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Week of January 22 - 28, 2007 Welcome to the Tower Topics E-newsletter for faculty, staff and students at Western. |
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Missouri Western State University, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-271- 4200 |
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Click any link for these stories: Western Hires Dean of Professional Studies Financial Aid Programs in February Western's New Website Makes It Easy for Prospective Students Lost & Found: If you have lost any items, please come to SU 228 to claim them. You may be required to describe the item. Click on
Guidelines for Tower Topics: Tower Topics submissions should state time, date, place, sponsor, title of event, name of speaker's and admission fees. Send complete information to the Public Relations and Marketing office (Leah Spratt Hall, Room 106). The deadline for all entries is 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, for the next week's issue. Tower Topics will be online weekly during the fall and spring semester. For more information call 271-5651. Student Editor:
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Western Hires Dean of Professional Studies Western is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Steven G. Estes as dean of its College of Professional Studies effective July 1, 2007. He is also appointed a tenured professor in the department of health, physical education and recreation. Dr. Estes received his baccalaureate and master’s degrees in physical education at San Diego State University where he coached rowing and competed in the sport internationally. He received his doctorate from Ohio State University then went on to faculty appointments at California State University, Fullerton; and the State University of New York at Cortland where he chaired the faculty senate, was a member of the collective bargaining team and established the Center for the Advancement of Technology in Education. He was recruited to the faculty of exercise and sport science at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. where over a five-year period as department chair he led the department’s development of several new degree programs a doctorate in bioenergetics, led a collaboration with the medical school and another with the business school, and added eight new faculty lines. He also conducted successful national accreditation reviews, assisted in the establishment of a new College of Health and Human Performance, edited several professional journals and served as president of the National Association for Physical Education in Higher Education. During the past year he led his department’s strategic planning effort. Dr. Estes studies the role of sport and physical activity in American culture, and has authored or co-authored five recent books on sport and physical activity, has published several dozen peer-reviewed journal articles on the subject, and has presented his research at numerous national professional organization meetings. Dr. Estes is currently the coordinator of the sport management program in the department of exercise and sport science at East Carolina University. At Western, Dr. Estes will report to Dr. Joseph Bragin, provost and vice president of academic and student affairs, and be responsible for programmatic leadership, financial management, personnel administration, strategic planning and development of the College of Professional Studies. Dr. Bragin said Dr. Estes’s humanistic perspective and interests in the social and commercial aspects of sport and physical activity are well suited to developing new external partnerships as well as internal collaborations across traditional university and department lines. “Western is excited that Dr. Estes is joining us, and we look forward to his leadership in taking our professional programs to new levels of growth and achievement,” said Dr. Bragin. “My family and I are delighted to be moving to St. Joseph,” said Dr. Estes. “Our visits to the Western campus and community were positive and welcoming, andshow that Western’s reputation as a friendly place is well deserved. I appreciate the warm welcome and I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues in Professional Studies, the university, and in the community.” |
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In February 2004, the admissions office created a new program called Ready.Set.Go … Discover College. This program targets the seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-graders in St. Joseph and the surrounding area, stressing the importance of completing the high school core curriculum. Many students graduate high school lacking one or two credits of the core curriculum, which can greatly affect whether they are accepted to college or not. The goal of Ready.Set.Go…Discover College is to increase the percentage of students who graduate high school with a completed core curriculum. As part of this program, Josie Snelling, admissions counselor, has been visiting area schools to speak with eighth grade students about post-secondary opportunities and the high school core curriculum. Another aspect of the program is to bring the students on campus to experience “college life” for a day. Last spring we were able to bring many of the participating middle schools to Western’s campus. During their visit the students will receive a campus tour, participate in the Reality Store (a simulation game which gives them a glimpse of the “real world”), and attend a class taught by a faculty member. Snelling is looking for faculty and/or staff members to volunteer their time to “teach” one or two classes to the middle school students. Each class would last approximately 30 minutes. Rather than having a lecture, she is looking for faculty and/or staff members that can do demonstrations, experiments, or any type of interactive activities with the students, followed by explaining the different career possibilities within your field of study. This is not a class that current Western students will be in, unless students help with the demonstration. Snelling is hoping to bring the eighth-graders on campus in March, April and May while classes are still in session. Any help is greatly appreciated. If faculty and/or staff members are interested in participating or for any questions, contact Snelling in the admissions office at 4266. |
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Financial Aid Programs in February The Financial Aid Office has the month of February booked with programs and events that are meant to help current students and future students with financial aid questions. Western is hosting the seminar “Financing Your College Education” from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 1 in Spratt Hall, Kemper Recital Hall. Representatives from the Western financial aid office will cover several aspects of higher education financial aid including:
The information and assistance provided will be relevant to most colleges and universities nationwide. The event is free and open to the community. For more information visit www.missouriwestern.edu or contact the financial aid office at 4361. Western will also host a program designed to assist college-bound high school students in the completion and filing of important student financial aid documents. The program, known as College Goal Sunday, invites students to attend a free workshop from 2-4 p.m. on Feb. 11 in Spratt Hall. During the workshop, financial aid experts will assist students and parents with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is required by most educational institutions to determine eligibility for a wide range of grants, loans and scholarships. Students of all socioeconomic backgrounds are encouraged to complete the form. In addition to providing hands-on help with the FAFSA form, the College Goal Sunday program underlines the importance of a college education and provides some sense of hope to students who feel that money is the biggest barrier to a college education. The event is sponsored nationally by the Lumina Foundations, and is co-sponsored by the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel, the Missouri Department of Higher Education, the Missouri Higher Education Lending Authority, Mapping Your Future, and individual media outlets throughout the state. For questions about the event, please contact René Hill at 4500. |
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Western's New Website Makes it Easy for Prospective Students Last fall, 85 - 90 percent of prospective students who applied for admission at Western applied online, a 25 percent increase from two years ago. With those figures in mind, Western is continually working to make the online process easier and better, according to Tyson Schank, admissions communication and web coordinator. In fall 2006, the admissions office streamlined the admissions and financial aid application processes when they introduced ONE STOP, a website that combines the application for admission and the application for scholarships. Schank said the website is unique; most colleges and universities don’t offer all the functions and access on one site, as Western’s ONE STOP does. ONE STOP can be found at www.missouriwestern.edu/apply. Once students create a username and password, they can fill out an admission application and then track the status of their admissions file, seeing what materials they need to submit. For example, when Western receives a student’s high school transcript or financial aid information, a check mark will appear next to that line on the site. But there’s more. Students can also apply for scholarships, request letters of reference for scholarships (references reply to the email and the letters are included in the student application), submit essays for scholarships, access housing applications and forms, and access the Honors Program application, all at the one site. Schank said the scholarship application aspect of ONE STOP is the most popular, and what makes the site unique. Previously, prospective students were required to request scholarship applications from several departments or fill out several applications. Now, with a few exceptions, they fill out one application online. Students answer a short survey as part of the scholarship application, and their application is included in the scholarships where they meet the criteria. “Now, if they qualify for a scholarship, they will automatically be considered,” said Schank. Western received 700 more applications by Dec. 1, 2006 than they received by Dec. 1, 2005. Schank said that tells him prospective students like the easier process. Admissions and financial aid also recently added a Cost, Scholarship and Financial Aid Estimator on the ONE STOP website. Schank said only about 14 percent of colleges and universities offer the estimator tools on their website, but in a recent national survey, more than 80 percent of students said they would like to be able to complete financial aid estimator and tuition cost calculator forms online. When students input their information into the estimator, they can see a snapshot of their total cost, total financial aid (based on their estimates), automatic scholarships they would be awarded through Western, and additional loans for which they may be qualified. He said admissions also improved the format of its visit days for prospective students. Now called Open House Days, the format, which began in November, allows prospective students to choose which information sessions to attend. Thirteen 20-minute sessions are offered, and the visiting students choose up to four. He said many students and parents choose different sessions in order to maximize the amount of information they can get in one day. “They are designed to be an on-demand visit experience,” Schank said of the Open House Days. Prospective students are also given the opportunity to tour campus, eat in the cafeteria, and visit with representatives from academic departments. The next three open houses are scheduled for Feb. 3 and March 2. |
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Congratulations to the women's basketball team - 18-0! Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
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Deadline for Student Excellence Requests Applications for Student Excellence Funding are due no later than 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 26. The Student Excellence Fund is a source of financial assistance provided for Western students through the MWSU Foundation. Financial assistance is available for students to present at conferences, participate in activities that complement classroom learning, etc. For more information and application requirements see the Foundation's website at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/Foundation and click on Student Excellence Fund. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Weddle at 5647. New Scholarship for Online Class The city of Dearborn is offering book scholarships of $200 to students enrolling in CED 372-40 (CRN 21448) Introduction to City and Regional Planning. This is an online course covering the basic characteristics of the city and is ideal for student in pre-architecture, government, sociology, real estate business, geography and economics. This class will lead to an applied learning project for the city of Dearborn for those interested. Dr. Richard Anderson will be teaching the course. For more information, contact the Western Institute at 4100. Student Research Opportunity The Medical College of Wisconsin is asking for assistance in identifying undergraduate, graduate and medical students who are interested in completing an intense research project with medical faculty at their institution for the 2007 Multicultural Summer Research Training Program. Those selected would receive a monthly stipend, housing, lab expenses, round-trip fare to Wisconsin and an opportunity to work within the field of science and technology through research. Interested students must have at least a 3.0 GPA in science and math, be a U.S. citizen, completed at least on year of undergraduate study and be from one of the following multicultural groups: African American, Alaskan native, Native American, Mexican American, mainland Puerto Rican, other Hispanic or Pacific Islander. The application deadline is March 1. For more information, contact Tay Triggs at 4150 or ttriggs. Max Bus Trip to Emporia State As part of the Max Experience, Western athletics is once again putting together a bus trip, this time to the basketball doubleheader at Emporia State on Feb. 3. Students can register for the bus trip by logging on to www.gogriffons.com/maxexperience and filling out the registration form. If the first bus fills up, there will be another one made available. The trip includes transportation and a game ticket. For more information, contact athletics at 4481. Financial Aid Reminder NOW is the time to start thinking about financial aid for next year, and there are a few deadlines to remember. The first deadline to consider is March 1. That is the deadline to complete your FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid – for the fall 2007 and spring 2008 terms, and to apply for Western scholarships. You must complete your FAFSA to be considered for all sources of financial assistance that you may qualify for, including the Federal Stafford Loans. If you miss the March 1 FAFSA deadline, there are “$1,000 reasons” to complete your FAFSA by April 1, according to the financial aid office. A proposal in the Missouri Legislature could mean more than 2,000 more Western students could receive state aid next academic year if it passes. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the financial aid office at 4362 or stop by in Eder Hall 103. |
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Monday, January 22
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Thursday, January 25
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Lease apartment from Feb.1 until March 31. No deposit required. Only fish allowed. Three bedroom, two bath, cable ready. Close to Western. Rent $475 or negotiable for two months. Nice back yard and very quiet. Call Melissa 816-351-8353. For Sale: 1992 Chrysler Lebaron, $700. If interested contact Eric at 816-364-5761. Roommate wanted: two bedroom, one bath brand new apartment. Pay half the rent, $350, and half of the electric. Available now. Gym and exercise equipment onsite. Call Becky Cole at 785-741-4881 or email her at rlc9678 for more information. Roommate Wanted: Mature roommate needed to share three-bedroom house, minutes from Western and Belt Hwy. $300/month + utilities. Available immediately. Call 676-1545 or email rswope1. |
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Wanted: Your want ads! You
are welcome to submit ads to the Western ADvantage each week.
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