SUNY Canton News

SUNY Canton’s newest bachelor’s degree focuses on new and emerging media and the ever-changing methods of communication.

Graphic and Multimedia Design has been approved by the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department. Students can apply immediately for the four-year program which will begin next fall.

“The goal of this program is to produce work-ready graduates who know how to utilize the newest digital and interactive delivery methods,” said Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Pauline Graveline.

The new program will further promote college-wide expansion into fine, performance, and digital arts according to Program Director and Assistant Professor Christopher Sweeney.

Sweeney and several other humanities instructors have already been offering specific courses for the major, including photography, film, theater, literature, and design classes. “This program is designed for students who want to be creative and who want to maximize their marketability after graduation,” said Sweeney.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that multimedia design careers will grow by approximately 15 to 30 percent by 2012.

The assistant professor pointed out several cutting-edge forms of communication, including podcasts, blogs, and sophisticated content driven websites. “We were barely beginning to have access to this technology ten years ago,” he said. “Twenty years ago, most were unheard of or even undreamed of. Through this program, students will use the current forms of communication and also prepare for the next ground-breaking advances within the digital realm.”

Program instructors also mentioned that the Graphic and Multimedia Design curriculum is designed for those who have an interest in journalism, public relations, marketing, publishing, web design, video game design and production, and the fine arts. “By integrating many facets of communications careers, we will create well-rounded graduates ready to integrate into tomorrow’s high-tech creative positions,” Sweeney said.

Some of the program specific program courses include:

• Three Dimensional Design
• Web Publishing
• Digital Photography
• Digital Documentary Video
• Video Games and Virtual Worlds
• Journalism

Similar to the college’s other four-year programs, the Graphic and Multimedia Design major integrates a senior-level internship within a related field at an established business. Internships have given graduates a leg-up on their post-graduate careers and have often directly led to full time employment. Students can also opt to present their own individual or team multimedia products to launch as a cumulative focus of their studies.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor’s, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master’s degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton’s new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 65 courses online each semester. The college’s athletic teams have joined the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Related Posts:

• SUNY Canton Winterterm Expands and Evolves
• Celebrated Sustainability and Environmental Advocates to Speak at SUNY Canton
• SUNY Canton Foundation Awards $30,000 for Campus Enhancements
• SUNY Canton’s Summer Session Breaks Enrollment Records
• SUNY Canton Screens Local Movie “Dissection of an Olive” on March 27

SUNY Canton Welcomes 13 New Faculty Members SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy welcomed 13 new faculty members to the college during his annual state-of-the-campus address.

NEW FACULTY – Pictured are some of SUNY Canton's new faculty members beginning this semester (l to r) Ali Zaidi, Assistant Professor of Spanish, Lawretta Ononye, Assistant Professor of Physics, Patrick LaPierre, American History Instructor, Brenda Armstrong, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Susan Willette, Dental Hygiene Instructor, Christa Kelson, Accounting Instructor, Ronald Tavernier, Biology Instructor, Patricia Shinn, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Robert Boak, Building Construction Instructor, Rashid Aidun, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering.

“Each new employee will help the college expand and grow,” Kennedy said. “I am looking forward to working with all of the faculty and staff at the college to create another year of evolution.”

Among the new faculty members are:

• Rashid Aidun joined SUNY Canton as an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering. He holds a doctorate from Clarkson University in Experimental Solid State Physics.
• Brenda Armstrong joined the college as an Assistant Professor of Nursing. She earned her master’s degree in Nursing from Murray State University in Kentucky.
• Robert Boak joined SUNY Canton as a Building Construction Instructor. He is a 1998 SUNY Canton alumnus.
• Christa Kelson joined the college as an Accounting Instructor. She earned her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
• Patrick LaPierre joins the college as an American History Instructor. He earned his master’s degree in History from Concordia University in Montreal.
• Jiayvan “Jerry” Lin joined the college as an assistant professor of Mathematics. He holds a doctorate in Mathematics from the University of California Santa Barbara.
• Lawretta Ononye joined the college as an Assistant Professor of Physics. She earned her Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee.
• Raghuraman Ramanathan joined the college as an Alternative and Renewable Energy Applications Instructor. He earned his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania.
• Joanne Rozanski joined the college as an Instructional Support Assistant in the Dental Hygiene program, and will be working at SUNY Canton’s satellite site in Rome, N.Y.
• Patricia Shinn joined SUNY Canton as an Assistant Professor of Nursing. She earned her master’s degree in nursing from Russell Sage University in Troy.
• Ronald Tavernier joined SUNY Canton as a Biology Instructor. He holds a doctorate in Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
• Susan Willette joins the college as a Dental Hygiene instructor. She holds a doctorate in Higher Education from East Tennessee State University.
• Ali Zaidi joined the college as an Assistant Professor of Spanish. Zaidi holds a doctorate in Comparative Literature from the University of Rochester.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

Businesses that hire SUNY Canton students from the Office Technology program know they are getting career-minded, work-ready professionals. Professor of Office Technology Rosanna M. Moser makes sure of it.

Moser has received the 2007 Distinguished Faculty Award and will be among the faculty, staff, and scholars highlighted at the college’s 99th Commencement Ceremony held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 19, in Alumni Gymnasium at Dana Athletic Center. She is known for her own professional, courteous demeanor and her diligent efforts to make sure students are equally prepared with immediately marketable skills.

“Professor Rosanna Moser is a terrific example of why SUNY Canton is thriving and why our students are so successful,” said SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy. “She imparts wisdom directly applicable to each student’s future careers coupled with the hands-on approach of her programs.”

Professor Moser has a quiet demeanor and an “unsung” status belying the fact that she has positively impacted a countless number of students. She has helped secure internships for students within their chosen field, most of which lead to 100 percent placement.

Associate Professor Emeritus Robert W. Stilson describes her as, “… dedicated, professional, responsible, respectful, articulate, and kind.”

Professor Moser is the department chairperson of Business faculty within the School of Business and Public Service. She also organized Professional Development Week, allowing students from all curricula can hone their interview skills, learn to dress for success, and engage in extra-curricular learning. She dramatically and positively influences the lives of her students and colleagues on a daily basis.

She earned her baccalaureate degree in Personnel Administration from Empire State College in 1982 and her Master of Science degree in Vocational and Technical Education in 1985 at SUNY Oswego. She has subsequently completed 30 credit hours of additional post graduate coursework.

Related Posts:

• SUNY Canton Professor Receives Distinguished Faculty Award
• Respected SUNY Canton Business Professor Passes
• SUNY Canton Scholarship Honors Joseph and Dine Kennedy’s Service
• SUNY Potsdam & SUNY Canton Hire Joint Chief Financial Officer
• SUNY Canton Schedules Summer-Long Footbridge Project

Karl Ortmeyer, National Republican Campaign Committee Business Advisory Council member and SUNY Canton Business Administration student

Between studying business administration at SUNY Canton and running his own business, Karl Ortmeyer is accustomed to using his time productively.

The Potsdam native recently won a national leadership award through the National Republican Campaign Committee’s Business Advisory Council (BAC). As a result, he will be invited to participate in periodic strategy sessions and provide input on the economic and tax issues.

“Karl is a no-nonsense SUNY Canton student intent on making the most of his business courses,” according to Associate Professor of Accounting Janice Robinson. “He loves real world experience and prefers to work with motivated self-starters,” she said.

While studying for his degree, Karl has already begun his own computer consulting business, Liberty Information Resource Management. Ortmeyer said business is growing faster than normal start-ups. “We’re not making a killing, but I’m 21 years old and I have my own office.”

Ortmeyer will share his own experiences with the BAC to hopefully benefit all small business. “Small businesses are essential to the continued development of the American ideal of competitiveness and free trade,” Ortmeyer pointed out. “American small businesses have always driven the new ideas of this country.”

“Karl is utilizing his education to augment his business savvy,” said SUNY Canton Assistant Professor of Technology Management Charles Fenner. “He instantly grasps academic concepts and directly applies them to his business.”

Fenner went on to say that Ortmeyer does what he sets his mind to and will make an excellent politically active business advocate in both his pre- and post graduate careers.

Ortmeyer is an active member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and was on the President’s List for outstanding academics during the Fall 2006 semester.

Related Posts:

• SUNY Canton Secretary Recognized for Customer Service and Positive Attitude
• SUNY Canton Adds Golden Key Honour Society for Bachelor’s Students
• Bosnian University Celebrates Dual Commencement with SUNY Canton
• KeyBank Donates to SUNY Canton Foundation
• International and High School Students Arrive at SUNY Canton

Early Childhood students from two continents shared a lesson on literacy development at the same time through SUNY Canton OnLine.

When students in Maureen Maiocco’s Early Childhood program came in early Monday morning, they were greeted by their peer students at Kherson State University in Ukraine. By using the video conferencing technology for online classes and a very busy translator, the two classes were able to share children’s books and learning methods.

“The focus of the lesson was on language and literacy development and how active engaged storytelling promotes and enhances literacy,” said Maiocco.

Ukrainian Professor Alla Vladimirova and her students presented a musical lesson based on the notes of the musical scale.

“We are going to see much more of this kind of collaborative cross cultural, cross-language learning as we continue to tie our SUNY Canton curricula with other universities around the world,” said SUNY Canton Provost Jeremy D. Brown, who was with the Ukrainian class for the video learning session.

The students had numerous questions for their overseas counterparts about early childhood, student teaching, and their programs of study

SUNY Canton OnLine provides a collaborative convenient learning environment for students from around the world. Early Childhood is one of SUNY Canton’s signature hands-on and highly visual programs that encourages a high-level of student interaction and participation.

“It is amazing that we could connect, communicate, share teaching methods, and engage with EC students so many miles away from our classroom,” Maiocco said. “We hope to have more video exchanges in the near future.”

Related Posts:

• Early Childhood Professor Selected as SUNY Canton’s Distinguished Faculty
• Local Student Receives SUNY Canton Outstanding Associate Level Graduate Award
• Early Childhood Students Bring Their Classroom to the Community
• SUNY Canton Announces the Maria Sergi Early Childhood Teacher Center
• SUNY Canton Student to be Published for Monkey Lesson

SUNY Canton student volunteers are set to help prepare taxes for their peers and low- to moderate-income North Country residents.

For the third year, students from the School of Business and Public service will be assisting with tax preparation through the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The IRS created VITA to help taxpayers and their families who earn less than $39,000 complete their annual tax forms free of charge.

“:The VITA program has allowed us to offer our services to those who need it the most,”: said Peggy Jenkins, assistant professor of accounting and VITA program director. “:Our students also gain real-world tax preparation and valuable customer relation skills.”:

Volunteers will begin taking appointments beginning Thursday, Feb 8. Walk-ins will also be welcome from 9 to 11 a.m. each Thursday until taxes are due in Payson Room 203. The SUNY Canton Massena Education Center will also host walk-in slots from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at the St. Lawrence Centre Mall. For more information or to schedule an appointment, the School of Business and Public Service at 315-386-7328 or email jenkinsp@canton.edu.

The following information should be brought to an appointment:

• This year’s tax package with all forms (W-2′s, 1099′s, etc).
• Information for other income (taxable scholarships and grants).
• Information for all deductions and credits (student loan interest, education credits).
• A copy of last year’s tax return and a social security card.

Related Posts:

• SUNY Canton Students Offer Free Tax Return Assistance
• SUNY Canton Volunteer Tax Prep Services Expand Off Campus
• SUNY Canton Accounting Students Volunteer to Prepare Taxes
• Tax Preparation Assistance Available through April 4 at SUNY Canton
• Tax Assistance Available through April 6 at SUNY Canton

A SUNY Canton assistant professor’s new findings about U.S. employees working in foreign embassies will be presented this May at the International Workshop on Human Resource Management in Jerez De La Frontera, Spain.

Assistant Professor of Technology Management Charles R. Fenner, Ph.D., and co-author Jan Selmer, Ph.D., of the Aarhus School of Business, created The Work Situation of Public Sector Expatriates. Fenner served as an expatriate, or somebody who works outside their own country, during his 20-year career as a military officer.

“Most cross-cultural adjustment studies are based on many different types of jobs in one location,” Fenner said. “Our research turns previous studies on their head. We studied the cross-cultural adjustment of U.S. employees in the same position from across the world.”

He said their findings, based on his doctorate dissertation, demonstrate the importance of role clarity in the adjustment of the expatriate to their position. More specifically, when the expatriate clearly understands his or her role and function in the foreign environment, the expatriate’s adjustment to their work is greatly enhanced. “It’s important for the local leadership to enforce and enhance the vision of the multinational corporation overseas,” he said.

Fenner collected the information online for his dissertation while he was stationed in Moscow, Russia. He based his research on U.S. Department of Defense administrators stationed in embassies worldwide. “I saw responses everywhere as far as Ulan-Bator, Mongolia, to Santiago, Chile,” he said.

While living in Moscow, Fenner was in a comparable role to his studies. He said his personal adaptation appeared to be remarkable, but he was only interacting with counterparts who spoke English in the embassy. “My family had a harder time adjusting to their surroundings, because they were immersed in a foreign language,” Fenner noted. “Language can cause barriers to adjustment.”

Fenner is the lead faculty member for the Technology Management four-year program. He has run the office operations at embassies in Hanoi, Vietnam; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Moscow, Russia and Bucharest, Romania. Technology Management is offered as an online program through SUNY Canton OnLine, allowing students from around the world to earn their SUNY Canton Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

Related Posts:

• SUNY Canton Secretary Recognized for Customer Service and Positive Attitude
• Bosnian University Celebrates Dual Commencement with SUNY Canton
• International and High School Students Arrive at SUNY Canton
• SUNY Canton Winterterm Expands and Evolves
• SUNY Canton Student Entrepreneur Wins National Leadership Award

Dr. Amani Awwad and Dr. Diane Muehl, Department of Social Sciences, are coordinating a wonderful opportunity for all staff and faculty members. This all-campus workshop will establish an ALLY network of safe spaces on campus.

Staff and faculty members will be trained as Allies to better understand sexuality and gender issues and to provide “safe zones,” which are areas of support and referral for staff and students who identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender.

This is an interesting, enlightening, community-building workshop. Expert presenters from the University of Illinois will deliver the seminar which will be a combination of presentation and group discussion. Please RSVP via email to Rebecca Blackmon blackmonr@canton.edu. Space is limited; please make your reservation today!

When: 4-7 p.m., Thursday Feb. 8
Where: Miller Campus Center, rooms 218-222
Bonus: Free dinner included

Related Posts:

• SUNY Canton Academic Advising Drop-In Center Grand Opening, Feb 9