The Crow’s Nest — April 30, 2020
University Announces Early College Online Program for High School Students
High school students can get a head start on earning college credits by enrolling in 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Early College Online program. The new program begins Monday, June 8, in conjunction with Park鈥檚 eight-week Summer term. High school students who will complete their sophomore, junior or senior year this spring and have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher are eligible to participate, earning college credit at a fraction of the University鈥檚 regular tuition rate and within a shorter timeframe than through dual-credit or Advanced Placement coursework. Students earn transferable college credit and learn how to effectively participate in college courses online 鈥� an increasingly important skill to possess.
The program allows students to take up to two online courses (six credit hours) taught by experienced 海角乱伦社区 faculty. Small class sizes, faculty-student interaction and virtual academic support resources are in place to aid student success. The University is offering three courses for high school students as a part of the program: Public Speaking (CA 103), American National Government (PO 200) and Introduction to Sociology (SO 141) at a cost of $90 per credit hour ($270 per course). This is a discount of more than 75 percent the regular tuition rate of $415 per credit hour.
For more information, visit park.edu/admissions/early-college-online or contact Park鈥檚 Office of Admissions at admissions@park.edu / (816) 746-2533.
Gilbert Campus Athletics Approved for NAIA Membership
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on March 31 that 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus was approved for full membership by the NAIA鈥檚 Council of Presidents, effective Wednesday, July 1. With the approval of NAIA membership, the Buccaneers鈥� provisional membership in the California Pacific Conference is now official.
Schools being considered for membership in the NAIA must meet membership criteria that include financial stability, sports sponsorship, accreditation and a commitment to character-driven athletics. Enrollment numbers, graduation percentages, retention rates, and overall athletic budgets are also taken into consideration. The NAIA, formed in 1937, is rooted in the vision of 鈥淐hampions of Character鈥� to change the culture of sport. Its mission is to instill the values that build character, so students, coaches and parents know, do and value the right things on and off the field.
During the 2020-21 season, only men鈥檚 baseball and volleyball and women鈥檚 softball and volleyball will play a Cal Pac schedule, but are not eligible for conference championships; all other sports will play an independent schedule. All sports will be eligible for conference championships and postseason play starting with the 2021-22 academic year. Read more at .
New CFO and Gilbert Campus Leadership Staff Announced
海角乱伦社区 has appointed Gregg Wm. Givens to serve as its chief financial officer. Givens began his role at Park in mid-March. As chief financial officer, Givens will oversee the financial and accounting operations of the University and is responsible for all fiscal services, including financial systems, reporting and controls, and fiscal policies and regulations. He will also ensure that the University has requisite financial resources, including cash management and borrowing agreements. In addition, he will be responsible for, and have oversight of, the University鈥檚 facilities and maintenance.
Givens has 36 years of diverse financial and operational experience across domestic and international financial technology and health care processing businesses, manufacturing, asset management and real estate business environments. Prior to joining 海角乱伦社区, Givens had a 22-year career with DST Systems in Kansas City, Mo, most recently serving as its senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer from 2014-18. Read more about Givens at park.edu/news/givens-appointed-cfo.
In addition, two staff members have been promoted to leadership positions at the University鈥檚 Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus. Sue Wilcox has been appointed as vice president of the campus, while Ben Zibers has been appointed associate vice president of the campus, both effective April 1.
For the previous eight months, Wilcox served the Gilbert Campus as its senior director of strategic delivery. As vice president of the Gilbert Campus, Wilcox is responsible for leading the strategic growth and operations of the campus, including market development, community relations, enrollment growth, student services, student academic support, student engagement, and athletic program development and growth. She will also work closely with the University鈥檚 Office of Academic Affairs related to academic delivery and program expansion.
Zibers joined the Gilbert Campus in September 2019 as its senior director for enrollment and student services. As associate vice president of the Gilbert Campus, Zibers is responsible for leading all aspects of the student lifecycle, enrollment growth and student life. He also leads the development and execution of operations and initiatives with a focus on student enrollment, retention and experiences, strategic academic partnerships and academic delivery. Read more about Wilcox and Zibers at park.edu/news/gilbert-campus-leadership.
Online Workshop for K-12 Educators Transitioning to E-Learning Offered by University
海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Office of Continuing Education is offering a four-week online workshop geared for K-12 teachers to help in the transition to e-learning. The workshop, 鈥淔rom the Schoolhouse to Their House: A New Playbook for Teaching and Learning,鈥� will kick off on Monday, May 4. The workshop was designed by educators in K-12 and higher education settings, as well as instructional designers. Each night (Monday through Thursday) at 7 p.m. Central time during the four weeks, expert panelists will present a variety of session topics, and breakout conversations will be provided during the discussions. Each weekly session will be different, providing resources and tools to immediately use in the online classroom. For more information about the workshop and to register ($50 fee), visit park.edu/academics/elearning-a-workshop-for-k-12-teachers. Questions about the workshop can be referred to Katie Ervin, Ed.D., associate vice president of academic operations, katie.ervin@park.edu / (816) 584-6289.
Faculty, Staff, Student News
Jason Kline, Parkville Campus head coach, was selected as the at the conclusion of the regular season. Corey Reeves, junior guard/forward, earned all-conference first team honors after averaging 17 points and 2.1 steals per game for the Pirates. Reeves was also a .
A manuscript co-authored by Ho-Seop Cha, Ph.D., assistant professor of geography, was published in the recent edition of the International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research. The paper, 鈥淓nhancing Equity in Public Transportation Using Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Optimization,鈥� focused on modeling approaches used in establishing public transportation infrastructure and systems.
Kenny Broberg, graduate student in the , has been selected as a , a unique 13-month long competition held every four years. The winner of the competition will be announced in April 2021.
Three 海角乱伦社区 Parkville Campus players 鈥� juniors Luciano Bucci, Hiago Crins and Felipe Guirau 鈥� were honored on April 7 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as . In addition, that trio along with Felipe Chagas earned . Bucci was the conference Setter of the Year, while Crins was the conference Defender of the Year. Mike Talamantes and Kaci Crabtree were named conference Head Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year, respectively.
海角乱伦社区鈥檚 student newspaper, The Stylus, was recognized with a number of honors during the Missouri College Media Association Awards, held virtually on April 7. The newspaper, competing in Division 3 (small four-year schools), finished second in the Overall Best Newspaper in Division 3 race and also took second in the sweepstakes competition in the division. Individually, Park student journalists came away with 18 individual awards, including seven first place finishes:
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� Savanna Engelmohr: Feature Page, 鈥淒arkest Hour Exhibit Shines Light on PTSD鈥� and Video, 鈥淒arkest Hour Exhibit Shines Light on PTSD鈥�
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� Jon Hokenson: Feature Writing, 鈥淏ooks Belong to Everyone鈥�; News Photography, 鈥淏anned Books鈥� and Sports Photography, 鈥淚ntra-Campus Showdown鈥�
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� Kalie Strain: Editorial Writing, 鈥淒ark Money and Vendettas: A Lobbyist鈥檚 Attempt to Change Title IX鈥�
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� Strain and Brittany Karst: Photo Page, 鈥淲ith Love, From Park鈥�
Steve Youngblood, associate professor of communication arts and director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism, presented an online session on 鈥淐OVID-19 in the Media鈥� for the International Relations Council on April 16.
Alla Adams, Ph.D., assistant professor of healthcare administration, authored a chapter titled 鈥淐are Coordination Models in Accountable Care Organizations: Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities,鈥� for the recently published e-book, .
Ashley Jones, head coach, and Cesar Duron, sophomore business administration/international business and student-athlete, were , a division of the Kansas City Sports Commission.
Park in the News
A story about Leah Vollmer, a senior at Fideles Christian School in Cumming, Ga., signing a letter-of-intent to play at 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus, .
Stancia Jenkins, MPA 鈥�99, was . Jenkins is the associate to the president and assistant vice president for diversity, access and inclusion at the University of Nebraska.
Kelly Stinnett, head coach at 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus, was as part of a series of stories ranking the best catchers in the history of every Major League Baseball team. Stinnett, who had a 14-year MLB career, was ranked the No. 4 catcher in Arizona Diamondbacks鈥� history.
A story about Gary Greer, 鈥�84, being appointed city administrator in Gothenburg, Neb., .
Aubrey Avery, who signed a letter-of-intent to play at 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus, was .
A story about Don McClain, a retired 海角乱伦社区 adjunct faculty member who volunteers for Harvesters 鈥� The Community Food Network in Kansas City, Mo., .
Consuela Robinson, a senior management/healthcare major, was related to how the coronavirus is affecting low-income college students.
Denzil Ross, 鈥�02, MBA 鈥�07, chief operating officer at Lovelace Medical Center and administrator of Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, N.M., was . Ross will be honored at an event in September.
A focused on Philip Field, 鈥�38, who was celebrating his 104th birthday.
Stories about Aneisha Ford, 鈥�18, who quit her job at a Kansas City, Mo., hospital to go to New York City to help hospitals and patients dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, aired on , and on and on April 17. Ford was a member of Park鈥檚 Parkville Campus team and earned NAIA Academic All-America honors in 2017.
Matt Harris, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, was in Kansas City related to churches in the State of Kansas suing Gov. Laura Kelly鈥檚 executive order restricting mass gatherings related to the coronavirus.
Pat Contreras, a member of 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Civic Advisory Council, was .
The Peace Journalist, a publication of 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Center for Global Peace Journalism, was listed on .
Suzanne Tiemann, Ph.D., assistant professor of education and director of undergraduate programs, was interviewed for stories that aired on KMBZ-FM on April 28 related to the University鈥檚 new Early College Online program.
Erik Bergrud, associate vice president for , was interviewed for the podcast 鈥淔iredUpKC鈥� on April 30 to discuss 海角乱伦社区’s response to the coronavirus. FiredUpKC is a student organization at the University Missouri-Kansas City which aspires to help students discover their purpose and improve their leadership skills to prepare them for success in their future career.
海角乱伦社区 received the following rankings:
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� Plexuss.com ranked Park No. 1 on its 2020 鈥淏est Online Colleges in Missouri鈥� list and No. 33 on its 鈥淭op Online Colleges for Bachelor鈥檚 Degree鈥� list.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� Study.com ranked Park No. 16 on its 鈥淢ost Affordable Online Colleges for 2020鈥� list and No. 30 on its 鈥�2020 Best Business Management Schools鈥� list.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� EdSmart.org ranked Park No. 28 on its 鈥淏est Online Computer Science Degree Programs鈥� list.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� OnlineSchoolsCenter.com ranked Park鈥檚 Bachelor of Science degree in Management/Computer Information Systems on its 鈥淭op Online Bachelor鈥檚 of Computer Engineering Degree Programs for 2020鈥� list.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� GuideToOnlineSchools.com ranked Park No. 4 on its 鈥�2020 Best Online Colleges Offering Bachelor鈥檚 in Law Enforcement Degrees鈥� list and No. 16 on its 鈥�2020 Best Online Colleges Offering Bachelor鈥檚 in Homeland Security Degrees鈥� list.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� OnlineU.org ranked Park No. 18 on its 鈥�2020 Most Affordable Online Law Enforcement Degrees鈥� list.
Upcoming Events
(All events are Central time)
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 10 鈥� Spring Semester / Spring II Term Ends
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 11 鈥� Maymester Begins
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 15 鈥� Board of Trustees Meeting, Virtual/Online
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 24 鈥� Maymester Ends
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 25 鈥� Memorial Day Holiday (all University offices closed)
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� June 4 鈥� Fairchild Air Force Base (Wash.) Campus Commencement, 4 p.m., Base Theater
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� June 4 鈥� Scott Air Force Base (Ill.) Campus Commencement, 7 p.m., The Regency Conference Center, O鈥橣allon, Ill.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� June 5-July 24 鈥� Italian Art Glass Exhibition, Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center)
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� June 8 鈥� Summer Session / Junemester Classes Begin
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� June 19 鈥� Malmstrom Air Force Base (Mont.) Campus Commencement, Heritage Hall, Great Falls College 鈥� Montana State University
The following events have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Note: When these events are rescheduled (if applicable), they will be updated in the University鈥檚 online calendar.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� April 24 鈥� Moody Air Force Base (Ga.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� April 25 鈥� Grand Forks (N.D.) Air Force Base Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 1-29 鈥� Fine Art Seniors Thesis Exhibition
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 2 鈥� International Center for Music Concert: Kansas City Chamber Orchestra
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 8 鈥� Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 8 鈥� International Student Sash Ceremony
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 9 鈥� Kansas City Area May Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 14 鈥� Luke Air Force Base (Ariz.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 14 鈥� Tinker Air Force Base (Okla.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 15 鈥� Hanscom Air Force Base (Mass.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 15 鈥� Little Rock (Ark.) Air Force Base Campus Commencement (rescheduled for December 4)
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 22 鈥� Naval Support Activity Mid-South Millington (Tenn.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 22 鈥� Austin (Texas) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 28 鈥� Barstow (Calif.) Community College Campus / Victor Valley College (Calif.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 28 鈥� Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (N.C.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 29 鈥� Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort (S.C.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� May 29 鈥� F.E. Warren Air Force Base (Wyo.) Campus Commencement
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� June 5 鈥� George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War Dedication Ceremony (rescheduled for September 19, 11:30 a.m.)
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� June 10 鈥� Night at the Helm
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥⒙� June 12-14, June 19-21 鈥� Bell Road Barn Players, 鈥淭he Foreigner鈥�
To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics and student life, visit park.edu/calendars/park-events-calendar/.