Welcome to The Rumor Mill Archives @ Southeast!
This page is designed to improve communication between the administration and the University's faculty, staff, students and external constituents. We hope this site helps to keep you informed. Below you will find the Rumor Mill Questions and Answers for the last 12 months.




 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

QUESTION:
There has been talk about SEMO hosting SIU in a football game in St. Louis this year. SIU's AD has said that negotiations with Busch Stadium were ongoing. What's the status of this?


RESPONSE:
Negotiations about a possible football game between Southeast and Southern Illinois University that would be played next season at Busch Stadium are ongoing. An announcement is expected in the very near future.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

QUESTION:
The university is attempting to sell the bookstore to outside vendors which will lead to increased textbook rental costs for students?


RESPONSE:
Southeast Missouri State University is considering the possibility of hiring an external firm to operate its bookstore and textbook rental system.

The exploratory process began last year when long-time Southeast Bookstore Manager Jan Chisman announced her plans to retire, offering Southeast the opportunity to consider other bookstore and textbook rental models, as is the norm in higher education.

University officials are in the process of evaluating bids from interested companies that were due Jan. 9 after a request for proposals for these services was issued Nov. 30.

Kathy Mangels, vice president for finance and administration, says she expects selected vendors to come to campus in late February or early March for presentations on how they would operate a campus bookstore and textbook rental system. Presentations will be given at forums open to the entire campus community. The RFP process and timeline were discussed with Student Government executives during their spring planning retreat held in early January.

If having an outside firm operate these auxiliaries is determined to be a viable recommendation, final approval would be required by the Board of Regents, Mangels said. A contract could be awarded in mid-May, with an outside firm taking the reins of the bookstore and textbook rental operations beginning in July.

Southeast has traditionally used a financially self-supporting in-house bookstore and textbook rental system. If these services are shifted to an outside firm, a private contractor would supply all textbooks and associated materials, equipment and services, and may incorporate e-textbooks and other non-traditional forms of textbooks.

"We want to see how others (firms and universities) are incorporating e-texts into rental programs and using evolving technologies for accessing course material,” Mangels said. "The textbook industry is undergoing many changes and is constantly in flux. Given this dynamic situation, e-textbooks and other non-traditional forms of textbooks could be incorporated into the textbook rental program as deemed in the best interests of Southeast's students.”

The request for proposals also asked firms to bid on the continued operation of a full textbook rental program for all Southeast undergraduate students. Currently, Southeast's textbook rental system allows undergraduates to rent their textbooks with a textbook per course fee showing up on their University billing statement.

The request for proposals also called for firms to bid on continuing to make additional textbooks available for retail sale, as specified by faculty, including graduate level textbooks, consumable study guides, workbooks and ancillary undergraduate textbooks. Firms also were to bid on the sale of Southeast clothing, novelties, gifts, hats, cups, memorabilia, and other retail merchandise at the Southeast Bookstore, regional campuses, football and basketball games.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

QUESTION:
Is it true that the school is preparing to build a residence hall by the Village on the Green and across the street from DPS?


RATING:
false



RESPONSE:
There are no discussions or plans for any such project.

Saturday, September 01, 2012

QUESTION:
Is it a fact that the provost recently decided and issued a directive that professors cannot give extra credit to students for bringing items (such as hygiene products, food, blankets, laundry detergent) to class to be donated to the poor? This has been a highly successful way to obtain items for various "drives" for the community. It usually amounts to 10 points out of possible 740 - 1000 per student.


RESPONSE:
Faculty can give extra credit for student activities that are clearly tied to legitimate student learning outcomes for a specific class. Faculty should not, however, give extra credit for activities which have no basis in the learning objectives of the course. Even if faculty members cannot give extra academic credit, they can certainly encourage student participation in charity or civic activities.

Dr. Ronald Rosati, Southeast provost, says members of the University community are encouraged to engage in philanthropic activities and to support members of the broader community who need help. Faculty are also encouraged to teach students to value citizenship and charity – both very important and worthwhile goals, he said.

Southeast previously had an activity in UI100 classes in which students learned about citizenship and charity and in the process donated cans to people in need. This activity was part of the learning outcomes of that course, he said, and donations were consistent with the learning objectives of the course. In this situation, in which student activity is tied directly to the learning objectives of a course, it is appropriate for faculty members to give academic credit for such activity.

Rosati said another acceptable example is construction management majors who might be involved in volunteering their time to construct homes for people who could not otherwise afford housing. In this situation, where the volunteer activity is clearly tied to pertinent student learning outcomes, it would be acceptable for faculty members to provide extra credit for this activity if the faculty members wish to do so, he said.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

QUESTION:
I was told first-year student blogs will make a return this semester. Is this true?


RESPONSE:
The Office of Admissions has considered returning the first-year student blogs for Fall 2012, but has not made a definite decision. From 2005 to 2008, the Office of Admissions identified four or five students annually to write on a weekly basis about their first-year experience at Southeast. If you are a first-year student and are interested in blogging about your experiences at Southeast, please contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@semo.edu.

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