New Faculty Ombudsperson Position

UMKC is working to recruit a faculty ombudsperson. An ombudsperson facilitates communication when issues arise for faculty at the University.

An ombudsperson:
• acts as a neutral agent
• assists in resolving concerns about faculty rights, responsibilities and working environment
• seeks to secure expeditious and impartial resolutions
• recommends changes to existing policies or the development of new policies as needed

Position Description
Under the principles of fairness, equality and mutual respect, this person will serve a two-year term, receive at least a 25 percent release time from other responsibilities and will be acting independently from administrative offices and Faculty Senate.

The Ombudsperson must be a full-time, tenured UMKC faculty member or a retired UMKC faculty member who held a tenured, full-time position. The Ombudsperson must be familiar with UMKC policies and exhibit the highest ethical standards.

Application/Selection Process
Applicants/nominees must submit the following information to the Provost:
• Background, qualifications and outlook the applicant would bring to the position
• A comprehensive vita
• The names and contact information of at least three references

A search committee consists of three faculty senate representatives and three members appointed by the Provost. The finalist will be appointed by the Provost upon the approval of the Faculty Senate.

Applications are due March 29, 2010.

>>Read full position description and application process

UMKC in the spotlight as Kansas City hosts international conference this summer

UMKC hosts nearly 1,000 international students and scholars who give our campus a global flavor and contribute to our rich, intellectual community. UMKC sends approximately 300 students abroad to study in 49 countries. 11 of our students have won the prestigious Fulbright Award (we have six applicants this year) and 35 faculty members have also won this award. International education and scholarship contributes to the richness of our campus and our community.

Kansas City will be the host city for the NAFSA 2010 international conference
NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the leading organization for international education, selected Kansas City to host its 69th annual international conference this summer, May 30-June 4, 2010.

World-class keynote speakers
Plenary speakers are Salman Rushdie, celebrated and controversial author, and Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and human rights activist. 8,000 participants from around the globe are expected to attend this conference.

Mark your calendars
Mark your calendars for this conference—especially Monday, May 31 for the campus-wide reception. This year’s NAFSA Conference provides UMKC with a unique opportunity to showcase our campus and programs to international advisors, sponsors, and ambassadors.

- Linna Place, Ph.D., Interim Director, International Academic Programs and Sandy Gault, Director of International Student Affairs

Learn more about the annual conference in Kansas City. For more information about UMKC’s involvement in the conference please email international@umkc.edu.

Growing and Expanding Research at UMKC

In order for UMKC to build and strengthen our research portfolio, we must build on our existing strengths. One of our greatest strengths at UMKC is having four health science schools (Medicine, Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy) on one campus--there are only 30 other universities in the nation that have this asset. Our urban setting is also a strategic asset; this setting gives us access to a large patient population.

Building upon our current research priorities is threefold:

1. A Translational/Clinical Research Center will serve our urban community, train graduate students and medical personnel, and further create collaboration with other hospital and research institutions in the area.

2. A Center for Technology Transfer is also necessary as a vehicle to move research out of the academic world and into the eyes of the public, move research from the “test tube to the patient”.

3. We need to further identify areas of expertise and excellence to form UMKC Centers of Excellence in order to enhance productivity and sources of funding in order to accelerate discovery, support graduate education, and the university as a whole.

-Lynda F. Bonewald, Interim Vice Chancellor for Research, Curator's Professor, Lee M and William Lefkowitz Professor, Director of the Bone Biology Research Program, and Director of the UMKC Center of Excellence in Mineralized Tissues

School of Pharmacy Awarded Transformative Community Service Award

On February 8, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) recognized our School of Pharmacy for their depth and breadth of community service. At the award ceremony held in Washington D.C., the School of Pharmacy received a Steuben glass Beacon of Light and a $5000 financial stipend in recognition of their outreach in the Kansas City community.

The School of Pharmacy works with the Kansas City Free Health Clinic, Truman Medical Center, Western Missouri Mental Health Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center, and Kansas City VA Hospital, and they have also been involved in community service programs in St. Joseph and Columbia, Missouri. The School has assisted over 17,000 patients with low and no-cost prescription coverage, health screening, resources and education, immunization information and drug abuse prevention.

By caring for the underserved, establishing programs for disadvantaged and isolated communities, reaching out to traditionally underrepresented groups, and developing leadership that organizes prevention, health education, care and services for the community, the School of Pharmacy is a model in transforming a community. The School of Pharmacy’s dedication to our community exemplifies UMKC’s mission and goals to lead in life and health sciences, embrace diversity and advance in urban engagement.

To read more about the School of Pharmacy’s award see the UMKC November News Release.

Student Experiences and Feedback and at UMKC

The National Survey of Student Engagement, or NSSE, is a national survey sent to a sample of first‐year and senior students to determine their relationship with the academic, social, and environmental aspects of the college or university they are attending. UMKC has participated in the survey eight times out of the past nine years, and in 2009, a random sample of 930 freshman students participated in the survey.

The information derived from NSSE data is a reflection of student experiences and offers a comparison of student responses from peer institutions. NSSE data is helpful to inform strategies or initiatives that improve student success at UMKC. It is also used in various other settings for discussions about student experiences and feedback, for example, in regard to studying, faculty standards and interactions with students, assignments, community-participation, application of education, and enriching educational experiences.

In order to inform your own work you can read about student experiences at UMKC in the reports:

• Student Experience in Brief: UMKC
• Executive Snapshot 2009

You can also learn more about NSSE national findings and general information at the UMKC Institutional Research Web site.

The Student Success and Retention Workshop with ACT

On February 24th, we will welcome Dr. Steve Robbins, Dr. Wes Habley and Mr. Charles Ramos from ACT, Inc. to UMKC. They will be presenting at the Student Success and Retention Workshop, a follow-up to last spring’s Student Retention Retreat and to the work the academic units have been doing on their unit specific enrollment management and student retention strategic plans.

The Student Success and Retention Workshop with ACT will be an opportunity for faculty and staff to learn more information related to student success, student retention, and how ACT scores and skills impact enrollment, advising, and student support.

It is UMKC’s mission to create a vibrant learning and campus life experience for UMKC students. This means placing student success at the center. The Student Success and Retention Workshop will provide an opportunity to share ideas focused on supporting our students.

Implementing Strategic Initiatives and Promoting Collaboration

UMKC’s Office of the Provost and Division of Academic Affairs promotes collaboration across the University and oversees policies and initiatives that shape the academic life of the University as a whole. In doing so, the Provost Office sees a need to improve on our ability to more openly and clearly communicate with faculty and staff and create a better system in which we implement strategic initiatives to achieve student outcomes. Therefore, Jake Kupiec joined the Provost Office to aid in these endeavors.

Jake Kupiec has worked in higher education and has focused her work on the effectiveness of Web communications since 1995. Before coming to UMKC, she served as the executive director of digital initiatives at the University of Nevada, Reno and prior to that she was the director of Web communications at Arizona State University. Her expertise includes the strategic use of the Web to achieve university goals; Web governance and organization in universities; and the use of social networking to enhance student recruitment and improve student success, student retention and graduation. She is currently pursuing an advanced degree in geography; her area of research is focused on the geography of online communities and leveraging online community membership to improve student outcomes.

The Provost Office is pleased to have Jake join our team. Our campus community has already benefited from her talent and drive for constant growth and improvement.