TROY News Center

TROY – Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley will provide the keynote address to Troy University’s largest-ever spring commencement exercise on May 10.

This spring’s graduating class includes some 915 students who have filed intents to graduate, among those some 825 from the Troy Campus alone. In all, about 650 students representing 27 states and 14 countries will take part in the ceremonies.

Commencement exercises will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Trojan Arena, and will require a ticket for entry. Graduating students will receive instructions on how to obtain tickets for families and friends.

Gov. Bentley was elected Alabama’s 53^rd governor in 2010 on his promise not to accept a salary until the state reached full employment, calculated to be a 5.2 percent unemployment rate. As a result, his administration has keyed on new job creation and has seen a drop from 9.3 percent in January 2011 to 6.9 percent in January 2013. Gov. Bentley surpassed his goal of creating more than 10,000 new jobs for Alabamians in his first year in office. As a result of his efforts and his leadership, more than 17,200 new, future jobs were announced by the end of 2011. In 2012, companies in Alabama announced 20,847 new jobs, bringing the total number of jobs added to more than 38,000 in the first two years of the Administration.

Gov. Bentley has led legislative efforts to increase incentives for new businesses and industry, to protect consumers by controlling the rising cost of homeowners insurance in the state, to reform the state’s pension system and to streamline government services and reduce spending. 

Gov. Bentley is committed to saving Alabama taxpayers $1 billion over the next four years by “right-sizing” state government.

Prior to becoming governor, Dr. Bentley served two terms in the Alabama House of Representatives, serving from District 63. He was born and reared in Shelby County and graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He established a dermatology practice in Tuscaloosa in 1974, and, under his leadership, Alabama Dermatology Associates grew to become one of the largest such practices in the Southeast.

Gov. Bentley co-chairs the Governor’s Task Force on Prescription Drug Abuse through the National Governor’s Association. He also serves on that organization’s Economic Development and Commerce Commission. He is the incoming chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.

He and his wife of 47 years, Dianne, have four sons and six granddaughters.

Gov. Robert Bentley

ATLANTA – Troy University will open its doors to Atlanta-area students and prospective students for a free seminar on the importance of accreditation in higher education.

Led by Dr. Hal Fulmer, the University’s dean of undergraduate and first-year studies and associate provost, the seminar begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 2 in Sandy Springs at 1117 Perimeter Center West, Suite N101. Seating is limited and registration is recommended online at http://trojan.troy.edu/globalcampus/sites/atlanta/. The event will be streamed online for those who are interested but are unable to attend. Registration for the online event is also available at the same address.

“Given the current economic climate and job market, many are turning to higher education as a way to improve their own marketability,” said Bill Glisson, district director for TROY’s Atlanta District. “With the recent influx of collegiate options in Atlanta, many are unaware of the various accrediting bodies, what they mean, and how it affects the education they may receive at a given school. More importantly, many are unaware of the outcomes they may face if they pursue an education at a school that does not hold accreditation by a recognized accrediting body.”

Dr. Fulmer has extensive experience in the area of accreditation, having served as a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) leadership team for the University’s successful reaffirmation of accreditation in 2007 – 2010, and a member of the University’s SACS steering committee 2002-2003.

“Understanding accreditation in higher education is an important part of earning a college degree.  What accreditation means, how it happens and why it is so significant are questions that any prospective college student—and college graduate—needs to understand.  Accreditation is all about the integrity and value of a student’s higher education,” Dr. Fulmer said.

TROY – Troy University’s efforts at sustainability reach even downed limbs on the Troy Campus.

The University is highlighting Earth Week 2013 with a series of events designed to promote environmental awareness and recycling, in cooperation with KW Plastics and City of Troy.

Many efforts – from lighting considerations, to construction to grounds management – include specific steps aimed at reducing the campus’ carbon footprint, said Mark Salmon, director of the University’s Physical Plant.

“We are working to look at ways we can be more sustainable in every process we have,” he said.

One of those processes deals with limb debris removal on the campus, and has become a boon to fireplace owners in the city.

“We’re cutting and stacking firewood. It’s incredible to see the reduction in our waste stream caused simply by cutting debris into firewood length, stacking it and putting up a small sign that says ‘Free Firewood’,” he said.

For the past several years, the University has chipped limbs under six inches, stockpiling the results for use as mulch in flowerbeds on the campus. What was too big for the chipper was hauled away.

“Not only is the University saving transportation costs and landfill costs, its reducing the waste stream going into landfills,” Salmon said. “Everybody loves firewood, and we’re finding better uses for the debris than what we were before.”

Other shifts in debris management include using some of it in erosion control measures around the campus.

“We’re reclaiming this for use on campus and its finding its way back into the ecosystem rather than being dumped in a landfill,” he said. “It’s a move that makes sense financially and ecologically.”

TROY – An internationally acclaimed Chinese martial arts troupe from Beijing will bring their kung fu show to Montgomery and Troy this week, hosted by the Confucius Institute at Troy University.

The group will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25 in Sartain Hall on the Troy Campus, and at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26 in Davis Theatre on the Montgomery Campus. Both shows are free of charge, but tickets are required for the Davis Theatre performance. They may be acquired at the theater.

Tickets are also available at the Confucius Institute office at 307 Whitley Hall; King Buffet at 2727 Bell Rd., Seoul Market at 1841 Eastern Blvd., and at Hibachi Sushi Buffet at 181 Eastern Blvd.

No admission tickets are required for the Sartain Hall performance.

The Confucius Institute at Troy University is the only such institute in Alabama with a state-wide mission to promote language, cultural and economic development exchange.

TROY – Troy Campus students will have an opportunity to put their Lego skills to the test in the Hungry for a Change campaign's Can Castle Contest on Wed., April 24.

Eighteen of this year's Office of Student Services and Civic Engagement Civic Scholars will lead a Can Castle Contest on the Quad from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m., as the culmination of a number of service learning activities seeking to address hunger these past few months.

Student teams involved in the event will bring their group's collected canned goods and build can the castles, which will then be judged on soundness of structure, creativity, use of materials, theme and overall appearance. Three teams will be chosen as Best Overall, Runner-up, and Collecting the Most Cans awards. All winning teams will receive a plaque and have items donated in their name.

The students are hoping to collect at least 6,000 canned food items to deliver to local food banks. Currently, 27 business and community partners have pledged to donate at least 100 cans apiece and the students say they hope to more cans at Wednesday's event, said Jonathan Cellon, a coordinator of learning initiatives who’s helping with the event.

On Friday, the collected food items will be sorted by local middle-school students during TROY’s annual Civic Leadership Day. The items will then be delivered over the course of next week to six Pike County food banks, including the Salvation Army, the Salem-Troy Baptist Association, Christian Mission, Head-Start and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

Alabama is the nation’s seventh poorest state, and the nation’s second hungriest state. In Pike County, 30 percent of families - and 38 percent of children - live below the poverty line.

Anyone interested in donating to the drive should bring canned food donations to the Quad on Wednesday, or call Jonathan Cellon at 334-808-6349 by Thursday, April 25 to arrange for pickup.