Vol. 27 No. 32 - May 30, 2023

Truman has released its academic honor rolls for the spring 2023 semester.

Students who received a grade point average of 3.5 or better during the spring semester can now find their honor roll information posted online.

The President’s List, for students with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, can be accessed at truman.edu/honors/spring-2023-presidents-list. The Vice President for Academic Affairs’ List, featuring students with a grade point average between 3.50-3.99, can be found at truman.edu/honors/spring-2023-vice-president-for-academic-affairs-list.

To qualify for either list, a student must be an undergraduate and complete at least 12 hours of credit during the semester.

Lists are organized by state and hometown. Hometowns are based upon the permanent address given to the University by the student. Students who have requested a directory hold on their information are not included on the lists. Any questions regarding student eligibility for inclusion on the lists can be directed to the Academic Affairs Office at 660.785.4105.

In its first academic year of competition, Truman esports had multiple teams make deep runs in their respective conference playoffs and earn division championships.

Three Truman teams competed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Rocket League of the NACE Open in April. NACE stands for the National Association of Collegiate Esports, a nonprofit governing body of which Truman is a member. It is the largest member association of varsity esports programs in North America.

The Rocket League team went 6-1 in playoff qualifiers, earning a first-round bye in the ninth division of NACE’s Open Plus League. Following a 4-2 victory over the University of Montreal, Truman faced the undefeated University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the grand finals. After taking the first game in the best-of-seven series, Truman dropped three games in a row. The team – comprised of Dreston “Dre-_-Bae” Hoffman, Jon “Buss” Buss, Matthew “SteveTheCow” Klein, and Peyton “Ri0tCheeks” Cheeks – rallied to take game five 4-1, and won game six after a four-minute overtime period. The decisive game seven was tied 2-2 when Truman scored the go-ahead goal with less than a minute to play, securing the championship title.

Truman’s two Super Smash Bros. Ultimate teams competing in the NACE playoffs also found success in their respective conferences. The varsity Smash team remained undefeated in all head-to-head competitions, whereas the junior varsity team only suffered two defeats in qualifying, losing against the two strongest teams in their conference, Purdue University Fort Wayne and Franklin College.

The varsity team advanced to the grand finals in their conference, facing off against Saint Xavier University, the only team the Bulldogs lost to in their entire NACE preseason. Team members Anthony “DeDude” Sarullo, Dan Fink, Cole “Brightheart” Bracken, Cameron “Inaba” Levy and Peter “YOLO” Guidry took the best-of-three finals 2-1, winning the fourth division in the NACE Varsity Plus League.

The junior varsity team, comprised of Chris “Chrisalash” Heumann, Zachary “DMLOL” Miesner, Ethan “J3t” Becher, Adam “Bard” Schmitz, and Caleb “GreenThundr” Levy, upset Purdue University Fort Wayne 2-0 in the semi-finals, then defeated William Peace University 2-0 in the grand finals to take the third division title in NACE Varsity Plus.

Participation in esports is open to all students. In addition to Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Truman also fields a League of Legends team. Matches are livestreamed on Twitch at twitch.tv/trumanesports. More information about Truman esports is available on the team website, esports.truman.edu. Up-to-date information can also be found on the team Instagram and Twitter, @TrumanEsports.

The JBA Jr. Program at Truman  is currently accepting reservations for this summer’s session taking place July 17-21.

Modeled after Truman’s highly successful Joseph Baldwin Academy, JBA Jr. is a one-week day program filled with engaging academic opportunities for students from the northeast Missouri region. From 9 a.m.-4:15 p.m., students who have completed fourth, fifth or sixth grade can participate in a variety of activities. This includes tours of Truman’s planetarium and herpetology labs, a scavenger hunt to get to know the campus, educational experiences in University classrooms, and participation in lessons and activities at the University Farm. Lunch is provided each day in a dining hall.

Registration is open now through June 15. The normal rate is $100 for the week. Free and reduced lunch rates are available for qualifying students. Complete details on JBA Jr., as well as other pre-college summer programs at Truman, can be found online at jbajr.truman.edu.

For more information, contact the Institute for Academic Outreach at 660.785.5384 or institute@truman.edu.

Kaitlyn Johnson was recently awarded a study abroad grant worth $1,000 from the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Their grants are designed to support undergraduates, both members and nonmembers from campuses that have Phi Kappa Phi chapters, as they seek expanded knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad.

Johnson is a senior communication disorders major from Wright City, Missouri. She plans to use the grant to study abroad in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She is one of only 125 students nationwide to receive the award.

The selection process for a study abroad grant is based on the applicant’s academic achievement, campus and community service, relation of travel to academic preparation and career goals, a personal statement, letters of recommendation and acceptance into a study abroad program. Each recipient receives $1,000 to be applied toward travel abroad.

Established in 2001, the Study Abroad Grant Program is part of the Society’s robust portfolio of award and grant programs, which gives $1.3 million each year to outstanding students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives.

To learn more about the Study Abroad Grant Program and other Phi Kappa Phi awards, visit phikappaphi.org/awards.

During the summer, Truman’s Information Technology Services team will conduct a number of projects to improve campus infrastructure and enhance user experiences.

New Website Search Tools
ITS has implemented a new Google search tool for all campus websites. This tool will become active for all website searches done after July 1. To preview what the new search results will look like, click on the “Try the new Google search!” button on the main website. Along with many other enhancements, the result sets bring the most current and relevant search information to the top of the search list.

Enhanced Website Analytics
ITS has also set up all Truman websites to utilize the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) tools. The old Google Analytics system will stop working July 1. GA4 is a new feature designed for the future of measurement. Among its notable features, GA4: collects both website and app data to better understand the customer journey; uses event-based data instead of session-based; includes privacy controls such as cookie-less measurement, and behavioral and conversion modeling; its predictive capabilities offer guidance without complex models; and it offers direct integrations to media platforms to help drive actions on a website or app.

Email Updates
ITS previously posted tips and tricks on how to best use Gmail while Truman migrates to Microsoft 365 this summer. As a reminder, faculty and staff may open the Outlook Desktop Application to review emails sent/received prior to April 21. This only provides access to old email and calendar items, it will not allow users to send or receive from this application. ITS plans to migrate all of the email currently stored in Exchange to Microsoft 365. For those who cannot currently access some of their email via Outlook for some reason, this email will still be migrated to Microsoft 365. The Outlook desktop application may not be able to access all of their old information, but it is still stored in the Exchange email server. Anyone who only used a web browser to access their email (i.e., exchange.truman.edu) and who cannot access this email at this time, it will still be migrated to Microsoft 365. Those who cannot currently access some of their email via Outlook because the Outlook cache was not enabled, this email will still be migrated to Microsoft 365. The Outlook desktop application may not be able to access all of the old information, but it is still stored in the Exchange email server.

Classroom and Other Infrastructure Updates
Through system upgrades and delivered enhancements, ITS will begin to take advantage of additional features available in the Banner Enterprise Resource Management System, as well as the TruView portal.

Telephone system upgrades will be done on a building-by-building basis over an extended period of time, minimizing the impact of any downtime to one building at a time.

Security updates will extend throughout the summer. Work is currently under way adding enhancements to campus firewalls, and personal workstation upgrades will happen as needed over the summer.

An upgrade to the campus bandwidth is also planned. The result of this upgrade will more than double the capacity of Truman’s MOREnet internet link.

Several classrooms will benefit from improvements over the summer. Major renovations will occur in Magruder Hall 1090 and Ophelia Parrish 1224 to better support the new majors that utilize these spaces. Magruder Hall 2078, Baldwin Hall 102, Baldwin Hall 257, Ophelia Parrish 2210, Violette Hall 1000 and Ophelia Parrish 2230 will receive needed upgrades or repairs.

There will be much activity in the Greenwood Interprofessional Autism Center to prepare for the planned fall opening. Several new classrooms, videoconference rooms and clinic spaces are being outfitted with technology to support teaching, clinic observations and general patient management and oversight.

Move-in Day will take place between 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 16.

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.

If there are more than two people of in an organization that plan to volunteer, it is recommended to register as a “group” rather than submit “individual” registrations for each member. If you are no longer the point of contact for your respective organization, please contact orgs@truman.edu with the new contact.

Volunteering is open to all students. Sign up is available here.

 
Under the flexible payment plan, tuition is billed in full and paid for in installments. The first 25% payment is due by the end of the first week of class. In the fall and spring, tuition is paid in four monthly installments of 25% each. Summer term billing can be addressed in two installments. The new plan has established due dates for each of the installment payments.
 
The flexible payment plan is available to all Truman students. Because changes have been made, students currently taking advantage of this payment option will need to re-enroll in the flexible payment plan, as well as those who would like to opt-in to the plan for the first time. Students who were previously removed from the flexible payment plan for unpaid balances now have the opportunity to start again with a clean slate.  
 
Signing up for the flexible payment plan is easy, and it can be completed on TruView in just a few minutes. Details on how to sign up can be found here. Students who choose not to sign up for the flexible payment plan by Aug. 25, 2023 will automatically remain on the standard plan, which requires payment in full by the end of the first week of classes.
 
Questions about the flexible payment plan can be addressed to Student Accounts at 660.785.4074, staccts@truman.edu or in person at McClain Hall 105.

Since the cybersecurity attack that disrupted Truman’s network systems in April, ITS has yet to find any evidence that personally identifiable information was taken. Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, the University is providing the opportunity to enroll in identity theft protection free of charge.

All individuals eligible for this coverage should have received an email to their Truman account May 23, or were mailed a hard copy to their permanent address with details on signing up for coverage. To opt in for coverage log in to TruView. Under “Shortcuts” on the left side menu, eligible students and employees will see a link to “Opt-in for Identity Theft Coverage.” Click on this link to opt in. Those who do not have this link in the TruView are not eligible for the coverage.

Summer hours for Student Health Center and University Counseling Services will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. UCS will have remote services available during summer hours across multiple states including Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Texas. To schedule an appointment, call 660.785.4182 or email studenthealth@cfmcares.com. More information can be found at truman.cfmcares.com.

Monday
9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tuesday
9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Wednesday
9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Thursday
9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Friday
9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Saturday
Closed

Sunday
Closed

The next issue of the Truman Today will be available June 12.