Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009

Couple's $1 Million Gift Supports Study Abroad Experiences for U.P. Students

Upper Peninsula natives Gloria and Bill Jackson have established a $1 million endowment through the Northern Michigan University Foundation. The gift will ultimately fund study abroad experiences for one student from each of the 15 U.P. counties each year.

The Jacksons live in Arizona, the headquarters of their CableAmerica Corp. They also own a home in Eagle Harbor, Mich. Full Story

 

Governor Requests Tuition Freeze

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is asking Michigan universities and community colleges to freeze tuition for the next academic year. It is one of five “urgent measures to protect families during this economic crisis” outlined in her State of the State address Tuesday night. She is tentatively scheduled to present her executive budget to the Michigan Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 12.

NMU administrators have adopted a “worst-case scenario” planning strategy. Their goal is to reduce the university’s general fund budget by $10 million. All departments on campus have been asked to develop budgets with reductions at the 6 and 10 percent levels. They have also been asked to identify potential one-time dollars that could be made available quickly in the event of an executive order this fiscal year. Full Story

 

Koch Prepares for Business Dean Departure

Provost Susan Koch (Academic Affairs) has appointed a working group to review the organizational structure of the College of Business in light of Raj Sanyal's (Business) planned departure. Sanyal was recently named dean of the Miller College of Business at Ball State University and will leave NMU this summer.

 

NMU Explores Biodiesel

Northern plans to one day shift to biodiesel fuel—possibly made from used cooking oil generated by campus dining operations—to cut costs and align with the sustainability initiative outlined in the “Road Map to 2015” strategic plan. Full Story

Geography Supports 'Future without Oil' Film Series

The NMU geography department has contributed financial support to a free public film series titled “Preparing Marquette for a Future Without Oil.” A different film is shown and discussed monthly through June at Peter White Public Library. The series addresses falling world oil supplies, the impact on several facets of community life and what residents can do to prepare for it. Full Story

 

'Powered By' Test Program Seeks Volunteers

Faculty and staff are invited to participate in the Intel “Powered By” beta test program. According to Dave Maki (AdIT), NMU’s partnership with the company gives the university access to the latest pre-release wireless hardware and software for notebook computers. In return, Intel is able to test its wireless products in a controlled, “real-world environment” to supplement continued testing in its labs. By submitting reports on everything from installation and connection problems to performance issues, NMU volunteers can help Intel expose potential bugs before its products are released commercially to the public. Full Story

 

Wellness Fair Feb. 10

The NMU Wildcat Wellness Health Fair is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, in the Great Lakes Rooms of the University Center. Employees are granted one hour of release time to attend.

Health promotion agencies will have displays set up and there will be free screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index, or BMI. Prizes and healthy snacks will be available.

A blood drive for the U.P. Regional Blood Center will be held conjunction with the health fair.

          

If you’re near the starting gate for the Feb. 20 sled dog race in downtown Marquette, look for Harvey Scherer (Plant Operations). He will be one of four hustlers working the corner of Washington and Fourth Streets, donning a white bib that reads “U.P. 200 Hooker.”

The connotation is a joke, of course. The quartet of race volunteers will indeed be hustling—as in moving quickly. But only for the perfectly legal and moral purpose of preventing 12-dog tandems from leaving the chute too early. Full Story

 

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Updated: February 5, 2009

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