Friday, December 8
Classes End
Monday, December 18
Convocation
Wednesday, December 20, noon
Fall grades are due. A memo and email to faculty will be forthcoming. For questions, contact Lori Kopf, assistant registrar, at ext. 5288.
Christmas Holidays
The Governor has declared Christmas Eve 2006 a legal holiday to be observed on Friday, Dec. 22, by State employees. Since the University already includes Dec. 22, 2006, as part of its 2006 holiday schedule, the additional holiday will be observed on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006. USC's 2007 holiday schedule is posted at http://hr.sc.edu/benefits/2007holidays.html. Payroll checks for pay period ending December 31, 2006, will be distributed on Wednesday, December 20, 2006, through our normal distribution process.
 December Graduation
The Convocation for the Recognition of December Graduateswill take place on Monday, December 18, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, with graduate and faculty processionals beginning at 6:40 p.m. Directions to the auditorium can be found at www.spartanburgauditorium.com.
If you are planning to participate in the ceremony, please note the following:
- Please plan to arrive no later than 6:30pm.
- Please be dressed in full academic regalia.
- Faculty should enter the Auditorium through the arena entrance (bottom floor, near the old box offices) and proceed into the Arena to assemble for the procession. A graduation marshal will be assigned to the group and will inform you of procedures at that time. PLEASE DO NOT BRING VALUABLES OR PURSES AS THE ARENA AREA WILL NOT BE SECURE.
- The main Auditorium parking lot will be open for all patrons. The surrounding lots are available for parking as well.
You may contact Frances Krydynski at ext. 5221 if you have questions.
Please encourage your students to check the list of December graduates to make sure their names are spelled correctly.
 USC Upstate Plans Convocation to Honor December Graduates
Dr. Sheila S. Breitweiser , president of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, will deliver the graduation address at the Convocation for December Graduates on Monday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. The University expects 400 students to graduate. There’s more to the story …
 USC Upstate Announces Results of 2nd Annual High School Math Contest
The Division of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of South Carolina Upstate hosted its second annual high school math contest on November 11. The Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics won first place, Dreher High School took second, and Spring Valley High School came in third place, in overall scores. Read on to see if this adds up …
 Probation Officers Visit Business Policy Class
Two probation officers with the U.S. District Court recently visited Dr. Faruk Tanyel’s Business Policy Class where they shared their experiences with white collar crime, an industry that costs the U.S. come $300 billion each year. Leigh Harbin Denton, a 1994 graduate of USC Upstate, and Eric Sullivan explained that the cases they dealt with were federal cases and they each supervise approximately 60 offenders at a time.
“Our role is to help people get back on their feet once they have served their time in prison,” explained Denton. “Ninety percent of the people have nothing – no money and no home – when they get out of prison. Once someone falls from grace, it’s hard. Criminal history will follow you for the rest of your life - so if you think something is wrong, don’t do it.”
White collar crime not only costs the victims (businesses and individuals) lots of money, it severely penalizes the offenders. Sullivan gave the example of an offender who had been in prison for 10 years and was lost in a world of the technology advanced. Little things like using an ATM or pumping gas were so different from a decade ago, that he had trouble adjusting to life outside of prison.
Left to right: Dr. Lilly Lancaster, Dr. Faruk Tanyel, Leigh Denton and Eric Sullivan
 The Drakes: A Show Biz Family Tradition
A top situation comedy director paid a visit to the USC Upstate campus on November 27. Jim Drake visited his brother Bill Drake’s class to discuss his 40+ year career in television and film. The Drakes come from a long line of family members in the show business. Their grandfather was in vaudeville and their aunt played the piano for silent movies. In addition to working as an adjunct professor in public speaking at USC Upstate, Bill has been a radio personality for more than 30 years. His daily radio show “Awake With Drake" airs on 103.3FM.
Jim Drake began his career in 1968 with CBS where he worked with many of the journalists who are still with 60 Minutes. From there he worked on two soap operas before going to work with Norman Lear at CBS. His credits there include directing Good Times, All In The Family, Sanford, Facts of Life, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. After branching out on his own, he directed the following TV shows: Newhart, Buffalo Bill, Coach, Golden Girls, Night Court and Dave’s World.
During Jim’s career he has been privileged to work with the likes of Peter Fonda, Ed Sullivan, Burt Lancaster, Bette Davis, Jim Carrey, Jamie Fox and Queen Latifah. Although semi-retired now, Jim still works part-time on the Disney show The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. He is also working with the Directors Guild on a tribute to actor Carl Reiner and will be coming back to the Upstate in the spring to interview George Clooney for a segment of the tribute.
Campus Improvement Projects
The Health Education Complex is one of many new construction and renovation projects detailed in the November 2006 Capital Project Status Report. Download a copy of the report here and get updated on the Athletic Complex, campus entrances, convocation center/arena, the Palmetto Villas, and much more…
 Innovative Enrichment Program Promotes Youth Development – USC Upstate’s Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Leads the Way as Over Achiever Mentors
Boys in the 5th through 8th grades in Spartanburg District 7 schools are benefiting from a new mentor program in its first year in Spartanburg County. The Over Achievers Enrichment Program is partnering the men of USC Upstate’s Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity with the adolescent boys from a school district with a staggeringly high minority drop-out rate, to provide support, guidance and direction for this group of young men as they pursue their educational and personal goals. Want to learn more, including the “Over Achievers Code”? Read the full story here…
Pictured left to right are Levi Gray,Clevon A. Boyd, Trevar Mayes and Adrian Harrison
New Printing Policy Takes Effect in 2007
ITS recognizes that USC Upstate students need to print documents in the course of completing their academic work, which is often contrary to ITS need to promote responsible use of printing on campus. After a considerable evaluation period, ITS will implement a Print Accounting System at the start of the Spring 2007 semester. USC Upstate students pay a technology fee each semester, which is used to maintain existing technology and support improvements and/or upgrades on campus. Campus printing is just one of the many services the student technology fee supports; accordingly, all registered USC Upstate students will have a printing account of 500 copies allocated to them each semester. After the initial allotment of 500 sheets has been used, students may purchase additional copies, in increments of 250 sheets, during the semester at the Information Technology and Services Help Desk and the USC Upstate Office at UCG, Monday through Friday 8:30 am till 5 pm. A charge of 10 cents per page will be assessed to students, the Print Accounting system will charge students one page for black & white copies and two pages for color copies. ITS provides public computer labs in the Media Building, Library, and Palmetto House. Each computer lab includes a black and white laser jet printer, in the ITS computer lab (Media 132) there are both a black and white, as well as, a color laser jet printer. Students will be able to print to the printers in each of these from the lab computers. Many of the Academic Departments provide printing services to students in computer labs, the printers in these labs will be included in print account system as well.
 Arbor Day luncheon with guest speaker Dr. Allan Armitage
Dr. Allen Armitage presented a lively discussion and autographed his books at Friday’s Arbor Day Celebration held in the University Readiness Center for gardening enthusiasts from all over the Upstate.
 Infamous Lady Yang “Women In…” lunch series
The emperor of China couldn’t get enough of her, and neither could the over 40 people who attended the Infamous Lady Yang “Women In …” Women’s Center lunch series. If you missed the presentation by Kitty Rickert, you can listen to the podcast.
  A “window” into the early days of nursing
The Nursing faculty did a fantastic job setting up a turn-of-the-century sickroom for a window display at “A Dickens of A Christmas.” Susan Hodge "visited" the patient on her way to her post as a greeter for the Spartanburg County Historical Association and is seated at one end of the Victorian room. Mary Lou Hodge was head nurse and Barbara McCracken was the patient; they were joined by other faculty later. Their displays highlighted the Mary Black School of Nursing and provided historical information on the pioneer in nursing, Florence Nightingale.
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USC Upstate’s Cyrill Softball Stadium Receives National Turf Award
A Preface Event: Commemoration of Peace 
The ART HOP