Media exposure among 2007 highlights at CSC

Bolstered by tailback Danny Woodhead of North Platte, who was awarded a second Harlon Hill Trophy as the nation’s outstanding player NCAA Division II, the Eagles posted their second consecutive undefeated regular season and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship. For the second year, CSC advanced to the Elite Eight by earning a first-round bye and winning a game in the NCAA II playoffs.

Woodhead claimed the all-time, all-division rushing record and gained mention by television outlets across the nation, including ESPN and ABC. The Eagles’ game against Nebraska-Kearney was televised by CSTV and was also aired on Altitude and NET2. Scores of national print and Internet media outlets, including Sports Illustrated and the New York Times, also featured stories about Woodhead.

In addition, Liberty Mutual awarded Coach Bill O’Boyle national football coach of the year honors. The announcement was made during a half-hour show aired by ABC on Saturday.

CSC President Janie Park said the exposure has been invaluable for the college.

“We could not buy this kind of publicity,” Park said. “It has created a buzz across the nation.”

CSC enjoyed its second consecutive enrollment increase this fall, marking the first time since 1993 and 1994 that CSC has had two straight years of improvement in that area. In September, the head count was reported at 2,509 compared to 2,483 the previous year. The full-time equivalancy, a figure determined from the total number of credit hours processed, was 1,988 compared to 1,972 in fall 2006. This year’s freshman class was up 10.8 percent.

CSC also received confirmation of the quality of its programs in 2007. In April, a five-person evaluation team from the Higher Learning Commission gave CSC high marks as it found that the institution met all criteria for accreditation and requested no follow up visits. CSC officials noted that only 20 to 25 percent of colleges and universities go through the process with the latter distinction.

The past year also featured a long list of improvements to CSC’s facilities.

Sparks Hall reopened this fall and was dedicated in September following a $2.6 million renovation that included the construction of a 4,700 square-foot addition. It now houses the central administration and its support staff, Human Resources, and the Alumni and Foundation. As administrators moved to Sparks Hall, construction began on a renovation of the Administration Building, which will be used entirely for academic instruction following its completion.

In early November, a set of permanent exhibits dedicated to the Northern Plains beef industry opened in the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. The C.F. Coffee Gallery features exhibits and archival material, including writings, photographs and interpretive maps that detail the development of the cattle trade. Also, a new flag plaza was constructed north of the Math and Science Building. It is named in honor of the late Dr. Art Struempler who was a member of the CSC science faculty from 1965 to 1991.

CSC’s accomplishments in 2007 crossed both figurative and physical boundaries. A relationship was formed with the National Agricultural University of Ukraine in 2007 when more than a dozen CSC personnel visited NAUU in May. The visit resulted in a memorandum of collaboration between the institution. This fall, CSC personnel and others in the Chadron community played host to Kolos, a group of 20 dancers and singers from NAUU. CSC sponsored the group’s tour that included performances in Chadron and eight other locations across the Great Plains.

A number of large donations were given to the Chadron State Foundation during 2007, including a $90,000 gift from the disbanding Chadron Elks Lodge. Billie Snyder Thornburg, 95, of North Platte gave $50,000 to be used for the Coffee Gallery. The college and foundation also began laying the groundwork for a fund-raising campaign that will result in the construction of new facilities for athletics and agriculture.

Brittany Shultz of Scottsbluff was a highlight among CSC’s many student achievements. She was elected president of the Cardinal Key National Honor Society in October.

CSC’s alumni continued to make their mark on society. Among them is Steve Gardiner, a 1977 graduate who was named Montana’s teacher of the year. He teaches English and journalism at Billings High School.

The CSC wrestling team had its best showing ever at a national tournament in March when Brett Hunter of Rushville claimed the 165-pound championship and the team finished sixth in the tourney standings.

The Eagles’ football success wasn’t the only item that drew national media attention. CSC’s unprecedented safety measure of locking down its campus during the community-wide search for five armed robbery suspects also garnered mention by newswriters near and far.

A number of developments at CSC from the past year planted the seed for a promising 2008.

Chadron’s P3 project, which involves students and faculty from disciplines throughout CSC, was selected to compete against teams from about 40 other colleges and universities at the annual Sustainable Design Conference in Washington, D.C., in April 2008. The group, which is being led by CSC geoscience professor Dr. Mike Leite and student Jennifer Balmat, has been studying the fire-impacted resources of the Chadron Creek watershed.

CSC also began a partnership with 17 two-year institutions in the western United States to provide health professions degree completion programs. About half of the institutions are those of the Pima Medical Institute. The first 30 students of the program will begin their studies this month.

The Reta King Library is one of 23 libraries that was selected to host a traveling exhibit about the Lewis and Clark expedition. It will show for six weeks beginning in March.