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 Hocking College Ecotourism Program Ranked Top Five in the World
Hocking College's Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Associate Degree was ranked in the top five best Ecotourism schools, in the world, by bootsnall.com.
Ecotourism has been the fastest growing niche travel market for the last several years. Ecotourism is defined as travel that focuses on being environmentally and culturally responsible while appreciating nature and promoting conservation.
Hocking College was one of two US colleges ranked; the other colleges were located in England, Canada, Australia and California. Hocking College is also the only college in the study that offers an associate degree for Ecotourism, rather than a bachelor's degree.
"Hocking College is the perfect setting for the School of Natural Resources, Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Program," Kim Mullen, Hocking College's Dean of the school of Natural Resources, said. "With expert faculty and an emphasis on environmental responsibility and education, socio-economic needs, wilderness leadership and guiding, conservation and appreciation of nature, Hocking College students are well prepared for careers in this growing and unique field."
With an Ecotourism and Adventure Travel degree, students can obtain positions in national parks, resort and lodge operations, adventure camps, outdoor education schools, environmental and community education centers (zoos, museums, aquariums, nature centers), adventure therapy programs and the tourism industry.
For more information about the ranking visit www.bootsnall.com. For more information about Hocking College's Ecotourism program visit hocking.edu/programs/ecotourism.
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 Student Wins Dr. Pepper Tuition Prize
Hocking College student Sarah Robtyn won $500 for tuition from Dr. Pepper.
Robtyn entered the contest in the Dining Hall and was randomly chosen out of about 1,500 entries.
Lance Yost, Division Sales Manager for the Dr. Pepper Company, came from Chicago to present the award to Robtyn. Lance Yost is responsible for giving out tuition awards to students at schools throughout the Midwest.
Dr. Pepper has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships across the country in 2014. Since 2008, the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway has changed many lives by giving away millions of dollars in tuition.
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Campus Email Communications Change
To better streamline the communication structure at Hocking College and to reduce inbox clutter, effective today, the All Staff email group is no longer available for use by the campus community. Official communication from the college will come from news@hocking.edu. This email account was created to improve our messaging capabilities to both faculty/staff and students. If you have something that you feel should be send to all staff, please send to Laura Alloway, director of marketing and public relations at allowayl@hocking.edu for consideration. Broadcast emails sent through the news@hocking.edu are subject to approval and editorial control and are sent at the discretion of the college. If you have information about an upcoming event or activity that you would like to share with the campus community, send it to verbatim@hocking.edu for the next scheduled Verbatim issue. Verbatim is published each Monday during the academic year, except in the case of a Monday holiday. Content must be received by 5 p.m. Friday to be considered for inclusion in the following Monday's issue. |
 Nelsonville to Present Fire and Ice Festival for Final Friday
Nelsonville will host the "Fire and Ice Festival" for Final Friday on the Square, January 30, 2015 from 4 - 8 p.m. On the final Friday of each month, the Nelsonville Historic Square galleries and retail shops stay open late to feature local art events.
For the first Final Friday of 2015, the Hocking College Culinary Arts program will again present Master Ice Carver Paul "Iceman" Ahrens, from Precise Ice Creations. Ahrens and Culinary Arts students will carve blocks of ice located throughout the square in a team carving competition.
Other "Fire and Ice" themed activities include complementary "Flaming Bananas Foster" made on an ice table prepared by Hocking College Students, a large ice fire pit and fire twirlers. Culinary Students will be selling big bowls of home-style chili, bean soup, vegetable soup and fresh warm bread in front of the Hocking College Art Gallery.
Rhapsody, the Hocking College Culinary Arts fine dining restaurant located at 18 Public Square, is also taking reservations for the evening. The special "Fire and Ice" menu includes Flamed Baked Alaskan Dessert and Alaskan seafood specials. Contact Rhapsody at 740.753.5741 for reservations.
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Nominations Sought for Hocking College Board
A caucus of presidents representing boards of education in Athens, Hocking and Perry counties will meet to appoint a new member to the Hocking College Board of Trustees. Interested candidates must reside in Athens, Hocking or Perry counties. Perry County candidates are especially encouraged to apply.
The application deadline is Friday, January 23, 2015. A letter of interest and resume should be sent to Nancy Vandeman, Office of the President, Hocking College, 3301 Hocking Parkway, Nelsonville, OH 45764.
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 Blood Drive Thursday at the Student Center
On Thursday, January 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the American Red Cross will be hosting a blood drive in the Hocking College Student Center.
If you donated on or before December 4, you may be eligible to donate. Red Cross will also be giving out t-shirts while supplies last.
To schedule an appointment call 800.REDCROSS, visit redcrossblood.org with sponsor code: HockingCollege or sign up at the Student Center Front Desk.
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Autism Spectrum Disorder Training Offered for Faculty and Staff
Dr. Roger Buck, Counseling Center director, and the Counseling Center staff will present a three part training on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other closely related diagnoses for faculty and staff.
Sessions will be held on Fridays starting at 2 p.m. in JL 195. Dates for the sessions are January 23, February 6 and February 20.
Session Information
January 23: Counseling Center director and staff will present a brief overview of the Counseling Center services available for students as well as support services for faculty. Part I of a three part training for faculty and staff on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will follow. Part I will include update of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual on Mental Disorders (DSM V), changes that impact this important diagnostic category. This training introduction will focus on the importance of awareness/knowledge of ASD and possible collaborative/team work efforts that will enhance success as well as retention of our ASD students.
February 6: Part II of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) training will be provided by staff of the Hocking College Access Center and staff from the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI). This training will provide specific issues that students with ASD and other closely related diagnoses bring to the campus environment and best practice strategies in support of this population of students.
February 20: Part III of this training will include Counseling Center staff, Access Center staff and OCALI staff in providing evidence-based best practices in creating an ASD aware and supportive campus-wide environment for this special population of student. Building on information provided in the first two sessions, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to explore various best practice techniques for effective classroom management, social skills development and academic advancement for this special population of students.
Working as a team to learn these evidence-based best practices will provide Hocking College faculty and staff the expertise to effectively and efficiently support this population of student and aid in retention as well as campus safety and security.
Anyone interested in attending these sessions should RSVP to Roger Buck at buckr@hocking.edu. Certain faculty members will be required to attend the three-part series, and will be notified of this requirement by their supervisors.
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Lessons from Disney Webinar Offered to Faculty & Staff
Hocking College will be participating in an upcoming live customer service webinar, "Lessons from Disney: Customer Service Tips to Attract and Keep Students," on Wednesday, February 18 from 1 - 2 p.m.
The webinar will teach effective techniques to build a culture of service guaranteed to boost student retention and morale.
Program Summary
Exceptional customer service is critical to overcome today's growing recruitment and retention challenges. How can you integrate lessons from Disney's legendary customer service philosophy into your day-to-day operations and build a culture of excellence that invites students to enroll and remain at your college? Join us for this can't miss, 60-minute webinar where you and your colleagues will discover:
- Strategies to create a student-centered service model to boost retention
- How to build a unique culture of service for students, parents and alumni
- Keys to integrate Disney's service excellence into your daily operations
- Ways to apply Disney's service approach to enhance the student experience
If you are interested in participating in the webinar, please email Libby Villavicencio at villavicenciol@hocking.edu.
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 Natural Resources Job Fair
The 2015 Seasonal and Natural Resources Job Fair will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 from 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Student Center Multiplex.
The job fair is open to all students and alumni. This is a great opportunity to discuss seasonal and natural resource job opportunities with potential employers.
For more information, contact Jackie Clark at 740.753.6264 or clarkj@hocking.edu.
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Hocking College Offers Free Basic Physical Defense Classes for Women
The Hocking College Police Department (HCPD) will offer free Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) Systems classes for women this February.
Two class schedule options are available:
- Class One: February 7 and 8, from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.
- Class Two: February 17, 18 and 19, from 5:30- 8:30 p.m.
The primary focus of the system is designed for women to become aware of self-defense options during situations of possible or actual assaults. According to R.A.D. Systems, the crime of rape is reported so infrequently that society in general has become unaware of such incidents. Until it happens to 'them' or someone 'they' know and love, it's just another headline, just another crime that happens to someone else. In order to overcome this common view, R.A.D. Systems' purpose is to empower women through key elements of self-defense: educate women on the topic, encourage self-dependence and teach the importance of decision-making and understanding physical power.
Hocking College Chief of Police Al Matthews has worked with the HCPD to invest in training its personnel in the instruction of R.A.D. physical defense principles and is excited to offer basic self-defense classes for the women of the community. "We're looking forward to offering several classes each semester, each year. Looking to the future, we plan to offer the women of our community more advanced R.A.D. classes to continue their education and fine tune their skills," Chief Matthews said.
The nine-hour class sessions will teach participants important sexual assault definitions, risk reduction strategies, date rape information, weapon safety, defensive movements and motions, and other self-defense knowledge to prevent future harm. This is a course of carefully selected defensive tactics with helpful guidelines for continued personal growth.
There is no registration fee, but class sizes are limited, interested individuals should register soon to guarantee their spot. Contact Angela Perrigio at 740.753.6598 or perrigoa@hocking.edu for registration or more information about the classes.
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 ID Theft Lunch and Learn
On Tuesday, February 3, Hocking College will host "ID Theft: Who's Got Your Number," a free lunch and learn seminar presented by the Ohio University Credit Union.
The seminar will educate participants on how identity thieves target their victims, how to protect your personal information and what steps to take if your identity is stolen. All faculty and staff are invited to attend the event, from 12 - 1 p.m. with a free lunch provided in DVD 108. Anyone interested in attending should RSVP no later than Thursday, January 29 to Linda Deeds at deedsl@hocking.edu. Please be sure to include any special dietary needs.
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Reminder: Leisure Learning Workshops
Hocking College will be starting a series of workshops for community members. These sessions will be on and off campus with the intention of strengthening ties with the community.
A workshop might be for an evening or perhaps a weekend, an hour or perhaps a couple of days. Do you have a subject in mind that you might be interested in sharing? This could be in anything from cooking to quilting, story-telling or star-gazing...
If you are interested, please contact Giles Lee at leeg@hocking.edu.
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Anthony Lemle
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Alumni Spotlight
Two Hocking Grads Assigned State Wildlife Officer
Hocking College graduates Anthony G. Lemle and Nathan W. Kaufmann were recently assigned as the new state wildlife officers in Northwest Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Lemle and Kaufmann, were featured on WFMD.com where they were spotlighted as two of 16 new wildlife officer cadets who have been through extensive training. They were sworn in as commissioned state wildlife officers during ceremonies July 3, 2014 in Columbus.  | |
Nathan W. Kaufmann
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In 2013, Lemle graduated from Hocking with an Associate Degree in Forest Management. Kaufmann received an Associate Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management in 2005 and in 2008 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Fishery and Wildlife Management from the University of Idaho. According to the website, Lemle and Kaufmann's new position will allow them to have statewide jurisdiction to enforce wildlife regulations, investigate allegations of waterway pollution, protect state property and make arrests. They will also hold educational programs, perform fish and wildlife management duties and advise landowners on dealing with wildlife. In Lemle's interview with WFMD he mentioned his excitement for his new position, "I couldn't be happier to have the opportunity to work in the field of natural resources and to be able to help protect Ohio's abundant wildlife. I look forward to pursuing my job duties as a state wildlife officer with a passion." Read the full article on the website.
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 Buck to Speak at Parents of Gifted Students Conference
Guided Discussion Group for Parents of Gifted and Talented Students (Series of 10 Sessions) will be held Saturday mornings at 10 a.m., January 31 to April 4, 2015 or Monday evenings at 7 p.m., February 2 to April 6, 2015.
This conference will be held at HeartWorks Conference Room in O'bleness Cornwell Center, Athens. Registration deadline is January 26, 2015 and the cost is $100 per person for 10 sessions.
Co-Facilitators are Paige Stretton, master student, OU Clinical Mental Health Counseling Past President, Athens Association for Gifted Children Founding Co-Chair, Parent Division, OAGC; Vanessa Vandermark, master student, OU Clinical Mental Health Counseling Admissions Director, Wellspring Retreat & Resource Center; and Dr. Roger Buck, Director of Counseling Services, Hocking College.
The objectives of this conference are to establish an environment in which parents of talented children can receive support, guidance and professional advice through discussion with other parents and trained facilitators. This conference also seeks to develop parenting skills to help nurture the self-concept and emotional development of talented children and their families.
To register or for more information about the conference, contact Paige Stretton at 740.818.8273.
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Reminder: Light Hall Roof Replacement Continues
The Light Hall roof replacement project continues and is expected to last until February 11, 2015.
Due to the nature of the construction project, the third floor classrooms and offices may experience loud noises at various times during the project. Please contact the Registrar's Office if you would like to temporarily relocate your classroom at any time during the construction period.
If your office is on the third floor, please be aware that dust accumulation is highly likely. It is recommended that you protect any personal items in your office or take them home for the duration of the project.
We apologize for the inconvenience and are available to assist as needed.
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Mission
Hocking College provides a unique, innovative, and quality education in a supportive experience- based learning environment, preparing students for employment and transfer education opportunities, while teaching the value of lifelong learning, promoting diversity and developing citizens who are engaged in their local and global communities.
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Teamwork Kudos!Kudos to everyone on campus who pulled together to make phone calls to prospective spring 2015 students!
Staff members across campus plus student employees and the Admissions team worked to call and help get new students registered for classes.
Great job by all!
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