Emporia State University Annual Review by Emporia State University

2013-2015 REVIEW

THE

ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

VALUES, VISION AND MISSION

INTRODUCTION

GOAL 1

Pursue distinctive initiatives in curricula and programs that will foster vibrant communities.

Entrepreneurship Challenge is collaboration that benefits students at Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College

11 GOAL 2

Enrich the student experience with opportunities for leadership development and practice.

Enhanced Honors College embeds leadership principles into curriculum

GOAL 3

Enhance the competitive role of Kansas by achieving the state’s goals for public higher education.

Hornet Connected Learning prepares tomorrow’s teachers for students’ technological expertise

GOAL 4

Create a culture of adaptive change as the foundation for innovation and growth.

Learning Commons designed for students’ study habits

23 ONLY AT EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY

U.S. education secretary brings his town hall meeting to campus

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY n VALUES The university has four core values: excellence, respect, responsibility, and service. With excellence, the university values intellectual challenges, problem solving, and creative and critical thinking. With respect, the university values integrity, collaboration, diversity, freedom of thought, freedom of inquiry, and freedom of expression. With responsibility, the university values accountability and stewardship of the institution, the environment, human resources, and personal well-being. With service, the university values engagement in leadership and community that positively impacts our global society.

n VISION Changing lives for the common good.

n MISSION Preparing students for lifelong learning, rewarding careers, and adaptive leadership.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

INTRODUCTION Work on Emporia State’s new strategic plan, The Adaptive University, began in July 2013 with

weekly progress meetings and outreach to all constituencies — faculty, staff, students, alumni and the Emporia community. In January 2014, the president’s mid-year administrative retreat was held at the Kansas Leadership Center in Wichita. Emporia State general education faculty already had forged a relationship with KLC to infuse leadership principles into the curriculum. After the administrative retreat, principles from KLC became key components of the strategic plan. Work continued on the plan, which was launched formally in April 2015, after completion of the site visit for Higher Learning Commission accreditation. This report presents the entire strategic plan, The Adaptive University, complete with mission, vision, goals and objectives. Within this framework, we share our accomplishments, changes and initiatives since January 2012. Throughout, we have tagged items that link to Foresight 2020:

ALIGNMENT ATTAINMENT EXCELLENCE Beginning in January 2016, we will publish updates twice a year.

GO HORNETS!

Michael D. Shonrock, Ph.D.

President, Emporia State University

Published April 2015

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 1 Pursue distinctive initiatives in curricula and programs that will foster vibrant communities.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 1 Pursue distinctive initiatives in curricula and programs that will foster vibrant communities.

n Entrepreneurship Challenge is collaboration that benefits students at Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College The first Entrepreneurship Challenge, a collaborative competition introduced in 2014, was so successful that the 2015 Challenge already is under way.

The 2014 competition resulted in three local winners, who went on to compete in the first-ever Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge at Kansas State University.

Thirty-seven individuals and teams have entered this year’s challenge, compared to 31 entries the first year.

Rock Creek Ostrich Ranch, submitted by Emporia State students Nakita Elwood of Madison and Teri Whitson of Emporia, placed first in the local contest and second in the competition at Manhattan.

The competition is a partnership among Emporia State, the Flint Hills Technical College, and the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce. ESB Financial of Emporia underwrites the competition. “The business ideas we received span across many industries and geographic regions,” said Nathan Woolard, associate professor in the School of Business, and key coordinator of the event. “It is exactly what we hoped and expected. The real work for the students begins now — to develop the ventures in a real and meaningful way.”

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

The inaugural challenge was a “win-win all around,” according to Emporia State President Dr. Michael D. Shonrock. “It showed everyone — faculty, staff and students at both higher education institutions and the local business community — how much can happen through collaboration.” To learn more, go online to www.emporia.edu/business/ eec/.

GOAL 1 OBJECTIVE 1 Develop and promote distinctiveness in academic programs to advance the university’s reputation. ALIGNMENT

n A new degree program — master of science in informatics with a concentration in nursing — welcomes its first students in fall 2015, thanks to a $250,000 allocation from Gov. Sam Brownback and the Kansas Legislature in spring 2012. Students will benefit from the expertise of faculty in the School of Library and Information Management and the information systems program in the School of Business. The two-year program promotes Kansas work force development and directly benefits the Kansas economy.

EXCELLENCE

n The honors program at Emporia State University is now an Honors College after an allocation of $1 million from Gov. Sam Brownback and the Kansas Legislature in April 2014. Targeted at high-achieving students, the leadership principles embedded in the honors curriculum will be available to all students. For more on the Honors College, see Page 10.

ALIGNMENT

n A professor’s encouragement stoked a fire for writing and led an Emporia State alumnus to create The Donald Reichardt Center for Publishing and Literary Arts, a suite of offices in the Department of English, Modern Languages, and Journalism that includes technology and resources for developing professional skills in editing, reviewing, layout and design. The center opened in December 2014.

EXCELLENCE

n Creation of The Donald Reichardt Center for Publishing and Literary Arts was instrumental in Emporia State University becoming the home to two national publications of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honorary society. Dan Colson, assistant professor in English, Modern Languages, and Journalism, is now managing editor of The Rectangle and The Review.

EXCELLENCE

n An endowed professorship in the Department of Music honors a former faculty member and ensures her love of teaching music will continue. The $500,000 gift in June 2014 from alumnus Arthur Piculell of Portland, Oregon, honors his late wife, Dee, herself a music educator in public schools, and Rosamond Hirschorn, a professor emerita of voice at Emporia State and member of the Beach Hall of Distinction.

ALIGNMENT

n A human cadaver laboratory helps Emporia State attract high-achieving students interested in science programs and hands-on learning experiences. The lab, which opened in summer 2014, provides a group of students 100 hours of class time dissecting a human cadaver for their own education. Then, throughout the next two semesters, students in other sciences classes are brought into the lab by their instructors. The real-world experience enhances the traditional textbook illustrations, three-dimensional models and cat dissection.

EXCELLENCE

n The Teachers College’s Professional Development School received the 2015 national award for exemplary achievement from the National Association for Professional Development Schools on March 6, 2015. The award was created in 2009 to recognize school-university partnerships successfully preparing teacher candidates for the classroom. Emporia State’s PDS was created in 1993 to enhance teacher preparation by partnering with in-service teachers to provide internship opportunities for students. The mission has grown to include school-university collaboration and ongoing professional development to enhance the quality of teaching and school leadership in the region. Today, the program partners with 14 districts and 43 schools in Kansas.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 1 OBJECTIVE 2 Promote and improve campus community and civic engagement. ALIGNMENT

n The Emporia City and Lyon County commissions on Oct. 8, 2014, jointly declared Emporia a “university community,” which means the two entities recognize Emporia State University’s impact to economic development and will find ways that the county, city and university can invest for the future economic development of the area.

ATTAINMENT

n The Emporia City Commission on March 4, 2015, approved incentives for the new Black and Gold District in downtown Emporia. The area, which extends two blocks from the university campus’ south entrance, includes a mixeduse project already under construction. The development, Chelsea Lofts, will include 50 residential units and 1,400 to 1,500 square feet of commercial development. It includes an estimated $3 million in private investment and should be complete in 2016. Incentives for the project include assistance with utilities and fees for building permit application along with the city offering frontage improvements and paving of alleys. For larger projects, incentives could include industrial revenue bonds and demolition help.

ALIGNMENT

n The Venture Alliance, an initiative launched by the School of Business in fall 2014, connects local businesses with faculty who can integrate special projects into their classes. This initiative contributes to the success of local businesses while providing an opportunity for students to apply their academic knowledge in real-world scenarios.

ALIGNMENT

n A mentor program from the School of Business encourages relationship building between Emporia State alumni and supporters and current students. The mentors and mentees meet monthly to discuss topics like resume critique, industry trends, networking and professional goals. The goal of the program, also launched in fall 2014, is to give students the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals while preparing for life after college. n Emporia State University as an institution and through work by faculty and staff develops and maintains partnerships and relationships with the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Emporia Main Street, Newman Regional Health, Emporia Public Schools, Flint Hills Technical College, United Way and more. The relationships are fostered informally through faculty and staff serving on boards as well as more formally. For instance, faculty in the School of Business and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have conducted economic feasibility studies for local governments. For the past three years, the university, school district and technical college have created and jointly published an annual report called Collaborate.

ALIGNMENT

n A collaborative project among Newman Regional Health in Emporia, and nursing departments at Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College resulted in a simulation hospital opening in January 2015. The new unit uses space in the hospital created when the intensive care unit was closed and provides valuable training for students in ESU’s bachelor’s degree program and FHTC’s licensed practical nurse program. n A much-needed renovation to the Peterson Planetarium has brought the venue to the attention of the local community. Through field trips and special events planned by planetarium staff, shows are drawing more and more visitors to campus. n The Center for Early Childhood Education received full accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Located in the former Butcher Children’s School, the CECE offers classes for ages 1 through 6 with summer school programs for ages 6 through 10. The center accepts children whose parents study and work at Emporia State as well as from the Emporia community. n Emporia State students get involved in the community through service projects. In 2013-14, student-athletes logged a total of 3,406 community service and engagement hours. Across campus, students contributed an additional 11,952 hours to community service projects.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 2 Enrich the student experience with opportunities for leadership development and practice.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 2 Enrich the student experience with opportunities for leadership development and practice.

EXCELLENCE

n Enhanced Honors College embeds leadership principles into curriculum The State of Kansas confidence in Emporia State’s plans for an Honors College already is being validated, less than one year after approval by the Legislature and the Governor. With support from the Kansas Board of Regents, the $1 million allocation has allowed Emporia State to transition its honors program to an Honors College. Changes began last fall, with full implementation planned for fall 2015. The Honors College offers: • Peer, faculty and community mentoring; • Modern, technologically enhanced living and learning spaces;

Under the leadership of Dr. Gary Wyatt, associate provost and Honors College director, Emporia State also is expanding an existing partnership with the Kansas Leadership Center. In addition to coordinating curriculum, maximizing student growth potential and mentoring opportunities, Wyatt said a key to the Honors College’s long-term influence will come from teaching students leadership skills and motivating them to reach out in service to others, making their communities better places to live.

• Community engagement; and

“There is an opportunity to create something substantial and extraordinary, something that will change lives for many years to come,” Wyatt said. “This is not just an opportunity, but a responsibility to spend this well.”

• Civic leadership training.

For more, go online to www.emporia.edu/honors.

• Annual, renewable scholarship opportunities;

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 2 OBJECTIVE 1 Expand leadership development in academic programs EXCELLENCE

n A public-private partnership created the Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics, which opened in September 2014. The work of the center, led to two faculty co-directors, focuses on exploring the impact of principled entrepreneurship on a free society and applying market principles to management. The center, housed in the School of Business, works with the entire campus as well as the community by bringing in a visiting scholar and creating a distinguished speaker series. Initial grants of $750,000 came from the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation, Koch Industries, Inc. and three School of Business alumni and Wichita-based Koch employees: David Robertson, president and chief operating officer, Koch Industries; Dale Gibbens, senior vice president, human resources and public sector, Koch Industries; and Kim Penner, president, Koch Pipeline Company, L.P.

GOAL 2 OBJECTIVE 2 Co-curricular application of leadership competencies n Emporia Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Nursing received the Stellar School Award from the National Student Nurses Association, an award voted on by student nurses. The campus chapter also was awarded the Community Health Project award.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 3 Enhance the competitive role of Kansas by achieving the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals for public higher education.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 3 Enhance the competitive role of Kansas by achieving the State’s goals for public higher education.

n Hornet Connected Learning prepares tomorrow’s teachers for students’ technological expertise Elementary education majors, from sophomores through first-semester seniors, have been bringing their iPads to class the past two semesters — much like their counterparts in elementary schools across the state.

districts began to provide students with technological devices for learning in the classroom and at home.

Through the Hornet Connected Learning program, these prospective teachers are learning not only how to teach in a technologically advanced world but how to reach for electronic devices rather than for textbooks as part of the learning process.

A group of Emporia State faculty members and Information Technology personnel had worked together to create Hornet Connected Learning. It has been implemented on the Emporia campus and in programs affiliated with The Teachers College at Johnson County Community College and at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Hornet Connected Learning is learning initiative to prepare elementary education students to teach effectively using evolving technologies on various devices. The program was developed as more and more Kansas school

Hornet Connected Learning reaffirms the university’s ability to adapt to changing technologies and its commitment to an ever-evolving approach to teaching teachers in the most effective ways possible.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 3 OBJECTIVE 1 Increase undergraduate student enrollment, retention and completion. ATTAINMENT

ATTAINMENT

n Spring 2015’s gain of 110 students (5,845 total) marked the seventh consecutive semester of enrollment growth at Emporia State University, dating back to the spring 2012 semester. During that time, fall enrollment jumped back over 6,000 in fall 2013 with 6,033 students and continued to climb in fall 2014 to 6,114.

6,033 6,114 FALL 2013

FALL 2014

n Emporia State’s student retention rate — the percentage of students who return from their freshman year — has risen from the high 60s in fall 2010 to 73 percent in fall 2013. Changes in student advising and scholarship renewal terms, new programs that bring at-risk students to campus before classes start and recognition of first-year students who excel academically in their first semester are among efforts introduced since 2012 to engage students and encourage them to return. n A tuition-waiver plan approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in June 2012 was designed to recruit and retain talented faculty and staff. Under the plan, spouses and dependents who are full-time, degree-seeking students can apply for a tuition waiver with the percentage waived dependent on the staff or faculty member’s length of service. To renew the waiver, students must maintain a 2.5 grade point average. For fall 2015, there were 49 students enrolled through the program.

GOAL 3 OBJECTIVE 2 Grow enrollment in graduate and distance programs. ATTAINMENT

n Graduate student enrollment continues to climb at Emporia State. From fall 2012 to fall 2014, the number of fulltime graduate students rose 9.4 percent and spring 2014 to spring 2015 showed a 7 percent climb. Graduate programs are taught in different locations and with different methods — on the Emporia campus; in Kansas City, Kansas, Denver, Colorado, Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah; completely online; face-to-face only or a hybrid that combines online coursework with face-to-face classroom time.

EXCELLENCE

n U.S. News & World Report ranked Emporia State’s online graduate education programs No. 11 in the country — the highest ranking for a Kansas school. The rankings were released in January 2015 and include programs in The Teachers College, School of Business and School of Library and Information Management. Students participate in the courses from their homes across the United States and around the world.

EXCELLENCE

n A new online Master of Business Administration degree already is earning accolades. The program, launched in spring 2014, provides advanced education in business administration to those seeking advancement to middle and upper managerial and executive positions. In November 2014, the Affordable Colleges Foundation, on the basis of cost, quality, and student support-related metrics, named the program a “Best Online MBA Program,” making Emporia State the only Kansas college mentioned on that list.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 3 OBJECTIVE 3 Implement or enhance services that prepare, train and cultivate students in 21st century careers. ALIGNMENT

n A year of planning and collaboration across campus and the state comes to fruition in fall 2015 when classes begin for the new master of science in forensic science degree program at Emporia State. The interdisciplinary degree offered through the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Physical Sciences. Faculty worked closely with officials at the Johnson County Sheriff ’s Office’s Criminalistics Laboratory to develop curriculum to produce graduates trained to work in a crime lab. On campus, employees of University Facilities did the majority of the work to renovate labs for the new program. n When the eight-person 2015 Kansas Teacher of the Year delegation visited campus in January, it was a homecoming for four of the teachers, who are Emporia State alumni. The Kansas Teacher of the Year competition is sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education and participates in the national program coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers with Voya Foundation and People to People Ambassador Program.

EXCELLENCE

n The U.S. Department of Education awarded a grant of nearly $1 million to Emporia State’s counselor education program. Titled “Get the Heartland Working! Training Highly Competent Rehabilitation Counselors,” the grant is to bring further training to human services paraprofessionals wanting career development. The five-year grant addresses a critical shortage of qualified personnel in rural Kansas and Nebraska by making rehabilitation education accessible online.

ALIGNMENT

n Emporia State’s elementary education program has received in the past five years $1 million worth of grants for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiatives from the National Science Foundation, Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Board of Regents.

EXCELLENCE

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 4 Create a culture of adaptive change as the foundation for innovation and growth.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 4 Create a culture of adaptive change as the foundation for innovation and growth.

ATTAINMENT

n Learning Commons designed for students’ study habits Changing needs and study habits of students has prompted Emporia State to introduce Learning Commons areas at selected buildings across campus. Learning Commons have opened in William Allen White Library, Cremer Hall and King Hall, often with 24/7 access for those whose calendars can’t accommodate a moretraditional schedule. The seeds of change were sowed a few years ago, when undergraduate students increasingly began to use the library as place for group and individual study; they commented they would appreciate a 24/7 space equipped with computers and printers, with less emphasis on traditional library services such as reference and circulation areas. With encouragement from Emporia State’s Associated Student Government, the White Library incorporated a Learning Commons into its operations in summer 2012.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

The first floor of Cremer Hall added 24/7 access, including use of Richel Learning Space, the student learning commons, plus individual break-out rooms. Students and staff can access Richel after hours simply by wiping their Hornet cards. The learning commons offers saturated wireless, a SkyPrint station, vending machines, lab computers, charging stations and comfortable seating for group or individual study. Four group study “breakout” rooms offer whiteboard walls and equipment that allows students to practice presentations and hold video conferences. The university’s willingness to adapt to change continues to open up learning opportunities for all of its students.

GOAL 4 OBJECTIVE 1 Implement the Campus Master Plan n Creating a campus master plan to guide improvement and renovation projects for the next 10 years was completed in spring 2014. Since then, some projects have been completed while planning begins on others. Before and after photos of projects are online at www.emporia.edu/president/campusmasterplan/. n Work to improve the north end of the Emporia State campus began in September 2014. The first round included clearing and repairing fence along Interstate 35; removing weeds, brush and trees near the fence; removing the university greenhouse to add green space and building curbing along both sides of Highland Street to allow for eventual sidewalk extension. n Work has begun behind the scenes to build a new residence hall on campus. The project will move students from Morse Hall and provide additional space for new students.

GOAL 4 OBJECTIVE 2 Align resources (financial, human, facilities, technology) to accomplish strategic goals and associated objectives. n Beginning in fall 2013, two residence halls on the Emporia State campus were renovated and updated for first-year students. Trusler Hall was taken offline first and reopened in January 2014, when students from Singular Hall moved across the commons area. The renovated Singular opened in August 2014. Work on the $6 million project was done primarily by university facilities workers. Partial funding for the project came from selling the ESU Apartments, built in the 1960s as married student housing. n The Information Technology department at Emporia State has worked had during the past three years to advance campus networks to meet the needs of students for whom technology and electronic devices are the norm. The university’s wireless network was expanded from 40 percent coverage in 2011 to 100 percent now. In addition, they developed “Sky” — web-based services that provide students, faculty and staff access to software, documents and other IT solutions from anywhere across multiple devices. n A study by the Cost of College Sports recognized Emporia State as the most efficient athletic department in the MIAA. The study covered the years 2009-2013 and basically measured the cost per win by taking into account conference wins and losses in football, volleyball, soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball, along with total expenditures of the department. n The Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Foundation of Emporia awarded $500,000 to Emporia State’s Department of Nursing to close the funding gap after Newman Regional Health had to withdraw its financial support of the program. n The Business Resource Center located in Cremer Hall, which opened in spring 2014, was developed based on feedback received from business students, faculty and staff. Within the center, students can receive information about School of Business events, scholarship opportunities, student organizations, tutoring services, degree options, university happenings and community activities. n During spring 2015, the Department of Art is host to a contemporary sculptor from Paraguay as part of the Partners of the Americas Kansas-Paraguay cultural exchange program. A Partners of the Americas Grant was received to help support this arts-related cultural exchange.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

GOAL 4 OBJECTIVE 3 Engage alumni to add value to the Hornet experience. EXCELLENCE

n Statistics from Now & Forever: The Campaign for Emporia State University show that gifts have come from people living in all 50 states plus Canada and China.

n Homecoming events and activities unite the Hornet Nation and provide wonderful opportunities for the University to continue to build relationships with our constituents. In addition to these connections and relationships, the Alumni Association estimates that activities create an economic impact of over $4 million in the Emporia community.

GOAL 4 OBJECTIVE 4 Inspire philanthropy. EXCELLENCE

n Launched in February 2013, Now & Forever: The Campaign for Emporia State University is a five- to seven-year effort with a working goal of $45 million. It is already the most successful fund-raising initiative in university history, with financial commitments now exceeding $34.5 million or 76 percent.

EXCELLENCE

n In fall 2013, the Capitol Federal Foundation increased its giving to the Capitol Federal Scholars Fund by $80,000. Since the program began 13 years ago, the foundation has given more than $500,000 to reward high-achieving students in Emporia State’s School of Business with renewable scholarships. In 2013, the program added a scholarship program specifically for student-athletes majoring in business.

EXCELLENCE

n A surprise gift from best-selling author James Patterson has supported freshmen in The Teachers College for two years. Patterson originally gave $48,000 for eight scholarships during the 2013-14 academic year. In spring 2014, he doubled the amount, funding a second year of the program for a total gift of $96,000.

EXCELLENCE

n A $100,000 gift to honor longtime business professor John Rich allows the School of Business to heighten its profile. The gift in October 2013 from Dale and Carolyn Davis of Emporia supports strategic marketing initiatives for the school.

EXCELLENCE

n New artificial turf on Emporia State’s softball field and a video scoreboard in Welch Stadium are two gifts that will have a significant impact on the university’s intercollegiate athletics program. Cooperation from the City of Emporia and the Emporia State facilities staff reduced the actual out-of-pocket expenses for the turf, originally estimated at $180,000. The new video board has an estimated cost of $750,000.

GOAL 4 OBJECTIVE 5 Establish the university as an adaptive university. n After a year of work, Emporia State University launched a new strategic plan, “The Adaptive University,” in 2015. Divisions and departments across campus have been working for the past year to integrate it into their long-term goals. For more, go to www.emporia.edu/president/strategicplan/

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

Only at Emporia State University

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY Only at Emporia State University

n U.S. education secretary brings his town hall meeting to campus U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan continues to shine a national spotlight on The Teachers College at Emporia State. Duncan has termed The Teachers College a “crown jewel.” In June 2012 in Washington, D.C., Duncan and the National Education Association honored the five inductees to the National Teachers Hall of Fame, headquartered at Emporia State. Three months later, on Sept. 18, Duncan stopped here on his cross-country “Education Drives America” tour. Campus and community members packed the Skillett Atrium of Visser Hall to hear Duncan and NEA President Dennis Van Roekel lead a town hall meeting. The overflow crowd gathered in Visser Hall 118 to watch a live stream of the event.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

The men spent 45 minutes answering questions from future teachers — Emporia State students either beginning their teaching internships or currently doing their student teaching. Duncan also extended his praise of The Teachers College in his “Our Futures, Our Teachers” report on the U.S. Department of Education website: “At Kansas’ Emporia State University, clinical training isn’t simply an ‘add on’ semester after years of instruction in educational theory. Instead, academic training supplements an intensive and continuing clinical experience that begins in a student’s sophomore year and continues through to graduation. Additionally, some alternative pathway programs are attracting new talent into the profession and developing new models for rigorously preparing and supporting their teachers.”

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY Only at Emporia State University Accolades EXCELLENCE

n Emporia State University is the only Kansas location for the National Writing Project, a program that focuses the knowledge, expertise and leadership of the nation’s educators on sustained efforts to improve writing and learning. n Graduates of Emporia State’s teacher-education programs are guaranteed by the university. Faculty in The Teachers College follow up with school districts who hire our graduates. If officials believe the new teachers need additional training, we will provide it.

ALIGNMENT

n The master of science in forensic science program, which will begin offering courses in fall 2015 is the only program of its kind in the state.

EXCELLENCE

n During spring 2015, Emporia State became home to Sigma Tau Delta’s professional publications The Rectangle and The Review. Sigma Tau Delta is the international English honorary society. The Department of English, Modern Language and Journalism will oversee the publications.

EXCELLENCE

n The Emporia State University Jazz Ensemble was one of only four university jazz ensembles from the United States selected to perform at the 2014 New York City Jazz Festival.

EXCELLENCE

n Emporia State made debate history in 2013, when the team of Ryan Wash and Elijah Smith won the invitation-only National Debate Tournament, defeating a team from Northwestern University. Only a week before, the Wash-Smith team won first place at the Cross Examination Debate Association national tournament. Emporia State is the first program to have a team capture both titles in one season.

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY RANKINGS FEBRUARY 2015

50 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees

JANUARY 2015

Best Online Master’s in Special Education Programs Best Value Online Master’s in Educational and Instructional Technology Best Online Master’s in Education 30 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Accounting 2015 Top Ranked Online graduate education

2014

Best Colleges for Veterans

OCTOBER 2014

Students Before Profits Award for online master’s programs in counseling and psychology

SEPTEMBER 2014

Tier 1 Midwest Regional Universities

AUGUST 2014

25 Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration Degree Programs

JULY 2014

Great College to Work For

MAY 2014

Top 100 Nursing Schools

APRIL 2014

Efficient Athletics Program in the MIAA

SEPTEMBER 2013

Tier 1 Midwest Regional Universities

AUGUST 2013 2014 Best Colleges Return on Investment

JULY 2013

Great College to Work For Most Affordable Online Colleges

JANUARY 2013

Top ranked Online graduate education Top ranked Online bachelor’s program

SEPTEMBER 2012

Tier 1 Midwest Regional Universities

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY THE ADAPTIVE UNIVERSITY