1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Charles L. Shearer

Final week of GSA 2010 at Transylvania is July 5-10

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Governor’s School for the Arts 2010 summer session at Transylvania comes to a close Saturday, July 10, highlighted by final student performances and graduation ceremonies. The final week will also feature a reception in honor of Transylvania president Charles L. Shearer, who is retiring at the end of this month following 27 years leading the university. After the reception at the Morlan Gallery, the GSA will put on a showcase performance at Carrick Theater, beginning about for guests and dignitaries attending the reception. Highlights of the final week will also include a performance by Flamenco Louisville on Thursday, July 8, at 9 a.m. The GSA will wrap up its 11th year on the Transy campus on Saturday, with day-long performances in all disciplines preceding graduation ceremonies at 5:15 p.m. in Haggin Auditorium. Final performances, including those in instrumental and vocal music, musical theater, visual arts, drama, new media and architecture, will begin at various campus locations at noon. All final day events are open to GSA parents, friends and relatives as well as the public and media. Previous final day performances have attracted over 1,200 people to the campus. Refreshments will be available at various locations near Old Morrison. Final performances will be held at the Mitchell Fine Arts Center, the Little Theater, the Shearer Art Building, the Haupt Humanities Building, Old Morrison and the Cowgill Center. A total of 225 high school students from 46 counties have

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Deana Ison named executive assistant to incoming president

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Deana Ison has been named executive assistant to incoming president, R. Owen Williams.   Ison, a 1995 graduate of Transylvania, is currently senior associate director of admissions and has held the positions of admissions counselor, assistant director, associate director and interim director in her 15 years at Transy. In addition, she served as the William T. Young Scholarship coordinator for eight years. “Deana’s new role will touch on many important areas of the university,” said Williams. “She has been very successful in Transylvania’s admissions efforts and will bring her incredible work ethic to my office. She will not only be a great liaison but will contribute to the management and administrative process as well.” “I am honored to have such an incredible opportunity to serve my alma mater and our incoming president,” said Ison, who will officially join the Office of the President August 1, when Williams assumes the presidency. She will continue her role in the admissions office and will work closely with the transition team until that time. Ison is a member of the Kentucky Association of College Admission Counseling, the National Association of College Admission Counseling, the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling and the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers. She has presented sessions at professional conferences and has served on various panels at high schools across the state regarding college admissions. She was awarded the Les Grigsby Award as Kentucky’s Outstanding Admissions Professional

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2010 Governor’s School for the Arts session opens June 20

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Some 225 of Kentucky’s best young artists from 46 counties will assemble on Transylvania’s campus on Sunday, June 20, to begin the three-week 2010 session of the Governor’s School for the Arts. The latest GSA class is comprised of rising juniors and seniors from all regions of the Commonwealth who will receive top-level training through daily seminars, master classes, lectures, hands-on workshops and field trips to various arts attractions in central Kentucky. The student-artists will receive instruction in a total of nine areas. Those disciplines are architecture, creative writing, dance, drama, instrumental music, musical theatre, new media, visual arts and vocal music. Over 4,200 of the state’s most talented high school artists from all 120 counties have attended the 23-year-old GSA summer program following a rigorous selection process. Each year since the program’s inception in 1987, over 1,500 students have applied annually for one of the available scholarships, valued at more than $3,000. Currently, 18 colleges and universities, including Transylvania, offer scholarships to GSA alumni. The program will culminate on Saturday, July 10, with an all-day festival at Transy that celebrates the achievements of the young artists through performances that are open to family, friends and the public. Graduation ceremonies are held at approximately 5 p.m. Transylvania and Lexington have hosted the GSA program annually since 2000 and recently announced an agreement to keep the program on campus at least through 2011. “The presence of the Governor’s School for

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Transylvania awards 240 degrees at Shearer’s final commencement as president

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The class of 2010 gathers on the Beck Center steps for the class photo prior to the commencement ceremony on the lawn of Old Morrison. LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University awarded bachelor of arts degrees to 240 seniors on Saturday in the final commencement ceremony for President Charles L. Shearer, who will retire from the presidency at the end of July after a 27-year tenure in the office. A crowd of friends and family, faculty and trustees looked on from the lawn of Old Morrison as Shearer conferred the diplomas. In delivering the commencement address, he made a point of combining his feelings at leaving office with his devotion to Transy students throughout his tenure, and especially to the class of 2010. “What has given me the greatest joy over the years has simply been knowing students,” Shearer said. “Because I am departing from the presidency, I feel as though I am part of the class of 2010 and that we are graduating together. I am confident that Transylvania has prepared you well to go out in the world and make a difference.” Shearer came to Transylvania in 1979 as vice president for finance and was appointed president in 1983. His 27 years of service is the longest tenure of any president in the history of Kentucky’s oldest college, founded in 1780 as the 16h college in the nation and the first west of the Allegheny Mountains. As he concluded his remarks,

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Transylvania University to go tobacco-free August 1

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—President Charles L. Shearer announced today that Transylvania University will become a tobacco-free campus beginning August 1. “We want to provide the healthiest, safest environment that we can for our students, faculty, staff and visitors,” Shearer said. The new policy will prohibit the use of all types of tobacco, both smoking and smokeless, in all Transylvania buildings and on campus grounds, with the one exception of a small designated smoking area on the southeast corner of the residential side of campus. Transylvania’s current tobacco policy bans smoking in all of its buildings and within 20 feet from entrances and walkways. “While our new policy may be difficult for some, we believe it is the right and best policy for the well-being of all who live and work at Transylvania,” Shearer said. “We are putting the health of our students and employees first by providing a tobacco-free environment and virtually eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke.” The idea was first proposed in early 2009 by Ashley Hinton-Moncer, director of fitness and wellness. Shearer appointed the Tobacco-Free Workplace Advisory Committee, chaired by Hinton-Moncer and consisting of five staff members, two faculty members and two students. Two of the eight members were smokers. The committee conducted a campus-wide survey, set up a Facebook discussion page, held two forums asking the community for its input, then presented several options to Shearer. With the support of his senior staff, Shearer adopted the policy of going

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