Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for all that you do on behalf of our students and our University.  It is truly an honor to work with you, and I hope you have a wonderful and rejuvenating break.

Happy holidays!
Sue

Dear Colleagues:

It gives me great pleasure to invite you to participate in three upcoming events!

• Faculty and Staff Holiday Open House – Wednesday, December 14
  I invite you to “kick up your heels” and celebrate the holidays at the annual Faculty and Staff Holiday Open House scheduled for December 14 from 2:30-5:00 p.m.  This year’s open house will be held in the lovely and historic Kirk Memorial, and I hope to see all of you there! An official invitation will be shared with campus later today.
• Fall Commencement – Saturday, December 17
  Our 2016 Fall Commencement Ceremony is scheduled for December 17 at 11:00 a.m. in Pershing Arena.  Brandon Sorbom, a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the lead author of the ARC Reactor design study, a student-led conceptual design for a small, modular fusion pilot plant, will be our Commencement speaker.  As you will remember, Brandon was the Commencement Speaker at our 2016 Spring Ceremony where his remarks were unfortunately cut short due to a heavy rain storm.
• Casual Dress and Departmental Food Exchange Days
  Monday thru Wednesday, December 19-21, are designated as Casual Dress Days, and our Department Food Exchange Day will be held on Wednesday, December 21.  Those offices not celebrating the department food exchange day are more than welcome to join the President’s Office celebration!

While writing, I also wanted to provide a report on the Truman State University Board of Governors meeting held on campus on Saturday under the leadership of Board Chair Sarah Burkemper.  The Board elected officers and assigned committee membership for the 2017 calendar year.  New officers who will take office for a term of one year commencing at the first regular meeting of the calendar year are Chair, Mike LaBeth; Vice Chair, Cheryl Cozette; and Secretary, Laura Crandall.

Co-Chairs of the Committee to Develop a University Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence and the Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan Implementation Committee were present to report on the work of both committees.  Within the Board’s committee meetings, the members received updates on the work of the Next Steps Teams, the Truman Portfolio and Multi-State Collaborative, the Student Conduct Code revision process, and on-campus construction projects in addition to reviewing various financial reports.

In regard to action items, the Board approved housing and food plan charges effective with the 2017 Fall Semester.  The housing and food plan charges will remain very competitive with area institutions, and the overall increase is 1% with the typical room rate and food plan combined.  The Board approved the Stadium Track and Field Project, a project which will replace the existing football field turf (installed in 2008), rebuild the existing artificial surface track (originally constructed in 1996), and replace the Stokes Stadium Press Box (built in 1962).  The project is funded by the student athletic fee, the Plant Fund, and donations from Truman alumni and friends.  The Board discussed the scope and tentative budget for the University Residence Project, and the members officially put into their Code of Policies the University Strategic Plan which was approved at their October meeting.  Finally, the Board approved faculty sabbaticals for the 2017-18 Academic Year, and a listing of the faculty members approved for sabbaticals for the coming year are as follows:

2017-2018 Academic Year
Timothy Farley, Professor of French
Huping Ling, Professor of History
Samuel Ling, Professor of Physics

2017 Fall Semester
George Shinn, Professor of Biology

2018 Spring Semester
Andrew Klyukovski, Professor of Communication
David Murphy, Professor of Philosophy and Religion
Matthew Tornatore, Professor of Foreign Languages

A copy of the open session agenda can be found on the Board of Governors website located at http://www.truman.edu/about/our-people/board-of-governors/board-of-governors-agendas/.  The next regular meeting of the Board of Governors is scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 2016.

Wishing you a fantastic end to your semester,

Sue

Dear Truman Community:

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family and friends, may we all be thankful for the excellence that is Truman.  Whether in academics, research, the visual and performing arts, athletics, other high-impact curricular and co-curricular activities or our interactions with our students and colleagues, we strive to be our very best and expect nothing less from each other.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with joy and peace and, hopefully, a little relaxation!

With very best wishes,

Sue

Dear Colleagues:

My second coffee for the semester is scheduled for Monday, November 7, at 3:30 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Student Union Building.

This coffee will focus on Truman’s progress in developing and implementing a strategic plan for Inclusive Excellence.  The goal of this work is to catalyze and sustain organizational change which reflects a deeper commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the Truman experience.  To view the strategic plan for Inclusive Excellence, please visit:  http://www.truman.edu/strategic-plan-for-inclusive-excellence.

Joining me for the November 7^th coffee will be Jay Bulen and Michael Bazemore, current co-chairpersons of the Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan Implementation Committee, and John Gardner, co-chairperson of the Committee to Develop a University Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence.

I hope your schedule will allow you to join us.

Best regards,

Sue

Dear Colleagues:

Truman Homecoming 2016 was a huge success!  Spirits were high, the weather was beautiful, teams were victorious, and the students, alumni and honorees all seemed to have a wonderful time.  I express my sincere appreciation to everyone who helped orchestrate the weekend’s activities.  It was a great pleasure to be involved in such a fun-filled event and it made me realize once again how truly proud I am to be a Bulldog!

In conjunction with Homecoming, the Board of Governors held their annual October meeting under the leadership of Board Chair Sarah Burkemper.  Kelly Kochanski, student representative to the Board from March 2014 to April 2016, was officially recognized for her service.  Representatives from RubinBrown LLP reported on the annual audit of the University, and Truman’s governmental relations services consultants, GibbonsWorkman LLC, provided a report on their work on behalf of the University.  Charles Hunsaker and Denise Smith, Co-Directors of University Advancement, were joined by Dr. Sharron Quisenberry, Chair of the Pursue the Future Campaign, and provided updates on advancement and the campaign.  Regina Morin, Vice President for Enrollment Management, provided the annual enrollment management report, and I provided a President’s Report reflecting many of the campus and community activities that have occurred throughout the past few months.  In addition, the Board reviewed financial reports, received updates on various on-campus construction projects, and heard reports from their three committees.  Within those committee meetings, the Board received updates on the proposed University strategic plan, Student Conduct Code statistics, and Truman Transformation.

In terms of action items, the Board approved the University strategic plan for 2016-2020, entitled Truman Blueprint for Success:  Intentional Experiences, Institutional Distinctiveness, Extended Reach and Organizational Excellence, which can be found on the Strategic Plan website located at http://www.truman.edu/about/mission-vision/strategic-plan/.  The Board expressed their appreciation to the entire University community for their work in developing a new strategic plan that will guide the development of the University.  The next step in the process will be to form a committee to develop specific metrics for each component of the plan.

The Board also took action on two items within the areas of finance and auditing:  approval of independent tax exempt status for the Truman State University National Alumni Association and the creation of a new staff employee status designated as Full-Time Professional Non-Exempt Employees in order to comply with the new regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Within the area of Budget and Capital Projects, the Board approved the Blanton-Nason-Brewer Window and Roof Replacement Project for Summer 2017 which will address maintenance and repair needs in the facility.  They also approved architectural services for the University Residence Project which will address improvements to the facility originally constructed in 1937.

A copy of the complete agenda from the October 21 meeting can be found on the Board of Governors website located at http://www.truman.edu/about/our-people/board-of-governors/board-of-governors-agendas/.  The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for Saturday, December 3.

Best regards,

Sue

Dear Truman Community:

I am pleased to share with you the University Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence and to announce the appointment of an Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan Implementation Committee which will begin work immediately.

In December 2015, President Troy Paino appointed the Committee to Develop a University Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence.  That committee, co-chaired by Jamie Ball (Institutional Compliance) and John Gardner (Residence Life), presented its plan in late May, and a copy of the plan can be found on the President’s Office website at http://www.truman.edu/strategic-plan-for-inclusive-excellence.  After I became the interim president, I began reaching out to individuals for suggestions about who best to serve on an implementation committee, and I am delighted to announce the membership of that committee:

Co-Chair, Jay Bulen, Music
Co-Chair, Michael Bazemore, Athletics
Monica Barron, English and Linguistics
Laura Bates, Center for Student Involvement
Tahj Gayfield, student
Vayujeet Gokhale, Physics
Kevin Minch, Academic Affairs/Communication
Maha Mohamed, Student
Teak Nelson, Nursing
Ex-officio, Jamie Ball, Institutional Compliance
Ex-officio, Carol Bennett, Multicultural Affairs
Ex-officio, Heather Cianciola, McNair Program/English and Linguistics

The committee (comprised of faculty, staff, students and members of the original committee) has been given the charge to prioritize and develop implementation strategies for the recommendations in the strategic plan.  Our goal for the inclusive excellence initiative is to build a more accessible, equitable and inclusive climate for all members of the campus community and to develop a culture where diversity is a strength, not a weakness, in our collective pursuit for excellence.

On behalf of the Truman community, I thank the original development committee for their dedicated and engaged work, and I look forward to receiving the recommendations of the implementation committee.  It is imperative that Truman exhibits inclusive excellence across the entire campus and their work will ensure that we do so.

Best regards,

Sue

Dear Colleagues:

It gives me great pleasure to announce the continuation of Coffees with the President for the 2016-2017 Academic Year.  Two sessions will be held in the fall and the spring, and the topics for those sessions will include components of the four priorities of our draft strategic plan for 2016-2020 entitled Truman Blueprint for Success.  The purpose of the coffees is to share information about the exciting work being done in addressing the University’s priorities and to obtain feedback to guide this work as it moves forward.

My first coffee, scheduled for Tuesday, October 4, at 3 p.m. in the Student Union Conference Room, will focus on High-Impact Experiences.  This priority is part of the strategic plan to ensure that all students are more fully engaged in their learning and discover their personal and professional purpose by providing intentional curricular and co-curricular opportunities that require the application of learning to real-world problems.  Joining me for the October 4 coffee will be Dr. Dana Vazzana, Professor of Mathematics, who is part of the “Create a Centralized System of Support for High Impact Experiences” Next Steps Team.  To view the draft strategic plan in its entirety visit:  http://wp-internal.truman.edu/provost/resources/spaw/.

I hope your schedule will allow you to attend.  I look forward to an informative and engaging discussion.

Best regards,

Sue

Dear Truman Community:

Welcome back to an academic year filled with promise!  We hope you had a chance to relax and rejuvenate and are ready to give this year your very best.  As the semester begins, we are reminded of all we love about Truman:  our mission, our accomplishments, our beautiful campus, and most of all, the people of Truman.  We are a community that celebrates diverse backgrounds, experiences, and world-views because we understand that diversity challenges us to be more enlightened in thoughts and actions and is integral in achieving our vision:

Truman will demonstrate its public liberal arts and sciences mission by developing educated citizens needed to protect our democracy and offer creative solutions to state, national and global problems.  It will do so through transformative experiences that foster critical thought, daring imagination and empathetic understanding of human experiences at home and around the world.  Truman graduates will be citizen-leaders committed to service; globally competitive; able to thrive in the complexities of an advanced, technical and multicultural world; and inspired to live healthy and meaningful lives.

Truman is a caring community.  Our relationships not only enrich our lives, but also define us as individuals.

If the events of this past summer are any indication, there is the potential that horrific acts of violence will continue to occur in the upcoming months throughout our nation and world.  We may also witness divisive speech and a lack of civility saturating the airwaves and social media.  The violence and inflammatory rhetoric will have a negative effect on all of us.  Now is the time for our community to come together to provide opportunities to process emotions, to rationally discuss issues from multiple perspectives, to separate fact from fiction, and to exhibit the compassion and care that unites us in spite of our differences.

Like the issues themselves, how our University responds is impacted by a complex set of factors.  It is not possible for Truman to formally respond to every deplorable act of violence.  Even if we could, how does one determine which deplorable acts rise to the level of a campus-wide communication?  A lack of response for any particular event could cause even more hurt for those pained by the event.  We also fear that by sending a campus-wide communication for every event, the atrocity of the events may be unconsciously minimized as people become habituated to receiving the messages.

Instead of University proclamations following events, we encourage our entire community to be willing to engage in compassionate and rational conversations about events as they occur.  We ask that we support one another as we struggle to replace feelings of hurt, anger and fear with meaning and positive direction.  We encourage campus organizations and departments to sponsor programming that will help explore difficult issues in constructive and nonviolent ways.  We encourage all of us, through our behaviors, to demonstrate that reflective discourse requires empathic listening in addition to sharing personal viewpoints, and it is not compatible with prejudice, hate speech, personal attacks or a disregard for others.

University Counseling Services, Multicultural Affairs, the Women’s Resource Center and the Interfaith Center are always available for students who need additional support.  Student Affairs will be offering a weekly Listen to Learn Dialogue where faculty, staff and students who are concerned about the events of the week can gather to provide support for one another, listen and seek understanding.  These Listen and Learn Dialogues will be held every Tuesday, beginning August 30 through December 6 from 6-7 p.m. in Magruder Hall 1090.

We encourage you to remember what it means to be a part of a liberal arts and sciences university community.  Civil dialogue about differences is an imperative.  We must rise above that which seeks to divide us and model the civility and compassion that is necessary to unite us and move us forward.  The values of Truman require that we do nothing less.

With best regards,

Sue Thomas, Interim President
Vaughan Pultz, Faculty Senate President
Curtis Kelsey, Staff Council Chair
J.J. Dorrell, Student Government President

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to provide a brief summary of the August meeting of the Truman State University Board of Governors as well as extend an invitation to attend the Fall Opening Assembly and Ready-or-Not Luncheon scheduled for Thursday, August 18.

The Board met this past Saturday in the Student Union Building.  Jerry Wollmering, Director of Athletics, provided the annual athletics report, and Curtis Kelsey, staff member in Information Technology Services and Chair of Staff Council, reported on the work of Staff Council throughout the past fiscal year.  The Board also heard reports in their committee meetings on Truman Transformation, the Student Conduct Code revision process, financial reports and construction projects currently taking place on campus.  I provided a President’s Report which included an announcement by Charles Hunsaker, Interim Co-Director of Advancement, of a recent $1 million gift commitment through the Pursue the Future Campaign.  This gift brings the campaign to $30.6 raised toward the $40 million goal.  Further information about this special gift commitment will be shared after the University is able to finalize publicity details with the donors.  The Board also reviewed the latest draft of the University Strategic Plan (2016-2020).  The proposed draft will be shared with campus at the Strategic Planning and Assessment Workshop scheduled for August 19, with the intent to ask for Board approval at their next regular meeting.

In terms of action items, the Board approved four items within the area of budget and capital projects.  A State Appropriations Request for Fiscal Year 2018 was approved which includes funding based on the Performance Funding model, additional funds to expand training for mental health professionals as well as an increase for STEM programs and Maintenance and Repairs funding.  The Board approved the Local Capital Budgets for Fiscal Year 2017, with a major focus on utility and infrastructure improvements for both academic and auxiliary buildings.  The Board also approved architectural services for the Greenwood Center Project and the University Residence Project.  The Greenwood Center Project will involve a renovation of the Greenwood Elementary School to provide interdisciplinary assessment intervention for children with Autism or suspected Autism as well as other neuro-developmental disorders.  If all goes according to plan, construction will begin in late Spring 2017 with the Center scheduled to open in Fall 2018.  The University Residence Project will provide an analysis of the facility, including potential improvements ranging from basic issues that must be addressed to renovations that would retain the historical integrity of the home.

A copy of the complete agenda from the August 6 meeting can be found on the Board of Governors website located at http://www.truman.edu/about/our-people/board-of-governors/board-of-governors-agendas/.  The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for Friday, October 21, in conjunction with Truman Homecoming activities.

The Board’s annual August meeting signals the end of summer and the beginning of a new academic year.  Next week, a new class of freshmen and transfer students will converge on the Truman campus.  It will be a pleasure to welcome new faces to campus, including those of our new faculty and staff, and to reconnect with returning students and members of the University community.  I hope you had an opportunity to recharge and ready yourself for the coming year.  I look forward to seeing you at the Fall Opening Assembly scheduled for Thursday, August 18, at 10:15 a.m. in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall, followed by the Ready-or-Not Luncheon scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in the Georgian Room of the Student Union.

I hope you enjoy your last few days of summer, and thank you for all that you do on behalf of Truman.

Best regards,

Sue