Dear Colleagues:<\/p>\n
As we near the end of the Fall Semester, it gives me great pleasure to invite you to participate in three upcoming events:<\/p>\n
Faculty and Staff Holiday Open House \u2013 Wednesday, December 13 Fall Commencement \u2013 Saturday, December 16 Casual Dress and Departmental Food Exchange Days While writing, I also wanted to report on the Truman State University Board of Governors meeting held on campus on Saturday under the leadership of Board Chair Mike LaBeth.\u00a0 The Board elected officers and assigned committee membership for the 2018 calendar year.\u00a0 New officers who will take office for a term of one year commencing at the first regular meeting of the calendar year are Chair, Cheryl J. Cozette; Vice Chair, Laura A. Crandall; and Secretary, Jennifer Kopp Dameron.<\/p>\n The Board received a number of reports.\u00a0 Dr. Janet Gooch, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, was joined by\u00a0David Charles Goyette, Assistant Professor of Theatre,\u00a0and several students involved in Truman\u2019s production of \u201cFalsettos\u201d who reported on this spectacular\u00a0high-impact academic and co-curricular experience and shared an inspiring brief performance.\u00a0 I provided a President\u2019s Report highlighting\u00a0campus and community activities that have occurred since the last meeting of the Board. \u00a0Within the Board\u2019s committee meetings, the members received reports within Academic Affairs on the Five-Year Program Review and within Students Affairs on assessment data.\u00a0 They also reviewed financial reports and received updates on various on-campus construction projects and equipment purchases.<\/p>\n A one-time faculty early retirement incentive program for 2018 was approved with a separation\/retirement date no later than May 31, 2018.\u00a0 Eligible for the program are all full-time employees holding faculty rank currently employed at Truman, who are at least 60 years of age and meet one of the following conditions:\u00a0 1) MOSERS Participant (MOSERS Retirement Eligible on or before May 31, 2018; 2) CURP Participant (age plus years of service must equal 70 on or before May 31, 2018).\u00a0 The program is not available to employees who have already committed their written intent to retire from the University.\u00a0 The program\u00a0is limited to thirty (30) participants and\u00a0provides a cash incentive payment of $25,000 which will be payable as a lump sum upon retirement.\u00a0\u00a0The enrollment period runs from January 4 thru February 16, 2018.\u00a0 The Human Resources Office will distribute additional information as well as directions on how to apply.<\/p>\n In addition, housing and food plan charges effective with the 2018 Fall Semester were approved.\u00a0 On-campus room rates\u00a0have not been raised since\u00a02015-16.\u00a0 For 2018-19, some operating costs are projected to increase including utilities and fringe benefits\u00a0and the\u00a0Board approved a 1% increase\u00a0in room rates.\u00a0 Meal plans\u00a0will increase by 2.75% to cover projected food and labor costs; this will result in a $41 per semester increase in the most popular meal\u00a0plan.\u00a0 With the typical room rate and food plan combined, the overall increase for on-campus room and board is 1.7%.<\/p>\n Finally, the Board approved faculty sabbaticals for the 2018-19 Academic Year. \u00a0Congratulations to the following faculty members.\u00a0 We look forward to the impactful outcomes of their sabbatical work.<\/p>\n 2018-2019 Academic Year 2018 Fall Semester 2019 Spring Semester
\n<\/strong>Please\u00a0come celebrate Truman and the holiday season at the \u00a0Faculty and Staff Holiday Open House scheduled for December 13 at the University Residence.\u00a0 The open house will take place 2:30-5:00 p.m., and I hope to see you there! \u00a0An official invitation will be shared with campus later today.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The 2017 Fall Commencement Ceremony is scheduled for December 16 at 11:00 a.m. in Pershing Arena.\u00a0 Zac Burden, Director of Missouri Hall, Truman alumnus, and Truman Historian\/story teller extraordinaire,\u00a0will be our Commencement speaker.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Thursday and Friday, December 21 and 22, are designated as Casual Dress and Departmental Food Exchange Days.\u00a0 Those offices not celebrating the departmental food exchange days are more than welcome to join the President\u2019s Office celebration!<\/p>\n
\nJennifer Jesse, Professor of Philosophy and Religion<\/p>\n
\nSally West, Professor of History<\/p>\n
\nRoberta Donahue, Professor of Health Science
\nPamela Ryan, Professor of Mathematics
\nJoaquin Maldonado-Class, Professor of Spanish<\/p>\n