Celebrating Ohio's Bicentennial: An Ohio Poet Speaks Up

The Marion Campus Ohio Bicentennial Celebration Committee is sponsoring a poetry reading entitled, "An Ohio Poet Speaks Up, with Poet Laureate of The Ohio State University, Dr. David Citino, Monday, May 19, 2003, 12-1 p.m. on the steps of the Library/Classroom Building on the Ohio State Marion campus.

David Citino is Professor of English and Creative Writing at The Ohio State University. In 2002, the Ohio State Board of Trustees named him Poet Laureate of Ohio State.

A native of Cleveland, he graduated from St. Ignatius High School in that city, and from Ohio University. He received the M.A. and Ph.D. from Ohio State, and taught at the Marion Campus of OSU for eleven years before moving to Columbus in 1985.

Citino is the author of twelve books of poetry, including, The News and Other Poems (Univ. of Notre Dame Press, 2002); also The Invention of Secrecy (Ohio State Univ. Press, 2001); The Book of Appassionata: Collected Poems (OSU, 1998); Broken Symmetry, named a Notable Book of 1997 by the National Book Critics Circle (OSU); The Weight of the Heart (Quarterly Review of Literature Poetry Series, 1995); The Discipline: New and Selected Poems, 1980-1992 (OSU, 1992); The Gift of Fire (Univ. of Arkansas Press, 1985); and The Appassionata Doctrines (Cleveland State Univ. Poetry Center, 1986). He is the contributing editor of The Eye of the Poet: Six Views of the Art and Craft of Poetry (Oxford Univ. Press, 2001).

Citino's poems have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Agni, Antioch Review, Chicago Review, The Georgia Review, Kenyon Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, New England Review, Ohio Review, Poetry, Shenandoah, The Southern Review, Threepenny Review, and Yale Review.

Among his honors and awards are a Poetry Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (1986), the first annual Poetry Award (1985) and the Career Award (2001) from the Ohioana Library Association, a Major Fellowship from the Ohio Arts Council (1990), the Dasher Award from the College English Association of Ohio (1993), the Exemplary Faculty Award from the OSU College of Humanities (1992), the Bjornson Award for Distinguished Service to the Humanities from the Ohio Humanities Council (2000), and both the Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award (1981)and the Alumni Professional Achievement Award (2000) from Ohio State.

Citino has given readings and talks and has directed workshops at colleges, libraries, and community centers around the country. 

He was director of Creative Writing at Ohio State from 1986 to 1993. During that time, he had primary responsibility in the design, and the securing of university and Ohio Board of Regents approval, of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

Citino writes on poetry for the Columbus Dispatch. He serves currently as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, as Poetry Editor of Ohio State University Press, as Facilitator of the Literature Panel of the Ohio Arts Council, and as member (and former president) of the Board of Trustees of Thurber House, the writers' center located in the restored home of James Thurber in downtown Columbus.

Winners of the Marion Campus Poetry contest will also be announced during the bicentennial celebration event as well. In case of rain, the event will move to Morrill Hall, room 290 on the Marion campus. To learn more about Ohio Bicentennial activities visit:  www.ohio200.com

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Ohio State Marion Names Interim Dean

The Ohio State University recently named Greg Rose, currently Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Geography at Ohio State Marion, to serve as Interim Dean and Director of the Marion campus, beginning July 1, 2003.

F. Dominic Dottavio, Dean and Director of The Ohio State University at Marion for the past decade, will bring his tenure to a close June 30, 2003. Dottavio was recently named the 13th President of Heidelberg College.

Rose will work with all aspects of university planning and day-to-day operations of Ohio State Marion, as well as acting as liaison to the Columbus campus and community at large, while serving as Interim Dean and Director.

According to Rose, his normal responsibilities as Associate Dean, which include working directly with faculty and all academic programming at Ohio State Marion, will likely be assigned to others at the university during his time as Interim Dean and Director.

The university estimates the search for a permanent Dean and Director will require six months to a year, based on similar searches recently completed at the Mansfield and Lima regional campuses.

Originally from Chicago, Greg Rose began his tenure at The Ohio State University at Marion in January of 1982, shortly after receiving his Doctoral degree in Geography from Michigan State University. He earned his undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University with a double major in geography and history, and also has a Master's degree in Geography from Michigan State University.

Rose has a wife and two children and currently lives in Delaware, Ohio.

The search committee for the position of Dean and Director at The Ohio State University at Marion will hold a series of open forums to assist the university as it begins the process of reviewing applicants. The search committee is slated to begin reviewing applicants at the end of finals week (June 13).

So that the committee has a broad spectrum of viewpoints about potential candidates, the university is holding open forums to allow faculty, staff, students, and the community to voice ideas about what the university should be looking for in applicants and to review the form the committee will use as it reviews applicants' files.

Marion campus search committee members include: Mary Jo Fresch, Associate Professor of Education; Anne Bower, Associate Professor of English; Dan Christie, Professor of Psychology; Michael Short, Financial Aid Coordinator; and Brad Saul; Ohio State Marion student. Ohio State Marion Board of Trustees members on the committee are Gary Sims and John Keggan.

The meetings, open to anyone on campus or in the community are as follows: Wednesday, May 14, 11:45-1:00 in Morrill Hall room 258 Thursday, May 22, Noon-1:00 in Morrill Hall room 290 Tuesday, May 27, 7:00 at the Delaware Center conference room.

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Ohio State Marion Assistant Dean Receives Prestigious University Award

Marion campus faculty, staff, students, and representatives from the Columbus campus recently gathered in Morrill Hall Lobby to recognize Leslie Beyer-Hermsen, Assistant Dean for The Ohio State University at Marion, as one of 12 university-wide recipients of the 2003 Distinguished Staff Award.

A commendation was presented at the Marion campus ceremony to Beyer-Hermsen from the Chairman of Ohio State Marion's Board of Trustees, Larry D. Cline. 

The commendation formally acknowledged Beyer-Hermsen for her demonstrated dedication to students and the campus community, as well as her creative approach to developing numerous programs since joining the Ohio State Marion staff in May of 1988. 

During her tenure, she assisted in the development of an "Early Alert Program" on the Marion campus, which encourages faculty to identify students who are experiencing academic difficulty; as well as students who have the opportunity to expand their potential through participation in the university's honors program.

She was also commended for her participation as an advisor to the Cultural Optimist Club, in which she played a leading role in planning and coordinating campus events that promote appreciation for cultural diversity.

Beyer-Hermsen helped restructure OSUM's Annual Academic Recognition Program, developed a long-term schedule of classes, and played a key role in developing the "Growing Our Own" program, which is a collaborative venture between Marion City Schools and OSU Marion to increase the number of minority students entering the teaching profession.

She played a key role in coordinating the final construction, furnishing, opening, growth, and success of The Ohio State University Delaware Center.

The Distinguished Staff Award was first awarded in 1984 as the "Outstanding Staff Award" and is seen as the most prestigious award for Ohio State staff.

Beyer-Hermsen and the other eleven recipients of this year's honor will be formally recognized in a ceremony at The Ohio State University Faculty Club on June 18, where each will receive a personalized crystal trophy, a $1500 honorarium cash award, and a $700 base salary increase.

The award acknowledges exceptional accomplishments, leadership and service to the university. All part-time and full-time staff, with a minimum of five years of continuous service at Ohio State in a regular non-faculty position, are eligible to be nominated for the award.

Recipients are selected on the merits of their contributions in enhancing the quality of work-life in ways that make a significant difference for colleagues or customers, providing outstanding and ongoing excellence in services to faculty, staff, students and/or other customers, and developing creative solutions to problems that result in significantly more effective and efficient department or university operations. for after this conference they have a new sense of scholarship and intellectual life, as well as greater confidence in their own abilities to succeed in their chosen careers."

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OSUM Basketball Signs Six at Letter of Intent Signing Day

The Ohio State University at Marion men's basketball team recently held its Letter of Intent Signing Day on the Marion Campus inking as many as six new players from central and north central Ohio.

Nearly thirty people, including new recruits, parents, family members, current players, assistant coaches, head coach Matt Fisher and OSUM athletic coordinator, Bruce Creasap were in attendance to witness the recruiting class signing. 

The current team greeted each new player individually, while coaches and university officials took time to answer questions regarding the future of academics and athletics at the university.

This year's class drew two players from Marion County, two from Franklin County, one from Crawford County, and one from Morrow County.

The players who signed their letters of intent will join the nucleus of last year's squad for the 2003-2004 season, beginning with an away game November 2 against Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky.

Players will begin practicing in early autumn, working to significantly improve before seasons end in late February at the Ohio Regional Campus Conference tournament.

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Bachelor's In Nursing Coming To Ohio State Marion

The Ohio State University recently announced plans to add a new program to the Marion campus curriculum that would enable registered nurses (R.N.'s) who have completed an Associate degree in Nursing from an accredited school, such as Marion Technical College, to complete their Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (B.S.N.) through The Ohio State University at Marion.

The R.N. to B.S.N. program provides the opportunity for earning the baccalaureate degree while building on the knowledge and skills that an R.N. brings to the educational experience. The program provides a broad-based general education that meets the individual learning needs of the R.N. student.

Emphasis is placed on self-directed learning, professional and personal growth, and providing care to individuals, families, and communities. Recognizing that the student is already an RN, the focus will be on professional development including:  examining current issues and trends in health care; developing writing and communication skills; learning to apply research within the context of evidence-based practice; expanding critical thinking skills; using leadership skills in planning; and implementing and evaluating nursing care.

Introduction of the new R.N. to B.S.N. program at OSUM was made recently at a National Nurses Week Celebration, sponsored by Tri-Rivers Center for Adult Education and Marion General Hospital.

Making the announcement was Dr. Elizabeth Lenz, Dean of the School of Nursing at Ohio State. The program, which is anticipated to begin on the Marion campus autumn 2004, is already established on the Columbus campus.

F. Dominic Dottavio, Dean and Director of Ohio State Marion, feels the strength of the program will be its partnership with Ohio State's College of Nursing in Columbus, Marion General Hospital, who will provide clinical experience, and Marion Technical College's established associate degree nursing program.

"The new bachelor's degree program is an important addition to the educational opportunities for medical professionals in our area and reflects the continuing growth of The Ohio State University at Marion," said Dottavio.

"The recent addition of Ohio State undergraduate degree programs in history and nursing at the Marion campus underscores the commitment made to expanding majors and core curriculum at the regional campuses," explained Dottavio.

According to Linda Pullins, R.N., B.S.N., Vice President of Patient Care at Marion General Hospital, the hospital is anxiously anticipating the positive benefits that involvement in the R.N. to B.S.N. program will provide the healthcare community, those in education, and the community at large.

"We are really excited and looking forward to participating with Ohio State to expand the reach of its College of Nursing to our own local community, and we look forward to serving as one of the university's primary clinical sites for a regional campus location," said Pullins.

The key benefit of the program, explained Pullins, "is that it allows people to remain in their own community while they pursue a bachelor's degree, which is especially important to those who are already employed in the nursing field."

"Today's nurses realize the importance of continuing education," said Pullins. "A bachelor's degree nurse expands on her or his existing degree and becomes better prepared to work in the healthcare arena with additional tools and knowledge to fall back on," she explained.

Pullins believes offering the program in Marion will encourage more North Central Ohio registered nurses to take advantage of the educational and career growth opportunities the B.S.N. program at OSUM provides.

Carol Hoffman, R.N., M.S., Director of Nursing at Marion Technical College, echoed those sentiments.

"It's definitely going to open doors for our students so they can complete a bachelor's degree in their hometown," she said.  

Another benefit, explained Hoffman, is that this program will help fill the need for instructors who have the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

"Clinical instructors must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and there is a severe shortage of nursing faculty across the nation. This opens the door to provide more qualified clinical instructors," she said.

"We're just extremely excited about the partnership with Ohio State. Personally, I thank Dean Lenz and Dr. Dottavio for having the foresight to do this." 

Registered nurse students must meet course objectives for each nursing course, as well as the overall objectives of the undergraduate curriculum. The differences between the traditional curriculum and the curriculum for registered nurses are the methods used to meet these objectives. Such methods include, in addition to using credit transferred from courses completed at other universities, the opportunity to take proficiency exams.

Judith Higel, R.N., M.S., J.D., Director of Project LEARN, an educational program for nurses currently offered at Ohio State Marion, encourages students to contact OSUM soon to apply and have their prior academic work evaluated in order to have their prerequisites completed by autumn of 2004.

For questions or information on the R.N. to B.S.N. program, contact Judith Higel at 740-389-6786, ext. 6259.

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