UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE 2012
FEBRUARY 16, 2012
A DAY OF PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
GROWTH AND ENRICHMENT
Please register for the sessions you want to attend by clicking on the session title. Sessions with insufficient attendance on February 10 may be cancelled.
If you plan to attend lunch, please click here and add your name to the list so that we can provide Food Service with the number for lunch.
8:30 am Beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate) available in Magruder Hall Lobby
8:45 am to 8:55 am Opening Remarks (Magruder Hall 2001
9 am to 10:25 am Critical Thinking Rubrics (Conference Room, Student Union)
The Higher Order Thinking Committee suggested to Undergraduate Council that Truman adopt a common rubric for talking about and evaluating critical thinking. The committee suggested the University explore two rubrics: one prepared by the AAC&U and one prepared by Washington State University. In this session, we will explore the two different rubrics by applying them to selected student works.
Participant Preparation Expectations: Review the rubrics:
- Association of American Colleges and Universities Critical Thinking VALUE Rubric; and
- Washington State University Guide to Rating Critical and Integrative Thinking
- [Both in HOTS Report, Appendix 4: pp. 17-26] http://ugc.truman.edu/materials/HOTSrevised8-16-11.pdf
- Liberal Arts and Sciences Portfolio Writing and Critical Thinking Rubric [for comparison] http://portfolio.truman.edu/Descriptors/RubricforAnalyticalWritingAssessment.pdf
B. Read Source Materials for WSU and AACU Critical Thinking Projects [8 pages]:
- AACU VALUE: Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education [read Overview, Project Description, Project Outcomes] http://www.aacu.org/value
- Washington State University Critical Thinking Project [Read Project History, Report Findings, Faculty Adaptations, Instructor Responses, Q and A] http://wsuctproject.wsu.edu/rf.htm
Facilitators: Royce Kallerud, Talie Alexander
Conference Track: Critical Thinking
9 am to 9:55 am Information Security Awareness (Magruder Hall 1096)
With ongoing threats to our nation's peace, our students in school and our identities, it is vital that we do all we can to prevent threats. Being aware is the first step to protecting ourselves and those around us. We will discuss protecting our computers, our network, our data, and our own personal information. Taking the proper steps with information security will make it harder for malicious threats to affect us.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Tim Mills
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
9 am to 9:55 am Creativity (McClain Hall 211)
The University lists "creativity" in several places in its guiding documents, but multiple definitions and varied interpretations confuse the issue. The Commission on Undergraduate Curriculum asked for more study and clarification into the issue, and the Portfolio Project was tasked with this follow-up investigation. The "Creative Work and Reflection" rotating portfolio prompt collected over 1500 submissions, and we have found some interesting results, both in terms of what students chose to submit, how they wrote, and how the faculty scored submissions.
While this session will include some discussion of these results, the primary focus will be on continuing a conversation about Creativity. If it is so important to learning, can we come to a more common definition and understanding? We will also explore the idea of "convergent thinking" as an alternate phrase. We may also discuss techniques for integrating creativity into classes that may not obviously lend themselves to it.
Facilitators: Scott Alberts
Conference Track: Professional Development
9 am to 9:55 am FERPA 101 (Magruder Hall 1098)
Ever wanted to know why you can't just post a student's grade outside your office door or how to respond to a parent when they tell you they are footing the bills so they SHOULD be able to get information on their student's grades? Come see how we can make FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) fun! Kim Titus, Assistant Registrar and Maggie Herron, Registrar, will present valuable information and allow for questions!
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Maggie Herron, Kim Titus
Conference Track: Professional Development
9 am to 9:55 am Using Wordpress to Easily Update Your Web Presence (Magruder Hall 2001) Room changed to allow larger audience.
Wordpress is an Open-source blogging and content management system used by millions of sites around the web. IT Services has recently made Wordpress available to the University community for a variety of different uses including Department blogs, student organization websites, and personal faculty websites. Come learn (or review) how to create and manage your content with Wordpress.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Greg Marshall
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
9 am to 9:55 am Audience Response Systems -- Improve Interactivity in Meetings and the Classroom (Violette Hall 1232)
Audience Response Systems (ARSs) are an increasingly popular tool in higher education for promoting interactivity, gathering feedback, pre-assessing knowledge, and assessing students' understanding of lecture concepts. ARSs are used for a variety of reasons, including collecting data and engaging the audience in a presentation. Some ARSs involve the use of clickers, while others involve the use of a personal cell phone. In this session, we will demonstrate how ARSs work using mobile phones and how faculty and staff can effectively use ARSs in meetings and in the classroom.
Participant Preparation Expectations: Participants are welcome to bring their cell phones to this presentation to join an ARS demonstration.
Facilitators: Susan Thomas
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
9 am to 9:25 am Administrative Support for Wellness on Campus (Magruder Hall 1099)
The President's Committee for Campus Well-Being sent out surveys regarding wellness on campus last year to employees and to the administrators at Truman. The first part of this session will provide the results of these surveys. These results will be used as a starting point for the rest of the session which will include discussion and brainstorming about promoting wellness on campus to improve employee wellness and productivity. Specifically discussion will focus on how to change the work environment or office culture to promote wellness without invading employee privacy.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Jennifer Hurst, Evonne Bird, Christina Davis
Conference Track: Wellness
9 am to 9:55 am Finding Your Balance: Stress and Anxiety Mangement for Students (Alumni Room, Student Union)
A knee-slapping good time! An interactive presentation on stress and anxiety management brought to you by the Student Success Center. Statistics, tips, and tricks on dealing with everyday struggles of being a college student, presented by stressed-out college students. Giveaways! Free!
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Amanda Kliethermes, Ariel Koewing
Conference Track: Wellness
9:30 am to 10:25 am Helping students Stay on Track: Using Online Advising Tools (Pickler Memorial Library 103)
A hands on tour of new online advising resources. Session leaders Ted Frushour and Wynona Murphy will take you through DegreeWorks, our online system for auditing degrees and planning future semesters, and introduce the Advisee Tracking Maintenance system, a paperless record-keeping system for use with your advisees. Attend this session if you want your meetings with advisees to be more organized and effective.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Ted Frushour, Wynona Murphy
Conference Track: Advising
9:30 am to 10:25 am Grantsmanship at Truman (Magruder Hall 1094)
Thinking about applying for a grant? Not sure where to begin? Come and hear about the various types of grant funding available as well as how to start looking for it. Also learn about the proposal preparation resources that are available to you through Truman’s Grants Office. Need help preparing a budget, editing your narrative, or wading through the other required paperwork? Find out how to get the assistance you need to successfully submit a grant proposal. Bring all of your grant-related questions for a Q&A.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Kris McKim
Conference Track: Faculty Scholarship
9:30 am to 10:25 am What to Do When You Are Concerned About a Student: Addressing Student Behavior in the Classroom and Beyond (Magruder Hall 1000)
The increase in the number and severity of mental health problems on college campuses have been well documented. Research with Truman students has confirmed that we are not immune to these issues and, in some cases, are at an increased risk. Following the shootings at Virginia Tech, the expectations of college campuses to identify and intervene with students in distress have increased. This session will address campus resources established by Student Affairs to assist students who are demonstrating behaviors of concern. This program will also help participants prevent, recognize, and respond to problem behavior in the classroom, work place, and beyond.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Beth Kral, Lou Ann Gilchrist
Conference Track: Professional Development
10 am to 10:25 am Truman's Data Warehouse: A demonstration (Magruder Hall 2001) Room changed to allow larger audience.
For a few years, we have been working on developing a data warehouse where faculty and staff can access assessment data and link it to other academic data. The data warehouse also will provide departments easier access to data for program reviews. Come see a demonstration of our progress.
Facilitators: Marty Eisenberg
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
10 am to 10:25 am Overview of MS Office 2010 and Free Online Resources for Assistance (Magruder Hall 1096)
General overview of Microsoft Office 2010 and changes from 2007. We will discuss Self-Help resources for personal development using online resources such as Safari Books Online, Microsoft tutorials, and Google.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Tim Mills
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
10:35 am to 11 am Analysis of the School of Business Academic Peer Mentor Program (Magruder Hall 2007)
The School of Business Academic Peer Mentor Program began in Fall 2009 and has seen great success due to growth and continuous improvement. Implementing peer mentor programs in other departments can provide numerous opportunities to further connect students to their academic disciplines, professors, and peers. Events and workshops created and facilitated by the Peer Mentors help educate underclassmen how to be successful in and out of class. One-on-one mentoring complements these programs by providing students the opportunity to address individual goals, questions, and concerns. More information about the goals and rationale of general Peer Mentor programs can be found at http://tinyurl.com/7dp34ma and http://tinyurl.com/7oaqodc. This session will educate the community on why the School of Business Peer Mentor Program has been successful and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the program. In addition, through both the perspectives of mentees and peer mentors, significant past experiences with the program will be highlighted.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Megan Recklein, Shahira Robinson
Conference Track: Advising
10:35 am to 12 pm Argument Mapping (Magruder Hall 2050)
We will look at argument mapping as a way to improve critical thinking. Note: the session was originally presented as part the 5 week critical thinking workshop presented to faculty.
Paricipant Preparation Expectations: To prepare work on the series of argument mapping tutorials at http://austhink.com/reason/tutorials/. Complete at least the first four tutorials. Before starting the tutorials you'll need to complete a simple background reading on the Apollo Moon Landings (linked in the first tutorial). Once you get to the last tutorial in Exercise 3 and the later Exercises in Tutorial 4, you’ll have an easier time if you download an argument mapping software program called Rationale: http://rationale.austhink.com/download. If that doesn’t work for any reason, an earlier version can be downloaded here: http://rationale.austhink.com/download/previous-versions. The download is a free seven-day trial. Unfortunately, Rationale works only on Windows (no Macs).
In addition, review Charles Twardy’s article “Argument Maps Improve Critical Thinking.” This article offers some background on why we might work with argument maps in the first place. Our focus in the workshop will be on creating argument maps so read Twardy selectively if that’s enough for you. Here’s the link: http://cogprints.org/3008/1/reasonpaper.pdf
Facilitators: Royce Kallerud, Don Bindner
Conference Track: Critical Thinking
10:35 am to 11:30 am Achieving the Elusive Teaching-Scholarship-Service/Work-Life Balance (Magruder Hall 1094)
This session, organized by the Caucus for Faculty Scholarship, includes a panel discussion of balancing teaching, scholarship, and service in our roles as teacher-scholars and of achieving that elusive work-life balance between those work responsibilities and the other parts of our lives. Panelists were nominated based on peer perception that they have some sense of balance in their professional lives and selected to represent a diversity of personal and academic perspectives. The panel will begin with one or two questions from session facilitators, but will quickly open up to discussion among those in attendance.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Amber Johnson, Jason Miller, Julia DeLancey
Conference Track: Faculty Scholarship
10:35 am to 12 pm Behind the Stereotypes: Dispelling the Myths of Living with a Disability (Activities Room, Student Union)
This session is the result of students with disabilities requesting a venue to help others understand disabilities and what it's like to live and learn with a disability. To facilitate a broad view of disabilities, a panel will be utilized, each student sharing their own experience. Several "learning stations" will be explored by members of the audience and will end with questions from the audience.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Vicky Wehner, Sierra Gregg
Conference Track: Professional Development
10:35 am to 11 am Forum on Writing and Faculty Development (McClain Hall 210)
This session invites anyone interested in writing-targeted faculty development to join a discussion that will work toward determining a series of faculty development workshops and projects. The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) committee needs your thought and your interests in order to more precisely address faculty development needs where writing support is concerned. Possible workshop titles are “Incorporating the Writing-to-Learn Philosophy,” “More Effective Peer Review,” “Responding to Student Writing,” and “The Writing Process – Online.” These possibilities will be discussed, but we hope to generate a range of new directions through session discussion.
Participant Prepartion Expectations: None
Facilitators: Dave Leaton
Conference Track: Professional Development
10:35 am to 11:30 am Introduction to Archives & Preservation (Magruder Hall 1099)
This session will introduce participants to the Special Collections & University Archives department of Pickler Memorial Library. A general overview of the department, including new initiatives the department is working on, and guidelines for donating materials to the University Archives will be presented. The session will also include basic preservation techniques for records and/or personal papers.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Amanda Langendoerfer
Conference Track: Professional Development
10:35 am to 11:30 am Conditions that Contribute to Transformative Learning (McClain Hall 208)
Transformative learning experiences have been identified as important priorities for the University in our current strategic plan and our HLC Pathway projects. In this workshop, members of the Transformative Experiences Task Force will present conditions, strategies, and techniques that maximize the potential that class or out- of-class experiences will result in transformative learning. Understanding these conditions, strategies, and techniques will be important to those individuals and groups applying for Pathway Project grants and to any faculty or staff member who would like to improve the educational experiences they provide to students. Students may also benefit from this workshop in discovering methods to enhance the impact of their educational experiences.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Scott Alberts, Lou Ann Gilchrist
Conference Track: Transformative Learning
10:35 am to 11 am The Magna Commons - Online Resources for Truman Faculty (Magruder Hall 2090)
In this session, Instructional Designers Diane Richmond and Susan Thomas will share information on how to access Truman's new subscription to the faculty development resource called the "Magna Commons." Truman's Magna Commons subscription provides our faculty with instant access to current and archived Magna Online Seminars. The collection includes on-demand versions of Magna's most popular Online Seminars, covering a broad range of topics of interest to faculty and administrators. Susan and Diane will share some of their title recommendations. Content would be of interest to faculty teaching in any format from face-to-face to blended, hybrid, and fully online modes.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Diane Richmond, Susan Thomas
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
10:35 am to 11:30 am Painlessly Going Paperless: Communication Disorders iPad Iniatitive (Magruder Hall 2078)
In summer, 2011, faculty in the Communication Disorders department began a group initiative with three goals in mind: 1. Reduce use of paper and printing/copying resources. 2. Increase use of online document storage and shared distribution. 3. Improve timely access to lesson plans and supervisory feedback off-campus. In this panel discussion, we will share our experience at becoming new iPad users together as well as our progress toward the goals above. Each of us has found uses for the iPad that we didn't anticipate and we enjoy sharing the wealth. We hope iPad users or wannabees in the audience will contribute to the conversation.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None.
Facilitators: Paula Cochran, Tricia Hanson, Andrea Richards, Ilene Elmlinger, Sheila Garlock
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
10:35 am to 11:30 am QPR: Suicide Prevention Training (McClain Hall 209)
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer—3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans, like you, are saying “Yes” to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor. QPR can be learned in our Gatekeeper course in as little as one hour. According to the Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2001), a gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. Gatekeepers include parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, and many others who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide. As a QPR-trained Gatekeeper you will learn to: recognize the warning signs of suicide; know how to offer hope; and know how to get help and save a life.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None.
Facilitators: Phil Jorn
Conference Track: Wellness
11:05 am to 12 pm "My Advisor Told Me . . .": Collaborative Academic Advising (Alumni Room, Student Union)
What makes a good advisor? What expectations do you have of yourself as an advisor, and what expectations do you have of your advisees? In this discussion we will share some of the expectations we have of ourselves and of our advisees, and invite you to do so as well. One way to make this exercise more concrete is to provide a few plausible scenarios that describe a variety of advisor/advisee interactions. Please come prepared for an open discussion about constructive responses to questions or issues raised by our advisees. Feel free to bring a scenario of your own!
Participant Preparation Expectations: We invite participants to read "An Alternative to the Development Theory of Advising by Marc Lowenstein (http://dus.psu.edu/mentor/odl/articles/991122ml.htm), in which he discusses a vision of advising that focuses on issues that are unique to college and facilitates the goals of a liberal arts education (engagement with ideas, interdisciplinarity, intellectual reflection, and lifelong learning).
Facilitators: Jack Holcomb, Mark Weidner, Marcy Graham
Conference Track: Advising
11:05 am to 12 pm Navigating the Hidden Job Market (Conference Room, Student Union)
Seventy to eighty percent of jobs are found through the "hidden job market." In this sessions, we will discuss ways to tap into that market through both traditional and online networking.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Polly Matteson, Katie Vanderhoof, Kayla Martin
Conference Track: Career Planning
11:05 am to 12 pm Construction Zone: How to Build a Strong Team (Magruder Hall 1000)
This session will focus on how to develop a cohesive team through team building exercises, recognition ideas and support tactics. We will place and emphasize developing confident Executive Boards and fostering leadership within organizations.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None.
Facilitators: Laura Bates, Sarah Naji
Conference Track: Leadership
11:05 am to 12 pm Running Reports in Banner (McClain Hall 215)
This session provides Banner users with instruction on how to run Banner reports and access the report output electronically followed by hands-on exercises for participants to gain experience running, accessing, and formatting report output. Topics include identifying types of report output, saving and accessing parameter sets, accessing report output electronically, and importing output into Excel.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Tammy Roberts
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
11:05 am to 12 pm What is the Writing Fellows Program at Truman (McClain Hall 210)
This session is an introduction to the currently-being-piloted Writing Fellows Program. The program is being developed primarily to support writing-enhanced courses, but it will be available to all courses in which writing plays a significant role in student learning. Writing fellows are trained writing consultants who function as course-specific writing consultants, performing a variety of services in support of the students writing for the course. A survey performed in early January found significant faculty interest in the program. In this session, you’ll find answers to questions about the current status of the program, the future of the program, services offered, how to use a fellow for your course, how pilot courses are using fellows, and the limitations and weaknesses of the program. Fellows will also be on hand to answer questions.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Dave Leaton
Conference Track: Professional Development
11:05 am to 12 pm Faculty/Staff Email Tips (Magruder Hall 1098)
Discussion and demonstration of using Outlook and the Outlook Web Access to access Truman's faculty and staff email on the Exchange Server.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Gwen Perrachione
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
11:05 am to 12 pm Google Earth in the Higher Ed Classroom (Pickler Memorial Library 103)
In this workshop participants will learn about Google Earth. MORENet trainer, Bob Martin, will demonstrate how to use Google Earth to facilitate lessons in the higher ed environment. He will also share several examples of existing Google Earth tour now in use at other universities.
Participant Preparation Expectations: Participants in this session should have basic computer skills.
Facilitators: Bob Martin
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
11:35 am to 12 pm Education Innovation and Entrepeneurship: Working with the Truman Institute (Magruder Hall 2007)
The Truman Institute was founded in 2009 to serve as an incubator for innovative and entrepreneurial educational programs aimed at boosting enrollment, enhancing Truman’s brand profile, and developing new streams of revenue. The Institute’s programming is derived and implemented through partnerships built among campus faculty, staff, and students, as well as off-campus groups. This session explores ways in which members of the Truman community can work with the Institute to develop their own innovations, enhance existing offerings for non-traditional markets, and foster enrichment opportunities for the community that enhance the overall vitality and long-term health of Truman.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Kevin Minch
Conference Track: General
11:35 am to 12 pm Want to Quit Smoking? Join a Free Tobacco Quit class! (Magruder Hall 2078)
Want to quit smoking? We can help! We offer free tobacco quit classes to any Truman faculty, staff, or student who wants help in quitting tobacco. We offer a seven week American Lung Association — Freedom from Smoking class that includes free patches, class booklet, and doctor consultation. The class has already helped numerous people quit smoking and it can help you too!
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Justin McDermott, Nancy Johnson
Conference Track: Wellness
11:35 am to 12 pm Creating a Health Living Proposal for the Pathways Project (Magruder Hall 1099)
This session is designed to assist potential applicants in preparing their proposals for the HLC Pathways Project Healthy Living outcome. This session will involve members of the Healthy Living Task Force highlighting the required components of the proposal and sharing ideas for each section. The rest of the time will be spent discussing questions and specific proposals brought to the session by the participants.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Elli Mathis, Evonne Bird, Brenda Higgins, Elaine McDuff
Conference Track: Wellness
12 pm to 1:20 pm Lunch (Georgian Room, Student Union) followed by
Remarks from President Paino
Demonstration of Truman's New TruView Prototype and Mobile Computing Applications by Donna Liss and Greg Marshall
1:30 pm to 1:55 pm Advising Roundtable (Activities Room, Student Union)
Are you advising students for the first time this year? Do you feel overwhelmed by advising? Or do you have questions and you are not sure who to ask? Join New Student Programs advisors Andrea Maag and Erin Shaw for a roundtable discussion of the nuts and bolts of advising at Truman.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Erin Shaw, Andrea Maag
Conference Track: Advising
1:30 pm to 2:25 pm Planning to Assess Critical thinking in the Social Science Mode (Conference Room, Student Union)
The goal of this session is to initiate the development of a HLC Pathways Project proposal to pilot an assessment of critical thinking as part of Social Science Mode review. We will work toward selecting a rubric to use and develop ideas for the pilot assessment project. Ideas for how the pilot project could be scaled up and for the nature and extent of student involvement will be discussed.
Participant Preparation Expectations: We encourage participants to review the Higher Learning Commission Pathways Project Request for Proposals, the Social Science Mode Review Methodology Report and 2 to 3 rubrics before the session. Registered participants will receive links to these materials in advance of the Conference.
Facilitators: Terry Olson, Amber Johnson
Conference Track: Critical Thinking
1:30 pm to 2:25 pm Leadership: From the Co-Curriculum to Classroom (McClain Hall 208)
The Pathways Leadership Task Force has been charged with the facilitation of a discussion raising awareness of the role of the Liberal Arts in creating civic leaders who contribute to a democratic society. However, there is a perception that Truman lacks a common understanding of what constitutes leadership and how it can be cultivated in our students. An important question which must be addressed is: "How can our campus community as a whole create leadership opportunities in and out of the classroom?" Led by the session moderators, a panel of various educators and staff will share their ideas and first-hand experiences in developing leadership attributes among our students. Session attendees will be given an opportunity to share their ideas and experiences. This discussion will be appropriate for faculty, staff and students interested in this critical initiative.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None required but attendees are asked to consider and be prepared to share meaningful experiences related to leadership before the session.
Facilitators: Dave Lusk, Kevin Minch
Conference Track: Leadership
1:30 pm to 2:25 pm Tips for Faculty to ensure ADA Compliance with Disability Accommodations in the Classroom (Magruder Hall 1094)
The Americans with Disabilities Act, Amendments Act of 2008, (the ADAAA), revised some components of the ADA, and in the process, lowered the bar for establishing a disability. Faculty are often unsure when it is appropriate to make special allowances or accommodations for students who claim to have a disability, what accommodations are allowable, and how to address any concerns regarding students' requests for accommodations. Information will be provided regarding the changes made by the ADAAA in disability determination and educational impact, the proper processes for handling student accommodation requests, and common mistakes made by faculty regarding disability compliance. Time to address questions will be provided.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Brenda Higgins, Vicky Wehner
Conference Track: Professional Development
1:30 pm to 2:25 pm Advising Student Organizations (Magruder Hall 1098)
Advising Student Organizations will discuss how to become an organization advisor on Truman's campus, the responsibilities as an advisor, and helpful resources. Participants will learn about current Center for Student Involvement (CSI) organization requirements; good standing vs. bad standing, level of advisor involvement and helpful strategies for success. In addition, the session will discuss CSI resources for advisors and organizations, making reservations on campus and other helpful tips for being an organization advisor.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None.
Facilitators: Laura Bates, Rachelle Williams, Matt Kennedy
Conference Track: Professional Development
1:30 pm to 1:55 pm McGraw-Hill Connect and Blackboard Integration (Magruder Hall 2078)
In this session, you will learn what the McGraw-Hill Connect building block for Blackboard can offer to instructors and students. We will look at the tools for instructors to build customized course resources and assessments. We will also look at how publisher content is synchronized with the Blackboard grade center. This tool gives students access to activities to reinforce their readings.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Evonne Bird, Sherry Dare, Jana Arabas
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
1:30 pm to 2:25 pm Personal Finance (McClain Hall 212)
This session will cover various aspects of personal finance, including the management of household and personal finances, and an overview of financial concepts with special emphasis on their application to issues faced by individuals and households. It will cover various aspects of loans and interest as well.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Jessie Eubank, Kevin Daniel
Conference Track: Professional Development
1:30 pm to 2:55 pm Google Apps for Education - Online Collaboration Made Easy (Pickler Memorial Library 103)
In this workshop participants will learn about the collaborative possibilities via assignments based on the GoogleApps for Education. MORENet trainer Bob Martin will demonstrate how to work with the Google Sites, Google Calendar, Google Presentations and more.
Participant Preparation Expectations: Participants in this session should have at least basic to intermediate computer skills.
Facilitators: Diane Richmond, Bob Martin
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
1:30 pm to 1:55 pm Using Macs with Truman's Network (McClain Hall 210)
There is an increasingly significant number of Macs on campus, often without the knowledge of how to integrate them into the existing network amenities that Truman provides. This session will address the basics of Macs on campus, such as accessing network drives, printers, Blackboard, setting up Truman email, and other useful tools.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Nathan Gillette
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
1:30 pm to 2:25 pm QPR: Suicide Prevention Training (Magruder Hall 2007)
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer—3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans, like you, are saying “Yes” to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor. QPR can be learned in our Gatekeeper course in as little as one hour. According to the Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2001), a gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. Gatekeepers include parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, and many others who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide. As a QPR-trained Gatekeeper you will learn to: recognize the warning signs of suicide; know how to offer hope; and know how to get help and save a life.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None.
Facilitators: Jane Maxwell
Conference Track: Wellness
1:30 pm to 1:55 pm Study Smarter with the Student Success Center (McClain Hall 209)
Academic support isn't for when you have trouble in class. Even the best students can benefit from checking in with our tutors and fine-tuning their learning strategies. In this brief session the Success Center staff will introduce our services (including peer tutoring and the Learning and Study Strategy Inventory), explain how to use Tutor Trac to find tutoring help, and take questions about the Success Center.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Jack Holcomb
Conference Track: Wellness
2 pm to 2:25 pm The Service Board: A New Way to Foster Campus and Community Development (Magruder Hall 1096)
The Service Board is a newer Truman State organization committed to promoting the ideals of global citizenship among students through the funding and support of co-curricular service and service-learning projects organized, executed, and evaluated by individual students and chartered student organizations. As civic engagement is inherent to the culture of Truman State University and its constituents, the Service Board attempts to fund projects that further encourage service and civic engagement on campus and in the local communities. Our session will discuss the benefits of the Service Board for the campus and the community, how faculty and staff can encourage student projects, and why students should make use of the Student Board grants. The overall goal of the session will be to inform the Truman State population of the positive impact Service Board can have if utilized by the students to improve the campus and community.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Caitlin McGrath, Dylan Terry
Conference Track: Fostering Community
2 pm to 2:55 pm VoiceThread - Making Asynchronous Online Discussions more Engaging (Magruder Hall 1099)
VoiceThread is a cloud-based application that allows you to place collections of media such as images, videos, documents, and presentations at the center of an asynchronous conversation. A VoiceThread allows people to have conversations and make comments using a mix of text, a microphone, a webcam, a telephone, or uploaded audio file, making online communication more effective. In this session we will demonstrate how VoiceThread works and how faculty and students at Truman can use VoiceThread in the online or blended classroom for more engaging and interactive discussions.
Participant Preparation Expectations: Participants in this session will have a better experience if they have at least a basic understanding of Blackboard.
Facilitators: Susan Thomas
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
2 pm to 2:55 pm Self-Care for Better Health Care (McClain Hall 211)
Do you know how to handle common health situations or know when to see a doctor? Everyone should know this vital information. Self-care enhances personal health knowledge and reduces inappropriate health care utilization. Using the Mayo Clinic's Guide to Self-Care, participants will gain basic information about appropriate care procedures for nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, strep, mono, flu, sinusitis, sore throat, fever, and pain relievers. Participants can learn to use self-care for better health care and become part of the US health care solution.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None.
Facilitators: Janice Young
Conference Track: Wellness
2:30 pm to 2:55 pm Eudaimonia: Fostering the Truman Community (Activities Room, Student Union)
In this session, we will explore the notion of eudaimonia (active human flourishing in a community) in regard to student-faculty interaction. This session will focus on the overall well-being of both students and faculty. Specifically, the academic well-being of the faculty often overlaps with that of students under their auspices. All too often students tend to mimic their professors and do simply the bare minimum. So in this session, we will explore how to foster 'active human flourishing in a community' through constructive interference That is, when the well-being and interests of the faculty overlap with students at the right proportion. And no, there is no 'magic' proportion; we can only examine areas of constructive interference in light of those areas of deconstructive interference. This idea will be examined through student experiences with faculty that have been both constructive and deconstructive.
Participant Preparation Expectations: Be willing to come and discuss any student interactions that have been either very challenging or rewarding so that we can dialogue how to build up the Truman Community.
Facilitators: Thomas Hughes
Conference Track: Fostering Community
2:30 pm to 2:55 pm Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: What's in it for you? (Alumni Room, Student Union)
The members of the SoTL steering group will share briefly; What is SoTL? What is the history on Truman's campus? What is the timeline of SoTL events planned at Truman? What are the publishing outlets for SoTL work? What's new in SoTL at Truman. Attendees will have a chance to sign up for Truman's SoTL list serve and influence the calendar of SoTL events.
Participant Preparation Expectations: SOTL scholars are welcome to bring copies of their previous SOTL work, but nothing is required in preparation for the session.
Facilitators: Christine Harker, Janet Gooch, Dawood Afzal, Julie Lochbaum, Hena Ahmad
Conference Track: Professional Development
2:30 pm to 2:55 pm Backup Best Practices (Magruder Hall 2090)
People often take their computer files for granted. What would you do if suddenly all of your files were gone? Are you prepared? Unfortunately ITS has seen people who were not prepared. This session will discuss the importance of backups and the backup options available.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Jim McNabb
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
3:05 pm to 4 pm How to Market your Cocurricular Experience (Alumni Room, Student Union)
This session will focus on how to successfully market cocurricular involvement to outside entities, on your resume and at job interviews, etc. We will also show participants how to use the Cocurricular Tools in TruView to their advantage.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Laura Bates
Conference Track: Career Planning
3:05 pm to 4:30 pm Keeping Your CV Up to Date: An Opportunity for Peer Mentoring (Activities Room, Student Union)
With all we have to do, many of us let the paperwork slide. When we were applying for jobs on a regular basis, we had a very current CV, but there are other reasons to keep this record of our activities up to date. This session, sponsored by the Faculty Caucus for Scholarship, will consist of a very short presentation about types of CVs, the types of material you might want to include in your CV and how to edit it for different types of applications (such as internal and external grants, NEH seminars, jobs, including summer teaching programs and periodical reviews). Facilitators from a wide variety of disciplines will provide individual mentoring, including peer reviews of CVs. This may include suggestions for improvement in organization, visual presentation, and focus, as well as other aspects, according to the desire of the participant.
Participant Preparation Expectations: Those interested in having their CV reviewed by a peer mentor should bring a hard copy or be prepared to share an electronic version of the text.
Facilitators: Alanna Preussner, Pete Kelly, Kevin Minch, Rusty Nelson, Brent Buckner, Sara Orel
Conference Track: Faculty Scholarship
3:05 pm to 4 pm A Team Approach to Involving Students in Your Research (Magruder Hall 1094)
This workshop will present benefits of involving students in your own scholarship in a team approach. Learn ways your fellow faculty members have made their own scholarship programs more efficient and rewarding by involving teams of undergraduates or forming faculty-student teams. This workshop will consist of a multidisciplinary panel covering collaborative faculty-student research and best practices. Managerial approaches, scholarship project design and tips for making it work will be covered in this panel discussion with lots of time for Q&A. Sponsored by the Office of Student Research.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Maria Nagan, Charles Gran, Amber Johnson, Diane Janick-Buckner
Conference Track: Faculty Scholarship
3:05 pm to 4 pm Looking for Your Match? (TruService Database) (Magruder Hall 2001)
Looking For Your Match will discuss the new TruService database and how to use it to connect with community partners and find service projects in the Kirksville community. Participants will learn how to use the database to find projects and the community partners to work with as well as how to log their hours for inclusion on the Co-Curricular record. The session will close with a question and answer session.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Matt Kennedy, SERVE Center Student
Conference Track: Fostering Community
3:05 pm to 3:30 pm Kirksville Community Bike Co-Op: Connecting campus values and resources with the community (Magruder Hall 2050)
This session will focus on how the Kirksville Community Bike Co-Op is a valuable University asset through its alignment with the President's Sustainability Pledge and in its unique ability to connect campus and community resources. The Co-Op works towards enabling students to achieve a connection between sustainability and health. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is increasingly more difficult in today's society. With this in mind, the Co-Op shares knowledge and resources so students, faculty, and the Kirksville community as a whole can enhance their health and decrease their carbon footprint. An understanding of how to integrate service learning with sustainability and healthy lifestyles will be the focus of this session.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Jacob Grace, Lisa Dworak, Aaron Chisum, Susan Burk, Sam Kost
Conference Track: Fostering Community
3:05 pm to 4 pm Developing High-Performance Work Teams (Magruder Hall 1096)
In pursuing the University's emphasis on leadership development, we may ask what leaders can do to encourage the development of high-performance work teams. The concept of high-performance teams has been prominently featured in both lay and scientific leadership literature for decades, with the underlying suggestion that such teams can provide both high work output and high job (or task) satisfaction for the team members. The session presenter suggests that a blueprint or formula for the manufacture of high-performance teams is not available, but leaders can try to create the optimal conditions for high-performance teams to develop.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: James Padfield
Conference Track: Leadership
3:05 pm to 4 pm Meltdowns, Blow-Ups and Scary Poetry: Effectively Communicating in Difficult Situations (McClain Hall 306)
This session will provide practical suggestions, guidelines & principles to assist the participant to effectively handle difficult student issues, interactions and communications. Role-playing practice opportunities will be provided. Some examples of the difficult situations that might be encountered would include: 1) a student that becomes enraged during business or educational interaction, 2) a student who expresses potentially violent, suicidal, or mentally unstable thoughts in a creative writing or journaling assignment, 3) a student who shares thoughts of self or other-directed harm with another student and 4) a student who requests that a faculty member excuse behavior due to physical or psychological illness.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Joe Hamilton, Jack Holcomb, Brenda Higgins
Conference Track: Professional Development
3:05 pm to 4 pm Tracking Faculty Accomplishments: Using Digital Measures (Pickler Memorial Library 103)
Truman recently purchased Digital Measure, a software application designed to track faculty accomplishments. Come see and learn more about using the software. The session is hands-on where users will be shown how to use their accounts and enter information.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Marty Eisenberg
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
3:05 pm to 4:30 pm Photoshop and Gimp - Photo Editing Tools for Academic and Administrative Staff (Pickler Memorial Library 204)
Photoshop (commercial) and Gimp (open source) are powerful photo editing tools at the opposite ends of the cost continuum. Come to the workshop to learn how to successfully use either tool to edit and optimize photos for use in the academic environment as well as for personal and professional and projects. Regardless of the software used, many techniques can carry across.
Participant Preparation Expectations: Participants in this session should have at least basic to intermediate computer skills and access to some saved digital images.
Facilitators: Bob Martin, Diane Richmond
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
3:05 pm to 4 pm Truman's Web Toolbox (Magruder Hall 1000)
As an increasing amount of our information and processes moves to the Truman website, our department and office webmasters are tasked with creating a whole spectrum of web pages, in addition to doing their regular jobs. Come and get an overview of many of the tools Web Services has available to make these tasks easier. Topics covered will include form creation, event sign up, updating your directory profile, mobile versions of your site, and more.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Greg Marshall
Conference Track: Using Information Technology
3:05 pm to 4 pm Yoga (Student Recreation Center)
A few faculty asked the Conferences organizers to offer a "faculty/saff friendly yoga session" with an instructor who understands older and less agile bodies. While the instructor said she cannot guarantee that participants will not be sore the next day, the class is designed with older bodies in mind.
Facilitators: Student Recreation Center
Conference Track: General
3:05 pm to 4:30 pm Stress Management through Positive Psychology (McClain Hall 208 (breakouts in McClain Hall 209, McClain Hall 210, McClain Hall 211, McClain Hall 212))
The power of positive psychology in reducing stress will be presented in a lecture format for the first half of this session. Positive psychology is built on the five pillars of happiness which are Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment. Successfully living with these five pillars will help us all lead happier more resilient lives. For the second half, 20 minute sessions will be available for individuals to practice stress management techniques. Participants will rotate through two of the following: Guided Meditation with Dr. Lloyd Pflueger, Philosophy and Religion; Knitting with Madeline Nash, Residence Life; Visualization with Darius Taylor, Health Science Student; Journaling with Christine Bowles, Health Science Student; Guid imagery with Stacey Simmons, University Counseling Services.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Evonne Bird, Madeline Nash
Conference Track: Wellness
3:35 pm to 4:30 pm Academic Job Market (McClain Hall 305)
Truman State University prides itself on the high number of graduates who attend graduate school. But what do we tell our students about the dire state of the academic job market, which is often the end goal of graduate studies? This session will begin with a short presentation on the current nature of the job market, and include a discussion of what we can do in terms of advising our students on the realities of academic careers. Can and should Truman State University do more to prepare our students for such careers? What alternatives exist for those interested in following in the footsteps of their faculty mentors? This session will include handouts and a conversation to prepare students who are considering pursuing academic careers.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Peter Rolnick, Wolfgang Hoeschele, Marc Becker
Conference Track: Career Planning
3:35 pm to 4:30 pm Computer Assisted College Algebra and Trigonometry classes at Truman and Beyond (Magruder Hall 1098)
We will discuss the new format for completing College Algebra and Trigonometry classes at Truman. Topics will include homework requirements, testing procedures, support services, and alternative timelines. Time will be available for questions. As time allows, we will discuss the Section 199 Competency-Based Mathematics Program through the Truman Institute that offers these classes to high school students.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Susan LaGrassa, Jay Belanger
Conference Track: Professional Development
4:05 pm to 4:30 pm Help Your Students with the Student Success Center (Magruder Hall 1000)
Students are aren't always aware of the resources available to them when they need academic support; faculty and staff can help. In this brief session the Success Center will introduce our services (including peer tutoring and the Learning and Study Strategy Inventory). We will explain how to use the Tutor Trac to help your students find tutoring and to monitor the help that your students and advisees are getting from the Success Center, and we will take questions about the Success Center.
Participant Preparation Expectations: None
Facilitators: Jack Holcomb
Conference Track: Professional Development