Vol. 14, No. 36 - July 27, 2010

Truman and Moberly Area Community College are combining forces to help students on the path to become commissioned officers in the United States Army.

Last fall, the schools created a partnership that allows MACC students to enroll in Truman’s Senior Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Program. This arrangement opens the door for MACC students to receive financial assistance through the military and leads the way for a possible transfer to Truman after they have achieved a sophomore class level.

“This is a unique opportunity for both schools,” said Maj. Bill Gardner, Truman Scholarship and Enrollment Officer. “To the best of my knowledge, we are the only two schools in the state of Missouri that have this type of ROTC educational agreement. We believe that there is no better way to learn leadership techniques on a college campus and this program can now be offered to MACC students.”

The ROTC is a training program of the United States armed forces on college campuses to recruit and educate commissioned officers. It is designed as a college elective, and studies focus on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning and professional ethics.

Through this arrangement, students at both schools will have access to the same military science instruction, and in most cases, the ROTC provides all textbooks, uniforms and equipment. MACC students are considered members of the Truman Corps of Cadets and allowed to participate in any military function or extracurricular activity conducted by the Corps of Cadets. They are also eligible to compete for ROTC scholarships alongside Truman students.

The first year of the program has already produced positive results for the students.

“I went to MACC in the fall of 2009 while attending ROTC classes at Truman State University,” said Jr. ROTC Cadet Brian Decker. “I found that coordination between the two schools’ advising departments made my transition much easier. I have been able to further develop my leadership skills while attending military science classes which help me to achieve my fullest potential in life.”

In addition to the main objective of helping students on a path to a career in the military, the partnership has the potential to increase enrollment and retention at both schools and create a pipeline from MACC to Truman.

“We look forward growing our educational partnership with Moberly Area Community College. We have been able to attract a number of high-caliber students that we have not had access to previously and we appreciate the outstanding support that has been provided to us by both institutions,” said Maj. James Tenpenny, professor of military science at Truman.

Students interested in the ROTC should contact Gardner, either by phone at 660.785.4453 or 309.333.0207, or by e-mail at jw-gardner@truman.edu.  

AES Engineers is providing $500 scholarships to students, regardless of courses being studied, who meet certain criteria. Scholarships are intended for future leaders across a wide spectrum of fields of study. This award is available to high school seniors and all students attending a post secondary educational facility. Students are not required to be taking engineering courses to be eligible. Students must submit an essay of no more than 1,000 words in answer to one of the two questions posted online at http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm. Deadline for entry is Oct. 8.

Residence Life is looking for faculty and staff interested in volunteering to help families move their students on Move-In Day Aug. 21. Volunteers would be helping unload cars and carrying items to the rooms. Every year Residence Life has assistance from Greek organizations, campus ministries, athletics and other student organizations. Residence Life would like to continue to grow the group and this is a great way to welcome new students to Truman. To sign up, contact the Student Affairs Office at 785.4111 or e-mail btuttle@truman.edu.

In advance of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, the U.S. Embassy and the Fulbright Commission will be implementing a comprehensive plan to increase the quality and quantity of English teaching in Brazil. In addition to the current 30 English Teaching Assistantship awards for March 2012, an ADDITIONAL 20 ETA awards are available for March 2011. Candidates with degrees in English, applied linguistics or foreign languages and certification or significant coursework in teacher education or TESOL are strongly preferred.

Interested students should contact Maria Di Stefano (McClain Hall 203, 785.4109 or mdistefa@truman.edu) and view the website
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_country.html?id=16.

Jesse Krebs, associate professor of clarinet, performed at the 2010 International Clarinet Association Conference (ClarinetFest) Austin, Texas, July 21-25. He performed Fantasy Trio for clarinet, cello and piano by Robert Muczynski with Dr. Mira Frisch, professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Mr. Kazuo Murakami, professor at the University of Central Arkansas. Krebs also served on the judging panel for this year’s ICA Research Competition during the conference.

Will Petry, a May 2010 graduate, along with Stephanie Fore´, professor of biology, Laura Fielden-Rechav, associate professor of biology, and Hyun-Joo Kim, associate professor of mathematics, recently had a paper titled “A quantitative comparison of two sample methods for collecting Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Missouri,” accepted by the Journal of Experimental and Applied Acarology.