Truman State University

• Joseph Baldwin (1867–81)
• William P. Nason (1881–82)
• Joseph Blanton (1882–91)
• William D. Dobson (1891–99)
• John R. Kirk (1899–1925)
• Eugene Fair (1925–37)
• Walter H. Ryle (1937–67)
• F. Clark Elkins (1967–69)
• Eli F. Mittler (1969–70)
• Charles J. McClain (1970–89)
• Robert A. Dager (1989–90)
• Russell G. Warren (1990–94)
• W. Jack Magruder (1994–2003)
• Barbara Dixon (2003–08)
• Darrell Krueger (2008–10)
• Troy Paino (2010–16)
• Susan L. Thomas (2016–present)

Admission to the university is based upon holistic review of a candidate's academic record, with the strongest consideration being given to those who have a combined ability score of 140 or higher. The combined ability score is calculated by adding the percentage of students in the applicant's graduating class that the applicant outranks and the percentage of students the applicant outscored on a nationally standardized test (usually the ACT, although the SAT is also accepted). Admissions decisions are also based, however, on a mandatory application essay, the applicant's resume, and the applicant's high school and extracurricular record. According to the Princeton Review, Truman has a selectivity rating of 88, a 68% acceptance rate, with applicants having a 3.79 average high school GPA,[12] and an 88% retention rate after freshman year.[13] All applicants must have 4 credits of English, 3 credits of math, 3 credits of science, 2 credits of foreign language, 2 credits of social studies, and 1 credit of fine art. The average GPA of an admitted student is 3.25 on a 4.0 scale, with 50% of all admitted students ranking in the top 10% of their class, and the median ACT range is 25–31.

On July 20, 1985, the state of Missouri charged Truman State University with serving as the state's premier public liberal arts and sciences university. In order to meet this commitment to the people of Missouri, the Truman faculty and administration created the Liberal Studies Program, the general education curriculum undergraduates complete in order to receive a Truman degree. The Liberal Studies Program consists of three distinct areas:

• Essential Skills for success in liberal studies, including courses in writing as critical thinking, public speaking, elementary functions, statistics, computer literacy and personal well-being.
• Modes of Inquiry by which students may approach problems and issues in other academic areas. The eight modes in the Modes of Inquiry have been separated into two separate areas Qualitative and Quantitative, each representing four academic areas. Students must complete coursework in three of the four academic areas in each category: fine arts, literature, history, and philosophy/religion are based under the Qualitative Modes while mathematics, life science, physical science and social science are under the Quantitative Modes.
• Interconnecting Perspectives that allow students to understand and appreciate better the knowledge they have gained. This includes taking a series of writing-enhanced courses, an interdisciplinary seminar course in the junior year, at least two semesters of a foreign language, and participating in an intercultural experience (this can be fulfilled through any one of a series of courses or by going on any study abroad trip).

Truman State University Entrance Close-Up

The School of Arts and Letters is the home of the departments of Art, Classical & Modern Languages, English & Linguistics, Music and Theatre. Degrees offered through the school include Art, Art History, Classics, English, French, German, Linguistics, Music, Romance Languages, Russian, Spanish, Theatre and Visual Communications. In addition to the 17 distinct undergraduate majors offered, the school also offers 6 graduate programs, including Music and English.[14]

The School of Business offers degrees in Business Administration (BA or BS) with emphasis in Finance, Management, Marketing and International Business (BA only). In addition, a BS and MAcc in Accounting are offered, with the graduate program ranked third in the nation in terms of CPA passage rates. The School of Business is also AACSB accredited.[15]

The School of Health Sciences & Education offers degrees Communication Disorders (graduate and undergraduate), Nursing, Health Science, Exercise Science and Education (MAE only). Education students can emphasize in elementary education, special education, English, exercise science, foreign language, music, mathematics, science and visual arts.[16]

The School of Science and Mathematics offers degrees in Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics.[17] The school also offers Missouri's only undergraduate interdisciplinary degree program in mathematical biology[18] which has connections and resources available through the Intercollegiate Biomathematics Alliance.[19] The school also coordinates the Missouri Pre-STEM Pathways Program[20] with Moberly Area Community College, Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City, and St. Charles Community College.

The School of Social & Cultural Studies offers degrees in Communication, Economics, History, Justice Systems, Military Science (minor only), Philosophy & Religion, Political Science, Psychology, Geography (minor only) and Sociology/Anthropology.[21]

Students are also free to create their own interdisciplinary majors or to minor in any of the approved interdisciplinary minors, which include African/African-American Studies, Asian Studies, Classical Studies, Cognitive Sciences, Disability Studies, Environmental Studies, Folklore, Forensic Science, International Studies, Italian Studies, Mathematical Biology, Medieval Studies and Women's and Gender Studies.[22]

In the 1960s, the university built Dobson Hall (1961), Ryle Hall (1963), Missouri Hall (1965) and Centennial Hall (1967). There are three other residence halls on campus: Blanton-Nason-Brewer (1948, Brewer added in 1959), Ezra C. Grim Hall (1923), and West Campus Suites (2006). The residence halls are maintained by ResLife, an administrative body of professionals and students who live in the halls and act as student advisors (SA's) and hall directors. Truman's residence halls are currently undergoing a $90 million renovation schedule. This project included the construction of West Campus Suites in 2006, the renovation of Missouri Hall in 2006, Blanton-Nason-Brewer in 2007, and Dobson in 2008. Ryle Hall's two-year renovation concluded in the summer of 2011, and Centennial is scheduled to undergo a two-year renovation starting in the summer of 2012.

Dobson Hall is coed by wing and houses roughly 400 students. Dobson features community-style bathrooms, study areas, laundry facilities, air conditioning in all rooms and a convenience store, but no cafeteria.[23] Dobson Hall is currently set to close for the 2019-20 academic year.[24]

Ryle Hall is the second largest hall at Truman. This coed residence hall houses nearly 600 students in suite-style rooms. The standard arrangement is two bedrooms, or four people, sharing one bathroom. Ryle has a spacious main lounge that is often used for on-campus events. The hall features a cafeteria, computer labs, mailboxes, vending machines, automated teller machines (ATMs), laundry rooms, and also house a classroom used by New Student Programs (NSP).[25]

Centennial Hall (commonly called "C-Hall") is the largest residence hall on campus. This coed hall houses nearly 600 students in suite-style rooms. Like Ryle, the standard arrangement is two rooms, or four people, sharing one bathroom. Centennial also has a spacious main lounge that is often used for small on-campus events. The hall features a cafeteria, computer labs, mailboxes, vending machines, ATMs, laundry rooms and also a large study lounge. The primary difference between Ryle and Centennial is that Ryle's lounge is located on the first floor with its cafeteria below, and that Centennial's cafeteria bisects the second floor, with the lounge area sitting directly below. Centennial will be the final residence hall renovation on Truman's campus, completing an eight-year renovation schedule of all of the residence halls; the hall being renovated similarly to Ryle, in 2 stages: the first from 2012 to 2013 and the second from 2013 to 2014.[26]

Missouri Hall Director Zac Burden cuts the ribbon at the ceremony honoring the building's completed renovation in 2007. The project was part of a multi-year, multimillion-dollar renovation and construction project for the residence hall system on campus.

Missouri Hall (commonly called "MO Hall") is a coed residence hall that houses 518 students, making it the third largest on campus. Missouri Hall is made up of seven different wings. On both the north and south sides of the building three wings join with a common lounge. The two common lounges are linked by a seventh "crossover" wing. From overhead, the building is shaped like an elongated asterisk. While each wing is either male or female, each "house" (the north or south side of a single floor) includes both male and female wings. The building also houses a large cafeteria, study rooms, laundry facilities and many public kitchens. A renovation of Missouri Hall began in the summer of 2006 and concluded during the summer of 2007. The upgrade included improved air conditioning, renovated bathrooms, wiring upgrades, improved community space, an updated dining hall, and a new lobby.[27]

Blanton-Nason-Brewer (commonly called "BNB"), offers three floors of suite-style, coed living arrangements to students. Originally three separate buildings connected by breezeways, the building underwent a major renovation in the 2007–2008 academic year and is now one, unified residence hall. The north wing, Brewer Hall, is primarily used as sorority housing. The east and south wings, respectively Nason Hall and Blanton Hall, are used as regular housing. BNB does not have its own dining hall, so residents typically walk to Missouri Hall, which is next door. The hall offers two large lounges with fireplaces on the first floor. The second and third floors have open community lounge areas, study rooms, computer workstations, laundry facilities, trash and recycling areas, and public kitchens.[28]

Grim Hall was the smallest residence hall on campus, with a capacity of just 68 residents. It was also unusual in its hardwood flooring and house-like appearance. Originally a dormitory for nurses at the adjacent Grim-Smith Hospital, it was later acquired by the University in the 1930s. For many years Grim was also the "International Dorm" by striving to maintain a population of at least one third foreign students. Because of its small size, Grim Hall sometimes felt more like a home than a large housing complex; much of its personality came from its residents differentiating Grim from the large residence halls.[29] Grim Hall was taken offline after the Spring 2015 semester.[30] This building will either be demolished or used for other, non-residential purposes, as decided by the Board of Governors in 2016.[31]

West Campus Suites, just northwest of Centennial Hall, opened its doors to 416 students in Fall 2006. Currently, all floors are coed by suite. Each room (with the exception of single rooms for eight student advisors and apartments for the hall director and community coordinator) consists of two bedrooms attached to a central living room, sink, kitchen cabinets and large bathroom. All suites have individual central air conditioning. Each floor has its own dedicated lounge, 2 study rooms, laundry facilities, trash and recycling center, campus events bulletin board, and computer labs. A favorite amenity of students is the convenience store located off of the main lobby.[32]

Truman offers the option of two campus-owned apartments for student living: Randolph and Campbell. Both of these apartment complexes provide residents with a kitchen area. Campbell is located next to the tennis courts, and Randolph is located behind Dobson Hall.[33] There was a third apartment complex, Fair, but it was demolished in 2018.

Yet another option is Farm Hall, located at the University Farm. Only a handful of students, often majors in agricultural science, live here each year. Their work on the farm helps them gain useful first-hand experience, as well as help pay for room and board.

All students are encouraged to explore their particular interests and find quality, cocurricular experiences to participate in. Truman offers approximately 250 different student organizations[3] in the following areas:

An organization that has garnered considerable attention since its inception is the Bulldog Student Investment Fund, a group in which student analysts invest a portion the university's endowment in public equities (stocks) in an effort to outperform the market. The organization hopes to eventually use the proceeds from the fund's returns to sponsor scholarships for Truman students.[35] In 2015, members from the Bulldog Student Investment fund, representing Truman State, achieved the first place prize among the five competing universities in the St. Louis CFA Institute Challenge and went on to compete at nationals.[36]

Approximately 20% of the student body is affiliated with a social Greek organization. Truman hosts eleven sororities and sixteen fraternities.[37]

Interfraternity Council (IFC)
IFC governs the 12 men's social fraternities on campus:

Panhellenic Council
The sororities are governed by the Panhellenic Council, which is made up of six internationally recognized social sororities on campus:

• Alpha Gamma Delta
• Alpha Sigma Alpha
• Delta Zeta
• Sigma Kappa
• Sigma Sigma Sigma
• Delta Phi Epsilon

National Pan-Hellenic Council
There are also seven of the "Divine Nine" National Pan-Hellenic Council historically black fraternities and sororities:

• Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity
• Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity
• Phi Beta Sigma fraternity
• Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
• Delta Sigma Theta sorority
• Sigma Gamma Rho sorority
• Zeta Phi Beta sorority

Multicultural

• Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority
• Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity

The organizations do service around the community, provide leadership on campus, and provide a social outlet for students.

Truman also offers a wide selection of honorary organizations.[38]

The second – replacement – gum tree near the southwest corner of Ophelia Parrish Hall

• The weather vane atop Kirk Memorial is welded in place so that it will always point northeast, in honor of the school's previous name and its location.[39]
• Students traditionally stuck their chewing gum on a redbud tree on the east side of campus.[40] This "gum tree" was decorated in colorful wads, and at times, it even sported students' names. Lore has it that the concept of the gum tree originated in the 1920s when it was against the rules to chew gum in class. The tree was vandalized and knocked down by an unknown party in 2000, but students quickly adopted another tree.[41]
• The annual football game against Northwest Missouri State University was established in 1930 when Northwest president Uel W. Lamkin sent Fair a polished hickory stick from the farm where the former president Eugene Fair was born. The "Hickory Stick" was contested annually until 2013, when Truman and Northwest Missouri began competing in different athletic conferences.[42]

Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (Army ROTC) was established at Truman in 1969. Approximately, 200 Truman students are members of the "Bulldog Battalion" and enroll in military science courses each semester. Students completing the ROTC program are additionally awarded a minor in Military Science.