For the second consecutive year, Truman State University has earned the No. 2 spot in the Master’s University category of the annual Washington Monthly College Rankings.
Truman was again the No. 1 public school on the Master’s University list and is the only Missouri public institution in the entire top 100.
As is the case with several other publications, Truman has become a fixture in the Washington Monthly College Rankings, which are unique in that they are based primarily on civic engagement, research and social mobility. Schools receive high marks for contributing to society, enrolling low-income students, helping them graduate and keeping costs affordable.
“As a public university, I feel we have a duty to not only prepare our graduates, but also to instill in them the belief that they have the ability and the obligation to contribute to the greater good,” University President Troy D. Paino said. “It’s great to see a publication recognizing that important aspect of education, and the fact that Truman rates high on this list just reaffirms what we have been trying to accomplish here for years.”
Truman garnered additional praise in the overall introduction to this year’s rankings. In the “Hidden Gems” section, Washington Monthly editors noted that many universities across the country “serve as the workhorse institutions of American higher education, providing affordable degrees with strong ties to regional economies,” and specifically praised Truman for its graduation rates, affordable tuition and success at enrolling students in both the Peace Corps and the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).
Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine covering politics, government, culture and the media. The college guide and rankings appear in the magazine’s September/October issue. The complete 2015 rankings and feature stories can be found at washingtonmonthly.com/college-rankings.
For the 20th year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has named Truman State University as the No. 1 public university in the Midwest region.
This recognition comes from the newly released 2017 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. Truman also tied for the No. 8 spot overall in the Midwest region among both private and public institutions that provide a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs. Truman far outpaced the other Missouri public schools on the list, the closest of which was more than 50 spots lower.
“We are thrilled Truman’s dedication to an exceptional educational experience has resulted in this distinction for two decades,” University President Dr. Susan L. Thomas said. “We have proven time and again that student success is our highest priority and it is fantastic to be recognized for our culture of excellence. We are honored every time we achieve this recognition and it is something we never take for granted.”
High praise for Truman came in several supplemental categories. It was the only public school in the Midwest to earn a spot in the “A Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching” section, coming in tied for No. 2. Truman was the only Missouri school to be recognized in this area.
The University’s dedication to student research led to Truman’s inclusion in the “Programs to Look For” section in the category of “Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects.” Schools on the unranked list were cited as institutions where “students do intensive and self-directed research or creative work that results in an original or scholarly paper or project that can be formally presented on or off campus.”
Another appearance for Truman came on the “A-Plus Schools for B Students” list. Schools in this unranked category were acknowledged as institutions where such students “have a decent shot at being accepted and thriving” because “spirit and hard work could make all the difference to the admissions office.”
Truman also earned a spot on the “Best Colleges for Veterans” list, coming in as the No. 1 public school in the Midwest, No. 8 overall for the region. To qualify for this list, schools must participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program and have 20 or more students who used GI Bill benefits to finance their educations.
U.S. News & World Report bases its regional rankings on peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, graduation rate performance, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. Complete listings are available at usnews.com/colleges. Browse more rankings
The weather turned out to be perfect as President Troy Paino welcomed graduates, families, friends and members of the Truman community to Stokes Stadium to celebrate Truman State University’s Spring Commencement on May 9, 2015.
During the Commencement Ceremony, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon offered remarks for the graduates, and Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., an astronomer and president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, presented the Commencement address.
Consolmagno told graduates that life is making decisions based on inadequate data. “Our lives are the sum of our choices; the sum of the places where we put our faith,” said Consolmagno. “Whether your life leads you to working with Popes or Nobel Laureates or the poor, there is one thing you can believe — you can have faith in the things you learned here; you can have faith in the magic.”
Truman alumnus Joshua Johnston, a Hazelwood (Mo.) Central High School social studies teacher, who was selected as the honoree for the James and Margaret Mudd Teacher Recognition Scholarship, was also introduced during the ceremony. Earlier in the year, Truman’s spring graduates were invited to nominate high school teachers whom they felt made a significant impact on their lives as students, and a selection committee chose Johnston. A $1,000 scholarship will be given in his honor to an incoming Truman student from Hazelwood Central High School.
Near the end of the ceremony, Keith Epperson (’82), vice president of the Truman Alumni Association, instructed the graduates to turn the tassels on their caps signaling their transition from students to Truman’s newest alumni.
Earlier in the week, the Truman Alumni Association held its annual Graduation Picnic for all of Truman’s spring graduates. The Alumni Association also teamed up with Truman’s Graduate Studies Office to host a Graduate Studies Celebration and Social Hour.
Each year at the Graduation Picnic, the Truman Alumni Association presents the University’s most recent graduates with an “alumni” T-shirt to celebrate their new status as they join the group of nearly 60,000 alumni living around the world. The graduates are also invited to get involved with Truman’s regional alumni chapters and clubs which provide a network to bring together Truman alumni, friends and parents who live in a specific geographic region.
During the days leading up to the Commencement Ceremony and on Commencement Day, graduates took time to record this milestone event by taking photos around campus. Some of the most popular spots included the Campus Gates on the north edge of campus, the fountain in front of the Student Union Building, and the restored cupola from Kirk Memorial that now resides by the Ruth Towne Museum, which all provided the perfect backdrop for memorable photos.
Congratulations to all the graduates as they embark on the next part phase of their journey and continue to pursue lives that matter.
Students at Truman State University start preparing for their professional careers long before the tassels are turned at the Commencement ceremony.
Using resources ranging from internship opportunities, to Career and Grad School Expos, to guidance from faculty and staff, students at Truman State University start exploring their career options early on so they are well-equipped to make smart choices about their future. This strategy is paying off as placement statistics show 90 percent of Truman’s recent graduates have a job or were enrolled at graduate and professional schools within six months of graduation.
And many of Truman’s newest degree holders are discovering the valuable experience gained from high-impact learning opportunities, such as internships, can help secure a job before they collect their diplomas.
Prior to graduation day at Truman this past May, Gina Wang already knew she would be applying her Bachelor of Science in business administration working as a procurement agent for Boeing in Seattle, Wash. Wang began developing connections with Boeing during her first year at Truman when she participated in the Future Leaders in Thought and Experience (FLITE) program ― a partnership between Truman State University and Boeing that seeks to bring new, younger talent into Boeing through summer internships.
“I applied to the FLITE program and was accepted, and so began a three-year journey at Boeing that has eventually led to a job offering,” says Wang.
Andrew Gress, who came to Truman as a transfer student after graduating from a community college, also took advantage of internship opportunities to enhance his career experience. Through an internship at Enterprise Fleet Management, Gress not only learned how the business world works, the experience also confirmed he was on the right career path. Planning ahead for his career, Gress researched the list of companies that would be visiting campus for one of the Career and Grad School Expos hosted by the University’s Career Center.
“L.J. Hart and Company was one of these companies and speaking with representatives at their booth was practically an interview,” says Gress. “One representative was a fellow brother through the business organization on campus, Delta Sigma Pi, and she also provided me with great details about the company as well.”
Gress’ extra effort paid off when he secured the position of financial analyst with L.J. Hart and Company prior to receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in May.
Rachel Foster, another member of the Class of 2015, found that internships, combined with the right guidance and support, can make all the difference when it comes to advancing one’s career. Prior to earning her Bachelor of Arts in communication this spring, Foster accepted an offer to join the 2015 Teach for America Corps (TFA) and will be teaching first grade in Kansas City in the fall.
“Before my TFA endeavor, I had several really great internships with radio stations―I wouldn’t have had these internships without the help of Brandi in the Career Center and Dr. Kleine in the Communication Department,” says Foster.
While around half of Truman’s graduates enter the workforce, the other 50 percent choose to further their education, like Chelsea Rickman, who recently earned a Bachelor of Science in biology along with a minor in disability studies. After graduation, Rickman moved to Houston, Texas, to pursue a Master’s degree in genetic counseling at the University of Texas-Houston, and she plans to become a practicing genetic counselor in the next few years.
“I will truly miss Truman and all the opportunities, both academic and social, I experienced here,” says Rickman. “I’m so glad I chose to attend Truman, Bulldogs forever!”
Interested in recruiting bright students?
During the Career and Grad Expos held at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., each spring and fall, representative of various businesses, schools, and organizations come to campus to recruit Truman students for jobs and internships. For information about how you can participate in Truman State University’s Career and Grad School Expos, contact Polly Matteson, assistant director of the Career Center, pollym@truman.edu.
Truman State University announced today that the “pit” area located south of Pickler Memorial Library would be converted into a sanctuary for campus squirrels, thanks to a partnership between the school and a wildlife preservation organization.
The University was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the nonprofit Americans Promoting Recreational Fauna Outdoor Observational Living Spaces to convert the unused area. Wildlife experts awarded the grant to Truman citing the need to provide the animals a natural habitat, and noted that constant campus construction and student foot traffic can irrevocably harm the already fragile psyche of a squirrel.
“Squirrels are synonymous with Truman,” University President Troy Paino said. “Anyone who has ever visited our campus has probably had a positive encounter with one of our squirrels, and hopefully by creating this safe space, those encounters will continue for years to come.”
Alvin Scrat, the director of Americans Promoting Recreational Fauna Outdoor Observational Living Spaces, contacted representatives of the University in December after he learned of the acorn art project on campus.
“When we saw that, we felt it was obvious that Truman is a community with a deep spiritual connection to the local squirrels,” Scrat said. “Moving forward with the sanctuary in Kirksville makes logical sense.”
In addition to the creation of the sanctuary, the grant also allocates funding for research on the squirrels. While the pit made for a natural site selection, its proximity to the library offers other potential opportunities.
“Not unlike our students, our squirrels are highly intelligent,” Paino said. “The researchers tell me that squirrels can be trained, and we are exploring potential work-study options for them.”
Researchers are confident within five years the squirrels could be implemented to aid the Pickler Memorial Library staff and possibly even run the library’s Starbucks.
In light of Truman’s new affiliation, Paino said he would launch exploratory committees to gauge student and alumni interest in changing the mascot from a bulldog to a squirrel. Any announcement regarding that decision is not expected to be made before April 1, 2017, which Paino noted is April Fools’ Day.
Pete Kelly, professor of education and chair of the Department of Education, inspired approximately 70 faculty, staff, students and alumni to participate in the Kirksville Buddy Walk where $2,700 was raised to help feed school children in Kirksville on weekends and holidays!
Jim White, whose story inspired the movie McFarland, USA, will kick off the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series 2015-2016 season. Jim White, known affectionately by the locals as “Blanco,” is considered a legend in McFarland
During his 20 years as the cross-country coach, he not only won an unprecedented nine state championships, but he managed to transform his community by training the young men on his team, mainly children of immigrant field workers, to run fast, work hard and dream of bigger things than picking almonds and avocados. Thanks to White, dozens of his runners have ended up going to college or into the armed forces.
White’s talk is being co-sponsored by the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series, the Multicultural Affairs Center and Ekklesia.
MOVIE: “McFarland USA” The movie “McFarland” will be shown following White’s presentation in Baldwin Auditorium. The screening is sponsored by the School of Social and Cultural Studies in conjunction with the Communication Department and the Athletics Department.
The foundation was selected as the nonprofit of choice by Preferred Family Healthcare of Kirksville after the organization received the 2015 “Excellence in Addictions Treatment Innovation Award” at a recent conference of the National Council for Behavioral Health.
The prestigious award recognizes behavioral health organizations for excellence in delivering treatment and support in the community to persons with mental illnesses and addiction disorders. It also honors passionate, committed and outstanding behavioral health leaders. Part of the award included the opportunity to contribute $10,000 to a nonprofit of the recipient’s choice.
The $10,000 grant will be added to the endowment of the Preferred Family Healthcare Scholarship at the Truman State University Foundation. The scholarship, established in 2004, provides support to Truman students who are psychology majors, residents of Missouri, are in good academic standing and have compiled a record of service to community and civic organizations. Preference is given to employees or dependents of employees of Preferred Family Healthcare.
The grant will boost the endowment value of the Preferred Family Healthcare Scholarship to more than $85,000. Since its origination, a total of $9,200 has been awarded to 14 students from the fund.
Michael Schwend, president and chief executive officer of Preferred Family Healthcare, presents a check for $10,000 to Truman State University President Troy Paino (left). The donation will support the Preferred Family Healthcare Scholarship, which is awarded to Truman students through the Truman State University Foundation.
Construction projects taking place this summer on the Truman campus:
McClain Hall/Student Union Mall Replacement Construction has begun and will continue through mid-August. The bricks will be replaced and new seating, lighting and landscaping will be included in this project.
Pickler Library Window Replacements Construction will begin in mid-May with equipment working on the east side of the Library. Access to the Library will be maintained during construction.
Recreation Center Roof Replacement Construction will begin mid-May.
Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement Major work will occur on the walk at the east side of Pershing from late May through June. Sidewalk replacement near the Library Bell Tower will occur in July.
Missouri Hall Masonry Repairs Construction has begun on this project with the completion scheduled for early August.
