(From Missouri Southern State University) Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) recognized 22 outstanding faculty members during its annual Promotion and Tenure Recognition Event on Aug. 20.
The event celebrated faculty members who have achieved tenure and/or promotion through the university’s rigorous review process.
“Earning tenure and promotion are significant milestones in the careers of university faculty,” said MSSU President Dr. Dean Van Galen. “The faculty we recognize today have demonstrated success in teaching, scholarship and service. They have demonstrated that they are effective educators and scholars and are committed to mentoring, engaging and supporting our students.”
The Missouri Southern Board of Governors approved the tenure of four faculty members and the promotion of 18 faculty members during its June meeting.
2026 Tenure and Promotion Faculty Honorees
Tenure
Dr. Betsy Adelizzi —Justice Studies, Assistant Professor,
Dr. Alicia Burris —Biology & Environmental Health and Safety, Assistant Professor,
Dr. Angie Durborow —Teacher Education, Assistant Professor,
Ms. Whitney Hamm —Spiva Library, Assistant Professor
Dr. Alicia Burris —Biology & Environmental Health and Safety, Assistant Professor,
Dr. Angie Durborow —Teacher Education, Assistant Professor,
Ms. Whitney Hamm —Spiva Library, Assistant Professor
Promotion
Dr. Wendy Chrisenbery — Nursing, Associate Clinical Instructor
Mrs. Kathrine Christian — Dental Hygiene, Professor
Mrs. Kathleen Cowley — Nursing, Associate Clinical Instructor
Mrs. Michelle Dawson — Management, Associate Master Instructor
Mrs. Jannette Eldred — Social Work, Associate Clinical Instructor
Dr. Tonya Heavin — Teacher Education, Associate Professor
Dr. Jody Jensen — English, Associate Professor
Mrs. Kathrine Christian — Dental Hygiene, Professor
Mrs. Kathleen Cowley — Nursing, Associate Clinical Instructor
Mrs. Michelle Dawson — Management, Associate Master Instructor
Mrs. Jannette Eldred — Social Work, Associate Clinical Instructor
Dr. Tonya Heavin — Teacher Education, Associate Professor
Dr. Jody Jensen — English, Associate Professor
Mr. John Kilmer — Biology & Environmental Health and Safety, Associate Master Instructor
Mr. Kyle McKenzie — Art & Design, Professor
Mr. Brian Mehrens — Communication, Associate Master Instructor
Mrs. Sherilyn Merritt — Dental Hygiene, Associate Clinical Instructor
Dr. Amber Mintert — Art & Design, Professor
Dr. Aaron Moore — Chemistry/Physics Sciences, Associate Master Instructor
Ms. Melissah Perkins — Biology & Environmental Health and Safety, Associate Master Instructor
Mrs. Stephanee Schiding — Kinesiology, Associate Master Instructor
Dr. Nicole Shoaf — Justice Studies, Professor
Mrs. Erin Taber — Emergency Medical Services, Associate Clinical Instructor
Mrs. Jenifer Vieselmeyer — Teacher Education, Associate Master Instructor
The event is a Missouri Southern tradition that began six years ago and provides an opportunity for the university community to celebrate faculty accomplishments and reflect on their impact on students.
15 comments:
TENURE - For Teachers was always a BAD IDEA. The majority of Hardworking Taxpayers, who are not in Unions - do not have the luxury of Tenure, so why should Teachers, who are Paid by our Tax Dollars be any different - Only because the majority of them are in Unions! This is another Reason - Why Unions Force - Incompetence and Lack Luster Performance. In the Business World - Employees are Celebrated and Paid for Performance - Not because you showed up for work for 10-Years and did a Half-Azzed Job. Let us - Remember Missouri is Ranked 32nd in Education in the United States, and the United States is Ranked 12th in Education in the World...
At-will or rolling contract employment is standard across 75–80% of the modern workforce; critics argue education shouldn't operate under an exceptionalist standard. Do your Best Job or you will be Replaced - Unions create - MEDICRITY - WHICH CREATES THE STANDARDS WE ARE AT TODAY - DICK AND JANE CANNOT READ, WRITE, DO MATH, UNDERSTAND BILOGY, SCIENCE, OR HISTORY - BUT THESE SCHOOLS KEEP PASSING STUDENTS TO THE NEXT GRADE TO MAKE THEIR STATITICS / NUMBERS - LOOK GOOD - AND NOT TO OFFEND PEOPLE - IN THIS WOKE, DEI, CRT, PRONOUN SHAMING SOCIETY - Is this the Type of Educational System You Want - Where everyone gets a Participation Certificate to Pass to the Next Grade?
These same Teachers Unions are the Largest Unions in the United States the NEA (National Education Association) and the ATF (American Federation of Teachers) have over 4.8-Million Members. These Teacher's Union Donate over 97% of all their Political Funds to the Democrats and Liberal Parties - AND WHY DO YOU THINK OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS SUCH A MESS AND WHY DICK AND JANE - LACK AN EDUCATION WHEN THEY GRADUATE!
So, when they become - Tenure in education provides educators with job security after a probationary period, ensuring they can teach, research, and speak out without fear of being fired for controversial views, political pressure, or budget cuts.
Common Criticisms - Performance and Accountability Issues:
Encourages complacency: Guaranteed job security can reduce motivation, causing some educators to become less innovative or detached from modern pedagogical practices.
Protects underperforming staff: Removing ineffective, tenured educators often involves months of complex administrative, union, and legal battles.
Creates a "dance of the lemons": Rather than firing poor performers, school administrators often simply transfer them to different schools to avoid the arduous termination process.
Prioritizes seniority over merit: When budget cuts force staff reductions, tenure systems often require layoffs based on length of employment rather than actual teaching quality.
So sure of that position it hides behind anonymity.
The PPPP drops another stinker- careful where you step!
8:56AM, Opinions are Free - Yet it has been proven time and time again just within the Joplin R8 School District of the inability to remove Teachers / Administrators, who have failed the Students, the District, and the Taxpayers!
Schools pushed for Lotteries and Sports Betting in Missouri for more Money - and Continually Raising Taxes for Schools - and yet, our Educational Systems in the United States seems to NEVER BE ABLE TO MOVE AHEAD - WHY IS THAT? We have had Terrible Educational Results for Decades - WHY IS THAT - THAT IS NOT A POSITION - BUT THE TRUTH!!!
I guess your problems are that you are afraid of the Truth and Facts! Do you have a problem accepting that the State of Missouri is Ranked 32nd in the Nation?
Do you have a problem accepting that the 2-Largest Unions in the United States, which are the Teachers Union - and give 97% of their Political Contributions to the Democrats and Liberal Parties? And that the Teacher's Salaries are Funded by Hardworking Taxpayers Money and then their Teacher Union Dues are used to Fund the Democrats and other Liberal Parties? Sounds like the Teacher's Unions are being used as Fund Raising Arms of the Democrats and Liberal Parties - DOESN'T IT?
This is all General Knowledge - No one has to HIDE BEHIND ANONYMITY - WHEN THE TRUTH SAYS IT FOR YOU - LOUD AND CLEAR!
Why don't you - 8:56AM - OFFER YOUR POSITION - YOUR COMMENT, PROVIDE SOME FACTS OR TRUTHS FOR ALL OF US - - BEFORE YOU GO BACK INTO YOUR BASEMENT.............. WE WILL BE WAITING................
1:23pm, The LWNJ Liberal who cannot put two sentences together and make any type of intelligent comments is at it again. Must have had to come up from the basement for more Taxpayer provided SNAP food! You can tell 1:23pm's, mind has been consumed (fried) by a sugar rush, but don't worry his SNAP Benefits, will not allow him to buy anymore POP, Soft Drinks effective beginning on February 15, 2027, maybe then he will come down from his sugar high! 🤣🤣🤣
Says you
Wow, 3:25am, You must have majored in debate - NOT! You can definitely tell you would be a poster child for Not Giving Teacher's Tenure, because you are exactly the type that they kept allowing to pass to the next grade, when you should have been held back and repeated the same grade over and over! But in our Woke, CRT, DEI, Pronoun Shaming, Liberal Society - While our Lack-Luster Educational System keeps failing Children, the Schools must continue to pass students, so they are not deemed racist, insensitive, or give students and their parents any type of medical complex, phobia, or legal incentive to sue, because Dick and Jane can't Read or Write! But Missouri is Ranked 32nd in Education in the Nation - so I guess it is ok as long as we aren't last, of course, Ricky Bobbi would say: "If you ain't first, you're last."
I will say there are, GOOD TEACHERS OUT THERE, who give their Hearts and Souls, but our Political System, School's Curriculum, Teacher's Unions, Administration, including some Tenure Teachers - Who cannot be Terminated because of the Union's and let's not forget the Parents, who expect the Teachers and the Schools to be the ones that raise or babysit their Children and won't take responsibility for their own Kids. Through in Sports and the Money that is spent on it because parents and schools will Invest whatever to make sure that their Kids can participate, even though only .02% of all students make it to the professional ranks in which they don't care whether they can Read or Write and we have a Disaster in our Education System - and it is proven that throwing Money at this Problem - WILL NOT SOLVE IT!
Mix in the Woke, DEI, CRT, Pronoun Shaming Political Liberals - Who want to Indoctrinate our Schools into their Cults - Again, these Groups - Pushed and tried to Force - Girls to share their Restrooms and Locker Rooms with Boys, and then Tried to Force these Girls to compete against these Boys - and then tried to Force Middle Grade School Children to Attend Drag Queen Shows - HOW SICK CAN YOU BE - - THIS HAPPENED RIGHT HERE IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI - JUST GOOGLE IT - - - But this is the Political Climate we are In!
Maybe that is where Private Schools, Religious Schools, and Home Schools come in - so you can Stop Paying Taxes for these Public Schools that continual Fail to show Results - Missouri Ranked 32nd in the United States!
The Prolific Pontificating Paragraph Producer 7:05 AM, 4:15 (&etc) strikes again!
Perpetually blaming teachers and unions, this time specifically now blaming TENURE and TEACHERS UNIONS , most recently for the everything up to and including the explosive diarrhea we are currently enjoying, the PPPP refuses to acknowledge conservative failures that have led to the most current disaster of eliminating the federal dept. of education and food safety. The PPPP excessive finger pointing doesn't offer any suggestions of how to improve schools. I suggest you run for school board in your community PPPP, a little real time information might make you more knowledgeable and your posts more interesting.
THE PPPP's FROTHY FINGER POINTING AT THE SUSPECTED CAUSE OF THE PPPP's OBSESSION OF THE MOMENT EARNS A D- GRADE (no curve used) TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING REASON:
Not a single reference or bible verse used in any of today's PPPP provided pontifications.
( REQUIRED DISCLOSURE available by 5G: The preceding public service announcement was not written or funded in any way by a teachers union. )
Who is Rick Bobby
3:28PM, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Move starring, Will Ferrell.
Dear 12:26PM – AKA - LWNJ (Left Wing Nut Job), Woke, DEI, CRT, Pronoun Shaming Liberal Democrats. Why is Missouri Ranked 32nd in Education in Missouri? Why two of the Largest Unions – the Teachers Union with almost 5-Million Members give 97% of all their Political Contributions to the Democrats and other Liberal Parties – which is Funded by Teacher’s Union Dues, and Paid for by our Hardworking Taxpayer’s Money – which is given to these Liberal Groups / Cults. All these Unions do are Fund the Democrats and Liberal Parties – All the while our Educational System in the United States – Goes Further and Further Down the Tubes – seems like a Pretty Easy Correlation to Make. This has not been happening in the just the Last 4-Years – this has been going on for DECADE AFTER DECADE - - So Stop Blaming Republicans - - AND START LOOKING AT THE FACTS AND THE TRUTHS - - - AND STOP YOUR CONSTANT BS – NEVER A SOLUTION – WHICH IS THE DEMOCRATS TYPICAL ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING - -
Should we give anyone TENURE – Of Course Not – You should NEVER BE GUARANTEED A JOB FOR JUST SHOWING UP – THAT IS NOT HOW CAPITALISM AND DEMOCRACY WORKS - - We should Hire the Best – NOT THE AVERAGE, NOT THE MEDICRITY, NOT BECAUSE WE NEED TO PROFILE OR MEET QUOTOS – BUT WE NEED THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST –
12:26PM – Who is Clown, probably living in someone’s Basement Dweller living off the Hardworking Taxpayers and on the Government Rolls – DOES NOT WANT TO FACE THE FACTS AND TRUTHS IN LIFE!
Why did Schools in Missouri try and Force Girls to share Restrooms and Locker Rooms with Boys? Then try to Force them to Compete in Athletics against them??? Why did Schools Force Middle School Children in Missouri to Attend Drag Queen Shows – THIS IS NOT NORMAL THEY ARE TRYING TO INDOCTRINATE THEM INTO THEIR CULT THINKING - - JUST GOOGLE IT - - - THIS HAPPENED TO OUR CHILDREN - - THIS IS THE KRAZY-AZZ THINGS THESE DEMS, ADMINISTRATOR, SCHOOLS, AND TEACHERS HAVE DONE IN MISSOURI – ALL THE WHILE FAILING TO SIMPLY EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN – WHICH IS WHY WE ARE 32nd IN THE NATION IN EDUCATION – PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!!
12:26pm, The Teacher's Unions have thrown money at the Democrats for multiple decades, still no success in our education system.
12:26pm, We have had multiple Teacher's and Administrator, in the R8 School District that we could not Terminate because of Unions and Unrealistic Contracts, paying Administrator Years of Salary for Piss-Poor Jobs and Performance. Hiring, Not the Best or Brightest, but on Quotas - Which this would only happen with Unions and the Government, because we cannot Hire the Best or Brightest, because it could Offend
12:26pm, We have voted in the Lottery and Sports Betting, and several Tax Increases just in the local counties for Education and across Missouri, still we are no better off - and the results show that.
12:26pm, We have had to deal with Woke, DEI, CRT, Pronoun Shaming, Indoctrinating Cults in our Schools - Costing Time and Money - While we stay Ranked in Missouri at 32nd in Education in the Nation.
12;26pm, We have Forced Girls to share Restroom's and Locker Rooms with Boys over your Woke, DEI, CRT, Pronoun Shaming Experiments on our Children right here in Missouri - We have Forced Grade School Children to attend Drag Queen Shows over your Woke, DEI, CRT, Pronoun Shaming Experiments right here in Missouri - Did these Experiments - Help Dick and Jane Read or Write, understand Math, Science, Biology, or History Better? No - we have driven down the Values, Morals, Respect, and Characters of our Children because of your Woke, DEI, CRT, Pronoun Shaming - Experiments and Not raised Missouri's 32nd Ranking in Education in the United States.
12:26pm, So yes, where should we be finger pointing, or should we be sitting there like you are with your thumb up our backside?
The corporate fatcats and right wing billionaires have thrown money at the Republicans for multiple decades, still no success in our education system. Shocking huh? And true.
Jasper County and all of Southwest Missouri, not to mention the legislature in Jeff City has been firmly in the hands of Republicans for decades, thanks to a large majority of Republican voters in the area.
There isn't a single Democrat holding elected office in Jasper or Newton County. Hasn't been for quite a while.
That's why whatever you think is wrong has been in the hands of the Republican voters and the Republicans they vote into office.
Who voted to have a lottery? Lots of Republicans!
Who voted for tax increases in local counties? Duh! Lots of Republicans.
Yet for some reason you point the finger elsewhere.
Unions, teachers, teachers unions, imaginary mandatory grade school drag queen shows, you forgot the little green men listening to you via the 5G towers.
It's clear that you either refuse to see this in order to present untruths because you are dishonest in pushing your agenda, or you aren't smart enough to realize you are the fool who doesn't realize you have been fooled.
How he got tenure?
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