JANUARY 19, 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

1. Tickets to hear the Little Rock Nine now available

Marquette will confer the Père Marquette Discovery Award, the university’s highest honor, on the Little Rock Nine in a special ceremony Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 4 p.m. in the Varsity Theatre.

As courageous teenagers, the Little Rock Nine dared to challenge racial segregation in public schools by enrolling at the all-white Central High School in 1957. They became an integral part of the fight for equal opportunity in American education.

A limited number of tickets are available beginning today, Jan. 19, in the AMU Brooks Lounge. One ticket per Marquette ID will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis. Tickets can be picked up from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. weekdays and 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. If tickets remain after Feb. 2, they will be made available to the general public.

“As we celebrate the Centennial of Women at Marquette and the 40th anniversary of our Educational Opportunity Program, we have appropriately paid significant attention to the question of who still lacks access to higher education in general and, specifically, to a Marquette education,” said Marquette President Robert A. Wild, S.J. “This is an opportunity to recognize those who broke down the barriers to equal education and opened the doors of schools across the nation to students of color, both male and female.”

Seven of the nine members of the Little Rock Nine are expected to attend the awards ceremony — Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas and Minnijean Brown Trickey. Health concerns prevent Melba Pattillo Beals and Thelma Mothershed Wair from attending, said LaNier, president of the Little Rock Nine Foundation.

Following presentation of the Discovery Award Medal, Mike Gousha, distinguished fellow in law and public policy, will interview the Little Rock Nine. Marquette community members can submit questions that may be used at the question and answer portion of the awards conferral.   

As background for the Little Rock 9 visit, the libraries have posted a resource guide online.

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2. Marquette Central hosting open house this week

Marquette Central will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, Jan. 19-22, on the first floor of Zilber Hall, 1250 W. Wisconsin Ave. Free hot chocolate and cookies will be provided.

Marquette Central opened in December, centralizing the services of the offices of the Bursar, Financial Aid and Registrar. Attendees can meet staff and learn more about enrollment and financial services.

Tours of Zilber Hall will be offered at the building’s formal dedication and open house, scheduled for spring.

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3. Margaret Wheatley to speak at women's leadership events

Dr. Margaret Wheatley, writer and management consultant, will facilitate the Women's Leadership Summit on Monday, Jan. 25, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Raynor Library Beaumier Conference Center. The free summit will focus on the call to women's leadership and how Marquette students and employees are called to contribute to the local community and the world. Register online by Friday, Jan. 22. For more information, contact Ellen Blonski, administrative assistant in the Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality, at 8-4545. The program, held in conjunction with Marquette's Centennial Celebration of Women, is sponsored by the Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality, along with the Office of Mission and Ministry, Office of the Provost and the Office of Student Development.

Wheatley will also speak at the Milwaukee Community Leadership Conference, Tuesday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the AMU Monaghan Ballroom. The conference is free and open to the public. Register online. The conference is sponsored by the Office of Mission and Ministry, Institute for Urban Life, Faber Center and the Office of the Provost. For more information, contact Brigid Alba, administrative assistant for university mission and ministry, at 8-1794.

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4. Sande Robinson to retire after 35 years at Marquette

Sande Robinson, director of the Educational Opportunity Program, will retire in June after 35 years of service to the university. Robinson began her career at Marquette in 1974 as a financial aid counselor in the Educational Opportunity Program and became the director in 1986.

She has secured federal funding for EOP, has served as the president of the Wisconsin Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel and is a member of the Friends of the Haggerty Museum Board, the Diversity Task Force and many scholarship selection committees. She has also been active at the national level in presenting models of support program innovation and has been a reader of grant applications for the U.S. Department of Education Student Support Services grant competition.

“It has been my pleasure to have been supported by extremely committed, smart and forward-thinking colleagues on a campus that has manifested its mission of cura personalis in innumerable ways,” said Robinson. “I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who has guided me along the way and I can’t think of anywhere I would rather have been for the last 35 years.”

“We have been so fortunate to have had Sande’s experience, expertise and commitment over the past 35 years,” said Anne Deahl, associate vice provost for academic support programs. “She has paved the way for hundreds of students who might not otherwise have had the benefit of higher education to become Marquette alumni. She will certainly be missed, but will leave behind her a wonderful legacy that we will continue to build upon.”

A retirement reception will be held later this semester. A search for Robinson’s successor will be underway shortly. Interested individuals should contact Deahl at 8-6786.

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5. Student activities featured at O-Fest and on OSD Web site

The Office of Student Development will host Winter O-Fest and Community Service Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 20, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the AMU Ballrooms. O-Fest offers students the opportunity to explore student organizations by talking to their representatives and signing up for organizations of interest. A number of campus and community service agencies will also share available service opportunities.

Employees are also invited to attend, as well as visit the Division of Student Affair’s “Get Involved” Web site. The site serves as a clearinghouse for co-curricular involvement and leadership opportunities. Faculty and staff who know of spring semester co-curricular opportunities that should be added to the site should contact the Office of Student Development at 8-7205.

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6. McCormick to present for Honors Program lecture series

Dr. Barrett McCormick, professor of political science, will speak in the 2009-10 Honors Program Lecture Series on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 5 p.m. in Cudahy 401. McCormick will present “China and America in the 21st Century: Democracy and Dictatorship, War and Peace.”

The Honors Student Advisory Council hosts the lecture series by inviting faculty to address a topic from the viewpoint of “If this were the last lecture of your career, what would you say?”

Additional speakers will be Dr. Julian Hills, associate professor of theology (Feb. 11); Dr. Susan Mountin, director of the Manresa Project (March 11); and Dr. Ronald Zupko, professor emeritus of history (April 15).

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7. Nominate students for scholarships

Several alumni groups have scholarship awards for which they are seeking nominations. Faculty and staff who know students who qualify for any of these awards are encouraged to nominate them or, for the scholarships that do not require nominations, to encourage students to apply. Students receiving tuition remission or full-tuition scholarships are not eligible for these awards.

The Association of Marquette University Women Scholarship — $2,500 for junior (60-99 credits) women beginning their senior year in the fall of 2010 who are enrolled full-time with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 and demonstrate financial need. Application deadline is Feb. 1, 2010.

Ralph H. Metcalfe, Sr., Scholarship — Three awards, sponsored by the Ethnic Alumni Association, of up to $1,600 each for Marquette students of color who are enrolled full-time with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and demonstrate financial need. At least one award will go to an Educational Opportunity Program student and one to a non-EOP student. Application deadline is Feb. 12, 2010.

AMUW Ignatian Leadership Award — $1,000 award for a senior woman enrolled full-time who excels academically and demonstrates leadership and service to the Marquette and Milwaukee (or her hometown) communities and strives to live out the Ignatian ideals. Faculty/staff nomination is required along with student application. Application deadline is Feb. 19, 2010.

Pedro Arrupe Award — $2,500 for a junior in good standing and enrolled full-time who emulates the values and ideals of Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus from 1961 to 1984, and is involved in service in and beyond the Marquette community. Faculty/staff nomination is required along with student application and essay. Application deadline is March 26, 2010.

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8. Programs involving minors must register with risk management

Marquette programs that involve participation by minors must be registered with the Office of Risk Management according to a University Policy and Procedure (UPP-4-26) that became effective July 1, 2009.

The university and its faculty, administrators, staff, students and volunteers have a particular obligation to protect the safety and interests of the most vulnerable, including minors (those under the age of 18) who are participating in activities and programs on campus. The policy also addresses:

• Background checks for faculty, administrators, staff, volunteers and university students more than 18 years of age who are participating in activities covered by the policy.

• Training for those participating in such activities.

• Behavioral requirements, including prohibitive practices, for those participating in activities covered by the policy.

• Procedures to be followed when inappropriate conduct is suspected.

Required training is available online for individuals. For large group presentations a DVD is available. The training emphasizes basic guidelines to prevent problems and the perception of problems. Contact Risk Management at 8-8492 or Charyl Burke, risk manager, at 8-1552 for training information.

Background checks of individuals are required every four years, and results will be stored separately and used only for the purpose of the Working with Minors policy.

Offices and programs that have not already reported their activities involving minors should contact Risk Management to determine if their activities are covered by the policy.

Contact Charyl Burke or Steve Duffy, associate vice president for administration, with questions or for more information.

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9. Celebrating women at Marquette — Marquette’s dean of women

These women were once seen as “Marquette’s First Lady” and were instrumental in the advancement of women at Marquette.

Want to know more? Go to the Centennial Celebration of Women Web site. A new note will be featured each week.

In 1909, Marquette became the first Catholic university in the world to offer coeducation as part of its regular undergraduate program. To help honor the centennial, a year-long series of historical notes highlighting turning-point moments and figures in Marquette’s collaborative past is running in News Briefs.

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