Rockhurst University Companions,
January 6, 2021, was marked by the loss of life, the exposure of public servants to great harm, the destruction of property we considered “a temple of democracy,” and a rupture to principles we thought were cherished by all. Nonetheless, we can be consoled and encouraged with the psalmist who tells us that while the night might have left us in tears, the dawn brings the promise of joy. (30, 6)
Of all the activities that have been curtailed as a result of the pandemic, live performances have continued to prove among the most vexing for many arts organizations.
Projecting one’s voice without a mask, through singing or as a stage actor, is unfortunately exactly the kind of activity that can put people at risk for contracting the virus. Add an audience indoors, and it’s a recipe for potential spread.
After securing all but nearly $1 million of the expected $23 million cost, Rockhurst University will begin construction on the renovation of a campus cornerstone, Sedgwick Hall, into the future home of the Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences at Rockhurst University.
Rockhurst University will begin the search for a new athletics director after the first of the year, allowing the current AD, Gary Burns, to focus on his role as head baseball coach and to assist the university’s advancement division with relationship building and fundraising. He will continue to serve as AD until June 30, 2021.
The beginning of December brings more than one milestone this year — it marks the end of the fall semester, but it also means Rockhurst University completed its fall semester with COVID-19 restrictions in place and without needing to shut down.
The work at every level that went into making that possible was recognized with a resolution passed by the University’s Board of Trustees during its December meeting, which thanked every member of the campus community for the sacrifices made to resume in-person classes:
On Saturday, the Rockhurst University community celebrated those students who completed their coursework in December. It not only marked the return of an older tradition, as the last time the University hosted a December commencement was in 2005. But it did so in a very 2020 way — virtually.
Approximately 200 students were eligible for degrees at the first of what is expected to become an ongoing tradition for those students who complete their coursework at the close of the fall semester.
Rockhurst University is one of a few bucking the trend of many Missouri colleges and universities facing enrollment headwinds as a result of COVID-19 and demographic changes, according to a new report from the state coordinating board for higher education.
A fall enrollment report recently issued by that body indicated that most Missouri institutions of higher education, both public and private, saw drops in headcount enrollment in the fall of 2020 compared to the previous year, with an overall decline of 5.9%.
Some Rockhurst University offices will amend their hours during the coming holiday season. The following hours will be observed.
Rockhurst University
University offices will be closed Nov. 23-27 for Thanksgiving break.
University offices will be closed Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, 2021, for Christmas break.
Greenlease Library
Greenlease Library will be closed Nov. 21 through Nov. 29 for the Thanksgiving break.
Pain is a fact of life. It’s a lesson many of us learn early on, with tears the stimulus response accompanying a scrape or a bump on the head.
But for many, pain is not simply temporary but a chronic or constant reality. And whatever form it takes, managing pain with medications often carries its own risks in the form of addiction.
As a Computational Chemist, Dr. Bobadova uses mathematics to predict the properties of molecules, creating a detailed “virtual reality” for molecules. She has worked on a collaborative project on fluorescent molecules with a Louisiana State University faculty member, where she is able to connect to a supercomputer cluster necessary for her work.
