Samford students start school year with construction, new buildings

New and returning Samford University students who arrive in late August will know immediately that the campus has been a bustling place during the summer months. 
   
Most noticeable will be the physical changes and construction projects underway. Other changes and enhancements will be evident once classes begin and the academic schedule gets underway.
   
About 638 freshmen from 26 states are expected to arrive Aug. 25 for four days of Connections activity. In keeping with one of the newest campus traditions, the presentation of the Class of 2009 will take place that afternoon on Centennial Walk. The freshmen will be part of an expected total fall enrollment of about 4,300, based on early August figures.
   
The schedule of fun and informative events includes faculty-led small group discussions centered on the theme Journey to Birmingham: Race, Community and Christianity in the Magic City. 
   
The assigned reading material, edited by history professor S. Jonathan Bass, provides new students with an introduction to Birmingham and Samford’s service-learning focus. Wayne Flynt, Samford alumnus and distinguished university professor at Auburn University, will lead the general session Aug. 26. 
   
“Samford students get many chances to work in the community through Communication Arts courses and other opportunities. This theme kicks off the idea of serving,” said Director of Freshman Life Dana Basinger.
   
Even before the official beginning of Connections, 80 entering freshmen will attend Samford Outdoor Summer Adventure during Aug. 21–24. They will travel to Ocoee, Tenn., for white-water rafting, hiking, climbing and other activities designed to provide foundations for a strong community built on trust. 
   
In groups of 10, led by two older students and a faculty member, they will be able to build relationships before books and exams move to the forefront.
   
The freshmen will be joined by returning upperclassmen Aug. 28. A series of Welcome Back events will let students ease back into campus life. Classes begin Aug. 29. All students will attend opening convocation Aug. 30.
   
Several construction projects began in earnest over the summer months. Dust may still be flying as ground preparation proceeds for the new recital hall. Contractor Gary C. Wyatt’s crews began work in June to construct the long-awaited 32,000-square-foot building, located between Samford Hall and the Wright Center. Construction is expected to be completed in July 2006.
   
Cumberland law students, who begin classes Aug. 22, will appreciate a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system in Robinson Hall. The system, installed during the summer, offers greater capacity, distribution and control of heating and air. First-year law students report for orientation Aug. 15.
   
Football fans attending the season opener against Edward Waters College in Seibert Stadium at 7 p.m. Sept. 1 will note the newly installed synthetic surface and a new iron fence system that will provide enhanced security and control of the property. The new artificial turf will cover the entire area inside the track. Football players began practice Aug. 8.
   
A new 320-car parking lot near the west entrance to campus is under construction and will be available by midfall.
   
Design plans are being finalized for a multipurpose 5,000-seat arena that will house indoor athletic functions, offices, training areas and a fitness component. Construction should begin by the end of the fall semester.
   
The relocation of existing tennis courts also will take place during the fall.
   
Inside the classrooms, students will meet new faculty members and administrators, including School of Business Dean Beck A. Taylor. 
   
Taylor, who joined the faculty Aug. 1, was most recently associate dean for research and faculty development for the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He replaces Marlene M. Reed, who had served as acting dean since fall 2003 and retired at the end of the 2005–2006 academic year.
   
New and veteran faculty members will attend a pre-school workshop Aug. 22–23. Herma B. Williams, associate provost at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., and a specialist on diversity and cross-cultural issues, will address the group and lead breakout sessions. Williams is the highest-ranking woman at the largest Christian college in Massachusetts.
   
The faculty workshop and other start of school activities will be the last at Samford for President Thomas E. Corts, who announced in April that he will retire at the end of the 2005–2006 academic year. A presidential search is underway.
   
The academic curriculum includes new subject matter that is on the leading edge in several areas.
   
A new course offering in Islamic studies is designed to help students make sense of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the conflict in the Middle East by understanding Islamic culture. All cultural perspectives classes will tackle the topic.
   
Bioinformatics, a new course that blends biological research and computer sciences, uses computers to analyze large volumes of biological data and build conceptual models.
   
Continuing interest in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) finds faculty from across the curriculum using GIS to analyze such varied topics as the environment, city growth and planning and political movements.
   
For the first time, students in Samford’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy will receive advanced practice experience in Southeast Asia at Hope Clinic, a missionary-run medical facility in Macau. 
   
Four doctor of pharmacy students will be the inaugural participants.
   
The fall calendar offers a variety of speakers, performances and other events. Homecoming, Oct. 27–30, will feature special events and a performance by comedian Bill Cosby Oct. 29. 
   
For more information, call the Samford alumni office at 205-726-2483 or 1-877-SUALUMS. (SU)