Thursday, February 25, 2010

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.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

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.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

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.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

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.