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Emeriti News Fall 2024, Emeriti Council

Emeriti News

• Message from the Chair:
• Information about the Emeriti Council
• Wednesday II Events
• University News
• Faculty Senate Updates
• Student Scholarships
• In Memory

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session ,September 26, 2024, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (June 27, 2024 Meeting)
• Remarks by the Chair of the Board
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association President
• Updates by the Graduate Student Association President
• Western Michigan University Employee Graduates
• Bridging Classroom to Career: WMU Sales Program and Industry Collaboration
• Driving Student Success
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• State Capital Outlay – Building Project Priority List
• Western Michigan University External Audit, 2024

Consent Item

1. Personnel Report
2. Curriculum Proposals
3. Special Liquor License Applications (October 25, 2024 and October 26, 2024 …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session ,June 27, 2024, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (April 25, 2024 Meeting)
• Remarks by the Chair of the Board
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association President
• Western Michigan University Employee Graduates
• WMU’s Investment in the Future – Academic Tenure and Promotion
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• Resolution: Trustee Dr. William F. Pickard’s Leadership Legacy
• Academic Tenure and Promotion
• Student Room, Board, and Apartment Rates 2024-2025
• Tuition and Required Fee Rates Fall 2024
• General Fund Budget, Fiscal Year 2024-2025
• Five Year Capital Outlay Master Plan
• Lease Agreement with Formosa …

Wikidata Projects At Wmu, Marianne Swierenga

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Presentations

At Western Michigan University, Wikidata has been used to create value-added connections to boost discoverability of archival collections, oral histories, and digitization projects. Smaller, bite-sized projects focus on increasing regional and institutional information on Wikimedia projects. The presenter will also share her experience in developing and running Wikidata edit-a-thons.

Reclaiming The Tides Within, Ashlie Roth

Honors Theses

As a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, I pursue excellence and professionalism. My passion and curiosity for dance drives me to immerse myself in a versatile range of genres and approaches, and I am committed to continuous learning, open self-expression, and fostering human connection through movement. As a performer, I combine dynamism in physical strength and endurance with authentic emotional storytelling. I work to establish a genuine connection with both the audience and my fellow dancers, and my movement aesthetic incorporates precision, risk, and nuance. As a choreographer, I create work grounded in musicality and vulnerability. Using repetition, stillness, and rhythmic …

The Rise Of Merope, Emily Czerniak

Honors Theses

As a performer, I can explore the full range of my artistic abilities through dance. My background in ballet and musical theatre allows me to express myself through movement and bring characters to life. My aesthetic draws from my intensive ballet training paired with a passion for grounded, circular phrases that help me fully embody choreography. Through dedication and work ethic, I constantly strive to be adaptable and best represent the choreographer's vision. On stage, I aim to perform with detail, energy, and authentic expression.

As a choreographer, my life experiences influence how I explore andconvey relatable themes to audiences …

Wmu Technical Director For Clue, Fleck Joseph

Honors Theses

This Thesis delves into the pivotal role of the Technical Director in the staging of CLUE, a WMU theatrical production scheduled from November 10 to 19. With a strike date set for November 19 and a load-in work day on October 7, the Technical Director's responsibilities spanned across various domains, from budget management to technical design and construction supervision.

Communication among disparate production departments lay at the heart of the Technical Director's duties. This involved coordinating activities across lighting, sound, scenic, stage management, props, and costume departments. The Technical Director ensured the alignment of creative visions and operational objectives by …

Mindful Teaching In Adolescent Dance Educaton: Prioritizing Mental Health, Camille Chimner

Capstone Projects

Mental health continues to be a concern for all ages, especially those within the period of adolescence. Adolescence is a time of great physical, cognitive, social, and emotional change that can be positively facilitated with support and strong coping skills. Adolescent dancers have additional demands placed upon them within the dance space. Adults can play a large role in this support, especially adults who serve as educators and coaches. Dance educators have the opportunity to work closely with dancers and can have great influence on both their physical and emotional health, but are not often trained to be mindful of …

Shedding Light On Shadow Casts, Kiara Durbin

Honors Theses

On Sunday, November 12, 2023, Kalamazoo’s pioneer American Sign Language-interpreted shadow cast performance took place in Shaw Theatre at Western Michigan University. Clue is a mystery-comedy based on the beloved board game, loaded with witty dialogue and physical comedy. It was the perfect vehicle for the Kalamazoo county’s premiere American Sign Language (ASL) shadow cast—a special performance where the interpreters are directly onstage following the movements, dialogue, and intonation of the actors. It was produced through a unique collaborative effort of Western Michigan University’s Department of Theatre, Stage Hands, a Michigan-based ASL performance interpreting company, and Theatre Kalamazoo, a local …

Closing The Loop: Data-Informed Decisions For Program Success, Megan Slayter

Measures of Success Series

Join Megan Slayter, Professor and Associate Director from the School of Theatre and Dance, as she shares about the multi-year process that she and her colleagues used to develop one example learning outcome to assess the Bachelor of Arts in Dance program, “students are able to articulate and apply a personal aesthetic related to their career goals”. Along the way, she will discuss the tools used for this process, and show how dance faculty integrated assessment data with understanding of the changing landscape of the field of dance to make data-informed decisions to prepare students for success in a wide …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session ,March 14, 2024, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda

Approval of the Minutes

Remarks by the Chair Pro-Tem

Remarks by the President

Updates by the Faculty Senate President

Updates by the Western Student Association President

Capital Intern Program Presentation: Cultivating a Leader: WMU Student's Journey in the

Capital Intern Program

Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

Consent Items

• Liquor License – Multiple Events
• Curriculum Proposals
• Personnel Report
• Annuity and Life Income Funds Performance Report
• Operating Cash Investment Performance Report

General Public Comments

Accessibility In Asl Through Dance, Jocelyn Supanich

Honors Theses

My honors thesis project was a dance for camera or a dance film that I created as my senior capstone project for my BA dance degree. I wanted to create a film that increased awareness surrounding the accessibility of American Sign Language (ASL) for dancers and through dance. I wanted to show how dance and ASL can be seen as similar through the lense of them both being languages and ways of communicating using movement of the body. This idea is where the title stems from: “Expression in Motion”. Both ASL and dance are forms of expressing oneself, and they …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session January 25, 2024, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes
  • November 30, 2023 – BOT Meeting
  • December 14, 2024 – BOT Special Meeting
• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association President
• Western Michigan University Employee Graduates
• Haenicke Institute for Global Education Presentation: Journey from Graduate Student to Assistant Professor
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

2024 Western Michigan University Board of Trustee Officer Election

Delegated Authority to Confer Degrees

Consent Items

Curriculum Proposals

Personnel Report

• General Public Comments

Supplemental

Engaging Impasse: Nurturing A Culture Of Dialogic Engagement On A University Campus, Patricia Ann Hawk

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Universities have historically fostered spaces where students, faculty, staff, and administration can fruitfully engage in discussion around contentious issues. Current political divisions have had a chilling effect on these discussions inside and outside the classroom. To nurture a campus culture of dialogic engagement, the communication studies department in collaboration with the DEI office began a campus dialogue project that invited faculty, staff, students, and administration to participate in monthly dialogues focused on cultural impasse topics. This 5-year project has demonstrated that university communication studies departments can be instrumental in helping community members cross organizational boundaries to engage in challenging dialogues …

59th International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 59th International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 9–11, 2024), together with the Corrigenda.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session December 14, 2023, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Labor Agreement
• Professional Instructors Organization Labor Agreement (Wage Re opener)
• General Public Comments

Challenging The Positionality Of Western Mainstream English Through The Implementation Of Communication Action Statements, Victoria Mcdermott, Amy R. May

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Communication is the most powerful tool we have to challenge the plague of invisibility impacting our Indigenous communities. As we continue to challenge the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives touted by our institutions, we need to move beyond mission statements to motion, i.e., action required for meaningful transformation to take place (Qassataq, Iñupiaq, 2022). To call attention to and name the silencing of language and knowledge systems outside of western mainstream english (WME), the present paper proposes the concept of Communication Action Statements (CAS). Based on place and space, CASs recognize, label, and affirm the negative effects of WME, …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session June 29, 2023, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (April 27, 2023 Meeting)
• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association President
• Western Michigan University Employee Graduates
• Trustee Emeritus Tribute
• WMU’s Investment in the Future – Academic Tenure and Promotion
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

• Action Items

1. Student Room, Board, and Apartment Rates 2023-2024
2. Tuition and Required Fee Rates Fall 2023
3. General Fund Budget, Fiscal Year 2023-2024
4. Purchase of Grand Rapids Downtown Facility - 200 Ionia Avenue
5. Repurchase of BTR Parcel (Unit 30)
6. Five Year Capital Outlay Plan
7. Conditional …

Female Reception Of Stained Glass Images Of St. Anne In Late Medieval York: Women, Mothers, And Wives, Susanna Wyse Jackson

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

This article explores the depiction of St. Anne in the late medieval stained glass of three York parish churches. Focusing on two iconographic subjects, St. Anne teaching the Virgin Mary and St. Anne with her extended family, it argues that the representation of St. Anne in these contexts speaks to the conscious orientation of iconography towards female members of the laity. Images of St. Anne may have served to reinforce specific roles and values by providing a focus for performative identification. In addition, they reflect women’s status within the family, the parish, and society as a whole. This under-explored area …

58th International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 58th International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 11–13, 2023), together with the Corrigenda.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session April 27, 2023, Wmu Board Of Trustee

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda

Approval of the Minutes (March 23, 2023 Meeting)

Remarks by the Chair

Remarks by the President

Updates by the Faculty Senate President

Updates by the Western Student Association President

Student Success Hub

Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• Naming the “W Plaza”
• One Day Liquor License Applications, Waldo Stadium

Consent Items

• Curriculum Proposals
• Personnel Report

General Public Comments

Of All That Continues To Change, Elizabeth Mckenzie

Honors Theses

I am researching the concept of metamorphosis as a reflection of myself and my journey for this Graduating Presentation project. I will be exploring the different components that influence this process of change and growth. Through my process I will inquire “What is necessary for this drastic evolution to occur, and what ideas must be present for it to follow through?” For this project, I will choreograph a staged work comprised of about 7-10 dancers (and understudies). I plan to take the audience through the ups, downs, and influences involved in the process of metamorphosis.

In order to experience growth …

Fundraising In The Theatre: A Reflection Of The Wmu Theatre Guild President's Performance, Lindsey Beck

Honors Theses

Fundraising is an important element to the success of any nonprofit organization, but arts organizations have unique opportunities to produce exciting, engaging, and creative fundraising events that coincide with their season programming. My thesis will explore what makes a successful fundraising event and compare best practices with the practices used at Western Michigan University for the annual Theatre Guild President’s Performance. I analyze the inner workings of the Theatre Guild Board of Directors and their approach to producing a special event, and interview professionals and board members to get a comprehensive overview of what defines a successful fundraising events look …

The Public Trust Doctrine: Roman Law Roots And Future In Environmental Litigation, Phoebe Liccardo

Honors Theses

The public trust is an ancient and enduring legal doctrine. With roots in Roman law, the public trust persists through English law, and into the United States. Scholars and jurists in the field of Roman and environmental law do not all agree on the history and continuity of the public trust doctrine (PTD). There are those who argue the Roman law introducing a public trust did not assert the same protections present in the doctrine today. Conversely, there are those who believe the Roman law did enshrine similar protections, and further, that it calls for an expansion of PTD in …

Could Musical Theatre Be Worthy Of Literary Analysis? (Or, An Attempt At Dismantling The Cultural Hierarchy), Sarah Meierdirks

Honors Theses

Could Musical Theatre Be Worthy of Literary Analysis?

Cultural hierarchy, or the perception that different forms of art relate to each other in terms of higher or lower sophistication, has commanded the way we view art for centuries. Artforms which the cultural hierarchy deems to be “higher” are often given more attention, respect, and appreciation in academia, but can be less accessible both physically and mentally to the masses, while artforms deemed to be “lower” tend to be simpler and more fun, making them have a more popular appeal. The tendency for art that is either simple or fun to …

Paige Mulick Bfa Dance Graduating Presentation, Paige Mulick

Honors Theses

Paige Mulick’s Graduating Presentation/Honors Thesis was created to be a piece that explored recurring dreams and built a dream on stage. Mulick developed this piece beginning with a concept, auditioning dancers, developing choreography, designing costumes, developing a lighting design, and rehearsing the piece for multiple months before it was performed on stage. As supporting research for this choreographic project, Mulick drew on her personal experiences, the experiences of her dancers, and readings from texts about the science and history of dreams. In addition to her work in choreography, Mulick took on the roles of Production Coordinator and Schedule Coordinator for …

Mary Grace Geise Bfa Graduating Presentation, Mary Grace Geise

Honors Theses

The Bathers takes inspiration from the late 19th-century impressionist painter Paul Cézanne and his series of paintings known as Bathers. Cézanne believed in the harmony between art, emotion, and nature. This piece explores the healing powers of nature and how it reflects the human experience, beauty, ugliness, and inner peace. The Bathers endure a journey to rebirth by ways of nature, traversing through moments of desertion, cleansing, surrender, ecstasy, and freedom.

Connections Through Contrast: The Built Environment Embracing Fine Art Exhibition, Josilyn Welch

Honors Theses

An emotionally immersive experience within a museum setting can foster feelings of belonging, engagement, exploration, understanding and connection. Providing an environment where empathetic immersion can be achieved through physical, psychological, and social enablers lead to transformative experiences for the visitor. To promote physical, psychological, and social enablers within the museum setting to promote empathetic immersion within its visitors, this museum will consider the following strategies:

Physical Enablers: The museum space will address physical enablers by including environmental features such as diverse opportunities for seating, immersive lighting techniques, and curated finish selections for individual exhibit spaces as well as interactive displays …

The Effects Of Theatre-Based Interventions With Older Adults Diagnosed With Neurodegenerative Diseases, Calli Hudson

Capstone Projects

The Doctoral Capstone Experience evaluated theatre and the relation with occupational therapy to observe the potential connection theatre can create to improve shared experiences, emphasize collaboration, and improve quality of life through participation and engagement of theatre-based interventions. In general, theatre allows the foundation of occupational therapy to remain pertinent within the intervention process by remaining flexible, client-centered, and meaningful to aid with participation and engagement by dismissing signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s with a concentration on novel activities. Within the site of the project, there is currently a gap with socializing of consumers, due to the diverse group population, …

Connections Through Contrast The Built Environment Embracing Art Exhibition, Josilyn Welch

Capstone Projects

An emotionally immersive experience within a museum setting can foster feelings of belonging, engagement, exploration, understanding and connection. Providing an environment where empathetic immersion can be achieved through physical, psychological, and social enablers lead to transformative experiences for the visitor. To promote physical, psychological, and social enablers within the museum setting to promote empathetic immersion within its visitors, this museum will consider the following strategies:

Physical Enablers: The museum space will address physical enablers by including environmental features such as diverse opportunities for seating, immersive lighting techniques, and curated finish selections for individual exhibit spaces as well as interactive displays …