December 22, 2003
New Residence Hall Plans Unveiled
Webster Women Honored By YWCA
Webster Community Helps "Dress Up" the Holidays
Holiday News from Denver
Kampus Kudos
St. Louis Calendar Highlight
Employees of the Month
Service Anniversaries
New Employees
Condolences
New Residence Hall Plans Unveiled
There was a lot of talk about “the space program” at the Emerson Library conference room Dec. 4, but it had nothing to do with astronauts or heavenly bodies. Rather, the discussion, which was held by University administrators and open to faculty and staff, centered on construction plans the University has outlined for the next eight years. Foremost among the discussion was the new residence hall, which the University plans to build in two phases along Big Bend, immediately west of the Sverdrup Building. The Hunt House, Kirk House and the Admissions buildings would be torn down to make way for the new building.
Several faculty members at the meeting expressed concern over the fate of the Visual Arts Studio building, which would be torn down during the second phase of the residence hall construction. “Eventually, VAS is affected,” said Dave Garafola, vice president for finance. “We know that we need to find a space for the Art Department.” Garafola said that once the program needs of the Art Department—and all other departments—are determined, preliminary building plans could follow. “We need to know what all of the department’s needs both qualitatively and quantitatively, so we can put square footage to it,” he said.
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The three-story building, which would have a minimum 30-foot set-back from Big Bend, would incorporate pedestrian walkways and extensive landscaping to preserve the beauty of the campus. Pedestrian and vehicular entrances to the building would be accessible from internal locations on the east side of the building to reduce foot and car traffic. A quad would be located within the internal borders of the completed residence hall to provide casual recreation space for students and help foster a greater sense of community.
Following occupancy of the Phase One residence hall, Maria Hall would be converted to offices. Phase Two of the residence hall project would include establishing a new home for the Art Department, expanding the University Center and building a second residence hall building. After its completion during the next six to eight years, the University’s residential population would grow to 800 students from the current 500.
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the residence hall plans at its Dec. 4 meeting. On Dec. 8, University officials met with residents from neighboring houses to explain their plans and address any concerns they might have about the project. Karen Luebbert, vice president and executive assistant to the president, told residents that the construction of a residence hall at that location would be far less intrusive to them than the academic building the University had proposed when it presented its master plan to the city in 1998.
The University is now proposing two new academic buildings, which would be funded out of the upcoming campaign. A new School of Business & Technology building would be built west of Nerinx Hall in the parking lot area, and a new Arts and Sciences building is proposed for the area near the Pearson and Hunt houses. By locating the academic buildings in that section of the Webster’s 47-acre plot, the University hopes to create an academic quad and improve access to the parking garage for commuter students.
The University must next present the residence hall plans to the Webster Groves Planning & Zoning Commission in January before going before the full City Council.
If approved, the University would break ground for the new residence hall in May 2004. Construction would be funded through bonds.
Polly Burtch contributed information to this story.
Webster Women Honored By YWCA
FROM CHRISTINE WELLS, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Donning red carnation corsages courtesy of the President’s Office, 10 Webster University women, selected by President Richard S. Meyers for their leadership activities in the workplace, were honored at the 23rd annual YWCA Leader Lunch held Dec. 11 at the Millennium Hotel’s Grand Ballroom in downtown St. Louis.This year’s Webster University honorees were: Theresa Altmann, coordinator, Academic Affairs; Donna Biolchini, assistant director, Academic Computing Services; Mary Birkenmeier, executive secretary, Executive Office; Teresa Bohr, coordinator, Academic Affairs; Joyce Bork, department chair, Biological Sciences; Trezette Dixon, assistant director, Career Services; Anne Geraghty-Rathert, assistant professor, History, Politics and Law; Terri Lucas, manager, Desktop Technical Services; Sandy Tomey, administrative associate, Student Affairs; and Christine Wells, media relations coordinator, University Communications.
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“It was an honor to be among those chosen to represent the university,” said Sandy Tomey, adding that it was exciting to see so many women being acknowledged by their respective organizations. “It made me more aware of the important role women play in making a positive difference in our workplaces and communities.”
The two-hour program over a full-course lunch included an awards presentation and inspirational videos recognizing each of this year’s “YWCA Academy of Leaders”—12 women who were acknowledged for their exceptional leadership abilities as top-level executives in their organizations. The video vignettes enlightened luncheon attendees on the impact each woman made in her particular organization and how each was able to balance workplace commitments with community involvement.
“I was extremely impressed with the accomplishments of the Academy of Leaders,” said Mary Birkenmeier. “Being recognized for leadership and achievement at Webster University gives me the encouragement to reach for the stars!”
Donna Biolchini said it was important to take time out to celebrate the accomplishments of Webster women—and women everywhere. “This recognition helps all working women see that what we do does make a difference, not only for our employer, but also for our community,” she said.
Webster luncheon honorees said they were appreciative of the positive and supportive work environments they enjoy at Webster.
“I personally draw upon the skills, enthusiasm and dedication of each member of the Webster University community,” said Terri Lucas. “It is through them that I am inspired to achieve goals and to take part in a larger vision. Today’s celebration was a reminder that I am a contributor to this vision.”
Joyce Bork also was eager to share credit for the recognition she received.
“I truly appreciate the honor, “ she said. “I do believe it is a direct reflection of the people I work with—the faculty, students, staff and administration. Without their involvement, growth and progress would not be possible.”
Webster Community Helps "Dress Up" the Holidays
FROM ROBYN GAETA, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS WORK-STUDY STUDENT
Giving is what the holiday season is all about, and Webster University staff, faculty, students and alumni are all donating time, talent and creativity to make the holidays a little brighter for St. Louis children this year.Inspired by a previous employer’s program, Kate Northcott, coordinator, Student Literacy Corps, knew that the Dress-A-Doll contest would be a match for Webster, “given the generosity and creativity the school is known for.”
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“People got dolls a month ago and came back a week ago asking if there were any left they could do,” Northcott said. “What started as sheer generosity turned out to be a lot of fun.”
This year, the program teamed up with the Multicultural Center.
“We wanted to open it up for people who wanted to do multicultural dolls, so we co-hosted the program with Kate,” explained Shay Malone, interim program coordinator, Multicultural Center. Malone says she’s been very impressed at the submissions they’ve received. “One person made a wedding dress out of a glove—I love that!” Malone said.
Northcott said that all of the participants went the extra mile to make their doll special for the child who will receive it. “Even people who bought their dolls’ clothes made them unique,” she said.
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2003 Holiday Dress-A-Doll Contest Winners
Best Multicultural Representation: The Jamaican Dancer by Carol Schwab, Math and Computer Science First Place: The Girl in the Hot Pink Ballgown by Patty MacDonnell-Smith, Repertory Theatre Costume Shop Second Place: The Pink Snowsuit Girl by Maryann Jacobson, Repertory Theatre Costume Shop Third Place: The Tiara Bride by Jeryldine Tully, University Communications |
A total of 121 gifts were wrapped on Dec. 18 in the Executive Conference Room and delivered the following day to the New Life Evangelistic Center for distribution at their Christmas dinner for low-income and homeless families. Some of the gifts also went to the Division of Family Services, which will distribute them to children in foster care.
“Kate always says [to the people who donate dolls] that on Christmas morning, they should take two minutes to close their eyes and think about that child who is receiving your doll,” said Malone.
“Hopefully it will brighten somebody’s holiday,” Northcott said.
Holiday News from Denver
FROM BARBARA BANKS, SENIOR DIRECTOR, DENVER METROPOLITAN CAMPUS
Last September, Denver resident Oshanette Neal and her children were featured in an article in the Rocky Mountain News. Barbara Banks, senior director, Denver Metropolitan Campus, was so touched by the writer’s account of this single mother trying to take care of her children with a $7-an-hour job that she contacted the columnist who wrote the story.
The newspaper columnist put Barbara in touch with Oshanette and since that time she has been helping the Neal family by providing food when they run out of food stamps. “I’ve promised Oshanette that as long as I’m able, my goal is to make sure those children never go to bed hungry again,” says Barbara, who has served as the Webster catalyst for support of the Neal family.
“One day I told our Webster students about this family and asked if this year, we could collect items for the Neals instead of collecting food and gifts for an organization,” Barbara says. “Almost immediately, I was contacted by Martha Hatlestad, the president of our student chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management, who wanted to get involved with the project.”
At Martha’s request, Barbara visited the Neals to find out what they wanted for Christmas and took pictures of each family member. Barbara then posted the photos and the wish lists on the bulletin board in the Webster lobby.
Martha and another student, Travis Johnson, who also took up the Neals’ cause, were determined to get each child what he or she wanted for Christmas. A member of the military, Travis approached three different military groups and asked for $1 from each member. Travis and Martha bought the gifts with the money they raised and wrapped them in time for a Dec. 15 party at the University’s campus, where the Neal family was treated to a pizza party.
“When Martha and Travis brought in all of those beautifully wrapped presents, I couldn't believe it!” Barbara said. “This was a huge project with hundreds and hundreds of donated dollars being spent. The outcome was a group of incredibly happy children and a very happy mom. The Webster group that made this happen should be very proud of themselves!”
Albuquerque Food Drive
In November, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Campus held its first-ever food drive Nov. 11-21 to benefit Roadrunner Food, an Albuquerque Food Bank. Collection barrels were placed at both the Kirtland Air Force Base campus and the metropolitan center.
The response was overwhelming with contributions made from staff, faculty, students and even other tenants of the building, where Webster’s metro site is located.
Although the figures, on exactly how much food was donated, are not yet available, the barrel at the metro site was overflowing!
Deborah A. Stiles, professor, Multidisciplinary Studies, has had her book, “The Thoughts of Youth: An International Perspective on Adolescents’ Ideal Persons,” co-authored with Judith L. Gibbons of Saint Louis University published by Information Age Publishing. Stiles and Gibbons present the results of 15 years of research on more than 8,000 adolescents in 20 countries, in which they asked adolescents to describe the ideal man or woman through ratings, drawings and written statements.
Marilyn Simon, adjunct professor, San Diego Metropolitan Campus, had her book, “Math Advancement,” published by Kendall Hunt. Simon has been teaching mathematics and computer science since 1969. She is the author of several texts, including, “I Can Do Math” and “The Dissertation and Research Cookbook.”
Linda M. Woolf, professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences, and Michael Hulsizer, assistant professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences, had their article, “Intra- and inter- religious hate and violence: A psychosocial model,” published in the Journal of Hate Studies, 2. The journal can be found at: http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/againsthate/Journal2/Journal2.html
Gary Gottlieb, assistant professor, Electronic and Photographic Media, mixed Rabbi James Stone Goodman’s fourth CD, a combination of folk, klezmer and traditional Jewish music. Goodman was named Rookie Artist of 2003 on the web site that is presently carrying his CDs, www.jewishmusic.com. Gottlieb and Barry Hufker, associate professor, Audio Production, attended the Audio Engineering Society convention in New York City, along with three Audio students, Michael Bade, Jonathan Jory and Jonathan Wilson. While there, the group learned new audio techniques, experimented with the latest audio gear and interacted with audio industry giants Rupert Neve, Phil Ramone, Elliot Scheiner and Ray Kurzweil.
Alex Yates, community relations coordinator, San Diego Metropolitan Campus, was a featured speaker on the importance of continuing education for working adults at the Oct. 7 Career Fair sponsored by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Yates encouraged all attendees to evaluate their needs vs. wants, set short- and long-term goals and discover what tools are needed to obtain those goals—a quality education being one of the most important tools.
Ellen Driber-Hassall, director, Albuquerque Metropolitan Campus, had her commentary, “One Graduate Degree Will Not Fit All Students,” published in the Oct. 9 edition of the Albuquerque Journal.
Gary D. Clark, associate professor, Biological Sciences, was one of the recipients of the 2003 Award for Achievement in Clinical Nursing Practice by the Missouri Nurses’ Association. Clark was recognized for his “Outstanding Accomplishments in Clinical Nursing Practice” at the group’s 81st biennial convention.
Jon Gruett, director, Financial Aid, has been appointed Legal Issues Chair of the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) Executive Board. MASFAA encompasses a nine-state region and has more than 1,500 members. Gruett also has been nominated for president of the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel. The post represents a three-year commitment to leadership of the state association.
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St. Louis Calendar Highlight
Czech This Out…
The Webster University Film Series screens “Autumn Spring” Dec. 19-21 at 7 p.m. in the Winifred Moore Auditorium. The film, which is in Czech with English subtitles, approaches the topic of aging and death with subtle humor by a cast of seasoned seniors, including Vlastimil Brodsky in his final screen performance. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors and $6 for everyone else. For more information on this or other Webster University Film Series offerings, contact the Film Series Office at 314-968-7487.
For more information on St. Louis events, check the online calendar.
Employees of the Month
December 2003
FROM MARIANNE KIRK, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The December winners of the Employee Spotlight Award are Bethany Keller, academic advisor, Academic Advising Center, and Donna Delahunty, community relations coordinator, Ocala Campus.
Bethany Keller was nominated for her outstanding contributions toward the maintenance of Webster University’s information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. SEVIS is a government program created in the wake of Sept. 11 to collect, maintain and track information related to international students and exchange visitors.
“Essentially, the university has to track student status and report immediately on individuals here on student visas. Like all government databases, it is large, slow and protected by restricted entry and passwords,” explains Bethany’s nominator. In addition, no software exists to easily transfer data from the University’s CARS system to the SEVIS database. The limitations of the system make each entry in the database difficult and time-consuming, while the government requires international student status changes to be entered immediately.
According to her nominator, Bethany’s maintenance of the SEVIS database information on more than 200 international students has been exemplary. “Bethany has done yeoman work in meeting government deadlines and keeping the university up-to-date in its responsibilities in this area,” her nominator said. “This meant putting in extra hours at the end of the day to make sure all the requirements of SEVIS compliance were met…Webster should be grateful that we have such dedicated employees who cheerfully do this difficult assignment.”
Bethany has worked as a representative in International Student Services since June 2000, but her employment with the university actually began in the fall of 1996 when she was hired as a work-study student. She moved into the international academic advisor position in the Academic Advising Center in March 2003.
“I was surprised and humbled to receive this award,” Bethany said. “I work in an incredibly supportive office and was delighted to represent the Academic Advising Center as one of the December recipients.”
Bethany says she loves working at Webster, particularly having the chance to make a difference in the lives of Webster’s international students. “I greatly enjoy the opportunity to advise students from incredibly diverse backgrounds and help them achieve their academic and personal goals while studying in the United States,” she says. “I’ve had the pleasure of advising exceptional young men and women, trading stories about cultures and experiences…Sometimes I think that I benefit more from my relationships with these students than what I offer them in return.”
Bethany says the best part of her job is that she never gets bored. “Every day brings a new challenge, and I can truthfully say that for me, there is never a dull moment!”
Bethany chose a day off with pay as her prize.
Donna Delahunty has been the community relations coordinator at the Ocala Metropolitan Campus since August 2000. Her nominator says Donna has made a significant contribution to Webster with her creative ideas and initiative in implementing the Ocala campus Legacy Scholarship Gala event, which has so far raised more than $16,000 in scholarship funding.
The Ocala community took a hit last year when it was listed in the October 2002 issue of Self magazine as one of the “unhealthiest and unhappiest” cities in America for women. When a group of community women organized a conference to dispel the Self magazine article charge, Donna suggested that Webster sponsor the keynote speaker. Webster alum and trustee Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin, an award-winning television producer, obliged and spoke at the “Women for Ocala, Taking Care of Self” conference, held Sept. 6. Dwyer-Dobbin’s presence at the event gave Webster a high-profile role in making positive changes in the area.
As a more lasting way to respond to the situation, Donna also proposed that Webster establish a scholarship fund for students majoring in counseling. The students who receive the scholarship funds must agree to work in the community for a set period of time following their graduation, as a way of giving back to the community.
Donna’s nominator says that Donna’s networking and hard work, including her efforts to secure radio and television press coverage, helped make the gala a huge success. “The community leaders in attendance at both the gala event and the conference agreed that Webster University is taking the lead to provide qualified and competent counselors to this community to meet the needs of people in distress…Donna is well-liked, well-received and is very deserving of this award. If it were not for her idea, we would not have almost $20,000 in scholarship funds to disburse.”
Donna chose a day off with pay as her prize.
Employees everywhere are eligible for the monthly Employee Spotlight Award. Using the nomination form is easy!
Service Anniversaries
December 2003
The University extends its appreciation to the following individuals who have ably served the institution for many years:
Donald Johnson, general clerk, San Diego Metropolitan Campus, 10 years
Betty Pickerill, manager, Accounts Payable and Payroll, 10 years
Keith Wheeler, Local Area Network coordinator, Information Technology, five years
New Employees
A warm welcome to the newest members of the Webster family:
Winnifred Barber, department secretary, Charleston Metropolitan Campus, speed dial #6 054, replaces Meredith Cox.
Miriam L. Carter, department secretary, Columbia Metropolitan Campus, 803-699-0900 or speed dial #6 083, replaces Tracie Ondera.
Margaret DeGennaro, representative, Orlando North Metropolitan Campus, 407-345-1139 or speed dial #6 101, replaces Madeleine Slade.
Melanie Gottlieb, international credential specialist/coordinator, International Recruitment, ext. 7512.
Diane Jeffery, business technology specialist, Administrative Computing, ext. 5997.
Karen Jones, international accountant, Finance, replaces Carlton Brooks.
Sima Tarokh, computer lab assistant, Kansas City Metropolitan Campus, 816-926-4287 or speed dial #6 023, replaces Victor Wong.
Barbara Wilkat, graphic designer/editor, Marketing, ext. 7988, replaces James Dunn.
Bradley Wolaver, academic representative, Academic Computing Services, ext. 8611, replaces Miles Bainbridge.
To learn more about job opportunities at Webster, go to the Human Resources Jobs site.
Condolences
The University extends its sympathy Kathy DeBord, desktop publishing representative/production artist, Marketing, on the loss of her father.
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
Robyn Gaeta
Student Contributor
© 2003, Webster University