October 16, 2009

Dedication ceremonies this morning

Dedication ceremonies for the Beimdiek Recreation Center and the Willcoxon Health Center will be held at 11 a.m. this morning Friday, Oct. 16 at the new facility. MSSU president Bruce Speck will preside over the ceremonies and introduce guests. MSSU Board of Governors chair Rod Anderson and Will Lynch, president of the MSSU Student Senate, will make remarks.

Also speaking will be members of the benefactors, the Biemdiek Family and Dr. Robert Willcoxon. The Beimdiek Family will unveil a plaque and Ribbon Cutting will be held by the Joplin and Webb City Area Chambers of Commerce.

Tours of the new structure will be provided. The Biemdiek Center provides 71,000 square feet of space for students. The project also includes renovation of the Billingsly Student Center. The facility features a new bookstore on the second floor and many student, campus and community meeting areas. In addition, Beimdiek Recreation Center includes three basketball/volleyball courts, aerobic workout rooms, spacious and modern locker rooms, a weight and cardio exercise area with more than 100 pieces of equipment, an elevated indoor walking/jogging track and an inspiring glass overlook to MSSU's Bodon Soccer Field and Biology Pond.

The new Willcoxon Health Center provides a spacious up-to-date facility for students, faculty and staff to receive health services. The Phelps Theater provides students with an up-to-date 150-seat Blue Ray digital movie theater,

In addition to meeting rooms, the third floor of the complex features the Connor Ballroom, classrooms and administration offices. The architect for the project was RDG Planning and Design of Des Moines. The project contractor was R.E. Smith Construction of Joplin.

Historians complete first year of grant

In the spring of 2008 the Missouri Southern History Faculty, in cooperation with the Carl Junction R-1 School District and the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence, was awarded a $975,000 “Teaching American History” (TAH) grant by the United States Department of Education.  The grant, titled “What is an American?  Teaching American History Through Biography,” was the fifth TAH grant awarded to Missouri Southern Historians.

The primary goal of the TAH program is to raise student achievement by improving teachers’ knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of American History.  In 2008-2009 “What is an American?” served 91 teachers from 29 school districts, providing them with 152 hours of professional development.

The theme of the grant’s first year was “American Founders, 1492-1787.”  Among the year’s highlights were:

The grant will continue for two more years.  The second year of activities is already underway.  This year’s theme is “The Forge of Freedom:  Americans of the Nineteenth Century, 1787-1890.”  It will feature seminars taught by Virginia Laas and Norton Wheeler, History, and a trip to Chicago.

Rabbit Hole to run through Saturday

Southern Theatre will present the last two performances of the play Rabbit Hole at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night, Oct. 16 - 17 in the Bud Walton Theatre. Tim Klein, Theatre, directs the play written by David Lindsay-Abaire.

These are the topics explored in Lindsay-Abaire's 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning drama. Soul -searching in nature, this play challenges everyone who comes into contact with it to evaluate these questions on a deeply personal level.

"Rabbit Hole presents a tragedy and its consequences with utter candor, and without sentimentality," said a writer in USA Today. "The dialogue is most impressive for capturing the awkwardness and pain of thinking people faced with an unthinkable situation-and eventually, their capacity for survival, and even hope."

Rabbit Hole is for mature audiences only. Students under the age of 17 will not be admitted. The Box Office is now open from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. To make reservations, visit the Box Office or telephone (417) 625-3190.

Recycling and collecting

Michael Kennedy, Biology/Environmental Health, says the Reduce, Reuse Recycle project on campus needs the help of faculty/ organization advisors to motivate student organizations to help take the lead.

"Let's let the student body know that they are the ones that will allow this program to succeed, rather than the faculty alone," he says. "The University should be on the forefront of this effort in Joplin and the Four States. We thank everyone for their support."

Project Speak newsletter

The Project S.P.E.A.K. newsletter is available at http://www.mssu.edu/edu/project-speak/news/proj-speak-newsletterissue3.pdf.pdf

Project S.P.E.A.K. (Speaking Proficiently Enables All Kids) is a National Professional Development Grant administered through the MSSU Teacher Education Department. It is designed to provide area teachers and MSSU teacher education majors the opportunity to earn Missouri endorsement for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) through state-approved courses and professional development activities.

Peggy Day, S.P.E.A.K., says the program was created to improve classroom instruction of teachers working with English Language Learners (ELLs) and the academic achievement of those students. It will systemically change the way teachers are prepared to teach ELLs in school districts in southwest Missouri.

The Carthage, Cassville, East Newton, Joplin, McDonald County, Monett, and Neosho schools are participating in the program. The grant pays for the tuition and books for participants from those districts and MSSU Teacher Education students. For more information, contact the Teacher Education office at 625-3016 or visit the web site at http://www.mssu.edu/edu/project-speak/news/proj-speak-newsletterissue3.pdf.pdf.

Grant to fund workshops

Andrea Hellman, TESOL Assistant Professor, will make two presentations: "World-Class Professional Development for Every Teacher" and "Moving Forward with the PreK-12 English Language Proficiency Standards" at the MIDTESOL conference in Springfield, Oct. 16-17.

Jeanie Cozens, Assistant Professor, and Peggy Day, S.P.E.A.K. Coordinator, will present a workshop at the 35th Plains International Reading Association (IRA) Regional Conference in Branson, Nov. 5 - 6. The title of the workshop is "Working with English Language Learners in Mainstream Classrooms from Day One."

Al Cade, Teacher Education Department Chair and S.P.E.A.K. Director, Jeanie Cozens and Peggy Day will present the "Working with English Language Learners" workshop at the 4th Annual MELL Conference in Kansas City, Nov. 18 -19.
.

Andrea Hellman will present at both the IRA and MELL Conferences. At IRA she will present "The Basics of Helping English Learners Achieve Their Academic Potential." At MELL she will present "Connecting Theory, Empirical Research, and Practice in Second Language Education and What Brain-based Research Tells Us About Second
Language Learning."

The workshops are all funded by the National Professional Development Grant recently earned by S.P.E.A.K.

Over 100 initiated into Alpha Chi

Over 100 students were initiated into the Missouri Iota Chapter of Alpha Chi, a national scholastic honor society, at Missouri Southern State University during ceremonies on Sunday, Sept. 27 on the MSSU campus.
           
To be eligible for the organization juniors or seniors must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or above.           

Alpha Chi is a coeducational society whose purpose is to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students and to honor those who achieve such distinction.  Its name derives from the initial letters of the Greek words Aletheia, meaning truth, and Xarakter, meaning character.

To see a list of students initiated visit www.mssu.edu/news/2009/alpha_chi09.html.

Open insurance enrollment

The annual opportunity to review the insurance products employees have and determine their choices for the next calendar year has begun.  Human Resources has sent information by email and posted it on the HR website: www.mssu.edu/hr under “Open Enrollment”.  And by now each full time employee has received in campus mail a memo with details of their current selections and a purple election form for completion.

If employees want to make any changes to their plans, specific enrollment and/or change forms are required and are available in HR (Hearnes Hall Room 217).

Informational Meetings to be held with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield representatives to discuss the four health plan choices for 2010.

Meetings consisting of presentations of the health plan choices, a question and answer period, and an in-person tutorial presentation of web-based resources for employees will be conducted.  Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall has been reserved for these meetings.  Employees are encouraged but not required to stay for the full session. 

The last session will begin at 8:30 a.m. this morning, Friday, Oct. 16.

HR staff to conduct outreach program.
For the week of Monday Oct. 27 through Friday, Oct. 30, a staff member will be at BSC Room 356 to serve as an Open Enrollment resource.  Employees can turn in forms and ask questions. This may give folks more privacy and reduce the wait time in the Hearnes Hall HR office.  Forms can also be turned into the HR office.  Due to the personal nature of the material, it is recommended to not put the forms in campus mail.

The deadline for Open Enrollment for employees is Friday, Oct, 30.  Employees must turn in their purple election forms and any other enrollment change forms by 5 p.m.

Cafeteria Plan enrollment for Flexible Spending Accounts available on line.
The cafeteria plan materials are being sent to employees by postal or email.  Due to the success of the on-line enrollment last year, ASI is again using this format.  Simply go to www.mocafe.com click on “Enrollment” and follow the instructions.  HR reports that many employees participate in the Flexible Spending Accounts offered that allows them to put pre-taxed money aside (thus reducing their tax liability) for later reimbursement of out-of-pocket child care or healthcare expenses.  Although ASI has a later deadline of 12/1/2009, it is recommended to take care of this enrollment early so as to not overlook it. The MO Café informational booklet is also posted on the HR web page

Lifelong Learning Newsletter

The Lifelong Learning "What's New" newsletter is now. The newsletter features several articles including "A New Twist on Taxonomy" by Jerry Williams, plus a Lifelong Learning BlackBoard Training Session schedule for this fall as well as items on audio files and the Baby Steps course.

To see the publication, go to Lifelong Learning.

Clinking Maple Leaf concert slated

Music lovers with a taste for music from north of the border have a treat in store for them in early November!

“Clinking Maple Leaves: An All-Canadian Concert by Southern Symphony Orchestra” will be presented at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6 in Taylor Performing Arts Center at Missouri Southern State University.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Though a “young” country, Canada has produced a surprising rich repertoire in music, ranging from traditional folk songs to modern sounds.

Canadian music represents its diversified people, culture, and landscape. Southern Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Kexi Liu, Music, will present an all-Canadian concert.

Campus Update

The student produced newscast, Campus Update begins airing next week on KGCS-TV. The program features a variety of stories from the Southern campus. These include tips on how to fight the flu, a rundown on Southern football, an introduction to the new assistant Track and Field Coach, a farewell to the 203rd Hound Dawgs Battalion and more plus feature stories.

Airdates for next week include:

Sun., 10/18 - 5:30 p.m.
Tue., 10/20 - 9:30 p.m.
Wed., 10/21 - 9:30 p.m.
Thur., 10/22 - 6:30 p.m.

Students in the Department of Communication produce "Campus Update" at KGCS-TV. "It's a great opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in news reporting and producing," says Judy Stiles, KGCS General Manager. "Campus Update also allows MSSU and the community at large to get a look at what's happening at Missouri Southern," she adds.

KGCS programming may be seen over the air on UHF channel 22, and on regional cable systems including Cable One (ch. 7) and Mediacom (ch. 77).

New location for Office Services

Office Services mailroom is now located in the lower level of Billingsly Student Center (BSC 102) - the former location of MSSU bookstore. The print shop relocated to BSC 102 on Wednesday of this week.

Phone and email contact information remains the same:

Mailroom:
Elaine Sandtorf, 625-9517 - sandtorf-e@mssu.edu
Annita Miller, 625-3145 - miller-a@mssu.edu

Print Shop:
Brian Estes, 659-4493 - estes-b@mssu.edu

Small Business University

MSSU Small Business & Technology Development Center, the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and Community Bank & Trust are presenting Small Business University, a day-long seminar featuring practical business advice tailored to varying levels of business experience.  These topics will help to enhance the knowledge of new trends in business management.

Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Workplace edition, which was specifically created for employers to help teach Dave's common sense principles about money to their team, will be the featured program.  Jim Swatsenbarg, a certified Ramsey trainer, will facilitate the program.  Information about the program can be found at http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/corporate/.  This is a Workplace Training program designed for professionals, regardless of their spiritual/religious beliefs.

Social Networking, Technology, and Web Site Business Strategies courses will be presented by Kyle Sexton, an Internet and social networking expert from Salem, Ore.  His web site is http://www.fastchamber.com/. 

Additional sessions covering financial issues, advertising ideas, marketing strategies, and best practices of Small Business of the Year recipients will be presented. 

For a list of course descriptions, a detailed schedule and to register for the event, please access http://joplincc.com/ourchamber_sbu_main.html or call 417-624-4150.

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, Room 201 Cornell Auditorium
Cost: $75 per person (includes lunch and Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Workplace edition book)

AAUP fall semester meeting

Last summer, an advocacy chapter of the AAUP (American Association of University Professors) was officially chartered on campus last summer. Now it is time for the inaugural meeting! As an advocacy chapter, Missouri Southern AAUP is officially working to safeguard academic freedom, promote shared governance, and build professionalism and collegiality among our faculty, BUT what exactly is going on?

Come to the meeting at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23 in Room 356 of the Billingsly Student Center and find out! The interim officers have been hard at work planning social activities and objectives. At the meeting, 2009-2010 officers will be elected.

"Our chapter is big on collegiality; there will be a social later on, beginning at 5 p.m. or earlier at Quincy Magoo's at Stone's Corner," says John Knapp, Physical Science.

John says the meeting and social are open to all MSSU faculty and friends.

KGCS TV recognized by City Council

The Joplin City Council recognized KGCS-TV for 25 years of television service during the Monday, October 12 meeting. Mayor Gary Shaw read the proclamation during the meeting. KGCS General Manager Judy Stiles and Dept. of Communication Head Jay Moorman were present to receive the certificate.

The proclamation recognizes the 25th anniversary of KGCS-TV, noting that one of the original community service programs offered by the television station was coverage of Joplin City Council meetings. The meetings were originally taped, with the tapes rushed back to the station for airing. Today KGCS provides live broadcasts of the meetings from Joplin City Hall. "We are committed to serving the community, and this type of coverage allows citizens to see their local government in action," Judy notes.

The proclamation also recognizes KGCS for providing hands-on opportunities for MSSU Communication students.

KGCS-TV is celebrating 25 years of service to the Joplin region and to Missouri Southern State University. It broadcasts over the air on channel 22 and appears on cable television systems throughout the region, including Cable One, Mediacom and Suddenlink.

FACULTY/STAFF

Elke Howe, Engineering Technology, has announced that the CADD/CAMT/IET Department changed its name to Engineering Technology Department. She requests that other departments and divisions revise appropriate documentation.

CLASSIFIED

On Sale in the Bookstore: 25% off Football crew and hooded sweatshirts. Halloween Flameless candles with spooky sounds - 1/2 off regular price $9.99 now $4.99. Also: Select Gear for Sports Big Cotton hooded sweatshirt in 3 colors, Reg. $29.99, Now $19.99.

Moving Sale: RAINED OUT last week. ONE DAY ONLY: SAT, OCT. 17 - 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Location: 4630 Belmont Drive (south on Range Line past I-44 to 44th Street, turn right, then left on Belmont Drive). "Virginia House" (colonial style/retro) light oak dining room set - oval table and 6 chairs with 4 extensions and matching glass door hutch over a buffet - asking $600 for entire set; area rugs; Asian painted screen; toys in good condition; home decor items, new picture frames; china, wine glasses and wine racks; 2 Pier 1 rattan chairs w/ottoman, matching table & magazine rack; antique rocker; antique bookshelves; complete Kitchen Aid cookware; many books for children and adults (Ree Wells, 625-9762).

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