Friday, May 4, 2012
Board Approves Housing and Dining Rates
The NMU Board of Trustees has approved 2012-13 housing and dining rates. The annual cost of a standard double-occupancy room and the “constant meal pass” option will be $8,200, an increase of $230.
The board also authorized the university to continue in 2012-13 at a budget level no greater than the current year—with the exception of increases required by negotiated union contracts—until the state’s appropriation is determined and a new general fund budget is approved. For more actions, read the Full Story. |
 Employees Address Board
The NMU Board of Trustees’ regular session this morning opened with comments from four employees and a former student who filed advance requests to address the board.
Michelle Kimball (AIS-Library), president of UAW Local 1950, is pictured during her presentation. Other employees who spoke included John MacDevitt (Counseling and Consultation Services), Ron Sundell (Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences), president of the NMU chapter of AAUP, and Frankie McCormick (Chemistry). Their concerns focused on salary and benefit issues associated with current contract negotiations and the impact of faculty understaffing on the student academic experience. Full Story |
 NMU Breaks Ground for Renewable Energy Facility
NMU officials held a groundbreaking
ceremony this morning to celebrate the construction of a renewable
energy facility. Pictured are (from left) Austin Coon
of the Northern Michigan Constructors student organization, Chris Markert of
Johnson Controls Inc., NMU President Les Wong and Brian Cloyd, chair of the NMU Board of
Trustees.
Developed with Johnson Controls, the $16.4 million facility will
burn wood chips and wood byproducts from the Upper Peninsula. The project goals
are to reduce operating costs, provide greater fuel flexibility and protection
from volatile gas pricing, use a renewable resource and create local jobs. Full Story
 Summer Facilities Projects Planned
The Carey Hall demolition and
new door access/security system installation are among other facilities
projects scheduled this summer. Carey will be razed in mid-June, a process that
will generate loud noise in the early stages and take about six to eight weeks
to complete. Workers will restore the site, cap the utilities and close off the
east exterior wall of Lee Hall, which is connected to Carey and will be
preserved for possible future renovation if private funding is secured. Carey
has been vacant since 2005. Its removal will save NMU $60,000 per year in
utility costs and eliminate potential liability issues. The estimated project
cost is $800,000. Full Story
 Haynes Named Vice President
Martha Haynes was promoted to vice president for advancement, effective July 1, at today's NMU Board of Trustees meeting. Haynes oversees the NMU Foundation and the NMU Alumni Association. She becomes NMU’s third vice president, along with Gavin Leach (Finance and Administration), and Paul Lang (Academic Affairs). Full Story
 Belton Involved in Brain Tumor Research
The seventh annual Hope Starts Here
Challenge on Saturday, May 12, will benefit the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor
Center in the West Science Building, a collaboration between Marquette General
Hospital and NMU. Scientific research conducted by Northern professors and
students is an important component of the UMBTC. Robert Belton (Biology) did not expect to be part of the effort when he joined the NMU faculty
in August 2010. He had previously studied the role that Basigin proteins,
located on the surface of cancer cells, played in the development of cervical
cancer. He intended to continue down that path at Northern, but his focus
shifted when his research also proved highly relevant to brain tumor
development.
“I began working on glioblastoma
brain tumors with Rob Winn (Biology) and Dr. Rich Rovin of the
UMBTC,” Belton said. “I’m looking at the Basigin family of proteins and how they
impact tumor survival and metastasis, or spreading.” Full Story
Awards Presented at Employee Luncheon
The 2012 NMU Faculty and Staff Recognition Luncheon took place Tuesday, April 17. It honored faculty, staff and retirees for their years of service to NMU. Excellence-in-Service and Distinguished Team Awards were also presented. Full Story
 Transportation System Changing
Northern will no longer maintain a
fleet of small cars that departments can reserve. The
university’s 10 Ford Focuses currently leased through the state of Michigan will
be decommissioned around July 1. Through its membership in an
educational/institutional consortium that negotiates rates with rental-car
providers, NMU will contract with the local Enterprise affiliate to meet
individual needs as they arise. Full Story
 Transmitter Extends WUPX Reach, Assists WNMU
A new 1,700-watt digital transmitter will expand the listening base of student radio station WUPX (Radio X) as far as Munising, Champion and Rapid River. It will also provide a digital broadcast for WNMU, enhancing the its signal in the Marquette area. The new transmitter comes after years of preparation and university-wide collaboration. Pictured at right is a celebration of the conversion held last month at the station. Full Story
 One Book Selection Announced
A Mountain of
Crumbs, a memoir by Elena Gorokhova, has been
announced as the 2012 One Book One Community selection just in time to add to
summer reading lists or consider for fall semester course syllabi. The
county-wide program is designed to share the joy of reading and the free
exchange of ideas through a common book. It also supports NMU's Road Map
to 2015 emphasis on community engagement. Full Story
AQIP Action Project Under Way
A newly launched AQIP action project, Print Management Study and Recommendations, has the potential to cross all organizational areas of the university. A task force headed by Kaylie Anthos (Business Services) will gather departmental print, copy, scan and fax requirements to study the campus print environment. Once needs are identified, comprehensive print management options will be investigated and recommendations made for cost control and work flow efficiencies that might eliminate redundant print equipment and adopt a single machine for document management, distribution and production.
This project arose through a new selection process, said Sandra Poindexter (Business), AQIP liaison. NMU will now annually choose one action project from submitted service unit plans. The task force, to be created in early May, will represent all parts of the campus. |
 Krista
Clumpner’s first library job was in 5th grade and served the ulterior motive of
getting her out of a reading class that wasn’t advancing quickly enough to keep
pace with her comprehension level. Motivated by boredom, she and another top
student jumped at an opportunity to volunteer in the school library in lieu of
attending class.
“My elementary school had a
fantastic library,” said Clumpner, who grew up in Shawano, Wis. “It was a
bizarre environment with taxidermied animals scattered around. The librarian had
bright red, curly hair and some live parakeets that were on site with her. We
learned the Dewey Decimal System, reshelved materials that had been returned and
made sure the books on the shelves were in proper order.” Full Story |
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