October 29, 2003
Help Desk Opens to Meet Increased Demand
Cafeteria Renovation on the Way
Committee Update
WebsterWorksWorldwide Wows Them Again
Dining Note
Did You Know?
Kampus Kudos
St. Louis Calendar Highlight
Employees of the Month
Service Anniversaries
New Employees
Help Desk Opens to Meet Increased Demand
E-mail not working? Need advice on which software package to buy? Can’t get your printer to print? Wondering what to post to which listserv? Phone on the fritz? The technology problems may be different, but the solution’s the same: Contact Webster’s new Technology Help Desk.
The Help Desk officially opened for business earlier this month to provide a single, dependable point of contact for users to get access to all of their technology questions and problems.
Larry Haffner, VP, Information Technology, says the Help Desk debut was much needed. “Webster is maturing as a University,” Haffner says. “We’re a lot larger and more complex, and that size and complexity continues to grow. We needed a central place to filter everything through.”
Help Desk Coordinator Kristi Evans says the new service has already resulted in increased user contact. “The number of work requests have been steadily increasing since we announced our presence,” Evans says. “We’ve nearly doubled our call volume.”
Haffner says a large part of that growth is coming from the extended campuses, which account for some 40 percent of the Help Desk work requests. “We provide support for all of the extended campuses, and if we don’t have a coordinated way of supporting those requests, the users there will find their own ways of doing things or they won’t get done,” Haffner says.
Bruce Humphrey, director, User Services, says that the University has begun retaining local contractors for extended site support. “These consultants work closely with Webster IT staff to provide a full range of site support options,” Humphrey says.
Apart from growth at the extended campuses, the Help Desk will also experience increased demand when the hosting and user services facets of WebCT—the system the University uses to conduct online courses—are brought in-house next summer. “We’ll be offering extended hours and more extensive Help Desk functionality at that point,” Haffner says. “We’ll have to ratchet it up one more notch.” Haffner says that the eventual goal is for the Help Desk to provide 24/7 support to the 10 different time zones that Webster operates within.
While each expansion will be challenging for the Held Desk staff, it will ultimately lead to improved user services. “The Help Desk will become a better management tool over time because we’ll know where the workload is,” Haffner says. “We’ll have some degree of metrics, and we’ll be able to advance into problem areas.”
| How to Contact the Technology Help Desk
You can get help using any of the following methods: |
| From St. Louis campus call ext. 5995 |
| From extended campus or off-campus call (314) 968-5995 |
| E-mail support@webster.edu |
| Submit an online help request at: http://www.webster.edu/helpdesk/ |
| In person at the Sverdrup Building, room 208 |
| Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.– 7 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m.–3 p.m. |
Cafeteria Renovation on the Way
The year the Maria Hall Cafeteria was built, Elvis Presley recorded “Heartbreak Hotel,” the U.S. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, an adult movie ticket cost 75 cents and Abigail Van Buren’s “Dear Abby” column first appeared in newspapers. In other words, it’s due for an update.
“Apart for a minor cosmetic remodel in 1997 when Sodexho took over food service operations, it’s never been updated,” says Joe Harvey, Food Service Manager, Campus Dining Services. “There are a lot of coats of paint on it, but it pretty much looks like it did in 1956. We want to bring it up to today’s look and standards.”
The cafeteria is scheduled to be remodeled in the summer of 2004. “Work will begin the day after commencement and be completed by the start of the next fall semester,” Harvey says. Mark Connor, an award-winning designer based in Boston, was hired to design the remodeled facility, based on feedback received both from the University’s Food Service Planning Committee, as well as focus groups and surveys conducted with the University at large.
The renovation promises to turn the current cafeteria format into a restaurant-style experience. The remodel will feature an open kitchen marketplace with a center island, a large salad bar and an exhibition-style cooking station, where themed dishes will be prepared to order.
The new dining space will also incorporate:
- vibrant décor and a high-energy environment;
- a variety of multi-purpose seating options to give students, faculty and staff a place to congregate;
- aesthetically pleasing lighting; and
- nutritious and healthy dining options.
The renovation is intended to last for seven to 10 years, a normal life span for this type of renovation.
Click here to see a graphic of the new design.
Committee Update
A complete list of University committees and committee members for the 2003-04 academic year is now available. A PDF version of the list can be downloaded by clicking here.
WebsterWorksWorldwide Wows Them Again
FROM JENNIFER GERHARDT, SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
Once again, WebsterWorksWorldwide was a huge success! Nearly 1,500 Webster faculty, staff, alumni and students painted, raked, collected, shared, sorted, cleaned, hammered, planted, created, listened and responded to the needs around them during the University’s ninth annual community service day, held earlier this month. A comparison of WebsterWorksWorldwide statistics through the years is available on the WebsterWorksWorldwide homepage. The current year’s stats stacked up like this:
| St. Louis Campus: | 992 volunteers 4,107 hours worked 109 projects completed |
| Extended Campuses: | 450 volunteers (Estimated) 1,500 hours worked 49 projects completed |
| TOTAL: | 1,442 volunteers 5,697 hours worked |
158 projects completed While the number of volunteers and the hours worked are impressive, the real measure of WWW9’s success is seen through the comments made by the volunteers and agencies that took part that day. Here’s a sampling:
Volunteer Comments
“The people we volunteered for were so thankful for our help and really made us feel welcome. I left at the end of the day with a smile on my face.”
“Volunteering today allowed me time to focus on other people. Webster Works was a breath of fresh air!”
“It says a lot about the culture of a university that places emphasis on community involvement.”
“I’m glad the tradition of service started by the Sisters of Loretto continues.”
“Volunteering at the homeless shelter was a humbling yet rewarding experience that I will never forget. Thank you for this opportunity to share my life with those in need today.”
Agency Comments
“The Webster volunteers are the BEST group for community service we’ve ever had. We have participated for several years and pray you continue to select us. Your volunteers represent you well. They are always positive, energetic, extremely intelligent and capable. They always far exceed our expectations. Thanks so much!”—Wildlife Rescue Center
“It’s great that Webster University offers themselves to the community. Community members can put a name and a face with the university in a positive and uplifting way. What better way than to serve? Thank you!”—CREDO Ecumenical Campus Ministry
“The music program was awesome! Our cancer patients kept thanking me and asking where we found this great group. I look forward to next year!”—American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge
“We were elated to have the volunteers. They were cheerful, quick and being around such energy makes others feel they can accomplish anything. I sincerely think this is a wonderful initiative.”—YWCA Head Start Central Office
The members of the WWW9 Planning Committee would like to thank everyone who participated in and supported the efforts of the ninth annual WebsterWorksWorldwide, the biggest and most impactful Webster community service day to date. Planning Committee members include: Jennifer Gerhardt (chair), John Aleshunas, Molly Alter, John Buck, Jen Christ (student), Susie Daily, Mary Ann Drake, Nancy Higgins, Ted Hoef, Suzanne Jones, Mary Krchma, Kate Northcott, Prisca Rice (student), Russ Smith (student), and Patrick Stack. We look forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of WebsterWorksWorldwide with you next October!
“This is the seventh year the Webster crew has come to our shelter. We now feel like old friends. We know we can count on them, not only once a year, but throughout the year as well."—Child Crisis Center (Fort Bliss)
“Having the volunteers was wonderful. Our agency was able to complete a project in one afternoon that would normally take us weeks to complete. Thank you so much for promoting community service. Keep up the good work!"—Communities in Schools (McConnell AFB)
Dining Note
Based on feedback to a survey conducted earlier this fall, the Maria Hall Cafeteria will now open for continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays. Ted Hoef, dean of students, Student Affairs, says that usage during the earlier opening time will be evaluated at the end of the semester to determine whether to continue opening at the earlier hour during the spring semester.
Did You Know?
Small-College Presidents Call for Changes in NCAA Structure to Assert Academic Values
From Welch Suggs, Online Chronicle, Sept. 24, 2003
Webster University Athletic Director Tom Hart says that the suggested reform, which includes proposed reductions in playing and practice seasons as well as the monitoring of the financial aid process, would greatly impact a significant number of D-III institutions and the student-athletes who attend them.
“Webster athletes, who average a 3.17 GPA, demonstrate a successful balance between academics and athletics,” Hart says. “Our students do not receive any financial aid to participate in athletics. They play for the love of the game and, with our coaching staff, work hard to make sure that they’re successful in the classroom, as well as on the playing field.”
Presidents of several small liberal-arts colleges say a new book provides evidence of the need to reorganize Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They say they support either a strong reform agenda within what is supposed to be the least-competitive, least-commercial of the NCAA’s divisions or possibly even a new subdivision to assert academic values over the pressures of sports.
Writing on a Web site sponsored by the Annapolis Group, a group of liberal-arts colleges, Peter T. Mitchell of Albion College says that the division’s 424 colleges must affirm athletics “as a valuable enhancement to an intellectually rigorous undergraduate experience.” That might mean, he writes, that members need to “reorganize the 100-150 liberal-arts colleges...into a legitimate D-III and ask the others to choose between D-I or D-II.”
He and other presidents—including R. Stanton Hales of the College of Wooster, Richard F. Celeste of Colorado College, and Jake B. Schrum of Southwestern University, in Texas—cite the proposals for cleaning up small-college sports put forth in “Reclaiming the Game: College Sports and Educational Values” (Princeton University Press, 2003), by William G. Bowen and Sarah A. Levin. In the book, the authors analyze the academic records of athletes at Ivy League and elite liberal-arts colleges and assert that recruited athletes perform more poorly in the classroom than their non-recruited peers, athletes or otherwise (The Chronicle, September 19).
Mr. Bowen and Ms. Levin suggest that colleges consider reducing the time commitments demanded of athletes, giving coaches less of a say in the admissions process, emphasizing regional competition over elite national events, and generally making Division III sports, which do not offer athletics scholarships, less of an elite experience.
Barry Hufker, associate professor, Electronic and Photographic Media, produced a 60-minute program of Christmas music sung by the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, directed by Philip Barnes. Culled from various recordings, Hufker has made over the last few years of the Chorus in performance, the program will be broadcast locally during Christmas on KFUO-FM. Hufker also recently recorded in Studio A at Webster University the opera, “Dream of the Pacific,” by Stephen Mager. Featuring local opera singers, the recording was produced by Colin Graham and Allison Felter of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Hufker’s recording will be used by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis to prepare a live, staged version of the opera, which tells the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Audio Production students Curtis Conrod and Andrew Wiedmann assisted Hufker during the recording.
Henry Glass, organ instructor, Community Music School of Webster University, and Director of Music at the University City Methodist Church, has been honored with one of 10 Awards of Distinction given in the United States. The National Religious Music Week Alliance presented the award during National Religious Music Week, September 21-27. The award says Glass has “developed and maintained one of our nation's finest worship music programs.”
Thomas Finan, adjunct professor, Religious Studies and History, Politics and Law, has been invited to deliver a lecture titled, “Vernacular Theology in Gaelic Ireland: The Bardic Approach to God, Christ and Salvation,” by the Department of Medieval History at Trinity College, Dublin, on Nov. 6. The lecture is part of Trinity College’s Seminars in Medieval History Series for 2003-04.
Rebecca Ormond, assistant professor, Electronic and Photographic Media, had her film “Jungle Gym” screened at the Dahlonega International Film Festival and the Downstream Film Festival, both in Georgia. “Jungle Gym” also will be presented at the Ohio Independent Film Festival in Cleveland the Ladyfest Melbourne Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia.
Bob Lauman, adjunct professor, School of Business & Technology, emceed the 2003 Annual Targeted Advertising and Marketing (TAM) Awards ceremony for the St. Louis Chapter of the Business Marketing Association. Over 200 attendees representing 35 local advertising agencies received 129 TAM awards for excellence in 29 different categories at the event. Lauman is a long-time member of the BMA and has served as past president and treasurer. He is currently a member of the board of directors.
Patrick Rishe, associate professor, School of Business & Technology, has conducted numerous economic impact studies for various sporting events in recent months, including: the Junior Olympic and Senior Olympic Games, the T-Mobile Cycling Event in San Francisco and two NCAA championship events. Rishe also published an article addressing how NFL teams determine their ticket prices in Sport Marketing Quarterly, as well as two editorials in the Sports Business Journal. One of the editorials discussed the economic situation facing the NHL; the other addressed variable ticket pricing in sports. Rishe appears regularly on Sonic Sportscentral Morning, a St. Louis sports talk radio show, which airs at 8 a.m. CST Wednesdays on KFNS (590 AM).
Ted Hoef, dean, Student Affairs, presented, “Learning to Work Smarter, Especially When Resources Are Tight,” at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Region IV-West Conference in Santa Fe, N. M. The program was designed to help participants consider ways to clarify expectations, identify priorities and let go of non-critical tasks to maximize effectiveness during periods of constrained resources.
H. Keith Wade, adjunct professor, Lakeland, Fla., has joined the full-time faculty of Webber International University as an assistant professor of marketing. Wade also has passed his comprehensive exams and been admitted as a candidate for the degree of doctor of business administration at Argosy University in Sarasota, Fla.
Keep us posted on your professional activities and send us your story ideas by completing the UFO form.
The Webster Women’s Volleyball Team takes on conference rival Westminster College at home on Friday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. in Grant Gymnasium. The following morning, the team plays Washington University, ranked No. 2 nationwide in Division III, at 10 a.m. as part of the Washington University Tournament.
For more information on St. Louis events, check the online calendar.
Employees of the Month
October 2003
FROM MARIANNE KIRK, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mindy Berkowitz, internship coordinator, School of Communications, and Sue White, academic advisor, Palm Bay Metropolitan Campus, share the Employee Spotlight Award honors for the month of October.
Mindy Berkowitz has been internship coordinator at Webster for four years, beginning as a part-time employee in the fall of 1999, and moving to full time in the summer of 2002. Her nominator praises the poised and professional manner Mindy uses in dealing with over 200 local, national and international organizations to coordinate internships for Webster students.
Mindy deals with each student in the School of Communications who is interested in setting up an internship. “Currently, approximately 100 to 125 students successfully earn internships each academic year,” her nominator says. In today’s job market, about 14 percent of those result in job placement, which is lower than in past years when the job market was stronger.
Organizing the Career Fair for the School of Communications each fall is one of Mindy’s main projects. The fair provides a place for students to learn about the types of internships available and to meet people working in the communications industry. The fair is well supported by area public relations firms, advertising agencies, audio and video production companies and photography studios.
Mindy also assists instructors with the educational aspects of the internship experience and participates in all group meetings focusing on career development. “The instructors would be at a loss without her experience with team building and group dynamics,” her nominator says.
Summing up, Mindy’s nominator says, “Mindy is a devoted advocate for the students. She presents a positive and professional image of Webster University... .She consistently delivers excellence in the performance of her job responsibilities.”
“I am thrilled to have received the Employee Spotlight Award,” Mindy says. “I most enjoy working at Webster because my colleagues—faculty, staff and administrators—are very student-centered. Everyone seems to really enjoy their work and places the students’ best welfare first.”
Mindy will take a day off with pay as her prize.
Sue White has been employed as an academic advisor with the Palm Bay Metropolitan Campus since August 2002. “She began her employment with Webster just as Palm Bay was transitioning to a full-service campus, rather than a classroom site,” her nominator says. “Through the growing pains of a new start-up, Sue has always remained a consummate professional.”
Sue’s enthusiasm and drive have contributed to the continuing growth of the Palm Bay campus. “Her focus is student service and her joy is every prospect who walks through our doors, most of whom become our new students…due to Sue’s ability to put the individual at ease as she explains the programs.” Sue’s follow-through is also exceptional. “Every student has a program plan and every student receives a prompt answer to a request,” her nominator says.
Sue is also credited with picking up additional responsibilities when needed, for example, during a staff member’s recent medical leave. “Like the Energizer bunny, she keeps going!” her nominator says. “All of this, combined with her dedication and loyalty to Webster, warrants this recommendation to honor Sue with the Employee Spotlight Award.”
When Sue moved to the Space Coast region from Orlando last year, she decided to apply for a job at Webster “based on the University’s commitment to academic excellence and the adult learner.”
“My own master’s degree has long been a high point in my personal and professional life,” Sue says, “and I love helping others achieve their educational goals.” Sue says that Webster is “a great place to work and has great people to work with. The Webster staff—both locally and nationally—care about each and every student receiving the best education and student service.”
Sue chose the savings bond as her prize.
Employees everywhere are eligible for the monthly Employee Spotlight Award. Using the nomination form is easy!
Service Anniversaries
October 2003
The University extends its appreciation to the following individuals who have ably served the institution for many years:
Patty Czech, representative, Orlando Metropolitan Campus, 10 years
Kelly Malone, department associate, Residential Life Office, 10 years
Nancy Bindig, office manager, Space Coast Metropolitan Campus, five years
Bill Dyer, representative, User Services, five years
Liza Schultheis, communications specialist, Public Safety, five years
New Employees
A warm welcome to the newest members of the Webster family:
Laverne Cheeks, general clerk, Fort Jackson, S.C., 760-386-7989 or speed dial #6 096, replaces Gregory Keim.
Jennifer Dodillet, reference librarian, Emerson Library, ext. 6950
Michael Lawson, general clerk, Fort Jackson, S.C., 760-386-7989 or speed dial #6 096, replaces Charles Allen.
Susannah Thompson, library circulation assistant, Emerson Library, ext. 6952
Carol Colligan, development coordinator, Development Office, ext. 5910
Michelle Calcutt, secretary, Albuquerque, replaces A. Gutierrez.
Karl Sterner, director, Sarasota, 941-365-7040 or speed dial #6 114, replaces Bruce Sogolow.
Nelson Saucedo, officer, Public Safety, ext. 7430, replaces Sean Stephenson.
Telissa Yoder, representative, Edwards Air Force Base, 661-258-8501 or speed dial #6 109, replaces Lynn Braswell.
Wendell Folks Jr., public services clerk, Emerson Library, ext. 2836
Angela Antkowiak, service clerk, Media Center, ext. 6967, replaces Kevin Roberts.
Courtney Arne, administrative associate, School of Communications, ext. 7154, replaces Carol Harp.
Thuy Witt, department associate, Graduate and Evening Admissions, ext. 7100, replaces Shalon Malone.
Daniel Bell, instructional designer and developer, Center for Distance Learning, ext. 8648
Carrie Van Hoose, department assistant, Kansas City Metropolitan Campus, 816-444-1000 or speed dial #6 023, replaces Cindy Bratcher.
Marla Laystrom, representative, Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill., 815-356-9619, or speed dial #6 081, replaces Cheryl Dunlap.
Thea Cook, representative, Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill., replaces Cheryl Dunlap.
Meredith R. Cox, department secretary, Charleston, S.C., Metropolitan Campus, 843-572-2675 or speed dial, #6 054, replaces Debbie Grimes.
Leneva Ferguson, office manager, Fayetteville, Ark., Metropolitan Campus, 479-571-1511 or speed dial #6 110, replaces Kim Kershaw.
Joanne (Jody) Vogler, working grounds supervisor, Facilities Operations, ext. 6904, replaces Don Blumentritt.
Tasha Eisele, department assistant, School of Education, ext. 6930, replaces Lezli Porter.
Elizabeth Timberlake, department assistant, Undergraduate Admissions, replaces Carrie George.
To learn more about job opportunities at Webster, go to the Human Resources Jobs site.
Webster University faculty and staff.
Jeryldine Tully, Editor
University Communications
Marianne Kirk, Contributor
University Communications
Pete McEwen, Technical Advisor
University Communications
Betsy Schmutz
Human Resources
© 2003, Webster University