Archive for the ‘School of Science, Health, & CJ’ Category

SUNY Canton Receives Approval for Four-Year Nursing Degree

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

SUNY Canton has received approval to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

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Students working in SUNY Canton's newly renovated nursing lab.

The College’s Admissions Office will begin reviewing applications for acceptance immediately for courses beginning in the Fall 2009 Semester. The program will be a natural progression for nursing students that have received their associate degree. The third and fourth years of the program will be available entirely online.

“The approval of this program has been highly anticipated by our students, alumni and members of our nursing community,” said SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy. “It was created with the convenience and flexibility that is the hallmark of all our online courses and degrees. Registered nurses with associate degrees, many of whom have work and family obligations, will now be able to return to their studies to obtain a bachelor’s degree online.”

The new nursing program is the College’s first bachelor of science degree program and the College’s 16th bachelor’s degree overall. New York State Gov. David A. Patterson signed a master plan amendment that allows the College to offer the bachelor of science degree in addition to its existing bachelor of technology degrees.

Nursing Lab

“Year after year, we see a tremendous interest and enrollment in our nursing program,” said Nursing Program Director John F. Conklin. “Registered nurses recognize that a bachelor’s degree will help them to advance their careers and prepare them for a broader scope of nursing career options. Often, they can use their employer’s tuition reimbursement programs to subsidize or completely pay for their advanced degree.”

The nursing program typically sees the majority of its students gain successful employment immediately following graduation. The SUNY Canton Office of Career Services indicates that 100 percent of the 2008 graduating class of nurses were either employed or continuing their education within six months of graduating.

“This program seamlessly connects with our two-year degree,” noted Peggy LaFrance, an associate professor of nursing. “Students will continue to learn how to creatively solve complex health related problems, while applying concepts of leadership and management within the nursing profession.”

This program was created in part to help meet the demand for more advanced trained nurses amidst a nation-wide professional health care shortage. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2020 according to the Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Registered nurses are projected to generate 587,000 new jobs, among the largest number of new jobs for any occupation.

The Bachelor of Science Nursing program is offered exclusively through SUNY Canton OnLine, the highly successful Internet branch of the College. Courses are offered in a partially self-guided, self-paced environment with asynchronous responses, meaning a student can participate in a course almost anytime from anywhere there is a connection to the World Wide Web.

The College also has plans to add an upcoming one-year Licensed Practical Nursing certificate program in the future. The proposal for that program is pending further state approval. When it is approved, students can enter a complete ladder curriculum that will lead them from a one-year certificate to a four-year degree within the nursing program.

For more information view the Nursing B.S. webpage.

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 100 courses online each semester. The College’s athletic teams belong to the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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SUNY Canton Prof Introduces iPod Content

Monday, March 2nd, 2009
Kevin Davis, a Criminal Justice student in SUNY Canton Assistant Professor Brian Harte's class holds up his iPod during a lesson.

Kevin Davis, a Criminal Justice student in SUNY Canton Assistant Professor Brian Harte's class holds up his iPod during a lesson.

CANTON – Assistant Professor Brian Harte tells his students turn their iPods on when they come to class.

He’s using the highly-popular multi-media devices to deliver audio and video content in some of his Criminal Justice classes.

“Now I’d like you to write down all of your observations after watching this video,” Harte said as his students popped the earbuds into their ears.

The normal lively conversation in his class has been replaced by the sound of about 20 students scrolling through the menus, and then absolute silence each gazes into their video capable iPod Nano Mp3 players.

“We are right at the front of the trends in higher education by integrating these new technologies,” Harte said after the students had begun their pod-based learning exercise. “I see my students tune out all other distractions when they are watching videos and listening to audio on their iPods.”

During the trial runs, students are asked to review videos at their own speeds and make notes about what they are watching as if they were drafting a police report. The first video showed a police chase down a busy interstate. The method allows the students to watch the videos at their own speed as many times as they’d like while they record their observations.

“I liked the podcast better than watching a video in class because I felt more in control of the content,” Benjamin A. Dent, a student in Harte’s class said.

Dent’s classmates nodded in agreement as a traditional in-class conversation about the video began. The students went on to compare their notes about the chase and the police response portrayed in the podcast.

Harte said he began considering iPods as an emerging educational technology last year and filed a Campus Enhancement grant through the SUNY Canton foundation to purchase 20 iPods. “For some lessons, I think that it is best to speak in a language that students are already accustomed to, or through a method that they consider cool,” he said.

So far, Harte’s lessons consist of interactive video and audio-based lessons like the police chase. He said in the future that he hopes to stream even more interactive content to students on the devices. “You can already download a searchable copy of the New York State Penal Code as an iPhone application,” he noted.

A recent study found that students using iTunes University do better on exams than those who are strictly bound to day-to-day lectures. Podcasted lectures offer students the chance to replay difficult parts of a lecture and therefore take better notes, according to Dani McKinney, a psychologist at SUNY Fredonia, who led the study.

This modernized course delivery is nothing new at SUNY Canton. Approximately four years ago, the college launched SUNY Canton OL to deliver its online courses to broader range of students. Some of the content integrated in the high-tech course offerings is also available for iPod downloads.

Harte is the first at the college to offer the devices as learning tools in his classroom.

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 100 courses online each semester. The college’s athletic teams belong to the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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SUNY Canton Students to Investigate Silver Screen Homicide for Max Payne DVD

Friday, February 13th, 2009

max_payne

SUNY Canton students will travel to New York City to play out the complexities of a real-life investigation for journalists.

CANTON – Several SUNY Canton students will be the stars of an international media event promoting the recently released DVD Max Payne.

London-based representatives of 20th Century Fox have recruited and sponsored the Criminal Investigation students as premier educated examples of law enforcement professionals to play out the complexities of a real-life investigation for journalists. The students will leave for New York City on Wednesday, Feb 18, and will spend about three days immersed in the scenario.

Max Payne is a 2008 action film based on a video game. The film was directed by John Moore, who will be joining the SUNY Canton students for an interview during their crime scene scenario. The plot revolves around Police Officer Payne’s (Mark Wahlberg) journey through the unsavory underworld of New York City as he investigates the deaths of his family.

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 100 courses online each semester. The college’s athletic teams belong to the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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SUNY Canton Creates Law Enforcement Academy Internships

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

New and unique advanced educational option will spur grads’ careers

Several students in the SUNY Canton Law Enforcement Leadership (LEL) program got a jump start on their careers while fulfilling their senior-level internship at the David Sullivan/St. Lawrence County Law Enforcement Academy.

Several interns underwent a background check and passed both the oral and written application process that allowed them to begin their pre-employment training on Monday. They are learning alongside academy cadets sponsored by area police agencies and have the opportunity to become full-fledged police officers before the end of the semester.

LEARNING LIFESAVING – Cheryl Crayford, a Law Enforcement Leadership student from Heuvelton, practices CPR during a David Sullivan/St. Lawrence County Police Academy exercise. Crayford is one of several students completing their internship at the academy as part of a first-time partnership.

LEARNING LIFESAVING – Cheryl Crayford, a Law Enforcement Leadership student from Heuvelton, practices CPR during a David Sullivan/St. Lawrence County Police Academy exercise. Crayford is one of several students completing their internship at the academy as part of a first-time partnership.

“Our students are very fortunate to have this opportunity,” said LEL Curriculum Coordinator Susan Buckley. “It is the only partnership of its kind in the state and one of only a few in the nation that will allows students to begin their law enforcement training while earning senior internship credits in our bachelor’s degree program.”

In addition to the Academy’s rigorous mental and physical training, the senior-level LEL students will be required to meet several requirements that are typical of most of the college’s internships and capstone projects.

Buckley said that Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Tom G. Dempsey came up with the idea for the newly formed partnership between the Academy and LEL program.

“We are very fortunate to have the Academy here at SUNY Canton,” Dempsey said. “Our interns now have another valuable professional development option that will help these students secure future careers within their chosen fields.”

The academy is broken up into two phases, according to Academy Director and University Police Deputy Chief Steven L. Livernois. During the first phase, all of the students focus on intensive in-class topics and hands-on training sessions and phase two is specifically for sworn police officers. “There is a very good chance that area police agencies will be looking to recruit the interns during their first phase of training,” Livernois said. “If they are recruited, they can complete the training and become police officers at the same time as they graduate with a four-year degree.”

The interns and Academy cadets will study emergency vehicle operations, standard field sobriety testing, first-responder training, hazardous materials response, and investigation techniques during the course of semester. They will also participate in daily physical fitness programs and study self defense tactics in preparation for their future careers.

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 100 courses online each semester. The college’s athletic teams belong to the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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SUNY Canton Picks Up National Dental Hygiene Award

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

The SUNY Canton Dental Hygiene program has been selected as a recipient of the American Dental Hygienists Association’s prestigious Student Member Community Service Award.

“Only three colleges in the United States win this prestigious award each year,” said Pamela P. Quinn, Associate Professor and Dental Hygiene Program Director. “We are very honored to be one of the recipients.”

The program was recognized for its community outreach initiative with the Upstate Cerebral Palsy Center in Rome, N.Y. “It was a win-win situation for both student populations,” Quinn said. “Our hygiene students developed a deeper understanding of the dental needs of their patients while the children and young adults at that facility learned about their teeth and became more comfortable interacting with oral health care professionals.”

Each child received an electric toothbrush and the dental hygiene students utilized the brushes to reinforce good home care habits.

“This population of patients is at greater risk for cavities and periodontal disease,” Quinn explained. “During this 8-month project, the Dental Hygiene students screened each child’s teeth and applied fluoride varnish to reduce the risk of cavities. They also gave lessons on healthy snacks and other oral-health topics to the children and the staff as the year progressed.”

Some of the supplies for the project were provided through a Department of Health Preventive Dentistry Grant. The hygiene students also wrote letters seeking donations from dental product suppliers. “We have a larger class next fall so I am hoping that the project will expand,” Quinn said.

SUNY Canton partners with Mohawk Valley Community College to offer this high-need associate degree program, located at the Veteran’s Administration Outpatient Facility in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome. The College recently began offering a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene through SUNY Canton OnLine. The program is designed for working professionals and graduates who wish to further accelerate their careers.

Dental Hygiene is a rewarding and flexible career. It is a progressive profession that allows those who are balancing a family and a career the luxury of choosing either part-time or full-time employment. The average annual salary for a full-time hygienist nationwide is $56,700; with an average annual salary of $48,000 to $52,000 in the Syracuse, Utica, and surrounding areas.

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.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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SUNY Canton Gets $80,000 in Grant Funding for Course Innovation

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

Two SUNY Canton faculty members will be receiving $40,000 grants for course development from the State University of New York Course Redesign Initiative.

Both will be using the funding to augment entry-level classes with ground-breaking improvements and learning enhancements.

“We received two of the 10 grants issued statewide,” said SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy. “These are highly competitive grants, and I applaud our English and Biology faculty members for developing unique and innovative plans for their courses.”

Christopher Sweeney, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Graphic and Multimedia Design Program Director, explained that he submitted a plan to enhance student learning outcomes by integrating technology. “We’ve redesigned Expository Writing and Oral and Written Expression to integrate more online components,” Sweeney said.

Both courses will be divided into online lessons that allow students to fully grasp course objectives through self-paced online lessons, while maintaining face-to-face class time as necessary. “It will be similar to some of our hybrid courses we’ve previously designed with SUNY Canton OnLine,” Sweeney said.

Entry-level biology courses taught by Instructor Ronald Tavernier will undergo innovative changes as well and will utilize an additional faculty position. The added faculty member will provide extended office hours and respond to students’ discussions and questions via SUNY Canton OnLine, further improving the faculty to student ratio in these two courses.

The Humanities and Biology courses are among the most popular entry-level courses at the college. The redesigned courses aim to help more students excel in each curriculum and enhance their overall college experience. Pilot programs of each redesigned course are scheduled to be offered in Spring 2009.

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.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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SUNY Canton Baccalaureate-Level Outstanding Graduate Follows Mother’s Lead

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
Erica Zaluski

OUTSTANDING – Pictured are (l to r) SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy presenting Health Care Management student Erica L. Zaluski with the 2008 Outstanding Graduate Award.

Following in her mother’s footsteps was no small task for future doctor Erica L. Zaluski of Fine. Her mother, Heidi L. Zuhlsdorf of Oswegatchie, won SUNY Canton’s Outstanding Graduate award in 1995. Now, 13 years later, both mother and daughter have reached the same level of excellence.

“Erica’s commitment to academics and the community have been exemplary, and we have no doubt that she will be returning to visit SUNY Canton in the near future as Dr. Zaluski,” said President Joseph L. Kennedy.

When she wasn’t working on her Health Care Management degree, she was taking care of her grandfather full-time and working weekends and holidays at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center or Samaritan Medical Center.

“Erica is a dynamic student,” said Dr. Anthony Signorelli, Health Care Management Program Director. “She has a strong sense of responsibility and receives glowing recommendations from faculty members and internship supervisors alike.”

She is planning to obtain her doctorate in Physical Therapy with the eventual goal of opening a practice in St. Lawrence County.

During her college career she has worked with several area schools in children’s fitness programs. She also is a certified clinical educator who collaborated with the Canton ARC on a six-week patient fitness program.

Zaluski won the Canino Award for Academic Excellence in 2007 and has received a partial tuition assistantship from Clarkson University, where she plans to continue her education.

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.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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Glens Falls Native Receives SUNY Canton’s Associate Level Outstanding Graduate Award

Friday, May 16th, 2008

Alysia SmithA dedicated student activist is the recipient of SUNY Canton’s 2008 Associate Level Outstanding Graduate Award.

Alysia M. Smith of Glens Falls is passionate about children, animals, the environment, and her education. She has committed herself to promoting environmental education and activism while maintaining a perfect grade point average in the Veterinary Science Technology program.

Smith will be among the approximately 500 students at the College’s 100th Commencement Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, outdoors across from SUNY Canton’s French Hall.

Smith was a co-founder of the Student Environmental Awareness Society (SEAS) and worked with faculty and staff on the Green Campus Committee to improve recycling on campus.

On Earth day, Smith helped plant 100 trees and helped create unique sculptures out of recyclable materials to promote environmental awareness. She also recovered and found homes for recycled textbooks and helped the library sort items for recycling.

She was also a member of the college’s Habitat for Humanity club, the Outing Club and held a work-study position in the SUNY Canton Office of Public Relations.

She has worked as an equine assistant and barn manager at the Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch, a camp for critically ill children in Lake Luzerne. She witnessed the therapeutic effects of the interaction between children with disabilities and the animals. “The experience made me a more compassionate, patient, understanding, and loving person,” Miss Smith said. “I want to continue to be a part of programs such as these that not only benefit children, but animals as well.”

Smith is planning on a career in wildlife rehabilitation medicine and animal assisted therapy.

She has been recognized on the President’s List and received Part-Time Honors for academic excellence and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. She received the Hahn-Kalberer Endowed Scholarship, the Anderson-Andre Endowed Scholarship, and the Zonta Club Scholarship.

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.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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SUNY Canton Announces the Maria Sergi Early Childhood Teacher Center

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
Sergi Family

THE SERGI FAMILY – Pictured are (l to r) Pat Sergi, Sam, Lisa, Mike, and Frank. The family owns Sergi’s Pizza in Canton and pledged $100,000 to name the Maria Sergi Early Childhood Teacher Center.

SUNY Canton is honoring a well-known community member whose four children all attended the College. President Joseph L. Kennedy announced that the College will name the Early Childhood Teacher Center in Cook Hall in memory of Maria Sergi, who passed away in 2006.

“She would like this,” Sam Sergi said. “For our family, and for Maria, this is the right thing to do.”

The Sergi family has made an initial gift commitment of $100,000 to honor Maria, forever linking her name to the place where students learn to become Early Childhood professionals. The Sergi family gift will be used to help purchase equipment and resources that will greatly benefit the Early Childhood program.

“We viewed this as a way to honor my mother and support the college in their efforts to educate and train the people that would be taking care of children,” said Lisa (Sergi) Vecchio `87.

SUNY Canton has always played a big role in the life of the Sergi family. All four of Maria and Sam’s children attended the College: Pat graduated in 1986, Frank and Lisa in 1987, and Mike in 2000. “It’s not only where we went to school, it’s also been a big part of the success of our family business and the community we love,” said Pat Sergi.

The Sergi family has always been active in the North Country, and they openheartedly devote their time, support community groups, and often provide pizza for fundraising efforts. “This is a nice way to have our mother’s name and our family’s name on campus,” Mike Sergi said.

“The Sergi’s gift is extremely generous and will greatly impact our Early Childhood program and its students,” said Early Childhood Program Director Maureen Maiocco. “This is a wonderful tribute to Mrs. Sergi.” Community members and alumni can help the Sergi Family reach their $100,000 goal. The second annual Maria Sergi Walk/Run is slated for July 26 in Canton and there are other upcoming opportunities to get involved. For more information contact the Canton College Foundation at 386-7127 or www.canton.edu/alumni.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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SUNY Canton Student Redistributes and Recycles Discarded Texts

Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Alysia Smith

SAVING BOOKS – Alysia M. Smith, a SUNY Canton Veterinary Science Technology major from Glens Falls holds up a book she recovered from a recycling bin at SUNY Canton.

Outdated books can be problematic in an academic setting.

A SUNY Canton student dedicated to environmental awareness is helping solve the textbook problem at Southworth Library by redistributing and recycling a number of books, video tapes, and magazines.

Alysia Smith, a Veterinary Science Technology major from Glens Falls and the President of Student Environmental Awareness Society (SEAS) found out that the library was disposing of outdated materials and sprang into action. She rallied other members SEAS and the college’s Green Campus Committee (GCC) to salvage the ill-fated texts.

The college was in the process of having the books sent to a recycling center through Casella Waste Systems, Inc. Smith, thinking that the books were headed to the landfill, said she originally thought to find homes for the texts. “I will be taking some of the more recent editions to professors, hoping that they could use them,” she said. “Some of the more out-of-date ones I asked Matt Burnett (Assistant Professor of Humanities) to take for his students to use in art projects.”

As fortune or fate would have it, a representative was on campus from the American Cancer Society text book drive. “He immediately took half of the books we had collected and a third of the books discarded.” Burnett said. “I think this reflects strongly on the dedication of our students and their willingness to work towards new solutions for contemporary issues.”

Smith has been combing the discarded books daily. She sorts them into categories for people she knows who can use them and is looking for other outlets to redistribute them. “I’m still driving around with a car full of books,” she said.

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.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.

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