August 20, 2007
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• Lyon welcomes new students at Matriculation • Lyon College recognizes staff, faculty • Reception bids farewell to Bardos • Lyon College Alumni Choir to perform at worship service • Lyon graduate admitted to Clinton School’s public service degree program
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Lyon College vaults into top tier of U.S. News rankings for 2008 The 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” elevates Lyon College to the “top tier” among national liberal arts colleges. In the report released Aug. 17, Lyon is ranked 91st among the 266 “Best Liberal Arts Colleges.” U.S. News bases its rankings on graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving and academic reputation. “Recognition as a top tier national liberal arts college is the culmination of a strategic initiative that began some fifteen years ago under the leadership of a group of Arkansas business and civic leaders,” said Lyon President Walter Roettger. “They were determined that Lyon would provide an educational experience second to none. I suspect that few, if any, sister institutions have earned top tier status from this independent news organization as quickly as has Lyon. This is a testimony to the vision of those who launched this initiative and to the quality of our students, faculty and staff.” U.S. News also again named Lyon College to its list of “Great Schools, Great Prices.” Lyon rose to 16th on this list of 40 “best value” schools across the nation and is the only college in Arkansas and the surrounding states – and one of only five in the South – to be so honored. Lyon was ranked 23rd on this list in the 2007 U.S. News rankings. U.S. News determines its best value ranking by comparing a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its U.S. News ranking, to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. “The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal,” says U.S. News. Lyon students returning to campus for the fall semester were enthused by the College’s recognition in the annual guidebook. “This is great news for Lyon,” said Michael Brown, a senior from Lake City, pre-veterinary student, and student body president. “We’ve always known that Lyon was a great college; that’s why we chose it. Now, its national reputation matches the reality that we experience every day. Our faculty is terrific. They respect our opinions, engage us in their classrooms, and include us in their research. It’s hard to believe that, at 21, I’ve helped to author papers that appear in respected journals.” Roettger concurred. “This is good news for Lyon and its students,” he said. “The U.S. News & World Report ranking is testimony to our quality and our value. But it’s also good news for Arkansas and the region. This is another positive for Arkansas and a strong statement regarding the quality of education available in our state. “ Heading the list of U.S. News’ “Best Liberal Arts Colleges” again this year are Williams College and Amherst College, both in Massachusetts, and Swarthmore College of Pennsylvania. U.S. News categorizes schools by mission and – for regional institutions -- by region. According to U.S. News, the 266 national liberal arts colleges “emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half their degrees in the arts and sciences.” In Arkansas, only Lyon and Hendrix College are included in this category. U.S. News also ranks national universities, which offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and Ph.D. degrees, and emphasize faculty research; universities - master’s, which offer undergraduate degrees and some master’s programs but few, if any, doctoral programs; and baccalaureate colleges, which focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than 50 percent of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. These last two categories are further classified by geographic region. For many years, Lyon College was included among the best regional liberal arts colleges in the South, often first or second. It was reclassified to national liberal arts college status from its regional liberal arts college category seven years ago.
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Lyon College welcomes new students at Matriculation Convocation
The oldest private college in Arkansas opened its doors to
nearly 200 new students at Lyon College for a Matriculation Convocation held in
Brown Chapel on Saturday. Classes begin Aug. 21.
The event boomed to life with a processional by the College Pipe Band before the Rev. Nancy McSpadden, chaplain, gave the invocation. Enrollment services representative Matt Tolson presented the new students and Student Government Association President Michael Brown '08, and Dr. Gloria Everson, associate professor of anthropology, welcomed them.
Lyon College President Dr. Walter B. Roettger addressed the standing-room-only crowd of new students and their parents, telling that that Lyon is the oldest of Arkansas’ private institutions.
“These opening hours and days were very different 135 years ago when, on September 2, 1872, President Isaac Long presided over the opening of Lyon’s first academic year,” Roettger said. “A look at our archives reveals that the College enrolled sixty-five students and had a faculty of four, including President Long. Today, we are a vastly different institution.”
Lyon has become a college of national consequence, and continues to grow in that stature, he added.
“Yesterday morning, we were delighted to find that U.S. News and World Report had elevated Lyon in its rankings to the Top Tier of what it calls the nation’s ‘Best Liberal Arts Colleges’,” Roettger told the capacity crowd. “This results from our steady progress as a teaching and learning community.”
This same report ranked Lyon 16th among the nation’s Best Liberal Arts College in terms of value. Lyon is the only school in Arkansas and the surrounding states, and one of only five institutions in the south, to be so honored.
The freshmen signed the Roll of Honor, which is part of the student-led honor system at Lyon. New faculty members also sign the Roll of Honor.
The Honor Pledge is a statement made by each student to uphold the Honor Code in all matters related to academic work. This commitment is signified by signing the Roll of Honor and by signing each examination, quiz, paper or other written assignment with the written pledge.
“I signed this roll ten years ago,” Roettger said. “It symbolizes passage into this community of learners and teachers. And, because it is singular and consequential, it is fitting that we be serious about these acts and intentional in them.”
The honor pledge requires that students behave as persons of integrity, that they do not tolerate academically dishonest behavior and that they deal responsibly with dishonest behavior when they observe it.
“It lays upon us two related obligations: behaving honestly and behaving responsibly when confronted by dishonesty,” the President said. “This latter obligation points to our responsibility for the actions of others, for their moral development, and for the moral health of our community.”
In speaking about integrity and honor, Roettger said he suspected that the students need look no further for examples than “the folks who reared you.”
“I expect that growing up you heard more than once the admonition not to lie, cheat, or steal,” he said. “But, I think that if you are confronted with a question about the appropriateness of a behavior, you can do much worse than to ask yourselves: what would my folks think?”
He urged the new class to seek ways to serve the communities of Lyon College and Batesville in general, to leave them better than they found them.
“Welcome to the Lyon community of teachers and learners,” he said in closing. “I look forward to seeing you at Homecoming. Thank you and Godspeed.”
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Students and parents begin transforming empty dorm rooms into cozy homes for the Fall 2007 semester during last Friday's annual Move-In Day. Lyon faculty, staff and upperclassmen pitched in to help the freshmen out.
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Lyon College recognizes staff, faculty
Twenty-one employees reach milestones in service, one named Staff Member of the Year
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Mary Evans (left) with President. Roettger, receives a rose and her award as 2007 Staff Member of the Year. Mary, who works in housekeeping, has been with the College for more than 27 years. Teresa Loggains, (right), manager for Admission Data, was this year's longest serving employee honoree, having recently celebrated her 30th year at Lyon. |
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With the 2007-08 academic school year about to start, Lyon College President Dr. Walter Roettger recognized the staff and faculty for helping make the college’s goal of being one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges a reality.
At a luncheon held last Wednesday, longtime employee Mary Evans was named Staff Member of the Year, and Teresa Loggains was recognized as the longest serving staffer, honored for 30 years on the job.
The employee of the year honor goes to the employee who fellow staff members believe has demonstrated loyalty to the college, is a consistently productive and hard worker, is easy to work with, and who demonstrates creativity on the job.
In announcing the honor, Lyon President Dr. Walter Roettger said Evans has been an integral part of the campus community for 27 years.
"Mary has always gone the extra mile to make the students’ homes-away-from-home as comfortable as possible," he said. "She’s heard all the stories over the years: the first night away from home; the first case of the flu without Mom; the first time to share a bedroom and a bathroom… and she’s given hugs and smiles and a caring ear and has provided comfort and shared joy as if they were her own."
Twenty-one employees were honored for their service to the College. They were:
30 years - Teresa Loggains
25 years - Betty Branscum
20 years - Karen Austin
15 years - Michael Counts, Kirk Kelley and Elaine Severs
10 years - Michelle Howard and Edward Tenace
5 years - Denny Bardos, Jeremy Bishop, Brooks Blevins, Tom Carpenter, Dana Davidson, Tim Lindblom, Jason Marzewski, Lori Miller, Mieko Peek, Garry Wann, John Weinzierl, Anne Woodbury and Nikki Yonts.
Reception bids farewell to Bardos
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At a reception for faculty and staff on Aug. 14, Lyon President Walter Roettger presented Denny Bardos, vice president for Enrollment Services, a chair in honor of his service to the College. Bardos has left Lyon to accept a new position with the Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.V. Bardos came to Lyon College in 2002 from Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn., where he served as director of Admissions. Before that he held a variety of positions in the admissions office at Christian Brothers University in Memphis. He and his wife, Amanda, have two children.
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Lyon College Alumni Choir to perform at worship service
Dr.
Dorothy Landis Gray, emeritus professor of music, will once again fly in
from her home in Mount Gretna, Penn., to conduct this year’s choir of alums and
friends of Lyon College/Arkansas College. All former singers, current students
or alumni of the college are invited to sing under Dr. Gray at the annual
Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans service on Sunday, Oct. 22.
The choir will sing Randall Thompson’s moving "
Alleluia" and David P. Clydesdale’s uplifting anthem "Holy Is He."A special rehearsal for this choir will be held on Saturday, October 20, from 2 – 4 p.m., with a reception following the rehearsal at 4 pm. Dress for the Sunday morning service will be a black outfit for women, and a black tuxedo for men. Men can also wear a black suit with a white shirt or simply a black button-down shirt with black pants. Music will be provided.
To register, go to www.lyon.edu/webdata/groups/alumni/alumnichoirreg.htm and fill out the form. Letters are being sent to many former choir members, but alumni are also asked to assist in obtaining names and addresses of former choir members.
Additional registration forms can be requested by contacting the alumni office at (870) 698-4240 or
alumni@lyon.edu, or Lyon’s choir director, Dr. Joel Plaag, assistant professor of music, at (870) 698-4259 or jplaag@lyon.edu.Lyon graduate admitted to Clinton School’s public service degree program
The University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service has begun its third new class of students, and a Lyon College graduate is among them.
Russ Swearingen ‘04 of Rogers, who earned a B.A. in history and a B.A. in religion and philosophy at Lyon, will begin studies toward a Master of Public Service (MPS) degree.
He’s already done graduate work in religion at the University of South Carolina, and recently served as youth coordinator for a church in Alabama where he organized teams to aid in the recovery efforts on the Gulf Coast in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Student orientation was held on August 11, and the 30 incoming students represent the largest class since the school's opening in August 2005.
With the new class, the Clinton School continues to admit candidates with a variety of backgrounds, including five international students hailing from Vietnam, China, South Africa, Brazil and Jordan. Fifteen of the 30 students are men, 15 are women and the average class age is 28 years old. Fifteen of the students have Arkansas connections having been raised, attended college or worked in the state.
Skip Rutherford, Clinton School dean and a member of Lyon’s Board of Trustees, said the new class illustrates the school’s success in its recruitment and admission efforts.
"This new class is an exceptional group of students, both in academics and public service experience," Rutherford said. "We are thrilled with the growing interest in studying and practicing public service here at the Clinton School."
The Clinton School has seen encouraging growth after admitting 16 students in the 2005 inaugural class. The second class of 22 students will be returning from their international internships later this month. With the two classes combined, the Clinton School will have 52 students enrolled this fall. The average graduate degree program in Arkansas has 40-45 students, Rutherford said.
The MPS program takes two years to complete, but an accelerated program takes only 18 months. Core courses are completed in the first year, with elective course-work and three major public service projects (group, international and individual) completed during the program.
Baseball
West, Harris sign with Scots
Cave City standouts Brandon West and Jared Harris recently signed to play baseball for the Lyon College Scots, Lyon Coach and Athletic Director Kirk Kelley announced.
"They're both very good athletes. I've been around both of them a lot," Kelley said. "I also like them as people. They will be a great fit here at Lyon."
West will likely remain at second base while Harris could be utilized all over the field, Kelley said.
"I've only seen Brandon at second base and I've seen Jared play multiple positions, so we will work with him in the infield and outfield," Kelley said.
The duo helped lead the Cavemen to a stellar 34-2 record this year, winning 3A 1-East All-District honors along the way. The Cavemen won 31 straight before bowing out in the the first round of the Class 3A State Tournament with a 3-1, extra-inning loss to Mayflower.
The Scots begin fall practice in less than two weeks.
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