— October 5, 2006 —

Contents

  1. Liberian president to speak, receive honorary degree
  2. University will continue to fund South Africa Service Learning Program
  3. Deadline for Marquette’s Poster Session and Colloquy extended
  4. Funeral services set for Captain Paul Jablonski
  5. Provost to hold open office hours next Thursday
  6. You can try out Degree Navigator – before spring advising begins
  7. Former death row prisoner to speak on death penalty 
  8. Law School hosts two major conferences
  9. Avenues West Police Substation is dedicated
  10. Meeting set for part-time faculty
  11. Student Safety Programs offers special transport services
  12. Save lids to save lives
  13. Future Milwaukee sponsors fundraiser at Haggerty tonight
  14. University Events

1. Liberian President to speak, receive honorary degree

Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, will receive an honorary degree from Marquette in ceremonies at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 23, in the ballroom of the Alumni Memorial Union.

All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the event. Tickets will be available for distribution beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 10, in the Alumni Memorial Union, Brooks Lounge.  The ticket office hours are Monday through Friday from noon to 11:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 11:30 p.m.

This is only the second time in Marquette history that a sitting head of state has made an official visit to the university. On June 16, 1956, President William O'Donnell, S.J., conferred an Honorary Doctor of Law degree on German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. 

President Johnson Sirleaf, who took office in January 2006, is internationally recognized as a leading promoter of peace, justice and democratic rule.  Known as the “Iron Lady” for her strong will and determination as well as for her personal integrity, she is committed to ethical reform for the people of Liberia and the importance of education. During years of exile, the Harvard-educated President held senior leadership positions with the World Bank and the United Nations.

A mother of four sons and grandmother of nine, President Johnson Sirleaf is a strong supporter of community development and education, particularly for girls.

Along with First Lady Laura Bush, President Johnson Sirleaf recently received the 2006 International Republican Institute Freedom Award. “Through her service as a Liberian Cabinet minister in the 1970s, as a senior U.N. administrator in the 1990s, and now as her country's president, President Johnson-Sirleaf has always been deeply devoted to her country,” Laura Bush said at the IRI ceremony last month.  “Her dedication to Liberia has never diminished -- not even in the face of persecution." She called the Liberian president a "terrific example of the power of education, and of why it's important to educate women and girls, and to improve opportunities for women in Africa and around the world."

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2. University will continue to fund South Africa Service Learning Program

The top officials of Marquette University Thursday announced that the university is committed to continuing its South Africa Service Learning Program for the long term.

In a joint statement, Rev. Robert A. Wild, president, Provost Madeline Wake and Greg Kliebhan, senior vice president, said, “We recognize the importance of international service learning, and we are proud that our students so strongly support such programs. Therefore, we have agreed that we will reallocate funds to ensure the continuation of the Cape Town program while we seek endowed funding for international service learning.”

Dr. Wake made the decision to suspend the program two weeks ago. Wednesday she acknowledged that the decision was communicated prematurely. She said many students, faculty and administrators subsequently expressed strong support for the program.

Father Wild said he had received several dozen letters from past and prospective participants in the program, as well their friends. “Marquette’s commitment to service learning and our students’ understanding of that commitment were evident in their articulate advocacy for continuation of the South Africa Service Learning Program,” he said.

Dr. Wake said she was personally contacting Dr. Judy Mayotte, the retired Marquette professor who started the program, and Dr. Sarah Davies Cordova, the resident director of the program in Cape Town, to notify them of the decision. She is also notifying students who had written her about the temporary suspension of the program.  “International service learning is a critical element in building our students’ capacity for leadership in social justice,” she said. “The broad support shown for the Cape Town program throughout the Marquette community demonstrates the importance of seeking sustained funding for the international education programs and extending student opportunities for international experiences.”

The South Africa Service Learning Program, which was previously administered through the College of Arts and Sciences, will be one of the programs transferred to the newly established Office of International Education. A director for that office is expected to be hired by January 2007.

3. Deadline for Marquette’s Poster Session and Colloquy extended

The deadline to submit “Intent to Participate” forms for the Forward Thinking Poster Session and Colloquy has been extended to Monday, Oct. 16. 

The Poster Session and Colloquy, which will be held on Dec. 5, 2006 in the AMU Ballrooms, is a fantastic opportunity to showcase faculty research, meet colleagues from other Departments and Colleges, and find out about other research interests that are being pursued on campus.   

The Call for Posters and Colloquy Presentations is available on the ORSP Web site.

4. Funeral services set for Captain Paul Jablonski

Members of the Marquette community wishing to pay their respects may visit with the family of Captain Paul Jablonski from 2 to 6 p.m. today at Brett Funeral Home, 2001 W. Wisconsin Ave. Jablonski, a member of Marquette’s Public Safety department for more than 20 years, died Sunday, Oct. 1, following a month-long illness.   

Following this afternoon’s visitation, there will be an Irish wake. Details will be available at the funeral home.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, Oct. 6, at Gesu Church. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon. At noon Rev. Robert A. Wild, Marquette president, will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial. There will be a reception in the first floor of the AMU rotunda following the Mass.

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5. Provost to hold open office hours next Thursday

Provost Madeline Wake will hold open office hours for faculty and staff on Thursday, Oct. 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in AMU Ballroom E.

Stop in to discuss your thoughts about Marquette with Dr. Wake, including such topics as preparing students for leadership, expanding global connections, advancing research, developing teaching and learning, and increasing diversity. Coffee and cookies will be served.

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6. You can try out Degree Navigator – before spring advising begins

Advisers for students who entered MU as new freshmen in the academic years of 2005-06 and 2006-07 are now able to log in to Degree Navigator, an interactive, online system that allows both advisers and students to see what courses students have already taken, what they’re currently taking and what courses they still need to fulfill.

Degree Navigator enables students and advisers to assess degree progress by automatically applying courses to declared degree programs or a degree program under consideration. Students and advisers are able to access and print a student course history that includes MU courses and grades, transfer credits and test credits, as well as search and review general information about Marquette courses and degree programs. This includes both core requirements and the requirements for a particular degree, major or minor. In addition, the program allows users to determine the impact on academic progress of various “what if” scenarios, such as changing majors or adding a minor.

Advisers can now access Degree Navigator online. More information on Degree Navigator is also available on the registrar’s Web site.  

A number of help screens and a user’s guide are available on the site to help advisers use Degree Navigator. Advisers are now able to log in through the Instructor/Adviser tab on CheckMarq to pull up degree information for individual students. A number of reports are available, including a student’s course history, a short progress report and a program status report with the number of courses and credits completed and a listing of courses and credits still required. Degree Navigator offers visual, tabular and narrative explanations of program and degree requirements and student progress in meeting those requirements. 

All information for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 new freshmen is now included in Degree Navigator. In coordination with the Committee on Academic Procedures (CAPS), training sessions for the appropriate advisers are scheduled in the next few weeks so that Degree Navigator may be used as a tool for spring 2007 advising in November.

Degree Navigator is intended to complement, not replace, adviser-student meetings and college/school degree requirements. Students must still meet with their advisers as per their college policy and schedule. Clearance for graduation will continue to be determined by the college office.

7. Former death row prisoner to speak on death penalty 

Juan Melendez, a former prisoner on death row, will speak at 7 p.m. tonight in room 111 of Emory Clark Hall.  The lecture is free and open to the public.

Melendez languished on Florida's death row for almost 18 years until his exoneration and release on Jan. 3, 2002. The discovery of a taped confession of the real killer 16 years after Melendez had been sentenced to death prevented his execution.  

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8. Law School hosts two major conferences

The Marquette Law School is hosting two major conferences this week.

Thursday and Friday, Oct. 5 and 6, leading scholars and a panel of former Wisconsin governors will address the question “Is the Wisconsin Constitution Obsolete?” The Wisconsin Constitution is one of the nation’s oldest and has been amended more than 100 times. This important conference asks whether the Wisconsin Constitution provides the structure for the political, economic and educational excellence that Wisconsin needs to compete in the 21st century and whether fundamental reform may be necessary.  Several former governors, including Patrick J. Lucey, Anthony S. Earl and Scott McCallum, will be participating, as will leading national and state scholars.

On Friday, Oct. 6, the National Sports Law Institute (NSLI) at Marquette Law School will host “Individual Performer Sports: Current Legal and Business Issues.”  This year’s annual conference features five panels discussing cutting-edge legal and business issues related to a wide-range of individual performer sports.  The NSLI provides the nation’s most comprehensive offering of sports law programs and student internships.

More information about both conferences is available online.

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9. Avenues West Police Substation is dedicated

Marquette President Robert Wild, S.J. and Milwaukee Police Department Chief Nannette Hegerty will join officials from Marquette’s Department of Public Safety, the Avenues West Association and the city of Milwaukee today to officially dedicate the Avenues West Police Substation, located at 2100 Wells St.  

The Marquette community is invited to attend the dedication ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Following a blessing of the building and ribbon cutting, guests can tour the facility and enjoy light refreshments.

The police substation originally opened in 1992 as a result of a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. In recent years, the facility was not able to fully accommodate the needs of local law enforcement. Marquette, the Milwaukee Police Department and the Avenues West neighborhood joined efforts to substantially upgrade and refurbish the station. As a result of this public-private partnership, there is now a constant presence at the site by MPD and DPS officers who are working to have a substantial, positive impact on overall safety and security for the entire Near West Side.

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10. Meeting set for part-time faculty

Part-time faculty are invited to meet with Dr. Rob Slocum, part-time faculty representative to the Committee on Faculty, tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 6) from 11 a.m. until noon in AMU 448.

Stephen Duffy, associate vice president of human resources at Marquette, will be present to discuss benefits available for part-time faculty. After the discussion of benefits, Dr. Slocum will speak with part-time faculty about any concerns they may have. Part-time faculty unable to attend the meeting may contact Rob Slocum.

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11. Student Safety Programs offers special transport services

Student Safety Programs' operations run until 3 a.m. daily, but Marquette students, faculty and staff are welcome to call 288-6363 past 3 a.m. (the phones will automatically transfer to Public Safety) to request an Early Morning Shuttle (EMS) transport.  Operated after hours by Public Safety personnel, the EMS option is available to provide transports within SSP's normal boundaries when the LIMO service is unavailable.

Other special transportation services provided to the MU community include free rides to the Amtrak, Greyhound and Badger Bus terminals.  Any LIMO can provide transport to the bus stations at any time during normal operations (5 p.m. to 3 a.m.), and Amtrak rides are available in the hours immediately surrounding incoming and outgoing trains.  Amtrak riders should present a ticket to their LIMO driver upon request when picked up at their on-campus location or at Amtrak. 

Information about SSP's services is always just a phone call away at 8-5625.  For LIMO rides or Safety Patrol escorts, call 8-6363 from 5 p.m.-3 a.m.

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12. Save lids to save lives

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Center for Health Education and Promotion will be collecting Yoplait Yogurt lids for the national breast cancer fundraiser, Save Lids to Save Lives.  During the entire month of October, students and staff can bring their Yoplait Yogurt lids to the front desk of any Marquette residence hall, Campus Town East or West, or to the AMU Info Desk. 

For each pink lid collected, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, up to $1.5 million, with a guaranteed minimum donation of $500,000.

For information on Breast and Testicular Cancer, please visit the information tables in the AMU 2nd floor lobby today, or call the Center for Health Education and Promotion at 8-5217.

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13. Future Milwaukee sponsors fundraiser at Haggerty tonight

Future Milwaukee and the College of Professional Studies are co-sponsoring a fundraiser for Transitional Living Services tonight, Thursday at the Haggerty Museum of Art. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and runs until 7 p.m.  Transitional Living Services is the premier non-profit provider of community-based care, housing and advocacy for adults with severe and persistent mental illness in Southeastern Wisconsin.

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14. University Events

Visit the all-university online Calendar of Events for a complete listing of all upcoming events in the next week.

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News Briefs is published Mondays and Thursdays, except in summer when only the Monday edition is published, and as news warrants by the Office of Marketing and Communication for Marquette faculty and staff. The deadline for the Monday edition is noon Friday. The deadline for the Thursday edition is noon Wednesday.

Comments? Questions? Is there news you would like to share? E-mail, call 8-7448, fax 8-7197 or send your note in campus mail to News Briefs, Office of Marketing and Communication.