1. Dental school expansion project to move forward

The Marquette University School of Dentistry expansion will begin construction next month, with plans to open in fall 2013.

"After many years of planning, fundraising and collaboration, our vision for the expansion will become a reality," said President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. "We've been the state's dental partner for the past 118 years. We look forward to continuing to serve Wisconsin's citizens in our clinics, educating the next generation of dentists and working with partners statewide."

Consisting of a lower level, first and second floors, the expansion will give the school the opportunity to increase its graduating class size to 100 students per year, and will include a clinic housing 24 operatories, a larger faculty practice clinic, additional classroom space and a research lab. The expansion, which has been led by Dean William Lobb, will also allow for the existing simulation lab to be expanded by 24 stations to accommodate additional students.

"This expansion will allow the Marquette dental school to stay on the leading edge of dental education," said Dean Lobb. "Thanks to a nationally recognized curriculum that puts our students directly in contact with patients early in their training, we'll be able to make an even greater impact on the thousands of people in need through outreach clinics around the state."

Construction of the approximately 45,000 square foot project is expected to begin Tuesday, Sept. 4th. At that time, the 18th Street entrance to the parking lot will be temporarily closed. Beginning October 4th, the 19th Street entrance to the parking lot will permanently close, but the 18th Street entrance will re-open and will be the only entrance to the parking lot moving forward.

A groundbreaking is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 18, at the School of Dentistry, and will be open to the campus community. Details will appear in future News Briefs.

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2. University to invest in renovating three historic core campus buildings

The university will use this academic year to begin the renovation of the three buildings that make up the campus historic core — Johnston Hall, Marquette Hall and Sensenbrenner Hall.

These three iconic buildings serve as the front door for visitors to campus, and have not had significant renovations since the mid-1970s. All of the buildings are in need of upgrades to air conditioning, plumbing and data networks. Additional details about the nature of the repairs and renovations will be shared later this fall. Work on the buildings will not begin until the spring 2013 semester, pending approval of final plans from the Board of Trustees.

"Renovating and repairing Johnston Hall, Marquette Hall and Sensenbrenner Hall is an investment in the future of this campus," said President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. "Our efforts will ensure these three buildings have updated infrastructures, which will allow us to more efficiently use the space available to us to better educate our students."

The Facilities Master Planning Committee, which is made up of faculty, students and staff, had also reviewed the maintenance needs on campus and identified these three buildings as requiring infrastructure upgrades, maintenance and renovations.

Marquette Hall will remain the home of the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts & Sciences; the renovation will help to address concerns related to classroom and office space. Johnston Hall, the home of the Diederich College of Communication, will be able to accelerate its ongoing renovation. The initial work on Sensenbrenner Hall will focus on infrastructure, while discussions are underway with the Facilities Master Planning Committee to determine building details. Projects will be completed in phases in order to work around ongoing activities within the two occupied buildings.

Project costs will be paid through a Marquette bond offering. That bond offering, which is pending a public hearing scheduled by the Wisconsin Health and Education Finance Authority, includes both the issuance of new bonds and the refinancing of existing debt to take advantage of favorable interest rates.

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3. Strategic planning Coordinating Committee membership and charge

Earlier this week, President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., shared a letter about the university-wide strategic planning process with faculty and staff. A strategic planning Coordinating Committee made up of representatives from across the campus community has been convened to facilitate the planning process.

The Coordinating Committee will facilitate campus involvement in strategic planning, and will work closely with university leadership to guide the plan's creation. The Coordinating Committee membership and the committee's charge are listed below:

Committee co-chairs
Jeanne Hossenlopp, vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School
Tom Ganey, university architect

Committee members:

  • Margaret Callahan, dean of the College of Nursing
  • Cas Castro, vice president of Human Resources
  • Mary Rose Gietl, undergraduate student representative
  • Dr. Sandra Hunter, associate professor, Exercise Science, Academic Senate representative
  • Jay Kutka, budget director, Budget Office
  • Marya Leatherwood, assistant vice president for Student Affairs
  • John Mantsch, chair and professor, Biomedical Sciences
  • Mike McChrystal, professor, Law School
  • Dave Murphy, senior director of brand marketing, Office of Marketing and Communication
  • Megan Petrik, graduate student representative
  • Tim Rippinger, senior associate vice president of development, University Advancement
  • Stephanie Russell, vice president for Mission and Ministry
  • Jeff Snell, special adviser to the President
  • John Su, professor of English and director of the Core Curriculum
  • William Welburn, associate provost for diversity and inclusion

Coordinating Committee charge
The Coordinating Committee's charge is to ensure that the 5-7 year university strategic plan submitted to the trustees in May 2013 has been formed by a broad spectrum of campus perspective and input, as well as by external data and trends.

The Coordinating Committee will develop and steward a planning process that invites campus and community involvement and that allows for feedback, input and affirmation of proposed goals, objectives and action steps.

The Coordinating Committee will scan Marquette's external environment and gather observations and data that help establish the trends and external influences that will affect the future of Catholic higher education and Marquette.

For additional information and to share feedback on the strategic planning process, visit the strategic planning website.

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4. Update to safety alert protocol

Beginning this weekend, the Department of Public Safety will issue text message safety alerts in addition to emailed safety alerts when an incident occurs on or near campus.

The text message, which will include the location and nature of the incident, will indicate that additional information and updates can be found at www.marquette.edu/safety-alerts.

Faculty and staff with university-owned cell phones will automatically receive text alerts. Faculty and staff without university phones can opt in to receiving text alerts from the university by registering their personal phone number in the "Personal Information" section of MyJob.

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5. Meet new Campus Ministry director at reception Sept. 4

Faculty and staff are invited to an open house reception for Mary Sue Callan-Farley, the new director of Campus Ministry, Tuesday, Sept. 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in AMU, 236. Light refreshments will be served.

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6.Challenges and opportunities in water and sustainability to be addressed

Dr. Perry McCarty, professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, will present "Challenges and Opportunities in Addressing Water Scarcity, Quality Degradation and Sustainability," Tuesday, Sept. 4, at noon in Engineering Hall, 236. McCarty is an internationally recognized leader in environmental engineering. He is a member of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, and received the Stockholm Water Prize in 2007. This event is sponsored by the College of Engineering.

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7. Native American poet and musician to perform on campus

The Office of Public Affairs will host poet Joy Harjo for a night of spoken word poetry and jazz funk music Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium. Harjo is one of the most famous Native American voices worldwide, grounded in a body of work that spans more than 30 years.

A talkback with Harjo, as well as a book signing for her new autobiography Crazy Brave: A Memior, will take place after Harjo and a member of her band perform. The performance is the result of the newly formed Milwaukee Native American Literacy Cooperative, an innovative partnership with other area institutions including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College and Indian Community School, designed to bring the leading voices of indigenous literature and culture to Milwaukee. The event is also sponsored by the Office of the Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion.

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8. Sign up for two-day course on anaerobic biotechnology

The Water Quality Center's annual two-day short course on Anaerobic Treatment of High-Strength Industrial Waste will be held Wednesday, Sept. 5, from 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Thursday, Sept. 6, from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the Raynor Memorial Libraries' Conference Center.

The course is designed for both practitioners and students to learn the fundamentals and full-scale application of anaerobic biotechnology used to convert industrial waste into renewable energy. Continuing education credits can be earned. A complete schedule of the days' events and speakers can be found online.

The registration cost is $230 for students, $775 for standard registration and $875 for exhibitor registration. For additional information, contact Dr. Daniel Zitomer, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and director of the Water Quality Center, at 8-5733.

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9. Health Sciences forum will tackle depression

The College of Health Sciences will present "Depression: The Intersection of Hope, Medicine and Research," Monday, Sept. 17, from 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the AMU, Monaghan Ballrooms. The forum will tackle what neuroscience researchers and mental health providers are learning about depression, its biological basis and the hope for a biological treatment. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that 10 percent of adults in the U.S. are affected by depression, the need to de-stigmatize this condition is long overdue. Guest panelists will include:

  • Dr. Peter M. Lake, medical director at Rogers Memorial Hospital – Oconomowoc, Child and Adolescent Center
  • Suzy Favor Hamilton, Olympic runner successfully coping with depression
  • Dr. Paul Gasser, assistant professor of biomedical sciences
  • Dr. William E. Cullinan, dean of the College of Health Sciences

A complimentary breakfast will be served at 7:15 a.m. Registration can be completed online. For additional questions or special needs, contact Alysia Dvorachek, advancement associate, at 8-7697. This event is sponsored in part by the Kelben Foundation, Marquette CIRCLES, Rogers Memorial Hospital and Billie and Dr. Michael Kubly.

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10. Law School to host public hearing on access to justice for low-income or vulnerable residents

The Marquette University Law School will host the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission Public Hearing Thursday, Sept. 13, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Eckstein Hall Appellate Courtroom.

Created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the State Bar, the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission seeks to develop and encourage means of expanding access to justice for low-income or vulnerable residents. At the hearing, community leaders, policy makers, judges, lawyers, service providers and members of the public are invited to share experiences with the challenges facing low-income or vulnerable residents who have critical civil legal problems.

The hearing is free and open to the public, and registration can be completed online. To present testimony at the hearing, contact Rebecca Blemberg, associate professor of legal writing, at 8-7834.

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11. EthicsPoint available to anonymously report suspected areas of misconduct on campus

Marquette believes that each member of the campus community has a responsibility to conduct business in an ethical manner, and to report, in good faith, any suspected activities of misconduct on campus. The university has selected EthicsPoint, a third-party vendor, to provide a way to report suspected areas of misconduct on campus — anonymously and confidentially. EthicsPoint provides a secure server and toll-free hot line for faculty, staff, students and vendors to confidentially report activities on campus that may violate federal or state laws and regulations, or university policies and procedures. Reportable concerns include, but are not limited to:

  • Academic misconduct
  • FERPA violations
  • Misuse of resources
  • Financial fraud
  • Harassment
  • Conflict of interest
  • Software piracy
  • HIPAA violations
  • Scientific misconduct
  • Environmental health and safety matters
  • Vandalism
  • Cheating
  • Hazing

Submit a report online or by calling 800-445-7068. To learn more about EthicsPoint and other places to report concerns, visit the EthicsPoint website.

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12. Emergency Procedures Guide available online

Employees who do not have a copy of their Emergency Procedures Guide should download a copy or request one from their building emergency coordinator.

The guide provides a quick reference for responding to criminal activity, bomb threats, infectious disease, medical emergencies, chemical spills, fire, hazardous leaks, severe weather and utility failures. Employees should review the guide periodically and become familiar with what they should do for themselves and others in an emergency.

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13. Department of Recreational Sports offering free group fitness classese

The Department of Recreational Sports will offer a free trial week for group fitness classes Tuesday, Sept. 4 to Thursday, Sept. 6. The complete schedule of free classes can be found online. Rec Center and RecPlex members may attend any fitness class offered during that week free of charge. Non-members may attend, but must comply with the guest policies of the Rec Center and the RecPlex.

Registration for Rec Center classes begins at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4, and registration for RecPlex classes will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5. Contact Shannon Bustillos, assistant director of recreational sports, at 8-7778 with any questions.

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14. Encourage students to attend Study Abroad Fair

The Office of International Education will hold a Study Abroad Fair Friday, September 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in West Towne Square. Students will have the opportunity to explore Marquette's study abroad programs, talk with students who have studied on the programs and meet with study abroad coordinators. Faculty and staff are asked to encourage interested students to attend to learn more about studying abroad.

For more information, contact Erin LeMoine, international communication and marketing coordinator, at 8-5762.

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