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Week of October 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 Adds Two More Graduate Programs Western to Host Trick-or-Treat off the Street 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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14th Annual Convocation on Critical Issues Final preparations are underway for the 14th annual Convocation on Critical Issues at Western featuring veteran news correspondent Sam Donaldson. Donaldson will speak on leadership at the Convocation at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 23 in the M.O. Looney Complex arena. The event is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. Donaldson will also speak at a dinner Oct. 22. “Sam Donaldson is a student of history as well as a veteran journalist on the national political scene. He will share his great insight about the qualities possessed by our national leaders over the years,” said Dan Nicoson, vice president of university advancement. “We are pleased to be bringing Sam Donaldson to Western,” Nicoson added. “His presentation will continue the tradition of bringing nationally prominent speakers to our regional community for Western’s annual Convocation on Critical Issues.” Western inaugurated the Convocation program in 1993 in honor of Dan Boulware as part of an overall commitment to offer enriching experiences to students, while bringing together the university and community. Past speakers have included Bill Bradley, Steve Forbes, David Gergen, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Jerry Linenger, David McCullough, Dr. Joseph Nye, Colin Powell, Arthur Schlesinger Jr, Daniel Schorr, Patricia Schroeder, J.C. Watts, and Bob Woodward. For more information about the Convocation, call 816-271-5646. Since joining ABC News in 1967 as Capitol Hill correspondent, Donaldson has covered many major news stories, including the Vietnam War, Watergate, the House Judiciary Committee impeachment investigation in 1974, and the Gulf war in 1991. He has covered every national political convention since 1964 with the exception of the 1992 Republican Convention in Houston. Donaldson served two appointments as chief White House correspondent for ABC News from January 1998 to August 1999 and from 1977 to 1989, covering Presidents Carter, Reagan and Clinton. He also co-anchored, with Diane Sawyer, “PrimeTime Live” from August 1989, until it merged with “20/20” in 1999. He co-anchored the ABC News Sunday morning broadcast, “This Week with Sam Donaldson & Cokie Roberts,” and hosted the three-hour “The Sam Donaldson Show - Live In America,” a daily news/talk radio program broadcast on ABC News Radio affiliates across the country. Currently Donaldson is appearing on “ABC News Now,” the ABC News digital network. His daily half-hour show “Politics Live” is an unscripted dialogue with numerous guests and commentators discussing the top political news stories of the day. From 1999 to 2001, Donaldson also hosted SamDonaldson@abcnews.com, the first regularly scheduled Internet Webcast produced by a television network. He also anchored “World News Sunday” for 10 years and was a regular interviewer on “This Week with David Brinkley. In 1998, Donaldson received the Broadcaster of the Year award from the National Press Foundation. The Washington Journalism Review named him the Best Television White House Correspondent in the Business in 1985 and the Best Television Correspondent in the Business in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. Donaldson has won many other awards, among them four Emmy Awards and three George Foster Peabody Awards. His 1987 autobiography, “Hold On, Mr. President,” was an international best seller. |
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Western Adds Two More Graduate Degrees CBHE Approves Master's Programs The Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education has approved the addition of two new graduate programs at Western . Western will offer the Master of Applied Science (MAS) in Assessment and the Master of Applied Arts (MAA) beginning in the fall of 2008. “These programs further Western’s commitment to its statewide mission of applied learning,” said Dr. Joseph Bragin, provost and vice president for academic and student affairs. “Western’s professional master’s degrees deliver learning that is directly relevant to the region’s workforce needs.” Such training is critical to attracting and retaining well-paid jobs, Dr. Bragin added. Each degree program will include two options. The options in the MAA program will be integrated media and convergent media. “Students will go beyond their primary areas of study in art, film, music and journalism as they explore digital media,” said Dr. Jeanne Daffron, interim graduate dean. The MAA program will prepare students for jobs in the rapidly growing Internet design and development industry and the changing world of journalism. “Journalists don’t just work in one medium anymore,” Dr. Daffron said. “They deliver news in a variety of formats, and our program will better prepare them to do just that.” For the MAS in Assessment, the options will be learning improvement and writing. “The options will give educators and literacy professionals better tools to assess student learning,” said Dr. Daffron. “They can make data-driven decisions in the classroom and at the building and school district levels.” Other options may be added in the future to address assessment in other professional fields, such as nonprofits and health care, Dr. Daffron said. Western began offering its first graduate degree classes this fall. More than 40 students are enrolled in one of three Master of Applied Science options: chemistry, human factors and usability testing, and information technology management. All of Western’s graduate programs are inter-disciplinary. “Each of our master’s degrees requires a core of professional courses that develop a broader range of skills in students than traditional programs,” Dr. Daffron said. “Employers value those skills.” Each program is unique in the state. Western may add more graduate degrees in the future, Dr. Daffron said. “The University has a plan to develop graduate education needed by our region and we are pursuing that plan thoughtfully and deliberatively.” |
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Western to Host Trick-or-Treat off the Street The Western Residence Council will once again offer the annual Trick-or-Treat off the Street to local elementary students. From 5-8 p.m. Oct. 30, children can trick-or-treat their way through the residence halls, while stocking up on candy in a safe and friendly environment. Trick-or-treating begins in the Commons Building, which will also offer games and activities. “In the past, this event has been very popular with campus employees and their small children,” said Jen Kacere, Residence Council advisor. “This year we hope to get more community parents and trick-or-treaters involved.” For more information, contact Kacere at 7102. |
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Soccer
Volleyball
Football
Women's Golf
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First Thursday Noontime Concert The Western department of music, in cooperation with the First Presbyterian Church, will hold the monthly First Thursday Noontime Concert Series at 12:10 p.m. Nov. 1 at the First Presbyterian Church, 7th and Jules. The MWSU Concert Chorale, directed by Frank Thomas, will be featured. The community is invited to bring lunch and eat while listening to the performance in the sanctuary of the church. The event will last approximately 35 minutes, and there will be an opportunity to meet the performers after the concert. A minimum donation of $3 per person is suggested in order to meet the expenses and provide continuation of the series. Western Wednesdays Western faculty and staff are invited to join alumni on the fourth Wednesday of each month for Western Wednesdays. This month, we will meet at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at Manchester's. Live in the Kansas City area? Join the Kansas City Alumni chapter at Tom Fooleries in Zona Rosa at 6:30 p.m. Maybe you live in Columbia? Visit with alumni at Forge And Vine Grill at 5:30 p.m. Live in St. Louis? Alumni will be at Schlafly Brewery in Maplewood at 6 p.m. Locations will change month to month, but everyone is always welcome. Attention Women of Western The Gem Society is an organization whose mission is to get women of influence more involved with our women's athletics program. The main focus is women inspiring women. This group will be a fun and interactive way for females to celebrate, mentor and inspire each other. Lunch will be served at noon Oct. 23 in Blum 218-219. Cost is $15 per person. Call 4481 to RSVP or for more information. 2007 Wellness Screening It's time again for the 2007 Wellness Screening. From 6-10:30 a.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, all Western employees, their spouses and retirees can come to the Enright Room, Leah Spratt 214/216, for a wellness screening. Information and service elements include educational material, measurement of sit and reach, waste/hip ratio, blood pressure, height and weight along with other various lab tests. Lab tests include cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, glucose, hemoglobin and PSA. Flu shots will be available on a first-come first-serve basis. The screening is free to those covered by Western's insurance plan. For those not covered, cost is $20. Men wanting the PSA test will have a $24 fee to cover the cost of the lab fee. Other services such as osteoporosis screenings and massages are available also. Interested participants must register online at www.missouriwestern.edu/wellness. For more information contact Cristi Camplbell at ccampbell. Employee Award Reception A reception honoring the recipients of the Governor's Distinguished Professor Awards, Outstanding Staff Awards and Outstanding Administrator Awards will be held from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 29 in Blum 218-219. Congratulations to all the faculty, staff and administrators chosen to receive these awards. They are outstanding examples of the dedication of Western's employees to their work and to our mission and values as a public university. National Nontrad Student Week The National Association of Nontraditional Students in Higher Education has declared Nov. 5-9 as "National Nontraditional Student Week." Western will hold a reception from 3-4 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Spratt Hall Atrium. Take a moment to nominate a currently enrolled nontraditional student you believe should be recognized for either academic achievement or outstanding service to the campus. At the reception these students will receive a certificate and a much deserved salute. Families are invited to attend, as well as all campus employees. Refreshment will be served. In your nomination, please include the student's name, address and a paragraph about what that student has done to earn special recognition. You may nominate more than one student. Deadline is Nov. 1.
Important Pre-registration News Advisement for the Spring 2008
semester begins Oct. 31. Please contact your advisor or the department
concerning sign-up opportunities for advisement. When you meet with your
advisor you will be given an Alternate PIN. You will use this 4-digit
number to access registration through My Western self-service page and
enroll in classes. |
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Monday, October 22
Tuesday, October 23
Wednesday, October 24
Thursday, October 25
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