Wednesday Briefing for September 13, 2017

Eastern Welcomes Fulbright Students

The Fulbright Program is an American scholarship program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. We are proud to announce that five Fulbright Students chose to enroll in master degree programs at Eastern this year, bringing the total number of Fulbright students to eight for the 2017–18 academic year. This is an unprecedented number and a testament to Eastern’s commitment to welcoming students from all over the world. Please join us in issuing a sincere #YouAreWelcomeHere to these distinguished students:

Nawidullah Adel, Afghanistan
Master of Science in Engineering Management

Dian Arika, Indonesia
Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning

Risyaf Fahreza, Indonesia
Master of Arts in Health Economics

Sidrah Khalil, Egypt
Master of Arts in International Economics and Development

Alina Korshunova
Russia, Master of Arts in English Linguistics

Atang Mahlomaholo, Lesotho
Master of Arts in Health Economics

Mohammad Safi, Afghanistan
Master of Science in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development

Erza Xhelili, Kosovo
Master of Arts in Applied Econometrics

Personnel Updates

Doris Fields Appointed to Director of Undergraduate Studies

It is my great pleasure to announce Doris Fields as the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Doris joined Eastern in 1997 as an Associate Professor, was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2002, and promoted again to Professor in 2012. A two-time Eastern alum, Doris earned her Bachelor of Science and Communication and Master of Arts in Communication at Eastern Michigan University, and her Doctorate of Philosophy in Communication Education from Wayne State University. The enthusiasm with which Doris embraces her work makes her a welcome addition to the leadership team.

Colleen Kibin Promoted to Director, Community College Relations

Colleen Kibin was recently appointed to serve as the Director of Community College Relations. Prior to promotion, she served as the Assistant Director of Community College Relations. Colleen earned her Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Resources and a Master of Arts in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University. Before joining Eastern in April 2016, Colleen served as the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions at Madonna University. We appreciate the tremendous enthusiasm she brings to her new leadership role and wish her continued success in making critical connections with our community college partners.

Mary Ramsey Appointed to Interim Assistant Vice President, Honors College

Please join us in welcoming Mary Ramsey to her new role as Interim Assistant Vice President, Honors College. Mary joined Eastern in 2011 as the Department Head, English Language and Literature. Prior to coming to Eastern, she was an Assistant Professor at Southeastern Louisiana University and Georgia State University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Religious Studies from Oklahoma Baptist University; a Master of Philosophy in English from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland; A Master of Arts in English from the University of Oklahoma; and her Doctorate of Philosophy in Medieval Studies from Yale University. We are grateful to have Mary leading the Honors College and know that her stellar administrative skills and student-focused approach will serve our students well during this time of leadership transition.

Ron Woody Appointed to Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice President

Congratulations to Ron Woody on being named Eastern’s new Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice President. Ron has held a variety of positions since joining the university in the spring of 2000. He has served as the Assistant Director of Information Technology (IT) User Services, The Associate Director of Academic Technology and Computing Services, the Director of Enterprise Support, the Senior Director of IT User Services, the Executive Director and Deputy Chief Information Officer (CIO), and most recently the Interim Assistant Vice President and CIO. Ron brings a wealth of IT knowledge and experience to this role and we are pleased to welcome him to this position.

Room Scheduling for Student and External Groups – New Process

There is an updated process for student organizations and external groups to use in reserving space in academic buildings. Effective immediately, all inquiries should be routed to the Conference and Event Services (CES) Office, led by Meg Castro. CES can be reached at [email protected] or 734.487.4108. The envisioned benefits of this arrangement are as follows:

Improve customer service by maintaining one point of contact for rentals, rather than re-routing among the buildings as they look for space.
More efficiently evaluate if student groups or others are eligible to book in those spaces; and
Streamline the coordination of Public Safety and Facilities support. These areas will work directly with CES for all needs.

CES' priority will be to schedule these groups in spaces that are not primarily academic, such as the Student Center or McKenny. If space is not available in these venues, CES will explore alternatives in the academic buildings. CES will not refer the inquiries to building schedulers, but will work with the building schedulers to schedule such space when needed.

We wanted you to have an understanding of this plan, and request your support of this effort by referring student organizations and external groups to CES should they contact you with space needs. Please feel free to provide us with your feedback or let us know if you have any questions.

Center for E-Learning Open House – September 15

The Center for E-Learning (CFE) has moved! The new office suite is in the basement of Boone Hall -- Boone G01/G02. This location pulls staff together in a lively collaborative space with great facilities to promote innovation and efficiency. Celebrate with the team at an Open House on Friday, September 15, 2017 from noon to 2 p.m. Tour the new space! Enjoy light refreshments! Meet the faces behind the emails! Everyone is welcome!

Student Support Offices' Open House - September 21

The Disability Resource Center, Office of the Ombuds and the Office of Student Conduct, Community Standards and Wellness, are hosting an Open House on Thursday, September 21, 2017 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please consider stopping by to learn about the exciting changes that have taken place within these offices and get a preview of additional improvements to look for in the coming year. The Open House will be held in room 250 of the Student Center. For more information please contact the Disability Resource Center at 734.487.2470 or [email protected]. We hope to see you there!

Higher Learning Commission—Call for Public Commentary

This is a reminder that Eastern is seeking comments from the public about our university in advance of the October 23–24, 2017, Higher Learning Commission Comprehensive Evaluation. Please encourage alumni, emeritus or retired faculty and staff, community groups, and industry partners to submit commentary on the outcomes of their respective relationships with the university. Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. All comments must be submitted in writing by September 22, 2017, to the HLC website, or via mail at:

Public Comment on EMU
Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411

Grant Opportunity - Women in Philanthropy at EMU

Women in Philanthropy (WIP) at EMU is accepting grant applications. All EMU faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to apply for up to $5,000 to support research or projects that align with the mission and vision of the university and demonstrate the following priorities: