Reflections : the official newsletter of Northeastern State University, 11/2012

              REFLECTIONS
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
NOVEMBER 2012
Turner installed as 19th NSU President
“Our time in Tahlequah is another
chapter in our lives. We want NSU to
know that we are committed to this
university,” Northeastern State University
first lady Penny Turner said. “We want to
be involved as much as possible with the
students.”
Prior to his NSU appointment, Turner
served as vice president for administration
and finance and executive assistant to the
president for governmental relations and
economic development at East Central
University in Ada, Okla. Turner began
his career in higher education at ECU
in 1989, serving in many capacities,
including campus police officer, tenured
professor and chair of the department of
human resources.
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education Chancellor Glen Johnson, as
the keynote speaker for the investiture
ceremony, spoke about his experiences
working with Turner.
“It has been my privilege to work with
President Steve Turner when he served as
a member of the senior leadership team at
East Central University,” Johnson said. “I
was very impressed by his dedication to
the mission of both East Central and of
higher education.”
Johnson also acknowledged the
importance of NSU as part of
Oklahoma’s higher education system.
“Today, Northeastern State University
continues to play a very vital role within
our higher education system,” he said.
“That role is as an innovator, a creative
partner and certainly a very dynamic
leader in preparing students here and
students from across our state for
success.”
NSU Provost and Academic Vice
President Dr. William Rugg was the
master of ceremonies and spoke of its
importance to NSU.
“This event, with all its traditions
and rituals, is a time to celebrate our
university and its heritage as we mark
a change in passage in leadership,”
Rugg said. “It is a time to renew our
commitment to the values and goals that
have helped this extraordinary university
thrive for more than a century.”
“Today is a day to remember and celebrate
our past and look to our future with hope
and aspiration about what is ahead,” Dr.
Turner said during his remarks to the
crowd. “Today, we recommit ourselves
to providing a quality education to those
students we serve and to those we will
serve.”
Dr. Turner brought a theme of inclusion
to the ceremony through the musical
choices. The processional song “Home”
by Phillip Phillips was selected by the
student body at NSU.
“America the Beautiful” was performed
in Cherokee by the Cherokee National
Youth Choir. This selection honors a
Cherokee book of hymns originally
interred in the first Cherokee National
Seminary at Park Hill, Indian Territory
on June 21, 1847.
And the recessional song was “Auld
Lang Syne” performed by the NSU
Brass Ensemble. This was the same
song selection performed during the
cornerstone ceremony for the Seminary
Hall on April 25, 1888.
A public reception at the University
Center followed the ceremony.
To watch the investiture of President
Steve Turner on the Web, access
nsuok.edu/investiture.
NSU hosts forums to discuss master plan
To help Northeastern State University
plot its future, students, faculty, staff and
the public were invited to open forums
discussing the institution’s Master Plan in
Tahlequah and Broken Arrow.
During Oct. 8-10, SmithGroup
Behavioral Consulting LLC, Dewberry
architectural and engineering consultants
and Paulien & Associates, Inc. planning
consultants visited the NSU campuses
and led the forums.
“We visited this week to listen and learn
what is great about the NSU campuses
and also to learn the issues – what can be
improved,” said Neal Kessler. “We will
include input from the university and
community with all the other data we
collect to come up with a master plan.”
The Master Plan is NSU’s strategy for
building the physical resources to support
the university’s mission and vision.
Topics of discussion will include contract
approval, construction schedules, data
collection and online outreach.
“This is the first master plan NSU has
ever done,” Kessler said. “These forums
are an opportunity for everyone to pause
and think about what this university
should be in 10, 15 or 20 years.”