Library Endorses 'Open Access' Movement

Olson Library encourages NMU faculty to consider submitting their scholarly writing to open access (OA) journals – online, peer-reviewed publications that are available free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. The OA movement is gaining momentum worldwide as journal subscription costs continue to soar, according to Kevin McDonough and Joanna Mitchell (AIS, pictured left to right).

"Journal prices have increased 8 to 10 percent per year for decades, which is well above the rate of inflation," McDonough said. "The pricing structure has forced libraries to cancel many subscriptions. This defeats the whole purpose of scholarly communication, because faculty and students are ultimately losing access to relevant information. There's some degree of pressure to publish in distinguished journals, but some commercial publishers charge an awful lot when they sell that material back to university libraries or make it available online." Full Story

HR Surveys Employees

Human Resources is requesting that faculty and staff complete an anonymous survey to help evaluate the department's effectiveness beginning Feb. 1. Art Pickering (Human Resources) said employees will soon receive an e-mail with a link to the survey. Full Story

Superior Edge Progresses

With a pilot program set to begin and a budget and staffing plan recently approved for the next fiscal year, Northern’s Superior Edge initiative is two steps closer to full implementation. Full Story

Students Spend Break Building Home

Rather than heading directly home for the holidays, 10 members of the NMU Constructors Club took a detour south to Montgomery, Ala., to work on a Habitat for Humanity project. The group is comprised of construction management majors who volunteer regularly for the Marquette chapter of Habitat for Humanity. After browsing the FEMA Web site, they decided they might want to extend their services to another part of the country. Full Story

Student Idea Nets $10,000

For NMU senior Brad Reddinger, an epiphany over chips and salsa turned into a lucrative reward. The Iron Mountain native was one of four $10,000 winners in Real Simple magazine's "What a Great Idea!" contest. The results are featured in the February issue.

Reddinger's proposal was a "lifter jar" with a push-up bottom for easy access to the contents. He first conceptualized it during some late-night munching with an NMU roommate his sophomore year. Full Story

Patent Seminar at NMU

A presentation titled “Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights with Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks” will kick off the 2006 Business Seminar Series at NMU.

It is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, in the Charcoal Room of the University Center. Full Story

Sendoff for NMU

Olympians Thursday

Wildcat cross country skiers Lindsey Weier and Lindsay Williams (pictured left to right) recently qualified for berths on the U.S. team that will compete in the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. Athletics will host a sendoff in celebration of the the skiers' success before they leave for pre-Olympic training in Europe.

The free event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, in Vandament Arena. It will consist of a short program, followed by an opportunity to meet members of the NMU Nordic team, head coach Sten Fjeldheim and assistant coach Jenny Ryan. The public is invited to attend.

Food and Wine Tasting Feb. 1

Conference & Catering Services will sponsor an evening of food and wine tasting from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, in the Great Lakes Rooms.

The engagement is limited to 150 faculty and staff at a cost of $6.95 per person. It will feature a light buffet of new menu offerings – appetizers, cheeses, a carving station and desserts – accompanied by a selection of wines. Please make reservations by Jan. 25.

Health Promotion Receives Grant

The Health Promotion Office has received a $2,000 grant from the Marquette Community Foundation. The funding will be used to increase awareness of tobacco issues and cessation strategies among college students, and to introduce an NMU student-developed tobacco education module for use in area fifth- through ninth-grade classrooms. Full Story

Patience Auditions Jan. 28

Auditions for the NMU production of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera Patience will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, in room 250 of Thomas Fine Arts. They are open to the general public, as well as NMU students, faculty and staff.

Full Story

'Copley to Cassatt'

The DeVos Museum recently unveiled a new exhibit titled “Copley to Cassatt: American Paintings from the Detroit Institute of Arts.” Full Story

A profile of an NMU employee.

Like many staff members at NMU, Colleen Gaffney (Vocational Support Services) handles a diverse range of responsibilities.

She serves as an instructor for a Freshman Seminar class, and as an academic adviser/counselor for students assigned to her department, including probationary and undeclared students.

She also coordinates tutoring services for the School of Technology and Applied Sciences, and has “a hodgepodge” of other student service-related responsibilities. Full Story