Orientation Adapts to Banner

Summer orientation season is in full swing. Sessions were held last week for commuter, non-traditional and transfer students.

Incoming freshmen and their parents began to arrive on campus this morning.

Kim Rotundo (Academic and Career Advisement Center, pictured) said one feature that has been added within the last year is a session that acquaints students with the notebook computer and shows them how to access the NMU network. This is particularly important with the advent of Banner. Full Story

Parent Sessions Popular

Recognizing that mothers and fathers are more involved in their kids’ decision-making processes and often accompany them to campus for orientation, many universities offer concurrent sessions specifically geared toward parents.

“The attendance has increased every year,” said Chris Greer (Dean of Students, pictured). “When I went to college, my folks dropped me off, waved goodbye and that was about it. But parents are more involved in everything these days. They really want to know where they are sending their son or daughter." Full Story

  Team USA Boxing Trains at NMU

The U.S. Olympic boxing team made a stop in Marquette en route to the Summer Games in Athens. The athletes are nearing the end of a 10-day training camp at the U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC) on Northern’s campus.

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NMU Receives MEDC Grants

Northern has received three job-training grants that will total more than $270,000. Two are funded by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and one is supported by Michigan Works! The Job Force.

Joe Holman (Continuing Education) said the largest is an MEDC consortium training grant worth more than $142,000.

“It will be used to conduct upgrade training for existing employees at companies that range from Louisiana-Pacific in Newberry to Cliffs Michigan Mining – the Tilden and Empire mines – to Smurfit-Stone in Ontonagon,” he added.

The second MEDC grant of $45,000 will be used to conduct training for new employees at B3PC, the computer manufacturing company at Sawyer. An additional $50,000 will be added to the B3PC grant in October to fund training for employees hired after Oct. 1.

Holman said Michigan Works! has contributed about $33,000 for upgrade training specifically designed for mining workers.

NMU Partners in Line Tech Program

NMU will provide certification for the electrical line technician program offered by the Lake Superior Community Partnership Foundation.

The two-semester program prepares students to install and maintain above-ground and underground electrical systems that supply energy to residential and commercial customers.

Graduates are certified for employment with public utilities, electrical transmission contractors and related companies.

“There is a nationwide shortage of qualified workers in this field, which is creating a high demand for certified line technicians,” said Bill Rigby (TAS, pictured).

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Public TV 13 Wins Emmys

WNMU-TV won two Emmy Awards at the 26th Annual Emmy Awards Ceremony presented by the National Television Academy – Michigan Chapter. The event took place June 5 in Detroit. Sonya Chrisman and Bob Thomson (pictured) accepted the awards on behalf of WNMU-TV..

Chrisman was the producer/director of Lumberjack Life: UP Days of Yore, a documentary that premiered last December covering the history of logging in the Upper Peninsula. It won an Emmy in the category of outstanding documentary program.

Thomson was the producer/director of An Evening with the Governor , which captured an Emmy in the category of outstanding interview/discussion. This interactive program was a live town hall meeting with Gov. Jennifer Granholm in Public TV 13's studio in Marquette. It aired last November.

"There's an impressive amount of ownership in these two awards, from staff and students at NMU to individuals from around the state,” said Eric Smith (WNMU-TV), who will become the station’s general manager in July. “They invested their hearts and souls into these productions and it's wonderful to see this type of recognition from the Academy."

Wong Investiture Scheduled

Incoming President Les Wong will be invested with the NMU chain of office at a ceremony planned in conjunction with fall Homecoming activities. It is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, in Vandament Arena.

The ceremony will be followed by a Homecoming block party outside the Superior Dome, leading up to the NMU-FSU football game. More details on the investiture will be announced in a future issue of Campus.

Blood Drive June 17

There will be a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Thursday, June 17, in Cohodas room 416. For an appointment, call Carolyn at ext. 2064. Participants are required to bring identification.

LUNAR Replaced, Training Offered

All salaried NMU employees will be responsible for entering their own annual, personal and sick leave usage with the new “Web Time Entry for Employees” system.

LUNAR will be shut down by the implementation of Banner and the new system will go into effect June 21.

The most significant changes of “Web Time Entry for Employees” are that it does not permit employees to identify an alternate person to enter their leave usage; and it does not allow a supervisor to enter leave usage in the absence of an employee who has not initiated and submitted their time entry report.

Human resources will conduct training on Friday, June 18 and Monday, June 21. More details will be sent via e-mail.

The office has also developed manuals on how to access and use the new time entry program. They are available at Banner under the "Documention and Reference Manuals" link.