Vol. 26 No. 3 - September 7, 2021

Two notable publications have recognized Truman for quality and affordability.

Washington Monthly included Truman as one of the top master’s universities in the nation. Coming in at No. 6 in the publication’s 2021 college rankings, Truman improved six spots from last year’s honors.

The Washington Monthly rankings are unique in that they place an importance on social mobility, research and promoting public service. Along with traditional benchmarks such as graduation rates and costs, schools are rewarded for criteria including the number of first-generation students enrolled and the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants or participating in ROTC. Of the 616 schools included on the list, Truman was the only Missouri public university among the top 275 spots.

In its Best Bang for the Buck rankings, Washington Monthly placed Truman at No. 30 among Midwest schools. This list rates institutions according to how well they help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.

Along with Washington Monthly, The Princeton Review also recently recognized Truman as one of the nation’s best schools for undergraduates to earn their college degree.

The education services company included Truman in the 2022 edition of its annual college guide, “The Best 387 Colleges.” Only about 14 percent of America’s four-year colleges are profiled in the book, which is one of The Princeton Review’s most popular publications. The company chooses the colleges for the book based on data it annually collects from administrators at hundreds of colleges about their institutions’ academic offerings.

The Princeton Review also considers data it gathers from its surveys of college students who rate and report on various aspects of their campus and community experiences for this project. The rankings in this edition are based on the company’s surveys of several students at the 387 schools in the book. In the profile on Truman, students cited the school’s wide “variety of classes, majors and minors” and that the small class sizes “translate into a ‘more personal’ learning experience.”

The Princeton Review’s school profiles and ranking lists in “The Best 387 Colleges” are posted at princetonreview.com/best387. Washington Monthly’s college guide is available in its September/October 2021 edition.

Under ARP, Truman has established student emergency funding to assist eligible students with “exceptional need” as it relates to a student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs related to coronavirus. A limited amount of funding is available for students who meet specific requirements.

Grants can be applied to costs associated with: tuition; food; housing; books/supplies; transportation; personal expenses (clothing, personal items, laundry, etc.); health care; or child care.

Based on current Department of Education guidance, Pell Grant eligible students were automatically awarded a block grant amount if they did not fall into one of the following categories: enrolled in less than six credit hours for fall 2021; or non-degree seeking. Non-Pell Grant eligible students who are not eligible to submit a FAFSA are required to submit an ARP grant application detailing expenses and “exceptional need.” All eligible students will be emailed instructions from the Financial Aid Office on how to apply.

Truman received a limited amount of grant funding. Grant amounts will be determined based on the number of applications received and the specific needs presented in the applications. The grant amount will need to fit within the cost of attendance for eligible students who are required to submit an application. The University cannot guarantee all applications submitted will be eligible for funding.

More information about the ARP grant, as well as some frequently asked questions, can be found here.

Students who are not eligible, or attempt to apply but do not receive an ARP grant and still have financial need, should contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@truman.edu or at 660.785.4130. Students can also find financial aid information online at financialaid.truman.edu.

In this lecture, Figueroa will lay out how society must add nuance to the story of child language development by more accurately describing how language develops across families, communities and cultures without portraying certain environments as “high-quality” and others as inherently “lacking” or “impoverished.”

Figueroa maintains the hunt for endogenous and exogenous mechanisms that underlie language development has long been a central theme in (psycho)linguistics; however, much of this work relies on a fallacy that high-quality input is necessary for children to develop language “successfully,” and that there is a gap in that type of input directed at children from historically marginalized families and communities. Within this framework, scholars have inadvertently pathologized the early linguistic experiences of those with less social capital, ultimately preserving power relationships that were established earlier in the United States’ colonial history.

This event is sponsored by the Department of English and Linguistics. Due to the generosity and vision of Odessa Ofstad, the Clayton B. Ofstad Reading Series is able to offer a range of intensive seminars, masterclasses and workshops in creative writing, English and linguistics, led by talented, renowned and deeply engaging guest writers and scholars.

Truman has been awarded a Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation in the amount of $12,000. TRIM grants offer cost-share funding for government agencies, schools and nonprofit groups to manage, improve or conserve trees on public lands.

This is the third year in a row Truman has received a TRIM grant. For 2021-22 the grant is specifically for the removal and trimming of trees on campus to clean up and keep them healthy.

Trees on campus currently marked with pink ribbons will be pruned in the coming weeks.

They reiterated the importance of taking multiple steps – hand washing, social distancing, wearing a mask on and off campus, and getting vaccinated if possible – in order to limit exposure to and spread of the virus. Truman hosted a vaccination clinic on campus Sept. 2, and the vaccine is readily available at local pharmacies. Daley-Moore and Alberts also described the University’s contact tracing process as well as quarantine and isolation procedures.  

A recording of their entire conversation can be found here.

Join faculty members Cassidy Dobson, Stephanie Fore, Nancy Daley-Moore and moderator Scott Alberts for a live panel discussion to answer questions about how the COVID-19 vaccines work, especially the mRNA versions.

As the pandemic and mitigation strategies continue to evolve, it is important that Truman has the most timely and accurate information possible to inform its decisions, including the mask mandate. Students, faculty and staff are invited to complete both of the following surveys.
 
Survey No. 1
To share your vaccination status, click here. When the Google login is presented, enter a Truman email address to complete the survey.  The site is available through the close of business on Sept. 10.
 
There are only two questions on the first survey:

1. Are you fully vaccinated for COVID-19?
2. If you answered “no,” have you begun the vaccination process?
 
Those who answer “yes” to either of the questions will be asked to upload an image of their vaccination card so the University can have the most accurate information about verification status. Once Human Resources verifies vaccination status from the card image, the card image will be deleted. The image will be deleted no later than Sept. 17. Anyone who does not wish to upload an image of their vaccination card can bring their card to Human Resources from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday in McClain Hall 101 to share their status. Vaccination status is being collected to have knowledge about the campus as a whole.
 
Survey No. 2
To participate in the second survey, click here. This eight-question survey is sponsored by Truman’s Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group, and faculty and staff are encouraged to share their thoughts.
 
The survey asks about personal health and attitude information; data are collected anonymously and can only be accessed by the Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group. Aggregated results will be shared with the campus. The purpose of the survey is to gather information that may inform strategies to promote a healthy and thriving campus.

On-Campus Sessions
Sept. 7
5:30-6:30 p.m.

Sept. 21
5:30-6:30 p.m.

Oct. 5
5:30-6:30 p.m.

Oct. 19
5:30-6:30 p.m.

Nov. 2
5:30-6:30 p.m.

Nov. 16
5:30-6:30 p.m

Sign-up is available at greeklife.truman.edu/go-greek. For more information, visit ifc.truman.edu. Follow the Interfraternity Council on Facebook or Instagram. Questions regarding fraternity recruitment can be directed to ifc@truman.edu.

Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, will host recruitment events starting Sept. 10.

Pizza on the Quad will take place from 3-6 p.m. Sept. 10. It will include a variety of lawn games and the opportunity to purchase pizza for $1 a slice. This informal event is a great way for potential new members and anyone who may be interested in joining to meet some actives and get to know what APO is all about.

The All-Science Picnic will take place from 12-4 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Ryle Hall Commons (behind Ryle Hall at the corner of Patterson and Franklin streets). Meet people from all fields and get to know science-related organizations across campus with a fun afternoon of food and games. All are welcome.

Each month of the academic year, “The Spotlight Series” will highlight the research, philanthropy or notable accomplishments of one member of the campus community, demonstrating what makes Truman special.

Short videos will be released in the Truman Today and hosted on the University’s YouTube channel. They will also be shared across various Truman social media platforms.

The Assessment and Prescription class is looking for people to work with this semester as personal training clients. Requirements include meeting with the student group five different weeks from 8-9 a.m. or 9-10 a.m. on either Tuesday or Thursday. Anyone interested in being a client can contact Evonne Bird for more information.

The STEP Center is committed to supporting students at Truman who are interested in pursuing a degree in science or mathematics. As a grant-funded office, it provides scholarship and research opportunities to as many students as possible. To learn more about the center visit step.truman.edu/office-mission.

Pickler Memorial Library has partnered with The Wall Street Journal to provide school-sponsored memberships to students, faculty and staff. This membership can be used to get unlimited access to WSJ.com, Wall Street Journal mobile apps, newsletters and podcasts. The Wall Street Journal provides articles on job preparation, financial advice and career insights through the WSJ student center. Students also have the opportunity to be published on their website through the newsroom’s Young Audiences call for submissions on WSJ Opinion’s Future View Series. Professors can integrate content into their course through custom professor tools and resources found at the WSJ professor hub.

To activate an account, visit WSJ.com/Truman and register using a Truman email account. Students will be asked for their graduation month and a year in order to gain uninterrupted access during their time at Truman. Faculty will be asked to refresh accounts annually. For those who already have an account and have questions about the school-sponsored membership, call 1.800.JOURNAL or emailsupport@wsj.com.

The History Society is hosting an informational event on museum and archive internships at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21 in McClain Hall 210. Jason McDonald, assistant professor of history, will outline the museum and archive internship opportunities available to Truman students in the spring, summer and fall of 2022. He will also explain how to submit applications and earn academic credit for internship placements.

Students with financial needs that may interfere with their ability to continue their education can seek assistance through the Truman State University Foundation Loan Program.

Foundation loans can come in the form of short-term loans, long-term loans, access loans and cultural loans. Applications go through the Financial Aid Office and are repaid directly to the University. Banks and outside lenders are not involved in the process.

To be eligible for a Foundation loan students must be enrolled on a full-time basis and be in good academic standing. Students also need to demonstrate an ability to repay the loan in a timely manner. Deferments of up to five years are available for cultural and long-term loans, provided the student is enrolled on a full-time basis.

In addition to scholarship assistance, the loan program is an example of the immediate impact of donations to the Truman State University Foundation. Gifts from alumni and friends allow Truman to provide assistance directly to students as they pursue their education.

For more information on the Foundation loan program, contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@truman.edu, at 660.785.4130 or in person at McClain Hall 103.

 
Listed below are several of the major national fellowships and their websites. More information about these fellowships is available at www.truman.edu/majors-programs/more-learning-opportunities/fellowships.

For Graduate Studies
Fulbright Grants
Research grants and teaching assistantships for a year abroad

Marshall Scholarships
Awards for two years of study in any British university

Mitchell Scholarships
One year of graduate study or research in Ireland or Northern Ireland
 
For Undergraduate Studies

Udall Scholarships
For students interested in careers related to environmental issues or for Native Americans and Alaskans interested in careers related to health care and tribal public policy

Carnegie Endowment Junior Fellowships
For students interested in international affairs to work as research assistants to the Endowment’s senior associates in Washington, D.C. for a full year

Boren Scholarships
To study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests