Vol. 26 No. 17 - January 10, 2022

Students who would like to live on campus for the 2022-23 academic year can start the process in the housing portal beginning Jan. 18.

Living on campus offers a variety of benefits, including close access to amenities such as the Student Union Building, Pickler Memorial Library and the Student Recreation Center. Students living in campus housing have unlimited high-speed internet at all times, as well as 24-hour access to laundry services at no additional charges. All utilities are also already included in the housing fees, so there are no extra bills to keep track of and pay. On-campus residents also have live-in support staff, including student advisors and hall directors to help with any problems that may arise.

Students who live on campus tend to be more academically successful. They often have higher grade point averages and higher graduation rates.

Step-by-step instructions on how to complete the housing renewal application can be found here.

Room self-selection will begin in mid-February.

Questions or concerns about housing can be directed to the Residence Life Office at 660.785.4227 or reslife@truman.edu.

To start the housing application:

• Log into TruView
• Click “Student” under “Tools”
• Click “Student Tools”
• Click “Housing Portal” under “Housing”
• Click “Student Login”
• Click “Apply for Housing!”
• Select the term applying for
• Review the “Welcome” page for more information

Bill Castles (center), executive director for the United Way of Northeast Missouri, accepts a check from Zac Burden (left), coordinator for Residence Life, and John Stewart, general manager of Sodexo at Truman.

Students with dining plans on campus donated meal swipes to help fund United Way operations locally.

John Stewart, general manager of Sodexo at Truman, thanked students for their continued generosity toward supporting the people of Adair County. Zac Burden, coordinator for Residence Life at Truman, helped students donate safely and securely through an online process. Bill Castles, executive director for the United Way of Northeast Missouri, noted that this donation will help to make vital operations of various member agencies possible.

Residence Life and Sodexo have partnered in this fundraiser for decades, raising tens of thousands of dollars over its history. This year, Truman students donated more than $1,100 to the campaign. To learn more about local United Way efforts and to get involved with fundraising visit liveunitednemo.org.

Truman Athletics was recognized by the NCAA with the Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence for Division II schools that have achieved an Academic Success Rate of 90% or higher.

Truman was one of five members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference to earn the award and one of only five public institutions among the 43 honored schools. As a conference, the GLVC finished second to the Northeast-10 Conference with eight athletics programs achieving scores of 90%.

The Division II ASR includes transfers into a school in the calculation and removes transfers out who left school while academically eligible. The ASR also includes the more than 31,000 nonscholarship student-athletes who were enrolled in the four years covered in the most recent data.

The ASR for Truman student-athletes is 92%. For Division II athletes, the federal rate increased 1 percentage point to 60%, and the general student body increased 1 point to 52%.

In the semester’s first installment of “Tea Time with Sue,” University President Sue Thomas is asked to pick her favorite recent Truman theatre productions and addresses the topics of security cameras on campus and the upcoming window replacement on Centennial Hall. She also offers up advice for future leaders.

Throughout the school year, President Thomas will answer a handful of submitted questions during each monthly installment of the series. Submit questions at truman.edu/teatime for a chance to have them answered on a future episode.

Truman’s chapter of the Society of Physics Students has been recognized as a 2021 Distinguished Chapter by the SPS National Office.

Chapter awards are determined each academic year after a careful review of the information presented in chapter reports. Factors taken into consider include the chapter’s involvement in local, zone and national SPS meetings and other professional meetings; participation in SPS programs; outreach efforts to the grades K-12 or the general public; participation in community service; contributions to student recruitment and retention; participation in social events; and interactions with the department’s alumni.

Truman’s chapter was one of three in its zone recognized with a Distinguished Chapter Award and was joined by those at the University of Missouri and Oklahoma State University. 

 
The new year brings new leadership for Pickler Memorial Library.

Janet Romine is now the dean of libraries and museums. As dean, Romine provides leadership and strategic direction for the library, archives and museums in support of the University’s mission.
 
Stephen Wynn is the associate dean of libraries and museums for technical services and systems. Wynn has leadership responsibilities in the library and performs ongoing operational management of library systems and coordinating upgrades of hardware and software.
 
Amanda Langendoerfer is the new associate dean of interdisciplinary studies and director of special collections and museums. Langendoerfer leads and coordinates interdisciplinary learning experiences across the University, developing a strategic plan for interdisciplinary study and creative inquiry that spans from students’ first year through graduation. She continues in her role in the library as director of special collections and museums.  
 
In addition to these leadership changes, library staff members Gayla McHenry, Jeremy McAninch, and Cheryl Musch will be taking on additional responsibilities.

In their first recorded discussion of the semester, Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group committee members Scott Alberts and Nancy Daley-Moore discussed a wide range of topics, including the prevalence of the omicron variant, upgrading masks, vaccines and boosters, new CDC guidance and best practices by the Truman community.

With the omicron variant being highly contagious, and case numbers spiking in Adair County and many parts of the country, Alberts and Daley-Moore encouraged everyone to be mindful of their actions for a while. In addition to continued social distancing, people should consider avoiding large gatherings whenever possible. They also mentioned upgrading masks, either by double masking, adding filters or occasionally using KN95, N95 or KF94 masks.

The full recording of their discussion is available here.

Union & Involvement will host the Activities Fair from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 25-26 in the Student Union Building. This event is an excellent opportunity for students to find organizations to join on campus. Several organizations will be showcased each night. For more information contact Union & Involvement Services in the Student Union Building 2000 at 660.785.4222 or by email at orgs@truman.edu.

The Admission Office is now hiring student ambassadors for the 2022-23 academic year. Apply at tru.mn/ambassador. Scholarship, work-study and volunteer opportunities are available. Institutional opportunities are limited.

 
Truman’s Upward Bound program is currently accepting applications for spring employment. Influence equity in and access to higher education by joining the Upward Bound team in helping area high school students prepare for college. Interested applicants can access application materials here.

On-Campus Sessions
Feb. 2
5:30-6:30 p.m.

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

April 13
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Virtual Lunch Sessions
Feb. 16
12-1 p.m.

March 30
12-1 p.m.

April 27
12-1 p.m.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be filed now for the 2022-2023 school year at studentaid.gov.

Even though a student may not qualify for grants or work-study, all students are considered for the Federal Direct Loan (no co-signer required). Filing the FAFSA does not commit students to taking a loan, but it does allow for more options.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA requires students to report income and tax information from an earlier tax year. For the 2022-2023 FAFSA students will use their 2020 tax information.

It is strongly recommended to apply or renew before Feb. 1, 2022.

The Institute for Academic Outreach is offering American Heart Association basic life support classes. Visit institute.truman.edu/trulifesaver to complete the online registration form. Questions can be directed to institute@truman.edu or 660.785.5384.

Hannah Belanger had her jersey placed at the Ring of Honor display at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee, in recognition of her outstanding play for the 2020-21 season. The Ring of Honor acknowledges young basketball players for their achievements in the sport. Belanger’s is one of 50 jerseys of the top high school and college players from the previous season. Last year, she played in 22 games for the Bulldogs averaging 18.5 points per game and helping the team to a 17-5 record. Belanger became the 23rd Truman player to hit the 1,000-point mark when she finished with 28 points against Lewis University, Jan. 6.

Elijah Hazekamp was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 3. The redshirt sophomore averaged 19.5 points per game in the Bulldog’s wins against Grand View and Lindenwood during the week of Dec. 27-Jan. 2, leading the team in scoring both games. He also averaged eight rebounds per game and added nine assists and one steal. This is the first GLVC Player of the Week award of his career, and he becomes the second Bulldog to win the award this season, with Cade McKnight winning it Nov. 15.