OCTOBER 23, 2003 volume 30, number 5 Trustees set phone conference New legislative affairs staff gears up to The WMU Board of Trustees will con- vene by phone at 9:30 a.m., Friday, Oct. 31, to consider approval of a new, three- deal with state budget shortfall, cuts year contract with the American Federa- The University’s Of- have additional cuts to our state appro- tion of State, County and Municipal Em- fice of Legislative Af- priation. The universities and commu- ployees, Local 1668. The conference call fairs is back at full force nity colleges together account for 22 per- will originate from the Connable Board again, just in time to cent of the state’s general fund budget Room in the Bernhard Center. deal with the impact of and it’s hard to impossible to insulate Agreement was reached between Michigan’s looming from budget cuts.” AFSCME and University negotiators ear- $898 million deficit Rosine predicts that Michigan Gov. lier this month. Union members approved and the likelihood of Jennifer Granholm will issue an execu- the contract in a vote held Oct. 21. Rosine further cuts to WMU’s tive order that will cut public university state appropriation. state appropriations by 5 to 10 percent. Bloody battle with CMU staged Gregory J. Rosine, former director of State appropriations make up nearly 50 WMU and the Michigan Department of Transporta- percent of WMU’s budget. CMU are tion and one-time associate director of “By December, we expect this round of gearing up for the House Fiscal Agency, was named vice state budget cuts to be completed,” he their bloodi- president for legislative affairs on Aug. 28 says. “But it appears there are further state est battle yet by President Judith I. Bailey. He replaced budget problems on the horizon for the when the uni- Jeffrey Breneman, who left WMU in July 2005 fiscal year. This timing is harder for versities face for a position with Bosch North America us than for other state agencies, because off in an an- in Farmington Hills, Mich. our students are already here and they’ve nual Blood Melissa Yutzey Bourke was appointed made their plans and the University has Challenge to assistant vice president for legislative af- made its plans for the year as well. We’ll benefit the American Red Cross. fairs, effective Oct. 13. Bourke will work have to deal with a cut half way through Starting Nov. 3, 11 campus blood drives on state governmental relations with our budget year.” will be held, leading up to the WMU- Rosine and, under his direction, lead the continued on page 4 CMU football game Nov. 15. Collection day-to-day federal relations efforts. dates, times and locations are listed online Bourke, who comes to WMU from a po- at <www.greaterkzooredcross.org>. sition as finance director of Michigan’s Help higher ed now by Senate Democratic Fund, replaced registering your concern Biotech execs are series speakers Charles DeVries, who left the University A student-initiated Web site is Executives from two biotech start-up in August for a position with Automation making the case for Michigan higher companies will speak about building their Alley Technology Center in Troy, Mich. education as the state makes new businesses Friday, Oct. 24, at the Haworth Rosine brings more than 25 years of budget decisions. College of Business. experience in state government, working To get involved, go online to Phil Long, CEO of NephRX, and Jay with both sides of the aisle, to his new <www.helphighered.org>. Goodwin, founder of ADMETRx, will position. It’s experience he says will come The site’s current goal is to gather present “Building New Companies in in handy as WMU tries to deal with what 2,000 letters and e-mails to send state Kalamazoo’s Southwest Michigan Inno- political observers predict will be another legislators by the end of Friday, Oct. vation Center” as part of the Keystone sizeable cut in state appropriations. 24. All 15 of Michigan’s public uni- Community Bank Breakfast Series. The “The state’s revenue estimating confer- versities have joined in the campaign, free presentation will begin at 7:30 a.m. ence was held Oct. 14 in Lansing, and we which was launched by students at in 2150 Schneider. Reservations are re- learned the deficit for the new fiscal year Northern Michigan Univeristy. quired and can be made by calling the is nearly $900 million,” Rosine says. “With business dean’s office at 7-5050. a figure like that, it is clear that we will Thompson’s book takes award Around the Campus A University profes- sor has won a book Speaker to give remarks on Baseball is Frostic event focus award from a national history of environmentalism An author who draws inspiration from midwifery organiza- tion. William Cronon, the Frederick Jack- a deep love of America’s pastime will Joyce Thompson, son Turner Professor of History and appear on campus Tuesday, Oct. 28, as nursing, has won the Environmental Studies at the Univer- part of this fall’s Gwen Frostic Reading 2003 Book Award from sity of Wisconsin-Madison will be on Series. the American College campus Thursday, Nov. 6, as part of the Michael Steinberg’s love of baseball Thompson of Nurse Midwives for Visiting Scholars and Artists Program led to his latest book, “Still Pitching.” her 2001 book “Educating Advance Prac- to present “Saving Nature in Time: The His presentation is at 8 p.m. in 1021 tice Nurses and Midwives: From Practice Past and Future of Environmentalism” Brown. A reception will follow on the to Teaching.” at 7:30 p.m. in Brown Auditorium, of 10th floor of Sprau Tower. The book, published by Springer Pub- Schneider Hall. Choral students, alums take lishing Co., was written with Rose Sustainable growth is topic stage at Miller auditorium Kershbaumer and Mary Ann Krisman- How will the world feed another 3 Nearly 200 choral alumni will be Scott of the University of Pennsylvania. billion people? joined by eight University choral en- In February 2002, Thompson, a former Vernon W. Ruttan, a Regents Profes- sembles for a free concert at 4 p.m. professor at the University of Pennsylva- sor in the Department of Economics Sunday, Oct. 26, in Miller Auditorium. nia School of Nursing, was named the and Applied Economics, and adjunct The concert is the final event in the first person to fill the Bernardine M. Lacey professor in the Hubert H. Humphrey weekend’s Choral Alumni Reunion and Endowed Chair in the Bronson School of Institute of Public Affairs at the Uni- includes performances by the Univer- Nursing. versity of Minnesota, will present “Sci- sity Chorale, Women’s Chorus, Colle- entific and Technical Constraints on giate Singers, Concert Choir, SLAB, PSSO scholarships awarded Sustainable Growth in Agricultural Collegium Singers, Gold Company and The Professional Support Staff Organi- Production” at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. GC II. zation has announced the names of three 5, in 3508 Knauss. Joe Miller, director of choral studies, employees who have been awarded PSSO will be joined by three of his predeces- Education Assistance Scholarships for the For more information about these or any other sors: Craig Arnold, 1991-98; Mel Ivey, 2003 fall semester. campus events, visit the WMU News Web site at 1973-89; and Thomas Hardie, 1960- The scholarships were awarded to Pearl <www.wmich.edu/wmu/news>. 72. Each will conduct the alumni choir DeVries, office associate in the Depart- in a piece of his choosing. ment of Mathematics; Ann McNess, fi- nance specialist in Accounts Payable; and Shannon Rauner, office assistant in ac- Nominations due tomorrow volume 30 countancy. number 5 for staff service awards Nominations are due tomorrow, Oct. Engineers take prize for paper EDITOR: Cheryl P. Roland. CONTRIBUTORS: Jeanne Baron, Jessica English, Matt Gerard, Thomas A. Myers, 24, for the Fall 2003 semiannual Staff The Captain Alfred E. Hunt Memorial Mark E. Schwerin and Gail H. Towns. GRAPHIC DESIGN: Service Excellence Awards. Medal from the Society of Tribologists Tammy M. Boneburg. The SSEA program is a peer-to-peer and Lubrication Engineers has been WESTERN NEWS (USPS 362-210) is published by the award program designed to recognize awarded to Philip Guichelaar, mechani- Office of University Relations, Walwood Hall, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., University staff members who perform in cal and aeronautical engineering; Associ- Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5433, every other week when true service excellence, far out-perform- ate Dean Molly Williams, College of En- classes are in session. Periodicals postage paid at Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5165. ing normal job expectations. Up to 12 gineering and Applied Sciences; and staff members may be selected from those Deborah Wilde, a 2000 alumna. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Western News, Office of University Relations, Western Michigan Univer- nominated to win a semiannual award, The award honors the best paper deal- sity, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008- which includes a $100 prize. In addition, ing with the field of lubrication and pub- 5433. winners are eligible for next May’s SSEA lished in a society publication. Their pa- ESTERN NEWS DEADLINE: Items to be considered for publication should annual award, with a $1,000 prize. per “The Effect of Oil Type on Blister W be submitted to the Office of University Relations by 5 p.m. Friday the week preceding the publication date. Fall All nominations should include spe- Formation in Carbon-Graphite Mechani- 2003 publication dates are: Sept. 25, Oct. 9, Oct. 23, cific examples of how the nominee has cal Seals” was published in the Journal Nov.