Oct. 15, 2026鈥揟he Bushman Planetarium at 含羞草社区 will present a public showing of 鈥淎frica: The Serengeti鈥� and 鈥淲onders of the Universe鈥� at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. The planetarium is located inside Agenstein Hall, room 147.

“Africa: The Serengeti”

Chronicles a spectacle that few humans have ever witnessed, the Great Migration, taking viewers on a journey with over 1.5 million animals as they travel more than 500 miles across the Serengeti plains in Tanzania and Kenya. Narrated by James Earl Jones.

“Wonders of the Universe”

Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. On this breathtaking excursion, you鈥檒l witness the formation of galaxies and explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered. As your travels continue, you鈥檒l fly deep into our own Milky Way galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the solar system.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military, and senior citizens age 60 and up. Planetarium tickets are not sold at the door, so they must be purchased in advance either online at or in person at Agenstein Hall, room 140 during regular business hours.

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

Oct. 15, 2027鈥摵卟萆缜� will offer students a quicker pathway to a bachelor鈥檚 degree when it begins offering 90-credit-hour bachelor degree programs in criminal justice and child development in 2027. With the new programs, 含羞草社区 will be the first university in the state to offer more than one bachelor鈥檚 degree designed to be completed in three years or even less with transfer credit.

鈥淭hese Bachelor of Applied Science degree programs represent the kind of innovation that is vital for 含羞草社区 to succeed in today鈥檚 higher education environment,鈥� said Dr. Lenny Klaver, 含羞草社区鈥檚 president. 鈥淏y providing alternatives to the traditional 120-credit-hour undergraduate degree, we are saving our graduates time and money while more quickly preparing them to meet the workforce needs of our region.鈥�

Both programs will be offered online, and classes will be offered in seven-week sessions, so that students will have six potential start dates each year. Courses will be offered at the standard tuition rate of $328 per credit hour.听

鈥淥ur new 90-credit hour bachelor’s degrees meet the needs of students and employers in the region and beyond,鈥� said Dr. Jay Johnson, provost and vice president of academic affairs. 鈥淭his development continues to demonstrate that our faculty are innovative leaders in their fields focusing on student success and high academic standards.鈥�

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice will be offered beginning in January 2027. It offers three newly approved vocationally based minors: Law Enforcement, Forensic Science and Community and Institution Supervision.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to offer students this accelerated means to enter the workforce,鈥� said Dr. David Marble, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies. 鈥淥ur rigorous coursework and opportunities for hands-on learning will have our graduates ready for careers in law enforcement, corrections, courts, investigations, community supervision and related public safety fields or for continued graduate study.鈥�

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Child Development will begin in August 2027. It will prepare students for careers working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers in a variety of settings without having to acquire a teaching certificate.听

鈥淚n addition to the online coursework, we partner with a variety of schools and teaching centers to provide our graduates with career-focused applied learning experiences,鈥� said Dr. Elizabeth Thorne Wallington, associate professor of education. 鈥淏y more quickly preparing our students for their careers, we can make a real difference in the lives of our youngest residents while meeting a critical workforce need.鈥�

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

Oct. 8, 2026鈥揟he 含羞草社区 School of Fine Arts, the music program and 含羞草社区 Bands will celebrate the 40th annual Tournament of Champions. The field show competition for area high school marching bands will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13 on Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium.

More than 600 students representing 16 bands from Missouri and Iowa will compete, with the awards presentation scheduled for 7:15 p.m..

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors. Children 12 and under are free. Concessions will be open for those wanting refreshments.

The full schedule includes:

2 p.m. Lathrop High School
2:15 p.m. Maysville High School
2:30 p.m. Sherwood High School
2:45 p.m. Lafayette County High School
3 p.m. Richmond High School
3:30 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Savannah High School
3:45 p.m. Marshall High School
4 p.m. Harrisonville High School
4:15 p.m. Central High School
4:30 p.m. Liberty High School
4:45 p.m. Break
5:15 p.m. Kirksville High School
5:30 p.m. Raytown High School
5:45 p.m. Lewis Central High School
6 p.m. Break
6:15 p.m. Oak Park High School
6:30 p.m. Staley High School
6:45 p.m. Platte County High School
7:15 p.m. Awards Ceremony

For more information please contact Bob Long at 816-244-5840, or long@missouriwestern.edu.听

The Tournament of Champions was started by longtime music professor of woodwinds, Richard Yeager, and former director of bands Jim Cochran. The event was originally scheduled on Saturdays, but due to the increasing number of festivals, it was moved to Tuesdays by former director of bands Jeff Hinton. By 2000 it was hosting 28 bands. After that year it became an invitational, limiting the number of bands. Even with the advent of dozens of other festivals around the state, TOC is still considered one of the most performance friendly venues due to the design of Spratt Stadium.

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

Oct. 8, 2026鈥揟he 含羞草社区 School of Fine Arts presents Flora and Fauna, an exhibition running from Oct. 13 through Jan. 27 in the University Gallery, Spratt Hall room 211. The opening reception is from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday Oct. 15. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.听

The selected prints bring together diverse works from 含羞草社区鈥檚 Eickhorst Print Collection that depict the timeless relationship between the natural world and human observation. Through a wide variety of traditional and contemporary print methods, the artists capture the delicate complexities of botanical life and the diverse energy of the animal kingdom 鈥� ranging from close-up observation to a more expanded view of the natural world, and in some cases, with humor. The exhibition invites viewers to keep looking and exploring the exquisite details these artists have depicted.

含羞草社区 art history students in assistant professor Holly Rubalcava’s Survey of Art History II course are assisting with research into the artists and print techniques represented, as well as gaining hands-on experience presenting an exhibition.听

Professor Emeritus William Eickhorst鈥檚 generous donation of over 1,000 prints established the Eickhorst Print Collection in 2018 at 含羞草社区. The University Gallery was established to house the collection.听

The gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For more information, contact University Curator Robin Vanhoozer at rvanhoozer@missouriwestern.edu.听

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

Oct.6, 2026鈥摵卟萆缜�檚 official enrollment for the Fall 2026 semester is 3,711, an increase of 1% over Fall 2025. This marks the first increase in enrollment on the official census date since 2018.听

鈥淚n the current higher education environment, any increase in enrollment is cause for celebration, and I congratulate our faculty, staff and students for all that they have done to make 含羞草社区 a destination of choice for recent high school graduates and transfer students,鈥� said Dr. Lenny Klaver, 含羞草社区鈥檚 president. 鈥淭his number establishes a strong baseline, and I鈥檓 positive that as we continue to focus on our students and their needs, more and more students and parents will see that we genuinely care about their goals and aspirations.鈥�

The increase in total headcount reflects a significant jump of 9% in new undergraduate degree-seeking students, a 9.7% increase in new first-time students and a 7.2% increase in new transfer students.

鈥淭his class is a result of the commitment we’ve made to being present and engaging students throughout their college search,鈥� said Dr. Andy Otto, vice president for enrollment management and marketing. 鈥淥ur staff, in both marketing and admissions, has been able to position 含羞草社区 with prospective students as an accessible institution where the opportunity for careers after graduation are bolstered by educational experiences grounded in learning by doing. We’re encouraged by the support and momentum as we move into the next year.鈥�

含羞草社区 also saw gains in retention rates of current students across the board, increasing by 2% from 2023 for undergraduate degree-seeking students, 5% for first-time first-year students, 7% for transfer students and 5% for graduate students.听

Several degree programs are seeing significant growth in enrollment this fall. Below are the top five growing undergraduate degrees with the rate of growth over last year.

• Physical Therapist Assistant, 46%
• Supply Chain Management, 45%
• Manufacturing Engineering Technology, 26%
• Applied Communication and Journalism, 25%
• Secondary Education, 19%

Among graduate programs, the MBA program grew 15% and the Master of Social Work grew 9%.

Census numbers also indicate that 含羞草社区 is helping the region鈥檚 high school students get college credit before graduation. Enrollment in 含羞草社区鈥檚 Early College Academy is up 7.2% from last fall, and the total number of credit hours sought by those students is up 13%.

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

Oct. 5, 2026鈥摵卟萆缜� will host a site visit team from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) as part of the institutional accrediting body鈥檚 routine 10-year evaluation of 含羞草社区鈥檚 accreditation.听

The site visit team is made up of five campus leaders from public institutions in other states. During the visit on Oct. 5-6, they will meet with students, faculty, staff, administrators and members of the Board of Governors. The site visit team will use their time on campus to verify 含羞草社区鈥檚 Assurance Argument, a 30-thousand-word self-study addressing four HLC criteria: mission, ethics, academics and leadership. Within approximately two months of the site visit, the site visit team will provide their recommendations on whether 含羞草社区 meets each criterion.听

According to HLC, 鈥渋nstitutional accreditation validates the quality of an institution as a whole and evaluates multiple aspects of an institution, including its academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances, and resources.鈥� Accreditation is also required to award federal financial aid to students.

含羞草社区 was first accredited by HLC in 1919, when it was St. Joseph Junior College, and has been continuously accredited since then.

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

Sept. 18, 2026鈥揟he Bushman Planetarium at 含羞草社区 will present public showings at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 and Friday, Oct. 2. The planetarium is located inside Agenstein Hall, room 147.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military and senior citizens age 60 and up. Planetarium tickets are not sold at the door, so they must be purchased in advance either online at or in person at Agenstein Hall, room 140 during regular business hours.

Friday, Sept. 25 – “Extreme Planets” & “Sunstruck”

“Extreme Planets”

For centuries, humanity has wondered whether we are alone in the Universe. Now, we are finally one step closer to knowing the answer. With the discovery in 1995 of the first planet orbiting another star, we now know that planets are not unique to our own Solar System. This production explores what makes a planet 鈥淓arth-like鈥� in the first place, and takes an immersive full dome tour of several worlds that just might fit the conditions we鈥檙e looking for.

“Sunstruck”

Travel back to the beginning of time and experience the birth of the sun. Discover how it came to support life, how it threatens life as we know it, and how its energy will one day fade away.

Friday, Oct. 2 – “Hubble Vision 2” & “Journey to the Stars”

“Hubble Vision 2”

Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail to astronomers and made an astonishing array of discoveries. 鈥淗ubble Vision 2鈥� takes the best and most exciting Hubble images and weaves them into an engaging story of cosmic exploration.

“Journey to the Stars”

Witness the life and death of stars, including the sun. Extraordinary images captured by telescopes on Earth and in space, combined with stunning never-before-seen images of physics-based simulations, will launch through time and space for an incredible trek through the night sky. Tour stellar formations, explore new celestial mysteries and discover the fascinating story that connects Earth to the stars. Those who come along for the journey may never see the sky in the same way again. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg.

The planetarium features a Digistar 4 projection system and a dome that is tilted slightly, rather than directly overhead, making viewing easier. The Dolby 5.1 surround sound system enhances your viewing experience. For more information, call (816) 271-4288.

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

Sept. 18, 2026鈥揟he Craig School of Business at 含羞草社区 presents guest speaker Joe Runyan at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 in the Business Education Resource Center, Popplewell Hall room 308. The entrepreneur will present firsthand lessons on building, scaling, competing and successfully exiting entrepreneurial adventures. The talk is free and open to the public.

Joe Runyan is a lifelong Kansas City entrepreneur. After 13 years at Sprint, he founded Hangers Cleaners and grew it into Kansas City鈥檚 second-largest dry cleaner. He and his company gained national attention for competing successfully against Procter & Gamble鈥檚 Tide Cleaners, with coverage in the New York Times and on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

In 2014, he co-acquired the CRDN restoration franchise for the Kansas City region and helped build it into a leading restoration company before its sale in 2021. Hangers was sold to Pride Cleaners in 2023. He remains active in Runyan Land & Cattle Company and MOKAN Hemp Farms in Northwest Missouri.听

Runyan holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Trinity University and an MBA from the University of Kansas.

Runyan鈥檚 talk, 鈥淔rom Startup to Scale and Exit: A Kansas City Entrepreneur鈥檚 Journey,鈥� is part of the Alumni & Industry Insights Series by the Craig School of Business.

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

Sept. 18, 2026鈥揊amilies of Griffon students are invited to experience 含羞草社区 during Family Day activities on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Check-in will begin in the Blum Union lobby at 10 a.m. The day鈥檚 activities include:

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Build Day, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Houlne Center. Join the Center for Service in building beds for children in our local community. Sign-up is required in advance at .听
• Balloon artist, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Blum Union Lobby
• Alumni Family Legacy Coffee Social, 10-11 a.m., Alumni Welcome Center, Spratt Hall room 105. Enjoy coffee and donuts with fellow Griffon alumni.
• Library Open House, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Hearnes Center. Look over the recently renovated library and see all of the exciting things it has to offer students.
• Craft Table with AR Workshop, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Blum Union Lobby. Paint a decorative block.
• Griffon 360 Campus Walking Tour, 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Kelley Commons
• Brunch with 含羞草社区 Dining, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Western Dining Hall, Blum Union. Cost $10 for adults and $6 for children.
• Family Photo Booth, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Blum Union Lobby
• Scanlon Residence Hall Open House, noon-1 p.m., Scanlon Hall Lobby
• Prairie Experiences, noon-2 p.m., John Rushin Teaching and Research Prairie, shuttle provided from the Blum Union parking lot.
• Esports, noon-4 p.m., Blum Union Esports Arena
• Face painting, noon-4 p.m., Blum Union Lobby
• Family Chill Zone, noon-4 p.m., Blum Union, Kelley Commons. Yard games, board games, bounce houses and petting zoo
• Griffon Football vs. Fort Hays State, 7 p.m., Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium

In addition to Family Day, the football game is the Military and First Responder Appreciation Game. The 含羞草社区 Center for Military and Veterans Services will host a pre-game tailgate at 4:30 p.m. in Lot H, with free hot dogs, drinks and games for all military and first responders. Military, veterans and first responders can also receive free admission to the game by showing their military or first responder ID at the Spratt Stadium box office.

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

Sept. 17, 2026鈥摵卟萆缜� alumni who serve as leaders in local nonprofit agencies will participate in a panel and networking event at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 in the Hoff Conference Room, Blum Student Union room 218. The event is free and open to the public.

The event will include a panel discussion from 1 to 1:45 p.m., followed by networking with refreshments from 1:45-2:30 p.m.

Alumni participating include:

• Mackenzie Bally 鈥�22, marketing manager, Second Harvest Community Food Bank
• Eric Fuson 鈥�88, executive director, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art
• Ashley Kalin 鈥�04, recruitment and match support specialist, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater St. Joseph
• Dawn Lanning 鈥�25/鈥�26, assistant city manager, City of St. Joseph
• Rick Stepanek 鈥�92, P.O.W.E.R. project manager, St. Joseph Youth Alliance

The event is sponsored by 含羞草社区 Alumni Relations, the Center for Service and the Career Development Center.听

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