Vol. 26 No. 37 - July 25, 2022

New Year’s Eve is coming early to Kirksville.

“Truman State University’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, with President Sue Thomas” will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 21 on the quad. All students, faculty and staff are invited to attend.

In celebration of the start of the new academic year, a variety of mocktails, snacks, lawn games, party hats, noisemakers and stickers specific to the event will be provided. President Thomas will lead the countdown to the new year. As part of the festivities, participants will be encouraged to share some of their resolutions for the new year and throw away any bad habits they want to get rid of into a firepit.

Rain site for this event will be the Student Recreation Center.

Truman was once again selected as one of 10 public schools in the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” Best Buys of 2023.

For 39 years, the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” has chosen a select group of schools based on academic quality and affordability for its best buy list. The 2023 guide includes 20 schools – 10 public and 10 private – it deems as best buys. These are schools that, in the judgement of the editors, offer “outstanding educational value as determined by academic quality in relation to the net cost of attendance.”

Truman has been included in the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” for eight consecutive years and 14 times total.

This year’s list includes colleges and universities throughout the United States, with Truman being the only school from Missouri to be selected.

Public                                                                           
Arizona State University                                           
University of Florida                                                  
University of Iowa                                                      
New College of Florida                                              
University of New Mexico                                        
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill            
Purdue University                                                      
SUNY-Stony Brook University                                  
Truman State University                                        
University of Washington                                       

Private
The Cooper Union
Lawrence University
Oglethorpe University          
Olin College of Engineering
Rice University
St. John’s College
Vanderbilt University
Warren Wilson College
Xavier University of Louisiana

A committee consisting of faculty and staff from around campus worked through the 2021-2022 academic year, researching, visiting sites and attending webinars in order to determine how Truman esports should look and operate. An esports facility will be housed in Barnett Hall, and will come together by the start of the fall 2022 semester.

Truman esports teams will compete in, but not be limited to, “League of Legends” and “Rocket League.”

“Esports have become very popular among colleges across the country,” said Jared Young, director of academic affairs operations. “Schools are using them not only as an extracurricular opportunity, but also as a recruitment tool. There is student demand for an esports team, and we want to be able to provide them that experience.”

An esports student survey conducted in the spring semester helped determine some of the initial plans for the esports team. Many details remain to be determined, but approximately 16 students are expected to make up the inaugural team.

Truman’s Upward Bound Project was recently awarded a five-year $2.4 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education to continue operations through 2028.

Upward Bound has existed on Truman’s campus since 1965 and is one of eight Federal TRIO Programs designed to help students overcome class, social, academic and cultural barriers to higher education. The Upward Bound Project works with local 10-12th graders who would be the first in their family to earn a college degree and are from income-eligible backgrounds. Upward Bound helps these students to foster the development of necessary academic skills and personal motivation in order to increase the rate at which TRIO-eligible students enter and complete post-secondary education. They provide them with effective preparation for college application, enrollment and success.

Truman students serve as academic coaches, college mentors and positive adult role models for Upward Bound participants, gaining valuable hands-on learning experience with diverse populations in the process and positively impacting deserving students toward college completion. Upward Bound staff provide services at target schools in seven northeast Missouri counties on a year-round basis from the sophomore through the senior years in high school. Staff provide tutoring, guidance with college exploration, and assistance with college and financial aid applications. Project participants meet after school weekly during the academic year and spend five weeks each summer on the Truman campus in a college-preparatory residential session.        
 
Continued funding of the grant will allow Upward Bound to serve 90 students in the upcoming year, and new student recruitment will begin in September. More information about the Truman Upward Bound Project can be found online at ub.truman.edu or by calling 660.785.4244.

Truman track and field teams have been included among the All-Academic Teams as determined by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.

Both men’s and women’s teams were recognized for having a team cumulative GPA above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The men’s team was one of 100 men’s programs in Division II to earn the distinction with a cumulative GPA of 3.50. They were one of seven teams nationally to post a 3.5 GPA or better. The women’s team had a cumulative GPA of 3.67, which was the fifth-highest among all Division II schools and led all of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Baker and Campbell both earned their NCAA indoor provisional mark in weight throw at the Mel Tieerdsma Classic, Dec. 4. Baker threw 18.59m and Campbell threw 18.95m. Morris garnered All-America honors in indoor weight throw and outdoor discus. Morris’ mark in the discus of 56.96 was the third-longest in Division II this season and occurred at the Loper Twilight Meet, May 14. Moose earned her NCAA qualifying mark with a javelin throw of 43.39m at the Loper Twilight meet.

The women’s basketball team was named as a special mention to the Division II annual Academic Top 25 list compiled by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

The squad posted a 3.637 grade point average, which sat just outside the top 25 of Division II schools on the list.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year college women’s basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2021-22 season is the 27th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
 
This year’s release also marks the first year in which all teams which qualified for the top 25 rankings with the minimum 3.0 GPA also are recognized for their academic accomplishment.

Move-in Day will take place between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 17. Those who volunteer will help new students move their belongings from their car to their respective rooms, directing traffic at essential locations and guiding families to long-term parking. Sign up is available here.

Volunteers are also needed for various Truman Week events. Sign up is available here.

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.

Sorority recruitment will be Sept. 6-11 and fraternity recruitment will be Sept. 9-16. Recruitment sign ups can be found here. Those interested in joining a National Pan-Hellenic Council organization can keep an eye out for interest events in the fall. Questions regarding recruitment can be emailed to fsl@truman.edu. More information can also be found by following @trumanfsl on Instagram.

Since 1914, Fraternity and Sorority Life has provided tens of thousands of Truman students and alumni with a community where they can enjoy college. Fraternity and Sorority Life is guided by four values: growth, scholarship, leadership and unity. The community currently has more than 19 different organizations from three different councils: Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. In the 2021-2022 school year, the Fraternity and Sorority Life community accounted for approximately 20% of the University’s student population. Additionally, 90% of these students would recommend joining a fraternity or sorority to their friends and strongly agree that joining a fraternity or sorority made their college experience better. Fraternity and Sorority Life members also had a higher cumulative GPA than the general student body during the 2021-2022 school year.

Some of Fraternity and Sorority Life’s accomplishments this past school year include raising more than $47,000, which includes the $19,000 raised during Greek Week. This year’s Greek Week efforts went toward the YMCA for the free meals they provide for children in Adair County. Members of the Fraternity and Sorority Life community also performed more than 4,000 hours of community service throughout the year during events such as the Special Olympics and at the Food Pantry for Adair County.

The program offers two degrees – a Master of Arts in Counseling: Mental Health Counseling and Master of Arts in Counseling: School Counseling.
 
The Master of Arts in Counseling: School Counseling program is geared toward meeting the academic, career and personal/social needs of culturally diverse students in elementary, middle and secondary schools as certified and licensed school counselors.

The Master of Arts in Counseling: Mental Health Counseling program specializes in community-based work as licensed professional counselors.

The counseling program seeks to equip caring, committed and culturally aware individuals from all backgrounds with the knowledge and skills required to become professional counselors in school and community settings.
 
Cohort size is limited, and applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. For priority consideration, apply here by Nov. 1. For more information about either program visit counseling.truman.edu or email Karl Witt at karlwitt@truman.edu.

The Student Health Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday to continue to provide in-person services to students living on or off campus throughout the summer. Complete Family Medicine also runs the Urgent Care in Kirksville, and the Student Health Center offers all of the same services, with the exception of radiology. To schedule an appointment, call 660.785.4182 or email studenthealth@cfmcares.com.

University Counseling Services is open all summer from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday. UCS will continue to offer both in-person and remote counseling services, and now has counselors licensed in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa who can also provide remote counseling. The My SSP app is also available 24/7 during the summer. To schedule an appointment, call 660.785.4104 or email ucs@cfmcares.com.

The next issue of the Truman Today will be available Aug. 22.