Congrats to Spring 2013 MSN Presenters!

MSN students Jennifer Fitzpatrick (left) and Regina Davis

Two MSN students presented their work from the NURN 6000 Integrated Studies class, Regina Davis, Holistic Pain Management and Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Nursing Turnover and Retention.


Supporting Jennifer Fitzpatrick at her presentation are her NKC Hospital colleagues Tandy Gabbert, Teresa Hillyard and Tammy Braley.


One Nurse Leader and five Nurse Educator students displayed posters of their Practicum projects and lessons. They are:

Beth Courtney, Nurse Leader Rounding in the ED Environment
Vicki Bennett, Alzheimer's Disease
Jessica Brunsman, Communication with the Pediatric Patient
Pat Duncan, Coronary Artery Disease
Dee Harris, Basic Rheumatology 101
Kathy Taylor-Thompson, Diabetes
 

    Kathy Taylor-Thompson, wound care specialist at Truman Medical Center

Vicki Bennett, staff development, infectious disease and employee health director at Crittenton Children's Center.

                 Patricia Duncan, staff nurse at Shawnee Mission Medical Center

Dee Harris, Rheumatology Infusion Nurse Manager and owner Nurse Patient Education LLC, www.nursepatienteducation.com

                   Jessica Brunsman, Staff Nurse 3, Children's Mercy Hospital

Beth Courtney, ER Nurse, KU Medical Center, Research Hospital and Truman Medical Center

Webster University Offers New Degree for Digital Age

 The revolution in learning today, both in schools and corporations, is not about gadgets; it is about the transformation in classroom/ training room dynamics.  By their nature and widespread use, digital-age tools have re-shaped learning for everyone.  The learner has become the leader, shaping her own search for understanding.  Knowing how to use these tools effectively will be essential for everyone in education and training (and that’s nearly all of us).

In offering the Master’s in Educational Technology (MET), Webster University acknowledges that

• teachers may know effective strategies but may be only slightly familiar with the tools (the technology)

or

•  trainers may use technology effectively but may be unacquainted with adult learning principles

So we offer both in MET classes!

We also know that technology changes the role of the teacher/trainer to that of coach, conductor, choreographer, guide or mentor.

In the MET, professional educators and corporate trainers will develop multiple literacies and learn how to foster creative thinking through use of technology – print, graphics, sound, video and the web.  They will create projects and assessments that are both learner- and content-centered.

By applying and assessing 21st century learning skills creatively, by reflecting on technologies and media in a variety of environments, MET graduates will learn how to use technology and media as vehicles for learning, communication and collaboration.

KEY FEATURES

• Be part of a learning community; collaborate
• Design learning experiences in a digital learning environment supported by Mac and PC platforms and interactive white boards
• Plan distance-based programs
• Take flexible eight-week classes, offered both on-ground and on-line
• Complete a convenient 33-credit program, in as little as 18-24 months

MET classes meet one evening per week in eight-week terms that begin five times per year. Online programs are available.

To learn more about the MET and our other degree programs attend one of our Information Sessions held on the first Saturday (9:30-11:30am) and third Tuesday (4:30-6:30pm) of each month. Upcoming Information Sessions are on Saturday, May 4 and Tuesday, May 21. Academic advisers are also available from 9am to 7pm Monday through Thursday, 9am to 2pm Friday, and 8am until noon Saturday. RSVP: 816-444-1000 or online. 

Graduation 2013

Webster University’s 2013 graduation ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. in the Rose Theatre at Rockhurst High School, 93^rd and State Line Road. This ceremony honors our Kansas City Campus graduates from August, October, and December, 2012, and from March and May, 2013. The program will last approximately 90 minutes and a reception in the Rockhurst commons area will follow.

Parking for the Rose Theater is on the north side of Rockhurst High School. The entrance is either up the outdoor stairs or in the glass doors on the ground floor to the right of the stairs. Then take the elevator up to the main floor. 

Because of limited seating in the Rose Theatre, we ask that you limit your guests to five per graduate and –Please – no children under five years of age. Children and other guests are welcome at the reception. Tickets for yourself and five guests may be requested by calling 816-444-1000 or Sean 816-926-4281 on or before April 30^th. No one will be admitted without a ticket.

·         6:30 p.m.             Graduates check-in, receive names card, line-up by degree

·         6:45 p.m.             Faculty Line-up

·         7:00 p.m.             Processional begins

·         8:30 p.m.             Recessional; reception following

Following the ceremony, honored guests, graduating students, and faculty will exit Rose Theatre and proceed to the reception in the lower level commons area.

Caps and Gowns, Class Rings, Invitations, Etc.

Graduation attire will be delivered to Webster University-Kansas City on May 6, 2013. Orders received after April 1, 2013 may be subject to a $50.00 late fee, plus rush shipping charge. No guarantees can be placed on late orders to arrive before May 6. Contact Tena Harman at Herff Jones 417-788-2291 or harmanent@aol.com.

www.herffjones.com/college/graduation

Graduation Pictures

Grad Images will take your picture as you cross the stage. Please fill out the form provided at commencement and they will send a proof and purchase information.

Honors and Awards

An undergraduate Dean’s List is compiled for the Fall (combined Fall I and II) and Spring (combined Spring I and II) semesters. To qualify for the Dean’s List a student must:

·         Complete at least 12 credit-hours with appropriate letter-grade

·         Receive no “Incomplete” grades during the two terms

·         Be in the top ten percent of the class on the current semester’s GPA

·         Have completed at least one 300- or 400- level course not in the student’s area of concentration or related areas as defined by the University.

M.A., M.S., M.S.N., M.H.A., and M.B.A. students may be recognized as Distinguished Graduates by receiving all A’s in all coursework relating to the degree, including transfer credit. Courses transferred toward a degree, for which no grades were given, shall not preclude recognition.

Congratulations to Webster KC alum Valerie Nicholson-Watson, selected as Harvesters president and CEO

                                                                       

Valerie Nicholson-Watson named new Harvesters president and CEO

Kansas City, Mo. -- The board of directors of Harvesters—The Community Food Network is pleased to announce that, following a national search, Valerie Nicholson-Watson will join the food bank on July 1, 2013, as its president and CEO. Nicholson-Watson is currently president and CEO of the Niles Home for Children in Kansas City, Mo., and has been a member of Harvesters’ board of directors since 2007.

“After a long and diligent search, Harvesters’ board is delighted that our choice to lead Harvesters into the future is someone who has the experience, skills and a personal commitment to helping those in need and feeding hungry people,” said Gail Meriweather, chair, Harvesters’ board of directors.

Nicholson-Watson has been a leader in the local nonprofit community since 1999. Prior to assuming her current position at the Niles Home, she was Harvesters’ director of community services. She also has held communications positions at Gateway, Inc., and the Kansas City, Mo., School District and worked as a journalist for the Kansas City Globe and The Kansas City Call.

“These are challenging times for food banks, and Harvesters cannot achieve our goals without the support of everyone in our community,” said Meriweather. “Valerie is a strategic thinker with the experience and expertise to communicate our vision and build the strong relationships Harvesters must have to acquire and distribute the millions of pounds of food necessary to feed our hungry neighbors.”

Nicholson-Watson becomes the fourth person to lead Harvesters, the regional Feeding America food bank, which serves a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. During 2012, Harvesters distributed 43 million pounds of food through its network of more than 620 nonprofit agencies, including food pantries, kitchens and shelters. In 2011, Harvesters was named Feeding America’s Food Bank of the Year.

A seven-member search committee of Harvesters’ board of directors conducted a nine-month national search to fill the position. Nearly 100 applicants were narrowed to a small group of finalists based on key success factors, including executive and relationship management, strategic thinking and communications skills.

Nicholson-Watson has a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MBA from Webster University. She lives in Lee’s Summit, Mo., with her husband, Mark Watson. They have two sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons.

Nicholson-Watson succeeds Karen Haren, who last July announced her plans to retire as Harvesters’ president and CEO on June 30, 2013. Haren has been involved in hunger relief for 27 years and has led the food bank since 1999.

About Harvesters—The Community Food Network

Harvesters is the regional food bank serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas and was Feeding America’s 2011 Food Bank of the Year. Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 620 not-for-profit agencies including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, children’s homes and others. Agencies in Harvesters’ network provide food assistance to as many as 66,000 different people each week. Harvesters, which was founded in 1979, is a certified member of Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, serving all 50 states. For more information, visit www.harvesters.org.

Webster KC Partners with Compensation Professionals to Fill Skills Gap

Margie Carder, Manager of Compensation and Benefits for Hallmark and the President-elect of the Kansas City Compensation and Benefits Association (KCCBA), contacted our campus in an attempt to find a solution to an ongoing problem in their specific area of human resources management. That problem was identified as follows:

Students graduating with graduate degrees from institutions of higher learning with degrees in Human Resource Management and Human Resource Development, were not prepared for entry-level employment in the areas of compensation and benefits. Graduate programs are apparently focused on the people-related skills, to the degree that basic finance-related skills were compromised. So instead of hiring human resources degreed graduates, companies are hiring finance-related graduates.

The Association had found that it was easier to train a finance major in human resource management skills, than to train a human resources major in finance- related skills.

Webster University – Kansas City Campus and KCACBP thus embarked on an initiative to address this identified gap. Beginning with an internship placed with the Association, we are, together, developing a program in which our campus will identify qualified and motivated students and customize individual programs that include designated finance-related courses – to be taken as electives – to augment our HRMG and HRDV programs, thus preparing graduating students for positions in those companies that make-up the KCACBP. These companies include: Hallmark, H&R Bloch, CBIZ, Mercer, Saint Luke’s, KCP&L, Waddell and Reed, JBS Communication, among others.

Other partnership opportunities being developed include collaboratively providing a variety of Human Resources Professional Certifications on campus and to explore additional program partnerships directly with individual Association member companies.

Submitted by Gary Cook, School of Business and Technology Program Coordinator

Webster University Introduces Military Tuition Assistance Protection (MTAP) Plan

 

ST. LOUIS, March 15, 2013 - Webster University is stepping up to provide military students with access to funds for their education following the suspension of Department of Defense tuition assistance (TA) funds due to the sequestration. Through the Webster Military Tuition Assistance Protection (MTAP) Plan, eligible and qualifying current, transfer and new students will receive a Webster grant covering the suspended TA payment.

Military services suspended tuition assistance programs as a result of sequestration. Members of the military were informed that new applications for tuition assistance will not be accepted due to the $85 billion in automatic spending cuts that went into effect on March 1, 2013. Thousands of service members take advantage of the tuition assistance program, which allows them to take college courses that prepare them for their jobs in the military and for their transition to the civilian workforce.

"We are proud to serve our service members at this crucial time," said Brig. Gen. Mike Callan, USAF (Ret), Webster University associate vice president for Military and Governmental Programs. "We don't want them to have to interrupt their studies due to the lost TA payment, and this is the least we can do to help them when they do so much for us."

Rated one of the top schools for military students by Military Advanced Education Magazine, Webster University is offering the MTAP Plan which includes:

• No application fee for new degree-seeking students or transfer students.
• A grant covering up to $250 per credit hour to replace the suspended U.S. Government TA funds.
• A refund for current Webster University students registered for the Spring II term who have already replaced the suspended U.S. Government TA funds with their own monies.
• Immediate assistance for spring and summer enrollment.

This grant can be used for undergraduate or graduate classes - both in class and online at any Webster University location, including our 39 military locations. Grants will be given for Spring II, which begins on March 18, and for the Summer term, unless the military tuition assistance is reinstated. When the military tuition assistance is reinstated, the Webster MTAP Plan will cease. Students interested in pursuing Webster's MTAP plan should contact the Webster location of choice.

"Enriching lives and creating opportunities for purposeful careers is an essential part of our commitment to be the first choice for military education," said Webster University President Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble. "That means being there to support them during this difficult time. We believe it is important to equip service members with the resources to continue their career advancement."

"Degree completion is critical to advancing one's career," said Julian Schuster, Webster's Provost, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "Whether a military student is preparing for promotion to higher levels of responsibility or transitioning out of the military into another career, uninterrupted studies are the best way to help military students reach their goals successfully and efficiently."

About Webster University's Service-to-Service Members

Webster University's service-to-service members dates back to 1974, when, at the invitation of the Department of Defense, Webster offered its programs for the first time at Ft. Sheridan, located north of Chicago. Programs at Scott Air Force Base near St. Louis followed soon thereafter. Today, Webster is nationally recognized for being military friendly and is one of the largest providers of graduate-level military education in the United States; more than 6,000 of Webster's 22,000 students have a military connection. Webster's high-ranking military alumni include over 200 active-duty Generals and Admirals. Webster has been recognized as a Top School for Military Students by Military Advanced Education Magazine and has been recognized for outstanding contributions to military education by the Council of College and Military Educators.

In 2012, Webster took the first stop in developing an Office of Military Affairs by hiring retired Brig. Gen. Michael W. Callan (USAF) as associate vice president for Military and Governmental Programs. Callan provides leadership and strategic direction for Webster's alliances with all branches of the military related to the development and delivery of education programs and develops and strengthens relationships with federal and state agencies.

About Webster University

Webster University, founded in 1915 with its home campus based in St. Louis Missouri, is the only Tier 1, private, nonprofit university with campus locations around the world including metropolitan, military, online and corporate, as well as American-style campuses in North America, Europe and Asia. A new campus is expected to open in Ghana, Africa in 2013-14.

Webster University’s Kansas City area campuses include Webster University-Kansas City, 1200 E. 104^th St. (I-435 & Holmes), Kansas City, MO 64131 and at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. 

 

Webster University

Department of Public Relations

470 E. Lockwood Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63119

Media Contact:

Jennifer Starkey

Media Relations Officer

314.968.6954 (office)

314.277.8307 (cell)

jenstarkey@webster.edu

Pola Firestone

Community Relations Coordinator

Webster University-Kansas City

816.926.4288 (office)

816.803.1262 (cell)

polafirestone80@webster.edu

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