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Aug. 20, 2009

 

  1. 1970 Final 4 Team to present free youth basketball clinic
  2. Special needs expert to headline Sept. 24 event
  3. Autism program to begin Sept. 3
  4. SBU named to list of Military Friendly Schools
  5. Charles Specht named school's eighth Murray Scholar
  6. U.S. News rankings tout SBU as a great value
  7. Newsmakers

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1970 Final 4 Team to present free youth basketball clinic

Members of St. Bonaventure's 1970 NCAA Final 4 team will hold a free, open youth basketball clinic on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Reilly Center Arena.


The clinic is open to boys who have not started seventh grade and girls who have not started ninth grade.There is no need for kids to pre-register. The former Brown Indian players who will host the clinic are Bob Lanier, Billy Kalbaugh, Matt Gantt, Paul Hoffman, Dale Tepas and Mike Kull.


Fans/parents are welcome to attend, watch and meet the alumni players.


For more information, call the SBU Athletics Department at 716-375-2282 or 716-375-2695.

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Special needs expert to headline Sept. 24 event

Nicholas Martin, founder and president of The Center for Accord Inc., will headline a conference Sept. 24 at St. Bonaventure University.

Accord Inc. is a non-profit educational organization serving school personnel and parents. Martin is a staff development and conflict resolution specialist with extensive experience in building strong teams while minimizing conflict.

Martin will talk about “Preventing Conflict in the Education of Children with Special Needs: It’s all about the Kids!” He will address conflict prevention, communication pitfalls, keys to diplomacy and productive alternatives.

The conference, which includes a luncheon, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Doyle Hall Dining Room.

Martin speaks nationally and has provided seminars and workshops to thousands of people working on behalf of children with special needs, in both English and Spanish. His emphasis is always on making the complex simple and offering practical skills for making a positive difference.

Martin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and from the University of Hartford in 1975 with a master’s degree in clinical practices. He previously worked as a juvenile court psychologist, outpatient mental health counselor and dispute mediator. He also taught dispute resolution at the graduate school level.

Martin is the author of “An Operator’s Manual for Successful Living: A Guide to Collaboration for IEP Teams and Strengthening Relationships When Our Children Have Special Needs”; the book is available in Spanish as “Fortaleciendo Relaciones Cuando Nuestros Niños Tienen Necesidades Especiales.” He has also published numerous articles.

St. Bonaventure University’s Disability Committee and the Directions in Independent Living Center in Olean are co-sponsors of the conference. The cost is $30 for professionals, $20 for parents, and $15 for current students. Checks should be made payable to: St. Bonaventure University and sent to: Dr. Barbara Trolley, St. Bonaventure University, School of Education, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778.

The registration deadline is Sept. 17; space is limited.

Questions may be directed to Dr. Barbara Trolley, professor of counselor education, via e-mail at btrolley@sbu.edu, or at (716) 375-2537 or Dr. Anne Claire Fisher, assistant professor of education at acfisher@sbu.edu or (716) 375-4033.


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Autism program to begin Sept. 3

St. Bonaventure University’s School of Education Counseling Clinic will offer group programs next month for families of children with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities.

Starting Sept. 3, three programs will be available: a social skills group for youth identified with the disability, a social group and a sibling group.

Parents will have opportunities to engage in discussion and support and presentations on specific areas, such as disability services, sibling issues, educational communication and transitions.

Meetings will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Counseling Clinic in Plassmann Hall at the university.

A portion of each parent group will involve educational presentations from a variety of professionals.

On Sept. 3, “Advocating for Your Child with A Disability” will be discussed by representatives from the Rochester Advocacy Center. On Oct. 11, “Sibling Issues” will be discussed by the Parent Network of WNY. On Nov. 5, “Law Enforcement and Disability” will be the topic, presented by Timothy Whitcomb, Cattaraugus County Undersheriff. The Dec. 3 topic is still to be determined.

The cost to participate is $25 per semester. Financial constraints will not prevent a family from group participation.

Questions may be directed to Dr. Barbara Trolley, professor of the counselor education program at St. Bonaventure, via e-mail at btrolley@sbu.edu or at (716) 375-2537; or to Dr. Anne-Claire Fisher, coordinator of the program and assistant professor of education, at acfisher@sbu.edu or at (716) 375-4033.

 

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St. Bonaventure University named to list of Military Friendly Schools

St. Bonaventure University has earned a place on the 2010 list of Military Friendly Schools, ranking it among the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to recruit students with military experience.


The list was released Monday, Aug. 17, by G.I. Jobs magazine published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. In addition to publishing the annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools, the company issues other annual military friendly lists including those spotlighting corporations and other employers.


Schools have long valued veterans in the classroom because of their maturity, life experiences, diversity and leadership. That interest in veterans has only intensified with the recent passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which made available tens of billions of dollars in tuition money.


“This list is especially important now because the recently enacted Post-9/11 GI Bill has given veterans virtually unlimited financial means to go to school,” said Rich McCormack, G.I. Jobs publisher. “Veterans can now enroll in any school, provided they’re academically qualified. So schools are clamoring for them like never before. Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated. The Military Friendly Schools list is that trusted friend.”


Jim DiRisio, director of undergraduate admissions at St. Bonaventure, said being included on the list is verification that the university values the veteran-student.


“The team at G.I. Jobs put a great deal of thought into identifying the criteria that make a college friendly to veterans, and I am pleased that St. Bonaventure faired so well in the final assessment,” said DiRisio. “As a veteran myself, I would be inclined to pursue educational goals at a school that has demonstrated, and been recognized for, its commitment to veterans’ needs.


As a St. Bonaventure alumnus and member of the university’s administration, I am even more pleased that St. Bonaventure has attained this kind of national distinction.”


St. Bonaventure is also a participant in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, which is designed to help students pay for education programs not covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition benefit. The Yellow Ribbon program essentially eliminates any difference between the GI Bill’s educational benefit cap and the tuition rate at a private college or university.


Colleges and universities on the Military Friendly Schools list also offer additional benefits to student veterans such as on-campus veterans programs, credit for service, military spouse programs and more.


The list of Military Friendly Schools was compiled through exhaustive research starting last May during which G.I. Jobs polled more than 7,000 schools nationwide. Methodology, criteria and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Committee consisting of educators and administrators from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Toledo, Duquesne University, Coastline Community College and Lincoln Technical Institute.


A full story and detailed list of Military Friendly Schools will be highlighted in the annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools and on a poster, both of which will be distributed to hundreds of thousands of active and former military personnel in September. A new Web site, found at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, will launch in September with interactive tools and search functionality to assist military veterans in choosing schools that best meet their educational needs.


The 2010 Military Friendly School list can be found at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/mfspr.

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St. Bonaventure senior Charles Specht named school's eighth Murray Scholar

St. Bonaventure University senior Charles J. Specht has been named the school’s eighth Jim Murray Memorial Foundation Scholar.


Specht is one of five winners of the foundation’s annual nationwide essay contest among students from 28 invited universities with strong journalism programs. Each of the winners receives a $5,000 scholarship in memory of the late sportswriter Jim Murray.


St. Bonaventure has had more Murray Scholars than any other participating university since the foundation was established in 1999.


“Charlie is an outstanding student and certainly deserving of the award,” said Lee Coppola, dean of the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication at St. Bonaventure. “His selection for the coveted Murray scholarship shows once again that St. Bonaventure ranks with the best in the world of journalism education.”


Specht, an editor with The Bona Venture, St. Bonaventure’s student newspaper, said he entered the university as “a green freshman with an interest in the craft” of writing. He credits his growth to the “encouragement and comradeship” of his colleagues at the school paper, the “compassionate guidance” of the faculty of the Jandoli School, and the encouragement of alumni. “I’m honored to represent the Jandoli School and St. Bonaventure. I’ve been truly blessed with the opportunity to learn from the most accomplished, passionate and down-to-earth people I’ve ever met,” he said.


A native of Marilla, N.Y., and a graduate of Iroquois High School, Specht is a journalism/mass communication major and history minor. He is an advisory editor at The Bona Venture, where he has been a staff member since fall of 2006. He previously served as the paper’s sports editor, managing editor and editor-in-chief. He is working this summer as a features intern at The Buffalo News and has served internships with the Buffalo Bills and the Olean Times Herald.


Specht is also captain and president of St. Bonaventure’s club rugby team, a student leader and volunteer at the university’s Mt. Irenaeus Franciscan retreat, and a former resident assistant in a residence hall.


Linda McCoy-Murray, president and founder of the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation, said the list of Murray Scholars grows to 68 with the addition of this year’s honorees.


“We are cultivating the crème of the crop at prestigious journalism schools in the nation,” she said. “The Murray Scholars are marvelous ambassadors for the Foundation and inspire each other to strive for a higher standard in their writing and journalistic integrity, especially in this new age of electronic media.”


McCoy-Murray established the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation to perpetuate her late husband’s memory and his love and dedication to his extraordinary career in journalism. Murray, who died Aug. 16, 1998, began his illustrious career at the New Haven (Conn.) Register after graduating from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., in 1943. After a stint at the now extinct Los Angeles Examiner, he joined Time & Life (now Time, Inc.).


In 1954, while the Hollywood cinema correspondent for Time magazine, Murray became one the founders of Sports Illustrated. He joined the Los Angeles Times in 1961. Murray won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1990, and won the National Sportswriter of the Year Award 14 times. His outstanding work landed him a spot in the writers’ wing in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., in 1988.


Joining Specht as new Murray Scholars this year are Amanda Anderson of the University of Maryland; Alyssa Rainbolt, University of Kansas; Andrew Pentis, Arizona State University; and Denise Poventud, Trinity College-Hartford.


The sports journalists judging this year’s competition were Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times; Bob Ford, Philadelphia Inquirer; Nancy Gay, FanHouse.com-NFL and AOL-Time Warner; Tom Keegan, Lawrence Journal World; and Jay Privman, the Daily Racing Form. Only the students’ names appeared on their essays, and not their school affiliations.


Grants from the McCormick Foundation, St. Louis Rams, NFL Charities, Linda McCoy-Murray, and private donations provided this year's scholarships.


For more information on the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation, visit www.jimmurrayfoundation.org.

 

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U.S. News rankings tout SBU as a great value

Generous scholarship and aid packages have earned St. Bonaventure University the No. 7 ranking on U.S.News & World Report’s 2010 list of best college values in the North.

“In economic times like these, we recognize families are doing everything they can to get the most value from their money,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., university president. “People need to understand that private institutions are much more affordable than they probably realize. Our financial aid people work tirelessly to do everything they can to make a Bonaventure education possible.”

The average financial aid and scholarship package for an incoming St. Bonaventure freshman is more than $22,000.

The formula used to determine which colleges offer the best value relates a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its 2010 U.S. News ranking, to the 2008–2009 academic year 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, ranking officials said.

St. Bonaventure’s high ranking on the “Great Schools, Great Prices” list correlated to its high overall rating in the category for northern colleges that offer master’s degrees. SBU jumped 13 spots from 2009, landing at No. 27 out of 176 institutions, placing it in the top 15 percent.

“It doesn’t matter how reasonably priced a college might ultimately be if that education isn’t meaningful and valuable,” Sr. Margaret said. “That’s what we’ve always prided ourselves on: turning out skilled, productive graduates whose service to society outside of the workplace is just as significant, if not more so.”

Prospective students can calculate their scholarship eligibility at www.sbu.edu/finaid.

The magazine’s annual rankings of “America’s Best Colleges” were released this morning. Complete rankings of more than 1,400 schools nationwide are available at www.usnews.com/colleges. They will also be published in the September issue of the U.S.News & World Report magazine, on newsstands starting today.

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Newsmakers

Dr. Claudette Thompson, assistant professor of undergraduate education, and Krystle Grove, first grade teacher at Smethport Elementary and SBU clinical faculty member, participated in a workshop on Powerful and Authentic Social Studies (PASS) at Santa Clara University from July 26-31, 2009. This professional development opportunity was funded by a Keenan grant award.

Dr. Kimberly Young, professor of management sciences, presented two papers at the American Psychological Association’s annual conference in Toronto on Aug. 6, 2009. The paper “Issues about Internet addiction in the DSM-V” described the inclusion of the disorder in the upcoming DSM-V due out in 2012, and her paper “Treatment Outcomes with Internet addicts” examined 114 of Young’s patients and their treatment outcomes using cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Paul Wieland was a young, eager and very nervous reporter when he called Walter Cronkite 40 years ago.

» read his piece in the Buffalo News

 

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