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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:
A Look
Ahead
Western Freshman Retention Up
Significantly
Gov.
Nixon Announces Veterinary Project
Chiefs Have $20 Million Impact on
Community
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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 207).
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 271-4124.
Student Editor:
Jenna Haecker
Staff Adviser:
Kent Heier
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Week of Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2010 |
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A
Look Ahead
Friday, Oct. 29
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Pink Week:
Griffon Volleyball vs. Southwest Baptist University, 7 p.m., Looney
Complex
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For the second time this season the Western
volleyball team was able to defeat the Pittsburg State Gorillas in five
sets (25-23, 25-17, 20-25, 13-25 and 15-12). For the first time since
1999 the Griffons were able to come away with the regular season sweep
over the Gorillas. Western improves to 11-12 overall and 7-7 in MIAA
action.
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Griffon Sports Insider Broadcast Times, 7:30 p.m., Channel 39
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Griffon Sports Insider Broadcast Times, 10:30
p.m., Channel 3
Saturday, Oct. 30
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Griffon Sports Insider Broadcast Times, noon, Channel 3
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Griffon Sports Insider Broadcast Times, 1:30 p.m., Channel 20
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Pink Week: Griffon Football vs. Emporia State
University, 1:30 p.m., Spratt Stadium
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Star Trek Live: Starfleet Academy, 2 p.m.,
Missouri Theater, 717 Edmond St.
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The Western Activities
Council is providing free tickets for Western students.
Tickets are available in the Center for Student
Engagement, Blum 207. CSE office hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday
through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. A student ID is
required. Tickets are limited to one per student and must be picked up
in person.
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Congratulations to the winners from the free
Star Trek vouchers: Mark Ellis, Martha Greer and Cathy Everett!
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Pink Week: Griffon Volleyball vs. Missouri Southern
State University, 7 p.m., Looney Complex
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Griffon Soccer vs. Missouri Southern State University,
7 p.m., at Joplin, Mo.
Sunday, Oct. 31
Monday, Nov. 1
- Missouri Western State University Democrats Club, 7 p.m., Spratt
Hall, Room 205
- All students are welcome to attend the first meeting of the
Democrats Club. We will be discussing events,
activities, ect. We have also picked our officers. For more
information please email Matthew Hunt, president, at mhunt8@missouriwestern.edu
or Amanda Johnson, vice-president, at
ajohnson44@missouriwestern.edu.
- Guest artist recital - Dorian Leijak, 7:30 p.m., Kemper Recital Hall
inside Leah Spratt Hall
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Dr. Dorian Leljak
is Professor of Piano at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Academy of
Fine Arts in Belgrade (Serbia) and also teaches at the Royal College
of Music in London. General admission is $7. Seniors and Western
students and employees are $5 with ID. Kids 12 and under and students
enrolled in music courses at Western are free.
- Application deadline for spring graduates
- The Registrar's Office would like to remind
all students who are planning on graduating this Spring with a
certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or master's degree to turn in
their graduation application. Applications are available in the
Registrar's Office, Eder 102 or online at
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/Registrar/candidate.html.
Tuesday, Nov. 2
Wednesday, Nov. 3
Thursday, Nov. 4
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Newt Gingrich speech broadcast on MWTV, noon
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Downtown Noon Concert Series, MWSU Choirs,
12:10 p.m., First Presbyterian Church
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Open House for
Autism, TESOL graduate programs, 3-5:30 p.m., KC Northland Campus
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Griffon Soccer vs. Emporia State University, 7
p.m., Spratt Stadium
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"Laughter on the 23rd Floor" by Neil Simon, 7 p.m., Potter Hall
Theater
- “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is a screamingly funny Broadway hit
about a team of comedy writers in television’s Golden Age. Tickets can be reserved now at
www.missouriwestern.edu/tickets or call the Box Office at
816-271-5923. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors. Western
faculty, staff and students are free. The Box Office will open one
hour prior to the show and the theatre will open a half hour prior to
the show.
Friday, Nov. 5
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Griffon Volleyball vs. University of
Nebraska-Omaha, 7 p.m., at Omaha, Neb.
- Men's Basketball vs. Livin' the Dream-Exhibition, 7 p.m., Looney
Complex
- The Missouri Western men’s basketball team was tabbed sixth in the
MIAA preseason Coaches Poll and fifth in the Media Poll.
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"Laughter on the 23rd Floor" by Neil Simon, 7
p.m., Potter Hall Theater
Saturday, Nov. 6
- Hitting and Fielding Camp, Griffon Indoor Sports Complex
- The Missouri Western softball program will be holding a hitting
and fielding camp with two sessions.
The first session will be for players from ages 12 and under and will
run from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.The second session will be for players ages 13
and older and will run from 2 - 6 p.m. Each player will be taught how
to detect common flaws in their hitting and fielding mechanics. This
camp will provide each player with a challenging intense, and fun
experience. T-shirts will be handed out at the conclusion of each
session. Each player will need a personal bat, tennis shoes, batting
helmet and balls. The cost of the camp is $75.00 per session. Please
contact Amy Beverly, assistant coach, at 816-271-4256 or amb3874@missouriwestern.edu
for more information or to reserve your sport. A spot must be reserved
by Oct. 29 to ensure a t-shirt order. Numbers are limited.
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Griffon Soccer vs. Truman State University, 2 p.m., Spratt Stadium
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Griffon Football vs. University of Nebraska-Omaha, 1 p.m., at Omaha, Neb.
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Griffon Volleyball vs. University of Central Missouri, 6:30 p.m., at
Warrensburg, Mo.
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Women's Basketball vs. Benedictine College-Exhibition, 7 p.m., Looney
Complex
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"Laughter on the 23rd Floor" by Neil Simon, 7 p.m., Potter Hall Theater
Sunday, Nov. 7
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More Freshmen Return |
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Western Freshman
Retention Up Significantly; Rate Compares to More Selective
Institutions
More than 70 percent of freshmen who
entered college for the first time as full-time students at Western
in fall 2009 returned this fall, a freshman retention rate that
compares favorably to moderately selective institutions in Missouri
and represents a dramatic increase over the last five years.
Western’s fall 2009 freshman retention rate is 72 percent, an
increase from 66.3 percent a year ago and up from 56.7 percent in
fall 2005.
“I’ve
never seen such a significant shift in the retention rate,” said
President Vartabedian. “For an open enrollment institution to retain
72 percent of first-time full-time students is remarkable. Credit
must go to our faculty and staff for putting in the hard work
necessary to give students the opportunity to succeed, and to our
students for their own hard work in seizing that opportunity.”
For
comparison, the fall 2008 retention rate (the most recent year
available) for Missouri’s other open enrollment four-year
institutions were 45 percent at Harris-Stowe State University in St.
Louis and 52 percent at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
Western’s rate is more similar to that of the state’s moderately
selective institutions: the University of Central Missouri at 73
percent, Northwest Missouri State at 72 percent, Missouri Southern
State University at 66 percent, and Southeast Missouri State
University at 74 percent.
The
growth in retention is the result of deliberate action, including a
retention plan drafted with the help of higher education consulting
firm Noel-Levitz, said Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost and vice
president for academic affairs.
“We
know that students who attend class and live on campus are more
likely to be successful students, so we established institutional
attendance policies and a freshman residency requirement,” Dr.
Daffron said. “In addition, our intensive advising process requires
students to meet with their advisors regularly, not just to sign up
for next semester’s classes but to review their current progress and
make sure students are getting the help they need.”
The
effort cuts across institutional divisions, President Vartabedian
said, involving faculty and staff from nearly every department.
“I
believe that Western has taken a proactive approach to not only
ensuring access, but also supporting student success through its
retention efforts,” said Dr. Esther Perález, vice president for
student affairs. “More importantly, it has been a university-wide
initiative that includes administrators, faculty and staff who
provide opportunities to a diverse student population to address
their varied needs. We will continue to make retention a high
priority so students can reach their goal of graduation.”
Increasing the retention rate by more than 15 percent in just a few
years is a “remarkable accomplishment,” said Timothy Culver, Noel-Lovitz
vice president.
“There
is no question that Western is a true leader in student retention,
working tirelessly to create programs and services to help students
complete their educational goals,” Culver said.
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USDA
Announces Veterinary Project at Western |
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| US Department of Agriculture Deputy
Undersecretary Cheryl Cook (left), Gov. Jay Nixon and other officials
visited the Bond Science and Technology Incubator to announce a
$500,000 grant to create a business plan and pilot program for
training large-animal veterinarians and veterinary technicians. The
project may lead to a national food animal veterinary institute in St.
Joseph. |
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Gov. Nixon Announces Veterinary Initiative
Gov. Jay Nixon came to Western in the heart of
the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor Oct. 29 to announce an agreement
that he said is the first step to addressing a nationwide demand for more
large-animal veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
“We’re excited to play a role in this new
partnership,” President Vartabedian said in welcoming Gov. Nixon to the
Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Science and Technology Incubator, the governor’s
second visit to Western in 10 days. “We look forward to helping plan this
venture.”
With more than 200 animal health companies,
the Animal Health Corridor encompassing the Kansas City-St. Joseph area
leads the world in animal health science.
The cooperative agreement between the Missouri
Department of Agriculture and USDA Rural Development includes a $500,000
grant to the state to create a business plan and pilot program for
training animal health professionals. The Department will bring together
many of the top experts in animal health science, both from within the
Corridor and from other parts of Missouri and other states, to develop a
plan to produce more professionals in large-animal health.
“There’s an estimated shortage of 1,500
large-animal veterinarians nationwide - professionals who are vital to a
reliable food supply, disease control and animal health in this country,”
Gov. Nixon said. “This agreement and grant are helping us move forward to
address that shortage, in consultation with the best minds in animal
health from the academic and business worlds. The Kansas City Animal
Health Corridor is the ideal location for launching this landmark approach
on an issue of such importance.”
The pilot program would include additional
training and specialization for animal health professionals who already
have gone through primary training programs, including veterinary school
or veterinary technician programs, to prepare those professionals to fill
the shortage in the food animal industry. The pilot program could lead to
the establishment of a national food animal veterinary institute within
the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor.
“At a time when we are focused on training
Missourians for careers that will stay in demand, this program can help us
produce professionals who are greatly needed,” Gov. Nixon said.
The Governor was joined for the announcement by
Missouri Agriculture Director Dr. Jon Hagler; Dr. Michael Strain,
Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, a
partner in the agreement; Cheryl Cook, Deputy Under Secretary for USDA
Rural Development; Anita J. (Janie) Dunning, Missouri State Director for
USDA Rural Development; George Heidgerken, president and CEO of Boehringer
Ingelheim Vetmedica, and chairman of the Kansas City Animal Health
Corridor; Dr. Neil Olson, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at
the University of Missouri; Dr. David Hardin, head of the School of
Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln; and President
Vartabedian.
“Rural America has been facing a food animal
veterinarian shortage for far too long,” said Commissioner Strain, who
developed the concept for the Institute with Director Hagler at a meeting
of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in
February. “This Institute will begin the process of addressing America's
food animal veterinarian needs.”
“Offering post-doctoral and veterinary
technician education focused on food animals will be a benefit to the
workforce in the corridor,” Mr. Heidgerken said. “This Institute will be a
tremendous step forward in addressing the corridor's existing and future
workforce needs.”
“I am pleased to be part of the working group
for this exciting project,” Dr. Olson said. “We are looking forward to
formulating comprehensive options for addressing the shortage of food
animal veterinarians and veterinary technicians.”
“We are proud to be involved in this project to
ensure an adequate supply of veterinarians for the future needs of animals
and agriculture,” said Dr. Fenton Lipscomb, president of the Louisiana
Veterinary Medical Association. “Ensuring that agriculture can meet the
needs of supplying food and fiber to future generations is a major
requirement of our time.”
“I congratulate the partnership of the National
Food Animal Veterinary Institute and look forward to seeing them develop a
business plan, establish a pilot project advisory board, design a training
plan and identify opportunities for participation in a veterinary
fellowship program,” Ms. Cook said. “Your dedication and commitment to
this program has great potential to address the shortages of large-animal
veterinarians for the future.”
“I am truly excited about the NFAVI partnership and optimistic
the Rural Development $500,000 Cooperative Agreement investment will reap
big dividends in addressing the shortage of large animal veterinarians,”
Ms. Dunning said. “Missouri Rural Development looks forward in being a key
partner during the formation, funding and implementation of this
Institute.”
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Happy Halloween |
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| Trick-or-treaters from Y
Kid's World could have been excused for being a little confused as
they were greeted by Mrs. Claus in the registrar's office (left). The
theme for the office's Halloween costumes was holidays (center),
including a New Year's Eve partier, a leprechaun, the Easter Bunny, a
pilgrim and Mrs. Claus, while Jason from Halloween appears ready to
carve the Thanksgiving turkey. Meanwhile, in the admissions office,
the theme was "Western Round Up" with cowboy hats and denim galore. |
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Chiefs Camp Economic Impact Exceeds $20 Million
The construction of facilities at Western to hold the summer training camp
of the Kansas City Chiefs and the three-week camp itself together had an
economic impact of more than $20 million on the St. Joseph region,
according to the preliminary results of a study commissioned by the MWSU
Foundation.
“We believe this study is a very conservative
estimate of the positive impact the Chiefs camp had on the community,”
said Dan Nicoson, vice president for university advancement and executive
director of the MWSU Foundation. “We’re glad that the community that was
so supportive of the camp benefited from that support.”
The study conducted by Dr. Patrick McMurry, professor
of economics at Western, concludes that out-of-town visitors accounted for
about half of the estimated 60,000 fans who attended the three weeks of
camp. Those visitors stayed in town an average of 1.8 days, spending
between $375,285 and $813,118. Based on a multiplier of 1.49 (an attempt
to measure the indirect effects of that spending), there was an estimated
total impact of $559,175 to $1,211,547 during the camp.
“Based on my experience, I believe the actual numbers
were near the high end of those ranges,” Dr. McMurry said. “In addition, I
believe the multiplier is somewhat conservative, and my report doesn’t yet
include wages paid to workers at the camp, nor does it include the
spending done by players and coaches in the community. It’s possible the
economic impact will be revised upwards.”
Dr. McMurry identified visitors from at least 28
states and three foreign countries who attended the camp. The majority of
visitors were from the Kansas City metropolitan area.
In addition to the three weeks of camp, Dr. McMurry’s
study considers the impact of the construction phase. The economic impact
of the $13.5 million spent to build the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex and
other improvements necessary to host the camp was an estimated
$20,115,000.
Adding the construction phase and the camp together
yields a total economic impact of $20,674,175 to $21,326,547. But the
impact of being the summer home of an NFL team goes beyond the dollars and
cents measured in the study, Nicoson said.
“The volume of media coverage and the overwhelmingly positive
nature of that coverage exceeded our expectations,” Nicoson said. “That
kind of visibility for St. Joseph and Western may well mean more tourism
for the community, a greater attractiveness to prospective employers and
employees, and an increase in enrollment for the university.”
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Wanted: Your want ads!
You
are welcome to submit ads to the Western ADvantage each week.
To be fair to everyone, please follow these guidelines for
submission. Only ads from campus constituents are accepted.
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Ads for
non-campus organizations or professional businesses will not be printed.
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Ads can cover
items wanted, items to be sold, garage sales, etc.
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Ads may be
edited for length, style or content. The staff reserves the right to
evaluate the appropriateness of ads for inclusion.
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Ads received by
4:30 p.m. on Tuesday will be included in that Monday's publication. Ads
received after the deadline will be included in the next edition.
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automatically run for a two-week period. Extensions are granted by
resubmitting the ad.
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Ads will only
be accepted by email, fax and campus mail. Please send submissions by
email to
publicrelations@missouriwestern.edu; by fax to 4414 or by mail to
Tower Topics, , Leah Spratt Hall,
Public Relations and Marketing office,
Room 207.
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