April 8, 2003

St. Louis Celebrates Campaign Success

Webster Shares International Campuses with Affiliates

News from Academic Affairs

News from Cha-am

Eden-Webster Library Holiday Hours

Did You Know?

Featured Faculty

Kampus Kudos

St. Louis Calendar Highlight

Employees of the Month

Service Anniversaries

New Employees

Condolences

St. Louis Celebrates Campaign Success

The University celebrated the close of The New Tradition campaign with an ice cream social on Thursday afternoon, March 27. President Richard S. Meyers addressed about 150 people, mostly staff members, in the Maria dining hall, which was transformed into a blooming floral extravaganza for the event. In brief remarks, the president described the campaign’s record-breaking achievements, which, he said, "transformed the educational experience" at Webster.

The campaign raised more than $43 million, surpassing the initial $30 million goal. In addition to establishing more than 50 scholarships, the campaign supported academic initiatives and expanded technology. It changed the look of the St. Louis campus with the construction of the Garden Park Plaza, an office and parking complex; and the expansion and renovation of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, including the new Jean and Wells Hobler Center for Dance, the refurbishing of the Virginia Jackson Browning Theatre and new backstage tech areas. The new Emerson Library, perhaps the campaign’s most stunning accomplishment, will serve the University worldwide for many years to come.

A closing event for major donors will take place at the Emerson Library on Thursday evening, April 10. The library officially opens July 1.

Webster Shares International Campuses with Affiliates

Guillo Rodriguez, who has served the University in a number of capacities since 1998, is now director of international projects and in charge of Study Abroad’s affiliate program. This is the first time that the University has appointed someone at such a high level to take direct responsibility for this outreach program. Jim Evans, associate vice president, Academic Affairs, says the appointment signals the program’s growing importance to the University’s international mission.

Guillo is responsible for expanding the affiliates program, which is open to other U.S. colleges and universities that want to take advantage of Webster’s international campuses and enhance study abroad opportunities for their own students. Currently 15 schools have affiliated with Webster, and Guillo says he would like to add about five schools per year to the membership over the next several years.

Oftentimes affiliate institutions, also called WIN (Webster International Network) schools, are smaller schools that lack the resources to have their own full-blown study abroad programs. By joining the affiliate program, students at these schools can participate in an international educational experience and enjoy a 10 percent tuition discount. Webster’s English-language instruction and multicultural classrooms make the affiliate program especially appealing to these schools.

Mark Beirn, coordinator, Study Abroad, assists Guillo with the affiliate program. He notes, "One of the other things that attracts some schools … is the number of business programs that we offer overseas. Business programs are harder to find than your traditional language, literature, history, or culture courses. This is an opportunity to serve business students, who are often underrepresented in study abroad programs."

Guillo says that generating revenue is one of the program’s obvious benefits to Webster, but it also "raises Webster’s visibility" among other American institutions. In addition, by delivering additional U.S. students to the European and Thai campuses, the affiliate program helps develop the American presence that Webster promises international students overseas.

Guillo promotes the program at national conferences and has arranged for school representatives to visit Webster’s international campuses. Last year, Vienna hosted one such special visit. In the future, Guillo hopes that Webster deans and other high-level administrators will be able to visit U.S. schools and describe, face to face, Webster’s high-quality programs and the unique benefits that an international experience through Webster offers.

Currently 122 students are studying abroad at a Webster campus. The group includes 10 students from affiliate schools, 12 from nonaffiliated schools, and 100 from Webster.

In addition to the tuition benefit, WIN schools that have sent a minimum of 10 students to international campuses, can also send a faculty member to teach abroad for Webster. Henry Nardone, a philosophy professor at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is the first representative from an affiliate school to enjoy this special teaching opportunity. He is teaching this semester at the Cha-am campus and recently extended his stay from eight to sixteen weeks. With 40 years of teaching behind him, this is Prof. Nardone’s first experience teaching abroad. During Spring I he taught "Critical Thinking," and in Spring II he is teaching a cross-referenced course, "Introduction to Ethics/Business Ethics." While he wishes the library were better stocked and that Webster had a better handbook to prepare visiting faculty, he says he has been very pleased with the "very supportive, friendly staff." He says the "cultural experience" in Thailand is one of the program’s important strengths. "In my 'Critical Thinking’ class I had one student from the Netherlands, one from Switzerland, and 22 from Southeast Asia, which included the countries of Nepal, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Vietnam. That makes for a very multicultural learning environment, wouldn’t you say?" He notes, "Overall, I have found my students to be very hard working and very appreciative of what you do for them. … I have found that my students find it more difficult to participate in the exchange of ideas and opinions and that they tend to hold those in authority so high that they are reluctant to disagree even when I think they should." Teaching abroad, he concludes, can be "a life-changing experience. It’s one that I am glad to have experienced."

News from Academic Affairs

NEW DIRECTORS APPOINTED

From Randy Wright, Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs

Academic Affairs is pleased to announce the appointment of new directors at Moody AFB, Brooks City-Base, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Shaw AFB, Edwards AFB and Salt Lake City and Hill AFB. The appointments are effective immediately. Please join us in welcoming these new directors to Webster University.

Robert "Rob" H. Broaden is appointed director of Webster’s newest campus, Moody AFB in Valdosta, Ga. Before moving to Moody AFB, Rob was the site representative and academic advisor at Webster University’s Hill AFB campus in Ogden, Utah. Previously, Rob served as a human resources manager and trainer in the U.S. Air Force. Since retiring from the Air Force, he has held increasingly responsible positions in higher education, including administrative positions at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and at Georgia Military College. He graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he earned a B.S. in public administration, M.B.A. and master of aeronautical science degrees.

Classes start at Moody in August 2003 and will include the M.B.A., M.A. in Human Resources Management and M.A. in Computer Resources and Information Management degrees. Rob’s telephone number is 229-257-1775, and his personal e-mail address is broa2287@bellsouth.net.

Moody AFB, is just 30 miles north of the Florida border. The base is home to the 347th Rescue Wing, the only Combat Search and Rescue Wing in the Air Force.

Joyce G. Peavy is appointed assistant director for Brooks City-Base in San Antonio, Texas. She reports directly to Ellis Harbin, regional director for the San Antonio area. Before joining Webster, Joyce’s impressive background included service as the chief of the Medical Services Directorate at Brooks AFB. She is an accomplished teacher, mentor and advisor, has published extensively and is deeply involved in improving human potential and performance. Joyce graduated from Southwest Texas State University where she earned a B.A.A.S. in management and master of public administration degrees. Joyce’s telephone number is 210-536-3373, and her e-mail address is peavy@webster.edu.

Congress created Brooks City-Base as a "technology and business center" partnership between the Air Force and the City of San Antonio to promote world-class leadership in aerospace medicine, biotechnology and life sciences.

Marsha Sands is appointed assistant director at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Ga. She reports directly to Dan Duggan, director of the Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield campuses. Marsha is a licensed counselor specializing in marriage and family counseling. She is a gifted teacher, advisor and volunteer. Marsha graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland where she earned a B.A. in psychology, and graduated with honors from Argosy University with an M.A. in psychology. Marsha’s telephone number is 912-876-8080, and her e-mail address is sands@webster.edu.

The Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield complex is the Army’s world-class training, and military armored power projection facility on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Fort Stewart, home of the 3rd Infantry Division, is the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River.

Ruth Shawhan, formerly the director at Edwards AFB has transferred, and is now the director of Webster’s newest campus located at Shaw AFB, S.C. Ruth’s background in social work, administration and teaching ensures seasoned leadership for this campus. Classes start in March 2003 with the M.B.A. and M.A. in Computer Resources and Information Management. The M.A. in Counseling is scheduled to start in Fall 2003. Ruth’s telephone number is 803-666-2254, and her e-mail address is rshawhan@webster.edu.

It all started with balloons, when Shaw AFB was organized during World War I to support the 20th Balloon Group. Today Shaw is home to the 20th Fighter Group supporting the F-16 Fighting Falcon. For more information, visit Shaw’s Web site: http://www.shaw.af.mil/

Richard Gayer is appointed as the director at Edwards AFB campus. Richard’s impressive background includes being a "top gun" instructor at Red Flag, the premiere combat-training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. Before joining Webster, Richard consulted with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and after retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps, he earned teacher certification. He is an accomplished instructor, has published extensively, and is deeply involved in improving management performance. Richard’s telephone number is 661-258-8501.

For more than 50 years, Edwards AFB has been the home of more major milestones in flight than any other place on earth. To learn more about Edwards AFB visit the Web site at http://www.edwards.af.mil.

Jeanie Erekson is promoted to director of the Salt Lake City and Hill AFB campuses. Jeanie was formerly interim director and community relations coordinator/advisor for these campuses. Before joining Webster, Jeanie was a human resources director and a senior corporate trainer responsible for curriculum development and presentations. Her background in teaching, recruiting and administration are valuable assets for these growing campuses. Jeanie’s telephone number is 801-908-8044, and her e-mail address is erekson@webster.edu.

The Hill AFB mission is to provide worldwide engineering and logistics management for weapon systems including the Minuteman III and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles. Hill’s Web site can be found at http://www.hill.af.mil.

News from Cha-am

BEACH CLEAN UP

From Nikita Poudel and Tsedon Dorji

More than 90 Webster students, faculty, staff and members of Hua Hin Municipality participated in the second annual beach clean up on March 1. This year, organizers added a sand sculpture competition to round out the day. The Hua Hin Municipality sponsored the event, along with free lunch after the clean up.

At the inauguration of the clean-up, Jira Pongpaiboon, the mayor of Hua Hin, and George Hegarty, director of the Cha-am campus, thanked their respective organizations for their support and explained the significance of the event. The mayor said that he was very pleased that Webster University had once again taken the initiative to develop team spirit and nurture and love the environment.

The beach clean up lasted from 9 a.m. until noon and extended from the southern end of Hua Hin beach, near Khao Takiab, up to the Marriott beach resort. Each participant received gloves, a garbage bag and water before the clean-up mission. A first-aid kit was available for medical emergencies, and Hua Hin municipality provided a garbage service (a truck to collect the sorted recyclables). Bottles, pieces of glass, paper wrappers, plastics and cigarette butts made up most of the waste found on the beach. Although the number of participants was less than last year, the determination and devotion to clean was far greater this year.

After the beach clean up, the first-ever sand sculpture contest, involving about 50 students and 50 local residents, took place from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. The beach was transformed into an art gallery with a huge star cruiser that even the makers of Titanic would have envied, a mysterious woman’s head, a mind fusion, a happy sun, Buddhist temples, turtles, a temple wall, Mount. Fuji, and a dinosaur. About 500 passersby seemed delighted to see such an event take place, and Webster University-Thailand was well acknowledged.

Two prominent channels, ITV and Channel 7, and Channel 11 were on location interviewing George Hegarty, Maria Triggs, the head of the special event team, and the volunteers.

Prizes were given in five categories: Overall Best, Most Creative, Best Design, Best Children’s Category and Best Adult Category. The first prize for Overall Best, consisted of 3000 baht ($75), and it went to the makers of the "mysterious woman’s head." One of the local participants said, "It is very exhausting work in the sun, but very rewarding and fun."

This event succeeded in raising Webster’s profile and generating friendliness among the local people of Hua Hin.

Nikita Poudrel is a senior, majoring in Media Communications from Nepal. Tsedon Dorji is a junior in advertising and marketing communications from Bhutan.

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Eden-Webster Library Holiday Hours

Did You Know?

WEBSTER DEFIES NATIONAL TREND WITH SURGE IN ALUMNI GIVING

Webster’s Development Office reports that while the number of alumni donors is down, compared to last year at this time, alumni giving is actually up by 10 percent. This good news goes against the national trend.

From Online Chronicle, March 12, 2003

The ripple effects of the floundering stock market and the poor economy are finally hitting home in college fund raising, a survey released today shows, as giving fell slightly in the 2002 fiscal year. The dip is the first in 14 years.

A sharp drop in gifts from alumni was the primary source of the 1.2-percent decline, according to the Council for Aid to Education, which conducts the annual Voluntary Support of Education survey. Alumni giving, which the council calls "the bedrock" of higher-education support, was off by nearly 14 percent, or about $1-billion, in 2002.

The council estimates that private gifts to colleges totaled $23.9-billion in the fiscal year that ended in June 2002. The council, which has tracked giving to colleges for more than 50 years, bases its estimate for 2002 on fund-raising reports from 955 institutions.

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Featured Faculty

DAVID CLEWELL, PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, ENGLISH

The University of Wisconsin Press has just published The Low End of Higher Things, by David Clewell, professor and chair, English. The book is the first in the press’s new poetry series, which features poets who have previously won the Brittingham Prize or the Felix Pollak Prize in poetry. David is a Brittingham winner. Billy Collins, poet laureate of the United States, says David "is an exuberant, inexhaustible poet and an insider on such diverse American arcana as forgotten Hollywood actors, flying saucers, CIA shenanigans, comic books, cereal favors, beatnik kitsch, and jazz. His unstoppable narrative energy and his multi-layered curiosity are almost enough to drive this poet out to the far right side of the page."

Here’s an excerpt from "Desperate Measures," a funny poem about serious poetry.

Charles Bolton, aka Black Bart, robbed twenty-eight Wells Fargo stagecoaches, often leaving a taunting verse in the plundered strongbox. Upon his release from San Quentin, he assured the warden that his life of crime was over. Asked if he was still going to write poetry, Bolton said, I repeat, sir. I am through with my life of crime.
—From "Black Bart, Shotgun Poet"

Part of me feels really bad about this, but it’s too late—
There’s no turning back now. Here comes another no-account poem
That someone with nothing to lose is waving in your face, and it’s time
to reach for the blue sky again. Sadly, there’s no way of knowing
if the poem is actually loaded or not. It could be just a bar of soap
carved into the plausible shape of a poem, or a dimestore water pistol
knockoff of the real thing—although history doesn’t seem to favor
jumping to those reckless conclusions. I say
better to play it safe. No one’s going to get hurt today
if you listen carefully. Remember the cardinal rule the boss recited
on your first night of clerking at the Gas & Go: there’s no arguing
with a poem. It’s too easy to get messed up, and for what,
when you get right down to it? Give the guy with the poem
anything he asks for.
Whatever you do, please don’t misunderstand
What this is all about. I want the full attention of your life
right up to this nerve-wracking moment. Give me everything you’ve got.
Don’t be caught dead on the business end of an extended metaphor.

Thomas F. Donahue, adjunct professor, Finance, Jacksonville, Fla., Metro Campus, has been retained as a consulting chief financial officer for ECSI, International, a perimeter security company in Clifton, N.J. that serves government agencies in the fight against terrorism. He also wrote the forward to Growth and Profitability: Optimizing the Finance Function for Small and Emerging Businesses, by Michael C. Donegan. (NY: John Wiley, 2002).

Stan Hanson, adjunct professor, Management, Ocala, Fla., Academic Center, delivered the keynote address at a two-day executive conference held in Shimoda, Japan. Hanson addressed the senior international human resources executives of Japan’s 12 largest manufacturing companies on the topic of "Creating a Global Organization: Human Resources’ Role."

Dave Hilditch, adjunct professor, Philosophy, continues his open discussions of philosophical issues, most recently at Marty’s Bakery at Left Bank Books in St. Louis.

Ted Hoef, dean of Student Affairs, gave the opening keynote address at a seminar on "Marketing to Build Community." Hoef spoke on "Marketing with Soul." He also helped lead a session on preparing marketing plans. The Association of College Unions International sponsored the conference.

Thomas Finan, adjunct professor, Religious Studies and History, Politics, and Law, co-authored "Cloonfree," in the Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society (Fall 2002). The article uses archaeological and literary sources in its examination of a Gaelic castle in County Roscommon, Ireland, and concludes that historians and archaeologists of medieval Ireland have often looked in the wrong places for information concerning the settlement of Gaelic royal families in medieval Ireland. Finan also published "Political Prophesy in Medieval Irish Bardic Poetry," in the New Hibernia Review (Winter 2002). The article looks at medieval bardic court poetry for references to "the prophesied one," who would come and save Ireland from invaders. He argues that this type of literature is a form of propaganda for contemporary kings, but it also helps to define the social turmoil of Gaelic Ireland in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Laura Rein, Eden-Webster Library director, Ellen Eliceiri, head of public services and references, and Kathy Gaynor, reference librarian, designed and taught a WebCT online course, entitled "All Users are Local: Bringing the Library Next Door to the Campus Worldwide." The course was requested by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and covered the design and implementation of a plan for library support of distance education. This course is the first online course offered by ACRL, and it achieved a capacity enrollment of 60 students. At ACRL’s request, the course was offered a second time.

Cheryl Dunlap, community relations coordinator/representative, Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill., has enabled the campus to meet the prerequisites necessary to open a student chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management.

Brian Kennelly, associate professor, Foreign Languages and Literatures, presented "Repeat Offenses? Sexual Abuse, Textual Self-Mutilation and the Process of Construction of Homosexual Identity in Tony Duvert’s Récidive," at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities.

Keep us posted on your professional activities and send us your story ideas by completing the UFO form.

St. Louis Calendar Highlight

Harvard Professor Will Speak

The Center for International Education presents Dr. Wolf Grüner of Harvard University, who will speak on "Genocide: A Comparative History," in the University Center Sunnen Lounge, on Thursday, April 10, from noon to 1:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information on St. Louis events, check the online calendar.

Employees of the Month

March 2003

MARIANNE KIRK, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Elizabeth "Liz" Jokerst, department associate, Communications and Journalism, and Mary Ellis, office manager, Charleston Metro Campus, share the Employee Spotlight honors for March.

Liz’s nominator says, "Liz has proven time and time again why she is so invaluable to us in Communications and Journalism." Liz’s ability to handle a heavy workload with grace and equanimity was apparent last year during a difficult time in her department. The support staff structure was reorganized to include three full-time and one part-time department associates. One of these positions was a new hire who was being trained while another associate was dealing with the untimely death of her husband. Liz’s nominator says, during this stressful time, "Liz was remarkable – never complaining, never dropping the ball … and always showing a willingness to stop her busy schedule to serve a faculty member or student. … Liz would tell you today that it was ‘just another day at the office,’ which is what really makes her worthy of this recognition."

This past fall term Liz faced another challenging situation during a classroom shortage. Her nominator says Liz handled the situation with her characteristic good humor, "In the end, her laughter, smile and positive attitude relaxed the rest of us, many of whom were wondering where our classes would be taught."

Her nominator concludes, "I can’t ever remember Liz raising her voice, directing critical comments toward others or dealing with her job in anything less than a professional, positive manner. … We are fortunate to have her on the second floor of Sverdrup. Our school is better because of her!"

Liz says, "I was surprised and elated to have my efforts acknowledged. That isn’t the reason we try to do our best, but it sure is nice to be appreciated." She has been with the University for four and a half years and with the School of Communications for three years. She says the School "has become like a second family" to her. "We all support one another and try to help each other out when needed. I work with a great group of people who make my job more interesting and rewarding."

Liz chose a day off with pay as her prize.

Mary Ellis’ nominator says Mary is an "exemplary office manager with the knowledge that only a few in her position maintain." Directors and staff from other sites often call Mary when they need information about how to go about accomplishing tasks that are essential to their operations.

Mary has been with Webster for 18 years. She started out as a secretary at the Beaufort, S.C., campus in 1985 and was soon promoted to site representative. In 1987, she relocated to the Charleston Metro Campus, where she has been office manager for 16 years. While acknowledging Mary’s many years of experience at Webster, her nominator emphasizes that what makes Mary special is her personality, wit and ability to deal with students. Her nominator also praises Mary for her willingness to pitch in and help with community events and education fairs and for the competent way she interacts with the campus director. "She handles all the fires and is always coordinating as required. She is indeed invaluable to Webster University and Charleston Metro campus and I haven’t met another like her."

Mary echoes Liz’s sentiments about Webster and the people she works with, "I enjoy my job. We have a very close-knit staff here, and we are each other’s ‘other’ family! My co-workers are great to work with, and we are very proud of our site."

Mary chose a day of with pay as her prize.

Employees everywhere are eligible for the monthly Employee Spotlight Award. Using the nomination form is easy!

Service Anniversaries

April 2003

The University extends its appreciation to the following individuals who have ably served the institution for many years:
:
Marianne Kirk, communications coordinator, University Communications, 15 years.

Donna Otzenberger, representative, Financial Aid, 10 years.

Stephanie Davis, department assistant, Myrtle Beach Metro Campus, five years.

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New Employees

A warm welcome to the newest members of the Webster family:

Walter Wade Botkin, community relations coordinator, Sarasota, Fla., Metro Campus, 941-365-5519 or speed dial # 6 114, replaces Debra Kilpatrick, who has assumed the position of representative.

Robert Howard Broaden, director, Moody AFB, Valdosta, Ga.

Cynthia Joy Laumer, department assistant, Shaw AFB, S.C., 803-666-2254.

To learn more about job opportunities at Webster, go to the Human Resources Jobs site.

Condolences