Truman will celebrate its newest graduates during the fall commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. Dec. 14 in Pershing Arena.

Alumna Marjorie (Iwai) Maas (’02) will give the commencement address. Maas is the CEO of Share Good, an engagement partner for communities, foundations and nonprofits wanting to increase local philanthropic involvement. Its community platform brings local nonprofits together in one place and offers simple and creative ways for people to do good and engage with them.

Doors will open at 10 a.m. for guests. Tickets are not required to enter the arena. Seating is first come, first served. Guests are encouraged to use the main arena entrance on the west side of the building and to park in the parking lots on Franklin Street, directly west of Pershing Building and the General Services Building and south of Patterson Street. Guests needing handicapped parking may park on the east side of Pershing and enter the east entrance in order to utilize the elevator if needed.

A livestream of the ceremony will be available online for guests who are unable to attend in person. More information about the ceremony, including links to the livestream, can be found at truman.edu/registrar/commencement.

Students participate in lab activities as part of a JBA course in neurobiology. This summer Truman saw record numbers across all three of its academies for pre-college students. 

Applications are now open for all of Truman’s pre-college summer programs, including Joseph Baldwin Academy, JBA Jr. and the ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy.

In the most recent summer, Truman welcomed record numbers of students across all three academies. Increases are expected again in 2025, with JBA – the University’s signature summer program – offering the largest number of classes in history with 25 in total between both sessions.

JBA provides a residential academy across two separate three-week sessions for students who have finished 7th, 8th or 9th grade. Participating students can choose from class topics including business, neurobiology, theatre, data science, chemistry, genetics, animation, mythology and creative writing, among others.

Historically, JBA has served as many students’ first taste of Truman, and hundreds of program alumni have gone on to attend the University. JBA alumni make up a larger representation of the Truman student body than any single high school.

Truman now offers a scholarship for JBA alumni. Students who attended the summer academy and enroll at Truman automatically received a $1,000 scholarship each year.  

Inspired by the success of JBA, Truman established a spinoff of the program in 2019 to reach children in 4th-6th grades. JBA Jr. is targeted to students from northeast Missouri communities in an effort to get them excited about the possibility of college. Unlike the Joseph Baldwin Academy, JBA Jr. does not have restrictions for entry based on high achievement as it aims to inspire enthusiasm for learning in all ability groups. This weeklong day program exposes participating students to the Truman campus, including the planetarium, herpetarium, science labs, University Farm and Pickler Memorial Library.

During a weeklong stay on campus, students participating in the ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy experience hands-on activities and stimulating discussions at both Truman and the cross-town medical school A.T. Still University. On the Truman campus, students use the nursing simulation lab, the Speech and Hearing Clinic, athletic training facilities and the new virtual anatomy lab. During excursions to the ATSU campus, student activities include the ultrasound lab, cadaver anatomy lab, and the dental simulation lab. Throughout the week, academy participants learn about various careers in nursing, neurobiology, chiropractic care, biomechanics, physical therapy, counseling, emergency response and dentistry from doctors, nurses and health care practitioners. Students also engage in a number of fun events, including a planetarium show, a scavenger hunt and bowling.

Each summer academy has its own application process. JBA requires a nomination from a teacher, guidance counselor, principal or parent of a home-school student. JBA Jr. and ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy have open applications. More information about summer academies at Truman can be found online at institute.truman.edu or by contacting the Institute for Academic Outreach at institute@truman.edu or 660.785.5384.

 
Next summer, the Ryle Dining Hall will undergo a light remodel, while the kitchen area will receive upgraded equipment.
 
The dining and services spaces will see new paint, lighting and ceilings, along with potential changes to the booths. The food service area will have refreshed solid surface tray areas and sneeze guards. Planned upgrades in the kitchen area include new warmers, reach-in coolers, steamers, dish machine, milk machines, soft serve ice cream machine and a hard ice cream chest/freezer.

“Truman students rate their dining hall experiences highly in the annual resident satisfaction survey taken by on-campus students each fall semester,” said Jamie Van Boxel, director of residence life. “Updating the dining hall environment to reflect currently trending aesthetics will enhance the on-campus dining experience and compliment the satisfaction our residents have with the cleanliness and high-level of service provided by the dining hall staff. New equipment will contribute to improved food quality, which should increase satisfaction with the overall dining hall experience.”
 
The Ryle Dining space serves as many as 800 people per day.
 
“Ryle has seen a lot of diners in the past 15 years since the last remodel,” said John Stewart, general manager of Sodexo. “We are very excited about the refresh to brighten up and enhance the look of Ryle Dining space. Getting new equipment will enhance the overall appearance, as well as ensure we are able to provide quality products safely and effectively.”
 
All of the changes in the Ryle Dining Hall will be completed in time for the start of the 2025-26 academic year. The dining halls in Ryle Hall and Missouri Hall, along with the offerings in the Student Union Building, will remain as options for employees and campus visitors, as well as members of the community during the Ryle Dining Hall renovation. Campus dining halls will continue to offer discounted rates on Friday throughout the school year.
 
The Ryle Dining Hall refresh is part of additional changes scheduled for the coming year. The Chick-fil-A in the Student Union Building will be expanded to the restaurant’s full menu, including kale chips and mac and cheese. After the reopen in August, all purchases for Chick-fil-A will be made at the Chick-fil-A counter.
 
Students planning to live on campus next year can take the Ryle Dining Hall refresh into consideration when making their housing selection. The housing portal is open now and can be accessed through TruView. Room selection will take place in the spring semester. Questions about the housing process can be directed to Residence Life at 660.785.4227 or reslife@truman.edu.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be filed now for the 2025-2026 school year at studentaid.gov.

All students in need of financial assistance are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Federal Student Aid is the largest provider of financial aid for college students in the United States.

Even though a student may not qualify for grants or work-study, all students are considered for the Federal Direct Loan (no co-signer required). Filing the FAFSA does not commit students to taking a loan, but it does allow for more options.

The 2025-2026 FAFSA will use 2023 tax year information with a priority deadline of Feb. 1, 2025 for Missouri residents. It is strongly recommended to apply or renew before Feb. 1 Details about the FAFSA can be found online at studentaid.gov.

For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 660.785.4130 or finaid@truman.edu. The Financial Aid Office website also has a variety of helpful resources for students and their families.

Living on campus provides students with a built-in community of peers, in addition to offering a variety of amenities. All campus residence halls feature furnished rooms, access to laundry facilities and a meal plan. On-campus residents also have all of their utility costs included in the price of their room. More information about applying to live on campus for the 2025-2026 academic year can be found online here.

There are many on-campus living options to choose from, including single-, double- and triple-occupancy residence hall rooms and single- and double-occupancy apartments available in Campbell. Upperclass students can select deluxe double residence hall rooms or a deluxe double apartment in Campbell. Deluxe double residence hall rooms offer more living space at the same price as a standard double room. Deluxe double apartments allow each roommate to have their own private bedroom in a shared apartment. Deluxe double spaces are limited and upperclass students who apply for housing and follow the room self-selection timeline outlined on the website will have priority in being able to select deluxe accommodations while supplies last.

The housing portal is open now and can be accessed through TruView. Room selection will take place in the spring semester. Questions about the housing process can be directed to Residence Life at 660.785.4227 or reslife@truman.edu.

Truman’s annual United Way campaign is currently ongoing with a goal of $28,000.

The United Way of Northeast Missouri funds 10 agencies that directly serve the community. Donors should consider that 99% of every dollar stays local. Area partners include: the Adair County Family YMCA; NEMO Senior Citizen Services Inc.; Adair County 4-H; Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts; Hospice of Northeast Missouri; Macon Community Child Development Center; Macon Diversified Industries; the Salvation Army; and Heartland RSVP.

There are several ways to contribute to the United Way Campaign. All faculty and staff members should have received information about the campaign through campus mail and can complete the enclosed pledge form. For payroll deductions, indicate both the total gift and the amount to be deducted each pay period. Donations can be made now through Dec. 11.

For more information about the United Way of Northeast Missouri, or to donate online, visit liveunitednemo.org. Faculty and staff members who donate online are encouraged to return the white slip from their campaign information through campus mail in order to keep track of the amount raised from the Truman community.

MFA is one of the most effective ways to ensure the person logging into a student account is who they say they are. Once the system goes live later this fall, students will be required to identify themselves with a one-time password received via email, text or mobile app each time they log in to their account. If they do not have a security profile, they will be prompted to create one and enroll in MFA.

• Authentication app (preferred): The user gets a time-sensitive code from an app like Google Authentication, Microsoft Authentication or Authy. Authentication apps are the most secure and popular options, especially since many use biometrics to log in for extra security.
• SMS code: The system texts a one-time passcode to the user’s mobile phone.
• Email code: A one-time code is emailed to the user.

Truman recommends creating both a primary and backup profile to receive passcodes.

An email will be sent out to students and authorized users once the system goes live.

9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Dec. 9-11

9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Dec. 12-13

Closed

The next issue of the Truman Today will be available Jan. 13.

Truman Model United Nations (POL 230) students participated in the American Model United Nations (AMUN) 2024 Conference in Chicago, Illinois during the Thanksgiving break. Students portrayed delegations from Argentina and Belarus with other members states portrayed by approximately 1,000 students from around the U.S. and the world. This year they were honored with two awards. Kira Boegeman and Emile Hamilton were awarded “Exceptional Representation of Argentina in General Assembly Third Committee,” and Ella McAuley and Emery McEvoy received “Exceptional Representation of Belarus in the General Assembly Plenary (Concurrent).”