Vol. 11 No. 32 - June 5, 2007

Gov. Matt Blunt was in the Truman State University Pershing Building on May 24 to sign Senate Bill 389. Blunt was joined by Sen. Gary Nodler of Joplin, chairman of the Senate Education Committee and chief sponsor of SB 389, and Rep. Gayle Kingery, chairman of the House Higher Education Committee.

Senate Bill 389 was the omnibus higher education legislation that passed the General Assembly this past session and authorized both the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative (LCDI) and the Access Missouri Scholarship program. As a result of the LCDI, Truman will receive approximately $21.6 million for the renovation and expansion of Pershing Building, which will house Truman’s health and exercise sciences programs, including athletic training, the nursing program and the communication disorders program. The planned facility improvements will expand the available instructional space for these programs by about 50 percent and will significantly improve classrooms, teaching laboratories, student-faculty research spaces, and other support spaces.

Senate Bill 389 also established the Access Missouri Scholarship, a new need-based program that will greatly expand financial access to Missouri students enrolled in either public or private institutions. At Truman alone it is estimated that nearly 1,300 students will receive about $2.6 million in assistance – an increase of more than 600 percent over the current programs. Access Missouri will replace the former Gallagher and Missouri Advantage Scholarship programs.

Linda Miller, a 1970 Truman graduate, and her husband, Timothy Duperron, of Grosse Ile, Mich., have made a cash and deferred gift commitment of $450,000 to Truman State University’s inaugural campaign.
 
The commitment is part of early efforts to secure advance gifts in Truman’s $30 million campaign designed to position the University as the premier public liberal arts and sciences institution.

With this gift, the couple will establish the Miller-Duperron Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship fund will be created initially with a $50,000 cash pledge and is a need-based award designed for a student who would not otherwise be able to attend Truman. Leadership potential, school, church and civic involvement, and a benevolent spirit are also scholarship criteria.

The fund is established to honor Miller’s parents, Louis and Rita Miller of Kirksville, for their encouragement and support of Linda’s educational and professional pursuits.

Miller retired from the Ford Motor Company in December 2006 following a 33-year career in the automotive industry. Her most recent position was manufacturing director of Powertrain Operations. She has been recognized for her pioneering role as a woman in the automotive industry and was twice cited by Automotive News magazine as one of the top 100 women in the industry.

She was named Truman’s Alumna of the Year in 2002 and currently serves as president of the Truman State University Foundation Board of Directors and is a member of the Campaign Steering Committee.

Duperron and Miller have also generously pledged $400,000 through their estate and are new members in Truman’s Joseph Baldwin Society. The estate provision is designated to bolster the scholarship fund, with a portion also earmarked for the Truman State University Endowment Fund for Excellence, a multi-purpose fund designed to meet the future needs of the University.

In April, Truman State University was recognized as a Gold Level Recipient of the American Heart Association’s Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Recognition program.

The Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program is a catalyst for positive change in American business. Companies throughout the nation can be part of the Start! movement by demonstrating progressive leadership by making the health and wellness of their employees a priority.

Truman State University was recognized as a Gold Level Start! Fit Friendly Company by the American Heart Association Start! Movement for fulfilling the following parameters: offering employees physical activity support, increasing healthy eating options at the worksite, promoting a wellness culture, and implementing at least nine criteria as outlined by the AHA in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and culture.

“We are extremely honored and very excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association’s Start! Movement as a Gold Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company,” said Karen Skoch, fitness/wellness director at Truman. “Physical activity and employee wellness are very important priorities here at Truman, and we encourage all of our employees to incorporate physical activity into the workday through programs we offer (such as the Staff Exercise Release Time, free membership to the Student Recreation Center, free fitness classes, free TruFit program, free pedometers, free indoor walking track in Pershing and SRC, free usage of the Truman Natatorium, free health workshops, and exercise incentive programs for prizes). Other options also include being able to choose healthy eating options at Sodexho using the point-of-service materials provided.”

For more information on Start!, or other American Heart Association activities, or what you can do to incorporate more physical activity into your regular work schedule, stop by the Student Recreation Center or check out http://recreation.truman.edu for more information.

The Rho Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International announced its 2007 winner of the Excellence in Nursing award recently during the awards luncheon at Truman State University’s seventh annual Capstones of Nursing. This is the third year that Rho Omega has promoted a “Nominate a Nurse from NE Missouri” campaign. The winner of the 2007 Excellence in Nursing award was Sharon McGahan, assistant professor of nursing at Truman State University.
 
The person who nominated McGahan pointed out that she has taught more than 800 nursing students during her 30 years at Truman State University. Her former students are now serving in various positions across the country and the world. McGahan’s former students are serving in Iraq and Kuwait; as nurse leaders; in independent practices as nurse practitioners; and as nursing educators preparing other future nurses. Her impact is that of a snowball, gaining momentum as it rolls along, for each of her former students are now making their own contributions in nursing and in health care.

Other nurses who were nominated during the “Nominate a Nurse Campaign” include: Lori Drennan, R.N., flight nurse for Air-Evac in Kirksville; Margaret Ernst, R.N., Chief Nursing Officer for Northeast Regional Medical Center; Teresa Kirchner, R.N., head nurse for Memphis Medical Group; Marilyn Mihalovich, R.N., Department of Health & Senior Services; Julie Ruggles, R.N., Adolescent Unit at Preferred Family Healthcare; and Barbara Rice, L.P.N., with Kirksville Middle School. These nurses were recognized by patients or people in the public who have witnessed moments when they have made a difference in the lives of their patients. They too received honors at the Awards Luncheon for the seventh Annual Capstones of Nursing.

Rho Omega, as a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, strives to promote excellence in nursing practice, nursing scholarship, and nursing leadership throughout our community.

Eric Bowling, from Columbia, Mo., has been named a Presser Scholar for the 2007-2008 academic year. He will be senior in the fall of 2007, and is majoring in music performance (flute) at Truman State University.

The Presser Scholarship is given to an outstanding music major at the end of his or her junior year. The foundation’s grant of $4,500 was awarded to Bowling at Truman’s Music Awards ceremony this spring. Theodore Presser is remembered not only as the publisher of Etude, the music magazine, and the founder of the great music publishing firm bearing his name, but as a philanthropist who specialized in music education.

Bowling is the son of Michael Bowling and Markita Price Bowling of Columbia. He is the grandson of Floyd “Jack” Bowling of Athens, Tenn. He is a graduate of Hickman High School in Columbia.

At Truman he is involved in Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Flute Quartet and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS).

A program to make it easier for Truman staff to exercise has been approved on a trial basis to begin May 28, 2007, and end Feb. 29, 2008. At the end of the trial period, the program will be evaluated for effectiveness in a number of ways, including a survey of participants and supervisors.

During the trial period, staff are encouraged to combine break times (15 minutes every four hours) with their lunch time to exercise in the Student Recreation Center or Natatorium (pool). At this time, only exercise in these facilities is included in the program. The pool will be closed during summer, but will re-open fall 2007 semester. Supervisors are encouraged to work with staff members who wish to participate in this program. Employees wishing to participate should arrange the time for exercise conveniently in their workday in advance so that all necessary responsibilities are covered.  

Contact Human Resources for questions related to the scheduling of time off to participate in the program. For information about hours of the Student Recreation Center or programs being offered, visit http://recreation.truman.edu/. Other questions please contact Karen Skoch, fitness/wellness director, at 785.7739.

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Kick Off Event
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
June 6
Student Recreation Center 

Demonstrations and orientations to the equipment will be offered each half hour.

Elevator Usage in the Student Union Building

During the renovation of the Student Union the elevator may become inaccessible at times. The Student Union staff apologize for the inconvenience. If you feel that your event might have participants that require elevator access, please allow the Student Union staff to attempt to relocate your event to the ground or second floor, both of which have access from ground level. The Student Union staff appreciate you choosing the Student Union to host your event and look forward to having you as their guest.

Student Union Building Display Cases

The Student Union staff just became aware that there will be extensive renovation of the Union hallway area this summer, and the large display cases in the hallway just outside of the Mainstreet Market, are going to be demolished.  

As a result, they are unable to offer the display cases for the fall semester. In the future they hope to have cases along the walls farther down the hallway for student organizations/departments to utilize.

The Student Union staff apologize for any inconvenience this may cause your organization/department. Please feel free to contact the Student Union office with any concerns or questions.

The Library catalog has a new look and some new features due to a recent system upgrade.

Keyword search results are now automatically ranked by relevance with the option to list them by title or by date. The list of results now also includes location, call number and availability. 

Library staff will be working over the summer to reformat the interface and integrate it more with the Library’s Web site.

If you have any questions about these changes, please call the Library Reference Desk at 785.4051.

Lanny Morley
Everyone is invited to attend a retirement reception for Lanny Morley. He is retiring after a 37-year career as faculty member and administrator at Truman.

3-5 p.m.
June 16
Student Union Building Georgian Room
Program begins at 4 p.m.

Matt Eichor
Matt Eichor, director of justice systems and director of Northeast Area Criminalistics Laboratory, will be retiring after working at the University for 33 years.

2-4 p.m.
June 21
Student Union Building Alumni Room

Melinda Wood
The Financial Aid Office is hosting a retirement reception in Melinda Wood’s honor from 2-4 p.m. June 22 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Please take a few minutes to join Wood for cake, punch and a lot of reminiscing. She has made Truman her second home for the past 33 years. As she will miss the walk into McClain Hall each morning, many people will miss her daily presence too.

Also a memory Web site has been set up at http://csi.truman.edu/melinda/. Please take a few moments to answer the questions provided. The responses will be placed in a scrapbook Wood can keep and enjoy.

The next Truman Today issue will be published June 19.

The Truman Today is published biweekly during the undergraduate summer session.

Submissions for the next issue are due by June 13 to kbest@truman.edu.

Pickler Memorial Library
June 4-July 29

Monday-Thursday
7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Friday
7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday
1-5 p.m.

Sunday
4-8 p.m.

Student Recreation Center
June 4-July 27

Monday-Friday
9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Saturday
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sunday
Closed

Mainstreet Market

Monday-Friday
7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Writing Center
McClain Hall 303
June 4-July 27

Monday-Thursday
8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Friday-Sunday
Closed

11 a.m.-4 p.m.
June 25
Student Union Building

Thomas Trimborn, professor of music, had his review “The Music of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum” published in the spring issue of The Lincoln Herald. The review discusses and critiques the recorded music available on two CDs that visitors hear as they tour the recently completed $150 million museum in Springfield, Ill., one of twin structures that together house the largest and most important collection of documents, artifacts, and displays related to Lincoln in the world.

Truman students received a Certificate of Appreciation at the Salvation Army’s open house event in Kirksville recently. The award was presented to the students in grateful appreciation of their generous service to the community through their volunteer spirit. The certificate will be on display in the SERVE Center area.

Truman’s NSSHLA chapter, the Communication Disorders Association (CoDA), hosted a Spring Workshop Feb. 17. Joe Eral of TheraSimplicity and Paula Cochran, professor of communication disorders, gave presentations on “Making the Most of Internet Resources for Communication Disorders.”

June 5 is Hunger Awareness Day. The Central Missouri Food Bank is asking businesses to help raise awareness of hunger in northeast Missouri. The food bank has provided brown bags for Truman employees to participate in this event. The bags will contain an envelope asking people to donate what they would have spent on lunch that day. The funds will in turn be used to support hunger relief in northeast Missouri. Truman community members who want to participate can pick up their brown bag and drop off their donation in the Public Relations office in McClain Hall 101. The Pubilc Relations office will then give the donation to the Food Bank. The Central Missouri Food Bank can acquire 20 pounds of food with a $1 donation, which provides 15 meals to those in need.

The Board of Governors will meet at 1:30 p.m. June 15 in the Student Union Building Conference Room.

The Center for Student Involvement has relocated to the Governors Room on the third floor of the Student Union Building for the summer and fall semester due to the Student Union Building renovation. Everyone is welcome to stop by and visit the new office.

The Truman Bookstore has relocated to the old firehouse located on the northeast corner of Normal and Franklin Streets for the summer.

It is that time of year again to start looking toward housing for fall early returners. The process and policy for Housing for Early Returners is available online at http://reslife.truman.edu/services/earlyreturners/. Early returners must be returning for purposes of employment, athletics, academics or to assist in the coordination of University sponsored Truman Week activities.

Students looking for a general elective convienently timed through the lunch hour are still able to enroll in BSAD 200: Personal Finance. Students will learn the basics of budgeting, saving and investing two days a week during this fall semester course. All majors welcome.

The Center for Student Involvement will host the Activities Fair from noon-4 p.m. Sept. 6 on the Quadrangle. All departmental and student organization tables must be reserved via the registration form available now in the CSI office, located on the third level of the Student Union Building. It is also available on the CSI Web site, http://csi.truman.edu. The registration deadline is Aug. 31. Table space is limited. Contact the CSI at 785.4222 for more information.