Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Cohodas Project

Not Funded

Legislative decisions in Lansing are making it possible for Northern's administration to move forward with budget planning for fiscal year 2006.

“We were able to confirm Monday that the Cohodas renovation project will not be among those that receive capital outlay funding this cycle, but we hope it's considered in one of the two remaining cycles – one for '05 and one for '06,” said NMU President Les Wong of the $14 million priority project.

“Now that we know the impact of the executive order and that we don’t need to provide match money for an immediate capital outlay project, we have a little more information we can take into our next level of budget planning for the upcoming year.” 

A university forum to discuss the NMU budget, possible tuition and fee scenarios and the summer construction timeline has been scheduled from 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in the University Center. Full Storyo

Forum Addresses Departmental Leadership

A discussion on the merits of a departmental chair model will be held from 4-6 p.m. today (March 30), at the University Center. The forum is being coordinated by the AAUP's committee "O," which stands for outreach and organizing.

“NMU currently operates under an appointed department head model,” said Robert Goodrich (History). "This means that decisions regarding employing and dismissing department heads lies in the hands of deans and not faculty.

"The alternative model that will be discussed is the chair model. This is when departmental faculty members make all final decisions regarding firing and hiring of chairs and thus have direct control over departmental governance." Full Storyt.

Superior Edge Takes Shape

In order to achieve the Superior Edge, NMU students will complete requirements in four focus areas – leadership, citizenship, diversity and real-world applications – and leave with an e-portfolio to document their experiences. These are the proposed components of the value-added initiative presented by the Superior Edge Task Force at a forum last week.

The event included small-group discussions (pictured), which provided feedback that will help fine-tune the plan. Four task force members were scheduled this week to visit Purdue University-Indianapolis, a school that has successfully implemented a similar model.

Kathleen Thompson (Nursing), chair of the committee, said members have wrestled with a variety of issues related to the depth and breadth of the program since the group formed in October. Full Story

Scheidler Receives Student Employee Honors

Natalie Scheidler, a history senior from Holly, has been named Northern Michigan University's student employee of the year.

She has worked as a student assistant in the Central Upper Peninsula and NMU archives for nearly four years, and has served as senior student assistant for two years.

In the latter capacity, Scheidler is responsible for overseeing the general management of the archives, including training and supervising other student assistants.

She has also worked on projects such as developing an instructional workshop on historical research methods, and coordinating a series of workshops on researching and preserving family history and genealogy.

Full Story

Student Employee Week April 10-16

 

April 10-16 is National Student Employment Week, an opportunity for colleges and universities to honor the contributions of those who work on campus while attending school.

There are about 1,600 students employed at NMU. Recognition week activities are being coordinated by the JOBSearch Center, which has also posted online suggestions for expressing appreciation to the student workforce – from cards to potlucks to photo collages. The ideas are available at JOBSearch Student Employees.net Chat'

Assessment Social March 31

Assessment and outcomes are not just trendy "buzz words" bandied about during tough economic times by those calling for greater accountability from government-supported institutions. They have become ingrained in the culture of higher education. They are also essential to Northern's continued accreditation.

When NMU was accepted as a participant in the Academic Quality Improvement Project (AQIP), the university identified its number one priority and action project: ensuring that each academic and service department has an assessment plan and reporting schedule on file by the end of the 2006-07 academic year.

To help facilitate that goal, an assessment social is being held on Thursday, March 31.

"We are bringing together people responsible for developing a plan, identifying appropriate measures, and establishing a timeline for reporting on the plan," said Teresa Hunt (Academic Affairs). Full Story

'Planet Chat'

The next "Planet Chat" session at NMU will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in the Commons Area of Whitman Hall.

Three students and a member of the community will share their experiences of traveling overseas.

Full Story

Annual Event Highlights Student Research and Creativity

NMU will host a “Celebration of Student Research and Creative Works” from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in the Explorer Rooms of the University Center.

It will showcase the accomplishments of more than 100 students through posters of scientific presentations, podium presentations, dramatic readings and – for the first time – Microsoft PowerPoint presentations via student notebook computers.

“We put on this event to celebrate the research efforts and scholarly activities of our students,” said Cynthia Prosen (Graduate Studies). “We want to make a big deal out of what they’ve done as reinforcement for all of their hard work and to show them that it pays off.”

Seiter Elected National VP

NMU student Cristina Seiter (back row, third from left) was elected the 2005-06 national vice president of internships/jobs for the Public Relations Student Society of America at the recent PRSSA national assembly in Dallas. Full Story

         

Library Joins

Celebration

Olson Library has planned a variety of activities to recognize National Library Week April 10-16.

This year's theme is "Something for everyone @ your library." Full Story

 

 

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Updated: October 26, 2005

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