Attorney and former Oklahoma City police officer Irven Box spoke to Assistant Professor of Social Sciences Paul B. Smith’s American Government class at Seminole State College on Sept. 29. Box, whose nearly six-decade career spans civil rights, civil liberties and criminal law, along with TV legal analysis during the O.J. Simpson trials and coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing case, tied his experiences to the class’s study of the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments.
Seminole State College Professor of Government Jeffrey Christiansen addresses a packed audience during the College’s annual Constitution Day event on Sept. 17 in the Enoch Kelly Haney Center Lecture Hall. Christiansen’s presentation, titled “The Story of the Bill of Rights,” explored the historical roots, drafting and enduring impact of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Seminole State College is enrolling now for its second eight-week session. Classes begin Oct. 13, and run through Dec. 13. Enrollment remains open through Wednesday, Oct. 15.
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Seminole State College has hired Paul B. Smith, J.D. and Dr. Brenda Prochaska as Assistant Professors in the College’s Social Sciences Division. Smith, a former District Attorney for Oklahoma’s 22nd Judicial District, will help the College prepare to launch an Associate in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies in August 2026.
Smith served as District Attorney for District 22 — which includes Seminole, Hughes and Pontotoc counties — from January 2017 to January 2023. He previously held leadership roles in the office, including First Assistant District Attorney and Chief Prosecutor beginning in 2011, and Assistant District Attorney from 1990 to 2011.
During his tenure, Smith prosecuted major felony cases across the district, including a 2017 “no-body” child-abuse murder case — a homicide pursued without the victim’s remains — that drew state and national attention. He also led or participated in appellate and policy work related to jurisdictional changes following McGirt v. Oklahoma. He was admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018, authorizing him to file briefs and appear before the court.
Continue reading “SSC Expands Social Sciences Division, Aims to Launch Paralegal Program”
Seminole State College has selected 26 freshmen students for Class XIX of the President’s Leadership Class.
The leadership students, along with their parents, attended a reception held at the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum on Tuesday, August 26.
SSC President Lana Reynolds opened the evening with a warm welcome to students and their families. Members of the college’s Administrative Council then shared insights about their departments and how they contribute to student success. Speakers included Dr. Bill Knowles, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs; Melanie Rinehart, Vice President for Finance, Grants & Enrollment; Jessica Isaacs, Dean of Instruction; and Marc Hunter, Director of Information Technology and Chief Information Security Officer.
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Seminole State College will welcome incoming students and their families to campus for New Student Orientation on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Jeff Johnston Fine Arts Auditorium.
The annual event is designed to help students transition into college life, connect with campus resources and start the semester with confidence.
The day will begin at 11 a.m. with a joint welcome for students and parents in the Jeff Johnston Fine Arts Auditorium. At 11:30 a.m., parents will move to Social Sciences Room 104 for a session titled Financial Aid 101, while students remain in the auditorium for Slay the Classroom, a presentation on utilizing campus technology and tips for academic success.
At 12:20 p.m., students and parents will reunite in the auditorium for Know Your Resources = Know Your Power, a session focused on student support services and tools available to help them succeed.
From 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., attendees are invited to enjoy free snacks and socializing in the Boren Library.
“This orientation is a great opportunity for students to meet faculty and staff, ask questions, and get comfortable with our campus before classes begin,” SSC Student Support Services/SSS STEM Director Jana Wilson-Byrd said.
For more information, contact Wilson-Byrd at j.wilsonbyrd@sscok.edu. Classes begin at SSC on Aug. 18 and enrollment remains open through Aug. 22.
With classes beginning on Aug. 18 and enrollment open through Aug. 22, Seminole State College will offer extended office hours in the Walkingstick Student Services Building to provide students and prospective students additional opportunities to complete enrollment and prepare for the semester. Extended hours will begin Saturday, Aug. 16, and continue through the first week of classes.
To accommodate busy schedules, SSC will keep the admissions office, advising offices, financial aid office, testing center and SSC Bookstore open beyond regular business hours. The extended schedule includes Saturday, Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., which also serves as Student Orientation Day. From Monday, Aug. 18 through Thursday, Aug. 21, offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Friday, Aug. 22, the hours will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Seminole State College has released the names of honor roll students for the 2025 summer term. A total of 179 students were recognized for their academic achievements.
The Summer Honor Roll is comprised of students who successfully completed six or more credit hours in the summer term and maintained a 3.5 grade-point-average or above.
Students named to the Summer Honor Roll include (listed by hometown):
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Seminole State College’s Upward Bound federal grant program hosted a series of summer camps and trips for nearly 160 area high school students, offering academic enrichment, college readiness and cultural experiences.
Approximately 125 students who recently completed their 9th through 11th grade years participated in a residential camp on the SSC campus from May 27 to June 26. These students attend 20 partnering high schools, including Bowlegs, Butner, Earlsboro, Holdenville, Graham-Dustin, Macomb, Maud, New Lima, Okemah, Paden, Seminole, Shawnee, Strother, Stroud, Tecumseh, Varnum, Weleetka, Wetumka and Wewoka.
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