Community Food Bank application

A Storied Past By Gail H. Towns

Fall/Winter 2003 WMU MagazineStory text follows image

Kala

mazoo, Michigan

Reflecting theFaces of Change:Courage, Character and Collaboration

The Northside Ministerial Allianceand Western Michigan University

2004

Mar

tin

Luth

er K

ing

Jr. D

ay

MLK Celebration6 p.m.Sunday, January 11

Miller AuditoriumWestern Michigan University

Keynote SpeakerDr. Michael Eric DysonMinister, Author, Media Commentatorand Professor

Celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Free and open to the public

Kala

mazoo, Michigan

Reflecting theFaces of Change:Courage, Character and Collaboration

The Northside Ministerial Allianceand Western Michigan University

2004

Mar

tin

Luth

er K

ing

Jr. D

ay

MLK Celebration6 p.m.Sunday, January 11

Miller AuditoriumWestern Michigan University

Keynote SpeakerDr. Michael Eric DysonMinister, Author, Media Commentatorand Professor

Celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Free and open to the public

Gail Towns

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

�

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

� � � � ��

��

��

��

Content Development Writing & Editing [email protected]

What’s Inside—

A Storied PastThis piece appeared in WMU Magazine as a centennial feature, published as the university and the College of Education marked a century of service.

A World-Class AssignmentWMU Magazine feature story profiling one of the WMU’s faculty researchers. Also wrote sidebar featuring younger alumni as a means of engaging recent graduates.

Western NewsResponsible researching, writing and providing photography for “On Campus” weekly employee profiles. Stories represented AFSCME ranks and non-tenured staff. Also wrote news briefs detailing happenings in the College of Education, Arts & Sciences and the Evaluation Center. Also responsible for occasional editing in InDesign.

Cincinnati Public Schools—Making ProgressContributed stories to CPS annual report detailing programs, improvements and trends in the district. As-signments included researching Montessori models, parent involvement, educational leadership, school-business partnerships and other topics.

Cincinnati Enquirer’s “Your Hometown”Wrote 52 columns from 2007 to 2008 detailing issues related to parenting, motherhood and family life. Served as the voice and face behind “Busy Moms,” a weekly feature published in zoned editions of the Enquirer.

Cincinnati Parent Magazine Launched monthly “Rave Reviews” product review page for Cincinnati Parent in 2004 and continued re-search, writing and cultivation of media/industry contacts through late 2008. Responsible for content and design.

Press releasesExamples of publicity writing for Western Michigan University.

Additional writing published by Black Issues in Higher Education (archived online)Georgia study cites hope for student retentionThe Physician, the Professor and the Politico: Candidates for the presidency of Spelman College

GAIL H. TOWNS 127 Adams Way Jackson, NJ 08527 732-534-4992 [email protected]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_n7_v14/ai_19638749/?tag=content;col1



A Storied Past By Gail H. Towns

Fall/Winter 2003 WMU MagazineStory text follows image

TO HEAR LOUISE NICHOLS TELL IT, SOME THINGS ABOUT BEING A GREAT EDUCATORnever change. Not even since she graduated from high school in 1926, or in the 75 years since she earned herteaching certificate at Western State Normal School.

"Learn as you go along," Nichols advises today's emerging educators. "You might think when you graduate'Now, I'm ready to teach,' but you are never quite ready because each day you're learning something."

Indeed, students taking "Organization and Management in Education," are learning powerful lessons fromCollege of Education alumni and former faculty. Since April 2002, the ED 303 students have conducted oralhistory interviews with at least 30 graduates and retired professors, listening and learning as Nichols and othersrecount vivid memories that lend context to textbook histories.

The oral history project is one of many efforts underway by the COE centennial committee. The group alsois gathering alumni stories online, and plans are to create a virtual scrapbook of memories. In coming months,committee members expect to transcribe and catalog the newly collected oral narratives.

"What students are finding out is that the challenges of aspiring teachers back then are similar to theirconcerns today," says Dr. Toby Daspit, an assistant professor of teaching, learning and leadership who teachesthe course. "The insecurities, worries and nervousness about teaching that many of them express and the feelingfor some that they never have enough practical experience before they go to work—that's always been the case."

Too often, students who are not history majors perceive it only as "big names, big battles and big events,"Daspit says. "This project gives us a chance to talk about history as the experience of everyone who has walkedalong this way. Just sitting down to talk to one person offers a lot in terms of history and lessons forprofessional development. More often than not, they return to class after doing the interviews and say 'Wow,that was neat.'"

Telling storiesFrom tales about taking the historic trolley and academic offerings to fond recollections of faculty colleagues

and brand new buildings, pleasant memories run throughout the narratives. At the same time, some of thestories shared seem almost incredible.

"It was either go to Western and become a teacher, or become a nurse," says the 94-year-old Nichols, tellingstudents how she embarked on her 40-year career. "It seemed that was the only thing to do: You went to schoolto become a teacher. There weren't the different avenues to pursue that there are now."

Her living arrangements were limited too."There were no dorms, and a lot of places on Davis Street and all through that area opened their houses and

basements to students," she says. "Of course now, all the dorms are built up, but back then they weren't evenheard of."

The interviews also shed light on former policies that wouldn't be heard of now.Dr. Carol Payne Smith, emerita in teaching, learning and leadership, was hired in the fall of 1964, not long

after her husband accepted a post as director of the Department of Theatre in the speech department. Butbecause he was hired first, Smith could only be hired, she learned, on a semester-to-semester basis, despite beingqualified on her own merits.

The policy was soon changed, but there were other matters to tend—disparities in admissions standards,training Peace Corps volunteers for teaching roles, educating non-traditional workers—including two coalminers and a priest—to assume full-time teaching positions, and working off campus to help ease racialtensions caused by court-ordered busing. Salary inequities were a problem, too.

"For the first semester I taught three-quarters time," she says. "I had two office mates—two men—who werecalled 'full time' even though they were teaching the same load as I was."

Faced with quitting or staying on, Smith took on extra duties to become 'full time.'"Women were routinely discriminated against in those days," says Smith, who retired in 2000. "Single

women went on to have careers as department heads, but not married women. There was also a doublestandard that men could be admitted to WMU with lower grade averages than women."

She recounts the administration's rationale: "We were told that if we changed it to having the samerequirement, this would become an all female campus!"

In the late 1980s, Smith conducted a study of women in higher education and found that women were notonly underrepresented in the upper administration ranks, but they also were not in the stepping-stone positionsto get there.

"In this area, I've seen great progress not only at WMU, but also throughout Michigan and the nation," shesays.

Project steeped in history

While the COE project was launched fairly recently, efforts to collect WMU oral histories are not new, saysSharon Carlson, director of University Archives and Regional History Collections. The first-person accounts,gathered as early as 1958, have been a valuable resource for the University and the community.

"Oral history traditionally is the oldest form of history, and if you look at oral narratives handed down fromgeneration to generation, it's an excellent way of documenting people who may not have been documented inthe past," she says.

"But just like any form of historical evidence, you have to take it with other pieces of history and evaluate it,"Carlson warns. "The oral histories are 'his' or 'her' account, and could be shaded by time, memory or otherfactors."

Researchers have used the hundreds of oral histories housed in University archives to examine the lives ofAfrican-Americans living in Kalamazoo in the first half of the 20th century, to study experiences of Spanish-American War and Vietnam War veterans, and to investigate other topics, says Carlson. They also arereferenced in "Brown and Golden Memories," author Larry B. Massie's new book about WMU's first century.

Lasting impactCollecting the chronicles has been ongoing, cutting across community, college and departmental boundaries.

A more formal campus initiative was launched in 1988 under President Diether Haenicke and former ProvostGeorge Dennison.

"We were essentially looking down the road at two events: the turn of the century in 2000 and theUniversity's centennial celebration," explains Thomas Coyne, vice president emeritus for student services. Now,15 years into the revitalized effort, Coyne says the benefit of collecting and sharing the stories is tremendous.

"The thing you get out of it is that you realize you're just scratching the surface. There are so many peopleout there with stories to tell—some funny, some sad," he says. "It's encouraging though, to see the appreciationfor the value of their education and how they communicate the sense that they have improved their lives, andnot just economically, because of their education."

Through good times and bad, the pivotal and the perplexing, those involved with the COE project point tothe college's broad and lasting influence.

Fremont native Dan Dipple graduated with a BFA in 1995. Back home, he found few professional optionsand turned to substitute teaching for work. Soon, he was hooked.

"I really enjoyed it and it was the inspiration for me to back to Western and get an education teachingcertificate," Dipple says in his interview. "I saw it as an honorable profession where I could make a difference."

That's one of the lasting impressions the project should have on students, alumni and future generationsalike, says Daspit.

"This is an acknowledgement of the importance of the folks who have come before us and their legacy," hesays. "And just getting involved in collecting history makes you part of the process of how the story getswritten.

"My hope is that they'll come away from this with a sense that they're not just here to get a four-year degreeand then that's it. They are part of something much, much larger."

To learn more about the oral histories that have been collected or to get involved with the project,contact Dr. Toby Daspit at (269) 387-3490. Volunteers interested in transcribing the recordingsshould send e-mail to <[email protected]>. Also, former students and faculty are invited tomake history by sharing their memories via the college's Web site. Submit your story online orread about the experiences of others at <http://www.wmich.edu/coe-newsletter/centennial>.

38

In a tiny African nation not quite twice the size of Delaware, Clements landed a Peace Corpsassignment teaching math to seventh- through 10th-graders who, on the first day of school,showed up en masse with machetes—to cut the grass.

It was in Gambia, where “catching a ride” sometimes meant squeezing into the back of atattered pickup truck between temperamental goats and squawking chickens, that Clementslearned lessons to last a lifetime.

“You get a vivid sense of our privilege, and you learn quickly how much you really need—ordon’t need—to live,” says Clements, the village teacher-turned-WMU-professor who is workingto make the Peace Corps experience par for the course.

Literally.

In 1984, Dr. Paul Clements left Harvard University

with a B.A. in social studies, ready to face the world.

A few months and more than 3,800 miles later, he did.

Pictured at top of page, WMU alumnus Chris Carew surveys a Jamaican landscape. Above, photos taken by Dr. Paul Clements while in the Peace Corps in Gambia,interspersed with scenes from African batik by artist Modu. The large-scale cloth artwork is one of Clements’ most prized possessions from his Peace Corps experience.

WMU joins forces with the Peace Corps

39

The classroom goes globalIn February, WMU introduced a Peace Corps option in itslongstanding Master of Development Administrationprogram, making the new collaborative effort the first of itskind in Michigan and one of a select few nationwide.

And the timing couldn’t have been better. On Jan. 29,President George W. Bush announced plans to double thePeace Corps’ volunteer ranks by 2007. By late May, theagency had received more than 4,000 applications, up 18.3percent from the same time last year. Inquiries alonejumped by 38 percent.

The new WMU program option is affiliated with thePeace Corps’ Master’s International Program, which helpsmeet the overseas demand for Peace Corps volunteers withhigh levels of education and technical expertise. It alsooffers students more international experiences.

Directed by Clements, an assistant professor of politicalscience, WMU’s program prepares American students towork in the public or nonprofit sectors in developingcountries, or in international development.

“Peace Corps often is the first experience that connectsyou on a human level in an international way,” said Dr.Jody Olsen, deputy director of the Corps, during her Aprilvisit to WMU.

She and others see the program as expanding WMU’sglobal reach while offering participants valuable know-how—the kind of real-world experience many students lackwhen they land their first development jobs.

“If all you have is a textbook education, then good luck,”said Clements. “So many students study the development ofemerging countries, but have no experience of what it’sreally like out there. Serving in the Peace Corps as part oftheir academic program will increase their understanding ofthese countries and the challenges they face.”

Cultivating American interestHoused in WMU’s Department of Political Science, thenew program demands 30 credit hours of course work inwhich students take on such issues as affordable health care,small business, agriculture and project management.Following their classes, students get a 27-month assignmentin a developing country where they must complete a majorfield paper.

From left, a photo taken by Dr. Paul Clements while in the Peace Corps in Gambia; scene from batik artwork by Modu; Jamaican family at home; Modu artwork.

Historically, WMU’s 28-year-old MDA program hasdrawn few American nationals. But Gus Breymann, directorof WMU’s Lansing campus and a former Peace Corpsvolunteer, believes that is about to change.

“Until now, most of the students in the MDA programhave been international students who come to study in theUnited States. The new option will allow those interna-tional students to interact with American students who willthen serve as volunteers in development all over the world,”says Breymann, who volunteered in Sabah, Malaysia, from1964 to 1966, and worked four additional years as a PeaceCorps staffer in Southeast Asia and Washington.

“Back in the 1960s, WMU had an under-

graduate degree program to prepare

people to serve in the Peace Corps.

Today, WMU’s commitment to the

Peace Corps and international develop-

ment is as strong as ever.”

From Belize in Central America to a group of small islands called Vanuatu in the southwestPacific Ocean, WMU alumni are making Peace Corps contributions. The countries highlightedabove represent the current locations of 14 alums who are serving in the Peace Corps:Armenia, Belize, Benin, Bulgaria, Cameroon, El Salvador, Jamaica, Kazakstan, Mali, Panama,Paraguay, Vanuatu.

39

40

‘Toughest job’ includes JamaicaOn a typical morning, Alanna Randall, B.A. ’00, isperched on the porch of her little wooden housethat sits on stilts, sipping Central American coffeewhile watching the traffic—toucans and parrotsincluded—go by.

Then it’s off to work at the Chaa Natural HistoryCentre, where she is creating an archeology andhistory curriculum, or over to the Eligio PantiNational Park, where she’s developing visitor centerexhibits. She also sets aside time for her village“jumpstart” program designed to teach English to4- and 5-year-olds.

“The cheesy slogan, ‘It’s the toughest job you’llever learn’ is true,” says Randall who has worked inBelize as a Peace Corps Volunteer for a year now.She joins a current class of WMU alumni who arestationed in countries from Armenia to Vanuatu.

“No one tells me what tasks I must performeach day, and only I know if I work from 9 a.m. to5 p.m. or from midnight to 5 a.m.,” she says. “Thismakes it tough, but I love it.”

A similar passion has been ignited in more than165,000 volunteers over the 41-year history of thePeace Corps, an idea that was hatched around1 a.m. on Oct. 14, 1960, on the steps of the studentunion at the University of Michigan.

That’s where John F. Kennedy found himselfafter a long day on the campaign trail, and whilemost members of the press had gone to bed, about10,000 students were waiting to hear him speak.

It was then that they heard Kennedy’s challengeto serve their country and the cause of peace byliving and working in the developing world.

It’s a charge that Christopher Carew, B.S. ’99,embraces as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica.

Yes, Jamaica.“When I tell people where I am, they immedi-

ately think I’m out on the beach, soaking up the sun,having fun and everything’s ‘cool mon,’” he says.“That’s not what I see at all.

“I live in a farming community where thereisn’t much work, illiteracy is high and there’s norunning water,” explains Carew who lives andworks in a government-operated nature reserve.“I drink rainwater. I see donkeys go by and peoplecarrying loads on their heads.”

Carew works to promote the nature reserve, a202-acre area filled with insect-eating plants andbirds and plant life that is endemic to Jamaica. Inhis spare time, he teaches computer skills andreading, and tends to his own garden of basil,cilantro and medicinal plants.

“One of the biggest lessons I realized in cominghere was how lucky we are to be in America,” saysCarew, whose term expires this summer. “I devel-oped more respect for my country as a result ofbeing out of it.”

Clockwise, WMU alumnus Chris Carewin Jamaica, working with children inlibrary, helping community membersmeasure rainwater and carryingsupplies on a path.

40 A World-Class Assignment

Committed to serviceThe Peace Corps is nothing new to WMU. Since the Corps waslaunched in 1961 by then-President John F. Kennedy, upward of 88alumni have volunteered. Currently, about 14 WMU graduates areserving in countries around the globe, from Benin to Bulgaria.

“WMU has a longstanding track record of training people for thePeace Corps and providing volunteers,” says Scot Roskelley, a publicaffairs specialist for the Corps.

Given last year’s terrorist attacks, that commitment is critical, saysClements.

“Prior to about 1991, international politics were carried out in aCold War environment,” he says. “But now, for Americans to have apersonal understanding of the way of life for people in developingcountries is more important than ever. Sept. 11 brought it forcefullyto the forefront of our consciousness.”■

STORY BY GAIL TOWNS—[email protected] COURTESY OF DR. PAUL CLEMENTS, CHRISTY HONSBERGER,AND HETHER FRAYER

MAY 6, 2004

volume 30, number 16

continued on page 4

PERFECT TIMING—President Judith I. Bailey presented an honorary doctor of education degree to Buster Bronco during the dedication of the Centennial Time Capsule. The dedication included remarks by Bailey as well as, from right, Ruth Heinig, Centennial Celebration Committee co-chairperson, and Shavonne Petts, Western Student Association vice president and capsule project coordinator. A list of capsule contents is available online at <www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/2004/0404/0304-x230.html>. (Photo by Tammy M. Boneburg)

Acting at its April 16 meeting, the University’s Board of Trustees adopted a $272.5 mil-lion general fund operating budget for the 2004-05 year that addresses a serious budget shortfall created by state funding cuts and cost increases.

The new budget calls for campuswide reductions of $11.8 million. The reductions will result in the elimination of 122 full-time positions at the University as well as new cuts to an already reduced operating budget. Because of unfilled vacancies and transfers between University units for some employees, the actual number of layoffs at Western News press time was estimated at 38 employees—down from the 48 layoffs reported to the board April 16.

President Judith I. Bailey and members of her senior staff held two campuswide town hall meetings April 28 to brief the campus community on the budget and the measures that would be taken to meet the reduction targets. More than 600 employees attended and many posed questions on topics such as layoffs and support services for affected employees, faculty teaching loads, implementation of the new Student Information System, and how decisions were made to distribute the cuts.

“There are no rights or wrongs in a budget,” Bailey told the morning town hall session. “There are, here, competing goods. Every program that Western Michigan University has supported has had value and has added value to the institution, as has every employee.”

Layoff notices to affected employees began May 3, and Bailey said all layoff notices and “bumping” provisions outlined in employee contracts and employee guidelines are expected to be completed by May 28. The total number of employees affected has fluctuated in the past two weeks as positions have opened, allowing employees to be transferred to other departments or non-general fund budgets.

The general fund budget reduction figure of $11.8 million was previously estimated at $13.7 million, but was decreased as a result of the administration’s acceptance of budget adjustments proposed late last month by the Academic Affairs Budget Advisory Commit-tee, a campuswide group charged with finding ways to meet the budget reduction goals in the University’s academic affairs units.

While classroom instruction was protected from cuts, four graduate programs will be suspended and another four will be reorganized, beginning in 2004-05. In addition, the Center for Science Education and the Lee Honors College Student Volunteer Service Program will be eliminated.

New firm relocating in BTR ParkDLZ Michigan Inc., a full-service, minor-

ity-owned engineering firm with locations throughout the Midwest, is relocating its Niles, Mich., office to the Business Tech-nology and Research Park. Initially, eight employees will staff the firm’s offices in the park’s Granite Park I building, which is cur-rently being built by the Kalleward Group and is scheduled for mid-May occupancy.

DLZ does extensive work with the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Department of Environ-mental Quality, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and numerous communities throughout the state. The company has been actively involved with WMU’s Department of Civil Engineering since the department was launched in 2003 and plans to continue this relationship.

Netters garner tournament titleWMU’s men’s tennis team won both the

Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament titles in April and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the third time in the past six seasons.

The Broncos have won 18 MAC champi-onships in men’s tennis, which ties Miami University for the most in league history. WMU has claimed MAC titles in four dif-ferent sports during 2003-04, the most in one year since 1984-85.

Medievalists to gather May 6-9More than 3,000 medievalists from around

the world will be on campus today through May 9 for the 39th International Congress on Medieval Studies. New for 2004 are a medieval fashion show and a collaboration with the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival.

There is no registration fee for Kalamazoo County residents or WMU faculty, staff and students. Among the events open to the general public are the fashion show, two concerts and the annual Medieval Film Festival. More details are available online at <www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress>.

$11.8 million in cuts approved

Trustees adopt $272 million 2004-05 budget

2

MAY

6, 2

004

WES

TERN

NEW

S

EDITOR: Cheryl P. Roland. ISSUE EDITOR: Jeanne Baron.

CONTRIBUTORS: Jessica English, Thomas A. Myers, Mark E. Schwerin and Gail H. Towns. GRAPHIC DESIGN: Tammy M. Boneburg.

WESTERN NEWS (USPS 362-210) is published by the Office of University Relations, Walwood Hall, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5433, every other week when classes are in session. Periodicals postage paid at Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5165.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Western News, Office of University Relations, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5433.

DEADLINE: Items to be considered for publication should be submitted to the Office of University Relations by 5 p.m. Friday the week preceding the publication date. Summer I Session 2004 publication dates are May 6, May 20, June 3 and June 17. Items may be submitted by mail, fax (387-8422) or e-mail ([email protected]).

WMU is an equal opportunity/employer/affirmative action institution.

volume 30number 16

Morin, Trout receive 2003-04 MAC Coach of the Year honors

Men’s tennis coach Dave Morin and golf coach Cindy Trout have been named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in their respective sports for 2003-04.

Morin earned the honor for the third time

during his eight seasons at WMU. He also garnered the honor in 1994 while at Bowl-ing Green State University. Under Morin’s leadership, the Broncos have advanced to the NCAA Championships three times in the past six seasons, including this year.

Trout has served as head coach of the women’s golf team since its inception in 1998 and has brought the team increasing success each season. She guided the Broncos to a best-ever second-place finish at this

year’s MAC Championship, along with the lowest tournament score in the team’s brief history.

Three WMU coaches have won Coach of the Year honors during 2003-04. Chris Karwoski also won the award for men’s soccer.

Reish fills in for Gov. GranholmDean Joseph G.

Reish, University Li-braries, presented two keynote addresses in April.

The first address opened the one-day con-ference of the Michigan Association of Honor Societies on April 22.

Reish was invited to speak as a last moment stand-in for Gov. Jennifer Granholm. His remarks were titled “My Aunt Kate’s Meat-loaf: An Evolving Analogy.”

On April 30, Reish delivered the keynote address for the Michigan Library Associa-tion’s Symposium for Academic Librarians 2004. His talk was titled “From University Bookshelver to Dean of University Librar-ies: A Meteoric Leap of Faith for a Non-Librarian.”

Morin

Trout

Reish

FOR SALE—Household items includ-ing sleeper, coffee table, two televisions (19-inch and 25-inch RCA), entertain-ment center, dinner table with six chairs, bunk bed, microwave, vacuum cleaner and iron. 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis with 82,000 miles, in excellent condition. Call 353-1827.

FOR SALE—Beautiful, spacious condo in the Cloisters. Open floor plan, master bath, huge bedroom, basement with lots of storage. $62,900. Call 207-7446.

FOR SALE—Four-bedroom home five minutes from WMU campus. Built and occupied by longtime faculty member. House and two and one-half lots, sur-rounded by protected mature oak forest. Call 372-2189.

Exchange

The WMU Board of Trustees approved a number of academic and administrative moves as part of a larger personnel re-port presented for the board’s review at its April 16 meeting.

Among items ap-proved were the ap-pointments of Michael Scriven as associate director of the Evalu-ation Center, effective Aug. 2. Scriven, who is internationally known in the evaluation field, will come to the Uni-versity following the completion of a series of evaluation workshops he is offering in the United States, Canada and New Zealand.

Administrative ap-pointments that were approved included those of Patrick Dan-

iel, formerly with University Recreation, as director of student activities and leader-ship programs, effective Feb. 23; Carol Eddy, associate director of the Sindecuse Health Center, as the center’s acting director, ef-

fective March 19; and Glen Tracy, director of business development for Shell Services USA in Houston, as executive director of the Paper Technology Foundation, effec-tive April 1.

In related action, trustees approved the previously announced appointment of Deborah Barnes as director of the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations and granted her tenure as an associate professor in the Africana Studies Program.

Trustees okay appointment of Evaluation Center director; name four current, new employees to administrative posts

Daniel

Eddy

Barnes

Proposals due by May 14 forBronco Days interest sessions

The Division of Student Affairs is cur-rently signing up faculty and staff who would like to serve as an interest session presenter during Bronco Days 2004, a transition pro-gram for incoming first-year students.

The deadline to submit session proposals is May 14.

Bronco Days will take place Aug. 23 through 27, with interest sessions being held Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 25 and 26. Sessions related to your professional area of expertise, office or organization are encouraged. They last 50 minutes and may be presented up to three times during the two-day period.

To obtain a program proposal form, visit <www.broncodays.wmich.edu> and click on the link “Interest Session Presentation Applications.” For details, call 7-2773.

3

WESTERN

NEW

S MAY 6, 2004

Obituaries

Service

Jobs

While a campuswide job freeze remains in effect, the following vacancy has been approved for posting as a position that is essential for the continued operation of the unit represented. All position authorizations must have the approval of a WMU vice president to be posted during the hiring freeze.

Vacancies are posted through the Job Op-portunity Program by human resources. In-terested benefits-eligible employees should submit a job opportunity transfer application during the posting period, and may contact a human resource services staff member for assistance.

Employees may call the Applicant Infor-mation Service at 7-3669 to hear the weekly job postings.

(R) Manager, Athletic Equipment, 16, Intercollegiate Athletics, 03/04-4320, 5/3-5/10/04

R=ReplacementWMU is an Equal Opportunity/

Affirmative Action Employer.

F. Sylvia Culp, phi-losophy, died April 23. She was 50.

Culp, a faculty mem-ber since 1992, came to WMU from a teaching position at the Uni-versity of California, San Diego. She was a graduate advisor and

served as the Department of Philosophy’s associate chairperson for the 2003-04 aca-demic year.

Her areas of specialization included the philosophy of science, biology and social science. She was a frequent contributor to scientific literature on such topics as cloning and genetic testing and was widely published in professional journals that focus on phi-losophy and biology.

In addition, Culp was a frequent speaker whose lectures in recent years were given at major universities around the country and at the National Institutes of Health.

She earned a doctoral degree in micro-biology as well as philosophy and held postdoctoral fellowships in molecular biology, biochemistry and immunology at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation and at Stony Brook University.

A June 12 memorial service is being planned. Details will be announced later.

Culp Russell

Eleanor R. McKinney, associate professor emerita of librarianship, died April 27 in Kalamazoo. She was 85.

McKinney came to WMU in 1967, after serving for more than 27 years as a public school librarian in New Jersey. She taught school-library administration courses in WMU’s School of Library Sciences until her retirement in 1981. During her tenure, she served as acting director of the school several times.

She served on the executive board of the American Association of School Libraries for five years, from 1969 to 1974. She also was a member of several other professional associations.

McKinney earned specialist degrees in education and librarianship from WMU.

Editor’s note: Due to a backlog of service anniversary lists, this issue of the Western News includes the lists for both February and April. The March list was included in the March 25 Western News.

The following employees were recognized for 30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and five years of service to the University during February and April.

30 years—(February) Kanti S. Sandhu, information technology. (April) Galen J. Alessi, psychology.

25 years—(February) Marcia A. Agema, Davis Dining Services; Lunny D. Green, Reg-istrar’s Office; Sharon L. Nicholson, information technology; and Mary E. Ross, University Libraries. (April) Lori S. Groh, Logistical Services; Sharon Stoken, physical plant-building custodial and support services; and Dennis L. VanDenBerg, information technology.

20 years—(February) Hazel N. Williams, Valley #2 Dining Service. (April) Margie M. Coleman, paper engineering, chemical engineering and imaging; Rose A. McKinney, health and human services; and Peter Thannhauser, mechanical and aeronautical engineering.

15 years—(February) Mary J. Miller, physical plant-landscape services, and Marcia A. VanGemert, public safety. (April) Daniel-Muslim Y. Abdullah, physical plant-maintenance services; Richard T. Boyd, physical plant-power plant; Kenneth J. DeVries, development; Linda Emmons, physical plant-building custodial and support services; David R. Miller, physical plant-maintenance services; Ieva M. Sverns, Sindecuse Health Center; and Kevin L. Villadsen, physical plant-maintenance services.

10 years—(February) Teresa Ann Coburn, Sindecuse Health Center; John A. Ferguson, Paper Technology Foundation; Michael A. Matthews, physical plant-building custodial and support services; and Natalie E. Morton, Extended University Programs. (April) None.

Five years—(February) Opal Alene Carr, physical plant-building custodial and support services; Steven R. Cartwright, University Libraries; Elizabeth A. Dalzell, Bernhard Center Dining Service; Arthur L. Desjardins, anthropology; Dixie L. Edwards, president’s office; Brien S. Leonard, Sindecuse Health Center; Andrew J. McHugh, development; Melanie Parish, Bernhard Center; RoseMarie Roberts, legal affairs and general counsel office; and Dorothy E. Servant, Bernhard Center Dining Service. (April) Carey F. Baker Jr., physical plant-building custodial and support services; William C. Brooks, intercollegiate athletics; Carol E. Bukant, Sindecuse Health Center; Nancy Lou Cardoza, Sindecuse Health Center; Linda M. Comrie, Graduate College; Sharon L. Conolly, physical plant-building custodial and support services; Alicia A. Eby, Sindecuse Health Center; James F. Haun, physical plant-building custodial and support services; William C. Johnson, physical plant-build-ing custodial and support services; Celeste A. Jordan, human resources; Joseph LeMahieu, physical plant-maintenance services; Carolyn L. Lynn, physical plant-general services; Michael J. McKinley, Unified Clinics; Tammy L. Miller, institutional equity; Angela R. Phelps, arts and sciences; Carlos A. Rivera, physical plant-building custodial and support services; Yeqing Wang, information technology; and Linda A. Ware, disability services.

Vera Jean Russell, assistant professor emerita of education and professional de-velopment, died April 4 in Kalamazoo. She was 84.

Russell joined the WMU faculty in 1954 as a supervising teacher

in WMU’s Campus School nursery. She later served lengthy stints as a student teaching and program operation coordinator in the College of Education. She retired in 1980 and was preceded in death by husband Nor-man K. Russell, a WMU faculty member.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Friends of Historic East Campus, c/o WMU Founda-tion, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403.

May

6, 2

004

WES

TERN

NEW

S

with Kerry Eldred

(Photo by Gail Towns)

On Campus

4

onlin

e

Check www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/events for a complete list of public campus events and activities

Calendar

MORE THAN FAMILIAR FACES

Budget continued from page 1WMU’s appropriation from the state for 2004-05 is expected to be $110.8 million, nearly

$2.3 million less than the state appropriation the University had at the beginning of the 2003-04 fiscal year. The total decrease in annual state appropriations over the past two years amounts to nearly $15 million.

A 2.4 percent undergraduate resident tuition increase passed by the board in February and graduate and nonresident rates set at the April 16 meeting will bring in $2.1 million, only partially offsetting this year’s decrease in state funding.

Projected expense increases for 2004-05 total $12.4 million and include jumps in compensation, utilities, student financial aid funds, graduate student assistance, library acquisitions, academic programming and insurance costs.

MAKING THE GRADE—Numerous faculty and staff members volunteered for Finals Finish 2004, ensuring that the Presidential Spirit Committee successfully pulled off its eighth Finals Finish to help students relax and revive during the initial days of spring exams. Among those who turned out during the two-day event was this group on April 19, which included most of the members of the spirit committee as well as WMU community members such as President Judith I. Bailey.

Kerry Eldred, physical plant-building, custodial and support services, has dozens of children’s photos—cap and gown poses, newborn hospital shots, school pictures and more—pinned to her bulletin board.

Some are related to her husband Dale, a WMU dining services manager, but many are not. Still, Eldred considers them all family.

“Sometimes I’m an ear for people who need someone to listen, and they often bring me pictures of their kids and grandchildren,” says Eldred, an administrative secretary who works with upward of 200 people in her department.

“It’s about the personal touch,” she says. “When I first started here in 1992, I thought ‘How will you ever know all these people?’

“Over time, though, you just get to know a little bit about all of them.”Eldred’s duties include managing departmental correspondence, supporting the

front office staff, overseeing the daily logs and taking care of payroll.“This year, I’m the uniform coordinator, the pop bottle collector, singer, dancer...“

she adds. “But seriously, so much of what I do involves getting everything coor-dinated. It’s a challenge.”

From taking overtime requests and working with vendors to updating person-nel reports and relaying urgent messages to supervisors, Eldred is constantly fielding calls.

That’s just how she likes it.“I love it here,” she says. “The people are what I enjoy most. There’s a real

camaraderie.”Away from work, Eldred stays busy with her PartyLite and Body Shop home

shows. She and her husband also spend time with their three dogs: Blue, Taz and George.

WMU ranks eighth in nation as wireless computing site

WMU ranks eighth in the nation in the use of wireless computing technology on a university campus according to an Intel study. WMU is the only Michigan institu-tion in the top 50 on Intel’s recent list of the 100 “Most Unwired College Campuses.”

Siena Heights University in Adrian—the only other Michigan school to make the top 100—was ranked 58th. Indiana University, Bloomington took the top spot.

Wireless Western made WMU one of the first major research universities in the nation, and the only one in Michigan, to offer campuswide wireless computing. The cost savings of using a wireless network to extend computing capability is substantial. Wiring an existing building can cost from five to 10 times as much as installing wire-less access points.

The Wireless Western initiative, complet-ed in 2002, allows faculty, staff and students to access WMU networks and the Internet from nearly every corner of campus.

NOVEMBER 6, 2003

volume 30, number 6

NSF grants $10 million for math center

Governor taps Bailey fornew technology committee

continued on page 4

ANYTHING FOR THE CAUSE—Centennialco-chairperson Ruth Heinig, above, had avein tapped in support of the annual BloodChallenge, which runs through Nov. 14.Drive locations can be found online at theWMU News Web site.

Mathematics education faculty at WMU have joined colleagues at two other majorresearch universities to launch a national research center aimed at improving theteaching and learning of mathematics in K-12 schools.

Earlier this month, the National Science Foundation announced funding for theCenter for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum with a five-year, $10 million grant.The center is a collaborative effort involving WMU, Michigan State University andthe University of Missouri. Also contributing to the work of the center are: theUniversity of Chicago School Mathematics Project; Horizon Research Inc., which isa private research firm in Chapel Hill, N.C.; and educators in four school districts,including the Kalamazoo Public Schools and Battle Creek Public Schools.

Co-directors of the new center are: Christian Hirsch, mathematics; Glenda Lappan,MSU professor of mathematics; and Barbara Reys, Missouri professor of mathematics.WMU’s work in the center will be under the direction of Hirsch and WMU co-directorsKate Kline and Steven Ziebarth, both mathematics. The center has three main goals:

• increase the number of doctoral students in mathematics education;• conduct research on mathematics curricula; and• collaborate with K-12 teachers to improve the teaching and learning of mathemat-

ics for all students.The center will formally begin its work in January. Together, the universities

involved have a long history in mathematics curriculum development, implementationand evaluation.

“Mathematics is fundamental to the success of students in so many ways, and an awardof this magnitude recognizes the national reputation that our universities haveestablished in mathematics education,” says Daniel Litynski, WMU provost and vicepresident for academic affairs.

Gov. Jennifer M.Granholm has cre-ated a TechnologyTri-Corridor SteeringCommittee and hasselected WMU Presi-dent Judith I. Baileyto serve among the 19charter members ofthe group.

Made up of representatives from the lifesciences, higher education, homelandsecurity, and emerging automotive indus-tries, the committee will chart thestrategic direction of Michigan’s newest

continued on page 4

University community invitedto talk on state of universities

The WMU community is invited toattend a special telecast Wednesday, Nov.12, of the inaugural State of the PublicUniversities address.

Wayne State University President IrvinReid, chair of the Presidents Council,State Universities of Michigan, will de-liver the address on behalf of the presi-dents of the state’s 15 public universities.His presentation will focus on “Quality inTimes of Adversity.”

Provost Daniel Litynski will host theWMU telecast gathering from 5:30 to6:30 p.m. in the Fetzer Center.

AFSCME, POA contracts OK’dActing via conference call at its Oct. 31

meeting, the WMU Board of Trusteesapproved a three-year labor agreementwith Local 1668 of the American Federa-tion of State, County and MunicipalEmployees, and authorized changes to areopened contract with the University’sPolice Officer Association.

Details on both contracts can be foundonline at <www.wmich.edu/wmu/news>.

Investor to talk about marketsThe head of one of the nation’s largest

mutual fund managers will offer insightson whether the markets really can bebeaten when he speaks on campus nextweek as part of the Haworth College ofBusiness Distinguished Speaker Series.

Rex A. Sinquefield, co-chairman of Di-mensional Fund Advisors, will present“Miraculous Markets: Can Anyone BeatThem?” beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,Nov. 11, in Schneider Hall’s Brown Au-ditorium. The address is co-sponsored bythe West Michigan Analysts Society.

The event is open to the Universitycommunity. To reserve a seat, call7-5050.

Bailey

2

NO

VEM

BER

6, 2

003

W

ESTE

RN N

EWS

EDITOR: Cheryl P. Roland. ISSUE EDITOR: Jessica English.

CONTRIBUTORS: Jeanne Baron, Matt Gerard, Thomas A.Myers, Mark E. Schwerin and Gail H. Towns.GRAPHIC DESIGN: Tammy M. Boneburg.

WESTERN NEWS (USPS 362-210) is published by theOffice of University Relations, Walwood Hall, WesternMichigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo,MI 49008-5433, every other week when classes are insession. Periodicals postage paid at Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5165.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Western News,Office of University Relations, Western Michigan University,1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5433.

DEADLINE: Items to be considered for publication should besubmitted to the Office of University Relations by 5 p.m.Friday the week preceding the publication date. Fall 2003publication dates are: Sept. 25, Oct. 9, Oct. 23, Nov. 6,Nov. 20 and Dec. 4. Items may be submitted by mail, fax(387-8422) or e-mail ([email protected]).

WMU is an equal opportunity/employer/affirmative actioninstitution.

volume 30number 6

Around the Campus

For more information about these or any othercampus events, visit the WMU News Web site at<www.wmich.edu/wmu/news>.

Dinosaurs topic of Trefil talkNoted author and scientist James

Trefil, professor of physics at GeorgeMason University, will be on campusnext week to give a public lecture aspart of the Visiting Scholars Program.

Trefil will present “Who Killed theDinosaurs?” Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7:30p.m. in 1120 Schneider.

The lecture is sponsored by theUniversity’s Theta Chapter of the PhiBeta Kappa Society and the Depart-ment of Physics.

Frostic series wrapping upThe fall Gwen Frostic Reading Series

concludes this month with two read-ings by two noted authors.

Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Kidder,author of “The Soul of a New Ma-chine” and “Mountains Beyond Moun-tains,” will speak at 8 p.m. Tuesday,Nov. 11, in the Little Theatre.

Z.Z. Packer, whose stories have ap-peared in The New Yorker, Harper’s,Story and “The Best American ShortStories 2000,” will talk at 8 p.m. Thurs-day, Nov. 20, in the Little Theatre.

Centennial series continuesThe WMU Cen-

tennial Scholar andArtist series contin-ues next week withpresentations byPewabic pottery ex-pert Marcy HellerFisher and composerPeter Boyer.

The author of“Fired Magic,” a new book about a younggirl’s discovery of the famous Michi-gan-made tiles, will discuss the historicart pottery at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday,Nov. 12, at the Kalamazoo Institute ofArts. Her talk is free to members of theArt League; admission is $10 for others.

Acclaimed conductor and composerPeter Boyer also will speak Wednesday,Nov. 12. His 7:30 p.m. discussion inDalton Lecture Hall is entitled, “OralHistory and the Orchestra: CreatingEllis Island: The Dream of America.”The free talk is sponsored by the Collegeof Fine Arts and university archives.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orches-tra will present Boyer’s dramatic ac-count of the immigrant experience be-ginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, inMiller Auditorium. Tickets can be ob-tained by calling 7-2300.

Fisher

Massie here to sign booksThe historian behind

the book thatchronicles WMU’s first100 years will be oncampus Wednesday,Nov. 12, to sign copiesof the publication.

Alumnus LarryMassie will return to hisalma mater for a book

signing from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Edwin andMary Meader Rare Book Room on thethird floor of Waldo Library. Copies of“Brown and Golden Memories: WesternMichigan University’s First Century” willbe on sale for $35.

Published this fall as part of theUniversity’s centennial celebration, the276-page book includes more than 250historical photos. It is Massie’s 17th bookon Michigan history.

Massie

Music faculty to conduct clinicsStephen Zegree and Sunny Wilkinson,

music, have been invited to conduct vo-cal clinics with several high school vocalgroups on Tuesday, Nov. 11, in OrchestraHall in the Max M. Fisher Center inDetroit.

The workshops are part of a new pro-gram offered through Artserve Michigan’sGovernor’s Awards for Arts and Culture.

“It’s quite a nice honor that the twoguest vocal clinicians are from the vocaljazz program at Western MichiganUniversty,” Zegree says.

Curtis-Smith, Adams honoredFor the 26th time, the

American Society ofComposers, Authors &Publishers has selectedWMU’s Curtis Curtis-Smith, music, as a win-ner of its ASCAPAward, while RichardAdams, music, has beennamed an ASCAP

Award winner for the sixth consecutivetime.

ASCAP presents the awards to reflectthe organization’s continuing commit-ment to assist and encourage ASCAPcomposers. The awards are granted by anindependent panel and are based on theunique prestige value of each writer’s cata-log of original compositions, as well asrecent performances in areas not surveyedby the society.

Saillant gets nod from NEHA WMU professor has received a rare

“We the People” designation for researchhe is doing with a grant from the NationalEndowment for the Humanities.

John Saillant, history and English, wonthe designation for his work on the “BlackAntislavery Writings Project: 1760-1829.”Saillant and his project co-director RoyFinkenbine, professor of history at theUniversity of Detroit Mercy, will producea two-volume hardbound and electronicedition of various antislavery writings withintroductory interpretations.

“We the People” is an initiative spon-sored by the NEH that encourages theteaching, study, and understanding ofAmerican history and culture. Saillant’sproject is one of just 41 selected fromaround the nation and the only one fromMichigan.

Curtis-Smith

3

WESTERN

NEW

S NO

VEMBER 6, 2003

Human resourcesServiceThe following employees are being rec-

ognized during the month of Novemberfor 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 years of service tothe University.

25 years—Linda Jones, physical plant-maintenance services; Jane E. Kramer,teacher certification; Cynthia Town,University Counseling and TestingCenter.

20 years—Daisy Lipsey, customer ac-count services; Gregory G. Roseboom,physical plant-utilities; Ruth Wagner,physical plant-maintenance services;Cindy L. Zimmerman, accounting.

15 years—Brenda A. Brewer, history;Anthony DeRose, Extended UniversityPrograms; Susan L. Eberstein, health andhuman services; Esther Guilbault, physi-cal plant-building custodial and supportservices; Rosanna F. Metoyer, AuxiliaryEnterprises; Penelope S. Schellenberg,Lewis Walker Institute for Race and Eth-nic Relations; Perry L. Scrivener, univer-sity libraries.

10 years—Anita H. Lester, physicalplant-building custodial and support ser-vices; Cleandress Murphy, Center forDisability Services; Connie L. Peruchietti,Bernhard Center.

Five years—Jin Abe, International Stu-dent and Scholar Services; Karen Bowl-ing, Valley #1 Dining Service; DianeBriggs, Burnham Dining Service; DianaM. Carpenter, Bernhard Center DiningService; Donna Lee DeVries, dining ser-vices-cash operations; Mary E. Escobedo,Sindecuse Health Center; Jayne P. Fraley-Burgett, Lawson Ice Arena; Jerry R.George, development; Scott M. Keeler,physical plant-maintenance services; Pe-ter K. Knight, aviation; Harold L. Landen,physical plant-maintenance services;Stephan L. Macomber, physical plant-maintenance services; Pamela K. Ponicki,Bernhard Center Dining Service;Michelle L. Ray, Valley #3 Dining Ser-vice; Kim D. Sadler, physical plant-build-ing custodial and support services; SandraSchwab, Extended University Programs;Nathan S. Stonerock, Bernhard Center;Leta Ann Thurmond, physical plant-building custodial and support services,Rebecca Winkle, Valley #2 Dining Ser-vice; Stephen R. Winquist, MallinsonInstitute for Science Education.

TIAA-CREF meetings still openEmployees can still take advantage of

the opportunity to meet with a TIAA-CREF representative to discuss personalretirement and investment planning.

Employees are invited to make an on-campus appointment with Ema OsakiNov. 13 or 14, or Dec. 17 or 18. Toschedule a time, visit the TIAA-CREFWeb site at <www.tiaa-cref.org/meetings>and follow the online prompts. All ap-pointments will be held in 2100 SeibertAdministration Building.

MPSERS announces changesin service credit purchases

The Michigan Public School Employ-ees Retirement System has announcedchanges in service credit costs, effectiveJan. 1, 2004:

• The Variable Percentage Buy-In Tablewill change. This table is used to deter-mine the cost of actuarial based servicecredit purchases.

• Tax-Deferred Payments agreementsstarted after Dec. 31, 2003, will be charged8 percent interest. Existing agreementsremain exempt.

• All buy-ins that use earnings in thecalculation require that wages were re-ported to the Michigan Public SchoolEmployees Retirement System during theprevious fiscal year (July 1-June 30). Ifyou have no reported wages from theimmediate preceding fiscal year, you arerequired to wait until the start of the nextfiscal year to apply and be billed for thepurchase.

• Employees who are considering pur-chasing MPSERS service credit may wantto evaluate the benefits of acting beforeJan. 1, 2004. For more information, visitthe Web site <www.michigan.gov/ors>,call Richard Schaper, manager of retire-ment services, at 7-3580 or send e-mail to<[email protected]>.

King committee solicitingproposals for 2004 events

The Martin Luther King Jr. Committeeis accepting proposals for activities thatwill be held during King Week 2004. Theevents, which will take place Jan. 19-23,should be relevant to this year’s theme of“Reflecting the Faces of Change: Cour-age, Character and Collaboration.”

Guidelines and a downloadable formfor the sponsored activities, which areeligible for up to $200 in assistance, areavailable online at <www.wmich.edu/mlkday/events>.

Whether or not they are seeking fund-ing, departments, programs and organiza-tions are encouraged to submit their plansby Friday, Nov. 7, for inclusion in the2004 King Week schedule of events.

For information, contact Ineke Way,social work, via e-mail at <[email protected]> or by calling 7-3195.

Exhibit, events focus onimpact of slavery in U.S.

A traveling exhibit of 18th- and 19th-century slavery-related artifacts is the fo-cal point of a series of events designed toshed light on the history of slavery inAmerica and promote a community dia-log on racism today.

The Middle Passage and African Ameri-can History Museum exhibit, which isbased in Gulfport, Miss., will be on cam-pus through Friday, Nov. 14, on the thirdfloor of Waldo Library. The display canbe viewed from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondaythrough Thursday and from 10 a.m. to5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission isfree to the exhibit, which is sponsored bythe Graduate Student Advisory Commit-tee and the Lewis Walker Institute forRace and Ethnic Relations. The displayfeatures some 250 slavery objects anddocuments dating back to the late 1700s.It was on exhibit elsewhere in Kalamazooin September.

A series of other related events, “TheLegacies of Slavery,” also is being spon-sored by the Walker Institute and AfricanaStudies Program through Nov. 14. Theyinclude think tank discussions; a film anddiscussion; lecture; and theatrical, musi-cal and oratorical performances. A com-plete list of “The Legacies of Slavery”events is available online at<www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/events>.

Book sale slated for Nov. 13The Friends of the Western Michigan

University Libraries will hold its annualfall book sale from 9 a.m. to midnightWednesday, Nov. 12, and from 8 a.m. to2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.

The event, which will take place on thesecond floor of Waldo Library, serves as afund-raiser for the libraries.

NO

VEM

BER

6, 2

003

W

ESTE

RN N

EWS

with Steve DarrellOn Campus

4

on

lin

e

Check www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/eventsfor a complete list of public campus events

and activities

Calendar

HE PLEASES STUDENT PALATES(Photo by Gail Towns)

Over the five years of the effort, the new center will support 30 doctoral fellowships;30 curriculum interns; 100 K-12 school, district and state curriculum leaders; and morethan 200 teachers in the four partner school districts. At WMU, that will translate toan immediate recruitment of new doctoral students to fill as many as four full-timedoctoral fellowships annually for all five years of the effort. Center fellows will haveopportunities to work closely with faculty and engage in a range of projects and researchactivities related to mathematics curricula.

The local school districts involved with WMU will serve as sites for research andprofessional development for teachers. Both the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo publicschools have utilized curricula to move their districts forward in mathematics. Over thepast several years, the Battle Creek system has collaborated with WMU on a numberof curriculum development efforts. Work with the new center will focus on continuedcollaboration, sustaining the district’s efforts and supporting teachers’ continuedprofessional efforts.

The three core universities and the University of Chicago School MathematicsProject each have established track records in the development and/or implementationand evaluation of high-quality mathematics curriculum materials, Hirsch says.

WMU has been a center for the development of Core-Plus Mathematics, anintegrated high school mathematics curriculum. MSU has served as a development sitefor a middle school mathematics curriculum called Connected Mathematics, and theUniversity of Chicago Mathematics Project is the development site for both elemen-tary and secondary mathematics curricula. For the past seven years, the University ofMissouri has been a center for the implementation of NSF-funded middle schoolmathematics curricula.

economic development initiative. Todate, 17 members have been appointedby the governor. Two additional mem-bers will be named by the Speaker of theMichigan House of Representatives andthe majority leader of the Senate.

The Technology Tri-Corridor was cre-ated by the governor to continue thegrowth of the Michigan Life SciencesCorridor, while also focusing on theemerging homeland security and criticaladvanced automotive technology sectors.

The MEDC is charged with administer-ing the Technology Tri-Corridor program.In the months ahead, the corporationwill be working with the steering com-mittee members in developing a requestfor proposals and establishing generalguidelines for funding. For more informa-tion on the Technology Tri-Corridor andthe MEDC’s other programs and initia-tives, visit their Web site at<www.medc.michigan.org>.

Steve Darrell recalls the time when there was a marked difference betweencafeteria food and restaurant food.

But as student palates have changed, people have higher expectations forwhat is served at a university, he says.

“Over the last 10 to 15 years, more customers have been brought up withcommercial meals,” says Darrell, general manager of Bernhard Center DiningServices. “Overall, there’s more eating out. They’ve come to expect the sametype of service on campus.”

Darrell, his staff of four managers, 28 full-time employees and about 200 part-time workers are the force that feeds upward of 1,000 students on the Universitymeal plan at Henry/Hoekje/Bigelow Dining Service.

In the Bernhard Center public cafeteria, they serve an estimated 230 peopleeach day. “We’re hoping those numbers increase as faculty and staff areencouraged to use their new ‘Dining Dollars’ option,” he says.

“One of our challenges is striking a balance in serving nutritious, wholesomefood versus what people like,” he says. “Our most popular dishes remainhamburgers, pizza and fried chicken fingers.”

Pleasing finicky tastes is nothing new to Darrell. The Purdue Universitygraduate came to WMU in 1985 after working in commercial restaurants andwith Marriott hotels.

In the business, recipes, trends, equipment and personnel are subject tochange, but the environment—which he loves—remains the same.

“It’s fast-paced, lively and busy,” says Darrell, father of an 11-year-old son.“Every day I play beat-the-clock to get it all done.”

A veteran triathlon participant, Darrell enjoys swimming, biking and running.He lives in the Arcadia neighborhood with his wife and son.

Math grant continued from page 1 Bailey continued from page 1

There are plenty of parents who might think 8 a.m. is too early to let the kids jump rope or play with a hula hoop.

But allowing youngsters to jumpstart their school day with a little physical activity –– served up with a side of fruit or granola –– is one of the things that has made Parental Guidance at Roberts Paideia Academy a success.

“Back in the day, we played outside, we had a banana here and there, and we didn’t watch TV all day long,” says Pamela Carter, a longtime parent volunteer who helped hatch the plan for Parental Guidance, the child development program at Roberts that meets before and after school each day.

“Nowadays, our parents are so busy trying to make things better for their families that they’re not spending as much true quality time with their children,” says Carter.

The busy mother of four –– her children are 21, 7, 4 and 2 –– is a prime example of how parents are partners in their children’s success.

While Carter has been involved with Cincinnati Public Schools since childhood (she graduated from Hughes High School), her relationship with the schools in the district changed dramatically a few years ago.

That’s when she signed up for the Parent Leadership Institute (PLI), a free, six-session workshop led by Parents for Public Schools (PPS) of Greater Cincinnati that teaches parents how to devise plans to improve schools and address gaps in classroom successes.

After completing PLI, parents are awarded a $250 grant and possible matching funds, which they can use to address a specific need at their child’s school. The requirements are simple: identify a project, make sure it involves other parents and make certain it impacts student achievement.

“What we do is train parents on how to be better advocates for their children’s education,” says Audrey Holtzman, a parent coach for PPS. “Then, looking at their school’s comprehensive plan, they determine what the deficiencies are and they create a project to solve the problem.”

HOW IT WORKS

Essentially, PLI takes what parents want for their children and their schools and helps them design a blueprint that benefits everyone –– students, teachers, parents and the community.

It’s not a cure-all for everything affecting school performance, but it has proven to be worth the time and effort, as parents learn about everything from interpreting test scores and the impact of the federal No Child Left Behind Act to the different ways of educating kids and communicating effectively.

Parent Leadership Institute

>> Feature Story

Play a More Helps ParentsActive Role

Pamela Carter (bottom left) helps students with a science experiment at Roberts Paideia Academy.

22 Feature Story

How to conduct successful meetings, learning styles vs. personality styles, the importance of body language and how to maneuver in a big-city school district also are among the many subjects they examine. And, they learn how to be action-oriented problem-solvers who engage other parents.

Once they complete the classes and graduate with the know-how needed to implement their vision, parents are expected to roll up their sleeves and get to it.

“If they want to look at the performance of black males versus another demographic in a subject like social studies, parents now can address that,” says Holtzman, who points to one dad’s efforts as an example of what parents can achieve.

“We had a single father of four boys come in, and he decided he wanted to get more men involved at Pleasant Hill Academy,” Holtzman recalls. “He noticed he was always the only dad to show up at school functions. So after he went through the training, he said, ‘I know how to do this ... Donuts for dads!’”

Soon, the father was circulating fliers, sending notices home with students and scrambling for incentives to get dads to early-morning meetings at school.

“Last year, he drew 65 fathers,” Holtzman says proudly. “After the initial meet-and-greet, the principal brought out test scores and showed dads what areas their children were lacking in and where they needed to do more work.

“The principal even gave them a copy of the test so they could see what’s expected,” she says.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Carter, who launched Parental Guidance at Roberts Paideia, says her success story began long before PLI. Still, it was her involvement with the program that helped her figure out how she could help struggling parents.

“PLI showed me how I could affect student achievement through what I was doing with my own child. And now I tell my story every chance I get,” Carter says.

Her “story,” as she puts it, began more than two

decades ago when, not long after high school, Carter gave birth to her oldest daughter.

There were tough lessons for a young mother to learn, and plenty of mistakes were made, she says. And by the time she realized what she could have done differently –– from homework to discipline –– the issues were harder to fix.

In later years, her family grew. And by the time her next daughter (now 7) was 3 years old, there were suspicions that she was severely autistic.

“My first thought when her day care provider told me that was, ‘What is she seeing that I’m not seeing?’ I knew she garbled her words and there were many times when I

was in tears at the store while she acted out. There was a time when I hated to go out in public; we cried every night.”

So Carter decided to do something.

She took control of what her daughter ate, throwing out candy and drastically reducing her sugar intake. The family got rid of cable TV and only allowed the kids to watch educational shows. She rejected suggestions that she

medicate her child into behaving and got serious about structured one-on-one time with her daughter.

“That summer after preschool, I changed her environment and everyone had to be on board,” Carter recalls. “Later, she went from being non-verbal and running out of class to reading a lot. She loves to read.”

So not long after, when she heard about PLI, it was a no-brainer. Carter wanted in.

And as for her project? She knew that in addition to providing quality care before and after classes, Roberts parents could use a little help themselves.

Now, Parental Guidance includes a support group and an after school multicultural book club. Parents talk about children’s learning styles, how to navigate school life –– even pointers on how to talk with teachers. They also share strategies on what’s working with their children and where they could use some parent-to-parent advice.

“That’s what Parental Guidance is all about,” says Carter. “The school has every component it needs to be ‘the village’ we so often talk about. But when parents and teachers build trust, that’s when you make real progress.

“Parents have to be creative,” she adds. “We have to pay more attention and put the children first. I know. My parent involvement has made all of the difference with my own children.” y

Active Role

Making Progress 23

- Pamela Carter, parent volunteer

“The school has every component it needs to be ‘the village’ we so often talk about. But when parents and teachers build trust, that’s when you make real progress.“

EAT EVERY BEAN AND PEA ON YOURPLATE is the latest release from Daddy-a-Go-Go. Aside fromthe title cut, don’t miss the pink flamingo-inspired Pink Floyd SavesHugh Manatee and the surfer-like ode To Sir, with Love. And save

room for Hot Peas ‘n’ Butter’s new offering, Mo Hotta, Mo Butta,which takes listeners on a musical journey of Latin rhythms, blues, rock, jazz andfolk music. Some of the pieces may seem a little high-brow, but the enrichingand-creative arrangements explain why the group is a favorite on Noggin.

My dad, the soda jerk THE SODA CLUB, an on-demand carbonated sodamaker, allows dads to create their own pop. Fromcola or cream soda to apple-peach or cranberry-

raspberry, the drinks mix in about 30 seconds, and con-tain less sugar, calories, and carbs than store sodas,according to the company. $89, www.sodaclubusa.com

ESPN to goThe new MOBILE ESPN phoneservice provider is geared toward sports

fans, offering real-time access to scores, stats,news, video and more. Fantasy sports and per-sonalized content, too. About $199 atwww.mobileespn.com. And if dad’s really got

game, get him the new ESPNMONOPOLY board game($34.95).

Beauty and the BrainsShe’s got smarts. Now here’sthe jewelry to prove it withMOLECULESHAPED EAR-

RINGS and NECKLACE ofseratonin and dopamine. $40,$90. And for those lacking asense of direction, try a pair of

COMPASS CUFFLINKS.They’re functional and fun. $90 at

Uncommon Goods.

STUCK FOR IDEAS?Dad may not be made of money, butat least he can be creative with his

cash. The Super Duct Tape walletkeeps credit cards and money safe and

makes a statement, too. $20, www.uncommongoods.com

12SIMPLE WAYS TO CELEBRATE

DADS&GGRRAADDSS

Way cool.

We like.

Worth a look.

Don’t mention it.

Forget about it.

TRIED & TRUE ratings

TRIED & TRUE

by Gail H. Towns ! June 2006

2

3

8

Words to live by Greats fromTheodore Roosevelt to Oprah Winfrey are heardin The Best Advice Ever Given: Life

Lessons for Success in the RealWorld, by Steven D. Price (Globe Pequot, $14.96)Also, see Maria Shriver’s One More ThingBefore You Go (Simon & Schuster, $13.95).

1

Lights, camera...The CVS ONE-TIME-USECAMCORDER comes out this month, giving

users up to 20 minutes of digital quality videoand sound for just under $30. Preview yourvideo on the camcorder’s 1.4-inch color play-back screen before taking it to CVS for DVDprocessing (an additional $12.99). Web-sharingsoftware included.

6

Above par Good kids don’t let dad golf alone. And whyshould they? Especially when little ones can join in the fun with

FAIRWAY GIRL’S drop-dead gor-geous pink set ($69) that includes a 3-wood,

7-iron, putter, a golf bag, rain hood and head-cover. Little boys will have just as much funwith CLUBS BY ACCU-LENGTH

($39 to $199), the age-appropriate expandableline for growing kids.

4 5

9

Geeks gone glam Kids today are wired like never before, sowhy shouldn’t their clothes be as well? That’s the idea behind a growing

line of stylish jackets from Scottevest. Their ULTIMATEHOODIE ($69) features a Personal Area

Network—a series of pockets and openings thatallow you to manage the wires from your iPod,cellphone, PDA and other items all at once—-and

built-in earbud loops at scottevest.com

Strike a chord with the FRETLIGHTGUITAR ($499) billed as an interactiveguitar learning system,

teaches users how to playthrough a series of lights that are embedded inthe guitar, which hooks into software lessons via a USB port.

11

12

7

10

Still stumped? Gradstoday also love things that remindthem of home (mix CDs, scrap-books), MP3s, phones, laptops,dorm room décor and funkyclassroom/office supplies.

MU

SIC

NO

TE

S GIRL AUTHORITYWe love this tween targeted album! From their Hollaback

Girl to Pat Benatar’s Hit Me With Your Best Shot, the girl-group’sstyling is clean without being so sanitized that the songs don’tresemble the original tunes. Tracks are short enough to keepkids’ attention and the music gives dads and daughters an oppor-tunity to rock it out together.

WMU aids faith and communitybased organizations

Dec. 9, 2002

KALAMAZOO Western Michigan University's Center for Community

Asset Building has joined forces with a local grassroots organization in a $1.9

million effort to assist and train nonprofit groups in six West Michigan

counties.

CCAB is working with the newly created Southwest Michigan Faith and

CommunityBased Training Institutean outgrowth of Kalamazoo's Northside

Ministerial Allianceto help small faith and communitybased organizations

improve their business acumen, leadership capacity and overall effectiveness.

"Part of the training includes helping organizations understand the context in

which they are working and how competitive it is," says Sharon Anderson, who

directs CCAB and helped secure the grant from the U.S. Dept. of Health and

Human Services' Compassion Capital Fund.

The institute, which will begin offering workshops in early 2003, is likely to

draw administrative leaders from a wide variety of fledgling, nonUnited Way

supported organizations in Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Berrien, St. Joseph, Cass and

Van Buren counties.

From youthserving organizations to shelters and halfway houses, organizations

that provide human services are "hungry for this type of training," says

Anderson. She notes that when the formal grant announcement was made at an

October news conference, 350 leaders from more than 90 nonprofits showed

up to learn how they could benefit. Afterward, the phones at CCAB and the

Training Institute's offices rang nonstop.

"Faith and communitybased organizations are asking for help," she says of the

small, volunteerdriven groups, often staffed by five or fewer people. "They

have questions about making their organizations structurally sound, about

writing proposals, getting 501(c)3 status, developing and marketing their

missions and visions, developing sustainable programs, and more."

CCAB, already working on several fronts to strengthen human service

organizations in communities like Battle Creek and Benton Harbor, will help

develop the Training Institute's curriculum and identify WMU faculty members

who can help lead classes.

Other partners in the project are Organizational Development Solutions,

G.A.C. Consulting Services, Washington Heights Community Ministries in

Calhoun County, Benton Harbor Street Ministries, CHANGE, Third Reformed

Church and New Genesis Inc.

Media contact: Gail Towns, 269 3878400, [email protected]

Office of University Relations

Western Michigan University

1903 W Michigan Ave

Kalamazoo MI 490085433 USA

269 3878400

univ[email protected]

http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news

http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/index.html

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.wmich.edu/ur

http://www.wmich.edu/


New resources available for custodial grandparents

Sept. 5, 2003

KALAMAZOO For more than 2.4 million adults nationwide, Grandparents

Daycelebrated this year on Sunday, Sept. 7is every day.

And with more adoring grandmothers and doting granddads assuming roles as

fulltime parents to their grandchildren, multigenerational families increasingly are

turning to schools, public agencies and child experts for helpthe kind of help

offered in "Second Time Around," a new set of guidebooks and videotapes

created by two Western Michigan University professors.

Family finances, transportation problems, homework hassles and modernday

discipline are just a few of the areas in which grandparents need help as they

step in to parent again, say coresearchers Dr. Andrea B. Smith and Dr. Linda

L. Dannison. But grandparents are not alone. Grandchildren and those who

work with them need more resources, too.

"As a society we provide respite care, adult education, support groups, best

practices forums and networking," says Dannison, "but we're missing the

teachable moment if we don't think about the children or the professionals who

deal with them, especially teachers who have little in terms of formal resources

for working with children of custodial grandparents."

"Second Time Around: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" and "Grand Ideas

for Grand Kids" are comprehensive curriculum guides for facilitators of

grandparent and grandchildren support groups. The guides and two companion

videos, "The Custodial Grandparent Family" and "Custodial Grandchildren Tell

Their Stories," stem from extensive research conducted by Smith, an associate

professor of teaching, learning and leadership, and Dannison, chairperson of

WMU's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Their "Second Time Around" series couldn't be more timely. From 1990 to

1998, the ranks of custodial grandparents swelled by more than 53 percent,

according to a recent journal article by Smith and Dannison published by the

National Association of Social Workers. In 2000, the U.S. Census found that

of the 2.4 million grandparents raising grandchildren, slightly more than half are

still in the work force. Nationally, about 5.6 million youngsters live with a

grandparent.

The curriculum guides weave indepth research with programming for special

group activities, life management techniques, familyfriendly recipes,

opportunities for play and other useful tools unique to grandparents raising

grandchildren. The two videos, created in collaboration with broadcast

engineer Daniel Bracken of WMU's Department of Media Productions,

explore the strengths and challenges of such families. On tape, five

grandparents and a dozen others, ages 14 to 84 and raised by their

grandparents, share their stories.

"The grandchildren talk about how the grandparents have affected their lives,

and surprisingly, how they are looking forward to parenting," says Dannison.

"The adults talk about how they parent differently the second time around.

They discuss hard times, how customs may be different now than when they

were raising their own children, and how at this stage, the grandchild might not

get the trip to Disneyland."

Through their research, Smith and Dannison found that grandparents and

grandchildren are grappling with weighty issues. Financial hardships, academic

struggles, communicating with teachers, embarrassment, anger, guilt, trust,

effective disciplineeven deciding what to feed grandchildrenare just a few

areas the two experts address.

The "Second Time Around" resources, available through WMU, are ideal for

educators, family life experts and inservice health care professionals interested

in creating a grandparentfriendly environment. The grandparents guide is

available for $75 and "Grand Ideas for Grand Kids" is $50. The videos are

$50 each or can be purchased as a set for $75. To order, call (269) 387

3704. For more information contact Gail H. Towns at (269) 3878428.


WMU News



1903 W Michigan Ave


269 3878400


http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/index.html

New resources available for custodial grandparents

Sept. 5, 2003

KALAMAZOO For more than 2.4 million adults nationwide, Grandparents

Daycelebrated this year on Sunday, Sept. 7is every day.

And with more adoring grandmothers and doting granddads assuming roles as

fulltime parents to their grandchildren, multigenerational families increasingly are

turning to schools, public agencies and child experts for helpthe kind of help

offered in "Second Time Around," a new set of guidebooks and videotapes

created by two Western Michigan University professors.

Family finances, transportation problems, homework hassles and modernday

discipline are just a few of the areas in which grandparents need help as they

step in to parent again, say coresearchers Dr. Andrea B. Smith and Dr. Linda

L. Dannison. But grandparents are not alone. Grandchildren and those who

work with them need more resources, too.

"As a society we provide respite care, adult education, support groups, best

practices forums and networking," says Dannison, "but we're missing the

teachable moment if we don't think about the children or the professionals who

deal with them, especially teachers who have little in terms of formal resources

for working with children of custodial grandparents."

"Second Time Around: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" and "Grand Ideas

for Grand Kids" are comprehensive curriculum guides for facilitators of

grandparent and grandchildren support groups. The guides and two companion

videos, "The Custodial Grandparent Family" and "Custodial Grandchildren Tell

Their Stories," stem from extensive research conducted by Smith, an associate

professor of teaching, learning and leadership, and Dannison, chairperson of

WMU's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Their "Second Time Around" series couldn't be more timely. From 1990 to

1998, the ranks of custodial grandparents swelled by more than 53 percent,

according to a recent journal article by Smith and Dannison published by the

National Association of Social Workers. In 2000, the U.S. Census found that

of the 2.4 million grandparents raising grandchildren, slightly more than half are

still in the work force. Nationally, about 5.6 million youngsters live with a

grandparent.

The curriculum guides weave indepth research with programming for special

group activities, life management techniques, familyfriendly recipes,

opportunities for play and other useful tools unique to grandparents raising

grandchildren. The two videos, created in collaboration with broadcast

engineer Daniel Bracken of WMU's Department of Media Productions,

explore the strengths and challenges of such families. On tape, five

grandparents and a dozen others, ages 14 to 84 and raised by their

grandparents, share their stories.

"The grandchildren talk about how the grandparents have affected their lives,

and surprisingly, how they are looking forward to parenting," says Dannison.

"The adults talk about how they parent differently the second time around.

They discuss hard times, how customs may be different now than when they

were raising their own children, and how at this stage, the grandchild might not

get the trip to Disneyland."

Through their research, Smith and Dannison found that grandparents and

grandchildren are grappling with weighty issues. Financial hardships, academic

struggles, communicating with teachers, embarrassment, anger, guilt, trust,

effective disciplineeven deciding what to feed grandchildrenare just a few

areas the two experts address.

The "Second Time Around" resources, available through WMU, are ideal for

educators, family life experts and inservice health care professionals interested

in creating a grandparentfriendly environment. The grandparents guide is

available for $75 and "Grand Ideas for Grand Kids" is $50. The videos are

$50 each or can be purchased as a set for $75. To order, call (269) 387

3704. For more information contact Gail H. Towns at (269) 3878428.


WMU News



1903 W Michigan Ave


269 3878400



Community Food Bank application

Documents

cincinnati parent magazine

western newsresponsible

martin luther king jr

college of education

additional writing

cincinnati enquirers

western state normal

weekly feature