Please join us for a continuing series of campus listening sessions for our students, faculty and staff. One was held last week, two are scheduled in December and one will be held in January.

The purpose of these meetings is for our UMKC community to give voice to, and to listen to, perspectives and experiences of diversity, campus climate and recent events at Mizzou in Columbia and throughout the University of Missouri System. To create a safe and welcoming environment, the meetings will be open to UMKC students, faculty and staff only and will not be recorded. The meetings will not be open to the general public or media.

Chancellor Leo E. Morton and Provost Barbara A. Bichelmeyer welcome any and all members of the university community to join in respectful dialogue. Deans, department heads, supervisors and faculty are encouraged to make opportunities for their staff and students to attend one of these meetings. Non-exempt employees should not be required to take time off to participate.

The meeting dates will be:

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 6 p.m. in Pierson Auditorium.

Update: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 will be held at 4 p.m. in room 3301 at the Health Sciences Building – this will be accessible via technology for students, faculty and staff who are not able to be present on campus.

New Date:  Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 2 p.m. in the Student Union, room 401.

In addition, a March meeting will be set to report out on progress toward the actions and initiatives that grow out of these listening sessions.

Please know there are many campus resources you can contact for more information about diversity at UMKC:

Ability/Disability

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND)

Office of Service for Students with Disabilities

University Center for Excellence In Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD)

Missouri Developmental Disability Resource Center (MODDRC)

Age

Center on Aging Studies Without Walls

Gerontology Program

Institute for Human Development

Economics

Enactus

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Kangaroo Pantry

UMKC’s Career Services

Worker Education and Labor Studies (WELS) Program

International Academic Programs

Scholarships for Minority and Underrepresented Students

Ethnicity/Nationality

African-American History and Culture House

African Students Culture Organization

Alianzas

Association of Latin American Students (ALAS)

Black Graduate Student Organization (BGSO)

Chinese Scholars and Student Association

El Club Espanol

Hispanic Law Association

Indian Students Association

International Academic Programs

International Student Affairs Office (ISAO)

Latina/Latino Studies Program

Multicultural Student Affairs

Multicultural Students Organization Council (MSOC)

Saudi Student Union

Students of Indigenous Origins

The African American Student Union (TAASU)

The Black Studies Program

UMKC Hispanic Advisory Board

Association for India’s Development

Gender

Women’s Center

Women’s & Gender Studies

LGBTQIA

Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America

LGBTQIA Programs & Services

LGBTQIA Office

Veterans

UMKC Veteran Students Resource Page

Student Veterans Organization at UMKC

Religion

Christian Medical and Dental Association

Christians on Campus

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)

Impact Student Ministries

Muslim Students Association

The Religious Studies Program

Additional UMKC resources

Admissions

Office of Affirmative Action

Communiversity

Counseling, Health and Testing Center

Division of Diversity and Inclusion

Ethics and Compliance Hotline

Faculty Ombudsperson

Fraternity & Sorority Affairs

Human Resources

Institute for Human Development

Office of Diversity & Community Partnership – School of Medicine

Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

Office of Student Involvement

Staff Council

Student Health and Wellness Center

Student Organizations

Title iX

Minority Student Affairs

Multicultural Student Affairs

Student Financial Aid

Office of Student Affairs

The TEDxUMKC event, “Big Challenges, Small Solutions,” will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 at the WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial. Speakers include a UMKC School of Pharmacy student who has developed a health app, faculty innovators, and Kansas City Mayor Sly James.

Tickets typically sell out quickly and are now available for purchase at tedxumkc.com. They are $5 for UMKC students with valid student IDs and $10 for the general public. They include access to the live performances, T-shirt, gift bag and light refreshments.

The TEDxUMKC organizing committee, headed by co-curators Rahul Maheshwari and Ryan Sieli — both fourth-year UMKC Medical students — selected the speakers because of their diverse backgrounds and ideas worth spreading that are focused on solving global challenges with small solutions:

• Reza Derakshani, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering at UMKC and Chief Science Officer of EyeVerify
• Terri Friedline, associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare
• Mark Hoffman, director of the Center for Health Insights and associate professor for biomedical and health informatics at the UMKC School of Medicine, and director for translational bioinformatics at Children’s Mercy
• Kansas City Mayor Sly James
• Dakota Rosenfelt, UMKC School of Pharmacy student and creator of HemoTool, an app used by those with bleeding disorders that allows them to track and record their treatment, order new medications and locate Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs) on the go in the event of an emergency.

The event, now in its fourth year, also will feature a performance by local contemporary jazz band AM Trio, led by singer Alyssa Murray, with drummer Joshua Blythe and bassist Joel Stratton, all of whom are UMKC students or alumni.

The theme for this independently organized event, “Big Challenges, Small Solutions” is described by the organizing committee:

“Although our society has made much progress, there are still major challenges facing us today. Some of these challenges are well known, while many are not. However, there are those among us that recognize, react, and resolve those problems. These pioneers, acting in the spirit of ingenuity and altruism, have paved a path to help make the world a better place. They bring awareness to unseen obstacles, and offer creative solutions to tackle them. Innovational in nature and quick in thinking, these individuals strive to expand our horizons by breaking the facade for others to follow and demonstrating that one individual can make a difference.”

For more details about TEDxUMKC, follow on Twitter and like on Facebook.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TEDlike experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event.

 

Chancellor Leo E. Morton and Provost Barbara A. Bichelmeyer will host a Town Hall listening session for students, faculty and staff Wednesday morning.

The session, to be held at 9 a.m. in Room 401 of the Student Union, is designed to give members of the university community an opportunity to share their thoughts about how to ensure that UMKC is a place where all students, faculty and staff feel respected and valued. As a campus that values diversity, how can UMKC best support its many stakeholders and ensure that we provide a civil, welcoming place to learn and work? What ideas, guidance or concerns should be heard by the Chancellor and the Provost?

Prior to the resignation Monday of University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe, leaders of student, faculty and staff groups joined with members of UMKC’s senior leadership team to issue a joint statement. In the statement, the group expressed their commitment to making UMKC a place where all students, staff, and faculty feel their voices can be heard.

After Wolfe announced his resignation, Morton said, “I respect Tim’s decision and I hope that people throughout the university, and the community, take to heart his comments about the need for listening and healing.”

Enjoy these slides, created from the I Am Enough! photo campaign hosted on Thursday, October 15th.  This event was part of Love Your Body Day, and it was meant to promote positive body image. (click on picture for larger image)

I Am Enough! photo campaign was co-sponsored by UMKC Women’s Center, MindBody Connection, Swinney Recreation Center, UMKC Counseling Center, and UMKC Student Health and Wellness.

Thank you for participating!