MAY 2024 Humanities, Social Science & Mathematics Division News! SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Spot Light Dr. Soyoung Park C ongratulations to Dr. Soyoung Park for winning the President’s Award this school year. She embodies the spirit of excellence and dedication that defines our institution. Dr. Park has demonstrated her innovative spirit by spearheading the creation of a groundbreaking course in Asian Literature, offering students a profound exploration of cultural narratives often overlooked in traditional curricula. She also imparts her wisdom as a teacher of African American Literature, enriching the academic experience with diverse perspectives and insights. Embracing the challenges of modern education, Dr. Park recently participated in the ACUE Effective Online Teaching Practices program, showcasing her adaptability and willingness to embrace innovative pedagogical approaches. Her proactive stance towards enhancing online teaching underscores her dedication to providing students with the highest quality of education, regardless of the platform. Dr. Park joined the faculty at Southwest in 2018 and earned a Ph.D. in Literature and Cultural Theory from the University Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Awards and Recognition TYCA Awards, English Faculty Congratulations to associate professors of English, Douglas Branch and Richard T. Cockrill, for winning awards at the TwoYear College English Association conference (TYCA), which was held in Greenville, South Carolina. Professor Doug Branch Branch won the Bill Doster Distinguished Service Award because of his outstanding work with the organization since 2000. Professor Thad Cockrill Branch has served as the organization’s secretary, awards chair, conference program chair, and state representative. Professor Cockrill won the conference’s spelling bee; he spelled “staphylococci” correctly. “Staphylococci” is the plural form of “staphylococcus,” which is defined as a germ typically found on the skin or nose area of many healthy people. New Faculty Member, Political Science, Dr. Travis Taylor The Division of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematics welcomes Dr. Travis Taylor as an assistant professor of political science. Dr. Taylor was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and grew up in Memphis. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Doctor of Arts in political science from Idaho State University. Previously, Dr. Taylor taught at Idaho State University and recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship in political science at the University of Kentucky. He has returned home to be with his family, lend his expertise to Southwest, and enrich the broader Memphis community. TBR Review and Revisioning Project As you all know, during the 2019-2020 academic year TBR along with all TBR institutions embarked on a project to review the General Education Core. To date the following tasks have been completed: • Revised the General Education Statement of Purpose (Completed Spring 2021) • Established 7 Core Competencies and Descriptors (Completed Spring 2022) • Reviewed the Distribution Model- No Changes Made (Completed Fall 2023) • Revised the Category Learning Outcomes with Core Competencies (Completed Spring 2024) The next phase of this project will involve finalizing the preamble and revising the TBR General Education policy. We are currently on track to launch the new and official TBR General Education Core model by Fall 2025! If you would like to learn more about this work, please reach out to Dr. King and/ or Dr. Muhammad. Hot Off the Press Mathematics Competition Hosted at Macon On April 2nd, the Department of Mathematics hosted the Tennessee Mathematics Teacher’s Association 66th Annual Statewide Mathematics Competition on the Macon Campus. It welcomed 137 local high school students who were tested in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics, Precalculus, Calculus, and Advanced topics. The top three scorers from each category were recognized, and their scores may be recognized regionally or statewide. New Programs • Commercial Music Technical Certificate (Fall 2023) • Graphic Arts Technology, Game Art and Design Concentration, AAS (Fall 2023) • Spanish Community Translation and Interpretation Technical Certificate (Spring 2024) • Exercise Science A.S. Degree (Fall 2024) • Sport and Leisure Management A.S. Degree (Fall 2024) • Film and Video Production Technical Certificate (Fall 2024) • Spanish Community Translation and Interpretation A.A.S. Degree (Spring 2025) New Curriculum Committee Chair Appointed William Turner, 2023-2024 Memorial Tammy Murphy’s Obituary In memory of Tami Murphy who was one of our beloved and dedicated mathematics faculty members, passionately serving our students for the past 34 years. Tami was not only a colleague, but an entrusted friend to many of us. While we are still missing her presence, her impact will forever remain in our hearts. STCC Annual Faculty and Staff Awards Congratulations to all DoH faculty who were recognized at Southwest’s Annual Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony for their dedication, excellence, and outstanding service to the College and the broader Memphis community! This year our division earned the most awards! Congratulations to the following faculty! Thomas King, Community Service Award Raquel Adams, Leadership Activities Award Tiffany Akin, Instruction and Curriculum Development Award Lake Newton, Professional Development Award Annie Mahmuda Sultana, Farris Outstanding Faculty Award Soyoung Park, President’s Award Faculty Milestone Years of Service to the College Five Years Ten Years Twenty Years Twenty-Five Years Raquel Adams Cathy Levine Debra Davis Derrick Oliver James Gillespie Lisa Loden Sohely Perven Nanette Graddy Rose McNeil Ryan Stembridge Henry Lewis Richard Cockrill Beverly Vance Patricia Ward Thirty Years Phyllis Porter William Weppner Barbara Roseborough William Summons Message from the Dean As we conclude the Spring 2024 semester, I want to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication this academic year. As a division, we were able to accomplish some great things this academic year, including launching three new programs (Spanish Community Translation and Interpreta­tion Technical Certificate, Commercial Music Technical Certificate, and Graphic Arts- Game Art and Design Concentration, A.A.S.), developing 4 additional new programs ((Exercise Science (TTP-A.S.), Spanish Community Translation and Interpretation (A.A.S.), Sport and Leisure Management (TTP-A.S.), Film and Video Production Technical Certificate), and launching our first division newsletter. As we move into the summer semester and prepare for the Fall 2024 semester, I want to share some exciting news with you all. Some of you may already know this, but my family and I will welcome two new additions late summer (yes… you heard it right. TWINS!). We are so very excited to expand our family and embark on this new journey. However, this means that I will be out of the office for several weeks on maternity leave. During my time off, Dr. Devissi Muhammad will assume the role of Interim Dean and with the support of your dynamic Department Chair team and Administrative Assistants. I know everything will be left in good hands. I will miss you all, but I cannot wait to share updates and photos with you! Enjoy your summer and have a great Fall semester! ~Dr. Sherria N. King Dean, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematics Have exciting news that you want to share with the division? Please send to: humanities@southwest.tn.edu Special Thanks to Patsy R. Fancher and Dr. Devissi Muhammad for creating the division’s newsletter! International Studies Trip to Greece Revisioning Project Southwest is returning to the International Study Abroad program after four years with its first TnCIS/Southwest Partnership program to Greece. Three faculty and 16 stu­dents will travel May 6th-20th. Thad Cockrill with his 11 Mythology students, Patsy R. Fancher with her four Digital Photography I students and Alex Paulus with his one Drawing I student. They will travel to Athens, Kalambaka, Delphi, Olympia and Tolon. While in Athens they will tour the Acropolis and Museum. In Kalambaka, they will visit the monas­ teries of Verlaam & Agio Stefanos and in Delipi the Oracle of Delphi. While in Tolon, they will visit many ancient and historical sites. To round the program out they will take a day cruise to the islands of Hydra and Spetses. Important Dates Spring Semester Wrap-Up: • Final Exams: April 27th-May 3rd, 2024 • Grades Due: May 6th, 2024, at 12PM • Graduation: May 8th, 2024 at 7:00pm (Landers Center- Southaven, MS) Summer Class Dates: • Maymester Classes: May 6th-May 24th (Grades Due: May 28th, 2024, at 12PM) • Summer I Classes: May 28th- July 2nd (Grades Due: July 3rd, 2024, at 12PM) • Summer Extended: May 28thAugust 8th (Grades Due: August 11th, 2024, at 12PM) • Summer II Classes: July 8th-August 8th (Grades Due: August 11th, 2024, at 12PM) • TNAcheives Summer Bridge (Macon Campus): June 3rd- June 26th • TNAcheives Summer Institute (Whitehaven): May 28th- July 3rd Upcoming Holidays: • Memorial Day: May 27th, 2024 (College Closed) • Juneteenth: June 19th, 2024 (College Closed) • Independence Day: July 4th, 2024 (College Closed) Upcoming Academic Program Audits University Parallel (Spring Semester 2025) Associate Fine Arts (Spring Semester 2025) Contact Sherria King, Dean (901) 333-4341 Macon Cove Campus (901) 333-5246 Union Ave. Campus Devissi Muhammad, Associate Dean (901) 333-4655 Macon Cove Campus Alicia Sawyer, Office Supervisor (901 333-4660 Macon Cove Campus Patsy R. Fancher, Dept. Chair, Communications, Graphic & Fine Arts (901) 333-4151 Macon Cove Campus (901) 333-5251 Union Ave. Campus Cathy Levine, Administrative Assistant III (901) 333-4176 Macon Cove Campus (901) 333-5346 Union Ave. Campus Brad Cliff, Dept. Chair, Social & Behavioral Sciences (901) 333-4115 Macon Cove Campus (901) 333-5628 Union Ave. Campus Cathy Levine, Administrative Assistant III (901) 333-4176 Macon Cove Campus (901) 333-5346 Union Ave. Campus Dustin Williams, Dept. Chair, Languages & Literature (901) 333-4597 Macon Cove Campus (901) 333-5208 Union Ave. Campus Valencia Jasso, Administrative Assistant III (901) 333-5208 Union Ave. Campus Mark Moses, Dept. Chair, Mathematics (901) 333-4434 Macon Cove Campus Patricia Stevens, Administrative Assistant III (901) 333-4474 Macon Cove Campus