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Truman Ranked Among
Nation’s Best for 13th Year
Once again, U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges”
has recognized Truman as the No. 1 Public University in the
Midwest Region–Master’s Category. Truman has received this No.
1 recognition for the past 13 years. The latest report also ranked Truman
eighth overall in the Best Universities-Master’s Category, for the Midwest
Region, among both private and public institutions that provide a full
range of undergraduate and master’s programs.
The annual guide also rated Truman as No. 1 in the Midwest Region
for “Strong Commitment to Teaching,” which is based on surveys that
identify schools where the faculty have an unusually strong commitment
to undergraduate teaching.
On the list of “Top Up-and-Coming Schools,” Truman was ranked as the
No. 4 school in the Midwest Region for recently making “the most
promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or
facilities.”
In another section called “Great Schools, Great Prices,” Truman was
listed as No. 13, and the University’s Undergraduate Research Program
was highlighted in “Programs to Look For,” a section which lists schools
that have examples of outstanding academic programs that are commonly
linked to student success.
An Early Glimpse of College Life
Some middle-school students got a taste of the collegiate experience
when they spent a day on campus for the “Knowledge is Power”
program on Oct. 19. The new program is designed to assist students
from low socio-economic backgrounds in realizing college is an option
and to provide them with the tools and support in discovering the best
option for the individual.
Wendy Miner, chair of the Department of Education, along with Darl
Davis, director of the Regional Professional Development Center, applied
for and received a Faculty Academic Initiative Grant through the Provost’s
Office to support the “Knowledge is Power” initiative. The program,
which focuses on the promotion of higher education within the Milan and
Green City, Mo., school districts, is directed specifically toward seventhgrade
students.
“We would love to see them come to Truman, but if they don’t, that’s
fine. The program will still be successful,” said Davis. “You see so many
students with so much potential, but because of home or economic
situations, they never go ahead and take advantage of continuing education.”
Around 70 middle-school students participated in the program, which
included a tour of campus, a chance to shadow current Truman students,
and lunch in one of the on-campus dining halls. The middle-school students
also had the opportunity to visit the University Farm, the Herpetology
Museum, the ROTC Office, a theatre class and the radio station.
―Alex Boles
Academic Leaders
Named as
New Deans
Three of Truman’s academic leaders
who were selected to serve in newly
created dean positions assumed
their new roles on July 1.
• Douglas Davenport is
founding dean of the
School of Social and
Cultural Studies. He has
been with the Univ ersity
since 1995. In addition to
serving as the interim dean
of the College of Arts and
Sciences since 2007,
Douglas
Davenport
Davenport served as the interim dean of the
Division of Social Science from 2005-2007.
He was a professor of justice systems and
has served in that department throughout
his tenure at Truman.
• Jon Gering is the
founding dean of the
School of Sciences and
Mathematics. Gering came
to Truman in 2001 as a
visiting assistant professor
in biology. In 2003 he
Jon Gering
became an assistant
professor and three years later was an
associate professor of biology. In 2008 he
was named the Biology Department chair.
• Priscilla Riggle (’87, ’88)
is the founding dean of the
School of Arts and Letters.
A Truman alumna, Riggle
returned to Truman in
1995 as a member of the
English Department and
Priscilla Riggle
had been chair of the
English and Linguistics Department
since 2007.
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