Recognizing our Staff and Faculty

Wednesday, September 27th, 2017 was a special day at UMSL, our annual State

of the University Address. This event celebrates the accomplishments of UMSL employees and addresses the state of the school in the previous year and what is to come.

As students, we see and work with these employees of the university daily, yet we don't always acknowledge all of their hard work. However, these special individuals help make our university grow and thrive with so much expertise! The State of the University Address is held for all staff and faculty to come and congratulate the 2016-17 employees of the month, the 2017 Chancellor's Awards for Excellence recipients, and our staff and faculty celebrating 25 years of employment and 1 faculty member celebrating 50 years!

The Chancellor also gave his annual speech of our university’s accomplishments from 2016-17 academic year. In his presentation he showed how many of our goals were not only met this last year but also how many we exceed! It is great to say that our university flourishes more and more with the work of our faculty and staff.

So next time you pass an UMSL employee in the hall, say hello and thank them for what they do. After all, where would we be without them?

Below is the program listing all the awardees!

Getting Involved on Campus

It’s been almost a month since the beginning of the fall 2017 semester. The

hustle and bustle of the students as they head to class makes the campus come back to life; a stark contrast to the campus during summer courses. 

As the newest class of students join the university the age old question of “how do I get involved on campus?” arises for most. This seemingly easy question brings challenges to some students as they don't even know where to start. With over 120 organizations represented, the Office of Student Involvement is one of the best places to go for more information. The student workers and staff there are very knowledgeable about what each organization does. They also know events happening around campus so it’s good to ask. The Office of Student Involvement space can also be used as a study space or hang out spot. And who knows, maybe you’ll make a friend while you’re there. 

Another way of getting involved or gaining more knowledge about the campus is to get a job here. There is an application that is able to connect students to 20+ jobs on campus ranging from a desk worker in the Office of Student Involvement to being a peer mentor in the Emerging Leaders program and so much more. For those who don’t know the job that fits them, there is always something for everyone: the extroverts, the introverts, someone in-between, and even someone looking to enhance their leadership skills or start it from the bottom. 

For those who may feel overwhelmed by all the options available, one of the most effective things that they can do is ask people. Asking people what organizations that they are a part of can provide a plethora of information amongst other resources. If the information peaks interest, going to general member meeting to see what matters to the organization and what they look for in candidates may be the next steps to joining an organization. Hopefully, those first steps help the shy ones, the outgoing ones and all those who are looking to get involved.

Of course our favorite way to get involved is with UMSL Ambassadors! We’re loaded up our team for the semester, but be sure to keep an eye out on how to join in the future.

Apply to become a UMSL Ambassador

Do you want to get involved on campus and meet other student, community and university leaders? Do you need to build up your resume, cultivate your communication skills and gain leadership abilities? Check out the UMSL Ambassador program!

The UMSL Ambassadors work 3 events per semester. These events are listed on a google sheet online where the Ambassadors can access it and choose 3 events that fit around their school and work schedule. We also work 2 December commencement ceremonies and 3 May commencement ceremonies. Our other requirements include monthly meetings (usually the first Friday of the month, 4-6 pm) where we work on our professional development skills and get to know one another.

This is a volunteer organization where your hours count for school volunteer

hours. This is an opportunity to learn and grow here at UMSL. The people you will meet and opportunities offered are great and only available to the 30 students in the program. You may join anytime in your college career, we accept undergrad and graduate students. You'll learn to network, work on leadership abilities, all while building up your resume and professional list of references.

If you want to learn more visit the UMSL Ambassador page and apply by Friday September 8th at 3 pm online here. If you have additional questions please email umslambassadors@umsl.edu.