Campus Update

CU earns 2021 Excellence in Assessment designation

Cameron has been awarded the 2021 Excellence in Assessment designation by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment in partnership with the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and VSA Analytics, a joint initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities.

One of only seven institutions to receive the designation for 2021, CU is also one of five institutions continuing the designation of Sustained Excellence and is the only institution of higher education in Oklahoma to receive the designation since it was launched in 2016.

“Assessing Cameron University’s learning outcomes is key to fulfilling our mission,” says Dr. John McArthur, President. “Regularly scheduled assessment provides us with the data needed to keep our curriculum and degree programs relevant and robust. We are committed to maintaining our assessment practices to ensure that our students continue to receive a high quality education.”

Evaluation for the designation included a rigorous and systematic self-study led by Dr. Stacie Garrett, followed by a peer review panel of higher education assessment experts from throughout the country.

“Dr. Garrett worked alongside members of our Institutional Assessment Committee – Dr. Kyle Moore, Dr. Karla Oty, and Dr. William Stern – as well as Faculty Emeritus Dr. Howard Kuchta to deliver a comprehensive and well-documented self-study that thoroughly captured Cameron’s assessment practices,” says McArthur. “Without their expertise, this designation would not have been possible.”

Cameron University is designated as Sustained Excellence in assessment through the commitment to continuing to improve on an already solid and mature system of assessment.

Best for Vets: Colleges recognizes CU

The 2021 Military Times “Best for Vets: Colleges” rankings list has been published, with Cameron University achieving a number of distinctions. Cameron was named third in Oklahoma, 13th in the Southwest region, 99th among public institutions, 117th among four year schools and 125th in the nation overall. In addition, Cameron scored an 87% rating for military-friendly institutions. educational benefits and provides access to academic counseling.

In addition, CU was recognized for its yearly Veterans Resource Fair that connects military members and their family members with organizations that offer services to assist them, the Veterans Day observance that honors the Armed Forces, and maintaining a focus group to improve VA educational offerings.

This year’s ranking report noted that Cameron was the first VetSuccess Campus in Oklahoma. The program helps members of the military, veterans and their dependents with Cameron’s ranking in “Best for Vets: Colleges” aligns with the many services and opportunities offered to veterans, service members and their families. One of the most important benefits is CU certification as a Yellow Ribbon school by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for waiving the remaining tuition not covered by the Post-9/11 GI bill for eligible students.

Other military-friendly opportunities at CU include a VA work-study program, a tragedy assistance program for survivors, free or reduced admission for active duty members, their families and veterans to all sporting events, an active Student Veterans of America chapter, university-provided veterans cords for commencement and more.

Engineering students to benefit from partnership with the University of Oklahoma

Graduates of CU’s Associate in Applied Science in Engineering degree program will now benefit from the university’s new partnership with the University of Oklahoma, which will increase the number of mechanical engineering courses offered at Cameron.

During the Summer 2021 semester, this collaboration allowed Cameron to offer one OU mechanical engineering course at the Lawton campus to five students who have completed the A.A.S. engineering degree program.

This joint venture allows the current five-student cohort to complete their third-year mechanical engineering requirements while remaining in Lawton during the current academic year by taking two CU courses and two OU courses offered via Zoom or other remote learning method.

The ultimate goal is for the cohort to graduate in Spring 2023 with a degree in mechanical engineering from OU without ever leaving Lawton. This would be accomplished by offering the required fourth-year classes during the 2022-23 academic year utilizing the same methods as the third-year classes.

City National Bank receives Business Partnership Excellence Award from Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

City National Bank & Trust and Cameron University have received the 2021 Business Partnership Excellence Award by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The award is designed to highlight successful partnerships and to further cultivate the higher learning environment through State Regents’ economic development grants.

Throughout the first year of the pandemic, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Jason Hensley of City National Bank assisted CU in the delivery of more than 20 online SBA disaster assistance webinars. The partnership was supported by and in collaboration with CU’s Center for Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies (CETES), the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center (OKSBDC), the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, and other private media channels.

Dr. Samantha Lankford, Director, CETES and Southwest Regional Director, OKSBDC, reports that more than 500 small businesses participate in the webinars. Small businesses across the state secured tens of millions of dollars in federal and state grants and loans, saving thousands of jobs.

“City National, and especially Jason Hensley, brought their financial expertise to the table to enrich our efforts,” Lankford says. “They took the time to become a southwest regional expert on SBA disaster loans, educating themselves on the continual flow of updates in order to keep our trainings current. They worked tirelessly with clients, regardless of their affiliation. This is noteworthy of City National’s commitment to southwest Oklahoma and Cameron University.”

Campus Update

U.S. Department of Education awards CU five-year grant for Open Doors/Talent Search

Cameron University has received a five-year grant totaling $2,088,635 from the U.S. Department of Education for CU’s Open Doors/ Talent Search program. Open Doors/Talent Search serves 775 participants throughout Lawton Public Schools’ 6th through 12th grades. The grant funding period started on September 1, 2021, allowing the university to continue its work in supporting the concept that anyone, regardless of race, ethnic background or economic circumstances, can complete a program of postsecondary education.

Open Doors/Talent Search identifies qualified high school and middle school students who have the potential to succeed in higher education. In addition to encouraging participants to graduate from high school and to complete a college degree or earn postsecondary certification, the program also serves high school dropouts by encouraging them to reenter the educational system and complete their education. The program’s goal is to increase the number of youth from underserved backgrounds who complete high school and pursue postsecondary education.

Services provided by Open Doors/Talent Search include career exploration and aptitude

assessment; information on postsecondary education; exposure to university campuses; information on student financial assistance; assistance in completing university admissions and financial aid applications; and assistance in preparing for university entrance exams. Additionally, participants have access to monthly workshops, on-line and one-on-one tutoring, camps, cultural experiences and more. The program also has workshops for the families of participants.

Funding for Open Doors/Talent Search, one of the federally funded TRIO programs, is made possible under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

CU launches new outdoor Fitness Court® with ribbon-cutting ceremony

CU has partnered with the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) to add a sleek and modern outdoor Fitness Court® to its Lawton campus. The Fitness Court® is located adjacent to the Aggie Rec Center on the south side of campus and is only the third Fitness Court® in Oklahoma and the first located in southwest Oklahoma. The university received a $30,000 grant from NFC to support the program in addition and matching funds from community partners Southwestern Medical Center and its parent company, LifePoint Health, and Southwest Oklahoma Federal Credit Union. LifePoint and Southwest Medical Center each contributed $10,000, and Southwest Federal Credit Union provided $15,000 for CU’s Fitness Court®.

The Fitness Court® is an outdoor bodyweight circuit training system designed for adults of all ages and abilities. Each Fitness Court® is integrated with shock-resistant sports flooring and supports functional fitness movements that allow for up to 28 individuals to use the Court at the same time.

The bodyweight circuit-training system features a series of full-body functional fitness exercises that can be completed in just seven minutes. Developed by experts, each exercise takes 45 seconds with a 15-second interlude between sets and is shown to burn more calories per minute than most other forms of exercise. Each movement area allows users to leverage their bodyweight at different angles and levels of resistance as a tool to improve their fitness over time.

Faculty and staff appointments

CU welcomes Dr. Scott Schneider as Vice President for Business and Finance, taking over for Ninette Carter, who retired after 29 years. Schneider comes to CU from Missouri State University-West Plains where he served as director of business and support services. His duties at that institution align closely with the responsibilities he takes on at Cameron, where he oversees fiscal operations, human resources, procurement and custodial operations. He also brings experience with property acquisition, buildings and grounds maintenance, grant writing, compliance issues and campus safety. Schneider holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla and earned his master’s in business administration from Missouri State. He received his Doctor of Education degree from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in 2019.

Dr. Muhammad Javed is currently interim chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences in addition to serving as chair of the Department of Computing and Technology. Javed earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology in Pakistan, a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Business Administration degree from Oklahoma City University and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Oklahoma.

Lt. Col. Peter Salfeety is the current chair of the George D. Keathley Department of Military Science. Salfeety has more than 17 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Army, including three combat deployments. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Regional Geography from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Salfeety’s military decorations include two Bronze Star Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals and three Army Commendation Medals.

Dr. Kyle Moore is now the chair of the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering. Since joining the CU faculty in August 2012, he has taught a variety of classes, including Biochemistry, with emphasis on human metabolism and metabolic diseases, as well as General Chemistry and Descriptive Chemistry with associated labs. Moore earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. in Biomolecular Chemistry from the University of WisconsinMadison.

Dr. Mary Dzindolet, a faculty member in the Department of Psychology and former chair of that department, is currently serving as the interim coordinator of the university’s new Student Enrichment Center, which provides a variety of support services to students facing obstacles to successful degree completion.

Tiffany Smith is now Director of Development, stepping into the role vacated by former director Julie Cunningham, who relocated out-of-state. Smith joined the university in September 2015 and was most recently Assistant to the Vice President for University Advancement, a position in which she developed hands-on familiarity with all aspects of the university’s fundraising mission, including the Cameron University Foundation. A CU alumna, Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication in 2013 and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Nonprofit Leadership from Oklahoma City University.