Faculty and Staff Help Meredith Fund Reach Goal
By Jane Mitchell, Meredith Fund interim director

During the 2004 fiscal year, $664,191.07 was raised for the Meredith Fund. Along with alumnae and friends, Meredith faculty and staff contributed more than $20,000, which helped the College surpass its goal by $39,191.07

Gifts to the Meredith Fund strengthen Meredith College and ensure that bright young women will continue to have the opportunity to experience a Meredith education.

There are a variety of ways to support the Meredith Fund, including the payroll deduction program.

For example, the Division of Student Development chooses an organization each year to support financially, including making a departmental gift in 2002 to the Meredith Fund. Almost every person in the department pledged to make a gift or chose to have their gift deducted from their paycheck through the payroll deduction program. Collectively, the department made a gift of nearly $3,000 to the Meredith Fund.

Heidi LeCount, director of residence life, said, "We definitely wanted to set an example of supporting the College." What better way to support student development than by making a gift to the Fund that supports virtually every aspect of student life on campus?

To find out more about the payroll deduction program, please contact Jane Mitchell, Interim Director, Meredith Fund at 760-8060 or mitchelj@meredith.edu.

Thank you for your support.

Profile: Brent Pitts, Laura Harrill Presidential Award Recipient
By Sterling Winslow, '05

Brent Pitts serves Meredith College as a professor of foreign languages, and as the coordinator of medieval and renaissance studies and the competency testing in foreign language.

Pitts' responsibilities include teaching, advising and mentoring students while still providing service and professional involvement to Meredith. Of his many jobs and responsibilities, he said his favorite part about his job is working with colleagues and students. "Motivating students and helping them implement their good ideas is one of the most rewarding aspects about my job," Pitts said.

Pitts has accomplished many things throughout his time at Meredith, but one of his biggest accomplishments is the relationship Meredith developed with the Université Catholique de l'Ouest in Angers, France. Pitts said, "The relationship has allowed for undergraduate students to study abroad and for an exchange of graduate teaching assistants."

Pitts has many plans for future employees and students of Meredith. He hopes to develop an annual individualized summary of benefits for all Meredith employees in addition to planning a seventh-semester sabbatical for young faculty members. Pitts also hopes to implement video and audio enhancements on Blackboard and video-conferencing studios.

"I hope to create a college testing center and experiment with pilot courses in distance learning," Pitts added.

In addition to all that Pitts does and hopes to accomplish in the future at Meredith he is finishing a major project: a critical edition of a thirteenth-century Apocalypse poem titled "Revelacion" that he started in 1994.

Profile: Heidi Fletcher, Staff Recognition Award Winner
By Sterling Winslow, '05

Heidi Fletcher's efforts to help Meredith College grow and flourish earned her one of the Staff Recognition Awards for the 2003-04 academic year.

Fletcher is the associate director of admissions in charge of recruitment. She has worked at Meredith since 1999. During her five years at Meredith she has planned and implemented recruitment activities. She supervises seven admissions counselors who work with incoming freshmen, transfers and 23+ students. Also she is in charge of overseeing the selection of students for merit scholarships and recruiting international students.

"I seem to do lots of other things too," Fletcher said.

When Fletcher was asked her favorite thing about working at Meredith she replied, "The students!" Fletcher said that she really enjoys working with students during the recruitment phase and staying in contact with students after they are here.

Fletcher says her coworkers may describe her as a friendly, considerate and knowledgeable person. However Fletcher added that they also might describe her as, "just a little bit crazy."

Before becoming a part of the Meredith community Fletcher received a master's degree in anthropology. While working on her degree she spent time living on an Indian reservation in New Mexico and teaching courses at the University of Cincinnati. After receiving her master's degree she worked in the University of New Mexico admissions department. Her experience in admissions created a passion for watching students excel and meet their goals.

Away from Meredith, Fletcher enjoys playing soccer, running, watching independent films and listening to music. Fletcher said that her favorite kinds of music are old school punk and new wave. Also she enjoys watching and cheering for Ohio State University football.

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