WWU in the News - William Woods University

WWU in the News
Jan. 5, 2009
WWU in the News
Top Stories
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WWU students reach out to children in Taiwan
Commencement
Vonderschmitt Scholars
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
Art on display
Ice storm on campus 1948
Callaway Memoirs
WWU sponsors Jeff City event
Celia Memorial Program
Callaway domestic violence
Horse camp
Hulshof praised
Sharon Kilfoyle
Katie Lawrence’s children
Margie White’s children
Graduates
Page 24-27
Alumni News
Page 28
Kauffman appointed to Farm Bureau committee
Plank promoted at Premier Bank
Weddings
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Phanthourath-Foster
Armor-Schuler
Burger-Weir
Lamberson-Smith
Sports
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Articles Regarding Higher Education
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Posted: Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008 - 09:45:23 am CST
10 Callaway groups to honor memory of slave executed153 years ago
By DON NORFLEET
The Fulton Sun
Ten Callaway County groups are sponsoring a joint tribute Sunday to Celia, a slave who was
executed 153 years ago in Fulton for killing her master who had violated her for many years.
The fourth annual Celia Memorial Program will be from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Fulton City Hall.
One of this year's organizers, Jane Bierdeman-Fike, said the purpose of the memorial is “not
to dwell on the past and condemn the atrocities of slavery, but rather to understand the past
and use it to highlight the progress we have made toward achieving positive human relations
in our community despite our differences in race, religion, sex and culture.”
Organizers of the event are the Callaway Arts Council, the Fulton State Hospital Cultural
Competence Council, the Guiding Light Missionary Baptist Church, Historical Society of
Missouri, New Bloomfield Area Historical Society, City of Fulton, Romancing the Past Bed &
Breakfast, Callaway County NAACP, William Woods University and CARD-V.
When she was 14 Celia was sold to Robert Newsom, a recently widowed Callaway County
slave owner. On the way home, Newsom raped Celia for the first time. He raped her many
more times after that. She had a child by him.
In 1855 Celia developed a relationship with George, another slave of Newsom. She had
another child and did not know whether the father was George or Newsom. George told Celia
he would have nothing to do with her if she did not tell Newsom to leave her alone. Celia said
she did that on June 23, 1855. But that didn't stop Newsom from making advances. This time
Celia hit him with a stick and killed him. She said she didn't want to kill Newsom but only
wanted to stop him. Frightened, she tried unsuccessfully to burn his body in a fireplace.
At the trial the judge threw out all testimony on Celia's reasons for striking Newsom and
allowed hearsay testimony favoring Newsom. On Oct. 10, 1885, Celia was convicted of
murder. Although an appeal had been granted by the Missouri Supreme Court because of
blatant violation of rules of evidence, a stay of execution order was turned down by the high
court. She was hanged until dead at the Callaway County Courthouse in Fulton on Dec. 21,
1855.
This year's guest at the event honoring the memory of Celia is St. Louis attorney Margaret
Bush Wilson, who learned about Celia while in Law School at Lincoln University. Her story
inspired Wilson as a lawyer and to become active in civil rights issues. Wilson commissioned
artist Solomon Thurman to paint a portrait of Celia. Thurman and jazz singer Narissa Bond
were last year's guests at the annual Callaway County tribute to Celia.
Born in 1919 at St. Louis, Wilson will be the guest of honor on Sunday. She will be interviewed
during the event by Gracia Backer, civic leader and former Callaway County state
representative. Backer was instrumental in making sure records relating to Celia's trial and
subsequent execution were preserved.
Wilson has been a part of and has witnessed first-hand many changes during her 89-year
lifetime. She managed her St. Louis law firm, Wilson & Associates, for more than 40 year.
She enjoys noting that she was born before approval of the 19th Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution giving women the right to vote.
In the late 1930s Missouri did not allow blacks to attend state-supported law schools. The
state paid tuition stipends for blacks to attend out-of-state law schools and they were allowed
to practice in Missouri after they had graduated and passed the bar. Missouri's policy was
challenged by the NAACP and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Missouri must allow Lloyd Gaines
to attend the University of Missouri Law School or else provide “separate, but equal” law
school facilities for him and other black students. Rather than integrate, Missouri created
Lincoln University School of Law. Wilson enrolled in the second class at Lincoln, which had one
other woman enrolled. Wilson was the second black woman admitted to practice law in
Missouri.
Wilson's father, James T. Bush, was a real estate broker. Acting as an attorney for a client
who had been denied the right to buy a home because of a racial restrictive covenant, Wilson
took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court and in 1948 won a decision ruling that such racial
covenants were unenforceable in the courts.
In 1954 Wilson celebrated when the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education U.S. Supreme
Court decision integrating schools was handed down. The next year, her five-year-old son
started kindergarten at one of the city's first integrated schools. Lincoln University was
ordered to begin admitting white students and the Lincoln University Law School was closed
after black students were permitted to attend the University of Missouri School of Law.
Wilson has served as the attorney for the Rural Electrification Administration of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and as an assistant attorney general in Missouri.
She is past chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors and past president of the Missouri
NAACP.
She is a graduate of Sumner High School in St. Louis. She received a B.A. in economics from
Talledega University in Alabama and a LL.B. from Lincoln University Law School.
In 1975 she became the first black woman to chair the NAACP board of directors. Her board
and committee memberships include Mutual Life Insurance Co. of New York, the Monsanto
Company, Washington University and the Mutual Real Estate Investment Trust.
Posted: Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008 - 10:28:19 am CST
Y health study reveals hike in Callaway domestic violence
By DON NORFLEET
The Fulton Sun
The YMCA of Callaway County has identified eight priority areas for improvement in its new Comprehensive
Community Health Assessment, including the need to deal with a major increase in domestic violence in the
county.
The study revealed the county's growth in population is accompanied by troubling higher incidents of family
violence.
Domestic violence, the study showed, is on the rise in Callaway County. According to the Missouri State Highway
Patrol, there were 346 Callaway County events reported as domestic violence in 2001. In 2006, that number had
increased to 607, a 75 percent increase in five years.
Part of the increase in family violence numbers can be attributed to the fact that Callaway County's population
also has been growing rapidly. From 1990 to 2000, the population increased by 24.3 percent. From 2000 to
2006, the population jumped another 5.7 percent for a total population of 43,072. As a comparison, the
population of Missouri grew by 4.4 percent from 2000 to 2006.
In 2006 population estimates for Callaway County indicate that 92.4 percent of the population in the county was
white and 5.1 percent was black. The county also reported 1.1 percent of the population as being Hispanic, 0.9
percent as being Asian and 0.5 percent as American Indian or Alaskan Native. As a comparison, Missouri's total
population for 2006 was estimated to be 85.1 percent white, 11.5 percent black, 2.8 percent Hispanic, 1.4
percent Asian, and 0.5 percent Native American or Alaskan Native.
Mental health issues are another growing concern for Callaway County residents. From 2000 to 2006 there were
significant increases in suicide rates in Callaway County women compared to the state average. The same was
true for emergency room visits for youths from ages 15 to 19 and assault injury rates of women in Callaway
County.
During the last decade, the rate of emergency room visits for self-inflicted injuries among Callaway County
residents from age 15 to 19 was 3.5 percent compared to the state rate of 1.8 percent.
“The county hospitalization rate trend due to self-inflicted injuries for this age group is also significantly higher
than the state rate, indicating this age group is at significant risk,” the study reported.
In 1997 there were 110 children receiving public serious emotional disturbance mental health services in
Callaway County. This number jumped to 453 children by 2005, an increase of 312 percent.
Jana Oestreich, president of the YMCA board of directors, said the Callaway County health assessment was
funded by the Missouri Foundation for Health.
The eight priority issues identified by the study are:
€Chronic Disease, Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention
€Family Violence
€Mental Health
€Physical Activity and Nutrition
€Dental Health
€Social Determinants of Health
€Safety and Injuries
€Alcohol, Tobacco and Substance Abuse
Local leaders were contacted to assist with gathering data for the survey. Data was collected from a variety of
sources and community leaders were asked what they believed to be the most important issues to be addressed
to improve the health and quality of life of Callaway County residents.
The leaders were asked to discuss
what makes it difficult to address
these issues. They then were asked
to rank them in order of priority.
The eight top issues identified will
make it easier for leaders to
implement strategies or
interventions to impact these issues.
Patricia A. Kelley, executive director
of the YMCA, said having a
comprehensive document will aid in
future planning and resource
development efforts.
Local entities participating in the
YMCA's health assessment study
were the Callaway County
Commission, the Callaway County
United Way, the Callaway
Community Hospital, AmeriCorps
Darren Jones, 14, of Fulton recently lifts weights at the YMCA of Callaway
VISTA, United Way, SERVE, Inc.,
County. Jones was working out in preparation for next year's soccer
Ecumenical Ministries, Westminster
season. (Justin Kelley/FULTON SUN photo) Photos can be purchased by
College, Boy Scouts of America,
Callaway County Health Department, clicking here
Callaway County Senior Center,
Callaway County Red Cross, South Callaway R-2 School, City of Fulton, CARDV, Callaway County 4-H Clubs, and
William Woods University.
Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the
United States and also in Callaway County.
The study showed Callaway County death rates are comparable with state rates for most chronic diseases.
Obesity is one of the most serious issues facing society today. Based on the study, nearly 50 percent of Callaway
County residents are overweight, with 21.7 percent reported at risk or obese. People who are overweight or
obese are more likely to experience a multitude of health problems relating to chronic diseases.
The lack of physical activity also has been shown to be harmful to health.
The study showed 39.1 percent of Callaway County adults over age 18 reported participating in no physical
activity or exercise of any kind during the last 30 days. In Missouri the rate is 25.5 percent and the U.S. rate is
22.6 percent.
The incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis is higher in Callaway County than the state average.
Hospital emergency room visits for dental issues are significantly higher in Callaway County than state of Missouri
rates for the entire period from 2000 through 2006. The 2006 Callaway County rate was double the state
average.
Horse camp teaches more than riding
By Roselee Papandrea / Times-News
January 3, 2009 - 7:15PM
BURLINGTON, N.C.--Dawn Sibert shouts commands, one right after the other.
``Keep those knees tight.''
The seven girls in front of her respond, pulling their knees in tight against the flank of the horses they
are mounted on.
``Sarah, stay closer to your saddle and bend,'' Sibert shouts. ``I know it's harder that way but that's the
point.''
Ten-year-old Sarah Goushaw moves closer to the saddle and bends forward toward the head of Annie,
the quarter horse she is riding. Sarah, nine other girls and two boys all attended a holiday horse camp at
the Riding Academy at Johnny Lucas Stables in Gibsonville Saturday, which promised a day filled with
games, obstacle courses and crafts.
The participants describe the camp as fun, but it's also serious business.
``We are trying to train accomplished riders,'' says Sibert, the Riding Academy horse trainer.
Most of the camp participants, who are between six and 12 years old, have some experience riding. For
others, it's an opportunity to see if that ``horse-crazy stage'' that a lot of young girls and some boys go
through is more than just a phase. When they are training, Sibert doesn't let up.
``How you sit in the lineup says everything about you,'' she says. ``It's not time to rest. You rest when
the class is over. You are a show rider. You are expected to put on a show. ... Show riding isn't for
everyone. It's only for the tough people.''
These youngsters are ready to prove they can do it - whatever it takes - they love to ride that much.
``They vie for the manure bucket,'' Sibert says and laughs, explaining they have no problems cleaning up
after their horses.
Sibert wants them to love it. She does.
``Once you get horse manure in your veins it's like malaria, it never really goes away,'' she says.
She wants other riders to feel that same passion.
``I don't think showing and competing is everything,'' she explains, ``but I think when you show and
compete the desire to excel comes out.''
Eight-year-old Shannon Huth started riding at age six and as a result, she's already kicked a fear of
heights, she says. She likes attending horse camps whenever one is held.
``I love to ride,'' she says. ``Sometimes you get to paint horses. Sometimes you get to do relays.
Sometimes we play games. It's just so much fun.''
When it comes to horses, 16-year-old Shelley Bradley is a late bloomer. She only started riding two
years ago, but she shouts commands to the younger girls with the same air of expertise as her trainer,
Sibert.
Bradley is one of seven experienced riders assisting Sibert with the camp. Bradley, who is enrolled in an
early college program at Guilford College and already halfway done with her freshman year, knows that
horses have changed her life. She didn't know that would happen when she took her first lesson at 14,
but she welcomes the discipline, leadership, showmanship and teamwork skills that riding has taught
her.
``I came here and fell in love with it,'' Bradley says. ``There's no place I'd rather be.''
Bradley already knows what the young girls at the camp will gain from the experience.
``Besides all the fun, we teach them discipline and how to work with horses and how to listen to
instructions,'' she says. ``It teaches them confidence. If I can do this with this big animal - if I can control
this 1,000 pound horse - what else can I do?''
Sibert teaches the older riders that acting as a role model is as important as the riding. Bradley handles
the responsibility with ease. When the girth on the saddle of Ginger, a quarter horse, loosens and the 11year-old rider Arizona Parker starts to slip, Bradley, who is walking across the barn with a sandwich in
hand, thinks nothing of tossing it to the ground amid the dirt and manure in order to keep Arizona safe.
``It has shown me a way I can help others,'' Bradley says. ``I'm teaching kids and helping them not only
with the horses but with their own personal struggles.''
It's all part of the teamwork Sibert tries to emphasize. In Bradley's case, it's a lesson that has stuck.
When the teen finishes her first two years at Guilford College, she plans to transfer to William Woods
University in Missouri where she will major in business administration and equestrian science. Her plan
is to become a riding instructor.
It's a dream Bradley realized she had once she stepped into a stable for the first time.
``I came in and had no idea how much I would fall madly in love and how it would impact my course in
life,'' she says.
For more information about the Riding Academy contact Sibert at (336) 269-2788 or go to
www.johnnylucasandsonsstables.com.
Hulshof praised as curtain falls
Outgoing politico mum since defeat.
By TERRY GANEY of the Tribune’s staff
Published Saturday, January 3, 2009
Parker Eshelman file photo
Kenny Hulshof greets supporters in Columbia after winning the Republican
nomination for governor in the August primary. Since the six-term House
veteran lost in the November election to Democrat Jay Nixon, he has declined
to speak with reporters.
Two Missouri colleagues of U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof of Columbia say he will be missed among Democrats
and Republicans once a new Congress is gaveled to order.
Today is the official start of the new congressional session, although newly elected members won’t be
sworn in until Tuesday. Blaine Luetkemeyer of St. Elizabeth, a Republican like Hulshof, will be sworn in
Tuesday to represent Missouri’s Ninth Congressional District.
U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Lexington, said Hulshof worked tirelessly for his constituents and "represented
them with honor. Kenny will be missed by his colleagues in the House."
Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson, a Republican from Cape Girardeau, said Hulshof was one of the most
thoughtful members of the House Ways and Means Committee.
"He was widely respected and counted on to provide an independent voice on some of the most important
issues facing our country," Emerson said. "His work on renewable fuels is already proving to be an
important building block for American energy security."
Since his overwhelming loss in the Missouri governor’s race to Democrat Jay Nixon, Hulshof has kept a
low public profile. In response to interview requests in recent weeks, a spokesman said Hulshof was not
interested.
Hulshof’s wife, Renee Hulshof, told a reporter recently she and her husband have been homebodies since
the election and that they don’t like people telling them how "sorry they are." The Hulshofs are moving on,
focusing on a new routine, their family farm in southeast Missouri and their two daughters, Casey and
Hanna.
Renee Hulshof said her husband, a lawyer, is going to look for work in the private sector, perhaps related
to policy. Hulshof, 50, has been a congressman for a dozen years and probably could have held the seat
as long as he wished.
But he clearly has been restless the past few years, attempting to become president of the University of
Missouri System in 2007 and stepping into the governor’s race a year later after incumbent Gov. Matt
Blunt, a Republican, unexpectedly announced he would not seek re-election.
David Webber, a University of Missouri political scientist, said Hulshof’s congressional career could best be
remembered for the event in which Hulshof stood up against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas,
in 2004.
Hulshof, then a member of the House Ethics Committee, led an inquiry into an allegation that a member
exchanged his vote in return for a favor. Hulshof’s committee later reported that DeLay was responsible for
the "quid pro quo," a disclosure that made Hulshof an enemy of DeLay’s friends and cost Hulshof a
position on the committee.
"I think he tried to be an honorable and admirable public servant," Webber said of Hulshof.
Hulshof consistently supported conservative issues while in Congress, including tax cuts, smaller
government, anti-abortion legislation and gun ownership rights. He endorsed President George W. Bush’s
policies and voted for the 2002 Iraq war resolution.
Rick Hocks, a musician and English professor, got to know Hulshof through their involvement in the choir at
the Catholic St. Thomas More Newman Center in Columbia, where Hulshof played drums and Hocks was a
guitarist. As a professor at William Woods University in Fulton, Hocks participated in two forums where he
and Hulshof debated the war in Iraq.
Hocks said Hulshof was "a terrific guy, a great family man, very likable, intelligent and funny. Politically, I’ve
probably been on the other side of the fence from every vote he made as a congressman."
In 2004, Hulshof served as Bush’s re-election campaign chairman in Missouri. Bush helped raise $1.5
million for Hulshof’s campaign for governor.
Hulshof’s political career began in the early 1990s as he made a name for himself by being a tough and
aggressive special prosecutor. Years later, some criminal cases he brought against individuals are still
under appeal or re-examination.
He ran for Congress after failing to win appointment as Boone County prosecuting attorney. When he
defeated incumbent Democrat Rep. Harold Volkmer in 1996, Hulshof was Columbia’s first hometown
congressman since Republican Max Schwabe was defeated in 1948.
Although the margin of Hulshof’s loss to Nixon - 19 percentage points - might suggest the end of a political
career, Webber said, "I wouldn’t write him off."
Webber said even those who disagreed with Hulshof’s politics found he was likable. "He has 20 more
years," Webber said. "Things can change."
NICHE: A WEEKLY PEEK AT AN AREA ARTIST
Sharon Kilfoyle
By LINDSEY HOWALD of the Tribune’s staff
Published Sunday, December 28, 2008
Parker Eshelman photo
"Moshi moshi, this is Sharon!" says a recording of Sharon Kilfoyle’s cheerful voice on her cell phone,
followed by a beep.
"Moshi moshi," the common phone greeting in Japan, is just one way the artist has adapted the culture she
loves into her own life.
"The Japanese aesthetic has always really fascinated me," Kilfoyle said recently, fingering one of her light
silk scarves. Kilfoyle possesses no Japanese ancestry; she grew up in a Catholic suburb in south St. Louis.
Walking home from school when she was about 10 years old, however, Kilfoyle happened to pick up a
discarded Japanese-English dictionary from the street. The kanji, or Japanese characters, fascinated her,
and after that she became a magnet for everything specific to that country, from painting to poetry, karate
and the Japanese sword.
A former English professor at William Woods University, Kilfoyle decided to devote her full time to textiles
and fibers in 1996, about five years after taking a workshop in the ancient art of shibori dyeing. The
Japanese technique of binding and dyeing cloth is basically a more intricate version of Western tie-dye
techniques Kilfoyle remembers from the 1960s.
A lover of the land who left that St. Louis subdivision behind and taught herself to milk goats and make tofu
at home, Kilfoyle appreciates the way all Japanese arts revere nature’s beauty.
The Japanese "way of seeing things, it’s all based in nature," she said. "Haiku is a very short poetry form
based in the seasons, and the insights you have are expressed through some kind of natural imagery … like
snow, chrysanthemums, water, mountains, things like that."
Kilfoyle’s home is a wild 73 acres outside of Columbia. After getting her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
creative writing with an emphasis in poetry from the University of Missouri, she, influenced by American
Indian ideologies and countercultural politics, wanted to go back to nature. Before her husband, Peter Noce,
died suddenly in 2001, the pair raised their own sheep, angora goats and rabbits for their fiber, then hunted
for flowers and weeds to make natural dyes. Chemical dyes, however, give Kilfoyle more artistic possibilities
when using the shibori technique.
"What I really love is working with color," she said, shrugging in a breezy, patterned blouse. "You can tell."
She flattened a colorful scarf made of a number of different materials such as silk and wool, on a table.
Literally made in Korea, the materials in the fabric were not sewn but pressed together through an Oriental
process called nuno felting. "It’s like painting with fabric and wool."
After Noce died in 2001, a friend happened to mention a temporary English-teaching opportunity in
Matsuyama. Kilfoyle took it, bringing her shibori materials along as a pastime.
"Within the first month of English teaching, the faculty saw my shibori work, … and they asked if I would
teach shibori in their extension program," Kilfoyle said proudly. She stayed to teach her art and didn’t return
for three years, and she now calls the Japanese city her second home.
She has also taught briefly in Seoul, South Korea and Mexico City, and teaches for several months out of the
year in Paris at the Paris American Academy, a textile design school.
"I love teaching because what I’ve found is that people think they can’t make anything this intricate, but they
can do it," Kilfoyle said. "I love seeing that wonder at their own ability … I like being in a position to
encourage people to create."
Back in Columbia to enjoy being a new grandmother, Kilfoyle hopes to sell some more of her clothing and
scarves locally. She had a booth at Affair of the Arts two weeks ago, and several items are available at
Bluestem Missouri Crafts. Each is guaranteed to contain pieces of Kilfoyle’s story, whether tassels made of
beads from her favorite bead shop in Paris or scraps of Chinese silk she used to pass the time in Japan.
Reach Lindsey Howald at (573) 815-1731 or [email protected].
Posted: Thursday, Dec 18, 2008 - 09:57:22 am CST
Only 5 papers left till Christmas
Happy Holidays from Caeli, 2, left, Paige, 9, and Conor Lawrence, 9 months. The children of Wil and
Katie Lawrence of New Bloomfield.
Justin Kelley/FULTON SUN photo Photos can be purchased by clicking here
Posted: Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008 - 10:28:12 am CST
Only 2 papers till Christmas
Season's Greetings from Nataleigh, 3, and Kinsleigh White, 23 months. the daughters of Daryl and Margie White of Carrington. (Justin Kelley/FULTON SUN photo)
Photos can be purchased by clicking here
Area student graduates from William Woods
Hannibal Courier-Post
Posted Dec 23, 2008 @ 05:38 PM
Hannibal, MO —
Lee Ann Beard of Hannibal, Mo., graduated in December from William Woods University with a
bachelor of science degree.
Beard is the daughter of Bob and Linda Beard of Hannibal, Mo.. She is a 2005 graduate of Hannibal
Senior High School.
She is a member and former president of Delta Gamma Sorority, member of Delta Epsilon Chi
(DEX) a marketing fraternity and member of Campus Standards Board. She was also a member of
the Owls Cross Country, Indoor Track and Outdoor Track teams from 2005-2008 and former
captain. She completed an internship in the Marketing and University Relations Department at
William Woods University in the Summer of 2008.
Posted: Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008 - 09:45:51 am CST
Lady Owls prevail behind strong second-half surge
By RYAN BOLAND
The Fulton Sun
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. - Sophomore guard Jill Sutton supplied a team-high 15 points and the
William Woods University Lady Owls took control in the second half of Monday night's 67-55 win
over the University of St. Mary.
The game was tied 29-29 at halftime, but William Woods outscored St. Mary 38-26 in the second
half to pull away for the victory.
Junior guard Eshell Estrella and freshman center Miranda Loesch also contributed 14 points apiece
for the Lady Owls (9-1). William Woods shot 38 percent from the field and finished with 16
turnovers.
Sophomore forward Rachel Baker collected a game-high 10 rebounds to power the Lady Owls to a
37-23 advantage on the boards.
Rani Jacobs countered with a game-high 18 points for St. Mary (7-4), which shot 44 percent as a
team and committed 24 turnovers.
William Woods doesn't play again until it faces Park University at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, in the
Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic.
Posted: Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008 - 09:45:46 am CST
William Woods men call off game at Missouri Valley
By RYAN BOLAND
The Fulton Sun
The Owls' game Tuesday night at Missouri Valley College in Marshall was postponed because of
the weather. A makeup date has not been announced.
William Woods University (4-7) plays an exhibition game at NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri
State University in Maryville at 7 tonight.
The Owls haven't played since a 73-53 exhibition loss at the University of Central Arkansas on
Dec. 3.
Posted: Friday, Dec 19, 2008 - 10:11:31 am CST
Northwest Missouri State 83, William Woods basketball (M) 68
By RYAN BOLAND
The Fulton Sun
MARYVILLE - The Owls didn't have a defensive answer for Hunter Henry in their exhibition loss
to the NCAA Division II Bearcats on Wednesday night.
Henry - who was 11-of-14 from the field - connected for a game-high 23 points and also
grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds to pace Northwest (4-4), which carried a 40-33 advantage
into halftime.
The Bearcats then opened up a nine-point lead early in the second half. However, senior guard
Zach Roling and junior forward Jerone Lester hit consecutive 3-pointers to allow William Woods
University to close within 51-48 with 15 minutes left.
Henry - who scored nine points in the first half - then responded with 10 during a seven-minute
stretch as Northwest widened its lead back to 12 points.
Sophomore guard Dan Anderson came up with all 16 of his points in the first half, including four
3-pointers, to lead three players in double figures for the Owls.
Roling - who had three 3-pointers - followed with 13 points for the Owls, who shot 42 percent
(26-of-62) from the field and finished with 10 turnovers. Senior guard Justin Cornelius added 11
points.
Roling also collected a team-high six rebounds as William Woods was decisively outrebounded
by a 43-28 margin.
Elijah Allen and Edriss Floyd contributed 11 points apiece for the Bearcats, who gave head coach
Steve Tappmeyer his 400th career win. Northwest - which committed just six turnovers - shot
50 percent (34-of-68) as a team.
The Owls (4-7) don't play again until they face Brescia University at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, at the
Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic.
Posted: Monday, Jan 05, 2009 - 10:06:54 am CST
Brescia University 75, WWU basketball (M) 59
By RYAN BOLAND
The Fulton Sun
COLUMBIA - The Owls slipped to 4-8 overall after suffering their fifth consecutive loss Friday at the
Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic.
Senior guard Justin Cornelius came up with 16 points to guide William Woods University, which had
been off since an 83-68 exhibition loss at NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State University on
Dec. 17.
Sophomore guard Dan Anderson and sophomore forward Lucas Dahl contributed eight points
apiece for the Owls in Friday's loss. Sophomore forward Justin Gilmore and sophomore guard
Logan Ray shared team rebounding honors with seven apiece.
William Woods completed tournament play against Graceland (Iowa) University on Saturday.
Results were not available at press time.
Posted: Monday, Jan 05, 2009 - 10:06:55 am CST
WWU basketball (W) 70, Park University 47
By RYAN BOLAND
The Fulton Sun
COLUMBIA - Sophomore forward Rachel Baker produced a team-high 18 points to pace the Lady
Owls in their impressive win Friday at the Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic.
William Woods University pushed its season record to 10-1 by picking up its sixth straight victory.
The Lady Owls hadn't played since a 67-55 win at St. Mary's (Kan.) University on Dec. 15.
Junior guard Eshell Estrella and sophomore forward Jestine Gerber chipped in with 12 points apiece
for William Woods in Friday's rout. Freshman center Miranda Loesch also collected a team-high
seven rebounds.
The Lady Owls continued tournament play against Brescia University on Saturday. Results were not
available at press time.
Area sports year in review By Dave Roberts
The Rolla Daily News
Wed Dec 31, 2008, 05:23 PM CST
Rolla, Mo. - *It was a big year for several area golfers. Leading the way was Dixon’s Jace Long, who
won the Missouri High School Class 3 state championship and just a couple of days later qualified for
the U.S. Open Sectionals. Long also won a number of American Junior Golf Association (AJGA)
events, was honored as Golfweek’s Player of the Week during a week over the summer and earned
AJGA All-America honors. Long signed to play golf at Mizzou.
Newburg High School’s J.D. Nash won the Missouri Class 1 State Championship and signed a golf
scholarship with William Woods University.
Both the Rolla High School boys’ and girls’ golf teams advanced to the state tournament as full teams in
2008. In the spring of ‘08 the RHS boys’ squad captured the Class 4 District 5 title and also finished
unbeaten in dual meet action. The RHS boys placed seventh in the Class 4 State Tournament as a team.
Individually the Bulldogs’ Will Baylor won all-state honors with a 10th-place finish. Not to be outdone,
the Lady Bulldog squad won the Class 2 District 4 title in the fall of ‘08 and at the state meet finished
ninth overall.
St. James freshman Drew Tucker advanced to the Missouri Class 3 State Tournament after winning AllFour Rivers Conference honors for the Tigers.
And it wasn’t just the young guns who sparkled. The Rolla duo of Chris Killian and Greg Doss won the
2008 Missouri Golf Association Senior Four-Ball Championship over the summer.
Injuries end season for Parry, Long
By Dave Roberts
The Rolla Daily News
Fri Dec 19, 2008, 11:58 PM CST
Rolla, Mo. - A pair of collegiate basketball players from the Rolla area have had their respective
seasons end due to injuries.
Caleb Parry, a 6-6 sophomore forward from William Woods University, suffered a knee injury
in the second game of the season.
Parry, a former all-district player from Rolla High School, began this season as a starter for
William Woods.
However, in the second game Parry tore an ACL, requiring surgery. He will miss the rest of the
season and, since he was injured in just the second game of the season, will be red-shirted for
the 2008-09 campaign.
Parry was averaging 6.0 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Owls.
Another former area standout, 6-6 freshman forward Dominique Long of Drury University,
suffered a gruesome ankle injury that puts him out for this season and possibly longer.
During a 75-73 Drury victory over Chaminade in a tournament at Honolulu, Hawaii on
Wednesday, Long went up for a rebound with less than two minutes left in the game and came
down on someone’s foot.
The impact dislocated Long’s ankle and tore all of the ligaments in the area. The foot was
reportedly dangling from the ankle.
Drury’s head coach Steve Hesser was quoted as saying, “I’ve been doing this for 30 years and
this is as bad a thing as I’ve seen.”
Long was an all-state player for Waynesville High School last season, helping the Tigers win
back-to-back district tournament championships. Waynesville was a Class 5 quarterfinalist last
season.
Before suffering the injury Long was second on the Panthers in scoring with a 12.2 average.
Dakota Wesleyan University December 18, 2008
#21 in the NAIA Nation
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University men’s and women’s golf teams were both
extremely successful during the fall portion of their 2008-09 seasons, and as a result, both Tiger
teams are ranked in the Top 25 NAIA Golf Fall Ratings, which were released on Dec. 3.
The DWU women’s team received 165 total points in the poll, and are ranked 18th in the 2008
NAIA Women’s Golf Fall Rating. The Tiger men’s squad received 178 points, and are the 21stranked team in the 2008 NAIA Men’s Golf Fall Rating.
Dakota Wesleyan is one of only 11 NAIA schools to have both its men’s and women’s golf
teams simultaneously rated in the Top 25 of the 2008 Golf Fall Ratings. The other 10 schools are
California Baptist University, the University of British Columbia, William Woods University
(Mo.), Berry College (Ga.), the University of Victoria (B.C.), Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho),
Northwood University (Texas), Lindenwood University (Mo.) and Savannah College of Art and
Design (Ga.).
The NAIA Golf Ratings only come out once each fall, in early December. There will be four
ratings released in the spring, and a final rating, which will be released just prior to the NAIA
National Tournament selections. The spring ratings will be released on Feb. 24, March 24, April
7 and April 21, with the final rating slated to be released on May 7.
2008 NAIA Men’s Golf Fall Rating
1. University of British Columbia (10). 2. Oklahoma City University (6). 3. Oklahoma Christian
University. 4. Wayland Baptist University. 5. University of South Carolina-Beaufort (1). 6.
Malone University (Ohio). 7. Oklahoma Baptist University. 8. University of Victoria (B.C.). 9.
Berry College (Ga.). 10. Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.). 11. Lee University (Tenn.).
12. Texas Wesleyan University. T13. Lindenwood University (Mo.). T13. Southeastern
University (Fla.). 15. Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.). 16. Weber International
University (Fla.). 17. Missouri Valley College. 18. Northwood University (Texas). 19. Johnson
& Wales University (Fla.). 20. Southern Nazarene University (Okla.). 21. Dakota Wesleyan
University (S.D.). 22. Saint Ambrose University (Iowa). 23. William Woods University (Mo.).
24. Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho). 25. California Baptist University.
Articles Regarding Higher Education
Jan. 5, 2009
Higher-ed document warns of dire impact
By JENNA YOUNGS of the Tribune’s staff
Published Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Summarizing what public colleges and universities have said during the past few weeks, the Missouri Department of
Higher Education on Monday completed a report and sent it to the legislature re-emphasizing that appropriation cuts of
between 15 percent and 25 percent would have dire effects on the state’s economy
and higher-education institutions.
Earlier this month, state agencies were asked to report how budget cuts of 15, 20
and 25 percent could affect services. Gov.-elect Jay Nixon is expected to face a
$340 million shortfall this fiscal year because of declining state revenues.
Deputy higher education Commissioner Paul Wagner said in an accompanying news
release that colleges and universities have only recently begun to recover from
funding deficits incurred after a large cut in appropriations in 2002. Missouri ranks
47th in the nation in per capita state support for higher education.
On the Web
• The Department of Higher
Education report is available
at:
www.dhe.mo.gov/files/
summaryimpact_final.pdf
"Enrollment statewide has increased by 15,000 students while institutions have been financially squeezed to maintain the
same levels of academic quality," Wagner said. "I think, if the cuts are made, Missouri will slip even farther behind other
states at a time when we need to reinvigorate the economy, raise worker productivity and compete globally with an
educated work force."
According to the report, state higher-education institutions contribute more than $3 billion to the state’s economy annually,
mostly through staff and faculty salaries. If cuts come to fruition, many of the institutions said they would need to lay off
employees to reduce deficits, the report said. Other potential cost-saving measures include large tuition increases,
phasing out academic programs and deferring maintenance projects. Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis said cuts
of 20 percent to 25 percent could threaten the school’s existence.
"This context makes it clear that higher education should be a last resort for core cuts as the state addresses its budget
challenge," the report said. "Missouri’s public colleges and universities are already among the most poorly funded in the
nation. To cut institutions’ operating budgets further will have both short and long-term negative implications for Missouri
students, their families, their communities and the ability of the state to grow its economy."
University of Missouri System President Gary Forsee said the university will work with government officials to show the
institution wants to be a "partner" in finding solutions to the troubled economy.
"I can’t, frankly, think of a more important opportunity to work with Gov.-elect Jay Nixon," Forsee said during a news
conference Friday. When the General Assembly "comes back into session, we want to be sure they know we want to
help. … We want to be a part of the solution. We want to be a resource to them and a prize along the way as they start to
reach real conclusions."
University report warns of job loss, tuition increases
By JENNA YOUNGS of the Tribune’s staff
Published Friday, December 19, 2008
University of Missouri administrators are sending a message to lawmakers that students, faculty and staff won’t be
the only ones to suffer if the state significantly cuts its funding. It will deal a blow to the economy and health care that
all Missourians will feel, they say.
Responding to a request to show how it would deal with state appropriation cuts
of 15, 20 and 25 percent, the university laid out scenarios including massive job
losses, cuts to benefits and wages and steep tuition increases. "A budget
reduction of 15 percent to 25 percent or $60 to $100 million would have a
dramatic impact on the university," system President Gary Forsee said in a
report released yesterday.
The report was a response to a request by Department of Higher Education
Commissioner Robert Stein, who asked all public colleges and universities to
submit contingency plans in the face of possible reductions in funding from the
cash-strapped state.
Download
• UM Budget Scenarios
[PDF]
• Health Care Budget
Scenarios [PDF]
• Other Curator Program
Budget Scenarios [PDF]
Most of the reports, including Missouri State University’s, were two to four pages in length; the University of
Missouri’s report totaled 38 pages, including separate reports for a variety of university-related programs.
In an introductory letter, Forsee said the university wants to be "a part of the solution to the state’s economic crisis."
Last month, the university implemented a systemwide hiring freeze.
"We take our responsibility as stewards of taxpayer investment seriously and understand the importance of being
effective and efficient with scarce state resources," he wrote. "However, as this document outlines, we want to state
that there will be a significant negative effect felt by citizens across our state - not just our faculty, staff and students should the full measure of these reductions take place across our university’s four campuses."
Limits in programs including health care and Extension education would hurt Missourians, the reports says. For
example, University of Missouri Health Care, which is called a "safety-net hospital for Mid-Missouri" and provides
more than $40 million in uncompensated care annually, could have to limit programs and cut its work force. The
Missouri Rehabilitation Center would need to limit its average patient census from 45 to 40 patients if it receives a 20
percent cut, the report said.
Forsee has described the report as a "high-level" plan without specifics. In the report, he wrote that detailed plans
would need to be formulated by working with faculty, staff, students and the Board of Curators over the next several
months and would depend on the specific reduction in state support.
To demonstrate how dire a budget cut for the UM System could be, the report shows that a loss in state support of
15 to 25 percent would be equivalent to one of the following:
● A reduction of 800 to 1,400 faculty and staff positions.
● The elimination of multiple academic departments or colleges on each campus.
● A 37 to 62 percent reduction in benefit programs, such as the employee retirement plan.
● A 10 to 17 percent reduction in salaries and wages.
● A tuition increase of 16 to 27 percent.
The report stressed that each of these figures represent solutions if only one area were considered, and reductions
in a combination of the different areas would be needed to avoid overburdening any one part of the system.
"One of the balancing acts we have as a land-grant university is access and affordability to education," Forsee said
this morning.
"Throughout the past few years, the funding mechanism has shifted the burden onto students through tuition," he
said. "We are very aware of the issue. From our perspective, we are going to be representing the issue of our
students."
The report said the university is 11 percent more efficient in its cost per full-time equivalent student than in 2001.
The Department of Higher Education expects to compile the reports and send them to state legislators on Monday.
Reach Jenna Youngs at (573) 815-1733 or [email protected].
UM officials pitch good stewardship
Leaders point to deferred construction.
By JENNA YOUNGS of the Tribune’s staff
Published Saturday, December 20, 2008
University of Missouri System leaders are taking pains to show they are reducing expenses to avoid cuts to programs that
are critical to the institution’s mission to serve Missourians.
During a news conference yesterday, UM-Kansas City Chancellor Leo Morton said
his staff was working in a "cold building" because thermostats had been turned down
to save on energy costs, and UM-St. Louis Chancellor Tom George said the building
that houses the campus’ administrators has a leaky roof.
Although temperature changes and deferred maintenance projects won’t be the
solution to a potential budget crisis facing the UM System, officials say the campuses
are trying to be more efficient to reduce the effect of budget cuts.
Read More
• List of construction
projects deferred by the
UM system [PDF]
During the news conference, UM System President Gary Forsee and campus chancellors, most of who participated in the
news conference via teleconference, addressed the plan the system submitted to the Department of Higher Education
that outlines how it would deal with state appropriation cuts of 15 percent to 25 percent.
Officials stressed that the UM System has been finding ways to cut expenditures during the past eight years, and one of
the biggest money-saving measures has been deferring construction and renovation projects.
Each campus and the UM System have looked for alternate ways to fund construction projects to avoid using general
operating funds.
Forsee said last week during the Board of Curators meeting in St. Louis that a list of 73 construction projects that cost
about $737 million was sent to President-elect Barack Obama to consider in a proposed stimulus package.
One of the delayed projects on the Columbia campus is an update of the sprinkler systems in Jesse Hall and other
"historic" campus buildings.
"We’ve been fortunate that we’ve not had to use the sprinkler system in Jesse recently," MU Chancellor Brady Deaton
said. "It’s very important in an insurance scheme to ensure" updated sprinklers "are there in the future and, beyond that,
all steps are being taken to ensure safety of" campus "buildings."
Deaton said MU is not compromising staff and student safety to cut spending, but projects such as the sprinkler update
must be delayed.
"There are a number of projects slated to get underway that are simply put on hold until we can get a clearer sense of the
budget picture," he said. "We manage as best we can, but it’s just one of the tradeoffs we have to expect."
Forsee said the plan he submitted Thursday was intended to "broadly restate one more time with facts that the University
of Missouri has been a good steward of taxpayers and all of our supporters."
While deferring maintenance projects has been happening for years, more recently the university instituted a hiring freeze
to save money in case the state legislature cuts appropriations next year or withholds funds this year.
"We started the discussions of potential coming issues months ago," Forsee said. "That is exactly why we made the
difficult decision of the freeze. It was an attempt to get ahead and accrue finances that otherwise could have been held
from us."
Forsee said now that the worst-case budget scenario is known, system administrators and constituents need to be
"vigilant" in promoting the university’s importance both to state legislators and other funding sources such as private
donors.
"Frankly, I think the message has started to become clear," he said. "Higher education has in fact borne - perhaps a
disproportionate portion of - the brunt of budget cuts in the past. ... Higher education has to be viewed as part of the
solution" to the economic crisis, "and we will continue to be the loudest advocate of that."
The plan presented to the Department of Higher Education includes scenarios of large-scale layoffs and major tuition
increases, but Forsee said the UM System will do its best to protect faculty, staff and students.
"Students and faculty are job one and one in terms of things we have to pay most attention to," he said. "There will be no
louder advocates" than UM System leaders. "No more support could be found than what you see from leadership of the
university."
Reach Jenna Youngs at (573) 815-1733 or [email protected].
University cuts worry faculty
One campus scenario trims almost $60 million.
By JENNA YOUNGS of the Tribune’s staff
Published Thursday, December 18, 2008
Even University of Missouri Budget Director Tim Rooney was surprised by the most recent worst-case scenario
budget deficit projection yesterday afternoon.
If MU receives a state allocation decrease of 25 percent and can’t by law raise tuition by
more than about 1 percent, it could face a $58.6 million deficit in its $474 million general
operating budget next year.
As faculty and administrators in a packed auditorium groaned and whispered in response to
a PowerPoint presentation displaying the dire prediction, Rooney looked at it and said, "Oh
God, I hadn’t seen that one yet."
During a special meeting of MU’s faculty, Rooney presented various calculations for what
state budget cuts could mean for the university. University of Missouri System President
Deaton
Gary Forsee is expected to file a plan today at the request of the state Department of
Higher Education showing how the system would deal with potential cuts to its budget of
15, 20 and 25 percent, which amounts to systemwide decreases of between $65 million and $105 million.
For MU, the cuts would be more significant than at any of other campuses in the system. And when the amount
that MU is allowed to raise tuition to offset the deficit is factored in, the numbers are grim. The university is
prohibited by state statute from raising tuition more than the rise in the national consumer price index for the
previous year. It was announced Tuesday that the national CPI rose only 1.1 percent over the previous 12month period. Before the economy began to slide a few months ago, Rooney said, university officials were
expecting the rise in the CPI to be around 4 percent for the year.
MU’s Faculty Council called the special meeting of the full faculty yesterday to give members the opportunity to
talk to Chancellor Brady Deaton and Rooney about the plan to deal with potential cuts in state appropriations.
Deaton said he has not seen a final version of Forsee’s plan but has worked on drafts with system officials and
provided input.
After Rooney presented the dollar figures, ranging from $35.1 million to $58.6 million, Deaton took questions
from the audience. A main concern for many was whether there would be layoffs or salary reductions.
"There is no anticipation of any layoffs or reduction in salaries," Deaton said, "but we can’t make any promises.
As we address these issues, we would certainly make efforts to protect our faculty, and I cannot conceive any
reduction for a person making less than $40,000 per year."
Deaton said he could "map out one or more plans" to avoid salary reductions and layoffs, but he didn’t specify
what those plans could be. He stressed that increasing faculty salaries "has long been a priority" for him, and
the deficit numbers displayed include the Compete Missouri plan to raise faculty salaries to the mean of
Association of American Universities public institutions’ salaries.
"We can whack that out" and reduce the projected deficit, he said. "We have not simulated" salary "reductions to
meet our goals."
Deaton called Forsee’s plan "high level" and said neither he nor Forsee could get into what specifically could be
cut until they have a better idea of what state allocations will be. Deaton said the university likely will have a
better idea about the budget in late April or May, when the General Assembly drafts next year’s budget. In
January or February, the university will find out whether the state is withholding any of its budget for this fiscal
year, Deaton said.
MU spokeswoman Mary Jo Banken said the university also could appeal to the Department of Higher Education
to raise tuition higher than the CPI if need be, but it’s too early to consider that because "everything remains so
uncertain."
Reach Jenna Youngs at (573) 815-1733 or [email protected].
University signs on to new 500-acre research park
By JENNA YOUNGS of the Tribune’s staff
Published Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The city of Blue Springs, near Kansas City, and the University of Missouri announced a partnership yesterday to
develop the Missouri Innovation Park, a 500-acre research park that organizers hope will focus on biosciences and
technology.
Blue Springs spokeswoman Meredith Parrish said the park, which includes a startup cost of up to $70 million to
purchase land on the south side of Interstate 70 near the Adams Dairy Parkway, is in its early planning stages and
should start seeing tenants move in within the next five to 10 years. MU will be the facility’s "anchor tenant" and will
run the Mizzou Innovation Center, although MU will not be involved in paying for the development of the site, MU
spokesman Christian Basi said.
According to a memorandum of understanding signed by Chancellor Brady Deaton, Blue Springs Economic
Development Corp. President Brien Starner and Blue Springs Mayor Carson Ross, the Mizzou Innovation Center will
consolidate offices MU has in the Kansas City area for such things as student recruitment and alumni relations. It
also will be used to house research, University of Missouri Extension programs and the small business development
center operations.
MU initially will be housed in a single building but might expand to other buildings with total space of between 10,000
and 60,000 square feet, the memorandum said.
MU Provost Brian Foster said the university has been in discussions with officials in Blue Springs for more than a
year about occupying space in the park and that the park is a good fit for MU research projects.
"Our strengths at the university in research match those in the greater" Kansas City "area, especially in animal and
human health and alternative energy sources," Foster said.
Foster said MU will have some operational costs once the park is open but it’s too early to know what those costs
would be. He believes, though, that MU projects at the park will "pay for themselves."
Parrish said the research park will be developed in two phases, with the planning stage expected to last between 12
and 18 months. She said funding options for the project are still being considered, although Kansas City Power &
Light, the city of Blue Springs and the Blue Springs Economic Development Corp. provided initial seed capital to get
the project started.
Funding options include private investments and possible public taxes, she said.
Parrish said organizers have discussed the project with a number of legislators including U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill,
D-Mo.; state Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee’s Summit, and state Rep. Bryan Pratt, R-Blue Springs.
"We’re looking to push legislation for establishing" tax increment financing, Parrish said. "No funding has been
confirmed yet, but that could change within the next couple of months."
Parrish said the partnership with MU should "excite neighboring communities" and encourage other businesses to
get involved with the research park.
"It’s going to be a fusion and exchange of private and public resources in a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary facility,"
she said.
Posted: Friday, Dec 19, 2008 - 10:11:11 am CST
New federal swimming pool law forces temporary closure of
Westminster pool
By DON NORFLEET
The Fulton Sun
A new federal law requiring anti-drowning drain covers in public swimming pools has forced the temporary closing of
the indoor pool at Westminster College in Fulton.
Dan Haslag, executive director of plant operations at Westminster, said the age of the pool will require it to be drained
and retrofitted with a new pool drain cover.
“We also need to install a flow meter and relief valves,” Haslag said.
Vaughan Pools and Spas of Jefferson City is doing the work for Westminster. “We believe it will cost about $2,500 to
complete all of the work,” Haslag said.
The work should be completed and the pool reopened by the start of the new semester at Westminster in midJanuary, Haslag said.
The indoor pool at the Missouri School for the Deaf in Fulton may not be covered under the new regulations, according
to John Jacobs, a maintenance engineer at the school.
Jacobs said no one can give him an answer on whether the pool does or does not meet the new regulations. “Our best
assessment now is that our pool does not have to meet the regulations because the drain grating is larger than the
new standards that specify gratings from 18 to 23 inches wide,” Jacobs said.
Jacob said he understands it's not possible to purchase a large drain cover needed at MSD that would comply with the
new law because it is not available on the market.
The outdoor Fulton Parks and Recreation swimming pool is closed for the winter. Clay Caswell, director of Fulton Parks
and Recreation, said he believes the city's pool near Fulton High School needs only minor adjustments to be in
compliance but the department will study the issue more in the spring well before the pool is opened.
“Our pool water is circulated by a gravity flow system and our belief now is that only minor changes will be needed.
The regulations are unclear and we expect there will be some more clarification by spring. We studied this issue
extensively about five months ago and we will revisit the issue this spring,” Caswell said.
Thousands of public swimming pools around the nation may be forced to close on Saturday under a new federal law
unless new anti-drowning drain covers are installed.
But the federal government reports it does not have the staff to enforce the new law passed a year ago and going into
effect this week. The federal government says it will enforce what it can but it is relying mostly on enforcement from
state and local authorities.
Those agencies are likely to be reluctant to act because the federal law is vague and many manufacturers have not
started to make larger-sized drain covers.
The new federal law that goes into effect today is designed to prevent drain suction from trapping children under
water.
The rules apply to pools and spas used by the public, including municipal pools and those at hotels, private clubs,
apartment buildings and community centers.
Brent Brockmeyer, a sales representative of Vaughan Pools in Jefferson City, said some of the new hump-shaped pool
drain covers are available at the mid-Missouri business.
Brockmeyer said he understands that new drain covers are required for any pool with grates measuring less than 18
by 23 inches or 29 inches diagonally. But the law is confusing and other sizes may also be covered, he added.
Brockmeyer said Vaughan Pools has in stock the new drain covers for the common smaller sizes. They include models
measuring six by six inches, nine by nine inches and 12 by 12 inches.
“We do not have the 18 inch by 18 inch models. They are not in distribution yet. But if someone calls and asks for
them we will make a record of it that they attempted to secure them but they were unavailable. I understand that will
help them if they later encounter enforcement problems,” Brockmeyer said.
Brockmeyer said he had handled numerous requests from hotels and other indoor pool operators throughout Central
Missouri. “But many odd sizes are simply not available,” he said.
Brockmeyer said the new six-inch round drain covers cost only about $20. The 12 by 12-inch drain covers are about
$160, he added.
Some pools may also need a vacuum switch that would engage automatically if an obstruction is sensed in the drain.
The switch cuts electrical power to the pump motor, disabling the pump and releasing anyone held underwater by the
pump suction.
Nancy Nord, acting chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said the agency will focus at first on public
baby pools and wading pools, as well as in-ground spas that have flat drain grates on the bottom and just one drain
system.
Nord said Congress did not give her agency the $7 million needed to enforce the law. For this reason, the federal
government expects states to take on much of the enforcement responsibility.
The National Swimming Pool Foundation, a nonprofit group in Colorado Springs, Colo., said about 80 percent of the
300,000 public pools and spas in the United States do not comply with the new rules and may have to close until they
can be brought into compliance.
The foundation estimated it would cost from $1,000 to $15,000 per pool to install new drain covers.
The legislation bans the manufacture, sale or distribution of pool drain covers after Dec. 19 that do not meet antientrapment safety standards.
New models use hump-shaped drain covers rather than the flat style that more easily attains suction with a child's
body.
Alan Korn, public policy director of the Washington-based nonprofit group Safe Kids Worldwide, said the vast majority
of American swimmers don't realize that the bottom of pools and spas and wading pools are a hidden hazard,
especially to small children.
Korn said one person dies because of pool or spa drain suction in a typical year. His agency cited 33 deaths of children
under age 14 between 1985 and 2004.
The new drain-cover rule also applies to new portable hot tubs sold for backyard use by consumers. The rules do not
apply to existing hot tubs.
Students find work in service pays off
Some colleges offer football-like scholarships for community work
By JUSTIN POPE Associated Press
Jan. 1, 2009, 11:51PM
DAVID DUPREY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Her hospice volunteer work in Belize has provided Kara Pennino, shown before Christmas outside the private Harley
School in Brighton, N.Y., a full tuition scholarship to Drew University in New Jersey.
WITH the hospice care volunteer work she's done in Belize, Kara Pennino is one of those millions of youngsters
challenging the myth of the selfish teenager.
But while the Rochester, N.Y., high school senior always figured her service work might impress a college, she never
imagined it could help make college more affordable.
So she was stunned earlier this month when she got her acceptance letter from Drew University in New Jersey. She
stopped reading after "Congratulations" to celebrate with her teary-eyed mom.
It was mom who noticed the second letter — telling Kara she'd won a new community service scholarship Drew was
offering that would cover her full tuition, which runs just under $36,000 this year.
Ask college administrators about what sets this generation of current and aspiring college students apart and they'll
quickly bring up their volunteer spirit. An estimated three-quarters of high school students do some volunteering, and the
rapidly growing number of college students who volunteer is estimated at around 3.3 million.
But while college admissions offices like to see service work from applicants, they've rarely rewarded it with financial aid
— or at least not the way they do for star athletes and students with high SAT scores. Of the $29 billion U.S. colleges and
universities awarded in institutional grants last year, only a tiny fraction goes to service scholarships.
Focus of future?
In the short-term that may not change much, with colleges squeezing their aid budgets to help students in sudden
financial need because of the economy.
But longer-term, service-based merit aid looks like an idea with momentum. Colleges are catching up to the interests of an
especially civic-minded generation of students, building curricula around service-learning and eager to attract the most
ambitious students.
And backers are excited about the election of Barack Obama, who made federal financial aid in exchange for community
service his centerpiece college affordability campaign proposal.
The federal work-study program now requires schools to use 7 percent of their funds paying students for community
service work.
Adding support
Seventy-nine colleges match tuition awards students earn through AmeriCorps, the federal community service program.
In November, Drew announced plans to spend $1 million annually supporting 12 service-minded students per incoming
class.
The College of New Jersey and Tufts University are among schools with similar programs, and 27 colleges partner with
an organization called the Bonner Foundation to provide four-year service scholarships to about 1,500 students (the
foundation also works with about 50 other institutions in a separate but related program).
Other schools, like Duke, offer scholarships that are at least partly service-based.
Wayne Meisel, president of the Bonner Foundation, says he's been challenging higher education leaders to develop
50,000 service-related scholarships by the end of the decade. "I've had these conversations with college presidents, and
they say that's the kind of financial aid package we provide our football players," Meisel said. "I'm like, 'Exactly. That's the
idea.'"
Kristina Merced, a freshman at The College of New Jersey from Hoboken, spends time at least three days per week
tutoring and mentoring at a Trenton high school that prepares students for careers in the medical field.
She also works with them on their own service projects and college prep.
She wasn't aware of the program when she applied to TCNJ but was thrilled to learn she would get 100 percent of her
tuition covered.
"It really helps draw people into TCNJ, especially if you didn't get a big financial package," she said. "Any little dollar
helps."
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i18/18a00102.htm
From the issue dated January 9, 2009
Colleges Protect Workers and Cut Elsewhere
By GOLDIE BLUMENSTYK
Most colleges have steered through the first jolts of the recession without resorting to layoffs, cutting employee
benefits, or imposing across-the-board freezes on hiring. But the economic pain is afflicting campuses in many
other ways, according to the findings from a new survey of chief business officers conducted last month by The
Chronicle and Moody's Investors Service.
Slightly more than one in 10 colleges had laid off employees, and another 26 percent were considering doing so,
survey responses from more than 200 public and private four-year colleges showed.
While few institutions have imposed total freezes on hiring faculty members (5 percent) or staff members (7
percent), more than 40 percent said they had imposed partial freezes on faculty hiring, and nearly 60 percent
had done so for other staff positions. (See tables, Page A14.)
The survey results suggest that colleges are taking pains to avoid reducing the benefits of current employees —
only about 6 percent said they had reduced benefits, and 18 percent of the remaining ones were considering
such a step. But more than one-third of all respondents said they had already frozen salaries or delayed
increases, and more than half of the rest said they expected to.
Roger Goodman, a Moody's senior analyst for higher education, said he was struck by the proportions of those
considering hiring freezes or pay cuts. Colleges are "taking a cautious approach to planning," he said, which
seems appropriate.
Unlike other sectors of the economy, such as restaurants and retail, "which have already seen sharp declines in
their revenues," he noted, colleges probably won't begin to feel the full impact of the downturn until the fall,
when they enroll their next incoming classes.
"It's good that they have time to plan," said Mr. Goodman. "But it also means that the stakes for getting it wrong
are much higher." Colleges need to realize that if they plan their expenses on the basis of a certain level of
enrollment but fail to meet it, they must "live with it for four years."
The survey, which institutions answered anonymously, was sent to nearly 900 public and private nonprofit
institutions, including those that Moody's follows for its bond-rating service and about 300 others with budgets
of $20-million or more.
While the survey is not fully representative of higher education, the results suggest that colleges on the whole
haven't been cutting jobs as extensively as have employers in other industries. For example, a survey in
December of 117 companies across a variety of industries by Watson Wyatt & Company, a human-resourcesconsulting company, found that almost two in five companies had already made layoffs, and that nearly one in
five planned to do so in the next 12 months.
Still, as Mr. Goodman noted, for a sector like higher education, which has been in a largely expansive mode for
two decades, even the need for broad hiring freezes and spending cuts "is a substantial change" in culture.
Differing Pressure Points
The sources of financial pressure for private colleges are different than those for public institutions, and the
survey responses reflect that.
For example, 60 percent of the public-college respondents said they had made midyear budget cuts in areas
unrelated to compensation, while only 43 percent of the private-college respondents had made similar midyear
cuts. For many of those public institutions, the cuts were likely to have been imposed as part of statewide
mandates.
Private colleges, meanwhile, are feeling the reverberations of the financial squeeze brought on by job losses and
the credit crunch, which are making it more difficult for some families to afford tuition bills. Nearly a quarter of
all private-college respondents said they expected their retention rates from the fall to the spring semester to be
slightly or substantially worse than last year's. By contrast, 13 percent of respondents at public colleges, which
tend to be less expensive, said they expected unusual declines in retention.
A vast majority of private-college respondents, 83 percent, said they planned to keep their tuition increases for
next year lower than the average of the past three years, a sign of concern about scaring off cost-conscious
families. But nearly half of all public institutions said they expected their tuition increase to be higher than the
average of the past three years, presumably to make up for revenue they will lose because of cuts in state
support.
Colleges' other major source of revenue, private donations, is also under stress. Nearly 60 percent of all colleges
said were already seeing a decline in their annual giving totals to date, though less than 30 percent said they
planned to lower their overall annual giving goals. (See related story, Page A16.)
Preserving Continuity
At some colleges, moves to insulate personnel from cuts have been deliberate. "We don't want to poison the
environment and make the employees pay the price of the economy," said Philip A. Hawkey, executive vice
president at the University of La Verne. The private institution, which has several locations in California, has
not reduced pay or benefits but is considering a range of changes including voluntary furloughs, larger teaching
loads, and consolidation of departments and administrative functions.
Mr. Hawkey was one of 10 chief financial officers who identified himself and his institution when answering
the survey and agreed to be interviewed by The Chronicle.
A smaller institution, the College of Saint Rose, in Albany, N.Y., said it is trying to avoid layoffs because many
of its departments are run by one or two people and "there is a need for continuity," said Marcus F. Buckley,
vice president for finance and administration. The college has delayed planned renovations on its library and the
last phase of a renovation of Albertus Hall, a key academic building.
Half of all respondents to the survey said they had or were planning to postpone or cancel building projects.
Among the private colleges, 48 percent said yes to that question; among the public colleges, the proportion was
58 percent, which may indicate that their projects, like their overall budgets, may be subject to statewide cuts.
The University of Missouri system, expecting such cuts — perhaps as deep as 25 percent in the next fiscal
year — has already imposed a freeze on hiring for all but the most crucial faculty and staff positions, said
Natalie Krawitz, vice president for finance and administration.
The four-campus system is weighing a range of other options, including furloughs, consolidating academic
programs, increasing faculty workloads, and adjusting class schedules to make fuller use of campus facilities.
Ms. Krawitz said the additional measures would be painful because the institutions still have not recovered from
recession-related cuts imposed early this decade. "We were on a plan to get back to 2001 funding by 2010," she
said.
Even officials in states that have not been hit as hard by the recession, like Oregon, are worried. Public colleges
there have not made any layoffs, said Jay D. Kenton, vice chancellor for finance and administration in the
Oregon University System, and they are slated to receive increases from the state in the next biennial budget.
But that could change as the economy chills. "We're waiting for the other shoe to drop," he said.
'Full Steam Ahead'
Not all of the survey responses were negative. Gary L. Carter, chief financial officer of Union University, in
Jackson, Tenn., said he expected no need to freeze hiring or cut spending. "Our retention for the spring looks as
good as it's ever been," he said. The institution, which saw 60 percent of its student housing destroyed in a
tornado in February, managed to rebuild all of it by the start of the fall semester and is in the process of
expanding to a location near Nashville. The new housing and the college's relatively low cost — tuition, room,
and board amount to about $26,000 a year — makes it appealing to many families, he said.
And then there was this, from Donald Aungst, chief financial officer at Upper Iowa University, who sent an
even more optimistic message with his survey responses: "We do not plan to defer our expansion plans. We
intend to charge full steam ahead."
Mr. Aungst was completing the survey from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he added, where he and a delegation
from the college were working to cement academic alliances and create new ones.
The university, he wrote, was not considering any of the cutbacks or retrenchments mentioned in the survey:
"We believe global students will need a UIU education even more during these tough times, and we plan to
answer the call."
December 19, 2008
New Phone Fee Could Cost Colleges $450-Million
The extensive web of telephone services om most campuses could soon cost the average college or university
an extra $100,000 per year—and cost higher education in general hundreds of millions—because of a proposed
change to a federally-regulated service fee.
On Dec. 11 the American Council on Education sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission
protesting a change in something called the “universal service fund.” The fund, run by the FCC, is used to
subsidize service in rural and low-income areas, providing customers affordable rates.
The change, proposed by telecoms AT&T and Verizon, would charge institutions 85 cents per assigned
telephone number, according to an earlier letter drafted by the council. Previously, colleges were charged fees
using a formula based on their revenues. The Association for Information Communications Technology
Professionals in Higher Education has estimated that, with the new fee-per-phone number plan, higher
education’s contribution to the fund would jump from $60-million each year to approximately $450-million.
The average college or university would pay about $100,000 annually.
Ada Meloy, general counsel for the American Council on Education, said the increased charges would be
especially difficult for colleges and universities to handle in the face of budget cuts brought on by tough
economic conditions.
“There are certainly colleges that are severely taxed financially, and to impose such a large increase in their
expense for this service could put someone over the edge,” Ms. Meloy said in an interview with The Chronicle.
Most colleges would probably have the means to pay for the increase, she said, “but it might mean that money
has to be taken from other purposes that are really more beneficial to the institutions and their students.
In response to these concerns, AT&T has suggested that the FCC set up a program that would allow colleges
that qualify for exemption to receive reimbursement later on. The council, however, has said this approach
would create an administrative burden. It has requested the FCC delay making any changes until they can be
further reviewed. —Caitlin Moran
Posted on Friday December 19, 2008 WTOV9.com
Private Colleges Work To Prevent
Enrollment Drop
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 – updated: 7:07 pm EST December 23, 2008
WHEELING, W.Va. -- Officials at Wheeling Jesuit University said with the looks of
the current economy, the college started taking steps early to prevent a big drop in
enrollment.
"We began by starting to recruit students a little earlier in the process. We
improved our communication stream to the same students when they were
juniors," said the university’s Dean of Enrollment, Denny Bardos.
Costing thousands more per year than public and community colleges, private
colleges, like WJU stand to lose out as the economy gets worse. Bardos said
enrollment numbers are on par with years past, even at a 10-year high. It's the
future he's worried about.
"We are concerned, as are a lot of folks, given the current state of the economy,”
he said. “And we'll definitely be going to look at the financial aid awards a little bit
more closely this year."
He said families of current and prospective students are doing the same, taking
another look at college savings plans and asking the university how it can help their
child get through the undergraduate years.
"We've heard from more families of current students here asking us to relook at the
financial awards of the students," Bardos said.
At a university that costs nearly $24,000 per year, Bardos said they're doing
everything they can to help the average family send its kids college.
"We've even discussed with our board members the possibility of having a tuition
freeze for this year," he said.
On the flipside, Bardos said the current state of the economy can sometimes fare
well for universities.
Young people who may normally head straight for the workforce after high school
enroll in classes, while other working people train for a new career.