Vol. 25 No. 23 - March 1, 2021

The women’s team improved to 14-3 on the season. As the No. 2 seed in the GLVC tournament, they will host Maryville at 5:15 p.m.

The No. 3 ranked men’s team notched their 13th straight victory to improve to 18-1 on the season. They are the top seed in the GLVC tournament and will host the University of Indianapolis at 7:30 p.m.

Due to the pandemic, spectators are not allowed at GLVC events. The conference tournament games are available for free on the GLVC Sports Network. The official streaming service of the conference, the GLVC Sports Network has streamed thousands of events, which have been viewed more than 2.3 million times. In addition to desktop and mobile devices, the GLVC Sports Network is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV. For more information, visit GLVCSN.com.

Truman fans can listen locally on KRES 104.7 FM or online at CenralMoInfo.com.

Through a partnership with emotional well-being provider Morneau Shepell, students will have 24/7 access to care as part of the My Student Support Program (My SSP), a resource designed specifically for students in higher education. It is also offered in a variety of platforms which may feel more natural for college-age students, including live online chats, video counseling and an award-winning app. There are no additional fees or charges assessed to students for this new service.

My SSP provides short-term, solution-focused counseling delivered by degree-qualified clinicians. If a student is in need of additional support, My SSP can help refer them to the proper resource.

Along with on-demand counseling, My SSP offers self-directed resources, including videos and articles on topics such as scholarly stress, combating homesickness and thriving as a student. These materials can be accessed both in the app and online. Self-assessments are also available online, and content is regularly updated according to the time of year.  

By providing multiple points of accessibility, My SSP strives to remove all obstacles and ensure students have timely access to the right services and support upon first contact. It can also be an option for students who might not otherwise reach out for services for a variety of reasons. Morneau Shepell data shows 79 percent of students using My SSP have never sought help at on-campus counseling centers, and more than half of its student users have never sought support of any kind on campus.

Morneau Shepell is a major global provider of mental health services and has partnerships with more than 500 colleges and universities in North America. The company also has the resources to provide services in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese, and French. Services are also offered by appointment in other languages (i.e. Arabic, Korean and many others), depending on availability. Appointments with counselors who share the student’s lived experiences, such as racial identity, gender fluidity, etc; are available as well.

Students can access My SSP at myssp.app or by using the My SSP app, available at the App Store or Google Play Store.

The addition of My SSP is part of a larger plan to increase access and services at Truman. The University recently announced a partnership with Complete Family Medicine to expand physical and mental health services through the Student Health Center and University Counseling Services.

An elevator pitch outlines the concept or idea for a product, service or project in a short period of time, typically from 30 seconds to three minutes. The length of the pitch mirrors the time spent waiting for and riding an elevator in a high-rise building. The purpose of the pitch is to spur the interest of a potential investor or financial backer.

Bulldog B.I.T.E., which stands for Business Innovation by Truman Entrepreneurs, is open to any student or team of students — up to three members — enrolled during the 2021 spring semester. A student or team may submit only one pitch concept for the contest. Participants may pitch a for-profit or not-for-profit concept.

Students will submit a concept or idea for a product, service or project in a video pitch no longer than two minutes by 10 p.m. March 5. The video should not include any props, except the product prototype, and should be one continuous shot. Students must also include an executive summary of their concept. The executive summary must contain: name of the individual or team members; problem or issue being addressed by the concept; product description; target market; competitive advantage of the concept; value creation; and expected future use of prize money.

Judges will select six teams to virtually attend the live pitch competition from 4-6 p.m. April 9 to present their product to a panel. The top three finalists will receive cash awards: the cash prize for first place is $3,000; second place is $2,000; and third place is $1,000.

The Bulldog B.I.T.E. is sponsored by Villhard Growth Partners and is coordinated on campus by the Office of Advancement.

For complete details and entry information, visit bulldogbite.truman.edu.

The open course list for summer is available now in TruView with a variety of options for students, including online, hybrid and in-person delivery methods. The flexibility of summer courses provides students the opportunity to have a job, take a vacation or socialize with friends back home.  

Summer is a great time for students to focus their attention on a challenging class, or work on boosting their GPA for scholarship renewal or graduate school applications. It is also an opportunity to make a lot of progress toward an additional major or minor without falling behind.

One of the biggest advantages to taking summer classes through Truman is students know what they are getting. Courses from other institutions may not always cover the pre-requisite topics needed to be successful in subsequent Truman courses.

Summer classes also offer an economic opportunity with three courses for the price of two. Students who take six credit hours at the regular tuition rate can receive hours seven through nine for free.

Registration for summer begins March 16. With six separate terms throughout the summer, students have a variety of options to fit their needs. Interim classes run May 8-29. The first round of five-week courses, as well as 10-week courses, begin June 1, while the second round of five-week courses begins July 6. An eight-week session begins June 7. The August interim runs from July 31-Aug. 14. For more information visit summer.truman.edu.

Take3 Trio were originally scheduled to perform last year before the pandemic began. They are scheduled to perform an in-person event on campus next spring and they offered to provide a sneak peak performance that will be available at 7 p.m. March 2. The concert can be accessed at lyceum.truman.edu.    

Take3 is composed of Lindsay Deutsch, Jason Stoll and Mikala Schmitz. Deutsch is a violinist with a passion for music and brilliant display of technique. She frequently appears as a guest soloist with American and Canadian symphonies and also played the solo violin track for the movie “The Good Shepherd” starring Robert De Niro. Stoll is a pianist with degrees from the Julliard School and the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He has performed at notable summer festivals such as Aspen Music Festival, and was named a semi-finalist in the 2015 Dublin International Piano Competition. Schmitz is a performer of many different styles of cello from jazz, electronic, classical and more. Her work with the English rock group “The Last Shadow Puppets” took her all over Europe, and she is set to resume her tenure on a national tour with Tim Robbins’ acting troupe “The Actors’ Gang.”

In their weekly meeting, Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group committee members Nancy Daley-Moore and Scott Alberts discussed case numbers, vaccines and maintaining best practices.

Cases attributed to Truman were down again for the week of Feb. 23. Daley-Moore and Alberts also mentioned vaccine clinics are occurring with more frequency, and Hy-Vee and Walmart will have increased availability in the coming weeks and months. Anyone interested in receiving a vaccine should inquiry about getting on a list with a provider so they can be ready when doses are available.

Although more people are receiving the vaccine, it is important for everyone, even those who have received both doses, to follow safe practices until herd immunity is achieved. This includes maintaining a social distance, washing hands regularly and wearing a mask. With exceptions for private residence hall rooms and offices, masks should be worn at all times in campus buildings.

A recording of the weekly meeting is available here.

In March, Truman will conduct a series of virtual town halls designed to give students the opportunity to be a part of a conversation about what has been an unusual academic year.

Moderated by President Sue Thomas, each event will feature a panel of faculty, staff or administrators. Panelists will be determined based on the questions submitted by students so that individuals with the proper expertise will be able to provide answers.

Students will be asked to sign up in advance, and they have the option to submit a question that could be addressed during the livestream events. The first two town halls were cancelled due to lack of registration. Freshman and sophomores may elect to attend either of the other two sessions.

Each town hall will begin at 5 p.m.

Juniors
March 16

Seniors and Graduate Students
March 17

All currently enrolled students should have received an email with a link to the survey, which can be taken through March 7. The confidential information provided to faculty and administration from this study reflects students’ day-to-day experiences on campus and provides insight into both their struggles and successes. This knowledge will be used to inform policy, practice and funding for programs and services on campus, thus bettering student life.

All JED Campus colleges and universities participate in the HMN survey. Using validated measures, the survey results will provide a detailed look at the prevalence of mental health problems, service utilization and related behaviors, attitudes and knowledge among a representative sample of students at participating institutions. HMN’s survey research has a special emphasis on understanding help-seeking behavior, examining stigma, knowledge and other potential barriers to mental health service utilization.

Data from the survey can be used to: strengthen grant applications; advocate for mental health services and programs on campus; evaluate existing programs; assess need for programs and services; raise awareness of mental health and campus resources; and make comparisons with peer institutions.  

Students can check their email by searching “Healthy Minds Survey” or “healthyminds-Truman@umich.edu” to make sure it was not redirected to a spam folder.

Living on campus provides easy access to campus amenities, as well as built-in fun and friendship. Researchers have found living on campus improves the likelihood a student will persist in college and go on to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Residence Life has several options for students who want to live on campus including single residence hall rooms, apartments and suites for up to four roommates. Spaces are available in Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall as well as Centennial, Dobson, Missouri and Ryle halls. West Campus Suites and Campbell Apartments are also available, and Truman will once again offer pet-friendly housing in Dobson Hall.

Housing renewal applications are currently open on TruView. Under the “Student” tab, click on “Housing Portal.” Some scholarships can be put toward the cost of living on-campus. For questions about the housing renewal process visit truman.edu/residence-life or contact Residence Life at 660.785.4227 or reslife@truman.edu.

The Education Department will host Ben McCallister, a second grade teacher in the Clayton School District, for its speaker series. McCallister will discuss education with Truman’s future educators via Zoom at 7 p.m. March 25. Watch for further details as the event approaches.

Truman has moved up to No. 4 in the Recreation Movement where more than 100 schools are competing to collectively log five million minutes of movement. To join the movement, sign up using a Truman email and log up to 120 minutes per day using the most appropriate category provided. Students can also participate in live fitness and instructional classes and pre-recorded classes.

This program is designed to honor Truman students, advisors and organizations for their dedication to their peers, campus and Kirksville community through various leadership roles during the year.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate exceptional student leaders, advisors, organizations and events on campus, particularly candidates whose achievements stood out after a year of constant adaptation to change.

The access link to the nomination form and packet can be found online at involvement.truman.edu/lrp. Nomination forms are due by 11:59 p.m. March 7. The awards ceremony will take place April 13 in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. There will be more than 30 awards to distribute.

Questions can be directed to Munkhjin Bat-Ireedui at csilrp@gmail.com. For more information visit involvement.truman.edu/lrp.

The 2021 Student Research Conference will take place April 22 as a hybrid event. Asynchronous virtual oral, poster, performance art and studio art presentations, as well as a limited number of face-to-face oral presentations, will be facilitated. This conference is a University-wide celebration of student research, scholarship and creative achievement. Both undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit abstracts.

Complete abstract guidelines can be found on the Office of Student Research website. All abstracts need to be sponsored by a Truman faculty or staff member. Students should work with their faculty mentor before submitting the abstract. For any questions about the Student Research Conference email osr@truman.edu.

Students interested in health care can consider a career in athletic training, which encompasses injury evaluation, rehabilitation and treatment, as well as program administration. Athletic training works closely with medical professionals to provide overall care and treatment to a variety of physically active individuals.

For more information contact Brandy Schneider or visit truman.edu/mat. Application deadline is April 1.

March 5
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

March 6-7
Closed

March 8-12
8 a.m.-5 p.m.

March 13
Closed

March 14
3-10 p.m.

March 15
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Regular hours resume

March 5
6 a.m.-7 p.m.

March 6-7
Closed

March 8-12
11 a.m.-2 p.m.

March 13
Closed

March 14
4-7 p.m.

As COVID-19 vaccines become more available in the area, these are some local providers that will be able to administer it.

Northeast Regional Medical Center/Ambulance District
To register, call 660.785.1829

Hy-Vee
hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine

Walmart
walmart.com/cp

Walgreens
walgreens.com/topic/promotion/covid-vaccine

The Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation will offer the Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship, named in honor of Allan Walker Purdy.

Purdy was born in 1914 on a farm near Macon and was the first in his family to attend a four-year college. He worked in the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture before becoming the campus’s first director of scholarships and student financial aid.

The scholarship is designed to provide merit-based scholarships to emerging leaders who are outstanding students and have a need for additional resources for higher education. The scholarship amount can vary based on an applicant’s circumstances. The general range will be $1,000-$5,000 based on expected family contribution (EFC), unmet need and other factors.

Applicants must be a Missouri resident, typically a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA, a U.S. Citizen, and a sophomore, junior or senior attending a Missouri public four-year university or the State Technical College of Missouri. Deadline to apply is June 30, 2021. Applications should be submitted online through Scholarship Central at moslf.org. To access more information about this scholarship, click here, or contact the Financial Aid Office at 660.785.4130.