Vol. 26 No. 4 - September 13, 2021

Truman has reached a milestone after being recognized as the No. 1 public school in the Midwest Region for the 25th consecutive year according to U.S. News & World Report.

In the 2022 Best Colleges rankings, Truman came in at No. 6 overall among both public and private institutions in the Midwest Region, an improvement of one spot from last year. In addition to being the No. 1 public university in the region, Truman was the only Missouri public school in the top 70 spots.

Truman secured an additional No. 1 award on the Best Value Schools rankings. Among both public and private schools, Truman was again tops in the Midwest Region in terms of affordability. It was the only Missouri public school included in the top 50 spots.

“Twenty-five years as the top public Midwest Region university is a spectacular accomplishment and a true testament to the sustained excellence exhibited by every member of our campus community,” University President Susan L. Thomas said. “Truman provides an exceptional education that prepares our students to thrive both professionally and personally. Our students graduate at high rates with low debt, ready to make a profound impact on the world. We have consistently ensured our students realize the full promise of higher education.”

Among this year’s supplemental rankings, Truman was again recognized on the list of Best Undergraduate Teaching, coming in as the No. 1 public university, No. 8 overall, in the Midwest Region. Of the 24 schools listed, Truman was the only Missouri institution, and the highest ranked of the four public schools to be honored.

Truman earned a spot on the list of Most Innovative Schools, which recognizes institutions making improvements toward curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities. Truman was the lone Missouri university to make this particular list of 17 schools. Of the two public institutions, Truman was the highest rated, coming in tied for No. 12 overall in the Midwest Region.

Three Truman undergraduate programs also earned recognition on stand-alone lists compiled by U.S. News & World Report. The computer science, nursing and business programs all met selective criteria which led to their inclusion on three respective lists.

U.S. News & World Report bases its rankings on several indicators of academic excellence, including graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, assessment by peers, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving. Complete listings are available at usnews.com/colleges.

Since March, operations of both the Student Health Center and University Counseling Services have been under the direction of Complete Family Medicine. As a subsidiary of Hannibal Regional Healthcare System, this non-profit agency has the capacity to provide additional resources to students, including expanded hours, increased access to a physician and access to off-site providers when needed. Weekly appointments are also now available at UCS.

Currently, the staff available during the school year includes three full-time on-campus counselors, two part-time on-campus counselors and one virtual counselor. By the end of October, there will be a total of four full-time on-campus counselors and three virtual counselors.

Students seeking services through the Student Health Center or University Counseling Services will have the option to handle their care through private insurance, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs benefits or private payments. As a non-profit entity, equitable care is a priority for Complete Family Medicine. Because it is part of a larger network with experience in multiple facets of health care, it can provide services on a sliding scale.

Services are available year around. During the school year, hours of operations are from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Students can contact the Student Health Center at 660.785.4182 and UCS at 660.785.4014 or ucs@cfmcares. While Complete Family Medicine is also responsible for the urgent care facility in Kirksville, students are advised to seek treatment first at the Student Health Center during its hours of operation. More information regarding Complete Family Medicine can be found at cfmcares.com.

Also starting last spring, Truman began a partnership with emotional well-being provider LifeWorks, which offers 24/7 access to resources specifically for students in higher education. Through its My Student Support Program (MySSP), students can seek resources in a variety of platforms, including live online chats and video counseling. Services are also offered by appointment in other languages, depending on availability. Appointments with counselors who share the student’s lived experiences, such as racial and gender identity, are available as well. The My SSP app also offers self-directed resources, including videos and articles on topics such as scholarly stress, combating homesickness and thriving as a student. My SSP provides short-term, solution-focused counseling delivered by degree-qualified clinicians. If a student is in need of additional support, MySSP can help refer them to the proper resource.

For the past several years, Truman has prioritized its approach to student wellness. Some of the steps the University has taken include the creation of the Truman Wellness website, available at wellness.truman.edu. The site serves as a resource for communicating a campus-wide commitment to wellness and a culture of caring.

Truman faculty members have played an important role in the strategic planning of the University’s wellness approach. Many have participated in workshops and other developmental opportunities for mental health and well-being. There has also been a faculty fellows position created for mental health, as well as a student award for faculty members who are champions of mental health.

Academically speaking, Truman has adjusted policies around dropping and adding courses to help alleviate student stress. The leave of absence policy was also altered to provide students with the opportunity to be absent from the University for up to two full semesters while retaining their status as students, minimizing the impact on any Truman-funded financial assistance they may receive. The University has also restructured its Student Success Center to assist students early on in their careers. The Bulldog Bounceback Program, established to help academically at-risk students, is yet another proactive measure to reduce stress and contribute to positive mental health.

A number of social measures have been taken, among them the life skills workshops for students and the Positive Peers support program to combat loneliness and isolation. Truman’s You Matter campaign is another avenue to provide information about mental health resources and create a culture of caring across campus. Events such as Truman Week are designed to help students feel at home and integrated into the community as soon as they arrive on campus. Truman also has support programs in place for LGBTQ+ students, students of color, first-generation students, international students, commuter students, transfer students, students with disabilities, neurodiverse students, students diagnosed with mental illnesses and survivors of gender-based violence.

Students are encouraged to visit wellness.truman.edu for more information on resources available for their physical and mental needs. The Student Health Center and UCS websites – available respectively at studenthealth.truman.edu and ucs.truman.edu – also provide more in-depth details about services available to all students.

Maloney is the founder of Mouthfeel Press, a bilingual independent press, that has published dozens of books of poetry in English and Spanish. She is the literacy curator and outreach coordinator for the Smithsonian Latino Center in Washington D.C. She is currently a reading and writing teacher at Trinity Independent School District in Texas.

Maloney is the author of “The Lost Letters of Mileva” and “The City I Love.” Her poetry and essays have also appeared in the Bellevue Literary Review, MiPoesias, The Catholic Reporter, The Texas Review, Acentos Review, The Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum and many other literary journals. She will be reading from her new book, “Cracked Spaces,” and copies of the book will be available for sale at the event.

Training sessions for faculty have begun and will continue through October. Faculty that would like to take advantage of these workshops can find the schedule and registration form here. Preregistration is required so that Ally can be enabled in participants courses to provide guided training. Other helpful links are Learning Technology’s support web page, which can also help answer any questions.

The first installment of “The Spotlight Series” features McNair scholar Christina Carapia-Chaparro. After seeing the exciting research projects of her fellow students, Carapia-Chaparro was motivated to conduct her own. Her research related to COVID-19 has inspired her to pursue a career in the public health field. As a McNair scholar, Carapia-Chaparro will attend graduate school after receiving her biology degree from Truman in May. She plans to use her research to educate people on how social factors can contribute to health care disparities. Click here to watch her video. 

Alpha Sigma Gamma, a non-selective service sorority, will host its fall recruitment from 7-9 p.m. Sept. 14-16 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. Recruitment will be in-person and masks will be required. Those who do not feel comfortable attending in-person can email asgducks.pr@gamil.com. Other questions regarding recruitment can be directed to asgducks@gmail.com.

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.

Events will begin with a gallery opening at the Pickler Memorial Library Gallery at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 16. The University is collaborating with Special Collections to create an exhibit on money, the history of money, Truman class projects on developing a currency and national currency from international students at Truman. At the opening event there will be a welcome, reading of excerpts from the Constitution which pertain to currency and a short presentation on “What is Money?” by David Gillette, professor of economics.

On Sept. 17 short presentations by faculty and staff will take place in the library gallery. These presentations feature Stacey Kaden, associate professor of accounting, on “Budgeting Your Money: How to Make the Most Out of the Money You Earn” at 1:30 p.m., and Chuck Boughton on “Is the Federal Reserve Constitutional?” at 2:30 p.m.

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.

On-Campus Sessions
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

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.

This exhibition runs through Dec. 18 and is free to view for all Truman students, faculty and staff, as well as the community. There will be a reception for all to attend from 5-6:30 p.m. Sept. 23.

As the semester has gotten off to a great start, and everyone is excited about being back on campus together, we wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for all of those who contributed to making Truman Week such a great success. The Truman Week planning committee: Ben Briney (before his departure from Truman), Zac Burden, Michael Facey, Shari Foglesong, Richie Howell, Liz Jorn, Andrea Maag, Jessica Rood (SAB student rep) and Jesse Wren (Student Government student rep). Honorary committee members were the intramurals staff and SAB for their work to coordinate all the social activities and make sure students had fun after a long day.
 
The committee members worked hard to make a lot of things happen, however there are countless others who were essential to Truman Week’s success. The week could not have happened without (in no particular order):
 

• The move-in committee and Residence Life getting everyone settled and ready to start the week,

• Faculty members who are teaching Self and Society Seminars,

• The Symposium Committee for bringing Diana Kander as the Truman Lecturer,

• Student Government Leadership (Shania Montufar, Ethan Kershaw and others) for their work with commuter students and all kinds of other support,

• Tammy Roberts and Beth Oberman in IT for making it possible for students to have digital schedules they could pull up on their mobile device,

• Randy Bame and his staff in Baldwin for managing an unspeakable schedule for the auditorium

• Laura Bates, Corrina McFall and Rebecca Conover and the U&I Student staff for making sure facilities were ready to go and equipment was working and doing anything that was asked of them,

• The drumline and Michael Bump for upping the level of excitement as we headed into convocation,

• Teresa Wheeler for making an awesome poster for some key events, and Katie Best for designing convocation programs,

• The intramural staff from the Rec and SAB for all the evening social events.

• The Physical Plant staff and the volunteers who worked the two weeks before to make sure campus looked as good as it possibly could, and the stages and outdoor spaces were ready when we needed them,

• Everyone and anyone who sponsored a scavenger hunt event or an information session, served at a picnic., etc.

• The student employees in the Student Life Office who folded letters, added tassels and stuffed envelopes for Convocation,

• Volunteers who popped up spur of the moment and found themselves saying “yes” when asked to help with a task.

• And anyone we may have inadvertently overlooked adding to the list.

 
We express our most sincere appreciation for all that you do to help our students enter and acclimate to the University during these five important days! They may think it looks easy because all of you work to make it look that way. What a fun week!  
 
With gratitude,
Brittany Hagenhoff, professor of chemistry
Janna Stoskopf, dean of student life
Truman Week Committee co-chairs

Courtney Matthews
Hannah Zimmerman
Stephanie Tauser
Keridan Gossrau
Jewel Smith
Megan McHenry

Alpha Kappa Lambda
Matt Hartmann
John Schneider
Josh Gray
Alpha Gamma Delta
Mattie Smith
Kara Kirner
Kristen Lawson
Kaitlyn Ratliff
Ally Monroe
Grace Heisel
Shelby Walker
Alpha Phi Omega
Christian Witte
Alpha Sigma Alpha
Addison Inlow
Maura Jones
Kelly Rydberg
Lydia McDonald
Amanda Voss
Madie Ewing
Clare Schickler
Carissa Dunn
Emma Broaddus
Maddie Wahby
Meghan Haug
Lydia Schilly
Madelyn Huhn
Leah Gehrke
Maya Broshears
Ellie Moloney
Paige Crumpecker
Catherine Dean
Abby Wise
Rylee Schertzer
Madisyn Andrews
Emily Bowen
Sara Rausa
Abby Worobec
Sydney Mattas
Beta Alpha Psi
Matthew Hamilton
Dylan Hicks
Isaac Pleus
Chance Orf
Hayden Wells
Ben Altman
Nick Haggard
Zach Stellhorn
Gabriel Fish
Reece Pollock
Gus Williams
Lucas May
Jake Teater
Will Neisen
Max Etheridge
Cole Hedrick
Blue Key
Corbin Estes
Cardinal Key
Hannah Gross
Isi Albers

Catholic Newman Center
CCF
Owen Thornburg
Ivan Bossert
Tommy Fleury
CDI
Delta Chi
John Marx
Patrick Akins
Dorian Robinson
Lukas Hudson
Brett Rog
Colin Stuerman
Josh Svoboda
Cole Hadley
Dylan de Leon
Frank Lindwedel
Mitchell Heberer
Andrew Doan
Joseph Dougherty
Travis Wilson
Dan King
Jonny Ly
Kale Slayton
Gabe Durkee
Spencer Ratermann
Zack Ploch

Delta Phi Epsilon
Hannah Miller
Avery Drake
Caitlin Smith
Lauren Krippner
Annie Williams
Katie Williams
Ashley Teson
Sarah Moore
Sydney Wieberg
Eryn Fantroy
Johnnie Mehl
Madeline Dando
Megan Binkhoelter
Taylor Tauai
Rylee Ludy
Mandi Wild

Delta Sigma Pi
Aidan Cannon
AJ Clever
Thang Huynh
Brendon Bova
Bryce Rauba

Delta Zeta
Rose Kippenbrock
Mackenzie Sullivan
Ellie TenEyck
Delainy Kroeger
 Jaycee Mudd
Grace Hoffman
Liz Christal
Chickie Slane
Sadie Spratt
Savannah Rothe
Grace James
Rebecca Byrd
Hannah Holmes
Morgan Cowen
Laura Toenjes
Teagan Charles
Maddie Yarnell
Cassidy Schultz
Celeste Presson
Natalie Vance
Kacie Barker
Gamma Chi
Abby Hankins
Dani Lampe
Mutiara Schlanker
Sarah Keenan
Elise Gordon
Melina Campbell
Abby Lenzner
Carrie Derner
Kara Pruett
Maddy Stoecklein
Mikayla Haehn
Riley Holzmeier
Ashley Winters
Elise Greenland
Kaitlyn Kelly
Grace Keenan
Sarah Gill
Grace Rowley
Avery Chancellor
Olivia Harding
Grace Cochran
Liz Harmon
Susan OToole
Kacie Barker
Amber Barron

IFC
Shyam Kannan
Braden Leuthauser

Lambda Chi Alpha
Maylon Rodriguez
Nathan Shortt
Zach Evans
Justin Bonds
Matt Hawley
Jackson Boeck
Julian Hays
Wyatt Waelder
Tycho Wagner
Max Fensterman
Andrew McDonald
Momentum
Julianna Hefele
Sarah Baker
Rachel shelly
Bianca Overbeck

Newman Center
Conner Havrilla
Conaire Bradfield
Louisa Lopez
Kate Speak
Phi Sigma Kappa
Jack Tigner
Jared Grgurich
Paul Shumate
Pi Kappa Phi
Grant Freitas
Adrian Ampon
Derek Fesser
Evan Bartlett
Trevor Rey
Derek Fesser
Joseph Kessler
Dan Fox
Evan Bartlett
Joey Williams
Daniel Harper
Sigma Kappa
Mackensie Bagstad
Lany Borella
Madison Hadley
Kayla Green
Baylee Jennings
Diana Heckert
Rachel Stanfield
Clair Osterhaus
Abby Sauer
Nicole Galarza
Josie Pitts
Cassadi Forman
Lilly Ward
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Theo Pardee
Blake Savidge
Josh Williams
Chase Klosener
Sigma Sigma Sigma
Taylor Pinnello
Emma White
Megan Mocker
Maggie Nicholl
Emily Giannotti
Emily Elfrink
Delaney Wehde
Anne Hubble
Kelli Ellis
Lucy O’Connor
Grace Daugherty
Morgan Douglas
Sigma Tau Gamma
Robert Hartsell
Will Geier
Matthew Hellmann
Tau Lambda Sigma
Kenzie Jones
Fiona Chao
Jenna Foelsing
Sarah Wieberg
Monica Bates
Grace Horsefield
Kristina Burgess
Ainsley LaMore

Tau Kappa Epsilon
Matt Johnson
Ian Dawkins

Morgan Smith and Ellie Kaat were named to the all-tournament team following their performance at the Union Univeristy Tournament, Sept. 3-4. Two players from each team were seated.

Smith led the Bulldogs with 49 kills and 55.5 points during the weekend. She finished with a .213 hitting percentage. She also racked up 51 digs, four total blocks and three service aces.