|
|
|
GENTRY NAMED MARKETING DIRECTOR OF THE SHOW ME CENTER
Bradley Gentry, an alumnus of Southeast Missouri State University, has recently been hired to serve as the marketing director of the Show Me Center. Gentry will be responsible for event solicitation, contract negotiation, advertising sales and sponsorships, group sales and event promotion and publicity. He began his new job on Jan. 26. "I'm very excited about coming back to work in Cape Girardeau," he said. Gentry recently served as event coordinator for the Gateway Center in Collinsville, Ill. In this capacity, he managed events held in the facility to insure proper implementation of services and supervised operational and part-time staff, in the absence of the director of sales and event services. He also provided costs relative to each event such as staffing, special requests and rental equipment for invoice purposes.
Last year, Gentry completed an internship as an event coordinator at Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. He served as a primary liaison between an average of 40 facility contractors and an operations staff of over 100 employees. He managed all aspects of event coordination, including contracting, preplanning and on-site coordination of events. He also scheduled and supervised staff for set-ups, maintenance, custodial and security services. He also coordinated client needs with outside contractors, including caterers, audiovisual suppliers, transportation companies, hotels and decorating companies.
Gentry worked as a graduate assistant in the Southeast Athletics Office from August 1997 to May 1999. He coordinated weekly Athletic Promotion's Board meetings, promotional events and advertising. This was an effort to improve student involvement in all aspects of Southeast Missouri State athletic programs. He also monitored expenditures related to the Athletic Promotions Board and solicited financial support from local businesses. Prior to this, Gentry provided financial planning, home equity consolidation and personal loans as a financial representative for American General Finance for two years. As a Southeast undergraduate student, Gentry served as the concert coordinator for Student Activities Council, co-founder and captain of the Southeast Missouri State Club Volleyball Team and a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society. He is a graduate of the Emerging Leaders program.
Gentry graduated from Southeast in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He earned a master's degree in public administration from Southeast in December 1999.
"Brad is a graduate of Southeast and already is familiar with a lot of the players and inner working of Southeast," said David Ross, director of the Show Me Center. "He has a degree in mass communication and has the background for working with the media and with promotions. He has been an event coordinator and understands the detail work to put an event together. We are happy to have him."
Gentry replaces Terry Dederich who resigned to accept a position as booking/show director for International Promotions Inc. in the Chicago area.
FINALISTS FOR PROVOST POSITION TO VISIT SOUTHEAST FEB. 14-24
The Provost Search Committee has announced five finalists for the position of provost at Southeast Missouri State University. They are Dr. Terrel Rhodes, special assistant to the provost for assessment at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Dr. Gordon Nelson, dean of the College of Science and Liberal Arts at Florida Institute of Technology; Dr. Stephen Bowen, vice provost for instruction at Michigan Technological University; Dr. W. Hubert Keen, special assistant to the university provost at the State University of New York-Albany; and Dr. Jane Stephens, executive vice chancellor at the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg.
The five will visit the campus during the next two weeks, during which time they will engage in interviews and have an opportunity to meet with faculty, students, members of the community and the University administration.
"They are outstanding candidates," said Dr. Tom Harte, chair of the Provost Search Committee. "They are all highly qualified and very competitive. They are very strong candidates."
Harte added, "We hope people will make every effort to come meet them and hear them speak
while they are here. We are bringing them here so the campus can be fully and vitally involved in having their input in this process."
Harte said the national search attracted more than 50 applicants for the position, which was vacated when Dr. Charles Kupchella resigned last June to accept a position as president of the University of North Dakota. Dr. Dennis Holt has been serving this year as interim provost at Southeast.
The Provost Search Committee has broad representation from the campus. Members include representatives from each of the colleges and the School of Polytechnic Studies, the Dean's Council and Kent Library, a student and an alumna. Harte said the committee read applications, checked references and conducted phone interviews before narrowing the field to five finalists.
It is anticipated that a new provost will be announced by the end of the spring semester.
The Finalists and Schedules for their Campus Visits
Each finalist will spend two days on campus meeting with various constituencies. Each of the five will participate in two open forums, with one of them to have a particular focus on student issues. Both forums for each respective candidate are open to faculty, staff, students and members of the community wishing to attend.
Dr. Terrel Rhodes
Rhodes will participate in an open forum focused on student issues from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Feb. 14 in Crisp Hall Room 125. A general open forum is scheduled for 3:30-5 p.m. Feb. 15 in the University Center Ballroom. Rhodes received doctoral and master's degrees in political science, both from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science, history and Spanish from Indiana University.
Dr. Gordon Nelson
Nelson will participate in an open forum focused on student issues from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Feb. 16 in the University Center Program Lounge. A general open forum to meet Nelson is scheduled for 3:30 to 5 p.m. Feb. 17 in Glenn Auditorium of Robert A. Dempster Hall.
Nelson received doctor of philosophy and master of science degrees, both from Yale University. He holds a bachelor of science in chemistry from the University of Nevada-Reno.
Dr. Stephen Bowen
Bowen will participate in an open forum focused on student issues from 11:15 a.m. to noon Feb. 17 in Glenn Auditorium of Robert A. Dempster Hall. A general open forum to meet Bowen is scheduled for 3:30 to 5 p.m. Feb. 18, also in Glenn Auditorium.
Bowen received a doctoral degree in zoology from Rhodes University, a master of arts degree in zoology from Indiana University and a bachelor of arts degree in zoology and philosophy from DePauw University.
Dr. W. Hubert Keen
Keen will participate in an open forum focused on student issues from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Feb. 21 in the University Center Ballroom. A general open forum to meet Keen is scheduled for 3:30 to 5 p.m. Feb. 22 in Glenn Auditorium.
Keen holds a doctoral degree with an emphasis in ecology from Kent State University, a master of science degree in biology with specializations in physiology and ecology from Eastern Kentucky University, and a bachelor of arts degree in biology from Pikeville College.
Dr. Jane Stephens
Stephens will participate in an open forum focused on student issues from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Feb. 23 in the University Center Indian Room. A general open forum to meet Stephens is scheduled for 3:30 to 5 p.m. Feb. 24 in Glenn Auditorium.
Stephens holds a doctor of philosophy degree, with her major field of study in American history, and a master of arts degree in American history, both from Ball State University. She holds a bachelor of science degree in English from Middle Tennessee State University.
WORKSHOP FOR FRONT-LINE MEDICAL CARE STAFF TO BE OFFERED AT SOUTHEAST
"Working in Health Care," a continuing education workshop for professionals working in front-line office and technical support positions in the health care industry, will be offered on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University beginning Feb. 15.
Medical care staff and those individuals looking for entry level staff positions in the health care sector will benefit from the eight-week program, said Dr. Gerald McDougall, dean of the Donald L. Harrison College of Business and a member of the workshop faculty. Individuals completing the workshop will have a better understanding of the health care system, the business and technical requirements of health care provision and the skills necessary to succeed in critically important office and technical staff positions. Current health care staff members will benefit as well by developing higher skill levels and a broader understanding of local, state and national health care systems, which are changing at a dramatic pace. In addition, individuals interested in working in health care will be ready for immediate employment upon completion of the program.
Dr. Karen Hendrickson, assistant administrator and nurse executive at Southeast Missouri Hospital, says the workshop "is an opportunity for persons in the healthcare field, who are not interested in pursuing the traditional college curriculum, to become more knowledgeable and well-rounded experientially through a workshop format." The workshop will be of interest to nurses as well.
"Nurses very rarely get involved in the business side of health care," said Gerald Nicholson, administrator of Orthopaedic Associates of Southeast Missouri, P.C, and a member of the workshop faculty. "This workshop will give nurses an understanding of how patients get processed through the system on the business side of the operation."
Nicholson said, that in the hiring process, it is difficult to find people who are knowledgeable about healthcare without recruiting them away from another medical practice. He adds that for new hires in front-line medical positions, "it's difficult to get them the training they need to do their job, much less the background to understand various other factors that affect their job."
He says that participants in this workshop will be well prepared to begin work in medical offices. "I'm excited about it," he said. "It's really an opportunity to get a broad overview of how the system works and why things happen the way they do."
Sara Holt, administrator of Cape Girardeau Surgical Clinic and Doctor's Park, says the workshop will give participants "a good sense of the history of the industry … where it has been, where it is now and where it is going.
"This will give them the full spectrum of what working in healthcare is all about," she said.
Holt, who will serve as a faculty member for the workshop, says healthcare is the fastest growing industry in the country. For people interested in breaking into the field, this workshop will prepare them well for dealing with patients and increasing patient satisfaction. McDougall says the health care industry is looking for highly motivated, knowledgeable people to staff front-line office positions. "Successful staff understand the history and current status of the health care sector; develop an appreciation for the technical and business environment of health care delivery and possess the interpersonal skills and knowledge that allow them to more effectively interact with and assist other members of the health care community, clients and the public." The workshop is being sponsored by the Donald L. Harrison College of Business in partnership with the Southeast Missouri Chapter of the Medical Group Management Association and local health care providers. The workshop will be held in Robert A. Dempster Hall on the Southeast campus.
Those who participate in the workshop will learn from people involved with the day-to-day management and operations of health care organizations and group practices. Faculty for the workshop are Dr. David Elliott, chief executive office of Regional Primary Care; Sara Holt, administrator of the Cape Girardeau Surgical Clinic; Gerald Nicholson; and McDougall.
"This program is the first of its kind in the nation and is organized to serve the adult population,"McDougall said."
Sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings, from 6 to 9 p.m., beginning Feb. 15.
Programs planned for Feb. 15 and 22 will focus on the health care system, including the history of the health service industry, health services, the structure of the insurance industry and the insurance process from pre-certification through appeals. The Feb. 29 session will focus on legal and medical records. The program will cover the structure of medical records, medical record systems appropriate for different situations, and the basic structure and content of medical record legal issues. The theme of the March 7 meeting will be human resource management. Topics to be addressed include key human resource functions, expectations of employers, the structure and function of the health care environment, key element to long-term success and important employment issues. The March 14 program will cover financial management and accounting issues, including the financial picture of the medical business and the role and influence of a staff employee on financial management.
The March 21 and 28 sessions, both of which will run from 6 to 9:30 p.m., will focus on health services technology. Participants will receive an introduction to clinical and hospital technologies and applications. The final session on April 4 will address marketing and advertising issues, and will include information on the role of the front-line worker as a marketing representative and the importance of customer service and patient satisfaction.
The cost of the program is $300, which includes the eight professional education sessions, class materials, tours of local health care facilities and refreshments. Enrollment is limited to 20 individuals. Those completing the eight sessions will be eligible for three units of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit. It is anticipated that nurses completing the sessions will be eligible for Continuing Education Unit credits for nurses. "In addition to providing an educational resource, nurses who enroll will have the opportunity to earn CEU credits," she added. "Southeast Hospital is pleased to have been asked to participate in the awarding of continuing education credits. "To reserve a place in the program or for more information, call the Donald L. Harrison College of Business at Southeast at (573) 651-2112.
TWO UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL TRIO DAY
Two programs on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University will celebrate National TRIO Day on Feb. 21 to honor students who succeed in college with the help of the nation's TRIO programs.
Since 1965, over 10.5 million Americans have benefited from TRIO pre-college and college programs that are designed to identify promising students, prepare them to do college level work, strengthen math and science skills, provide tutoring and support services to students once they reach campus, and provide information on academic and financial aid opportunities. TRIO has helped fund programs such as Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Student Support Services (SSS), the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program, and the Educational Opportunity Centers.
Two of these programs, Student Support Services and Project Upward Bound, are active on the Southeast campus and in surrounding communities. Together, these programs will host a program and reception Feb. 21 in the Party Room of the University Center from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A community service project with the Habitat for Humanity also is planned from 9 a.m. to noon and from noon to 3 p.m. on Feb. 26. The University's Student Support Services program is directed by Donnie Keys. It provides opportunities for academic development, assists students with basic college requirements and serves to motivate students towards successful completion of their postsecondary education. The goal of SSS is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants and facilitate the process of transition from one level of higher education to the next. The program was funded in 1991 and started in 1992. Service is provided to 200 students.
Dr. Debra Mitchell-Braxton serves as the University's director of Project Upward Bound, an organization that helps young people prepare for higher education. Participants receive instruction in literature, composition, foreign languages, mathematics and science on the college campus after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. The program was funded in 1992 and started in 1993. Service is provided to 50 students from seven surrounding counties.
As access and retention services are an absolutely essential component of the federal strategy to ensure equal educational opportunity, Congress established the TRIO programs over 34 years ago. These programs enable Americans regardless of economic circumstance, race, or ethnic background, to successfully enter college and graduate.
"In many communities throughout America, the TRIO programs are the only programs that help low-income Americans to enter college, graduate and move on to participate more fully in America's economic and social life," said Dr. Arnold Mitchem, President of the Council for Opportunity in Education.
TRIO programs are designed to identify promising students, prepare them to do college level work, strengthen math and science skills, provide tutoring and support services to students once they reach campus, and provide information on academic and financial aid opportunities. Currently, over 2,000 projects are hosted at over 1,200 post secondary institutions and more than 100 community agencies.
The Council for Opportunity in Education represents Americans who must overcome class, social and cultural barriers to succeed in college. The mission of the Council is to advance and defend the ideal of equal educational opportunity in post secondary education.
|