The Skyline Newspaper

Photo: World-renowned vocal pedagogue Patrick Mason

Vocalist Patrick Mason to Perform

Patrick Mason, internationally known singer and voice pedagogue, will present a vocal recital as part of the first Sul Ross State University Evening of the Arts, Friday, Sept. 21.

Mason will perform at 6:30 p.m. in Marshall Auditorium. There is no admission charge and the public is invited.

In addition, the Evening of the Arts includes an art exhibition opening in the Main Gallery, Francois Fine Arts Building, 7:30 p.m.; and the play, "The Children's Hour," by Lillian Hellman, starting at 8:15 p.m. in the Studio Theatre.

Mason's long and successful association with Bridge Records was crowned in 2006 when his CD of "The Songs of Amy Beach" was nominated for a Grammy Award. He will present some of Beach's (1867-1944) songs, as well as selections from Broadway and classical selections in other languages and English.

A baritone, Mason has been hailed by critics and audiences for his masterful performances of an enormously wide range of repertoire spanning the last 10 centuries. He studied voice at the Peabody Conservatory with Francesco Valentino and art song with Ellen Mack. His performances and many recordings reveal his broad interest in music of all types and styles. He is also a Berton Coffin Faculty Fellow at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

For more information, contact Dr. Donald Callen Freed, (432) 837-8216 or dfreed@sulross.edu.

New Six Drop Rule for Freshmen

Effective last spring, a student cannot drop more than six courses during the lifetime of their undergraduate enrollment while attending any public institution in Texas.

This policy applies only to persons seeking an undergraduate degree. It does not pertain to graduate education.

Under section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, "an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education."

This statute was enacted by the State of Texas in spring 2007 and applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as first-time freshmen in fall 2007 or later.

Any course that a student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if:

1. the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty;
2. the student's transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and.
3. the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution.

Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to drop a course without having it counted toward this limit, but it is the responsibility of the student to establish that good cause.

Policies and procedures for implementation of this statute are being developed and will be published as soon as they are available.

A Sul Ross State University student affected by this statute that has attended or plans to attend another institution of higher education should become familiar with that institution's policies on dropping courses.

Enrollment Increases

Sul Ross State University's fall semester preliminary enrollment showed a one percent increase, up 20 students from last year.

As of the 12th class day, 1,849 students were enrolled, compared to a final enrollment of 1,829 for the fall semester of 2006. Semester credit hours dipped 1.9 percent, from 20,476 to 20,082.

Class breakdowns showed 508 freshmen, 267 sophomores, 202 juniors, 286 seniors, 45 post-baccalaureate and 541 graduate students.

This fall, 958 female and 891 male students are enrolled, with a total of 1,760 in-state students and 89 non-residents.

Figures fluctuate because some students are dropped for non-payment of tuition and fees. Many pay and are reinstated, but sometimes this occurs after the official reporting deadline.

"Each semester, about 100 students wait until the last minute to pay their tuition and fees," said Dr. David Cockrum, provost and vice president for Academic and Student Affairs.

"We are conducting a major telephone and e-mail reminder to students to have tuition and fees paid on time."

Family Day Sept. 22

Registration is under way for Family Super Saturday, to be held Sept. 22 at Sul Ross State University.

Families of all current and prospective students are invited to tour facilities, meet faculty and staff, enjoy a meal on the Mall and see the Lobo football team in action.

Events include campus tours, a pep rally, barbeque dinner, and a football game between Sul Ross State University and East Texas Baptist University at 3:30 p.m., Jackson Field.

For more information, contact the Sul Ross Counseling and Advising Center, (432) 837-8203 or hcrane@sulross.edu

New Look for "Brand"

"The Brand," Sul Ross's yearbook, is experiencing a complete overhaul, one that staffers and faculty alike hope will reinvigorate interest in and appreciation of the over eighty-year-old publication.

Beginning with the 2008 edition, "The Brand" will go to a soft-cover format with a $5.00 cost per book. Most interesting for students, however, is that the book will be made available free to full-time students who have paid their student fees.

"We want to find a way to make the yearbook more accessible to the student body at large, making the book affordable and easy to acquire," says Dr. Laura Payne Butler, faculty adviser to "The Brand."

The yearbook will be offered to the student body as part of Spring Fling in mid-April. As in the past, it will feature student activities, sports, organizations, and picture references of the student body. The book will be produced on campus and feature color and black-and-white pages.

"We hope to offer students a book that will represent their Sul Ross experience, offering a coffee table quality book which will serve as a year in review in pictures and text," says Payne Butler.

"The Brand" staff includes Brian Mireles, editor, and Rocio Martinez, layout.

The theme for this year's issue is "Staying Connected," focusing on technology and information as it reflects the tradition of Sul Ross students to remain connected to relationships forged while at college.

"One of the main intents of a yearbook is to promote retaining relationships from college, to remind us of the truly unique time college proves to be in our lives," says Payne Butler.

Begun in 1921, "The Brand" has enjoyed several state-wide awards from Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

In recent years, increased costs of producing yearbooks in the traditional, hard-cover format brought the yearbook under scrutiny as to the costs taken on by students, thus decreasing sales, a "problem shared at universities -- both large and small -- across the nation," observes Payne Butler.

"Many universities are in the process of rethinking the yearbook format. Students these days simply cannot afford an expensive book at the end of the academic year."