Sounds Like a Plan to Me!

One of the signs of vitality is growth. Rockhurst University has a vision for growth in multiple areas, but the physical dimension gives concrete expression to the inner driving spirit. Rockhurst has a new proposed plan for growth that meets the needs of students, faculty and the local community.

Matt Heinrich, the Associate VP for Facilities and Technology just sent us this communiqué.

“After compiling the initial feedback, our architectural and engineering consulting team began to develop plans for the future of our campus. Along the way we had conversations with our surrounding neighborhood groups where we were all challenged to listen and understand, and to work together toward creating plans that will best serve the needs of our learning community and the greater community surrounding us. The result is a dynamic plan that is creating energy and enthusiasm among students, neighbors and the planning team. We believe that Rockhurst can play a vital role in revitalizing the Troost Avenue corridor.

You can view a preliminary plan drawing at http://www.rockhurst.edu/audience/commun/relations/masterplan.asp that shows what the central part of campus will look like. While this general concept has been approved, the architects continue to work on details and flesh out the concept. In addition to what you see in the drawing, two mixed-use parking garages with retail on the ground floor facing Troost Avenue will be constructed just north of Rockhurst Road and just south of 54th Street. We hope to soon post a map that shows the complete plan.

The timetable for beginning these projects is contingent on raising the appropriate funds to start construction. Plans for this are under way. We have created a phased plan that will allow us to work on buildings in order of critical need. At this time we anticipate the first phase to consist of: 1.) Parking garage and retail space on the northeast corner of Rockhurst Road and Troost 2.) New academic building 3.) Renovation of Sedgwick Hall 4.) New residence hall.”

So Rockhurst has plans for the future; come and be part of them.

Pizza with Pizzazz

Last night our Department of Theology & Religious Studies had its social pizza party for prospective majors and minors. It’s that time of year when lots of departments promote themselves. As of last we possibly gained five new majors who now have to do the paper work and officially declare. Presently, we have 14 officially declared majors and 50 minors.

Many of our majors have a double major. One new one candidate, is even trying to do a quadruple major! At Rockhurst University because we run a Liberal Arts College it’s easy to graduate with a double major.

This time of year is also when we promote our Honor Societies. There are lots of groups to join.

Check out our catalog! http://www.rockhurst.edu/registrar/catalog/index.asp

My Oh Maya 2012

Perhaps you’ve heard the hype that the Mayan Calendar “predicts” the end of the world in 2012. Well, the actuality is some non-Mayan thinkers influenced by Western civilization are foisting their worldview and presumptions upon a culture which entertained no such thoughts. In fact, the Mayan Calendar in actuality “talks” about the date 4772, long past the supposed apocalyptic end of the world (2012) as interpreted by some Western speculators. See this link.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33261483/ns/technology_and_science-science/

One of the things we do at Rockhurst University is require our students to take a Global Perspectives Requirement which immerses them in a non-American cultural perspective. It is essential that students recognize the danger of presuming everyone thinks like they do and holds to the same worldviews and ideologies. Healthy international dialogue, exchange, and global peace cannot exist if various parties fail to understand where the other is coming from, and what actual differences do exist, rather than supposed agreements and/or disagreements.

Rockhurst University supports a strong international perspective in courses as diverse as biology, economics, psychology, history, music, political science, business, english, management, and theology just to name a few. Check us out: http://www.rockhurst.edu/

Booked Solid

Well I'm a bit late in getting this blog out. Why? because after fifteen years of research and two years of writing (in spurts) I'm finally finished my book on feminine images of God used by saints of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The book is pretty hefty because its so comprehensive canvassing writers from the first century through the twentieth. The texts were originally written in Syriac, Greek, Armenian, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, and German. It took me quite awhile to translate them all. I just sent the prospectus out to the publisher yesterday and now begins the wait to see if my top pick publisher is interested.

Part of being a professor at Rockhurst University is doing scholarship. Our main focus is on teaching: communicating knowledge and fostering practical learning. Our second focus is on scholarship: advancing knowledge and fostering academic learning. Our third focus is on service: applying knowledge and fostering experiential learning. The whole enterprise is about the transformative and life-creating power of knowledge and wisdom. All three feed into one another and sustain one another. This Liberal Arts approach empowers a person to become a well-rounded and well-balanced person.

Well the buzzer went off this morning and woke me up. In the dream I was having at the moment, I was looking at myself laying in bed, DREAMING about getting more sleep. I think my body and psyche is telling me something! I'm looking forward to a nice long sleep in this Saturday morning, that's if our six year old daughter doesn't wake me/us up early.

Check out our Liberal Arts program at the Rock.

http://www.rockhurst.edu/academic/deansoffice/index.asp

http://www.rockhurst.edu/academic/deansoffice/liberalcore.asp

Test, Testing, Tested, but not Teased

My students probably don't realize this, but I get nervous about the first test as well. Why? because I want them to do well and I wonder if I did a good enough job when prepping them for it. I try to make things as clear and up front as possible. They even have all six essay questions right up front. Don't panic, I only pick two essays out of the six, but they never know which two I'll pick. Then there's multiple choice; I try not to have any trick or misleading questions. I even try to throw in funny and ridiculous answers to help break their tension, all the time holding them to high standards.

But tests can be stressful for some people. That's why I break down all the semester's information into four tests, all bearing equal weight with no comprehensive final. In case, somebody doesn't do well on one test, they have three other opportunities. (Today and tomorrow all four of my classes have their first test.)

Rockhurst also has a Learning Center with great staff: students and hired professionals, who can help you improve your study habits and prep for tests. We also have a Counseling Center for stress management and that has ways to diagnose if you have some challenges that require a doctor's help whether with appropriate medication for anxiety or hyperactivity, or the need for extended test time in a quiet environment.

Bottom line, at Rockhurst University we're all here to help you do the best that you can do. We set high, yet attainable, goals and "push you" to achieve those goals, to learn new skills, and hone ones you already have.

Basically all of life is a test. How will you respond in this situation? How will you solve this problem? How will you innovate and improve on that?

Check us out, as well as our Learning and Counseling Centers.

http://www.rockhurst.edu/services/learning/index.asp

http://www.rockhurst.edu/studentlife/counsel/index.asp

Juggling Life

Ok, watch this video (below) of an amazing female gymnast doing a floor exercise and catching and throwing a ball with either her hands or feet or legs and doing gymnastic tumbling all at the same time. Pretty cool stuff, if not downright awesome.

That kinda depicts my life, not that I’m that co-ordinated and graceful when juggling things in life, but it gives you a good impression of what it’s like being a professor. I teach of course, trying to foster learning in and out of the classroom. I chat with students who drop in. I serve on committees, two to be exact: I chair the Information Technology Committee and I serve as Modal Rep on the Core Implementation Committee that decides which courses should be given Core status in the university. I’m also the mentor of the Theta Alpha Kappa Honor Society for Theology and Religious Studies. Besides that I keep up a scholarly career of publishing about one to two articles per year and giving workshop lectures. I’m involved in the everyday university life and lots of behind the scenes things.

But when it comes to juggling I’m also a husband and a father. Because my wife runs a British style preschool and is thus tied down, I take our daughter to doctor’s appointments and run her to ballet practice. Every late afternoon/evening I come home and cook dinner because the daycare runs til 5:30. And then of course we have family time and activities and I have to keep up the house and yard and run errands etc.

So, you get the picture. Life is juggling. Some do it better than others. At Rockhurst University we help in-coming freshmen adapt to college life and learn how to juggle classes and activities. Rockhurst it a great place to be. Check us out.http://www.rockhurst.edu/

Rook & Rock: Don't Eat Crow

Perhaps growing up your heard Aesop's Fable about the crow that put rocks in a pitcher to get to inaccessible water that was in sight. The crow dropped in rocks to raise the water level so he could finally get a drink. (There are variations on the story.) Turns out that fable might have had more truth in it than originally thought. For the modern science experiment of a rook gaining access to floating food, and the video, click the links below.

So, are you smarter than a crow? Actually, the experiment was done with rooks, birds related to crows, and in ancient Greece they were all called by the same name. Here at Rockhurst University we'll teach you how to drop rocks into a seemingly bottomless pit so that your goals rise to the top within your reach. So what can we learn from the rook besides good moves for checkmate? The rook assessed the situation, looked at available resources, strategized and then executed a plan to achieve its desired goal. That's basically what life is all about. We have a goal and then need to figure out how to attain that goal, even when it seems to be out of our reach. A solid foundation in the Liberal Arts at Rockhurst University supplies people with the necessary rocks to fill in the void and raise the level, the playing field. We also equip you with the tools to utilize when you have strategized a plan. If the first hypothesis doesn't work, back to the drawing board and figure out what went wrong and how to improve.

Of course, at Rockhurst, being a Catholic and Jesuit university we also factor in the spiritual dimension as important and vital to a well-rounded human existence.

So why not drop a rock in the bucket and check out Rockhurst? Our Rockview is coming up October 11-12. http://www.rockhurst.edu/admission/topnav/visit/index.asp


For info on the Rook experiment read this article and then see the videoclip.

http://www.rr.com/news/news/article/rr/1501/8558655/Bird_experiment_shows_Aesops_fable_may_be_true/1

http://www.youtube.com/cellpressvideo