Vol. 11 No. 17 - Jan. 16, 2007

The Commission on Undergraduate Curriculum will have two open forums in January. The first will be from 3:30-5 p.m. Jan. 18 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. The second will be from 4-5 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Student Union Building Conference Room.

These forums are the first that will take place during the next two years as part of the curriculum review and reform process. These first two sessions will focus primarily on what it means to be “liberally educated.”

The commission welcomes all students, faculty and staff to the discussions. The purpose of the forums is to engage these three constituencies in open communication throughout the process to share perspectives and gain insight on what changes should be made.

Contact Debi Cartwright, associate professor of business administration, at dcart@truman.edu or 785.4331 for more information.

The Truman State University Foundation will award more than $460,000 to Truman students in 2007-2008.

Applications for these scholarships will be available beginning Jan. 18 and are due by midnight March 1. Applications for current students can  be found by going to http://www.truman.edu and clicking Current Students/Foundation Scholarships or log on to https://secure.truman.edu/isupport-s/.

In addition, the Foundation is offering Truman State University Foundation Study Abroad Scholarships. Ten $1,500 scholarships will be awarded to students participating in faculty-led study abroad programs for summer 2007 based on financial need, statement of purpose and academic achievement.

Applications for the study abroad scholarships are now available in the Center for International Education Abroad (CIEA) office, located in Kirk Building 114. Applications are due by noon Jan. 26.

Sue Pieper, assessment specialist, was recently appointed to serve on the national Voluntary System of Accountability project (VSA). The VSA is a joint effort of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and will receive funding assistance from the Lumina Foundation.

The project was initiated in response to a need for greater accountability among higher education institutions. The purpose of the VSA is to develop recommendations for how this accountability can be accomplished through the comparison of these institutions.

The project will involve three task forces and two technical work groups. Pieper will be a member of the Technical Work Group on Student Growth Outcomes. She will collaborate with academic advisers, student affairs personnel, institutional researchers, counselors and communication specialists on developing a list of student growth domains that institutions should assess. This will aid schools in identifying appropriate assessment instruments and developing procedures for  administering assessments and reporting the results.

The Technical Work Group on Student Growth is scheduled to meet four times in the next seven months at the AASCU national office in Washington, D.C.

The recommendations will be completed by July 17 and sent to a commission of presidents who will make recommendations to the presidents of AASCU and the NASULGC.

The annual Student Interview Project will be conducted during the next several weeks of the semester. This year, the project addresses how faculty and staff members influence students’ interest and involvement in their education.

Teams of one faculty or staff member and one student will interview approximately 100 seniors. Faculty and staff are encouraged to volunteer for this opportunity and can either arrange to interview with a student co-interviewer of their choice or be paired with one.

Formal interviews will be conducted Monday mornings and evenings, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, Thursday mornings and Saturday afternoons. A one-hour time slot normally allows for two student interviews.

The interviews are expected to conclude by midterm break and the findings will be published for the entire University community.

Contact Jeffrey Vittengl, student interview project chair, at vittengl@truman.edu or 785.6041 for more information.

Two new scholarships have been established by recent international Truman graduates through the Truman State University Foundation.

Prajwal Sharma, a May 2006 graduate, recently established The Mark Nordstrom Memorial Scholarship. An assistant professor of communication, Nordstrom was the adviser for detours magazine and the Echo yearbook. He was known for his enthusiasm, work ethic and wonderful sense of humor. Nordstrom passed away May 13, 2006, and Sharma, former editor in chief of detours, established this scholarship in his memory. A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded for the next four years to students based on the quality of their scholarship application and their contribution to breaking the international stereotype at the University.

Imran Jamal, a 2003 business administration and accounting graduate, established the Aminah Jamal Scholarship in honor of his mother. Mrs. Jamal has been a teacher and a great mother to three children. A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded for the next four years to assist business and accountancy international undergraduate students achieve their educational pursuits.

These scholarships are among more than 350 other scholarships now available for Truman students in 2007-2008. Applications can be found on the Foundation scholarship Web site beginning Jan. 18. Go to http://www.truman.edu and click on Current Students/Foundation Scholarships. For more information, e-mail bpike@truman.edu.

Students may become Shear Fellows by attending the 21st Century Leadership Academy at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Participants will join 36 of Missouri’s top student leaders for the weeklong residential college program, May 20-25.

As Missouri’s premier leadership development opportunity focused on women’s public policy leadership, the 21st Century Leadership Academy encourages students to consider careers in public policy and provides leadership skills training.

The agenda includes meetings with women elected officials, government leaders and policy advocates as well as panel discussions, small group projects and skill-building opportunities. A trip to Jefferson City, Mo., is also planned, where Shear Fellows will meet with state leaders and participate in a mock legislative session.

Academy graduates are currently working in legislative and executive offices in Washington, D.C., and Jefferson City, attending law school and graduate school across the country and leading campus political groups. Last year’s participants from Truman were Amber Jones, Lina Khan, Emily Kiddoo and Brianna Lennon.

Truman State University will select up to four students to attend the Academy and will cover the cost of participation.

Applicants must be currently-enrolled degree-seeking students who have expressed interest in women’s public policy leadership and plan on returning to Truman for the fall 2007 semester. Students from all majors are encouraged to apply.

Applications are available at http://registrar.truman.edu/other/shear.html and are due Feb. 23. Contact A. Kay Anderson, registrar, at 785.4143 or aka@truman.edu for more information.

Additional information about the Academy can be found at http://www.umsl.edu/~iwpl/.

Meredith Corporation is currently accepting applications for its 2007 Summer Internship Program.

Meredith is one of the nation’s leading media and marketing companies in the business of magazine and book publishing, television broadcasting, integrated marketing and interactive media.

Meredith offers a wide range of intership opportunities including, among others, magazine and book editorial, graphic and publication design, public relations, finance and interactive media and Web sites.

These internships are paid full-time, 10-week programs that typically run from June-August. Most internships will be available at either Meredith’s corporate headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, or publishing offices in New York City. However, some internships may be available at individual television stations.

The company prefers that applicants expect to graduate by June 2009. Visit the Web site http://www.meredith.com for more information.

To apply send a résumé with cover letter and samples to: Meredith Corporation, 2007 Summer Intership Program c/o Suzanne NaPier, 1716 Locust Street, Dept MSIP, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023.

Unity Luncheon
11:45 a.m. • Jan. 17
SUB Lounge

Jazz flutist Galen and his quartet will perform. Poetry and other music selections will also be presented. Cost is $7.50 for general addmission and $3.50 for students with a meal block. Reservations are required. Call the Truman Public Relations Office at 785.4016 for more information.

Unity Concert
7 p.m. • Jan. 17
SUB Activities Room

This event will be a jazz concert and poetry slam and will include selections by Galen.

“MLK: From Dream to Reality”
7 p.m. • Jan. 18
SUB Activities Room

This program will include insights and reflections of Martin Luther King Jr. Refreshments will be served.

Contact Laura Bates at lbates@truman.edu or at 785.4142 for more information.

11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Jan. 16-20
SUB Second Floor

The Multicultural Affairs Center invites students, faculty and staff to donate a penny for every day of the year to the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship and Memorial funds.

8:30-10:30 a.m. • Jan. 18
8:50 a.m-2 p.m. • Jan. 19

The SERVE Center is looking for volunteers to read to children at various area grade schools.

Books will be provided and it will only take 15-20 minutes.

Sign up at the SERVE Center on the second floor of the Student Union Building.

Contact Jenna Dempsey at jad129@truman.edu or 785.7222 for more information.

“Quantum Entanglement for Fun and Profit”

Michael E. Goggin, of the department of physics at Truman State University and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will speak on this topic.

4:30 p.m.
Jan. 17
Magruder Hall 1098

The talk will begin with fundamental concepts, such as polarization and its measurement and move to more complex concepts such as the density matrix and the quality of entangelment. The strange implications of some experiments utilizing entangled photons will also be presented. This discussion will be at the the intermediate level. Refreshments will be served at 4:20 p.m.

“How to Listen to Jazz”

Tim AuBuchon, assistant professor of music and director of jazz studies, will present the program.

7 p.m.
Jan. 18
Magruder Hall 1000

Jazz can often seem confusing to the novice listener. Where is the melody? Why are there so many solos? How do the musicians know when to start and stop? AuBuchon seeks to answer these and other questions.

A reception with refreshments will follow. Students, faculty, staff and the public are invited to attend.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to meet Matthew Farwell, candidate for technical director in Information Technology Services, in an open forum from 2:30-3:15 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room.  

Currently, Farwell is IT technical director at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Mass.

Tricia Martin, senior program coordinator/recruiter, will speak Jan. 18.

1:30-2:30 p.m. • MC 308
Information about the Washington Center postgraduate program

3-4 p.m. • VH 1144
Information about the Washington-London program

4:30-5:30 p.m. • MC 308
General information session regarding all programs in Washington, D.C.

The first session will cover the Washington Center’s postgraduate professional development program. Students graduating in May 2007 can spend 10 weeks interning in Washington, D.C., and explore their options in the area. Program cost is $2,400, not including housing.

The second session will cover the Washington Center’s 10-week internship program in London. This program includes a weeklong orientation session in Washington, D.C., followed by a summer internship and intercultural course in London. Both undergraduates and recent graduates are eligible; undergraduates can earn credit. The program cost is $4,650; housing, $3,250; supplemental fee, $1,090. Travel costs are not included. Limited scholarships are available.

The third session will discuss all summer 2007 internship opportunities in Washington, D.C., including internships through the Washington Center, internships through Truman alumni and internships arranged independently. Issues such as financial commitment, internship expectations and information about Washington, D.C. will also be discussed.

Contact Katherine Klein at 660.238.6580 for more information.

7:30 p.m.
Jan. 22
Baldwin Hall 218

VOX at Truman and Northeast Missouri NOW invite the Truman community to a forum featuring Bertha Thomas, Monica Barron, Nohemi Alvarez-Landa, Jesse Peacock, Marie Weichold and Alanna Preussner.

Due to construction, visitors to Printing Services in Barnett Hall 104 should enter Barnett at the southwest entrance.

The Women’s and Gender Studies Committee call for papers on “Sexual Politics.”

Truman will host the 12th annual conference in honor of Women’s History Month, March 22-24.

Members of the Truman and Kirksville communities are invited to submit abstracts. Abstracts need to include a return address, phone number and e-mail address. The deadline to submit is Jan. 29.

Contact Linda Seidel at lseidel@truman.edu for more information, or to submit an abstract.

Tom Capuano, professor of foreign language, co-authored an article with Richard P. Kinkade of the University of Arizona, which appears in the current issue of La Corónica: A Journal of Medieval Spanish Language, Literature and Cultural Studies (34:2). The article is titled “Los Folios Finales del MS S del Libro de Buen Amor.”

Antonio Scuderi, associate professor of Italian, had his essay, “Sicilian Dialect Theatre” published in A History of Italian Theatre (Cambridge UP, 2006).

Mark Spitzer, assistant professor of English, recently had his essay “The Existential Fish-Life Crisis” accepted for publication in The Chariton Review.

Pickler Memorial Library is now hosting a “Winter Wear” exhibit, showcasing past styles and fashions of winter clothing. The artifacts are courtesy of the E.M. Violette Museum and the Family Sciences Costume Collection, which the library acquired upon the closing of the Family Sciences Division in 1993. Accompanying the clothing artifacts are library materials on clothing, fashion and more.

Upward Bound has several summer job openings including instructional, residential, media and other positions. Application packets with résumés, transcripts and references are due Feb. 16. Go to http://ub.truman.edu or go by Kirk Building 220 for more information.

Bullet’s Rugby is having an informational meeting from 7-8 p.m. Jan. 16 in Baldwin Hall 303. Anyone interested in rugby and playing for the team is welcome to attend. Cookies will be provided. Contact Meredith Stalker at mns972@truman.edu for more information.

Alpha Sigma Alpha is having open recruitment events. There will be a pajama party from 7-9 p.m. Jan. 16 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. Wear pajamas if you wish to attend. A question and answer party will take place from 7-9 p.m. Jan. 17 in the Student Union Building Conference Room. Everyone is invited to either or both parties and snacks will be provided. Contact Sarah Shasserre at 314.402.3557 or sbs234@truman.edu for more information.

David Nabb will perform a saxophone recital with pianist Nathan Buckner at 8 p.m. Jan. 16 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall. Nabb and Buckner are music faculty members at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. On Feb. 26, 2000, Nabb suffered a massive stroke which left him completely paralyzed on his left side and unable to play the saxophone. During the next three years he and Jeff Stelling designed and built a saxophone that has all the notes playable with only the right hand. The project was supported by the Nebraska Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Yamaha International Corporation, Stelling Brass and Winds of Kearney, and University of Nebraska-Kearney. The recital is free and open to the public.

DEPThS presents the film “Falun Gong” at the organization’s first weekly meeting of the semester from 8-9 p.m. Jan. 16 in Baldwin Hall 346. Contact Dan Johnson at dan@truman.edu or 785.4922 for more information.

The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is having auditions for the Vagina Monologues at 6 p.m. Jan. 17 in Baldwin Hall 312 and at 6 p.m. Jan. 18 in Baldwin Hall 346. All female Truman and community members are invited and reading excerpts will be available at the auditions. Contact Shahr Rezaiekhaligh at 816.582.6355 or sjr707@truman.edu for more information.

Student Senate will have a Storm the Capitol informational meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 17 in Violette Hall 1010. Questions will be answered regarding Student Senate’s annual trip to the state capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. Contact Michelle Landers at mrl950@truman.edu or 636.697.7169 for more information.

There will be an important organizational meeting for the Truman summer course: German Culture and Language in Duesseldorf at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 17 in Baldwin Hall 272B. The meeting will last approximately 20 minutes.

Mustafa Sawani, professor of economics, is conducting an informational meeting about a summer London study abroad program from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 17 in McClain Hall 209. The program will concern the economics of the European Union. Contact Sawani at 785.4659 or msawani@truman.edu for more information.

Justice systems fraternity, Lambda Alpha Epsilon, will have its first meeting of the semester at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18 in Pershing Building 233. All justice systems majors and minors are encouraged to attend. Contact Nick Zotos at nickzotos@truman.edu or 636.288.3378 for more information.

The American Chemical Society is sponsoring a seminar on the “History of African American Women Chemists” from 12:30-1:20 p.m. Jan. 19 in Violette Hall 1000. Jeanette Brown, formerly of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, will present on the topic. Contact Barbara Kramer at bkramer@truman.edu or 785.7608 for more information.

Students may pick up a Tel Alumni application in the Advancement Office, McClain Hall 100. The application deadline is Jan. 22. Contact Brad Neathery at 785.7432 or neathery@truman.edu for more information.

Student Senate is accepting nominations for Educator of the Year from Jan. 22-Feb. 5. The winner will be announced at the annual banquet in April. Students can fill out the nomination form at http://senate.truman.edu. Contact Becky Hadley at 314.471.5106 or rlh936@truman.edu for more information.

University Counseling Services (UCS) is sponsoring a Cancer Support Group for students struggling with cancer and those who have friends and/or family members with cancer. The group will meet on the fourth Monday of each month from January-April 2007. The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22 in Pershing Building 234. Contact UCS at 785.4014 or visit http://ucs.truman.edu for more information.

Campus Christian Fellowship (CCF) is hosting a Kanakuk/Kids Across America informational movie night at 7 p.m. Jan. 22. Attend if you want to learn about a summer job opportunity working with kids. Contact Brycen Marner at 314.276.7954 for more information and location information.

Alpha Sigma Gamma service sorority is hosting several rush events. Information night is at 7 p.m. Jan. 23, service night is at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 and fellowship night is at 7 p.m. Jan. 25. All events are in the Student Union Building Activities Room. All female Truman students are invited and rushees must attend all events. Contact Julia Redford at 665.3682 or jmr336@truman.edu for more information.

The Weekly Lunch will begin the semester with speakers Dave Lusk and Roberta Donahue from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. They will talk about preventing alcohol abuse on Missouri’s campuses through a program called MoPip.

Local social sorority Sigma Chi Delta is having informational and rush events. Information night will take place from 7-9 p.m. Jan. 24 in Baldwin Hall 303. Open rush events will be 7-9 p.m. Jan. 29 and from 7-8 p.m. Jan. 30 and 31 in Baldwin Hall 303. Contact Alexandra Luedke at anl032@truman.edu or 660.349.9184 for more information.

Alpha Phi Omega (APO), a national coed service fraternity, will be having informational meetings at 8 p.m. Jan. 24 and 25 in Violette Hall 1010. Anyone interested in joining the fraternity is welcome to attend. Contact Julie Hanch at jeh433@truman.edu or Amy Shipp at als933@truman.edu for more information.