Calendar of Events

Monday, August 4

5:00 p.m.-Evening Orientation (Cordell Conf. Room)

Tuesday, August 5

6:00 p.m.-Evening Student Orientation (Cordell Conf. Room A)

Friday, August 8

6:00 p.m.-Watts/Davis Wedding Rehearsal (Chapel)

Saturday, August 9

8:30 a.m.-Defensive Driving (Cordell Conf. Room C)

9:00 a.m.-Hunter Safety (Cordell Conf. Room A)

3:30 p.m.-Patrick Family Reunion Dinner (Dining Hall)

4:00 p.m.-Watts/Davis Wedding (Chapel)

6:00 p.m.-Run for Love (ABAC Campus)

Sunday, August 10

9:00 a.m.-Patrick Family Reunion Brunch (Dining Hall)

2:00 p.m.-Hunter Safety (Cordell Conf. Room A)

Monday, August 11

Noon-New Faculty Luncheon (Magnolia Room)

Tuesday, August 12

9:00 a.m.-Institutional SAT

11:30 a.m.-YMCA Board of Directors Meeting (Magnolia Room)

1:30 p.m.-Faculty/Staff Fall Conference (Cordell Conf. Room)

6:30 p.m.-Fall Faculty/Staff Social (Dining Hall)

Wednesday, August 13

8:30 a.m.-Faculty/Staff Fall Conference (Cordell Conf. Room)

Thursday, August 14

Today-Orientation

Friday, August 15

Today-Orientation/Registration

6:00 p.m.-Wynn/Kelly Wedding Rehearsal (Chapel)

8:00 p.m.-Joyner/Pearman Rehearsal Dinner (Magnolia Room)

Saturday, August 16

8:00 a.m.-Hunter Safety (Cordell Conf. Room A)

5:00 p.m.-Stansell Birthday Dinner (Dining Hall)

5:00 p.m.-Wynn/Kelly Wedding (Chapel)

Monday, August 18

Today-Fall classes begin

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FOCUS Going to New Format

Beginning in the very near future, this prized publication will be going to an email format. For those of you not on the ABAC campus, please send your email address to pleonard@abac.edu by Aug. 6 to be added to the mailing list for the new FOCUS.

USO Tour Deadline

The deadline is Friday to sign up for the fabulous evening titled An ABAC USO Tour on Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Donaldson Dining Hall. The cost for the evening is $2 per person and will feature homestyle cooking from ARAMARK Food Services, door prizes, singing, dancing, and music making. ABAC’s Flying Stallions led by Eugene Wyles will play Golden 40s and 50s hits. There will also be a jitterbug contest. Entertainment will be provided by outstanding faculty and staff members. Penny Chesnut and her BSU team will provide fun crafts and activities for the kids after the meal. Make your reservation by Friday with Brenda Doss at 386-3489 or bdoss@abac.edu. The event is open to all faculty and staff members and their families.

Fall Conference August 12-13

The annual Fall Conference will be held in the Cordell Conference Room of the Carlton Center beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 12. Motivational speaker Ellen Hester will kick off the event when she speaks on Making Mountains Out of Molehills. The conference will continue at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Three concurrent sessions will begin at 9 a.m. These sessions will touch on a variety of topics including Introduction to Outlook, Campus Information—Procurement, Campus Information—Who Does What, Facts of Life on Financial Aid, and Tenure, Promotion, and Portfolios.

Summer Hours End Friday

ABAC’s summer hours will end on Friday at 3 p.m. Regular hours will resume on Aug. 11. The college will be open on an 8 a.m.-5 p.m. basis, Monday through Friday. Summer hours will return on May 10, 2004.

Move-In Day August 16

All faculty, staff, students, and administrators are invited to assist with the annual Mandala Move-In Day on Aug. 16 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the ABAC Residence Halls. If you can assist, email your name and T-shirt size to Director of Residence Life Bernice Hughes at bhughes@abac.edu. Spouses and children above 12 are invited to assist.

Classes Begin Aug. 18

The first day of class for the fall term will be Aug. 18. Admissions Director Angie Palmer reports that applications are running ahead of the pace for last year.

Vollmer on Commission

President Mike Vollmer is serving on the HOPE Scholarship Study Commission which met for the first time last Wednesday in Atlanta. The group is looking for ways to continue the HOPE Scholarship at its existing level.

Ambassadors Needed

If you know of a student who would be a great applicant for the ABAC Ambassadors program, please have them stop by the Public Relations Office on the second floor of Tift Hall. Applications are now available for the 2003-04 term. The deadline for applications is noon on Aug. 26.

Borrow a Book

The ABAC Bookstore offers a book loan program for employees, their spouses, and their children under the age of 25. Certain restrictions apply, but it is a great way for you and your immediate family to use books from the ABAC Bookstore during the semester. If you have someone attending ABAC this fall semester, check out the book loan program with Bookstore Manager Emory Johnson.

Next FOCUS August 18

The next edition of this prized publication will appear in your boxes on Aug. 18. Please have all information for the FOCUS to the Public Relations Office by noon on Aug. 14. The FOCUS will return to a weekly schedule beginning with the Aug. 18 issue.

ABAC Billboards are Up

Two ABAC alumni have donated space on billboards on I-75 for use by the college. One billboard is located near Cordele, and the other is located near Valdosta.

Electronic Signs Coming

Two electronic signs will be placed on the campus in the near future. The sign project was initiated by the Student Government Association at ABAC. One sign will be located on Davis Road, and the other on Moore Highway. The signs will replace the marquee located at the corner of Davis Road and Moore Highway. The signs will include information on upcoming events around the campus. The electronic signs will be funded from Student Activity funds and by Coca Cola.

New Parking Lot Open

The new Stallion Drive parking lot is now open for business. The lot is located on the east side of Stallion Field. Parking will be at a premium this year at ABAC because of the construction on the new student apartments. Visitor parking spaces will be designated in the paved lot behind the dining hall and also in the new lot at the Ag Sciences Building.

Student Center Hours

The Student Center will be locked from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. beginning on the first day of class on Aug. 18. Vice President for Student Enrollment Services Tom Call said several problems have been reported in the building when it was open longer hours.

Celebrating Birthdays

August

6 Beth Thornton

9 Jewrell Rivers

10 Geoff Clement

10 Sandra Grimsley

10 Gene Sawyer

10 Jared Vickers

10 Kay Weeks

10 Eugene Wyles

11 Jimmy Felton

11 Barbara Wood

12 Jonathan Harrington

12 Sharry Sackor

12 Duane Weeks

15 Joel Bruce

15 Charles Turner

15 Julie Von Hellens

16 Oscar Patton

17 Brenda Keller

17 Donnie Stone

Note of Sympathy

The ABAC Family expresses sympathy to Brenda Sellers whose father passed away on July 29. Sympathy is also expressed to Doug Waid whose sister, Marge LaFond, passed away on July 26. Sympathy is also extended to retired ABAC Dean of Academic Affairs Frank Thomas whose wife, Judy, passed away on July 26. Sympathy is also extended to the family of retired Evans Health Center Director Esteen Castagna who passed away on July 25. Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers.

ABAC Students Can Pay Fees On-Line

Students at ABAC can now pay their fees on-line, thanks to technology that allows the processing of credit card payments on the Web. ABAC has contracted with GeorgiaNet to provide this on-line payment processing. Several other schools in the University System currently use GeorgiaNet.

The new system is now available for student use. Students must pay by the published fee payment deadline, which is 3 p.m. on Aug. 8 for the fall semester, in order to secure their schedule since the on-line payment option will be turned off at the fee payment deadline. Fall semester classes begin Aug. 18 at ABAC.

This new way of paying fees is very convenient for students. Payments can be made after office hours (on evenings and weekends). Also, the on-line payment processor can accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover. Currently, ABAC only accepts MasterCard or Visa. Debit cards cannot be accepted when paying on-line.

Students may access the web payment option through the Web Registration page on Banner Web—the same place they would go to register or view their schedule on-line. ABAC’s web site address is www.abac.edu.

According to Cam Reagin, Director of Business services, on-line payment processing makes it a little easier for students to pay because they no longer need to mail payments, call with a credit card, or come by campus, and they can pay outside of normal office hours.

President Mike Vollmer said this new way of paying fees will definitely be well received by ABAC students.

“We live in a world of ever-increasing technological advances,” Vollmer said. “This new system of paying fees is something that students are definitely going to appreciate. It’s convenient, available 24/7, and best of all, students can avoid long lines at fee payment time. I am grateful to the cooperative efforts of the ABAC Business Office and ABAC Student Support Services for making this new system possible.”

For additional information, contact the Business office at 386-3240.

Care & Concern

Don Coates is recuperating after a recent hospitalization. Katrina Williams is recuperating after minor surgery. Please keep both these members of the ABAC Family in your thoughts and prayers.

ABAC Family

Wanda Golden spoke on the ABAC Nursing Program at the Tifton Rotary Club on July 30.