You make a difference award
Anna Altwies, ESU Media Relations
Originally published 02:34 p.m., March 6, 2008
Updated 02:34 p.m., March 6, 2008
Kay Shireman, public service administrator, has spent a good share of her life at Emporia State University. On top of receiving her undergraduate degree here, she has also worked at ESU for 29 years.
Through the years, the work she has done has made a difference to the ESU community. That is why she is one of this month’s You Make a Difference Award recipients.
Shireman’s job allows her to work with all different kinds of people on and off campus.
“I am an administrator of our Blackboard online courseware and support our faculty and students using Blackboard,” she said. “Although Blackboard is used for our online courses, it is now available for use by any class taught by ESU.”
Shireman schedules, sets up and supports the classes taught over interactive distance learning and any requested video conferences or web conferences.
Not only does she get to work with different people on and off campus, but she also gets to interact with people through the country and the world.
“I get the opportunity to talk with students taking ESU online classes from all over the United States and sometimes even outside the country,” she said. “Our online instructors can teach from anywhere as well so it is always a challenge.”
Because Shireman’s position deals with so many different aspects of on and off campus life, she has been able to get a real sense of how much of a community ESU actually is, and she said that’s one of her favorite things about the university.
“It is small enough that everyone gets to know their classmates, instructors and the people they work with on campus,” she said. “We are like a small community where everyone is willing to help someone who needs help.”
Feeling that sense of community that she has not only experienced, but help create, but Shireman said she feels it helps contribute to not only her, but everyone making a difference on campus.
“I feel everyone on campus makes a difference in one way or another from our grounds crew and custodians to our departmental offices and administration,” Shireman said. “You just need to be dedicated and really care about what you do. I feel overall we are a very dedicated group and I think most of us would agree we are here because of the students and for the students.”