1. Marquette moves up eight spots in latest U.S. News ranking

Marquette jumped eight spots, from No. 83 to No. 75, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 undergraduate rankings for the top universities nationwide. The university’s new strategic plan, Beyond Boundaries: Setting the Course for Marquette’s Future, includes an objective under the theme, “Pursuit of Academic Excellence for Human Well-being” to ultimately move into the top quarter of national universities ranked by U.S. News in the next five to seven years.

Marquette was also included in several other undergraduate U.S. News rankings for 2014, including being recognized as No. 49 in the list of “Best Value Schools,” which relates a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its 2014 U.S. News ranking, to the 2013–14 net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. Only 50 schools each year are included on that list, which Marquette was also a part of last year.

New this year, the university was ranked by its peers as No. 14 on the “Up and Coming School” list along with Boston University, Carnegie Mellon University, Tulane University and University of Southern California, among others. For this ranking, respondents to the peer assessment survey were asked to identify institutions in their 2014 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking category that are making the most promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty and student life.

Marquette was again included on the unranked list of “A+ Schools for B Students.”

The undergraduate business program moved up to No. 86 from No. 87 last year, and the undergraduate engineering program moved up five spots to No. 115, from No. 120 last year.

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2. CTL hosting workshop on employing students’ “fan fervor” in the classroom

The Center for Teaching and Learning will present, “Fan Fervor in the Classroom: Helping Students Move ‘Past the Brink of Tacit Support’ to ‘Being the Difference,'” Thursday, Sept. 19, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the AMU, Henke Lounge. The presentation will discuss how professors can recognize and employ students’ existing fan passions and commitments in classrooms with the goal of contributing to their development as critical thinkers in the world. The workshop will be lead by Dr. Tanya R. Cochran, associate professor of English at Union College. Registration for this workshop can be completed online.

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3. Latin American scholars hosting film screenings, lectures on campus next week

Cuban scholar Norma Guillard will host a lecture and screening of the film, Viviendo al Límite, Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Cudahy, 001, followed by a question-and-answer session. In Spanish with English subtitles, the film is a moving human portrait of a group of people diagnosed as HIV-positive in Cuba. A social psychologist from Santiago de Cuba, Guillard primarily researches gender, race, sexual orientation, diversity and identity in a Cuban and Caribbean context.

Guillard, along with filmmaker and scholar Catherine Murphy, will present, “Literacy and Inclusion: Cuba, 1961-2013,” a lecture and screening of three films: Teacher, Homework, and No Questions, No Answers, on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Cudahy, 001. Murphy is a San Francisco-based filmmaker who has spent much of the last 20 years working in Latin America. She is founder and director of The Literacy Project, a multi-media documentation project on adult literacy in the Americas. Since 2005, The Literacy Project has focused on gathering oral histories of volunteer teachers from the 1961 Cuban Literacy Campaign.

These events are sponsored by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication, Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, Center for Teaching and Learning, Office of International Education, Department of Educational Policy and Leadership, College of Education, Department of History, Department of Social and Cultural Sciences, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and Department of Psychology.

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4. Social Innovation Initiative hosting film about Nobel Peace Prize winner

The Social Innovation Initiative will host a film screening of Bonsai People: the Story of Muhammad Yunus, Friday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium. This film follows the work of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who is believed to have touched one of every 1,000 lives on the planet through the development of microcredit loans. A question and answer session with filmmaker Holly Mosher will follow the screening.

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5. Register to attend Constitution Day Program

The Law School will host a Constitution Day Program, "How Do Citizens of Other Countries View the U.S. Constitution?," Tuesday, Sept. 17, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Eckstein Hall, Appellate Courtroom. This free event features speakers who are members of the Marquette community and natives of countries other than the United States.

Registration can be completed online. For additional information, contact Christine Wilczynski-Vogel, associate dean for external relations, events and facilities, at 8-3167.

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6. Author of Occupy Nation to deliver this year’s Nieman Lecture

Dr. Todd Gitlan, chair of journalism and media studies at New York University, will present the annual Nieman Lecture, “Journalism: Fragmentation and Profusion,” Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. in the AMU, 163. Gitlan is a writer, sociologist, novelist, poet, activist and author of many books, including Occupy Nation.

The Lucius W. Nieman Symposium, named after the founder of The Milwaukee Journal, Lucius W. Nieman, is an annual event sponsored by the J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication.

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7. Chemistry colloquium to discuss complex intermetallics

The Department of Chemistry will host "Chemical Frustration: How Tension Between Bonding Modes Shapes the Structure of Complex Intermetallics," Friday, Sept. 13, at 4 p.m. in Wehr Chemistry, 121. Dr. Daniel Fredrickson of the University of Wisconsin at Madison department of chemistry will lead the seminar as part of the department's fall colloquium series.

Refreshments will be served prior to the seminar at 3:45 p.m. in Wehr Chemistry, 121. For more information, contact the Department of Chemistry at 8-3515. A complete schedule of the Spring 2013 Colloquium Series can be found online.

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8. Presentation to explore how “media geeks” can change the world

The Center for Intercultural Engagement will host “Media Geeks Unite to Save the World: Fan Cultures, Social Justice and You,” Thursday, Sept. 19, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the J-Pad. The presentation will explore how media geeks can change the world by "being the difference."

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9. Faber Center offering “Retreat for Busy People,” grief and loss discussion group, lunch with Repairers of the Breach

The Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality will offer a six-week “Retreat for Busy People,” beginning with an opening prayer service Thursday, Sept. 17, at noon in the Chapel of the Holy Family. The retreat will involve weekly meetings with a retreat director at a mutually convenient time and a commitment to 15 minutes of prayer each day, and is designed for both beginners as well as those already immersed in their spiritual journey. A closing prayer service will end the retreat Wednesday, Oct. 30. Registration is due by Monday, Sept. 16, and can be completed by contacting the Faber Center at 8-4545.

The Faber Center will also host a grief and loss discussion group Thursday, Sept. 19, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Schroeder Complex, 111. This group is open to employees who have experienced the loss of a loved one and would like to gather to reflect on the challenges this new reality poses. RSVP to Ellen Blonski.

The Faber Center will join members of Repairers of the Breach, a day shelter run for and by the homeless, to share a light lunch and scripture reflection in the African process method Friday, Sept. 20 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in Schroeder Complex, 111. Participants will leave as a group from Schroeder Complex at 11:45 a.m. and return to campus by 1:15 p.m. RSVP to Ellen Blonski, administrative assistant in the Faber Center, at 8-4545 by Wednesday, Sept. 18.

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10. Digital Marquette hosting brown bag discussions this fall

Digital Marquette, a campus network for faculty and staff interested in digital academic and community work, is hosting a variety of fall brown bag discussions co-sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning. A full schedule of CTL events, including the brown bag discussions, can be found online.

Faculty and staff are also encouraged to join the Digital Marquette listserv to receive more information and regular updates. To join the listserv, email the following text in the body of the message: Subscribe LS-Digital-Marquette [your complete email address without brackets].

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11. Weekly meditation hour offered at St. Joan of Arc Chapel

The Marquette Contemplative Community holds a weekly meditation hour open to students, faculty and staff every Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the St. Joan of Arc Chapel. The weekly meditation hour will begin Tuesday, Sept. 17. Those interested can stay for some or all of the meditation, and mindfulness meditation instruction is available.

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12. Free admission to Friday's women's soccer game for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night

Marquette faculty and staff will receive free admission to the women’s soccer team’s Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night game Friday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. The game will take place at Valley Fields and is against Colgate University.

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13. Campus buildings part of Doors Open Milwaukee tours

Historic Milwaukee, Inc. will present the third annual Doors Open Milwaukee event Saturday, Sept. 21, and Sunday, Sept. 22, as an opportunity to experiences the city’s “built environment” that is integral to Milwaukee’s history, economy and culture – past and present.

Several campus buildings will be open for free tours as part of the event:

  • Engineering Hall – Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Raynor Memorial Libraries – Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • St. Joan of Arc Chapel – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Eckstein Hall – Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Parking will be free in both structures for visitors to campus. For additional information, contact Jacqueline Schram, governmental and community affairs associate, at 8-3039.

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14. TIAA-CREF consultants on campus next week for free financial counseling

In conjunction with TIAA-CREF, Marquette offers individual and confidential financial counseling sessions for faculty and staff. One-on-one sessions are available from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, Wednesday, Sept. 18, and Thursday, Sept. 19, in the AMU, 362.

The 45-minute sessions answer three common questions asked by participants: am I saving enough for retirement, am I properly allocated and what are the options for taking distributions from my account?

To schedule an appointment, call (866) 843-5640 Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

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15. Law School to hold information session Sept. 20

The Law School is hosting an on-campus information session for prospective students Friday, Sept. 20, at 11:45 a.m. in Eckstein Hall. The information session will give prospective students a chance to learn about admissions, financial aid, enrollment policies and procedures, and the curriculum, as well as to take a tour of the Law School led by a current law student.

Register online.

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16. Donations needed for Project Night Night

Donations are needed to help support Project Night Night, which donates totes of child-friendly items to homeless children Milwaukee. Project Night Night has recently delivered more than 200 totes to five shelters in the Milwaukee area. Donations of new blankets, new or gently used books, new or gently used stuffed animals, fleece material and yarn can all be delivered to Lalumiere Hall, 340. Anyone interested in volunteering to help prepare and distribute totes should contact Kathleen Hawkins, chair of MU Volunteers, at 8-5500.

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17. Gift sale to benefit physical therapy scholarship fund

The "almost everything $6" gift sale will take place Wednesday, Sept. 11, through Friday, Sept. 13, in the AMU. The sale will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. The sale features gifts, jewelry and accessories, with 20 percent of the sale proceeds going to the Physical Therapy Faculty Student Scholarship Fund. Items will include both licensed merchandise greater than $6 and specials under $6.

Marquette Cash and credit cards are accepted. Those interested in making a contribution to the scholarship fund to assist graduate students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program can contact Kathleen Ludington, director of development for the College of Health Sciences, at 8-1410.

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18. Free group fitness classes on Friday

The Department of Recreational Sports is offering the following free group fitness classes to members tomorrow, Sept. 13.

Rec Center:

  • Spin Class at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Intensity Bootcamp at 1 p.m.
  • Zumba at 4 p.m.

Rec Plex:

  • Hot Lunch Variety Class at noon

For more information, call the group fitness office at 8-6979 or contact Shannon Bustillos, assistant director of recreational sports, at 8-7778.

Fit Passes, which grant access to a variety of classes for the semester for a small fee, are also available online. Contact the Marquette Group Fitness Office at 8-6979 for any questions about either the free group fitness class trial week or the FitPass.

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