August 26, 2024

Michigan Tech Essential Education will be soft launching the Michigan Tech Seminar shared modules beginning this fall. These modules are embedded in "Intro to the Major" seminars or included in existing large-format courses (e.g., ENG1101). Several units are developing new courses that will use the shared modules and fulfill the seminar requirement. Those majors not offering their own seminar course will have students take a University-wide seminar beginning in fall 2025.

Required assignments are expected to require no more than one-third of a single-credit course, with about 15 hours of total work expected, in and out of class. Eight of the nine modules are available now in Canvas Commons for seminar instructors to access. We anticipate the remaining module will be available by Sept. 6. Anyone from Michigan Tech can view the modules, but we ask that only Michigan Tech Seminar courses use them with students (to avoid unnecessary repetition of materials).

Modules include:

1. Welcome to College — Reviews key policies and resources, and helps students understand the differences between high school and college.
2. Husky Points — Students select activities to help them connect to the community, University and resources.
3. Career Preparation — Students create an About Me page in the PebblePad ePortfolio platform and draft a resume (optional).
4. Time Management — Students track their time use and discuss strategies for time management.
5. Academic Planning — Students explore personal and academic goals and make a four-year plan.
6. Stress Management — Students learn how stress impacts them physically and mentally, and explore strategies and resources for managing stress.
7. Loneliness — Students learn to recognize signs of loneliness (in themselves and others) and develop strategies for managing feelings of disconnection and accessing resources.
8. Reflection — Students learn more about how reflection supports learning and personal growth and receive instruction and feedback in effective reflective writing.
9. Introduction to the Essential Abilities — Students use a structured PebblePad workbook to reflect on the Essential Abilities and identify their own strengths and opportunities for growth.

Special thanks to those instructors who participated in the Aug. 15 seminar training. We appreciate the efforts of the summer team who constructed the content and Canvas modules:

• AJ Hamlin (EF)
• Maria Bergstrom (HU)
• Linda Wanless (CTL)
• Anna McClatchy (CSS)
• Dawn Corwin (CSS)
• Nancy Barr (APUE)
• Heather Simpson (CSA/VPA)
• Susan Liebau (Chem)
• Jenn Sams (VPOL)
• Kailee Laplander (ECE)

Further information regarding the seminar rollout, including a list of courses that will be soft launching this fall, can be found on the Essential Education Newsblog.

Michigan Tech IT and the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs are nearing the completion of a yearlong project to restore automatic uploads of Sponsored Research data to Digital Measures at Michigan Tech (DM). To facilitate the final steps, users, unit leaders and assistants should not run reports or pull Sponsored Research data from Digital Measures starting today, Aug. 26, through next Monday, Sept. 2.

A final announcement will be shared upon completion, and at that time users will be asked to review their Sponsored Research data and report any issues to dm-admin@mtu.edu.

If you have any questions, please contact the DM administrator at dm-admin@mtu.edu or 906-487-2135.

Husky safety is Environmental Health and Safety’s goal. Maintaining that overall safety, especially in an emergency, is a joint responsibility between you, the University, and our local emergency response agencies.

An essential component of that safety is preparing every instructor for classroom emergencies.

The Michigan Fire Prevention Code requires universities to annually certify fire evacuation training for all instructional staff. In addition, records of each instructor's training must be made available upon request from the Michigan Bureau of Fire Services.

To comply with state requirements, every instructor has been assigned the “Fire Safety on Campus” course through the Safety Skills training platform. A brief attachment with information specific to Michigan Tech is included with the training.

In an emergency, students look to instructors for guidance. Michigan Tech requires classroom and laboratory instructors to familiarize students with basic evacuation routes and emergency procedures.

What should instructors do?

1. Familiarize yourselves with the building, floor and classroom in which you are teaching. Orient yourselves to the emergency evacuation postings. Email ehs-help@mtu.edu if you would like to include classroom evacuation maps (PDF format) for your syllabus.
2. Communicate evacuation routes and assembly areas to students. 
3. Remind students to self-identify (in private if desired) if assistance is needed to exit a building during an emergency. If there are questions regarding emergency accommodations, please contact ehs-help@mtu.edu.
4. Provide leadership and follow established procedures for all building alarms and emergencies. Stop instruction and immediately proceed to the nearest exit during a fire alarm. Do not use the elevators in emergencies.
5. Include a section on Emergency Preparation in your syllabus and revisit the plan throughout the school year.
6. Familiarize yourselves with the University Safety Manual and individual departmental safety plans for additional information regarding emergency action and fire prevention plans.

For any questions or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at ehs-help@mtu.edu.

With the elections fast approaching, many members of the Michigan Tech community have questions about the extent to which University employees and students may engage in political activity, both on campus and off.

All members of the University community have the right to fully engage in political activities on their own time and on their own behalf. However, Michigan Tech and anyone acting on the University’s behalf are prohibited by state law from using public resources to support or oppose a candidate or to qualify, support or oppose a ballot initiative.

In practical terms, here’s what that means for MTU employees:

• You may wear buttons, shirts and hats that advocate for a political candidate or ballot issue on campus, so long as the context does not imply you are acting on behalf of the University. For example, when speaking to a group as a representative of the University (including while teaching), it is not appropriate to wear such items.
• Posters, flags and similar materials advocating for a political candidate or ballot issue may be displayed on campus in the same manner as nonpolitical material, so long as the context does not imply University endorsement. For example, you may display such material in your own private office, but not in a front-facing office or community break room (unless, e.g., a bulletin board is equally available for all). No outdoor campaign signs are permitted on University property.
• When engaging in political activities on your personal time, do not purport to speak for or campaign on behalf of the University — and do not make statements that could lead a reasonable person to think you are doing so. You should either refrain from stating your University affiliation or, if you include your University affiliation, include a disclaimer stating your affiliation is only for identification purposes and does not indicate University support for or endorsement of your views.
• Do not use your University office, computer, email, phone, listserv or social media account for activity supporting or opposing a political candidate or ballot initiative.
• Do not use University paper, postage, copiers or printer ink for materials supporting or opposing a political candidate or ballot initiative.

The potential penalties for violating these rules are not insignificant. It is a misdemeanor to knowingly violate Section 57 of Michigan’s Campaign Finance Act, and you may be subject to fines of up to $1,000 and imprisonment lasting up to one year. Further, if Michigan Tech resources are used illegally, the University could be fined $20,000 or an amount equal to the value of the resources used, whichever is greater.

If you have questions about political activities, please contact Heidi Reid in the Office of the General Counsel at hereid@mtu.edu or 906-487-2229.

Michigan Tech President Rick Koubek will continue to hold regularly scheduled open office hours during the fall 2024 semester for all faculty, staff and students on Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m.

Please contact Heather Herman at hlherman@mtu.edu if you would like to schedule an appointment.

The Committee for Accessible and Affordable Learning Materials (CAALM) is pleased to announce the creation of a new Guide to Course Materials at Michigan Tech.

A joint effort between the Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the Campus Store, and Van Pelt and Opie Library, this guide is intended to provide clarity on the assistance available to instructors in selecting course materials and to students in locating and using course materials.

Feedback and questions are welcome and encouraged. Please email library@mtu.edu.

The Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC), the MTEC SmartZone and Kupari Ventures are hosting a research poster contest on Sept. 19 from 2-5 p.m.

This is a great opportunity for students to present their research, and there are two prizes: Most Innovative Research ($500) and Most Commercial Potential ($500).

Students will present their research in an elevator pitch to the audience and will give individual poster presentations to a panel of judges.

Students must register for the poster contest by Sept. 11 to participate.

Bellicia Disashi will present a seminar on pediatric cataracts in collaboration with the U.S.-Africa fellowship. The seminar will take place at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Attendance is invited in person in Chem Sci 201 or virtually via Zoom.

Disashi is a research biologist who works at the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Yong Meng Sua from the Stevens Institute of Technology will present at a Physics Colloquium this week. The seminar will be held in person at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, in Fisher 139.

Sua's presentation is titled "Single Photon Ranging, Sensing and Imaging – Beyond Time Frequency Filtering."

Read Sua's abstract and bio at the University Events Calendar.

Rodrigo Amorim from the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will present at a Physics Colloquium this week. The seminar will be held in person at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 27, in Fisher 129.

Amorim's presentation is titled "Solid-state nanopore for biological sensing."

Read Amorim's abstract and bio at the University Events Calendar.

Job Postings for Monday, Aug. 26, 2024

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email humanresources@mtu.edu. For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

Research Engineer I, Materials Science and Engineering. Apply online.

Assistant Hockey Coach, Athletics. Apply online.

Human Resources Generalist, Human Resources. Apply online.

Research Technician or Research Engineer – Assistant, Associate or Senior, Great Lake Research Center. Apply online.

Laboratory Technician, Great Lakes Research Center. Apply online.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Accommodations are available. If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or other accommodations to apply for employment, or for an interview, at Michigan Technological University, please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or humanresources@mtu.edu.

Michelle Jarvie-Eggart (EF); master's graduate Amanda Singer Nault ’21 (M.S. Environmental Engineering), currently a Ph.D. candidate at Ohio State University; and former Michigan Tech MICUP scholars Stacie Aguirre-Jaimes and Antonique White are co-authors of a paper published in IEEE Transactions on Education.

The paper is titled "First-Year Design Projects and Student Perceptions of the Role of an Engineer."

Margot Vigeant of Bucknell University is also a co-author.

In total, Jarvie-Eggart has mentored three MICUP scholars, all of whom now have peer-reviewed manuscripts published.

The A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum was well represented at the Mineralogy and Museums 10 conference, held Aug. 12-13 at the Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales in Cardiff.

Assistant Director Patty Cobin presented a talk on "Increasing Visitor Appreciation and Engagement through a Diversity of Revenue Streams at a University Mineral Museum," with
with co-authors John Jaszczak and Emeritus Professor Ted Bornhorst (GMES).

Jaszczak, the mineral museum's director and curator, presented a talk titled "Sustaining the Legacy and Building the Future of the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum of Michigan Tech," co-authored by Cobin.

Both talks were presented in the meeting's opening session, "Mineral Museums and Mining Schools," which was co-chaired by Jaszczak and John Rakovan of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources.

The meeting was sponsored by the International Mineralogical Association Commission on Museums and the Mineralogical Society of the U.K. and Ireland.

Stephen Techtmann (BioSci) was quoted and David Shonnard (ChE) was mentioned by Popular Science, which picked up an Undark story about a system developed at Michigan Tech that uses bacteria to break waste plastics down to be recycled into useful products. Through the process, the bacteria themselves become an edible protein powder similar to vegemite, as described in MTU’s 2022 Research Magazine.

*****

Tim Havens (CS/ICC/GLRC) and the Great Lakes Research Center were mentioned by 9&10 News in a story previewing the Sept. 9 launch of an autonomous vessel to search for the remains of a National Center for Atmospheric Research plane lost in 1968 over Lake Superior. The GLRC will host the launch event from 9-11:30 a.m.

*****

David Flaspohler (CFRES), LaReesa Wolfenbarger (CSA) and Michelle Scherer (COE) were mentioned by The Mining Journal in a short story about Michigan Tech’s new deans.

*****

Melissa Kuhar (ATH) was quoted by The Daily Mining Gazette in a story about how Michigan Tech soccer is approaching the 2024 season. The DMG also covered the Huskies’ first scrimmage (they won) and their sixth-place ranking in the GLIAC preseason poll.

 *****

Forest Economic Advisors mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about MTU and Michigan State University’s position as leaders in technology and promotion of mass timber construction.

*****

The Keweenaw Report picked up the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems’ post about Michigan Tech’s new Center for Artificial Intelligence. The story ran Aug. 21 in Tech Today.

Labor Day Payroll Deadlines

All Campus Timekeepers: Due to the Labor Day holiday next Monday, Sept. 2, for the pay period ending on Sept. 14 (Bi-Weekly 19), the adjusted deadlines for payroll processing are listed below. As a department timekeeper, it is your responsibility to share this information with all employees in your department.

Please be sure that all web time approvers have a designated proxy set up.

• Status Forms — due Friday, Aug. 16, at noon
• EPAF Submissions — due Friday, Aug. 16, at noon
• Deduction Forms — due Tuesday, Aug. 27, at noon
• Electronic Time Submissions — due Friday, Aug. 30, at noon
• Web Time Entry Approvals — due Friday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

For instructions on how to set up a proxy, please visit the Quick Reference Guide for Approvers PDF.

To have your event automatically appear, please submit them to the University Events Calendar.

Get to Know Your Library

Monday, August 26, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Van Pelt and Opie Library

Activities will be hosted throughout the week at the Reference Desk of the Library 9AM-5PM! Drop in to get to know the Library staff and all of the amazing resources that are...

Welcome to Campus!

Monday, August 26, 9–11 a.m.

Stop by the Career Services tent near the H-Stem building for a DONUT and COFFEE'We look forward to meeting you!

First Day Photo Shoot and Treats with Alumni Engagement

Monday, August 26, 9:30–11:30 a.m. | Husky Statue

The Alumni Engagement Office welcomes you to kick off the school year with a sweet treat and a memorable first day-of-class photo! Join us on Monday, August 26, 2024, between...