Rampage Magazine April 2022

26

The Rampage

Employee Features

Dr. Cindy Bascom:

by Andrea Stinson Sports Communication • 2023 A Spiritual Inspiration to All

There are many ways to describe a person of faith. You must be dedicated, kind, gracious, hopeful, accepting, and truthful. Bluefield University’s Dr. Cindy Bascom is all that. And if you spend much time with her, you might even add to the description a beautiful smile in your heart and on your face because that’s something else Dr. Bascom always has.

she claims “Bluefield University saved my life when they hired me,” but little did the university know at the time just how much of an impact she was going to make on students and faculty. “Dr. Bascom serves Bluefield University students with a deep sense of commitment to excellence in oral communication,” said Dr. Marshall Flowers, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “She mentors her advisees with a quest for developing the whole person intellectually, socially, and spiritually. Her students are often campus leaders in athletics, in SGA and The Rampage. Dr. Bascom exemplifies a contagious spirit, a commitment to Christ, and a compassion for others.” During her 17 years with BU, Dr. Bascom has served as a professor and chair of the Department of Communication. She created the current Communication major with three concentrations. She is also co-creator of the Graphic Communication major and founder of the American Sign Language program. In addition, as a result of her love for traveling, she has participated in the China faculty exchange program and a Salzburg (Austria) Global Seminar. And while Bluefield has played a part in some of her travels, she has taken many personal trips around the world to India, Hong Kong, Cuba, China, the Philippines, Austria, Costa Rico, Singapore, and Thailand. “I want to take a train ride through the Canadian Rockies,” said Dr. Bascom about her travel plans once she retires. “I want to work in my garden and visit my elderly parents more often.” Dr. Bascom’s tenure at Bluefield also includes the creation of the Valena May Parson’s Scholarship for Communication students. In addition, she was named Educator of the Year by BU students in 2005-2006, won the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2011, and was named an Honorary Alumna in 2020.

Photo by Nathan LePere .

Dr. Bascom is a longtime professor of communication at Bluefield University who will be retiring at the end of the 2021- 2022 academic year. Above all, she says she is a Christian woman who loves to demonstrate her faith by singing in the church choir and making a difference in students’ lives. “I am a strong Christian woman who prays for her students daily before class starts,” Dr. Bascom said. “I’m a professor who mentors students who want to drop out of college.” Daniel Mullins is one of Dr. Bascom’s students. He said she is “patient and dedicated” to the academic and future success of students. Other students agreed, adding that she also makes learning fun. “Dr. Bascom’s classes were always fun and engaging,” student Natalie Burgess said. “You could learn a lot in a short period from being in her class.” Dr. Bascom began her teaching career at Bluefield University 17 years ago, and she said she has loved every minute of it. In fact,

Photo by Nathan LePere . Photo by Nathan LePere .