Last fetch attempt was insuccessful.
Reason: Couldn't resolve host name
-
23 Dec ' 15:09
This web site's URL has changed from www.davisandelkins.edu to www.dewv.edu. Please update all site bookmarks and saved URLs to:
http://www.dewv.edu/campus/index.cfm
You will be redirected momentarily. If you are not automatically redirected, please click here. -
23 Dec ' 11:02
This site's URL has changed from www.davisandelkins.edu to www.dewv.edu. Please update all bookmarks and saved URLs to this web site.
-
07 Dec ' 12:06
-
07 Dec ' 07:58
December 6, 2010
Good Monday Evening:
Welcome to the last week of classes for the semester. And to the season’s first real snowfall (about 8” at the moment) and winter weather. Tonight’s predicted low of 16 and tomorrow’s high of 21 will keep the snow around till it warms up later in the week. Meantime, our faithful Maintenance, Grounds and Housekeeping crews have the campus drives, walks and buildings cleared and clean. Many, many thanks to you all.
Even as we wrap up the semester, there are ample opportunities for study breaks. To begin with, Tuesday evening the Fine & Performing Arts Department presents a “Winter Showcase” at 7:00 in the Boiler House Theatre.
Then at 7:00 on Wednesday evening in the Community Room of Booth Library, the Elkins branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will present Dr. Irene McKinney, WV Poet Laureate, to read from her work and that of other West Virginia writers. Dr. McKinney is described as “honest, passionate, and funny” in her writings about life in Appalachia.
Also on Wednesday evening at 6:00. the Women's Basketball team hosts Salem International University in The McDonnell Center.
This week’s Chapel Service will be held in Robbins Chapel at 7:00 on Thursday evening. The service will feature D&E's choir as well as student worship leaders.
Then on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., the Men's & Women's Swimming Teams will host Glenville State College in the first home meet in 40 years. This is a great opportunity to take a study break and support the team in their final meet before the New Year.
Several folks have asked about status of construction projects on campus. Work on the new Myles Gate campus pedestrian entrance at the corner of Randolph and Sycamore is pretty much shut down until the weather clears. Once the curbs, sidewalks and grading were completed, the contractor is now putting in water lines and electrical conduit. These will be followed by moving Hemlock Lane to align with Church Lane across Sycamore Street. Lighting, landscaping and a new “Davis & Elkins” monument sign will be completed in the early spring.
Work on the athletic playing fields also is halted for the winter months. The hillside to the west of The McDonnell Center parking lot and other sloping areas will be mulched for the winter, with plantings to follow in the spring. Grading and drainage for the new softball and soccer fields will also resume in the spring. Both projects are funded by gifts and grants, with the J. F. Allen Company as contractor.
Planning and engineering studies for renovation of Hermanson Center and Harper-McNeeley Auditorium are underway. Improvements to the mechanical system are scheduled to begin in early 2011, followed by enhancements to the Art Department on the Ground Floor, the music and lobby areas of the Main Floor, and the sound and lighting systems of the Auditorium during the spring. Other improvements will follow the summer performance and program season. Thanks to the generosity of a dear and generous friend of the College, the entire effort is funded by a major private gift. We are indeed a blessed place.
-
06 Dec ' 11:14
-
01 Dec ' 14:57
-
29 Nov ' 12:41
The Monday Letter from President Buck Smith
November 29, 2010
Good Monday Morning:
How wonderful to have you back from Thanksgiving break. Hopefully you too felt a thrill driving past The Gatehouse as the welcoming red and white Christmas lights on the D+E shrubbery and lamp posts below Albert Hall came into view. Then of course there were the white-lighted Archways between Albert and Liberal Arts Halls, followed by Halliehurst at the top of the hill all decked out in her greenery and red and white lights. In an instant, the campus and our mood seemed magically transformed. Welcome home to the holidays!
While you were away, the Admission effort for next year reached an early milestone: 1001 applications by Thanksgiving (Three years ago on the same date the number was 108; two years ago, 516; last year, 759.) This is the result not just of Admission staff efforts, but of EVERYONE –students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents – actively involved in the Admission process. You make a huge difference. Thank you!
Student Assembly officers Brandie Ward, Alex Torres, Kyle Morrissey and Megan Dulik are leading us in helping the Elkins community in still another meaningful way: They have taken responsibility for encouraging all faculty and staff to join them in supporting the local United Way Campaign. In a letter to all College employees going out today, they write:
“We, as the future leaders of our world, are assuming an increasingly larger role in determining the kind of world in which we want to live. We are taking responsibility for the environment and seeking a larger voice in the government. We also recognize the need to help those less fortunate
The United Way supports 28 agencies – local public libraries, the YMCA, the Humane Society, the Homeless Shelter, Women’s Aid in Crisis, the Senior Center, Meals on Wheels, Youth Health Service, Randolph County Emergency Squad, to name a few. We encourage you to join us in making a contribution to the United Way. Together, we can make a difference.”
Indeed, we can. Given the extraordinary support the community gives to the College, this is a tangible and broad-based opportunity for us to partner with and help our neighbors. Thanks for joining in.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain’s death (April 21, 1910). And tomorrow (November 30) the 175th of his birth. We’re taking special note of both occasions at 7:00 Tuesday evening in Halliehurst when Visiting Scholar Judith Yaross Lee of Ohio University speaks on, “Mark Twain and the Modern Mood,” Sponsored by the West Virginia Humanities Council, Dr. Lee will examine his writings and continued relevance in the 21st century in further student sessions on Wednesday.
Also on Tuesday evening, the Women and Men basketball teams host Shepherd University at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. in The McDonnell Center.
On Saturday, we will be interviewing candidates in Charleston for faculty positions at next summer’s three-week Governor’s School for the Arts to be hosted on our campus. The seven disciplines are acting/theatre, creative writing, dance, digital media art, instrumental music, visual arts, and vocal music. Highly-talented high school students from around the State will audition in January and February.Then on Sunday afternoon, the Concert Choir and Oratorio Society will present its annual holiday concert at 4:00 p.m. at Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church. The program will include Mozart’s “Te Deum” as well as other seasonal favorites, including ‘Antiphonal Kyrie’ by Susan Thrift; ‘All Creatures of our God and King’ by Geistlich Kirchengesang; ‘Oh My Love’s Like a Red Red Rose’ by Rene Clausen; ‘A Clare Benediction’ by John Rutter; and ‘Behold A Star from Jacob Shining’ by Felix Mendelssohn.
On a personal note, many on campus have come to know Holly, our beloved Siberian Husky. I’m sorry to tell you that we had to put her down just before Thanksgiving. Ten days earlier, an aggressive new tumor appeared on her amputated shoulder. Soon, her pain was such that ‘her time had come’. Thank you for being so attentive and welcoming to her at ballgames and as we made our litter pick-up rounds on campus.
Create a wonderful week.
-
24 Nov ' 13:04
The "Heart of Haliehearst" from President Buck Smith
November 24, 2010
Experiencing the positive spirit and enthusiasm of our students is probably the highest joy for all of us privileged to serve and support this remarkable place. And that reaches also to those who look forward to coming here as well. I received an email message from a high school senior in Maryland who was here a few weeks ago with her Dad, and who is now all set to enter D&E next fall. Entitled 'I Could Not Be More Thankful,' she wrote:
I cannot even explain to you my happiness. I found out last week that I have been accepted to Davis and Elkins. I am sure you already heard. But I wanted to e-mail you and tell you honestly from the bottom of my heart how excited I am ... I was worried that I was never going to find that college that takes my breath away. Well I was proved wrong when I saw Davis and Elkins. I can't wait just to dive in and push myself to new limits and also feel safe doing it ... I know that with hard work and determination I will go far at Davis and Elkins. But what is going to make it even better is knowing I have inspirational individuals to be there along side of me ... I wish you the best. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Like our new young friend, one can't help but think back with gratitude this Thanksgiving Eve on the blessings of the year now closing. In fact, 2010 may well turn out to be the most richly blessed year in the College's 106-year history. Here's a sampling of why:
- The year began with the discovery of D&E in January by Doris Buffett, and her subsequent deep and generous friendship.
- As winter turned to spring, our students - including those in the largest entering class in more than 60 years - realized increasingly the many ways they are nurtured by faculty and staff into what one described as "the person I never dreamed I might become."
- The outpouring of nearly a half million dollars in less than three months by 861 friends - with gifts ranging from $5 to $50,000 - in response to the Buffett Challenge that helped put the D&E experience within reach for 192 Highlands Scholars this year.
- Discovering world-renowned pianist Jack Gibbons - again through the kindness of Doris Buffett - whose engaging spirit and extraordinary talent are now touching the lives of the immediate and wider college family, as our Artist-in-Residence.
- The astounding beauty of the campus, made possible by the grandeur of Nature and the tireless and gifted efforts of our Maintenance and Grounds staff.
- The unprecedented generosity of The McDonnell Family and other friends and members of our Board of Trustees that has moved us from mere survival to now securing the future.
- And most recently, the affirmation two weeks ago today of our strengthened position through the recommended renewal of the College's ten-year reaccreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.
The list goes on. But you get the idea: we are a blessed people and place, open to new possibilities and still unexplored opportunities. Always with a remembering and grateful heart.
Thank you for your own part in helping make it so. Happy Thanksgiving.
-
20 Nov ' 14:04
November 15, 2010
Good Monday Evening:
This has been and is a pretty "heady" week for us all. The international "Crossing Boundaries" conference, with participants from across the globe as well as the campus, was followed this evening with the 16th annual William E. Phipps Interdisciplinary Lecture by the Rev. Dr. Christian Iosso on the "Economic Crisis and Social Creed: Can We Re-Moralize a Polarized Culture?"
Concurrently, Jack Gibbons, our Artist-in-Residence, was presenting a brilliant celebration of the life of Frederic Chopin in words and music at New York's Carnegie Hall. Twenty-eight D&E-related guests gathered for dinner prior to the concert in Weill Recital Hall which was at near-capacity for Jack's two and a half hour performance. He was then joined by some 60 D&E and personal guests at a private reception in Carnegie Hall. His enthusiasts came not only from various parts of the U.S. but from Great Britain and Italy as well. We are indeed privileged that he is representing the College on the world's musical stage with such talent and engaging charm.
As part of National Diabetes Awareness month, the D&E Student Nurses Association (DESNA) will host Eloise Hollen for a presentation on Diabetes in the Eshleman Science Center, Room 400 from 12:00 noon-1:00 p.m.
Then Wednesday evening, both basketball teams open their home seasons in The McDonnell Center, the women at 5:30, men at 7:30, hosting the University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown. Then again on Saturday the women will host Central State University at 2:00 p.m.
At 11:00 a.m. on Thursday in Halliehurst, Professor Jane Woods will again enrich the intellectual and cultural life of the campus when she presents a lecture on "Bronze Age Cyprus: Crossroads of the Mediterranean". Following the lecture, the College will be honored with receipt of the Arthur Foster Collection of Bronze Age Antiquities by alumnus Giles E. Wright, '68. Dr. Foster was a medical missionary in Cyprus in 1893, when he legally obtained a collection of 5th Century, B.C., ceramics. These were passed down through his family in Pennsylvania and bequeathed to Davis & Elkins College upon the death of his niece, Nancy George, in July of this year.
We will then adjourn to the third floor Ballroom of Halliehurst for a Reception and Viewing of the College's Historic Collections. Curator Bud Rexrode will be on hand to present the Arthur Foster Collection, the Darby Collection, and other historic collections held by the College.
Word went to the campus community last week on the renewed Ten-Year Accreditation recommendation by the Accreditation Team. While it will be some weeks before we have official word from the Higher Learning Commission, receiving this maximum-possible endorsement from the visiting team is a strong acknowledgement of the academic and financial progress of the College in recent years. For those who attended the College as well as others who invest in it through your financial support, I hope this affirmation gives you renewed confidence in the fact of your relationship with D&E. We certainly value and treasure you! Create a wonderful week. And have a joyous and safe Thanksgiving break.G.T. "Buck" Smith
Cell: 304-830-3900
buck@dewv.edu
"If we see people as they are, they
will stay as they are. But if we see
them for what they might be, and
might become, they will become
those better selves." (Adapted: Goethe) -
08 Nov ' 09:45
Good Monday Morning:
Well, we have quite a week coming up: Accreditation Team here Monday through Wednesday. Registration and Assessment Day onTuesday. International WeekTuesday to Saturday, including the“Crossing Boundaries” Conference. Plus the usual intense round of activities, meetings, work and academic pursuits.
Ourguests, representing the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges andSchools, are all seasoned teachers, scholars, and academic administrators. They include:
- Dr.Michael Westerfield,Vice President and Dean of Graduate and Outreach Studies, William Woods University, Fulton, Missouri (Chair of the Team)
- Dr.Marie Baehr,Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of Faculty, Professor of Physics, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Dr.Dan R. Bruss, President, Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, Minnesota
- Dr. A. Gigi Fansler, Executive Vice President, Lincoln College-Normal, Normal, Illinois.
They will be with us through noon on Wednesday, holding individualappointments and meetings with designated groups (including dinner with Trusteesand breakfast with Community Leaders). In addition, you are invited, encouragedand welcome to attend the following sessions asappropriate:
Support Staff–Monday, 10:00–10:50 a.m., Halliehurst Library
Students–Monday, 1:00–1:50 p.m., Halliehurst Library
Faculty-Tuesday, 11:00–11:50 a.m., Booth Library Community Room
Open Meeting–Tuesday, 3:00–3:50 p.m., Pearl Buck Room, Liberal Arts Hall
Turning to International Week, once again the Center forSpirituality, Ethics and Global Awareness is taking us to the world beyond ourborders, as well as bringing the world to the campus. On Tuesday, International cuisine will be featured at lunch. On Wednesday, there will be an International Bazaar in the Madden Center; On Thursday, an International FashionShow. Then, we turn to life of the mind.
StartingThursday evening at 5:30 p.m. in Halliehurst and continuing through till 6:00 p.m. Saturday, the Centerwill host an International Conference on the theme: ‘Crossing Boundaries: Transforming Identities, Cultures and Human Relations in a Global Village.’ An estimated 80 guests, scholars, and speakers are expected, representing colleges and universities from across the country and around the world. Those presenting papersfrom D&E include Professors Tippen, Benigni and Stover. As well as six students: Richard Powers, Mary Browne, Debolina Mukherjee, Ellis Wyatt, Robin Stillwater and JacobHaukland.
The theme of the Conference addresses some of the more perplexing issues of our time. Whether erecting a wall or drawing a line in the sand, we tend to set boundaries. But what happens when these boundaries are crossed? Globalization and modernity strain these borders. The Conferencewill seek to explore these boundaries, both cultural and personal, in our growing yet shrinking world.
All this will prepare us for still more intellectual stimulationat the16th Annual Phipps Lecture next Monday the 15th when Christian Iosso, Coordinator of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy for the Presbyterian Church (USA) speaks in Halliehurst at 7:30 p.m. The program will also include a memorial tribute to the late Dr. William Phipps, long-time revered professor at D&E.
Turning back to the Accreditation, this has been a hugely collaborative process involving every element of the College family. We shall be ever grateful to all who have had a hand in getting us to this pointover the past three academic years, most especially Professors Creasey, Mattingly, Roidt, Tunick and Turner and Dean of Faculty Vic Thacker and Administrative Coordinator Connie Townsend.
This has been a once-in-a-decade chanceto take stock ofourselves–not only with hindsight but with imagination for what may lie ahead. The closing lines of the Self-Study seem to capture that spirit, towit:
‘Davis&Elkins is not entirely out of the woods in its recovery. As a small, rural,modestly-endowed, tuition-driven institution, the College appreciates that the woods will never be far off. Nevertheless, the College has overcome tremendous obstacles over these past ten years and has emerged as a fundamentally stronger institution, one fortified not only by a renewed sense of hope, but also by an authentic, and growing, measure of confidence as it looks to the future.’
Search the Site
