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Pittsburg State President Steve Scott rang in the new semester by hosting the Fifth Annual Spring Convocation in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts on Jan. 31.
Framed as a recognition of the work put in by the faculty and staff rather than a discussion on budget or legislation, the “Greatest Showman”-themed event featured a comedic video showing what campus would be like without university support staff, as well as interviews with faculty members involved in reforming general education requirements at Pitt State and retiring a longtime faculty leader.
Faculty members Steve Horner, Phil McNew, Mike Carper, and Catherine Hooey were brought on stage to discuss “Pitt State Pathway,” the university’s general education reform program. According to Hooey and Horner, the program’s focus was to “give students skills they need to know” and general education “helps students discover who they are.” With 88 courses having been submitted for review, the team is proud of the faculty’s work.
In a one-on-one interview, Scott and PSU provost and vice president of academic affairs Lynette Olson sat down to reminisce over her time at Pitt State and working together. Olson arrived at PSU in 1996 and plans to retire at the end of this fiscal year in June.
“I really enjoyed hearing from Dr. Olson and the statements made pertaining to general education reform,” said Kyle Frank, senior in economics. “I don’t think you always get to hear individuals in that sort of manner. It was nice to hear where we are going.”
The afternoon also featured a panel of Block22 residents, seniors Allison Rangel, Kaden Wimmer, and Ted Steyer, talking about their experiences with the new housing project. All three students praised the new living space, highlighting a greater sense of community compared to the regular dorms.
“It was nice to hear from Block22 as well,” Frank said. “The student perspective is nice to hear. I think you get a lot from the media, and so with the students reaffirming what we hear in the media, that’s reassuring.”