Tuesday’s Emporia State University General Assembly for the fall semester opened with President Michael Lane accepting on behalf of the university a Department of Defense Patriot Award to recognize ESU for its support in helping students and staff transition between campus responsibilities and military duty. The award was presented by Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, Kansas adjutant general, Michael “Mick” Allen, chair of the Kansas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, and Warrant Officer Indy Dambro, public service executive for ESU.
“I appreciate the opportunity to receive this award on behalf of ESU, but it’s the men and women who serve who deserve recognition,” Lane said. “ESU has a rich history of honoring those who’ve served around the world.”
Since the fall of 2002, 39 students and five ESU employees have served in the military, he said. “And we’ll continue to support those who serve this country. ... (T)he very least we can do for these heroes, whether they be employees or students, is to make their transition back to ESU as seamless as possible.”
Lane then opened the assembly by invoking a Chinese saying: “This year ... promises the opportunity to ‘live in interesting times.’”
Among the many accomplishments Lane listed for recognition were:
• The approval of the proposal for a new General Education program. The proposal was put together by the General Education Council and will go into effect for the entering class of fall 2009.
• The continuation of the planning process for the renovation of the Memorial Union.
• Updates to campus safety initiatives, including lock changes on classroom doors to allow locking from inside without a key and without opening a door (to be completed by Sept. 1; start of the RAVE Messaging System, a new text messaging service to alert students to campus emergencies; and continued improvement of the campus whistle as a supplement to the RAVE system.
• Enhanced academic and user services, including expanded help desk hours, addition of two remote help desks in the Memorial Union and the library; creation of a Multimedia Lab Podcast Studio for the creation of podcast content by faculty or staff; and providing Web streaming of athletic events and spring commencement.
• Creation of the Si Se Puede Hacer Ciencias y Matematicas, which in its first year worked with 29 Hispanic students from the Emporia school district to enhance Hispanic students’ interest in the fields of science and mathematics.
• The School of Library and Information Management will receive continuing accreditation to 2015 for its Master of Library Science program.
• ESU’s teacher-education programs were recognized as one of 10 “cutting edge” programs by Edutopia, published by the George Lucas Foundation.
Lane also recognized two students, basketball player Michelle Steuve and baseball player Brian Majors, for being named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans.
Also recognized was ESU’s 11th-place finish in the 2007-2008 U.S. Sports Academy Director’s cup standings, the highest finish ever. It is the fourth straight year ESU has finished in to top 50 nationally out of nearly 300 NCAA Division II schools.
Lane also talked about budget concerns, stating that there have as yet been no budget reductions for the 2008-2009 or 2009-2010 school years. Lane did point out that the university has been asked to submit contingency plans to reduce expenditures by 2 percent in 2008-2009 in case state revenues do not hold for the rest of the Fiscal Year and 5 percent in 2009-2010 in case revenue estimates for 2010 are insufficient to fund the state’s needs.
“I will be reviewing our plans with the Regents tomorrow at their retreat,” Lane said.
Comments
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Posted by Fixed_News (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A General Education plan where students will not be required to take history classes or Economics. I am glad Emporia State is really looking out for the future of its students. What struck me as odd last semester was when the student newspaper uncovered a violation of state law, no one did anything. Neither Goodman or the Gazette did anything and Lane attempted to back out of the problem by having his surrogates say they didn't fall under the law.
Posted by Newsie (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 6:02 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by Newsie (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 8:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Apparently, my earlier comment left a sour taste in the mouth of The Gazette.
Let me try a different approach.
Based on my experience as a former Bulletin staffer, I can tell you that the staff is relatively inexperienced and young, and most likely will not have the resources to pursue this matter any further.
Its adviser is also relatively new and is best known for his fiction work such as a series of Western-themed books and Indiana Jones stories.
These are the facts, Gazette site staff. Check them out. But also remember, free speech applies to all...even those with whom we disagree.
Posted by ntmidtrfan (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm just wondering if the picture on the front page of the Gazette was the image that ESU wants to put out for parents considering where to send/spend their kids and money. A few more students needed for what learning or sitting around in lawn chairs drinking beer. We all know it goes on but again front page advertising which is what most articles and pictures are should be thought through a little more...surely there were more than just those two pics to pick from.
Posted by emp205 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 11:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ntmidtrfan-good point thanks Gazette for the great image of our community. Makes you wonder if the Editor really ment what he wrote on the inside about getting people to ESU. Great professionalism.
Posted by Fixed_News (anonymous) on August 21, 2008 at 1:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think William Allen White would be proud of you guys at Pravda...I mean the Gazette. Why don't you cover stop this buddy system stuff and actually report the news?
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