Pioneers Together President’S Message from the President
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FRONTIERSSPARTANBURG METHODIST COLLEGE smcsc.edu/frontiers FALL 2020 PIONEERS TOGETHER PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT: Frontiers is an annual magazine, and each year my letter summarizes its contents and invites readers to share in the pride of our successes and the sadness of our losses. This FRONTIERS past year was difficult for our community for many reasons, A PUBLICATION OF not the least of which was the untimely death of Professor SPARTANBURG David Gibson, who taught math here for over 40 years. METHODIST COLLEGE Fall 2020 To summarize a year that is unlike anything we have smcsc.edu/frontiers experienced in modern history, it’s appropriate to EXECUTIVE AND acknowledge the difficulties, the challenges, and the MANAGING EDITOR losses. It’s been a rough year, and it’s still a rough year. Mary Hurston Zuelke While progress is being made to combat the global pandemic, there’s no clear end in sight. The uncertainties DESIGNER have been exhausting, and like everyone else, our faculty, Julie Miller staff, and students are tired. We are past ready for normal to come back. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS I also think it’s appropriate to celebrate our wins, and there have been a lot of them Piper Adan-Bedley ’21 since I wrote this same letter in 2019. These successes show the strength and resilience Robert W. Dalton of our faculty and staff and our value to students who need us now more than at any Randi Plake time in recent memory. In spite of a pandemic, over 1,000 students enrolled at SMC Khalil Robinson ’21 this fall, more than any in the College’s history. We launched a new online Associate Jason Spencer of Arts program. We hired new staff and faculty at a time when some colleges had to Samantha Wagner make the agonizing choice to furlough employees. After months of work to make the Lisa M. Ware campus as safe as possible, we opened, on time, for in-person instruction this fall. Mary Hurston Zuelke I don’t know what the next few weeks and months will bring, but I am proud PHOTOGRAPHERS of what we’ve achieved together. As a campus, we learned, we adapted, and Teresa Cochran we found opportunities in the chaos to strengthen SMC and our students. Wendy McCarty In doing this work, we have remained a college we can all be proud of. Frontiers is published annually Stay safe and healthy, for alumni and friends of the College by: The Marketing Office Spartanburg Methodist College 1000 Powell Mill Road Spartanburg, SC 29301 W. Scott Cochran President EMAIL US: [email protected] UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION BY: BOARD OF TRUSTEES VISITING US: smcsc.edu/update-info Ms. Charlita Atchison Rev. C. Lane Glaze Mr. John Moore WRITING TO US: Mr. Andrew Babb Ms. Catherine Gramling Ms. Marilyn Murphy Office of Institutional Advancement Spartanburg Methodist College Mr. Phillip Buchheit Mr. Pat Henry Dr. Darryl Owings 1000 Powell Mill Road Ms. Carol Burdette Dr. Frank Lee Mr. John Ramsey Spartanburg, SC 29301 Mr. Darrell Campbell Ms. Kathleen McKinney Dr. Harriett Rucker EMAILING US: as [email protected] Rev. Jerry L. Gadsden Rev. Evelyn Middleton Rev. Mary V. Teasley OR CALLING US: 864-587-4000 CONTENTS On the cover, students enjoy a game of spikeball at a September student event. IN FEATURES SMC ADOPTS TEST-OPTIONAL 3 ADMISSIONS POLICY Faculty votes to remove obstacle THIS for historically underrepresented populations ISSUE 8 SMC REMEMBERS BELOVED PROFESSOR Our community mourns the loss of David Gibson, Professor of Mathematics PIONEERS TOGETHER 10 How SMC adapted during COVID-19 and the Pioneers that led the way 22 SMC EXCEEDS 2020 GOAL TO 10 GROW TO 1,000 STUDENTS Enrollment increased 39 percent from 2016 to 2020 ONLINE ASSOCIATE OF ARTS 28 DEGREE PROGRAM OFFERS OPPORTUNITY, FLEXIBILITY Traditional and adult learners have a new SMC option DONOR SPOTLIGHT 32 James Brannon’s endowed scholarship honors his wife and SMC SECTIONS FACULTY 4 STUDENTS AND 10 COMMUNITY BOARD MEMBER 30 SPOTLIGHT ATHLETICS 33 ALUMNI 34 CLASS NOTES 44 IN MEMORIAM 45 Fall 2020 FRONTIERS | 1 BE A STUDENT’S ANGEL During the global pandemic, HOW THE ANGEL FUND many of our students have been SUPPORTS STUDENTS DURING COVID-19: out of work, caring for sick loved Provides laptops or internet ones or siblings, or working an access to students completing extra job to support their families. their schoolwork remotely SMC’s Angel Fund assists students Assists students with necessary medical procedures or emergency health needs with non-academic, often urgent, Arranges transportation to campus, needs. Without this critical off-campus work, or interviews support, students might withdraw Purchases personal items: clothing, from coursework completely. sheets and bedding, hygiene items WAYS TO GIVE ONLINE at www.smcsc.edu/make-a-donation BY PHONE at 864-587-4225 BY MAIL use the envelope included in this magazine THANK YOU SMC’s mission is to provide a close-knit community where students can thrive, and we can’t do it without your generous support! 2 | FRONTIERS Fall 2020 FACULTY “REMOVING THE SAT AND ACT REQUIREMENTS FROM OUR ADMISSIONS POLICY OPENS THE DOOR FOR MORE NON-WHITE, FIRST-GENERATION, AND SMC ADOPTS LOW-INCOME STUDENTS...” TEST-OPTIONAL ADMISSIONS POLICY FACULTY VOTES TO REMOVE OBSTACLE FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS By Jason Spencer rospective students will often cannot afford tutors or taking Julie Lanford ’07, Executive Director of no longer be required to the tests multiple times to achieve a Admissions and Enrollment Services. submit SAT or ACT scores to higher score. They also are more likely be considered for admission to have attended under-resourced More than half of the top 100 Pinto Spartanburg Methodist College. elementary and high schools. liberal arts colleges in the country are now test-optional, according Seeking to craft a more equitable path Students traditionally underrepresented to U.S. News & World Report. to admissions, College faculty approved in higher education include racial and a test-optional admissions policy, ethnic minorities, first-generation college SMC faculty have analyzed the last which went into effect for fall 2020 students, and low-income students three years of incoming student applicants. The move follows a national – all of whom make up a substantial data and determined that GPA is the trend to remove barriers that limit the portion of SMC’s student body. best indicator of student success at access historically underrepresented Spartanburg Methodist College. populations have to higher education. And these are exactly the students Spartanburg Methodist exists to serve. Under the new admissions policy, SMC A growing body of research indicates will review college applicants on high that race and ethnicity, along with “Removing the SAT and ACT requirements school GPA only. Students can choose to family income and parental education, from our admissions policy opens submit standardized test scores if they feel can put students from historically the door for more non-white, first- those scores accurately reflect their ability; underrepresented populations at generation, and low-income students those scores will be used in continued a disadvantage when it comes to to gain the tools they need to build research on the correlation between standardized testing. Such students wealth that they can pass along to test scores and student success. their children and grandchildren,” says Fall 2020 FRONTIERS | 3 FACULTY FACULTY AWARDS By Mary Hurston Zuelke Dr. Litasha Dr. Kirk Dr. Adam Dennis, Hansen, Siegfried, SCICU Archie GBHEM Excellence Vernon and Exemplary in Teaching Margaret Teaching Award Wannamaker Award Dr. Litasha Dennis, Huff Faculty As you can guess Professor of Award from his title, Dr. English, has built Adam Siegfried, Professor of Chemistry, Department of Science a reputation among students at Spartanburg Dr. Kirk Hansen, Professor of History, does more and Health Chairperson, and the Associate Methodist College for being the go-to for help than lecture in the classroom. He mentors of Science Program Coordinator, has a lot of with challenging writing assignments. She’s students, supports his colleagues, and uses also known for her energetic and exciting responsibilities at Spartanburg Methodist the empathic lenses of a historian to offer lectures and presentations. Pass her classroom College. But he never lets his administrative encouragement to all those around him. during one of her talks, and you’ll notice duties interfere with his dedication to his students zeroed in on everything she’s saying. To honor his dedication to SMC, his fellow faculty students. His fellow faculty members recognize and admire his dedication, which is why they members selected Hansen as the 2020 recipient It is this reputation and the admiration from selected Siegfried as the 2020 recipient of the of the Archie Vernon and Margaret Wannamaker her fellow faculty members that earned her the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Huff Faculty Award. The award is given to 2020 South Carolina Independent Colleges and of the United Methodist Church (GBHEM) an SMC faculty member who exemplifies Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award. Exemplary Teaching Award. The award is given outstanding professional qualifications and to a SMC faculty member who exemplifies teaching ability, and Hansen does just that. “Perhaps the best evidence of excellence in excellence in teaching, civility, and concern teaching is receiving recommendations from the “He is not only one of the most engaged for students and colleagues, commitment students themselves,” says Professor Pamela Hutto, to value-centered education, and service to professors I know, but he also is the kindest SMC Professor of Sociology. “I often hear students students, institution, and the community. and most caring person I know,” says Dr. Cole telling each other to visit Dr. Dennis in the writing Cheek, Professor of History and Anthropology center because of her skill with helping students.” “Dr.