Be kind.  Be positive.  Be strong.  Be safe.

Upcoming Events & Information

Flu and Covid Information – Flu Information – Magers Health and Wellness Center – Missouri State

Flu Vaccine available starting September 18

New COVID vaccine is not yet available at Magers.  When it arrives – it will be posted.

Plan to join in the CNAS Ice Cream Social Sept 20 from 3:00 to 4:30PM in the Cheek Hall lobby area. See the flyer for more details.

A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps – Peace Corps Prep Film and Discussion – Sept 25 from 4:00 to 6:00PM in Karls 101.

SWMO Regional Water Conference – Water: Trends that Matter, September 26. Students may attend free! However, they must still RSVP for the event.

Public Affairs Conference is September 26-28.  Please find a session to attend and send your students as well!

Looking for events around Springfield? Check out https://celebratesgf.com/!

Academic Advisor Forums:

Exploring Ethical Frameworks for Advising: Part 1 – Sept 20, from 12PM to 1PM in PSU 313

See the full Fall 2023 Schedule

Carrie’s Café

Carrie’s Café opens September 21 – see menu

Upcoming CNAS Seminars –

Check out the CNAS Master Calendar for this week’s seminars – College of Natural and Applied Sciences – Missouri State University

• CHM – 3:35-4:25PM, Wednesday, September 20, via Zoom. By Giselle Campos, Jessica Linson, Lydia Lang, Victoria Ogbeifun (MSU Alumni). Discussion of Research Experiences for Undergraduate Students and Graduate School with MSU Alumni.
• BIO – 4:00-5:00 PM, Friday, September 22 in Blunt Hall 143.  “The Ozark Underground Laboratory and Tumbling Creek Cave”  David Woods, Senior Project Scientist Ozark Underground Lab
  • Meet the speaker at 3:30 PM just outside of 143 Blunt Hall.

Recent news from the college:

• Geology professor selected for national award
• If you would like to see past stories please visit CNAS NewsWatch!

Construction Update

Blunt (Temple Hall) Construction Details through early October.  If you have questions, please contact the Dean’s Office email directly BluntHallConstruction.edu

9/18/23 thru 9/22/23

• South side generator duct bank and utility yard work continues as required. (Concrete and dump trucks on Briggs Street)
• Electrical work in basement and Blunt Hall electrical room for permanent power.
• Footing & Foundation continues. (Concrete and Dump Trucks on JQH Parkway)
• Deep pier drilling continues (noise and vibration like demolition). (Concrete and Dump Trucks on JQH Parkway)

–      Relocate majority of pit rocks to 18A.

–      South side fencing removed.

9/25/23 thru 9/29/23

Removal of Drilling Rig – JQH Parkway impacted for 30-45 minutes. 9/25/23 or 9/26/23 after 5:00 pm.

• South side generator duct bank and utility yard work continues as required. (Concrete and dump trucks on Briggs Street)
• Basement electrical room saw cutting and material removal. (Possible use of elevator)
• Footing & Foundation continues. (Concrete and Dump Trucks on JQH Parkway)

10/2/23 thru 10/6/23

• Basement electrical room saw cutting and material removal. (Possible use of elevator)
• Footing & Foundation continues. (Concrete and Dump Trucks on JQH Parkway)

Prepare for the Brightspace Transition

All faculty will have access to Brightspace beginning Monday, October 16. This access includes a sandbox course, where you can learn the system and explore its capabilities while participating in training. After October 16, you can use the class dashboard to request a source course for building your courses.   Faculty who want to use Brightspace in Spring 2024 can attend training sessions this fall. During the spring semester, there will be trainings for faculty who plan to begin using Brightspace in Fall 2024. On-demand resources are currently in development; these resources will be available within the Brightspace platform to assist faculty as they’re in the process of building their courses. All Missouri State courses will be transitioned and live in the Brightspace system by May 13, 2024.   

Training Schedules  

Faculty can use My Learning Connection to register for the following virtual training sessions:

Fall Semester Trainings

• Brightspace Instructor Essentials
  October 17, 1–3 p.m.
  A D2L virtual training event where faculty learn to access and navigate the Brightspace Learning Environment.
• Session 1: A Student’s Life
  October 19, 9–11 a.m.
  A D2L virtual training event focused on the student experience in Brightspace. Introduces a variety of instructor tools and features that are used to create engaging learning experiences for students.
• Session 2: Grading a Course
  October 23, 9–11 a.m.
  A D2L virtual training event working through how an instructor grades a variety of assessments in Brightspace. Includes effective practices for grading as well as student progress reporting.
• Session 3: Communicating
  October 24, 9–11 a.m.
  A D2L virtual training event focused on using Brightspace to communicate with students, support learning and apply communication strategies that can motivate and engage students.
• Session 4: Can We Build It?
  October 24, 1–3 p.m.
  A D2L virtual training event focused on building key course elements, setting up the gradebook, copying existing content into courses and building new content materials.
• Session 5: Yes, We Can!
  October 31, 1–3 p.m.
  A D2L virtual training event focused on building course activities and assessments. Includes effective practices and how to use the assignment, quiz, and discussion tools to reflect course objectives.
• Session 6: The End is the Beginning
  November 2, 9–11 a.m.
  A D2L virtual training event designed to take your course to the next level. Dives deeper into practices and tools that are of high interest to participants and answer questions that may not have been covered in earlier sessions.

Calendar

• September 26-28 – Public Affairs Conference
• September 30 – Thesis/non-thesis funding application for grant student funding
• October 1 – (2023-2024 Tenure/Promotion) – Faculty applicants submit Tenure and/or Promotion dossier to Department Heads – External reviews are due to Department Heads for inclusion in the dossier
• October 2 – State of the University Address, 12:30-2:00 PM, PSU Theatre
• Oct 6                                 Freeman Hrabowski Visit
• Oct 12-13                          Fall Break no classes/offices open
• Oct 18-21                          Midwest ACS Meeting – St. Louis
• Oct 21                               MSU Homecoming
• Oct 23                               Emeritus Faculty Lunch, 11 AM – 1 PM, Kentwood Crystal Ballroom
• Oct 23                               CNAS 3MT Competition, 3:00 PM, Cheek 102
• Oct 28                               Elementary Science Olympiad
• Nov 3                                University 3MT Competition
• Nov 8                                CNAS Career Expo and PSM Advisory Board

April 8, 2024  Next Solar Eclipse in Missouri – The path of totality through North America – the Great North American Eclipse of April 8, 2024 | eclipse2024.org

Media           

• Subscribe to follow CNAS NewsWatch (also available on CNAS homepage)
• Find Dean Jahnke’s past eblasts and subscribe to CNAS Blog.
• Tune in every Thursday morning at 9:45 a.m. for 5-minute Astro Brief on KSMU.