2013 Star Artists Juried Exhibition Opening at CBU Gallery

Posted on February 7, 2013

The Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery at Christian Brothers University (CBU) announces the opening of the 2013 Star Artists Juried Exhibition presented by the Memphis/Germantown Art League (MGAL). The collection will be available for viewing beginning Friday, February 22 with an opening reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the gallery on the lower level of the Plough Memorial Library. The exhibit runs through April 12.

The Star Artist Exhibition will feature the work of active MGAL members with Star Artist Status whose pieces were submitted, judged and chosen specifically for this exhibition. The juror for the exhibit is Pamela Hassler who has spent most of her career as an abstract artist with an extensive list of exhibits and is a CBU adjunct faculty member. Of the selected works, awards will be given for Best of Show, second place, third place and honorable mentions which will be available for viewing during the exhibition.

Memphis/Germantown Art League was organized on August 16, 1976 as the Germantown Art League. The group was chartered on June 22, 1977 as a nonprofit Tennessee corporation and in May 1988 its name was changed to MGAL in recognition of the wider geographical distribution of its members. Today, MGAL’s membership encompasses the mid-south area including nearby communities in Mississippi, Arkansas and western Tennessee.

Join CBU in celebrating this nonprofit organization of visual artists and associates supporting the work of its member artists in their professional growth and artistic development.

This exhibit is free and open to the public. Hours for the Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery are as follows: Monday-Thursday, 7:45 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, CLOSED; and Sunday, 1:00-11:00 p.m. For additional information call (901) 321-3243 to verify, or visit the website at www.cbu.edu/gallery. For information on the Memphis/Germantown Art League, visit www.mgal.org.

Posted in Exhibits, Press Releases

CBU Celebrates Black History Month Brother Terence to share memoirs from Silent Acceptance

Posted on February 4, 2013

Brother Terence to share memoirs from Silent Acceptance

Christian Brothers University (CBU) will host the following events on campus for the community to celebrate Black History Month during February.

Thursday, February 14, 1:00 p.m. in Spain Auditorium
Brother Terence McLaughlin, FSC, Christian Brothers College President from 1962-64, will share accounts of his newly released book, Silent Acceptance. This book describes the story of a young black man who seeks to enroll as a student in Christian Brothers High School, an all-white Catholic school in 1963 in the two-culture city of Memphis, and the school’s willingness to break ranks with the city’s cultural code to welcome him. Join Brother Terence as he reflects on 50 years ago as Jesse Turner, Jr. entered CBHS – “education by association.”

Tuesday, February 19, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in the Alfonso Dining Hall
Soul Food Day & Art Exhibit will celebrate heritage and art as members of the CBU community and the Memphis area display some of their artistic pieces celebrating the past, living in the present, and embracing the future. After the art exhibit, Aramark Food Service will provide a spread of soul food to enjoy.

Wednesday, February 20, 1:00 p.m. in Spain Auditorium
History of Negro Spirituals- An examination of Negro spirituals will be presented by Elaine L. Turner, owner of Heritage Tours. Special musical selection will be performed by Karen Conway-Barnett, Dean of Students, and Dr. Mary Ogilvie, Biology Professor.

CBU invites the community to participate in these celebrations. All events are free and open to the public. For more information about these Black History Month events, contact Karen Conway-Barnett at kconway@cbu.edu or (901) 321-3536.

Posted in Events, Exhibits, Press Releases, Student Life

CBU Names Ware Director of Career Services

Posted on February 1, 2013

Amy Ware has been appointed as the new Director of Career Services at Christian Brothers University (CBU). Ware will lead the University’s commitment to assist all CBU students and alumni at every stage of their personal career development journey with successful job/internship and graduate school placement opportunities, and will be working in collaboration with the Alumni Office.

Ware comes to CBU from Rhodes College where she last served as Associate Director of Career Services and brings more than a decade of experience in career services, employer relations and academic advising. Ware has also worked as Assistant Director of the Career Center at the University of Georgia, a Graduate Assistant at the University of Memphis, and is an Adjunct Instructor of Psychology and College Survival & Study Skills at Mid-South Community College. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Science in Counseling and Student Personnel Services from the University of Memphis.

“As the new Director of Career Services at CBU, I am excited about the opportunity to develop new programs and initiatives, new connections, and new internship and employment opportunities for CBU students,” says Ware. “As Career Services begins a new chapter at CBU, I look forward to collaborating with the entire CBU community in preparing CBU students for success.”

At the top of Ware’s immediate agenda for 2013 is the establishment of a Career Services Alumni Advisory Board, a “Careers In” Panel Series that will allow students to hear from professionals in a variety of career fields in order to explore various career paths, Career Networking Socials to provide a more informal way to connect CBU alumni with students, and the Winter/Spring Break Externship Program designed to provide students with a realistic view of a career field while helping them clarify their career interests during the academic winter and spring breaks.

Stephen Crisman, Vice President for Advancement notes, “With Amy onboard leading the integration of Career Services with the Alumni Office, CBU will be better equipped to support our students as they transition into their careers. CBU has a wide network of alumni and friends in the professional community who are already hiring our graduates, and with Amy’s energy and dynamic approach, we will enhance our ability to help our outstanding students transition into successful – and dedicated – alumni.”

To learn more about CBU’s Career Center Services, visit www.cbu.edu/career or call (901) 321-3331.

Posted in Advancement, Alumni, Faculty & Staff, Press Releases

CBU in DC– Tavares Mondrell Floyd (History & Political Science ’13) and Mary Catherine Hogan (Education ’13) Share Highlights of the Adventure of a Lifetime

Posted on February 1, 2013

Among those attending President Barack Obama’s 2nd Inauguration on January14, 2013 were Christian Brothers University seniors Tavares Mondrell Floyd (History & Political Science, (’13) and Mary Catherine Hogan (Special Education, (’13). Their actual arrival in Washington D.C. culminated weeks of planning.

Persevering for weeks, Floyd secured two tickets to the Inauguration from Congressman Stephen Fincher, U.S. Representative for the 8th District of Tennessee. Next, came two tickets to the Tennessee State Society Inaugural Ball secured through Courtney Hubbard, president of the Society. Floyd and Hogan agreed to live-tweet their experience so that the rest of the CBU community could follow them along their adventure. They began tweeting days before they left the Memphis International Airport and excitement built within the CBU community. So after weeks of pursuing a dream to attend the President’s Inauguration, two very excited students were bound for D.C.

Calling this a phenomenal experience, Floyd and Hogan travelled to Washington D.C. where they were provided housing at St. Paul’s College courtesy of the Christian Brothers who also made sure that they had accurate directions to navigate the city. Finally, the Inaugural Day arrived which they described as emotional and just a warm feeling despite the frigid weather. They were struck by the President’s optimism for the country in his speech and were inspired to continue living the CBU values of faith, service and community.

Arriving back on campus, Floyd and Hogan agreed to further share their experiences via video. In this video, they tell us a bit more about the trip of a lifetime! To see highlights of their live-tweets, take a look at: http://storify.com/fromcbu/cbu-in-dc.

Posted in Lasallian, Student Life

CBU Hosts DECA Competition

Posted on January 28, 2013

CBU-DECA

Christian Brothers University hosted more than 300 high school students who participated in the annual Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) competition for District 1, Tennessee.

Christian Brothers University (CBU) hosted the annual Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) competition for District 1, Tennessee, on Friday, January 25. More than 300 high school students competed in different occupational events including accounting, business administration, finance, hospitality, retail, sales and services.

DECA competition allows high school students to master real world cases and learn the inner workings of business operations. This year’s competitions consisted of role-plays and presentations judged by local business owners, business students, faculty and staff from CBU, and DECA state representatives.

“CBU was honored to host the DECA competition for District 1, Tennessee this year. With more than 300 high school students, all with a shared passion for marketing and business, it was a great fit with our School of Business,” stated Dr. Bev Vitali, CBU Associate Professor of Management/Marketing/Economics. “In fact, we were so excited to host the event we got our business students and members of Delta Sigma Pi, CBU’s business fraternity, involved in judging, giving tours, and volunteering throughout the day. It was a great opportunity for CBU faculty and students to share our beautiful facilities with these talented high school students and give back to the community.”

DECA is an association of marketing students who come together to gain knowledge and awareness of careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management, and prepare themselves as emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. Since it was founded in 1946, DECA has impacted the lives of more than 10 million students, educators, school administrators and business professionals. Through the mission of DECA, students learn to be academically prepared, community oriented and professionally responsible leaders that leave valuing competence, innovation, integrity and teamwork.

For more information about the business programs offered at CBU, visit www.cbu.edu and for more information on DECA, visit www.deca.org.

Posted in Events, Press Releases

CBU Announces New Master of International Business

Posted on January 11, 2013

Students study both in Memphis and Barcelona, Spain

Christian Brothers University (CBU) is offering a NEW Master of International Business (MIB) degree beginning January 2014. This specialized degree is designed to prepare graduates for global careers in domestic or foreign business entities and to conduct business on an international basis. Graduates will gain an understanding that the future of American business is dependent on the global markets as well as the ability of American businesses to compete with foreign businesses in those global markets.

The MIB is a dual degree program in which graduates will earn a Master of International Business from CBU as well as a Master of International Business from Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain which is a member of Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. This 12-month program, offered in executive format, is geared towards professionals with prior master’s education (such as MBA, MS in Accounting, etc.) who want to give their knowledge a more global perspective.

The program has three delivery components:

  1. Every other Saturday, students will meet on the CBU campus and cover content in the global environment, international culture, research, marketing, economics and finance.
  2. Hybrid online and in-class format taught by faculty in Spain through Obierta LaSalle University; manage simulated company through a series of projects to make it international.
  3. International immersion in Barcelona, Spain where students will spend 10 classroom days learning about Europe from a socio-economic perspective, cross-cultural negotiations, ethics, governance, quality and other topics from a multi-national perspective from the faculty of Ramon Llull University. Site visits and tours will be conducted with businesses that have operations both in Spain and in the U.S.

“The CBU Master of International Business degree will allow students to deepen their understanding of international business practices through relevant applications of practices as necessary to succeed in today’s international marketplace,” said Dr. Scott Lawyer, Director of Graduate Business Programs and Associate Professor. “The program is also focused on developing the student’s leadership, as well as their interpersonal and communication skills while developing a network of invaluable contacts and relationships for today and the future. The staff of the MIB program welcomes your inquiries and thoughts on our newest program.”

For those interested persons who do not already have a MBA or other graduate degree in business, CBU is now offering a dual MBA/MIB opportunity. Within a 28-33 month period, a person can earn both degrees, an MBA and MIB from CBU as well as a second MIB from Ramon Llull University. They would take 27 credit hours of the MBA program following the one night-per-week format; and finish the MBA program by taking nine hours of MIB program courses that count dually. Then, complete the MIB program following the same delivery format outlined above.

Tuition for both programs includes the cost of books, meals, materials, and hotel accommodations for the two week immersion in Barcelona (4 star hotel).

For more information on both of these new programs, contact Dr. Scott Lawyer at mlawyer@cbu.edu or Hayley Isaac at hgil@cbu.edu or visit www.cbu.edu/business.

Posted in Academics, Adult Professional Studies, Press Releases, School of Business

MLK Day Celebration at CBU

Posted on January 2, 2013

Ann Sullivan to Present “Civil Rights Icon: Fighting for Change”

Christian Brothers University (CBU) will honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with three special events including the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest on January 9; the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration with guest speaker, Ann Sullivan, on January 10; and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (with Rhodes College) on January 12.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration with guest speaker, Ann Sullivan, will be held Thursday, January 10 at 1:00 p.m. in Spain Auditorium on the CBU campus. Sullivan, will address the audience on the topic of “Civil Rights Icon: Fighting for Change.” The program will also feature special musical selections by the “Peace Makers” from the Memphis Police Department and the CBU Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest winner’s recitation of his or her award winning speech in memory of Dr. King.

Sullivan, who grew up in a segregated community in the 50’s, became aware of segregation and got a glimpse of the injustice and inequality among the African American race during her high school years. At that time, she vowed to take an active role in Civil Rights by participating in sit-ins, marches and voters’ registration drives.  Since then, she has been committed to ensuring equality for all human beings.

For over 23 years, Sullivan has worked as an administrator, both in the private and public sectors. In addition, she is active in the Memphis community by serving on the Board of Directors for the Porter/Leath Children’s Center, the Cooper Young Business Development and Sully Corporation. Sullivan is also a volunteer with Facing History and Ourselves, where she serves as a resource person for individuals who teach on a variety of discriminations.

Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sullivan believes that “everybody is equal,” and that the only way people are going to live in harmony is to recognize that we are more alike than we are different.

The Oratorical Contest, featuring 5th and 6th graders from various Jubilee Schools, will take place Wednesday, January 9, at 6:30 p.m. in Spain Auditorium on the CBU campus. Students will be judged on creativity, content and how well the speech reflects their chosen theme. Each student will receive an award with special recognition for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is being held with Rhodes College and will take place on Saturday, January 12 from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at the Bryan Campus Life Center on the Rhodes campus. The event will begin with opening remarks from Mayor A C Wharton, Jr.

These events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Karen Conway-Barnett at kconway@cbu.edu or (901) 321-3536.

Posted in Uncategorized

President Smarrelli Joins 170 University Presidents in Call for Gun Safety Legislation

Posted on December 20, 2012

Christian Brothers University (CBU) President Smarrelli has joined 170 university presidents in an open call for gun safety legislation. The initiative was spearheaded by Presidents Lawrence M. Schall of Oglethorpe University and Elizabeth Kiss of Agnes Scott College, both in Atlanta, Georgia, who released an open letter, co-signed by more than 170 college and university presidents from across the country.

The effort was started by Dr. Schall and joined shortly thereafter by Dr. Kiss. The support was gathered in just a few days and the numbers continue to grow.

“We are parents and grandparents first, but we are also educators of America’s children. Our country was devastated by the recent events in Connecticut, yet the murder rate by guns in this country has been at an unconscionable level for a very long time. I just think everyone now realizes it is time to do what we can to try to reverse this tragic trend. We all know the answer is not simple and that no single action will accomplish that goal, but that cannot be a reason for inaction.” – Dr. Lawrence M. Schall, on his opinion about why so many colleagues joined in the effort.

For more information on the initiative, take a look at www.collegepresidentsforgunsafety.org

Posted in Faculty & Staff, Student Life

RN to BSN Program at CBU Receives Grant

Posted on December 19, 2012

The Christian Brothers University (CBU) RN to BSN Nursing Program has been awarded a $12,100 grant from The Promise of Nursing for Tennessee Nursing School Grant Program administered by the Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association. The grant will enable CBU’s Nursing Program to develop and offer an online training course for the Congregational Health Network.

The Congregational Health Network (CHN) is a covenant relationship between Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare hospitals, Mid-South congregations, and community health organizations. The CHN serves a network of nearly 500 congregations and faith communities, helping members navigate the journey from home to medical care and back.

The RN to BSN Program at CBU has partnered with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare to provide their nursing students the opportunity to fulfill their clinical requirement while serving in the Congregational Health Network. In doing so, students earn invaluable real-world experience working within the diverse congregations and communities of Memphis. CBU is the only nursing program associated with the Congregational Health Network.

In order to participate with the CHN, nurses must complete a 14 hour training session. Attending this training in person is often a burden for CBU nursing students, who work full time in addition to attending classes. The grant from The Promise of Nursing for Tennessee Nursing School will enable CBU to develop an online version of the course that can be accessed at any time and completed at a student’s chosen pace.

Funding for the grant program was contributed by several hospitals and health care agencies in the Tennessee area, by Johnson & Johnson, and by national companies with an interest in supporting nursing education. The funds were raised at a Gala Fundraising Event sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.

For more information on the RN to BSN Nursing Program at CBU, call (901) 321-3291 or visit www.cbu.edu/nursing.

Posted in Academics, Adult Professional Studies, Advancement, Press Releases, School of Sciences

Woodturners Guild Exhibit Opening at CBU Gallery

Posted on December 13, 2012

The Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery at Christian Brothers University (CBU) is proud to feature the opening of a woodturning collection of the Mid-South Woodturners Guild. The collection will be available for viewing from January 11 – February 13 beginning with an opening reception Friday, January 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the gallery on the lower level of the Plough Memorial Library.

This exhibit is dedicated by the Mid-South Woodturners Guild to the loving memory of Joan Kelly, who was a member and past Officer of the Board. Kelly coordinated the 2007 exhibit “Beneath the Bark” which was featured in the Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery and began initial dialogue for the permanent collection which exhibited in 2008. Kelly was one of six artists who donated their work to the permanent collection which includes nine hand-made, one-of-a-kind art objects.

The Mid-South Woodturners Guild is a local chapter of the American Association of Woodturners. The AAW is an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the woodturning craft.  Its mission is to provide information, education, a meeting place, and an effective organization for all who are interested in turning wood.

This exhibit is free and open to the public. Hours for the Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery are as follows: Monday-Thursday, 7:45 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, CLOSED; and Sunday, 1:00-11:00 p.m. For additional information call (901) 321-3243 to verify, or visit the website at http://cbu.edu/library/hours.html. For more information on the Mid South Woodturners Guild, visit www.midsouthwoodturners.com.

Posted in Events, Exhibits, Press Releases