Thinking About Graduation?

A new term has just begun, but it's not too early to be thinking about graduation. Many of you have already begun to plan your next graduation ceremony. To help you make the most of that special day for your staff and students, Academic Affairs has updated the Extended Campus Graduation Information Form. Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with this form.

You will notice some important changes on the form. In addition to providing you with the opportunity to use our cool Commencement Banners (modeled here so expertly by our own Michelle Nelson and Tami Minley) for your ceremony, Academic Affairs will also be coordinating your requests for main campus representation. This will allow for better utilization of internal resources and increase the chances of getting the speakers and/or representatives you request. Also, please note it is very important to have all contracts with relation to your graduations reviewed and approved by the Finance Office. Therefore, you are asked to e-mail contracts to your appropriate AVP, who will send them on to the Finance Office.

In order to begin our planning, we are compiling a master list of graduation dates. If you have already reserved dates for your upcoming ceremonies (and we know you have!), please take a moment to fill out our Upcoming Graduation Dates form.

Denver Takes the C.U.R.E.

The Denver Metro Campus participated in Webster Works Worldwide on Saturday, October 24, at Project C.U.R.E. They sorted and packaged medical supplies donated by hospitals and medical companies that are sent overseas to various countries in need of these supplies.CRC Kristen Nugent reports that the day was a success with staff, faculty, alumni and students all participating, and she offers a big shout-out to the Denver alumni chapter who provided lunch for everyone before volunteering!

Charleston Campuses Help Area Teachers

On Wednesday, October 7, as part of Webster Works Worldwide 15, the Charleston Metro Campus and Charleston Air Force Base Campus students, alumni, faculty and staff donated school supplies to the Teachers’ Supply Closet. The Teachers’ Supply Closet is a non-profit organization that provides FREE school supplies to teachers in the Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Tri-county area. To qualify, 90% of the students must be enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program. Our area covers 21 schools, 300 teachers and 6,500 students.

A representative group of volunteers included (L to R )Robin Sneed Wiggs, Office Manager; David Dunlap, SC Regional Director; Gary Jolly, SBT Coordinator; Cheryl Rankin, Department Representative; Bette Century Thomas, Community Relations Coordinator; and Dr. Dee Morrison, Undergraduate Program Coordinator.

WWW in KC Speaks Volumes

The KCMO Library is much more orderly now that members of the Webster-KC staff helped sort books for WWW 15! From left (front row) Yvonne Petite, academic advisor, Phyllis Harris, LIFT Coordinator, Dr. Jim Haas, Director, MAT program, (middle row) Irina Leslie, Department Representative-Registrar, Maria Kirwan, BSN coordinator, (back row) Pola Firestone, Community Relations Coordinator, Dr. Carolyn Cottrell, Regional Director, and Tina Wright, Coordinator-Financial Aid.

Administrative Drops

Please remember that all students who do not attend their first and second course meetings should be administratively dropped from their Fall 2 classes unless prior arrangements have been made with their instructors. This should be done for financial aid purposes to ensure students who are not attending courses are also not receiving financial aid disbursements. It also saves a great deal of time and effort spent clearing up these types of situations after the fact. If a student is dropped after missing the first class period, but then attends the second class meeting, s/he can always be added back into the class.

Please keep in mind that while the University reserves the right to administratively drop students who do not attend the first or the first and second class meetings, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to manage her or his own registrations and course schedule. Students may not rely on this administrative policy to later claim that they assumed the University would drop them.

Questions? Please contact Lori Sherrill (314-246-7468, sherrils@webster.edu) or Don Morris (314-968-7444, morrisdo@webster.edu).

Staying Healthy at the Orlando Campuses

The seasonal flu won’t get the Orlando campuses down.  Webster University, Orlando, FL, held flu shot clinics at both of their Orlando campuses in October.  Flu shots were available to students, faculty, staff, and surrounding businesses for a discounted rate through Florida Hospital’s Centra Care Clinics.

Pictured is Orlando’s Assistant Director, Lori Burbank being brave and getting her flu shot.

(Almost) Everything You Might Want to Know About Administrative Policies, But Couldn't Remember Where to Find It....

A good place to start is with our exclusively-for-you Extended Campus Administration Web site. We are continually working to make it a one-stop-shop for you most often requested information, with links to University forms and information tailored specially for our extended campus staff.

It's not that you can't get the information elsewhere (well sometimes you can't!), but hopefully everything you need on a regular basis you can get from this page.

If there is something you think should be added, please e-mail us and let us know...we are always looking for ways to help you get your job done.

Appeals Process

So you have a student who has applied to Webster University and is now denied because they earned their bachelor’s degree from a non-accredited university. The appeals process is their next step if they are truly committed to earning their master’s degree from Webster University. While the appeals process is the same as before, the person towhom you must send the documentation has changed. The complete process is as follows:

• The student must be denied for admission to a Webster Graduate degree program.
• The student initiates a conversation with the Campus Director regarding their interest in pursuing the appeals process.
• The Campus Director interviews the student, determines if the student possesses the academic and professional preparation to be successful in graduate coursework at Webster University. If the Campus Director determines the student to be academically prepared and are committed to backing the student, the director will then write a letter of recommendation.
• The following documents must be submitted for the appeals process:
  • A copy of the Graduate Application for Admission
  • Official transcript from the bachelor degree granting institution
  • Letter of recommendation written by the Campus Director
  • A Statement of Purpose written by the student
• All of the above documentation must be sent to the following person and address:

  Sarah Nandor
  Director of Graduate & Evening Student Admission
  Office of Admission
  Webster University
  470 East Lockwood Ave
  St. Louis, MO  63119
  314-968-7109
  nandor@webster.edu

• Upon review of the above documentation, the Campus Director and the student will be notified of the admission decision or any additional documentation that will be required. If you have questions regarding the process, contact Sarah Nandor.

The Webster Family Tree

Welcome to those staff members who recently joined the Webster family:

Mattie Hayner, Coordinator, Columbia, SC

Farewell to those departing:

None to report at this time

Congratulations to those staff members who have recently "branched out" within the Webster family:

Karen Laprell-Fudala, formerly Representative and Academic Advisor at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, has accepted the position of Director at that campus

We would like to hear from you!

Email the
Office of Academic Affairs
with your news, comments, suggestions, ideas, and insights.

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November 9, 2009