Vol. 11 No. 35 - July 17, 2007

Truman State University’s inaugural campaign has received a boost of $325,000 from several recent commitments.

The advance commitments are part of efforts in the leadership gifts phase of the campaign. The $30 million campaign, approved by Foundation Board of Directors in January, is a major component of Truman’s strategic plan and vision to become the nation’s premier public liberal arts and sciences university. The campaign will provide greater scholarship resources; generate support for student enrichment and academic programs, athletics, and faculty development.

President Barbara Dixon has made a $100,000 cash and deferred commitment to benefit multiple priorities in the campaign. Dixon is also serving as a member of the campaign steering committee. Chuck and Colleen Foudree of Lee’s Summit, Mo., have also committed to $100,000 in a cash and deferred arrangement to create their second scholarship fund at Truman. The Colleen Foudree Scholarship is designed to assist students studying at Truman whose spouse is working to help pay tuition. This fund is established to honor Colleen Foudree’s work to finance Chuck Foudree’s studies at Truman. Chuck Foudree also serves as the campaign chair.

Dwain and Vera Horn of Omaha, Neb., have created a scholarship fund with a cash gift of $50,000. The scholarship is designed for Truman students from Dwain Horn’s hometown of Moulton, Iowa, and Appanoose and Davis counties in Iowa. Dwain Horn is a member of the Foundation Board and is the 2007 recipient of the President’s Leadership Award.

Chuck and Sherri Woods of Florissant, Mo., have established an endowment for the School of Business and Accountancy with a cash pledge of $25,000. This gift will also be matched equally by Chuck Woods’ employer, The Boeing Company, and will fund a program to instill leadership development skills in business students. Chuck Woods is a member of Truman’s Foundation Board of Directors and is chair of the Development Committee.

Wilma and Dr. Mark Maddox of Macon, Mo., have pledged $25,000 to the campaign to create an endowment for Truman’s study abroad program. Earnings from the endowment will produce a stipend to assist students with a study abroad experience who might not otherwise be able to participate due to financial considerations. Wilma Maddox is a member of Truman’s Board of Governors.

Recruitment of campaign volunteer leadership and the securing of advance leadership gifts will continue for several more months prior to the campaign’s public phase.

The Merck/AAAS 2007 Water Quality Research Invited Speaker, Cindy H. Nakatsu, will speak about “Microbial Communities: Who belongs and who just got there” at 10:30 a.m. July 17 in Magruder Hall 2001.

Nakatsu is currently a professor of agronomy, University Faculty Research Scholar, and member of the Life Sciences program (PULSe) at Purdue University. She joined the faculty in 1995, after she was a postdoctoral fellow at Michigan State University’s Center for Microbial Ecology. She received her Ph.D. in 1993 from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and her M.S. and B.S. degrees from the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada.

As a microbial ecologist, she uses both basic and molecular biology techniques to gain a better understanding of the adaptation of environmental microorganisms to perturbed ecosystems. Perturbed ecosystems of particular interest are metal and/or hydrocarbon contaminated sites, stream and lake waters exposed to urban and rural inputs, fecal matter, and agricultural fields subjected to different agronomic practices. Analyses of microbial responses to perturbations range from determining changes in microbial community and population structure to changes in phylogenetic diversity to evolution or acquisition of novel functional traits.

Contact Cynthia Cooper at clcooper@truman.edu for more information.

Truman is partnering with U.S. Bank so that the Truman ID card can be used as a U.S. Bank ATM/debit card beginning in August 2007 for individuals who have a U.S. Bank checking account and choose to activate their Truman ID card. This new functionality requires the University to replace all Truman ID cards in August 2007.

We will be issuing new Truman ID cards to all faculty/staff, emeriti, retirees, and designated guests starting Aug. 6. This will be necessary before any of the benefits of using your Truman ID will be available to you including Pickler Memorial Library, Student Recreation Center, and Sodexho food plans. Old ID cards will no longer be usable at any location or as a valid Truman ID. You must surrender your old ID when getting your new one.

New cards will be available starting Aug. 6, in Kirk Building 112 for faculty/staff, emeriti/retirees and designated guests. We will be accommodating our incoming students Aug. 19-22 with extended hours and expect that you would want to avoid the long lines during these times. We will resume regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 23.

If you have questions concerning the new Truman ID card, please call Kaye Davis, ID coordinator, at 785.4123.

This year’s Master Plan and Assessment Workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. July 24. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in the vicinity of Magruder Hall 2001.   

This year’s annual workshop theme is “Affirming the Promise: A Bridge to a Third Decade of Excellence in the Liberal Arts.” The discussions and presentations scheduled throughout the day will focus on providing insight into conditions and issues we will need to engage in order to implement the new strategic plan and advance the plan’s vision for Truman to become America’s premier, liberal arts and sciences university.
Those who attend will be provided the final agenda and general University assessment data when they arrive Tuesday morning. Those in attendance will be asked to take the information they gain from the workshop back to their area and serve as a catalyst for further discussions and actions that support the progress of the University. The information they receive and the topics presented will serve as a preliminary platform for discussions that will be scheduled this coming year.

People are asked to confirm their attendance at the workshop and lunch by noon July 19 by calling 785.4106 or e-mailing vpaa@truman.edu after completing the attendance form so that they can have the appropriate handouts and food available.

Summer Session Hours

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.

August Interim Hours

Pickler Memorial Library
July 30-Aug. 2 • 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Aug. 3 • 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Aug. 4-5 • Closed
Aug. 6-10 • 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Aug. 11-12 • Closed
Aug. 13-17 • 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Aug. 18 • Closed

Student Recreation Center
July 28-29 • Closed
July 30-Aug. 3 • 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Aug. 4-5 • Closed
Aug. 6-10 • 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Aug. 11-12 • Closed
Aug. 13-17 • 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Aug. 18-19 • Closed

Mainstreet Market
Aug. 6-18 • Closed
Aug 19 • 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Aug. 20-24 • 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Aug. 19 - First-year students move-in day
Aug. 20-24 - Truman Week
Aug. 25 - Upper-class students move in
Aug. 27 - Classes begin

Sept. 3 - Labor Day holiday (no classes)

Oct. 13 - Family Day
Oct. 19 - Midterm break (no classes)
Oct. 22-26 - Homecoming Week
Oct. 27 - Homecoming

Nov. 21-23 - Thanksgiving break
             (no classes, offices closed)

Dec. 7 - Last day of classes
Dec. 10 - Final exams begin
Dec. 12 - Reading Day
Dec. 14 - Final exams end
Dec. 15 - Commencement
Dec. 15 - Interim begins

Jason Miller, associate professor of mathematics, recently had his article “Mathematics in Multi-disciplinary Research-focused Learning Communities” published in the Proceeding of the Conference on Promoting Undergraduate Research in Mathematics by the American Mathematical Society.

The Truman community is invited to a reception for Carlos Di Stefano who is leaving Truman to accept an offer to enter the Ph.D. program in nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor starting this fall. The reception will be from 3-5 p.m. July 18 in the Kirk Building hallway near room 114.
 
The registration time for housing for fall early returners is quickly approaching. 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.

The Truman community is invited to a reception for Liz Bradley, Public Relations secretary, who is retiring from Truman at the end of July. The reception will be from 2:30-4:30 p.m. July 31 in the Public Relations office located in McClain Hall 101.

Students looking for a general elective conveniently 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 theatre department will have a production of “Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander” at 8 p.m. Aug. 2-4 in the James G. Severns Theatre. Admission is free.

The next issue of the Truman Today will be a Truman Week special edition published Aug. 20 and distributed to first-year students. The Truman Today will resume weekly publication beginning Aug. 28. Submit news items for that issue by Aug. 22 to kbest@truman.edu.

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.