Vol. 28 No. 8 - October 9, 2023

Truman will celebrate Homecoming on campus Oct. 16-21.

This year’s media-theme Homecoming is Truman Today in a nod to the University’s long-running campus newsletter.

The week will start with a kick-off event at 6 p.m. Oct. 16 on the quad. There will be games and snacks.

“Breaking News” trivia will take place at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. Participants will be able to test their knowledge and earn points and prizes.

A dodgeball tournament will take place at 2:45 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Student Recreation Center.

Students can participate in a scavenger hunt from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 19. The annual LipSync Competition will take place later that night at 7 p.m. in Baldwin Hall.

A movie night is planned Oct. 20 on the quad with the time to be determined.

The School of Business will host its second Tru-Biz Forum from 3-4:30 p.m. Oct. 18 in Violette Hall 1000.

The Tru-Biz Forum invites business leaders in a variety of fields to share their expertise and insights. The upcoming forum focuses on business analytics-related topics with renowned experts in the area, including Riley Bonnesen (’19), data analytics manager at JE Dunn Construction; Michael Rejniak (’96), lead information security engineer at Mastercard; Jason Ward (’96), director of data science at H&R Block; and Hannah West (’15), senior data analyst for Climate Corporation. The event moderator will be Truman student Hannah Tucker, accounting and management major.

Bonnesen leads the data analytics team at JE Dunn Construction, where he is responsible for empowering and developing business intelligence, automation and machine learning solutions. A 2019 economics major, Bonnesen was also a member of Delta Sigma Pi and the Bulldog Student Investment Fund.

Rejniak is a lead information security engineer at Mastercard in St. Louis. He is currently responsible for establishing a data-driven approach to network security automation and for management analytics. At Truman, Rejniak earned a degree in business administration and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Interfraternity Council (IFC), Blue Key Honor Society and Financial Management Association.

Ward is director of data science at H&R Block (Machine Learning Lab) in Kansas City. He has been with H&R Block for more than four years. Previously, he was vice president of brand research, strategy and innovation with BrandIQ and had been director of consumer insights with DineEquity, Inc., where he owned the voice of the consumer across the Applebee’s brand and drove data-based decision making in the areas of product development, operations, marketing communications, strategy, retail design and brand positioning. Ward earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at Truman.

West is senior data analyst on the business analytics team at Climate Corporation in St. Louis. She began her career in 2014 at Monsanto as an IT co-op working on the SharePoint team. She was hired full time at Monsanto in 2015 and spent several years there before moving over to the audit department to start her data analytics career.

All students, faculty, staff and local business people are welcome for inspiration and learning with the renowned speakers. The bridge ceremony and networking will follow the forum.

The Ofstad Reading Series will host scholar Taylor Jones at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 in Baldwin Hall Little Theatre.

In a multicultural, multi-ethnic society like the United States, managers and leaders are confronted with a variety of unique challenges by virtue of leading diverse teams, whether in terms of demographics and federally protected classes, or simply diversity of thought and experience. In this lecture, Jones condenses the communication skills used by effective leaders into a set of skills that anyone can master. Relied on by U.S. military senior leadership, members of the diplomatic corps and multinational business leaders, these skills remove diversity barriers, accelerate performance and reduce interpersonal conflict.

Jones is a lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School where he teaches leadership and high-performance DEI, and he is a principal at CulturePoint, L.L.C.

The 13th annual Communications Disorders conference will take place from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 16 in the Student Union Building Activities Room.

Hosted by the Truman Communication Disorders Association (CoDA) and the Communication Disorders program, this event is a workshop for speech-language pathologists, general education teachers, special education teachers, reading specialists and anyone interested in learning about phonological processing. This year’s conference will feature alumna Jennie Bjorem M.A., CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist, childhood apraxia of speech and phonological processing, as the keynote speaker.

Bjorem’s passion and area of expertise is in childhood apraxia of speech. She travels the world speaking on the topic of CAS assessment and intervention. Bjorem has been in private practice for 21 years and continues to carry a small caseload of clients with childhood apraxia of speech. She is the owner of Bjorem Speech and Bjorem Literacy as well as the author of “Bjorem Speech Sound Cues.” She currently lives with her family in the mountains of Colorado.

Bjorem’s first talk of the day from 8:45-10:15 a.m. will focus on “Dynamic Assessment of CAS.” Her second talk will take place from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. on “Target Selection & Goal Writing.” The conference will end with her discussion on “Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches” from 1-3 p.m.

A registration fee of $75 for professionals and $20 for students will be collected at the door. RSVP here or email coda.tsu@gmail.com.

Truman’s Sustainability Month is underway with several events taking place throughout the month. Since at least 2018, the Sustainability Office has led events in both fall and spring celebrating the environment and spreading awareness. This is the second time the office has put on a full month of sustainable events for fall semester, rather than just a week. The theme this semester is “Small Actions, Big Impact.” At the end of the month, the office will host an afternoon with organizations from campus and the wider community during Sustainability Fest from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 27 in front of the Student Union Building.

Stargazers Open House
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 9
Farm Observatory

Greenhouse Yoga
5 p.m.
Oct. 9
Magruder Greenhouse

Slacklining
4:30-6 p.m.
Oct. 10
Quad

Stargazers Open House
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16
Farm Observatory

Slacklining
4:30-6 p.m.
Oct. 17
Quad

Slacklining
4:30-6 p.m.
Oct. 19
Quad

Farmer’s Market
7 a.m.-12 p.m.
Oct. 21
Downtown Square

Hike with TruOutdoors
1:30 p.m.
Oct. 22
Meet in rec parking lot to carpool

Stargazers Open House
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 23
Farm Observatory

Slacklining
4:30-6 p.m.
Oct. 24
Quad

Slacklining
4:30-6 p.m.
Oct. 26
Quad

Rave to the Grave
10 p.m.
Oct. 27
Phi Lambda Phi Pavilion

Sustainability Fest and Clothing Swap
3-5:30 p.m.
Oct. 27
In front of SUB

Hike with TruOutdoors
1:30 p.m.
Oct. 29
Meet in rec parking lot to carpool

Stargazers Open House
7:30 p.m.
Slacklining
4:30-6 p.m.
Oct. 31
Quad

Pumpkin Composting & Battery Drive
12-4 p.m.
Nov. 4
Centennial Hall parking lot

Student Health Center, in partner with ATSU medical students from the SAAO club, is hosting a free OMM clinic for students from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in front of the McKinney Center.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, or OMM, is a form of treatment taught to students studying osteopathic medicine and becomes part of their therapeutic toolkit when they graduate as doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs). In medicine, “manipulation” is defined as the therapeutic application of manual pressure or force.

The Student Health Center and University Counseling Services are open 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays.

The Alumni Board of Directors represents Truman’s alumni population and helps stay connected with the interests of alumni. The board works with the Office of Advancement and facilitates the exchange of ideas between alumni, students and the University. The student representative to the Alumni Board will provide student perspective to board discussions and create awareness on campus of alumni involvement and benefits.

The board term is one year, July 1-June 30, with possible renewal for a second consecutive term. To apply, submit an application along with a current resume to Mandi Wiser at awiser@truman.edu. The deadline is 12 p.m. Oct. 13.

These committees ultimately decide how the fees students pay are spent. AFAC focuses on the athletic fee which includes varsity and club athletics as well as the recreation center. ESFAC focuses on the Environmental Sustainability Fee and OAF focuses on how fee-based groups such as SAB, StuGov, FAC, AFAC and ESFAC spend money.

There are student-at-large positions open on every committee, as well as more niche roles. Applications close Oct. 15 with interviews taking place the week of Oct. 15 and 22. To apply, visit senate.truman.edu/application.

The annual Big Week of Giving event to support Pantry for Adair County will take place Nov. 6-10. There will be table from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. each day in the Student Union Building where food donations as well as monetary donations will be collected. Non-perishable food donations can be made to the library in place of library fines and DPS in place of parking tickets. Residence halls will also be accepting donations.

When it comes to traveling internationally with technology, less is best. The University recommends faculty, staff and students traveling outside the country leave any devices at home that are not needed.

Traveling overseas dramatically increases the risk of a potential compromise of electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops and tablets. It is recommended that loaner laptops be used whenever possible.

When traveling internationally, it is important to remember the following:

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the right to examine electronic files on mobile computing/phones/electronic devices; this includes both business and personal files and information. Americans can expect similar treatment when visiting other countries. Refusal to comply can result in seizure of the device or denial of entry into the host country.

• When traveling abroad, there is no expectation of privacy. Always assume in the destination country, U.S. ports of entry and in transit, eavesdropping may take place on all electronic communications.

• You must return with the mobile computing/electronic devices, and the device cannot contain any enhanced encryption applications or software (i.e., software that is not “off-the-shelf”).

• You cannot share or release any controlled technology (listed on the U.S. Commerce Department “Commerce Control List” or U.S. State Department “Munitions List”).

What Can Be Taken Outside the Country?

• Off-the-shelf mobile computing/electronic devices
• Standard operating systems and encryption programs that do not allow enhanced security capabilities.
• Commercially available software applications or general purpose commercially available scientific/engineering programs.
• Stored research data that has already been published in journals or online, or data that has been generated for projects intended to be published and is not restricted by a confidentiality clause or restricted from general dissemination.

What is Restricted?

• Data or information that is covered by a confidentiality agreement (consult general counsel if needed).
• Data or analyses related to projects for which there are contractual constraints on the dissemination of the results (consult general counsel if needed).
• Confidential or sensitive information even if it is encrypted.

•Plan for Using Multi-Factor Authentication Abroad (Duo) – Access to Truman services and resources protected by multi-factor authentication (including email) will not work from abroad unless arrangements have been made to accommodate this before leaving the country. Contact the IT Service Center to let them know the dates of travel and the countries that will be visited.
• Use a Loaner Device – If possible, international travelers should arrange to use loaner devices while traveling abroad. Load only essential data and information that will be needed while traveling and be sure to set password controls.
• No Loaner Device Available? - If loaner devices are not available, take the following steps to prepare the system for international travel:
      o Back up all data and remove information not essential to travel.
      o Do not allow services or applications to store passwords. Remove this option for current systems, including email and Wi-Fi.
      o Update all antivirus, security patches and firewalls.
      o Set up password protection on your devices. Require a password to start and unlock the device.

• Keep Devices with You - Do not leave any electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc.) unattended, even in hotel rooms or safes. Do not pack electronic devices in checked bags.
• Be Wary of Public Wi-Fi - Wi-Fi hotspots for public use are targets for information theft. While on public Wi-Fi, devices are vulnerable to data miners. Connect to Truman’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) whenever possible or avoid visiting websites that contain confidential information, such as banking websites, to keep personal information secure.
• Disconnect When Possible - Turn off Bluetooth, cellular services and Wi-Fi any time they are not in use.
• Return Any Loaner Devices - Remove all data from loaner devices.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (Duo) Reset - Contact the IT Service Center to let them know upon returning to the United States.
• Change Your Passwords - Change passwords on any service, device or applications accessed while traveling or that shares a password used while traveling.
• Sanitize Your Devices - When possible, reinstall the operating system on any devices carried on the trip. Otherwise, request that an IT staff member analyze any device for malware or unauthorized access.

All students in need of financial assistance are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Federal Student Aid is the largest provider of financial aid for college students in the United States.

Normally, this process opens in October, however, this year the Department of Education is in the process of simplifying the FAFSA. As a result, applications are not expected to open until December 2023 at a date to be determined.

Changes to the 2024-25 FAFSA process will include a reduction in the number of questions, as well as required consent to import tax information. Students should be prepared to complete the FAFSA as soon as it becomes available in order to determine Title IV federal aid eligibility (Pell Grant, SEOG, TEACH, Work Study, Stafford Direct Loans, PLUS Loan). FAFSA results are also needed for some other federal, state, University and private programs.

Details about the FAFSA can be found online at studentaid.gov. The 2024-25 FAFSA will use 2022 tax year information with a priority deadline of Feb. 1 for Missouri residents.

Truman’s Financial Aid Office is currently working on details of when aid offers will be available for students. This year it will most likely be March for incoming freshmen and April for current students.          

For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 660.785.4130 or finaid@truman.edu. The Financial Aid Office website also has a variety of helpful resources for students and their families.

Any coeducational postsecondary institution that participates in the Federal student financial assistance programs and has an intercollegiate athletic program is required by section 485(g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1092(g) (also known as the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, or EADA) to prepare a report containing information regarding intercollegiate athletics. The EADA Report discloses athletic program participation rates and financial support data for a 12-month period and must be made available to students, prospective students and the public. Data is available to the public at consumerinformation.truman.edu/athletics and ope.ed.gov/athletics, or upon request a paper copy will be provided.

The Board of Governors will meet at 1 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Student Union Building Conference Room.