1. Marquette Central open today; Undergraduate Admissions closed Monday

The offices of the Bursar, Financial Aid and Registrar are operating Marquette Central beginning today, Nov. 19, enabling students to access the services of the three offices in one centralized location.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be closed Monday, Nov. 23, for its move into Zilber Hall, reopening Tuesday, Nov. 24, on first floor east of Zilber. The Office of the Senior Vice President will also move to Zilber on Monday but expects to remain operational. That office will be located on fourth floor east. Watch News Briefs for more information as the moves take place.

Marquette Central is located on the first floor of Zilber Hall, inside the entrance at 1250 W. Wisconsin Ave. Marquette Central provides walk-in and phone service (8-4000) for students Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A Marquette Central Web site is in the Beta stage. Students and employees are encouraged to access the Beta site at https://demo.mu.edu/mucentral/ and offer suggestions.

The Office of the Registrar will close at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 20, and re-open at 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 30. Staff will be unavailable during the move, however, many of the student services formerly accessed within the Office of the Registrar are now provided at Marquette Central. The Office of the Registrar will be unable to produce official transcripts during its move to Zilber Hall. Transcript requests that are submitted online or at Marquette Hall 310 by 2 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 20, will be processed. Transcripts requested after 2 p.m. tomorrow will not be available until Nov. 30. Transcripts requests may also be dropped off at Marquette Central.

A new, previously announced identification procedure is also required for access to student records.

Current locations (and contact information) for employees and offices are listed in the online directory, which is updated with each Zilber move. The printed campus directory will be published at the beginning of second semester, when all the moves have been completed.

2. Academic Senate approves new major, minors

The University Academic Senate this week approved a new major in STEM education and two new English majors.

The major, “science, technology, engineering and mathematics education,” will be limited to students in the Noyce Scholars program, a federally funded program that prepares students to teach in high-need middle and high schools. The education major will be in addition to a student’s primary major in one of the STEM fields.

The new English minors are in “literature of diverse cultures” and “writing intensive English.”

The senate also approved a concentration in economics for middle and secondary education as part of an economic major in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences.

The University Board of Undergraduate Studies is examining a comprehensive approach to student academic dishonesty that is preventive. It is expected that a draft will be presented to the senate in spring 2010.

The Board of Graduate Studies is working with UBUS to develop a proposal for accelerated degree programs that would allow students to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees within five years.

3. H1N1 vaccine available; new priority groups added

Marquette Student Health Service will hold another H1N1 vaccine clinic in the AMU ballrooms Monday, Nov. 23, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Please review the following important information about this clinic as a new priority groups have been added.

In keeping with Wisconsin Division of Public Health guidelines, only students or employees who fall into the following priority groups will be eligible to receive the vaccine at this clinic. This includes:

• Anyone, including healthy individuals, aged 18 to 24.

• People aged 25 to 64 with chronic medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-like complications.

• Pregnant women.

• People who live with or care for infants aged less than 6 months (e.g., parents, siblings, daycare providers or others working in child care settings).

• Health care and emergency personnel who have direct contact with patients or infectious material. This would include students required to work in health care clinical settings as part of their academic programs. Most of these students were offered vaccinations earlier this fall.

Students or employees attending the H1N1 vaccine clinic on Nov. 23 must be prepared to present their MUID and indicate in which priority group they fall.

The H1N1 vaccine is offered at no cost. Individuals will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis while quantities last. Wait times may be long.

SHS is in continued contact with state and local health authorities and will update the campus community as more vaccine is received or as guidelines for allocation are changed.

Members of the Marquette community that do not fit these current priority groups are encouraged to check with their local health departments or personal health care providers for vaccine availability.

Seasonal flu vaccine is still available by calling SHS at 8-7184 for an appointment.

Anyone with flu-like symptoms should stay home from class, work or campus activities until he/she is fever-free for 24 hours.

For more information visit the SHS Web site.

4. Business Plan Competition accepting entries

The Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship is accepting submissions for its 2010 Business Plan Competition. At least one member of a team must be a Marquette student, faculty or staff member or an alumnus/a. The application deadline is Monday, Dec. 7.

Following the deadline, the submissions will be reviewed by a team of judges. The entrants accepted into the competition are then paired with an entrepreneurial mentor to develop a more in-depth plan. Workshops on business model development, plan refinement and presentation skills are held periodically throughout the competition. Fully developed plans will be reviewed by a panel of judges. The winners, who will be announced on April 12, 2010, will receive services, such as legal, accounting and public relations assistance.

For more information, contact Steve Laczniak, graduate assistant in the Department of Management, at 8-0673.

5. Wind Ensemble performing free concert

The Wind Ensemble will perform its second concert of the year Sunday, Nov. 22, at 2 p.m. in the Varsity Theatre. The concert, “Landmark Works for Winds,” will include many of the most important works for wind band from the last century, including newer works from the Japanese school of composition and contemporary American composers.

The concert is free and open to the public.

6. Poster session and colloquy features faculty/student research

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will host the Fifth Annual Forward Thinking Poster Session and Colloquy on Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the AMU Ballrooms. Dr. Arthur Hefti, chair of the Committee on Research, will provide opening remarks.

Eight colleges and 16 departments are represented in 44 posters and two colloquy sessions about projects that will take place in the next 12 months.

The goal of the event is to celebrate and encourage faculty research that involves students.

7. Depression/suicide walk tomorrow

The student group Active Minds will host a depression/suicide walk on Friday, Nov. 20, in support and remembrance of those affected by depression or suicide. The walk will begin at 6 p.m. at Lalumiere Hall, where ribbons will be passed out. Participants will have the opportunity to make a luminary for a loved one and are free to bring pictures or other materials to decorate them.

After the 15-20 minute walk around campus participants will return to Lalumiere, where the luminaries will be lit, for a short reflection time.

Donations will be accepted, which will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Active Minds.

8. Who are the most interesting December graduates?

The Office of Marketing and Communication is seeking stories about December graduates for possible use with area media. December graduates with unusual backgrounds; who overcame substantial obstacles in getting their degree; who will be doing something unusual after graduation; with recent exclusive awards, academic recognition, publications or scholarship; etc. are some ideas that would be appropriate.

What graduates do you know who have fascinating stories to tell? E-mail their names and plenty of details.

9. Prizes awarded to attendees at tomorrow’s spelling bee

Late Night Marquette will host its second annual Spelling Bee tomorrow, Nov. 20, at 9 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium.

Students are invited to attend to support the representatives of their residence hall, university apartment or commuter contestants — the winners of the preliminary rounds.

The residence hall with the highest percentage of attendance as audience members will receive $500 for the hall. There will also be drawings and audience mini spell-offs for prizes. Refreshments will be provided.

10. Dance4Life event to benefit HIV/AIDS victims

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Campus Ministry are co-sponsoring Dance4Life Friday, Nov. 20, from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Union Sports Annex. All students with an MUID and $5 minimum donation can dance to music by Washpool and a special interlude by DJ Izzy. Proceeds benefit Dance4Life.

Dance4Life is a global initiative in which students around the world give to people infected with the HIV/AIDS virus, while dancing at the same time.

11. Hype Marquette presenting dance showcase Saturday

Hype Marquette will present its free, fall showcase "Fresh to Download" Saturday, Nov. 21, in the Weasler Auditorium. The showcase will start at 3 p.m. and run until approximately 4:30 p.m. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m.

The will feature a number of hip-hop dance performances by the Marquette team and other local dance groups.

12. Last chance for $7 massages

The Physical Therapy Department will host Massage-a-thon 2009 through tomorrow, Nov. 20, on the third floor of Schroeder Complex. The cost is $7 for every 15 minutes. Appointments can be made online. Walk-ins are welcome.

13. Relay for Life hosting fall kickoff

A Fall Kick Off for Relay for Life will be held Monday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. in Cramer Hall 087. Information about participating and starting a team will be provided. Relay for Life will take place April 24-25, 2010, on Central Mall.

Contact Relay for Life Marquette for more information.

14. MUTV producing new show about men’s basketball team

MUTV is producing a new flagship show, Marquette Basketball Weekly, that follows the men’s basketball team. Every Friday new content is added, including exclusive interviews, features, game highlights and weekly thoughts from Coach Buzz Williams.

15. Only one issue of News Briefs next week

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, News Briefs will not be issued Thursday, Nov. 26. There will be a News Briefs newsletter on Monday, Nov. 23. The submission deadline for Monday is noon tomorrow, Nov. 20.