Campus News
from the heights
SHU And Tanzanian
University Sign
Partnership Agreement
Officials at Siena Heights University and the
University of Dar Es Salaam in the African
country of Tanzania have signed a scholarship
partnership agreement. The SHU/UDSM
Heritage Scholarship Program is the first partnership Siena Heights has formed with a university in Africa. The partnership has the full
backing of the ambassador of the Tanzania
Embassy in Washington, D.C. Dar Es Salaam
offers similar courses and majors as Siena
Heights, which opened the door to a partnership agreement. Siena Heights signed similar
partnership agreements earlier this year with
organizations from Yemen, China and the
Bahamas. Siena Heights currently has two
students from Tanzania, located in southeast
Africa, on its Adrian campus.
Lenawee Christian
Partners With SHU
Siena Heights University is promising more
than $500,000 in financial aid to qualified
Lenawee Christian School students after a
partnership agreement was signed between
the two institutions (photo above). Starting
with the 2009 graduating class, Lenawee
Christian students who attend Siena Heights
on a full-time basis following their high school
graduation are eligible for several designated
scholarships. There will also be professional
development opportunities for Lenawee
Christian faculty and staff, such as on-site
continuing education courses, workshops
and presentations covering a wide variety of
academic and other educational interests. Siena
Heights will also offer priority response for LCS
students in regard to admissions decisions,
residence hall accommodations, financial aid
and other student support services.
Siena Heights Part of
Pilot Program
Siena Heights University has been selected by
FACE to serve as one of four pilot sites in the
nation for implementing the Domino Strategy
for Responsible Alcohol Use. FACE (Facing
Alcohol Concerns through Education) is a
nationally recognized nonprofit organization
providing resources, training and action
on alcohol issues. It strives to create public
awareness and action on alcohol issues.
Award-Winning
Animator Visits Campus
The Domino Strategy is a social marketing
campaign that encourages people to count the
number of alcoholic beverages they consume,
similar to the counting systems that are frequently used in nutrition, exercise, and other
public health initiatives. This strategy is a harm
reduction model that uses various marketing
strategies to relay its message including
posters, bookmarks, magnets, wallet cards,
Public Service Announcements, billboards, etc.
The domino is utilized as a symbol for counting
drinks and helps individuals to associate a
specific icon with this prevention strategy. In
addition, this project offers an alternative to
abstinence-only education while still promoting zero drinks for those under the age of 21.
This prevention strategy is geared to not only
decrease underage drinking but to also increase
responsible drinking behaviors for those 21
years of age and older. Finally, this innovative
approach seeks to educate the public on the
“domino effects” of drinking, outlining the
cause and effect of consuming large portions
of alcohol. The SHU Substance Abuse Prevention Taskforce will be working directly with
FACE in implementing this project both oncampus and in the local Adrian community
during the fall semester.
Through the generosity of Ron & Sharon
Griffith, the Siena Heights University Art
Department hosted award-winning visiting
artist Brad Pattullo Oct. 14-16. Pattullo
(photos below) presented his award-winning
animated film “24 Frames” on campus. “24
Frames” recently won the 2008 Best Animated
Film award at the Brooklyn International Film
Festival. The stop-motion animated black
comedy mockumentary is about a stop-motion
animated film production at an art college in
the southern U.S. The Kalamazoo, Mich., native
has worked on several animated television
programs as well as commercial, music video,
and online projects. His first job in animation
was working for Will Vinton Studios on the
acclaimed “Gary and Mike” television series.
He has since worked on several animated television programs, including “The PJs,”“Celebrity
Deathmatch,”“Phantom Investigators” and “A
Little Curious,” as well as several commercial
and music video projects. His independent
films have been screened in such venues as the
Sundance Film Festival, Kalamazoo Animation
Festival International, Tehran International
Film Festival and the G4 television network.
First Nursing Students
Begin Classes at SHU
The first day of classes is always eventful, but
this year it was also historical at Siena Heights
University. After more than a year of planning
and preparation, Siena Heights welcomed
its first nursing students to campus Aug. 25.
Nineteen students – all women – became
part of Siena Heights history (photos above)
by attending the “Transition to Professional
Nursing” class in the new Nursing and Health
Science Building. They are part of the inaugural
class of Siena’s new RN to BSN degree completion program. “The 19 women who started
class today all work in health care facilities
either in Lenawee County or a surrounding
county,” said SHU Director of Nursing Dr. Sue
Idczak. “They are entrusting their education
to Siena Heights. It’s a huge day because it’s
the first day a nursing class will ever be taught
on this campus. We’re living history as it’s
happening.” Before class, students were treated
to lunch in the meeting area of the facility,
which used to house middle school students
at St. Joseph Academy before Siena Heights
leased the facility from SJA this summer. To
mark the occasion, Siena Heights President
Sister Peg Albert and Vice President for Academic Affairs Sister Sharon Webe ȁ