Vol. 24 No. 12 - November 4, 2019

To celebrate private gifts to the University, numerous items on campus will be “tagged” Nov. 18.

The goal of Tag Day is to show appreciation to donors who have given back to the University, as well as to raise awareness of how they impact day-to-day life at Truman. Hundreds of items will be marked with special purple tags highlighting the fact those items were made possible by a gift.  

Thousands of alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends invest in the University to the benefit of the campus community. The University has more than 700 funds, and donors support a variety of causes across campus including scholarships, athletics, fine arts and academic departments.

This year’s Tag Day will feature an interactive component where students have the opportunity to win prizes. Details on the contest will be included in upcoming Truman Todays and posted on University social media platforms.

In an effort to respond to increasing regional demand for autism spectrum services, the Institute for Academic Outreach is launching a special program aimed at training registered behavior technicians (RBTs).  

The RBT is an entry-level credential that works on the front lines of delivering services to people with autism and other neurodevelopmental or behavioral conditions. Supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), the RBT is a paraprofessional who provides direct implementation of behavior analytic services. No college degree is required to work as a registered behavior technician, and employment demand for people with the credential is high, including in northeast Missouri.  

Truman’s RBT program is almost entirely online and allows students to complete pre-certification requirements from where they live in just eight weeks.

“The new program is unique in the market,” said Kevin Minch, associate provost and director of the Institute for Academic Outreach. “While there are quite a few non-credit certification programs out there, this program has several features that make it one-of-a-kind.”  

The program consists of a single three-credit-hour course. Only two campus visits are required on selected Saturdays to practice skills. The program also awards college credit, allowing students to apply the course toward a current or future degree. Most important, the program uses an electronic system to enable students to confirm the possession of required skills before sitting for the required exam from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. In addition to the college credit, the electronic skills check of the program is the key differentiator making it attractive to students in rural northeast Missouri.

“Traditionally, students who complete an RBT course must then complete a lengthy skills verification process under the live supervision of a BCBA,” Minch said. “If you live in a rural area, finding someone to actually perform that supervision at your mutual convenience is hard. We’re talking about hours of supervision. Under our program, an online system helps students view skills, demonstrate them via video and submit them online for review by qualified supervisors.”  

Truman’s approach adds flexibility to the process, allowing students to show these skills at any hour of the day, from any location.

The RBT program is supported by a MoExcels workforce development appropriation from the state of Missouri. Courses are eight weeks long and begin Jan. 13 and March 5.  

Interested students are encouraged to contact the Institute for Academic Outreach to enroll. More information on the program is available at pd.truman.edu/rbt. The Institute can be reached at 660.785.5384 or by emailing institute@truman.edu.

The Philosophy and Religion Department will host the 30th Annual Undergraduate Philosophy and Religion Conference from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 9 in Baldwin Hall Little Theater.

Student scholars from Truman and six other colleges and universities will present papers exploring diverse areas of philosophy and religious studies. Evan Fales of the Philosophy Department at the University of Iowa will deliver the Henry Smits Lecture as the conference’s keynote address at 1 p.m. The title of his talk is “Might the Biblical Miracle Stories be True After All?”

The conference is free to the public and is supported by the Dr. Patricia Burton Honorary Endowment. A conference schedule can be found on the department’s website.

A Strategic Planning Town Hall will take place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Nov. 11 in Violette Hall 1000.

This meeting will begin the process of creating the University’s next strategic plan. The current strategic plan concludes at the end of June 2020, and a final 2021-2025 plan must be presented to the Board of Governors for their approval no later than the June 2020 meeting.

Those not able to attend can view the town hall meeting and access the strategic planning materials on the strategic plan website.

Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication honors fraternity, will host COMM Week Nov. 4-7. Students, faculty and staff are invited to join in events that will showcase the various aspects of the communication field. These events include:

Benefit Night for Adair County Public Library
5-9 p.m.
Nov. 4
Bellacino’s
Guests can mention Lambda Pi Eta to donate a portion of their check to Adair County Public Library.

UpChuckles Comedy Workshop
7 p.m.
Nov. 5
Barnett Hall 1221

Internship Panel and Trivia
6 p.m.
Nov. 6
Barnett Hall 1211
Students will share their past internship experiences and discuss the benefits of having an internship. Communication trivia and snacks are to follow.

Truman Media Network Open House
6-8 p.m.
Nov. 7
Barnett Atrium
Guests can learn about how to get involved with student-run media organizations including the Index, Detours Magazine, KTRM and TMN TV.

For more information, contact Grace Fear, president of Lambda Pi Eta, or Jay Self, Communication Department chair.

Open forums for Susan Maher and Stephen Parsons, candidates for the Dean of the School of Arts and Letters, will take place in the coming weeks.

A dean is not only the leader of the School, but also a vital member of the Academic Affairs leadership team. It is important the best candidate is selected for both the School of Arts and Letters and for the University. Feedback from faculty, staff and students is vital to making the best selection. Application materials for Maher and Parsons, as well as feedback forms, are available here. For those not able to attend the live forums, they will be recorded and posted to this site.

Both forums will take place at 4 p.m. in Baldwin Hall 102 on the following dates:

Nov. 4
Susan Maher
Professor of English and former dean of the College of Liberal Arts
University of Minnesota Duluth

Nov. 13
Stephen Parsons
Director of School of Music
Illinois State University

National First-Generation College Student Week will be Nov. 4-8. First-generation students are those whose parents do not have a degree from a four-year college. All first-generation students, faculty and staff are invited to visit tabling in the Student Union Building from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Student Union Building and to attend Truman’s 4th annual First-Generation Celebration Dinner at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. RSVP at tabling or online.

Percussion trio TROIKA will perform a guest artist concert at 8 p.m. Nov. 8 in Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

Originally from New York City, the trio specializes in performances of new works for percussions written by some of today’s most innovative composers. In addition to traditional percussion instruments, they will be utilizing an array of electronic systems and triggering enhancements, as well as some very non-traditional instruments.

This performance is co-sponsored by the University Percussion Society and Funding Allotment Council. Admission is free. For more information contact Michael Bump, professor of music.

Truman will conduct a test of the emergency notification system at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 8.

Students, faculty and staff who have signed up to receive Truman emergency alert text notifications will get a TruAlert text and email message letting them know it is a test. Those that have not signed up for emergency text messaging can do so through TruView.

To sign up, sign in to TruView and click on the “Truman” tab. Click the “Update Emergency Text Messaging Information” under “Update and View My Personal Information” (lower right screen). A maximum of three phones can be registered to receive texts. Confirm information in the same manner.

An emergency alert will be displayed on all Truman computer systems where the Alertus software has been installed. This should include nearly all workstations on campus. There will also be alerts sent to digital signs in Violette Hall, Magruder Hall, Ophelia Parrish and Health Sciences, to the Truman channel on the cable televisions in residence halls and to classrooms with the Truman touch-pad control system installed.

The campus is also encouraged to review the emergency procedures. It is important the entire community is familiar with these procedures in order to understand how to respond appropriately in a number of emergency situations.

The city of Kirksville is also implementing a new mass notification system known as ReGroup. Alerts can be customized by email, text and/or phone call. There are a variety of groups that can be joined to get notifications about emergencies, advisories, community events and newsletters. Sign-up can be completed here.

Student Government is seeking a Truman student graduating this December who would like the opportunity to speak at graduation. Students of any major with a GPA of 2.75 or higher are welcome to apply. Applications are due by 8:30 p.m. Nov. 8. Contact Madeline Sarasio Meyer with any questions.

The second annual TEDx Truman State University conference will take place Nov. 10 in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. Tickets can be reserved online.

Session 1
Lindsey Heiserman
“Face Down in the Mud - You Are Your Biggest Obstacle”

Caleb DeWitt
“Teaching Chemistry with Peanut Butter Sandwiches”

A.L. Mueller
“Doing Gender: Why Mindfulness Matters”
Session 2
Will Storm
“Practicing Relativity: Leading Communities as an Outsider”

Maguire Radosevic
“Why American Politicians Have Double Standards: a Perspective From Game Theory”

Lizzie Cremer
“Improving Doctor-Patient Communication”

Truman emeritus faculty or staff, current full-time faculty or current full-time staff with an immediate family member graduating in Fall 2019 may present their diploma at the Dec. 14 commencement ceremony. Family member, for purposes of the diploma presentation, means spouse, son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, step-son, step-daughter, step-grandson or step-granddaughter of the presenting Truman faculty, staff, emeritus faculty or emeritus staff.

In order to participate, notify Nancy Asher at 660.785.4143 or by email at nasher@truman.edu no later than 5 p.m. Nov. 22 and provide the following information:

• Your name (presenter)
• Your employment title/position (for purposes of announcing at commencement)
• Name of the degree candidate
• Your relationship with the degree candidate (your spouse, son/step-son, daughter/step-daughter, grandchild/step-grandchild)
• Degree (BA, BFA, BM, BS, BSN, MA, MAc, MAE) and program name of the candidate
• Your email address
• Your phone number

Family presenters are expected to be dressed in full academic regalia. If the presenter does not own these items, a robe and cap may be purchased through the University Bookstore. Family presenters will sit with the candidates and must be able to march with the candidates.

The Office of Advancement is accepting applications for the spring 2020 annual fund internship.

The intern will gain experience working on the fundraising side of a non-profit organization within Truman, specifically the Truman Foundation. Responsibilities will be divided between three main focus areas: Tel-Alumni coordinator, Office of Advancement projects and office hours with a focus on development projects such as the Student Giving Campaign and the Student Alumni Association.

Qualified applicants will be a business or communication major with a minimum of 2.75 GPA. The intern will work 15 hours a week for approximately 11 weeks and receive class credit commensurate with their time in the office. A supplementary stipend is also included.

For a complete job description, visit TruPositions or click here. Deadline for applications is Dec. 6. Contact Michael Burbee with further questions.

Nov. 22
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Nov. 23-24
Closed

Nov. 25-26
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Nov. 27-30
Closed

Dec. 1
3-10 p.m.

Dec. 2
Resume Regular Hours
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Dereck Daschke, professor of philosophy and religion, had his chapter “’How Deserted Lies the City’: Politics and the Trauma of Homelessness in the Hebrew Bible,” published this month in “Next Year in Jerusalem: Exile and Return in Jewish History.”