"The Crow's Nest Updates - 5th March, 2024"
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Park University is gearing up for an exciting month, with a variety of events scheduled for March and April. Here's a roundup of some of the key happenings.
Musical Performances
The fifth annual Stanislav and Friends concert will take place on March 8 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Mo. The concert series will continue throughout March and April with performances by the Park ICM Orchestra, Violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi, ICM String Studio, Pianist Behzod Abduraimov and violinist Daniel Lozakovich, and ICM Orchestra.
Women's History Month Events
In celebration of Women's History Month, a trio of women leaders from the Kansas City area, all of whom are Park University alumni, will participate in an engaging conversation hosted by the University on March 20. The Women Transforming Criminal Justice event will take place on March 13, with Stacey Graves, chief of the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, as the featured speaker.
Academic Achievements
Several students have achieved academic success recently. Adam Wilkins, a senior nursing major, won the original oratory division at the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities. Tatiana Dorokhova, a graduate piano student in Park University's International Center for Music, won the silver medal at the Gurwitz International Piano Competition.
Research and Creative Arts Symposium
The registration deadline for the Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium is April 14. The symposium showcases the scholarly and creative work of students from all disciplines and campuses across the University.
Accreditation and Governance
Park University has been continuously accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1913. The HLC will visit Park University's flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus, Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus, and Camp Pendleton (Calif.) Marine Corps Base Campus for a comprehensive evaluation of accreditation in the coming months.
Community Engagement
Matt Harris, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, has been active in the community, providing comments for stories that aired on KMBZ-FM in Kansas City on Feb. 20 related to the initiative process in the Missouri legislature. He was also interviewed for stories related to the state of Missouri looking at legalizing sports betting and polling on abortion and sports betting issues in Missouri.
Kevin Vicker, senior director of international education, represented Park University as part of the International Trade Administration’s Global Diversity Export Initiative trade mission to southern India in mid-February.
Publications and Recognition
Matt Harris authored an article titled "Why Taylor Swift is an Antihero to the GOP - but Democrats Should Know All too Well that Her Endorsement Won't Mean It's All Over Now" that was published on The Conversation’s website on Feb. 1 and republished in news media outlets around the world. Donna (Dong) Choi, Ph.D., co-authored the article "In Real Time, a Crisis in Public Education: Teacher Shortages in Missouri and Kansas," published in the Missouri Policy Journal.
Clarine Jacobs, Ph.D., authored a chapter titled "Occupational Stress and Burnout" in Burnout Syndrome - Characteristics and Interventions on Feb. 1.
Athletics and Campus Life
The Parkville Campus, which last had a cheer/spirit squad team in 2014-15, will be a part of nine other competitive cheer programs in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Park University's flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus Department of Athletics has announced that it will add a competitive cheer program beginning with the start of the 2024-25 academic/athletic year. Madalyn Coffman has been appointed as the cheer program's head coach. She previously served as the spirit coordinator at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark.
The Robb Centre will provide an update on the Valor Medals Review Project at a program on March 26 at the Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library's Plaza Branch.
Publications and Reports
The Park University 2022-23 Impact Report has been published by the Office of Advancement and is now available online.
HLC Guiding Values, Assumed Practices, and Criteria for Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) establishes Guiding Values, Assumed Practices, and Criteria for Accreditation to ensure that institutions like Park University maintain high standards of quality and continuous improvement in higher education. These components represent the foundational principles and operational expectations that accredited institutions must uphold to demonstrate their commitment to quality education, effective leadership, and institutional integrity.
For more information about Park University and its upcoming events, visit our website.
- The diversity of events at Park University extends beyond musical performances and women's history celebrations, encompassing education and self-development through the Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium and sports with the addition of a competitive cheer program.
- General news outlets, such as KMBZ-FM, have featured Park University faculty like Matt Harris in discussions about legislative initiatives, the legalization of sports betting, and abortion and sports betting issues, demonstrating the university's engagement in broader societal issues.
