@Claflin: Nursing Program, ERD, HBCU Competitiveness Scholars, HBCU Awards and more

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Claflin University's Nursing Program Earns National Accreditation

Claflin University announces that its RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has received accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Board of Commissioners retroactive from October 1, 2018 until June 30, 2024. CCNE Accreditation ensures that the nursing program consistently demonstrates quality in mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, and curriculum and teaching-learning practices. It also establishes that the program is effective in assessment and achievement of program outcomes. These are the hallmark attributes of a high-quality nursing program.

The Board determined that our RN to BSN program met all four accreditation standards and there were no compliance concerns with respect to the key elements for accreditation," said Dr. Shannon Smith, director of the Nursing Department at Claflin. "This is great news for Claflin, the campus community and the state of South Carolina. It also supports the recommendation of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that healthcare organizations increase their BSN nursing staff to 80 percent by the year 2020."

Claflin launched the RN to BSN program in August 2016. A partnership with Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College and The Regional Medical Center provides a pipeline for students to earn their bachelor's degree at Claflin in less than 18 months. Since the program's inception, more than 50 graduates have completed the 100 percent online program and have earned the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. Claflin is the only institution of higher education between Columbia and Charleston, S.C., and the only historically black college/university in South Carolina that offers a bachelor's degree in nursing.

"I congratulate Dr. Smith and Team Claflin on their steadfast commitment to achieving accreditation for the nursing program and their excellent presentation to the CCNE committee," Claflin President Henry N. Tisdale said. "This important national accreditation places Claflin at the forefront of developing and sustaining programs that expand career options for our students and improve the quality of life for residents in our local communities."

"The program's accreditation also is monumental for students who wish to pursue a master's degree in nursing because it helps that they graduated from an accredited program," Smith said. "Very few graduate programs accept students who did not earn a bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university. The CCNE Board of Commissioners were very impressed with Claflin's nursing program including the outcomes and job placement of our students. Their assessment determined that we are providing the appropriate resources and teaching environment that will contribute to producing graduates who will enhance nursing and the delivery of healthcare in Orangeburg and neighboring counties."

Smith's combined experiences in nursing and higher education spans more than 30 years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Adult Health Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of South Carolina. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Health, the American Board of Certification for Gastroenterology Nurses in Gastroenterology Nursing, and the National League for Nursing as a Certified Nurse Educator. She also completed training in online teaching through the University of Phoenix and attained Advanced Online Teaching Certification through the Online Learning Consortium (formerly SLOAN-C).

"We are very proud of what we have achieved in a very short period," Smith said. "A master's in nursing program could be next. We are confident we will achieve our goal of preparing our graduates who will become visionary leaders in nursing and other areas of the healthcare industry."

Make a Reservation to Attend an Early Registration Day

Early Registration Day is designed to introduce all new students and transfers with less than 30 transfer credits to the Claflin University community. You will learn about Claflin University's academic programs, meet faculty members, learn about all of our support services, and make new friends with other incoming students.

As a new member of the Claflin University Family, you are required to attend ONE Early Registration Day. Remaining Early Registration Days are June 22, June 29 and July 13. Click here for a complete schedule and to register.

For more information, call (803) 535-5282.

Claflin University Intensive Residential Camp to Perform Romeo and Juliet, A Hip-Hop Affair

Claflin University is currently hosting its annual Claflin University Intensive (CUSAI) Residential Camp. Funded through the South Carolina Arts Commission's Arts Education Grant, the purpose of the program is to provide high-level artistic instruction to youth entering grades six through 10 in a college environment. The camp will conclude on Saturday, June 22, with a musical theater production of Romeo and Juliet, A Hip-Hop Affair. The production will begin at 2:00 p.m. in W.V. Middleton Fine Arts Center. Admission is free and open to the public.

The camp participants are taking classes led by college professors in acting, art (textile design), dance, music (voice), and video production while preparing for the culminating musical theatre production. Participants are also mentored by college students majoring in one of the artistic disciplines.

"The college students are encouraged to maintain relationships with their mentees beyond the camp in hopes that they will continue their journey to college and major in one the artistic disciplines studied during CUSAI," said Annette Dees Grevious, CUSAI program director and acting professor.

Other professors teaching in the program are Michael Fairwell (Video Production), Tabitha Ott (Art-Textile Design), and Cedric Rembert (Acting). Other teachers from Columbia High School include Jennifer Washington (Music) and owner of LaLa's Dance Academy, La'nequa Ferguson (Dance). College mentors are Tyler Benjamin (dance/music), Myles Coverson-Springs (dance), Nucreatia Gamble (acting), Lauryn Graham (art), Kenyanna Howard (Music), and Djimon Smith (video production).

2019 HBCU Competitiveness Scholars Announced

Tariq Edwards, a junior mass communications major; and Sky Harvin, a senior business administration major, have been selected by The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to serve as a 2019 HBCU Competitiveness Scholar. They are two of 44 students from 34 historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).

Comprised of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, Competitiveness Scholars are recognized for successfully preparing to compete for top opportunities that improve long-term outcomes. Each was nominated and endorsed by their institution President, which itself is an honorable mention. Johnathan Holifield, executive director of the Initiative, said, "The Initiative's watchword is competitiveness and these students are fine examples of the depth and diversity of competitive talent at our institutions. We are honored to recognize them."

Scholars were selected from among several highly distinguished HBCU students chosen based on their academic achievement, campus and civic involvement and entrepreneurial ethos or "go-getter" spirit. In the course of their one-year term, Competitiveness Scholars will learn and share proven and promising practices that support individual and institutional achievement, with the goal of strengthening prospects for career and life success.

Competitiveness Scholars will assemble during the 2019 National HBCU Week Conference, September 8-11 at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel - the theme of which is Enhancing HBCU Competitiveness: Student Achievement. Quality Partnerships. Institutional Performance. They will participate in workshops designed to strengthen their leadership, wealth creation and management and civic engagement and will be encouraged to seek out ongoing personal and professional development in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Competitiveness Scholars are recognized for the 2019-2020 academic school year. Throughout this period, the Initiative will facilitate engagement activities, as well as provide information and resources that scholars can take advantage of or disseminate to fellow students. Scholars are encouraged to fully take advantage of the opportunities provided, engage with one another and showcase their individual and collective talents across the HBCU spectrum.

Competitiveness Scholars will receive their recognition at the HBCU week conference during the Initiative's Excellence in Innovation and Competitiveness Awards luncheon ceremony on September 9.

Claflin University Named as a Finalist in 2019 HBCU Awards

Claflin University was named as a finalist in four categories in the 2019 HBCU Awards. The categories are Best Student Newspaper, Best Nursing Program, Female Athlete of the Year, and Women's Team of the Year. Dr. Dwaun Warmack, president-elect, was also named a finalist in the category of Male President of the Year. The 2019 HBCU Awards will be held on August 2, at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in downtown Baltimore beginning at 7 p.m.

The HBCU Awards is the first and only national awards ceremony honoring individual and institutional achievement at historically black colleges and universities throughout the country. Winners are selected by a panel of previous winners, journalist, HBCU executives, students and alumni for the merit of accomplishment and for generating positive coverage for HBCU campus communities. In 2015, Claflin University was named HBCU of the Year and in 2018, Tiaria Norman, '18, was named Best Female Athlete by the HBCU Awards panel. 2018.

More than 700 nominations were received for this year's nomination process, an event record.

Click here to view the nominations video announcement.

Best Student Newspaper

The Panther serves both as a student newspaper and a laboratory publication of the mass communications department. Its primary focus is covering the university through online stories, photos and video. Once each semester, a special print edition of The Panther is produced, with the publication devoted to a single topic.

The Panther has a solid link with The Times and Democrat, Orangeburg's daily newspaper. Panther contributions appear on the newspaper's pages and at its website with frequency, expanding students' experiences from collegiate to professional media.

Best Nursing Program

Claflin launched its RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program during the 2016 Fall semester. The 100 percent online program is designed to provide an opportunity for nurses with an associate degree to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing while having the flexibility to work fulltime. Claflin's RN to BSN program recently received national accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Board of Commissioners retroactive from October 1, 2018 until June 30, 2024. Claflin is the only institution of higher education between Columbia and Charleston, S.C., and the only historically black college/university in South Carolina that offers a bachelor's degree in nursing.

Female Athlete of the Year

Kayla Cato is a cum laude graduate of Claflin University with a degree in mass communications with a minor in Marketing. She finished a four-year history at Claflin with a batting average of .344 and a slugging percentage of .692. She accumulated 216 runs, 230 hits, including 51 homeruns, and 197 RBIs and 209 stolen bases in 212 attempts. She was named the 2019 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Player of the Year, All-CIAA First Team and to the 2019 CIAA All-Tournament Team. She is also a 2019 Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Softball All-Atlantic Region First Team Selection, a Google Cloud Academic All-District® Softball Team (District 2) selection and was named to the 2019 Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Academic All-America Scholar Athlete Team. She finished the regular season ranked second in sacrifice flies, sixth in RBIs, 21st in total bases and RBIs per game, 30th in slugging percentage and 40th in runs per game in the nation.

Women's Team of the Year

The Claflin University softball team finished the season with a 37-19 overall record and was a perfect 18-0 in its first season as a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The Lady Panthers finished as the 2019 CIAA Tournament Runner-up.

Faculty News

Dr. Anthony Broughton, assistant professor of education, has been selected as the Claflin University First Year Experience Instructor of the Year. Each year Panther STEPS recognizes instructors who have been nominated by students and selected by the committee as Instructor of the Year in various categories (Math, English, UNIV, and Science). The Panther Students in Transition Engaged and Preparing for Success (STEPS) program connects freshmen to resources designed to help them reach their full potential.

Alumni News

On April 27, newly elected officers were inducted into the Claflin University International Alumni Association: President: Bob Miller, '66; Financial Secretary: Gerald Mackey, '74; Assistant Secretary: Estella Rickenbacker, '73; Corresponding Secretary: LaKeisha Barnes, '95; and Chaplain: Rev. Charles Johnson, '66.

On June 18, the Orangeburg County Alumni Chapter conducted the i nstallation of its new officers - Rev. Larry McCutcheon, '72, president; Michael Ellis, '93, financial secretary; and Rev. Johnny Evans, '78, chaplain. Pictured above with the new officers is Rev. Dr. Whittaker V. Middleton, '73, vice president for institutional advancement and Rosa Kennerly-Dance, '71, immediate past president.

Congratulations to Lex Echols, '99, who graduated as a Riley Institute Diversity Fellow at Furman University.

Roman Singleton, '12, was named the 2019 Hampton County District 2 Teacher of the Year and 2019 Estill Middle School Teacher of the Year. Singleton was a part of the Call Me MiSTER program while at Claflin.

The Central Savanah River Area Alumni Chapter is sponsoring its annual $10,000 Reverse Raffle on Friday, July 26, at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion. For more information, please contact Dr. Willie L. Frazier, '75, at (706) 399-6105.