Page 18 - Laker Connection 2014

CampusUpdate
Governor Deal Pledges $2.9M to Equip New Clayton State Science Building
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal electrified a standing room-only crowd at the Nov. 14 groundbreaking for Clayton State Univer- sity’s new science building with a pledge to include $2.9 million in next year’s budget to equip the new facility.
Concluding his remarks before a large gathering of Clayton State faculty, staff, students and most of the local state legisla-
tive delegation, Deal noted the importance of the planned $19.8 million building to the training of Georgia’s future workforce, and added that an empty building wouldn’t be of much help to the students.
“I am including $2.9 million in next year’s budget to equip this building,” he then pledged.
According to Dr. Michelle Furlong, chair of the Clayton State Department of Natural Sciences, the funds Deal spoke of will be used mainly for scientific equip- ment for the new building’s 16 labs. In- cluded in the science building’s 64,600 square feet will be eight instructional labs -- five for biology and three for chemistry – and eight research labs, evenly split be- tween biology and chemistry.
The ceremony was held on the site of
the new building, located in the parking lot across from the University’s Laboratory Annex Building. Other speakers for the event, coincided with the beginning of construction, included University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby; Clayton State President Dr. Thomas Hynes; Dean of the College of Arts & Sci- ences at Clayton State, Dr. Nasser Mo- mayezi; Kevin Kuntz, president of the Southeast Division of commercial contrac- tor McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.; and Clayton State Student Government As- sociation President Joshua Davis. Clayton State Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Micheal Crafton served as the master of ceremonies.
Dr. Franklin and Nelson Mandela;
Memories of Commencement Fall 2013
The Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 Commence- ment will long be remembered as a special occasion.
Following the 9 a.m. ceremony high- lighted by the keynote speech of State Sen- ator Jack Hill, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the University honored former Atlanta mayor Shirley C. Franklin at the noon ceremony with the eighth honorary degree granted by the Uni- versity in its 45-year history.
Now as the holder of an honorary Clayton State Doctorate of Public Service, Dr. Franklin (as so-introduced by Clayton State President Dr. Thomas Hynes) pro- ceeded to give a most memorable com- mencement address, basing her remarks to the graduates on the example set by a man she referred to as, “one of the great heroes of the 20th Century,” former South African President Nelson Mandela, who passed away on Dec. 5, 2013, at the age of 95. In-
deed, the spirit of a great man imbued the entire Commencement, as Hynes asked the two full-house audiences to reflect on the memory on Mandela in his introductory remarks before both ceremonies.
Franklin stated that he would be re- membered for centuries to come, because of his perseverance, intellect and vision. She urged some 240 graduates of the col- leges of Arts & Sciences and Information and Mathematical Sciences to recall and follow the example and qualities Mandela exhibited throughout his long life.
Clayton State Sets New
Enrollment Record
Clayton State University is bucking a trend, not just across Georgia, but across the nation.
It has been widely reported that col- lege and university enrollments were down throughout the U.S. for the fall 2013 semester. However, that was not the case at Clayton State. According to Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management & Academic Success Dr. Mark F. Daddona, Clayton State had a record enrollment for the fall 2013 se- mester, 7,263. The previous high mark for enrollment, set during the fall 2012 semester, was 7,146.
The fall 2013 figure marks a 1.6 percent increase from last fall’s record, and includes significant growth in the University’s Dual Enrollment program (from 222 to 347 new students), growth in freshmen enrollment, and total gradu- ate enrollment (332 to 367).Total enroll- ment for the University has increased by 19.4 percent since 2006.
16 THE LAKER CONNECTION