concerns.

2. What service efforts are planned for the year?

We are currently working on putting together a team to concentrate on just that. Harding's strong legacy of devotion to community service and missions is one of the ways our university is distinct. The SA will be dedicated to continuing this tradition.

Also, we want to work with several other strong organizations on campus to make sure community service and missions are not just for a select few, but rather something in which to involve the entire University. This is not accomplished by forcing or "guilting" students into participation, but rather by getting the right groups together. These groups include Harding in Action, Bisons for Christ, Wednesday night home Bible studies, and prayer groups.

3. How do you plan to appeal to students and get them to actively participate in SA activities/projects?

The best thing we can do is focus our energy and efforts on the right activities and projects. In the three years I've been here, I've noticed that Harding students always respond. I look back to Hurricane Katrina, spring break campaign efforts, the Day of Service, and countless examples of individual students and families that were going through trying times - in all these cases our students came together.

This is no different for other projects worthy of our attention, such as attempts to better the parking situation on campus or efforts to move SA elections to Pipeline. If we focus on the right areas, I have no doubt that students will back worthwhile projects.

4. What do you hope will be this year's greatest accomplishment?

In many ways, this year's theme for the SA will be "realizing our potential as a university." In my speech [to the student body] I said that we are going to be an Acts 17 campus. I love that in verse six the Apostles were described as men who "turned the world upside down." They were also described as being ordinary and uneducated. If 12 ordinary, uneducated men can change the world, then I truly believe 6,000 Harding students working together are definitely capable.

We also want to build a strong Student Association for the future - an organization in which students believe and trust. Strong schools have strong student governments. Some clubs or organizations tend to divide students by department or social circles; however, I believe the SA has potential to be an organization that truly unites the student body.

5. How does it feel to know that you will potentially be working with your father - a new board member - during your tenure?

I have truly been impressed with our board's spiritual focus and overall willingness to help the Student Association in whatever way it can. The men and women who make up the Board of Trustees are all people I look up to and admire; Dad is no exception. I consider each of them role models. They are living proof that one can succeed in the world without being of the world.

As far as working with Dad, we both tend to think alike for the most part, and we both care deeply for Harding University. Furthermore, he has never been shy about letting me know who is boss. I don't expect that to change.