Uncategorized – News

��߲�� Spring Jazz Concert April 16

kheier — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:02:32 +0000

April 15, 2026–April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and the Jazz Program at ��߲�� is doing its part to promote this great American art form by hosting its Spring Jazz Concert at 7:30 p.m.Thursday, April 16 in the Potter Hall Theater.

The Jazz Ensemble, directed by Bob Long, will perform a variety of literature, showcasing works by more contemporary composers/arrangers such as Michael Philip Mossman, Gordon Goodwin, and Mo West friend, David Sharp. You will also hear from the Mo West sax section as they perform a couple of Super-Sax style works by Tom Kubis and the great Benny Carter.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information please call Bob Long, Director of Jazz Studies (816) 244-5840.

��߲�� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ��߲�� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

��߲�� closed Monday, Jan. 26

kheier — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 20:04:44 +0000

Jan. 25, 2026–Due to the winter weather, ��߲�� will be closed Monday, Jan. 26.

On-line courses will be taught as normal. In-person classes may be taught virtually at the instructor’s discretion. Students should check their ��߲�� email and Canvas regularly for possible instructions or assignments.

President Kennedy receives inaugural Beacon Award from the SJSD Foundation

kheier — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 20:30:34 +0000

Kristie Arthur, St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce; Julie Cobb, St. Joseph School District Foundation; Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, ��߲��. Photo courtesy SJSD Foundation

Sept. 19, 2025–Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, president of ��߲��, was presented the inaugural Beacon Award for Outstanding Community Partner from the at the foundation’s annual Fall Community Breakfast Sept. 19 at ��߲��.��

The Beacon Award honors a community partner who “lights the way” for students and educators. The foundation commended Dr. Kennedy’s leadership in providing a clearer, more attainable path to college for local students.

“Dr. Kennedy is a hands-on partner who turns ideas into doors opening for kids,” said Julie Cobb, executive director of the SJSD Foundation. “Because of her leadership at Missouri Western, more SJSD students can see–and step onto–a clear path from our classrooms to college and careers right here in St. Joseph.”

“I’m humbled by this honor, which reflects the hard work and dedication that everyone at ��߲�� brings to the task of making a college education accessible for everyone,” Dr. Kennedy said. “We truly value our partnership with the St. Joseph School District and I look forward to working with them more and more closely for years to come.”

��߲�� and the St. Joseph School District recently announced a partnership to offer direct admission to ��߲�� for graduates of SJSD, the first partnership of its kind in the state. The foundation also cited ��߲��’s expansion of dual-credit and early-college opportunities, creating on-campus experiences that connect high school learning to college momentum, and aligning workforce pathways with regional employers.

This is the first year for the SJSD Foundation Community Awards, which are designed to spotlight the people and partners who turn support into student success, and to inspire even more community engagement.��

In addition to Dr. Kennedy’s Beacon Award, the foundation presented its inaugural Trailblazer Award to Kristie Arthur, director of workforce development for the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. The Trailblazer Award celebrates an SJSD alum whose leadership and impact open new doors for others. Arthur is a graduate of Central High School.

��߲�� named top nursing school in Missouri

kheier — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:46:00 +0000

Sept. 8, 2025–The nursing program at ��߲�� has been ranked the top nursing school in Missouri by .��

“The Department of Nursing takes great pride and care in preparing our students well, and it’s wonderful to see that work recognized in this way,” said Dr. Heather Kendall, department chair. “I thank the faculty and staff in our department and across campus for their dedication to our students’ success, and the students for working so hard to make this recognition possible.”

“All of us on campus, our many healthcare partners around the region, and countless patients who have been cared for by our nursing graduates have long known about the excellence of ��߲��’s nursing program,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, president. “It’s gratifying to see that excellence recognized by a trusted independent resource. I commend Dr. Kendall and her faculty and staff colleagues for this outstanding recognition. I also thank the thousands of nursing students and alumni over the years whose remarkable contributions to the profession reflect so well on their alma mater.”

The website’s methodology relies heavily on NCLEX-RN pass rates, saying the national licensing exam provides one of the best ways to determine a nursing program’s ability to prepare students for the workforce. They call ��߲��’s pass rates “remarkable” – 98.8% of graduating nursing students who took the exam in 2023 passed the exam on their first try, and a perfect 100% in 2024. In fact, four of the last six nursing cohorts have had a 100% pass rate.

“��߲��’s BSN program offers an exceptional nursing education pathway with impressive credentials,” according to . “Students benefit from a comprehensive curriculum integrating general education and specialized nursing courses, supported by state-of-the-art simulation labs and diverse clinical experiences in St. Joseph and Kansas City. With small class sizes ensuring personalized learning, experienced faculty, and CCNE accreditation, this program provides robust training for aspiring nurses.”

The rankings also describe ��߲�� nursing as military-friendly and focusing on practical skills.

Missouri Western’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program accepts up to 60 students each semester. The program has a graduation rate of 80%, and a job placement rate of more than 95%.

Missouri Western: What are you doing for others?

kheier — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 21:53:25 +0000

Jan. 23, 2025–Missouri Western’s Center for Service will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the fourth annual What Are You Doing for Others Day of Service from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24 from at the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology.

Three shifts of students, faculty and staff will participate in the first ever Sleep in Heavenly Peace bed building project for area children. Volunteers will take raw lumber and some easy-to-use tools to build handmade bunk beds.

“This project will ensure that no child will sleep on the floor in our town,” said Kim Sigrist, executive director of the Center for Service.��

Missouri Western has hosted this day or service event on the first Friday of the spring semester since 2022.

��߲�� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Missouri Western Fall 2024 Commencement

plashbrook — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:36:19 +0000

Dec. 6, 2024–��߲�� will celebrate the achievements of 201 graduates during the fall commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 in the MWSU Fieldhouse in the M.O. Looney Complex. The public is invited. Doors open to guests at 10:15 a.m.��

Missouri Western will confer 171 undergraduate degrees and 30 graduate degrees this semester. Graduates come from Missouri and 12 other states as well as four foreign countries.

The ceremony will feature graduates from the College of Science and Health, General Studies, the College of Business and Professional Studies and the College of Liberal Arts. A brief reception will follow the ceremony in the Looney practice gym, sponsored by the Missouri Western Alumni Association.��

The guest speaker for commencement will be Isaac Lee Collins, a Missouri Western alumnus, community entrepreneur, business coach and speaker. The student representative, Dana Vinson, will also speak at the ceremony.��

Collins started his entrepreneurial journey fresh out of MWSU in 2011 and has since owned eight for-profit businesses and one nonprofit in various industries from health supplements to professional services. Currently, Collins owns five Yogurtini Frozen Yogurt stores and Streamlined Profit Academy, a business coaching company. He uses his entrepreneurial endeavors to make a positive community impact while teaching others to do the same.

Vinson, from Roland, Iowa, will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Animation and is the president and founder of Missouri Western’s Digital Animation Club. She served as the head of animation and president of Griffon University for Griffon Production House, participated in marching band and jazz band and served as secretary in the Alpha Chi national honor society and on the executive board for Phi Boota Roota national percussion fraternity. Vinson has represented Missouri Western at numerous events, including SIGGRAPH, a conference on computer graphics and interactive technique.

Other public commencement-related activities include:

International and Multicultural Sash Ceremony, 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, Hoff Conference Rooms, Blum Union rooms 218-219
Nurses Pinning Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, Fulkerson Center

Missouri Western formally opens innovative technology center

kheier — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 21:15:54 +0000

Dr. Lenny Klaver, Dr. Ben Boggs, Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Tim Houlne, State Rep. Brenda Shields and State Rep. Dean Van Schoiack cut the ribbon at the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology.

Nov. 15, 2024–��߲��, North Central Missouri College and numerous public and private partners formally cut the ribbon on the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology on Nov. 15.��

“The Houlne Center is a shining example of how Missouri Western serves as a career-focused university, for everyone,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western’s president. “From the very beginning, we sat down with leaders from industry and the community to determine what their workforce development needs are and how we can help. I am incredibly proud of the way that Missouri Western and NCMC have been responsive to those needs, aligning our academic experience with the expectations of students and employers.”

“We’re grateful for the partnership with Missouri Western, the State of Missouri, and the many other investors in this project,” said Dr. Lenny Klaver, NCMC president. “This facility was built with the future in mind, and I’m so grateful to the partners involved who saw that in this project. We thought of this idea a long time ago, and we did it, together, to prepare the workforce for today and tomorrow.”

The Houlne Center is a 20,000-square-foot learning laboratory that delivers practical, applied learning instruction in skilled manufacturing and construction professions as well as innovative service technologies like AI, robotics, GIS, sensor technologies, information technology and cybersecurity that drive those sectors and others. The Center is home to a broad range of certificate and degree programs as well as targeted workforce training, designed to meet the needs of incumbent workers. Its applied learning labs mimic the equipment and facilities used in factory floors and job sites.��

“This modern facility, and the partnerships it represents, sends a message that Missouri is a land of opportunity for both employers AND employees,” said Dr. Bennett Boggs, commissioner of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development and a speaker at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “And as a result, Missourians will be competitive in the workforce, able to support their families, and positioned to prosper economically. This cutting-edge center is designed to prepare Griﬀons and Pirates for impactful careers in manufacturing and construction.”

The Center is named for Missouri Western alumnus Tim Houlne ’86, an entrepreneur, author and visionary in the field of artificial intelligence. Houlne is founder and CEO of Humach, a Dallas-based provider of AI technology-driven contact center solutions for hundreds of clients across a variety of industries and regions. He committed $3 million to the Center’s Project Fund, which will help support the Center’s launch and ongoing programs. It’s the third largest outright gift in Missouri Western’s history.

Houlne’s gift is emblematic of the private support that the project generated. All told, about 20 private firms and individuals have donated more than $7 million to the project.

“We are extremely grateful to all of our public and private partners for their unwavering support of the project,” said Marc Archambault, vice president for advancement and executive director of the MWSU Foundation. “One of the exciting things about this particular project is we had support not only for construction and equipping of the building, but for things like operating expenses, scholarship support and professorships that will make the Houlne Center sustainable and accessible to students.”

The Houlne Center consists of a large central shop area and four specialty bays, along with a conference room and gathering space. There are no offices in the Center; it is strictly an educational facility. Several areas of the Center have been named in recognition of donors:

Gray Manufacturing Workshop Bay (the central shop area)
Altec Manufacturing Technology Bay
Triumph Foods and Daily’s Premium Meats Industrial Technology Bay
Humach Cyber Science Bay
Nestle Purina Gathering Space
Bradley Family Conference Room

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, $1.3 million in gifts were announced for the first time:

$250,000 from the Bradley Family for the Center’s general fund
$100,000 from Nestle Purina for the Center’s general fund
$500,000 from Herzog for workforce development scholarships for any engineering technology or cybersecurity student
$250,000 from the Beavers Charitable Trust for professorship funds
$100,000 from Pete and Staci Gray for endowed scholarships
$100,000 from Paul Gray for endowed scholarships

Potter Hall, Hearnes Center undergoing renovation this year

kheier — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:11:21 +0000

Nov. 4, 2024–��߲�� is updating two of the oldest buildings on campus to provide modern spaces for learning and collaboration. The Board of Governors recently approved construction contracts to renovate Potter Hall and the Hearnes Center.

“The projects will provide inspiring and dynamic gathering and learning spaces for students,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western’s president. “Both projects will help our faculty and staff better support hands-on, collaborative learning and student success.”

Construction on both projects will take place this school year, with completion expected in 2025.

Digital Solutions for a Modern Missouri: Improving Potter Hall

Missouri Western received a MoExcels grant of approximately $1.2 million to improve the Dr. Thompson E. Potter Fine Arts Center (Potter Hall), which opened in February 1971 and is the home of Missouri Western’s School of Fine Arts. The renovation will enable Missouri Western to provide cutting-edge training to the digital content specialists that play a critical role in business, industry, healthcare, education, nonprofits and the government.

The project will include five new or renovated areas:

Collaboration space
Multipurpose classroom
Digital animation suite
Graphic design suite
Griffon Production House space

In addition to the state appropriation, the project is supported by an equivalent amount of private funding, including a $1 million gift from Drew Brown and a $100,000 gift from Tom Richmond. The art gallery in Potter Hall was renamed the Drew Brown Art Gallery earlier this year in recognition of his gift, and the new collaboration space will be named in honor of George Richmond, Tom’s father, a longtime faculty member and administrator at Missouri Western.

The board approved a bid of $517,000 plus a 10 percent contingency from Lee Grover Construction of St. Joseph. Additional construction work will be done by Missouri Western staff. Funding has also been set aside to purchase equipment identical to what students will use in industry after they graduate.

Missouri Western employees replace light fixtures in the Hearnes Center in October 2024. Hearnes and Potter Hall are undergoing renovation projects in 2024-2025.

Student Success Hub, Hearnes Center Library

Missouri Western received $2.5 million in ARPA funding to create the Griffon Student Success Hub on the main level of the Missouri Western Library in the Hearnes Center, one of the original three buildings on campus. The project will maintain the library at the intellectual center of campus life, providing a welcoming inspirational atmosphere where students can come together.

The Hub will also house a model classroom for teacher preparation and pedagogical research.

Its design will also improve student access to tutoring, student success services and information technology support, strengthening the University’s capacity to serve first-generation, non-traditional students.

The board approved a construction bid of approximately $1.9 million plus a 10 percent contingency from Lehr Construction of St. Joseph.

On-campus parade highlights Haunted Homecoming 2024

kheier — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:30:49 +0000

Oct. 10, 2024–��߲�� will celebrate Homecoming 2024 the week of Oct. 14-19, with a new twist: the annual Homecoming Parade at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 will be moving onto campus for the first time in more than 25 years.��

“We are bringing Homecoming home,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western’s president. “The Homecoming Parade is a great opportunity to invite our alumni and community to come see our beautiful campus. It will also bring great energy to our football game, allowing parade participants and spectators to go directly from the parade to tailgating before our Griffons take the field.”

The parade staging area will be in Lot J, near Potter Hall. It will proceed east on Downs Drive to East University Drive, just east of the Blum Student Union, then disperse in Lot E. Participants in the parade can start lining up at 9:30 a.m. Those interested in participating can register online, or contact Dr. Josh Clary in the Center for Student Involvement, 816-271-4150 or jclary5@missouriwestern.edu.��

To minimize traffic on Downs Drive, Ronald Reed Way (the central entrance to campus from Mitchell Avenue) will be closed. Parade spectators are encouraged to enter campus from Mitchell via Southeast University Drive and park in Lot B (near the Hearnes Center) or Southwest University Drive and park in Lot K (near Popplewell Hall). James McCarthy Drive from Faraon Street will be open; however, spectators will be directed to parking on the north side of campus and will have further to walk.��

Following the parade, fans are invited to tailgate before the Homecoming Game vs. Nebraska-Kearney at 2 p.m. on Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium.

The Homecoming Parade was last held on campus in 1998.��

The theme for this year’s celebration is Haunted Homecoming. Activities include:

For Students (follow @Griffonactivities on social media for details and updates)

Monday

Boo Bingo, 7 p.m., Fulkerson Center

Tuesday

Fear Factor Food Challenge, 7 p.m., Blum 218-219

Wednesday

Campus Beautification, 2:30-4:30 p.m., check-in at Kelley Commons
Formal & Frightful Dance, 7 p.m., Fulkerson Center. Homecoming Griffons will be announced.

Thursday

Griffon Graveyard Hunt, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., campuswide. Follow @Griffonactivities for social media clues.

Friday

Drive-In Movie Night, 8 p.m., Parking Lot G

Saturday

Homecoming Parade
Homecoming Football Game

For Alumni

Friday

Alumni Awards Banquet, 6 p.m., Fulkerson Center. Join alumni, faculty, staff and community members as we celebrate outstanding alumni achievement. Tickets are $40 per person and must be reserved by Friday, Oct. 11. Register online at .

Saturday

Homecoming Parade
Homecoming Tailgate, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Lot H in front of Baker Fitness Center. Free food and free t-shirts for MWSU Alumni.
Homecoming Football Game

Missouri Western to host Missouri Court of Appeals

plashbrook — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 15:43:51 +0000

Oct. 2, 2024–��߲�� will once again host the Western District of Missouri Court of Appeals on Wednesday, Oct. 16 beginning at 9 a.m. in Leah Spratt Hall Room 101.

A three-judge panel will hear oral arguments in three cases. To learn more about the cases on this session’s docket, visit the Missouri Courts website at . After oral arguments, the judges will take time to discuss the court system and take general questions from the audience.

The court regularly meets in Kansas City, but holds dockets in many other locations in the court’s jurisdiction, including Missouri Western. The court holds oral arguments outside Kansas City to give the public an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the internal workings of the judicial system.

This event is free and open to students, faculty and the public.