Enthusiasm, like measles, mumps and the common cold, is highly contagious. Emory Ward In the event of multiple correct answers a winner will be selected by random drawing of correct respondents. !" !# ! $ % # # " ! & Beyond the Brown Bag Luncheon Professional Development Conference May 18th Submitted by Gail Beausoleil, Career Services From investment options to interviewing strategies, from defining social justice to deciphering the “sophomore slump,” the MTU Student Affairs Professional Development Committee is dedicated to promoting and offering educational opportunities for all Tech employees to grow professionally. ,& 6 ! !! 8 !* 9 ! (4 Partnering with Human Resources, the committee coordinates sessions to educate the campus community about health, diversity, job training and many other topics involving understanding and better serving our students. Besides sponsoring the “Brown Bag Luncheons” throughout the year, the committee organizes guest speaking engagements, web casts, and on May 18th, the committee is hosting Tech’s first campus-wide Professional Development Conference open to all MTU faculty and staff. With twenty concurrent sessions tak- ing place from 9 am to 4 pm, this day promises to cover a wide variety of topics and plenty of opportunities to learn. Conference sessions range from strategies for maximizing local business donations (helpful for student group advisors), to tips for dealing with difficult customers (helpful for all of us at some point or another!), to learning the basics of Excel. A minihealth fair, sponsored by Portage Health Systems, will be open in the MUB for the entire conference. A com- Michigan Tech Road Warriors Many of you know the admissions staff on campus, but did you know there are actually more professional staff Ninette Carlson members based regionally than here on campus? Without these dedicated road warriors, we would not be able to visit over 1,000 high schools and attend almost 200 college fair programs in the region, resulting Melanie Davis in direct contact with over 7,500 students annually. We invite you to meet our offcampus recruitment team: Ninette Carlson (Minnesota and Western Wisconsin), Melanie Davis (Chicago), Bob Hale (Metro-Detroit and “thumb” area), Linda Seder (Northern LowerMI), Samino Scott 5& 6 4 !6 7 ! plete listing of conference sessions and a registration link can be found on the committee’s calendar: www.mtu.edu/ profdev The committee encourage suggestions for professional development activities and topics. Please submit additional related events to advertise on our calendar. To submit a calendar item, contact Larry Wall at lawall@mtu.edu. We look forward to seeing you at our events! Submitted by Allison Carter, Admissions Being a regional recruiter isn’t easy. Each representative has a recruitment territory of 120-240 schools and is on the road 4-5 days per week for 9 months. A typical week consists of recruiter. How do they do it? Hard work, dedication and pride in Michigan Tech spurs them along. A Bob Hale Samino Scott desire to share Did you know the admissions staff visits over 1000 high schools & opportunities at Tech and help attends more than 185 job fairs each year? students make the best college decision keeps them visiting schools. Know(Detroit and Western visits to 10-20 high Michigan) and Darnishia schools, follow-up corre- ing they make a difference in a spondence to students Slade (Detroit and and educators, manag- student’s life is Southwestern MI). The Wisconsin territory is ing the territory by moni- what makes it all worthwhile. currently open. These toring the status of incomplete applications, staff members are in the trenches every day, and targeting the best Linda Seder Darnishia Slade high schools for visits. sharing Michigan Tech with prospective students, par- Fall and spring travel includes additional college day/night ents, teachers, and counsel'& " ( ! ors, answering questions, and programs throughout the re) ! ) !* # gion. Driving 3000+ miles per dispelling myths. % + ,-. /0-120-.34 month is typical for a regional Message from the Vice-President Dr. Les Cook with Kari Jordan, graduating senior in Mechanical Engineering. Over the past six months we have spent a great amount of time revisiting the Michigan Tech Strategic Plan. This effort has provided us an opportunity to reexamine our vision and goals as a University, while also exploring possibilities for the future. We are at an exciting juncture in Michigan Tech history and the process of revision has not only reaffirmed this, but bolstered our position. The mission remains the same. The vision is that Michigan Tech will grow as a premier research university of international stature, delivering education, new knowledge and innovation for the needs of our technological world. The focus or our goals is on improving lives and presenting our world through sound, innovation, uses of science, engineering and technology. We will be a leader in responding to the needs and challenges of the world and will attract excep- in the residence halls, the summer they spent serving as a Summer Youth Counselor, the hours they spent training on the Cross Country Team, the DJ position they held at WMTU, and many others like these. Through these endeav“The college experience is about all pieces coming together to provide an ors our students are afforded environment where all students are afforded opportunities to gain real complimentary opportunities world skills and talents. . “ that strengthen their capacity people and ideas to provide an to apply, manage, and commuRecruiting, supporting and re- enriched learning environment nicate the business of science and technology on a global taining a world-class diverse and distinctive education for scale. faculty, staff and students; pro- everyone. viding a distinctive and rigorProviding a distinctive and dis- I think we all agree that creatous discovery-based educational experience; and creating covery-based educational ex- ing world-class research and innovation in science and techworld-class research and innonology is an exciting entervation in science and technolprise. Exceptional people and ogy are both invigorating and programs are what make provocative goals. Our role in Michigan Tech a world class Student Affairs is to support university. Student Affairs rethese goals and serve as an mains committed to programs equal partner with our faculty/ that support student success staff colleagues and students while regularly examining all as we help prepare them to 2006 Orientation Team Leaders endeavors to ensure they are create a better future and both meaningful and valued by world for all of us. perience is not simply about our students. Our work in Student Affairs serves as a comIn order to recruit, support and what occurs in the classroom or laboratory. The college ex- panion piece to the academic retain a world class diverse enterprise and is essential as faculty, staff and student popu- perience is about all pieces coming together to provide an the University moves forward. lation we must create a welcoming and inclusive environ- environment where all stuThanks and best wishes for a dents are afforded opportuniment where professional derelaxing and healthy summer. ties to gain real world skills velopment opportunities are and talents. It is about the exabundant, compensation is periences our students have competitive and success rewarded. Over the past couple serving as a resident assistant tional faculty, staff and students who will develop, understand, apply, manage and communicate science and technology—all with the goal of a prosperous, sustainable world. of years we have been diligent in our efforts to expand opportunities for professional growth and recognize the contributions of all. Going forward, we will continue our efforts to increase the diversity of thought, HAANA Banquet Honors Students On Friday, April 7 the 6th Annual HAANA Awards Luncheon was held to honor Hispanic, African, African American, and Native American graduates, and present the Percy Julian Award. The Adrian Little, Karen Helminen (organizer of the HAANA :& 6 ! ! 7&; &6 & & & 4 Awards Luncheon was hosted by the Department of Educational Opportunity, and funded by the Dow Chemical Company Foundation. This year, seventy students were honored, with over twenty of them attending the luncheon. Many faculty and staff came to congratulate the graduating students on their accomplishments, and thank them for their many contributions to the campus and community over the past four-plus years. Jenelle Holloman and Adrian Little are the 2006 recipients of the Percy Julian Award, which Submitted by Karen Helminen, Educational Opportunity “It was a great moment to see other minority students and hear them express their plans after leaving Tech and fulfilling their dreams. “ Santiago Aguilar, HAANA Banquet attendee graduating with his MS in Civil Engineering recognizes a Michigan Tech derstanding. It commemorates undergraduate who has dem- chemist and civil rights activist onstrated leadership in the pro- Percy L. Julian (1899-1975). motion of social equality and racial/ethnic and cultural un- HAANA Attendees and go and was instrumental in the development of the # 4 audit system that was used here for many years. The the year after 25 years at number of degree programs Michigan Tech. Her first job has jumped from 55 in 1981 was in Degree Services (when she started) to apand that’s where she has proximately 165 today. stayed for her entire career at MTU. Ask anyone who has worked with Shirley and Shirley has seen a lot of they will all tell you a variachanges since she started. tion on the same thing – Back then, commencement how she has such affection lists were composed on a for the students that sometypewriter, the BANNER times her eyes tear up when student information system she is talking about them. did not exist and Michigan According to Sharron Paris Tech was on the quarter it is this dedication and passystem. At one point, due sion to do right by the stuto lack of space, student dents that makes her the workers sat on the floor in type of person you simply Degree Services to do their can’t replace. work. By the time Shirley retires She has seen two student she and her husband information systems come should be completely 1& " ( # % # If you are walking by the Office of Student Records and Registration and hear a goose honking or a chickadee chirping you will know you are near Shirley Gagnon’s office. But it is not just her unusual bird clock that makes you smile, its Shirley herself. Shirley, who is currently the associate registrar in charge of degree services is planning on retiring at the end of ( ! New Career Development Class for Fall 2006 Submitted by Jim Turnquist, Career Center that a more thorough selfassessment and exploration of our options may have been beneficial. This statement is supported by a Gallup survey that showed two-thirds of a group of adults said if they were starting over, they would get more information about career options. Gallup also determined that fifty-five percent of employees have no enthusiasm for their work! will meet 4:05-4:55 PM on Tuesdays. In addition to learning the difference between getting a job and developing a career, students will: Investigate theories regarding career development; assess personal interests, values, and skills; explore occupational options; Jim Turnquist answering questions at Preview Day acquire knowledge of workplace issues; identify compeHow many of us have said, “If tencies sought by employers; only I knew then what I know To help Michigan Tech stuand engage in job searching now…”? dents develop the knowledge skills. Students will become and skills that will lead to satis- well-informed and equipped to If you could start all over fying career and life accomdeal with the rapidly changing again, say from the age of 20, plishments, the Career Center world. Should they ever be what do you think you would will be piloting a new class be- surveyed by Gallup, they will be doing today? What deciginning Fall 2006. UN2990: be able to say they love what sions would you change, what they are doing, and they love would you have done differ“Career Development Founda- their life! ently? For some of us, the tions” is offered to all graduate answer is “Nothing”. Howand undergraduate students Questions? Contact Jim or ever, many of us will concede with sophomore standing or Jeff at the Career Center at higher. This one credit class 487-2313 or by email at <& ( ' ,- = ! has no prerequisites and can jaturnqui@mtu.edu or ## !! > !& be used as a free elective. It jakangas@mtu.edu. moved into their new log home that is currently being built on their land near Mohawk. Whether the house is done or not the garden will be going in this summer and not too much later a few chickens will be added, oh yes, and maybe a couple of calves too. Shirley says the thing she will miss the most when she retires is interacting with all the people she has met and worked with. As one former staff person said when she stopped by to visit “Boy, do I miss hearing Shirley’s laughter”. We will certainly miss it too when the new year rolls around but just maybe if we’re lucky she will leave the bird clock behind and we can all smile when we hear it chirping. .& " ( ( ! ! # 4 Guess The Mystery Person! This issue’s “mystery person” will be the featured staff focus in the summer Student Affairs newsletter. Use the clues below to figure out the staff person and win a pizza. I am a Houghton native with four children. I have worked at Michigan Tech for over 20 years in eight areas including the Department of Education and the Seaman Mineral Museum. My favorite things about working here are my co-workers and the students. In my free time I like walking. If I could travel anywhere it would be New York City. Send your guess to lheinone@mtu.edu. In the event of multiple correct answers a winner will be selected by random drawing of correct respondents. Stirring Up Student Life Over the past few months there have been many changes in Student Life. Through the restructurJen O’Connell with ing process the world famous several Blizzard T. Husky. people are moving into new roles within Student Life, others are moving to different areas on campus and some are moving on from Michigan Tech. Some of the most significant structural changes include creating director positions for Housing & Residential Life and Student Activities. These positions will now accompany the First-Year Programs Director and help to streamline each area of Student Life. ?& 6 ! ! ! #7 4 The new structure will allow Student Life to be more efficient by bettering our ability to support the students as well as enhancing our student service capabilities. Some of these changes are a direct result of ideas that Students enjoying some rare warm weather. were proposed by students. For example, adding a coordinator position that will work with adventure and wellness programs . We believe these changes will make Michigan Tech a better place for our students. A few things that Student Life is looking forward to include: Working closely with our residential students to build a community where they feel at home, can meet many people, and have a lot of support. Initiatives such as adventure programs that allow students to explore the area more in depth. New staff members that will bring energy, enthusiasm and new ideas to Michigan Tech We are looking forward to the fall and are excited about the new structure and the energy that new staff mem- Preview Day volunteers Submitted by Jen O’Connell, Student Life bers will bring with them. We encourage you to reach out to these people, take time to get to know them and make them feel comfortable on our campus. Student Life 2006: Travis Pierce, Jen O’Connell, Jenny Greyerbiehl, Nancy Gjertson The spring Student Affairs Newsletter Committee is comprised of Carol Frendewey, Lynda Heinonen and Susan Liebau. If you have any comments about this issue or suggestions for future newsletters, please email lheinone@mtu.edu. For Many, Loans Bridge the Financial Aid Gap The “space race” between the United States and the Soviet Union was a factor that began a large push for financial aid by prompting the US government to realize the advantages cheap. As the cost of attending college rises and the amount of funding available decreases—how are families paying for higher education? Many are turning to loans to bridge the gap beDid you know you don’t have tween gift monies and the to attend Michigan Tech to actual cost of attendance. receive Financial Aid Materials & Counseling? Over four hundred parents of Michigan Tech students of educated citizens. Until then have borrowed $3.8 million (as it still is today) education to fund fall and spring sewas considered to be the primester. Six hundred and mary responsibility of the par- ninety one Michigan Tech ents. The change was the govTo be considered for direct ernment realization that, deloans in the summer you must spite their desire to do so, be enrolled for at least six credits. many families simply didn’t have the funds to send their children to college. students have received $5.6 million in alternative loans You don’t need to be a parent during fall and spring seto realize that college isn’t mester. Did you know even though the priority date for filing the FAFSA is March 1st, it isn’t too late to file for 2006? While they may be borrowing more to complete their degrees, our students graduate with an education and skills that are in Federal loans for parents and high demand that enables for private educational loans for stu- fast placement in the work force dents have been a source of the and the ability to repay their necessary finances. Federal PLUS Loans allow parents to Did you know you must file a FAFSA every year to be eligible to borrow the necessary funds for their students. These loans are a receive need-based federal and state financial aid? viable for some families, but many cannot afford to pay these student loans. Michigan Tech’s loans while their students are in official student default rate is school (which is a requirement of 2.9%, well below the national this type of funding). This is average of 4.5%, where the option of private or alternative loans comes in to play. The monies Michigan @& + " " ! Tech students have sought ! ** # through alternative loan pro# / 3 grams have increased almost 4 400% over the past six years.