All-Faculty Recognition Reception
Date: Monday, April 21
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: PSU Ballroom
Our faculty members work diligently to make the university and our community a better place to live. Join the Office of the Provost and President Smart as we gather to honor this year’s award recipients and retirees at the All-Faculty Recognition Reception. The esteemed recipients of the Missouri State University Foundation Award in Teaching, Research and Service, Years of Service, Community Service Awards and others will be recognized. Hors D ’Oeuvres will be provided.
Vice President for Marketing and Communications Candidates
to Visit Campus
The Office of the President is pleased to announce the two candidates who will interview for the Vice President for Marketing and Communications position. Each candidate will be presenting an open forum followed by a question and answer session. Visit the Finalists for Vice President for Marketing and Communications website for detailed information about the candidates.
Lana Poole
Open Forum: Monday, March 31, 2–3 p.m., PSU Theater
M. Suzanne Shaw
Open Forum: Monday, April 7, 2–3 p.m., PSU Theater
Carrie’s Café Now Open
Time: Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Professional Building, Room 426
Carrie’s Café, a café run by Hospitality and Restaurant Administration students, is open to the public and located on the fourth floor of the Professional Building on the corner of Kimbrough and Cherry. Parking is available in lots 35 and 37 during lunch time.
Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are preferred. Call 836-4409 for reservations.
Provost Series for Faculty Development
Academic Support for Students
Date: Monday and Thursday, March 24 and 27
Time: 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Location: Carrington Hall 203
Presenter: Michael Frizell, Director of Student Learning Services
What can you feasibly do to help students who are struggling with basic course material, study strategies, etc.? What academic support services are offered through the Bear CLAW? This workshop will focus on using the university’s programs that you can access to help support your students.
University Supports for Research
Date: Monday and Thursday, April 7 and 10
Time: 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Location: Carrington Hall 203
Presenters: Marina Zordell-Reed, Coordinator Sponsored Research and Programs; Todd Daniel, Director, RStats
There are numerous mechanisms at the university and college levels to support faculty research. This workshop will highlight some of the supports offered by the Office of Sponsored Research. Additionally, an example of a college-based resource, RStats, will be described.
Study Away Launches Online System for Increased Service
Study Away Programs is pleased to announce the implementation of Terra Dotta for Study Abroad, a web-based software system that streamlines application processes. This change was made, in part, to maintain high service standards to meet the growing demand from students and other Missouri State constituents. Since 2009, student participation in Study Away has increased 74%. In terms of short-term faculty-led programs, Missouri State has seen a 355% increase from 2009 to the current year; i.e., 9 to 41 programs.
As you advise students interested in Study Away opportunities, please be aware of the new search and apply tools we’ve developed through this new software found on the Study Away website. Thank you for your continued support to highlight the value of a global perspective in the intellectual life of the Missouri State community!
Be a Judge in the 2014 Ozarks Science and Engineering Fair
Date: Tuesday, April 1
Location: Hammons Student Center
Do you have a background in science? If so, you may consider being a placement judge at the 2014 Ozarks Science and Engineering Fair (OSEF). This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity which allows you to have a positive impact on the students of southwest Missouri.
Student projects are placed into categories where a team of judges evaluate the projects. Judges should check in between 5:00–5:30 p.m. in the Handball Court Area of Hammons Student Center. Judging concludes at 9:00 p.m. A light dinner will be provided.
If you would like to judge, please complete this online form indicating the science categories in which you feel most comfortable. Please also encourage graduate students and upper-level undergraduate students to serve as judges and complete the judge application form.
Sign Up Now for the Remaining Spring 2014 Faculty Writing Retreats!
Dates: March 21, April 25, May 19–23
Time: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Monthly Faculty Writing Retreats provide a supportive and productive environment to work on writing projects. Faculty use this time to work on research articles, books, data analysis, grants, dissertations, etc. Feedback sessions are provided as needed. Retreats are free of charge to faculty members. A light breakfast and lunch are provided. This program is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Associate Provost for Student Development and Public Affairs Office, and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. Please register through My Learning Connection. Contact Stephanie Norander, Provost Fellow for Faculty Development—Writing, with questions.
Blackboard Feature Spotlight: Add a Banner to Your Course
(click for a larger version)
Adding a banner is a great way to personalize the look of your course. They’re easy to create and upload as well! You don’t have to have any fancy design software. Microsoft PowerPoint will do the trick beautifully. Follow this tutorial for instructions on creating your banner in PowerPoint. After you’ve created your banner and are ready to upload it, follow the steps in this Experts guide.
See the Blackboard Blog to learn more about the great features in Blackboard, and don’t forget about all the opportunities for Blackboard training at the Blackboard at Missouri State University website, and learn how you can become a Blackboard Black Belt while you’re there!
TurnItIn Transition
Missouri State University has been negotiating with Blackboard to purchase a Learning Expansion Pack and we are close to an agreement to make these additions next month. This enhancement includes many useful features such as mobile access, improved storage and transportability of course content, increased opportunities for student engagement, and additional forms of assessment.
Although the new package involves additional cost, it will allow us to discontinue subscriptions to other tools because their uses can be met by components of the new system. For example, meetings over the fall semester with faculty who use TurnItIn frequently to document the degree of similarity to existing sources that is present in student papers indicated that the most critical purposes of TurnItIn can be accomplished through Safe Assign and some of the other Blackboard features. Consequently, we will not need to renew our subscription to TurnItIn after June. To help faculty make the transition, Computer Services will be offering a series of training sessions, “Blackboard Learn: Assessing Learners,” throughout April, and interested individuals can enroll through My Learning Connection under the “Computer Skills—Instructional Technology” category. Faculty who are comfortable learning through the Experts documentation can view SafeAssign, Inline Grading, and SafeAssign/TurnItIn Technical Comparison on the Experts site. It will be important to ensure that faculty are optimally equipped to capitalize on all of these new features, so be sure to tell your colleagues to watch for announcements of training opportunities in the Communiqué.
Class Attendance During Greek Week
Greek Week will be taking place from Sunday, March 23, 2014 until Saturday, March 29, 2014. Please note that at no time during that week are Fraternity and Sorority students to be missing class because of Greek Week or asking if they are able to miss class. Fraternity and Sorority Life strongly encourages all members to attend their classes and participate fully in their classes and studies. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact Andrea Weber, Assistant Director of Student Engagement for Fraternity and Sorority Life at (417) 836-4386 or via email.
Residence Life Seeking MSU Faculty Members to Serve as Faculty Fellows for the Living-Learning Community Program for 2014–2015
The commitment to be a Faculty Fellow is minimal yet very important. We ask for your time, energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to meet the following expectations:
- Attend one social event/semester—e.g., lunch or dinner with the floor, etc. (the cost of your meal will be covered)
- Attend one educational event/semester—e.g., program held on the floor or elsewhere on campus
- Present a program to members of the floor one time during the year (the subject matter is up to you)
- Meet with the Residential Programming Assistant (RPA) at the beginning of each semester to discuss plans for the upcoming weeks.
We look forward to connecting students and faculty outside the classroom. Please visit the Living-Learning Communities website or contact Alisa Garbisch, Coordinator for Residential Academic Programs, at 6-8840, if you are interested in learning more about this program.
Acclaimed Fiction Writer to Visit Campus
As you may know, among our notable Public Affairs Conference speakers this year is acclaimed fiction writer George Saunders, whose short story collection Tenth of December was a National Book Award finalist in 2013. We are excited to have him come to campus, both for a conference plenary session at noon on Thursday, April 10, and a fiction reading the evening before.
Saunders’ plenary session will be conducted as an interview, and we’d like to invite you to submit questions or ideas for us to consider as we design the session. Please share this email with your faculty and let them know they may send ideas or questions for Saunders’ Public Affairs plenary address to Shannon Wooden.
Office of Citizenship & Service-Learning presents
For the Greater Good
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Time: 11:45 a.m.–1:00 p.m.—Presentation; 1:15 p.m.–3:00 p.m.—Hands-on Workshop
Location: PSU 313
Presenters: Dr. Joanna Cemore-Brigden – Associate Professor; Childhood Education and Family Studies (Missouri State University) and Dr. Susan Waters – Assistant Professor; School of Communication & Journalism (Auburn University)
The Office of Citizenship and Service-Learning (CASL) invites you to attend the “Brown Bag” service-learning dialogue workshop on the topic of “Assessing the Community Partner in Academic Service-Learning: A Strategy for Capacity-Building.”
Please register for this session through My Learning Connection. For more information, please contact the CASL office at 836-5774.
This event is co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters, the Communication Department, the College of Education, the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL), the Office of Student Development and Public Affairs (SDPA) and the Office of Public Affairs Support.
Join Us for National Walking Day
Date: April 2
Time: Noon
Location: Foster Recreation Center
We encourage you to have your classes walk, hold your meetings while walking, and show your support for Missouri State University as the University will be named a “Great Place to Walk for Heart Health” by the City of Springfield, the Springfield-Greene County Parks Department and the American Heart Association. The Kickoff and Ribbon-cutting event will designate a new walking path on campus. Frank Einhellig, Provost, will be providing the opening remarks. Following the walk, please join us for the Health Fair in the Foster Recreation Center.
Understanding Student Learning of Public Affairs—A Call for Reviewers
The Office of Assessment is collecting student work that showcases students’ understanding of public affairs. All interested faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to apply to be reviewers of this student work during a workshop held the week of May 19, 2014. A small stipend will be provided for your time as a reviewer.
For more information, contact Dr. Keri Franklin, Director of Assessment, at 836-6300.
Provide Feedback
Send Comments to the Provost’s Office
Download Adobe Reader to view and print documents on this page.