Meet the President - Rockhurst University

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Rock Report 4 4 4 4 4 4Lessons Learned From ServiceStretch Far Beyond the ClassroomAcademic researchcan teachstudents manythings abouthomelessness, but workingside by side with homelesschildren and discoveringthat entire families arehomeless can fuel a desireto go beyond merely learningabout the problem.A group of Rockhurststudents examined theproblem of homelessnessin Kansas City, then developedand implemented anart program for children atreStart, a local organizationthat provides resources andsupport for the homeless.“It has taught me a lot,”said Blair Ballard, a freshmanvolunteer. “Everyonesees homeless people andhas an automatic assumptionabout them and theircircumstances. Now it’sharder for me to prejudgepeople based on theircurrent situations.”The project grew outof Rockhurst’s effort toincrease faculty interest inservice learning, a teachingmethodology that extendslearning beyond the classroomand into the communitythrough relevant andmeaningful experiencethat meets a real communityneed.For example, Rockhurstbiology students study theimportance of preservinglocal native wild lands byrolling up their sleevesand cutting back invasivespecies. Students in AmyAnthony Ishmael, ’09, tutored children at the Troost Midtown Boysand Girls Club as part of a service learning course this spring.Mulligan’s volunteer managementclass organizeevents to encourage GirlScouts from the inner city,many of whom have neverconsidered college or setfoot on a campus, to worktoward this goal.As you’d imagine, theseclasses call for more thanjust logging a few volunteerhours. They get studentsinvolved, sometimes inprojects that are outsidetheir comfort zone.Several students in anEnglish composition classtaught by Dan Martin,Ph.D., volunteer theirtime to engage in pastoralconversations with patientsat Truman Medical Center.Last semester, two freshmenspent their Fridaynights managing a shift atSt. James Place soup kitchen.“All these sites have largersocial issues connectedwith them,” said Martin,assistant professor of English.“Service alone isn’t asolution. You can go outand serve people and feelgood about it, but if youcouple that with research,then you’re going to bemuch more aware of themagnitude of the problem.Then it becomes a questionof whether our world isjust, and how do we makeit more just.”Do You HearWhat I Hear?Effective listeningskills are crucial tosuccess in a widerange of fields from religionto health care. Listeningis often a factor inhiring and promotion decisionsand is tied to effectiveleadership. It is critical toacademic success. It is evena significant predictor ofpatient satisfaction. However,most people receivevery little formal training inthis important communicationskill.So where can you learnmore about listening? Thisfall, Rockhurst Universitywill co-host the InternationalListening Association’sFall Listening Forum,“Measuring the Effects ofListening on Learning,Earning and Healing.”The forum, which willbe held Oct. 19–21, willbring together 100 peoplefrom a variety of fields,including business, education,health care, religionand research, to set thelistening research agendafor the next five years.Spaces are availablefor Rockhurst alumni andfriends. If you are interestedin learning more about listeningor about the forum,please call Laura Janusik,Ph.D., assistant professor ofcommunication, at (816)501-3186 or e-mail her atlaura.janusik@rockhurst.edu. Rockhurst4spring 2006
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4Board Welcomes Four New TrusteesRockhurst University’s Board of Trustees recentlywelcomed four new members. These new trustees,who were each elected for a three-year term, willadd valuable experience and depth to the board.Rockhurst’s new board members include:Charles L. Dunlap, ’65,is chief executive officer,president and director ofPasadena Refining SystemInc., a refinery that producesgasoline and dieselfuels, and founding partnerof Strategic Advisors LLC,a management consultingfirm. He has 30 years ofmanagement experiencein the petroleum and autocare industries and 14 yearsof public board service.Dunlap holds a lawdegree from Saint LouisUniversity and is a graduateof Harvard BusinessSchool’s advanced managementprogram.Thomas A. Gerke, MBA’82, served as executivevice president, generalcounsel and external affairsfor Sprint and has beendesignated to serve thesame role for Sprint Nextel.He oversees legal and governmentalaffairs initiatives,handles matters related tocorporate governance andprovides legal support toSprint Nextel’s board ofdirectors.Gerke, who has morethan 20 years of legal experience,holds a law degreefrom the University ofMissouri–Kansas City.Lloyd L. Hill, XMBA ’85,is chairman of the boardand chief executive officerof Applebee’s InternationalInc. Under Hill’s leadership,Applebee’s has grown intothe largest casual diningconcept in the world.In 2005, he was namedas one of America’s bestCEOs by InstitutionalInvestor magazine and as“Operator of the Year” bythe operators-readers ofNation’s Restaurant News.Hill serves on the boardsfor Midwest ResearchInstitute, the NationalRestaurant Association andthe Greater Kansas CityChamber of Commerce.Walter McCormick Jr. ispresident and chief executiveofficer of the UnitedStates Telecom Association,a trade association representingtelecommunicationsservice providers andsuppliers. A Washingtonveteran with more than20 years of experiencein telecommunications,McCormick is one of thenation’s leading trade associationexecutives.Prior to his trade associationwork, McCormickserved as general counselof the U.S. Departmentof Transportation and theU.S. Senate staff. He holdsdegrees in journalism andlaw from the University ofMissouri and completedthe program for seniormanagers in governmentat Harvard University’sJohn F. Kennedy Schoolof Government.Rockhurst4spring 2006
Page 1 and 2: RockhurstMeet the PresidentRev. Tho
Page 3 and 4: INSIDEMeet the President 8Introduci
Page 5 and 6: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4For theCommonGoodIn
Page 7: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4Faculty Offer Fun Ph
Page 11 and 12: Most people call him Father,but thi
Page 13 and 14: Still, Fr. Curran sometimesencounte
Page 15 and 16: Two Rockhurst University theology p
Page 17 and 18: Setting the RecordStraighta follow-
Page 19 and 20: Readers RespondNew TraditionsI have
Page 21 and 22: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4Rietzke Reaches 900-
Page 23 and 24: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4Hit the Links With a
Page 25 and 26: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4Building a Better Fu
Page 27 and 28: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4’80Michael J. Bola
Page 29 and 30: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4’01Jacqueline Cele
Page 31 and 32: An Ignatian Approachto Decision-Mak

Meet the President - Rockhurst University

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?