Vol. 21 No. 17 - January 17, 2017

Truman’s Master of Arts in Education (MAE) program has received full accreditation for the next seven years through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The Truman MAE program was an early adopter of the new CAEP standards and one of the first educator preparation programs in the country to receive accreditation.
 
The CAEP standards reflect the voice of the education field on what makes a quality teacher. CAEP accreditation ensures there is solid evidence Truman’s graduates are competent and caring, and that the University’s staff has the capacity to create a culture of continuous improvement.

“Having a degree from a nationally accredited program speaks to the quality of the education and thus students who graduate from Truman’s program are well prepared to teach effectively - from the first day - which is one of the most important factors for their success,” said Janet Gooch, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Education. “Employers and other institutions recognize the high standards associated with a degree from a nationally accredited teacher preparation program.”

A number of significant changes were made within the MAE program to help prepare for CAEP accreditation. The MAE program now has an assessment team with a charge to use data generated from a series of state mandated and program specific assessments to guide curricular changes and program improvement efforts. A suite of state mandated assessments were piloted and implemented. Changes were made to the core MAE curriculum to better align to the new state required assessments. To enhance the program’s work in collaboration with school-based partners, the Field Experience Advisory Board, consisting of program graduates, mentor teachers, principals and superintendents, was developed and implemented.

“The success of our accreditation was very much a team effort,” said Pete Kelly, the education chair and associate dean of the School of Health Sciences and Education. “Virtually all faculty and staff in the MAE were involved in the process. I strongly believe our efforts have yielded improvements in the quality of our teacher preparation.” 
 
Originally created as a normal school designed specifically to produce professional teachers, Truman has deep roots in educator preparation. Currently, the Department of Education’s 10 full-time and 11 part-time faculty members graduate roughly 100 MAE students annually. All MAE students complete an internship and conduct research, and they all meet every state exit standard by the time they graduate.
 
Students interested in the MAE must apply for entry into the program. Once admitted, they receive additional coursework in the major area as well as coursework specific to the MAE. Students can get their undergraduate degrees in any number of subjects if they plan on pursing elementary or special education at the master’s level. Those that specialize in the content areas of history, music, science, math, English or a foreign language obtain undergraduate degrees in those disciplines prior to enrolling in the MAE program.
 
More information about Truman’s MAE program can be found at truman.edu/majors-programs/academic-departments/about-the-education-department.

Truman is the highest rated Missouri public school to be included in the “Top 300 Best College Values of 2017” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

The rankings include 300 of the nation’s top private, liberal arts and public colleges. Overall, Truman came in at No. 60, a slight improvement from last year and a full 120 spots ahead of the next Missouri public school. All totaled, the state placed nine schools on the list – three public and six private. Truman is the second-highest rated Missouri school, coming in just two spots behind Washington University in St. Louis. Of all 300 schools, Truman is fourth best in terms of total cost per year, far better than any of its statewide counterparts.

On the Kiplinger’s list devoted solely to public schools, Truman again stands out for quality and cost, coming in at No. 5 overall for out-of-state students. Among the three Missouri schools in the public college rankings, Truman excels in terms of affordability. It has the lowest average debt at graduation as well as the lowest total cost per year for both in-state and out-of-state students, respectively coming in almost $3,000 and $14,000 better than the next closest Missouri school.

Kiplinger’s quality measures, which are weighted more heavily than cost, include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation. Unlike other rankings, which include subjective criteria in their assessments, Kiplinger restricts its analysis to measurable standards of academic quality and affordability. The complete rankings are now available online at kiplinger.com/links/colleges and appear in print in the February 2017 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, available now.

This semester an elevator pitch contest named Bulldog B.I.T.E. could win aspiring entrepreneurs more than just bragging rights as the contest offers a top prize of $3,000.

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 2017 spring semester. A student or team may submit only one pitch concept for the contest. Participants may pitch for-profit or not-for-profit concepts.

Students will submit a concept or idea for products, services or solutions to problems facing humanity in a video pitch no longer than two minutes by 11:59 p.m. March 6. The video should not include any props, except the product prototype, and should be one continuous shot. The video submission should include: 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 finalists to present their pitch to a live panel of judges, April 7. 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. Pitch participants, judges, alumni and audience members are then invited to a networking event following the competition.

The Bulldog B.I.T.E. is sponsored by Villhard Growth Partners and Mastercard. On campus promotion is provided by the Career Center.

For complete details and entry information, click here.

Informational meetings for the May 2017 Europe in Transition study abroad program will take place at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 18 and Jan. 19 in Violette Hall 1400.

Students participating in the trip, sponsored by Truman, will experience Brussels, Paris, Rome, Florence, Assisi, Venice and more. There is scholarship money available. Details about the program, including a video, can be found at truman.edu/majors-programs/academic-departments/about-school-of-business/business-school-study-abroad.

For more information, contact Jason Lin.

Dereck Daschke, professor of philosophy and religion, will be leading a study abroad course called “Sacred Healing in Peru” for three weeks in June 2017 in the city of Cusco, Peru.

Based at the University of San Ignacio de Loyola International Extension Center, students will study traditional healing from the Andean and Amazonian regions, observe shamanic rituals, learn about sacred and medicinal plants and see firsthand the interaction of the ancient Incan heritage with contemporary Peruvian culture. Excursions to Machu Piccu, the ruins of the Sacred Valley and other significant places are included.

The trip is worth four credit hours and can be used for PHRE upper-level credit or a general Truman elective. Participants in the trip will be required to meet weekly as a group in the second half of this semester in preparation for the trip and the class experience it offers.

Information sessions will take place in McClain Hall 212 at 5 p.m. Jan. 18 and 4:30 p.m. Jan. 24. For more information, contact Daschke at ddaschke@truman.edu.

In commemoration of the World War I centennial anniversary, the Truman State University Art Gallery and Pickler Memorial Library’s Special Collections Department have collaborated on two interrelated exhibitions that will run Jan. 26 through March 3.

The aim of the two exhibits is to examine art produced during the Great War — both art supporting and also protesting the war — and to allow visitors to explore all the ways in which societies have been changed by this major event.

A special reception celebrating the opening of the exhibitions will take place from 5-7 p.m. Jan. 27 in the University Art Gallery located in Ophelia Parrish. All are invited to come enjoy a snack and see the exhibition.
 
The larger gallery space will feature “Join, Save, Buy: U.S. World War I Posters on the Home Front,” an exhibition of works from Special Collections’ significant body of World War I posters. Obtained during the war years by faculty member E.M. Violette, the Truman collection consists of 500 political posters and related materials. From this collection, faculty members from across campus selected 50 posters to be displayed. With accompanying labels written by students in Jason McDonald’s fall 2016 course “America During the Age of the World Wars,” these posters provide an opportunity to view samples from one of the major historical marketing endeavors of the U.S. government and to recognize the impact of the war on American citizens, both at home and abroad. This exhibition was generously supported by funds from the Missouri Arts Council.


The exhibition in the side gallery, “Arts Against the Great War,” looks at works of visual art, music and literature as well as archival materials including letters from soldiers that explore the war’s complications, violence and human cost. Many of the works in the exhibition are generous loans from local and area collectors; others are from the International Dada Archive in Iowa City and from Truman’s Special Collections. Works from the Dada movement and by artists such as Käthe Kollwitz, first editions of literature such as “In Flanders Fields” and “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and letters from soldiers, as well sheet music and objects associated with soldiers’ daily lives, combine to comment on and explore the endurance, suffering, sacrifice, grief and loss associated with this war. “Arts Against the Great War” was researched, curated, written and arranged by 25 students in Julia DeLancey’s fall 2016 course, “Topics in Art History: Dada and World War I.” The exhibition was generously supported by funds from the Friends of the Gallery.


For more information, visit facebook.com/tsuartgallery.

The Office of Student Research is continuing with an initiative to support interdisciplinary research teams during the summer of 2017 to serve as models for interdisciplinary undergraduate research and creative activities, as well as to foster a sense of community among Truman faculty, staff and students.
 
The Interdisciplinary Research Community Grant proposals should be written by two mentors, each from different departments, who will collaborate on a research project that involves and trains two undergraduate students, one from each of the mentor’s departments. Projects may be new or ongoing. Mentors choose student participants. Projects will be funded up to the maximum value of $9,500 per team and should equate to an eight-week equivalent period of time during the summer of 2017 (June 4 through July 28). Budget may include $1,500 max stipend per mentor, $3,000 max stipend per student and $9,500 max allocation for materials. Any material budget greater than $500 must be subtracted from the max stipend budget amounts at the discretion of the mentors.

Full details of the program, program requirements and the proposal guidelines are available on the OSR website. The deadline for applications, written by the two mentors, is Feb. 6.

Students interested in receiving emergency notices through the text messaging function on their phones can sign up for this service through TruView. On the TruView main page, under “Update and View My Personal Information,” click on “Emergency Text Messaging.” The Emergency Response Guide is also available on the DPS website at police.truman.edu.

Kirksville Textcaster
Sign up at kirksvillecity.com to receive updates regarding city news and announcements, parks and rec information and public safety notices. Messages can be sent via text or email, and participants can select what messages they want to receive.

The Leadership Recognition Program recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding organizations and organizational members, advisors and faculty. Nominations can be submitted online at wp-internal.truman.edu/csi/leadership or in person at the Center for Student Involvement Office. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. Feb. 17.
 
Contact Alex Ward at csilrp@gmail.com with any questions regarding the program and nomination process.

New summer and semester programs are available for study abroad in Australia at Bond University.

Located on Australia’s Gold Coast, Bond University is an hour’s drive from Brisbane, with easy access to attractions such as the Great Barrier Reef, some of the world’s finest beaches and the large rain forest areas of the north. The university is Australia’s first and largest private university and offers courses in a variety of disciplines, including accounting, communication and media, health sciences, psychology and more.

For more information, visit ccisabroad.org/program.php?link=australia_bond. Applications for the summer semester are due March 1. For more information and to apply, contact the Center for International Education and Study Abroad, located on the first floor of Grim Hall, at 660.785.4076 or at ciea@truman.edu.

The Fulbright UK Summer Institute Programmes offer students the opportunity to be immersed in the study of British academics and culture. Students will take part in research, collaboration, presentation and cultural events at a British university. They will enhance their leadership skills, develop knowledge and understanding of new subjects and become ambassadors for the United Kingdom and the United States. The awards will cover the majority of all costs incurred, including flights to and from the U.K., university fees and room and board at the host university.

Students from all areas of study are encouraged to apply. To meet the minimum eligibility, applicants must:

• be a U.S. citizen and possess a U.S. passport;
• be at least 18 years old;
• have a high level of academic achievement with a minimum GPA of 3.7 (confirmed by grades, awards and references);
• have at least two years of university study upon their return (i.e. applicants should currently be a freshman or sophomore in college/university)
• be mature, responsible, independent and open-minded

The deadline for 2017 applicants is Feb. 23 Questions should be sent to the Fulbright Awards staff.

Tom Capuano, professor emeritus of foreign language, had his article, “La Memòria de les maneres de les laurons en el corpus medieval dels scriptores rei rusticae catalanoparlants” published in Manuscrits: Revista d’història moderna of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Foundation scholarships for those studying abroad in 2017 are open to students. Applications are online and are due by midnight, Jan. 19. To apply, log in to TruView, go to the Student Tab and click “Foundation Scholarship Application” under Student Finance.

Applications for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s German Chancellor Fellowship will open March 15. The German Chancellor Fellowship allows recent university graduates to spend one year conducting a project of their design with the host of their choice in Germany. The project can be in any field, but should be research-based and create a positive social impact. Benefits include full financial support, a language course, and a study tour culminating with meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel. For more information on the German Chancellor Fellowship and application process, visit humboldt-foundation.de/web/german-chancellor-fellowship.html. Although applications will not be due until Sept. 15 applicants are encouraged to begin drafting project proposals and securing host affiliations early.