1. Dental school expansion project to move forward

The Marquette University School of Dentistry expansion will begin construction next month, with plans to open in fall 2013.

"After many years of planning, fundraising and collaboration, our vision for the expansion will become a reality," said President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. "We've been the state's dental partner for the past 118 years. We look forward to continuing to serve Wisconsin's citizens in our clinics, educating the next generation of dentists and working with partners statewide."

Consisting of a lower level, first and second floors, the expansion will give the school the opportunity to increase its graduating class size to 100 students per year, and will include a clinic housing 24 operatories, a larger faculty practice clinic, additional classroom space and a research lab. The expansion, which has been led by Dean William Lobb, will also allow for the existing simulation lab to be expanded by 24 stations to accommodate additional students.

"This expansion will allow the Marquette dental school to stay on the leading edge of dental education," said Dean Lobb. "Thanks to a nationally recognized curriculum that puts our students directly in contact with patients early in their training, we'll be able to make an even greater impact on the thousands of people in need through outreach clinics around the state."

Construction of the approximately 45,000 square foot project is expected to begin Tuesday, Sept. 4th. At that time, the 18th Street entrance to the parking lot will be temporarily closed. Beginning October 4th, the 19th Street entrance to the parking lot will permanently close, but the 18th Street entrance will re-open and will be the only entrance to the parking lot moving forward.

A groundbreaking is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 18 at the School of Dentistry, and will be open to the campus community. Details will appear in future News Briefs.

2.University to invest in renovating three historic core campus buildings

The university will use this academic year to begin the renovation of the three buildings that make up the campus historic core – Johnston Hall, Marquette Hall and Sensenbrenner Hall. The Facilities Master Planning Committee, which is made up of faculty, students and staff, has reviewed the maintenance needs on campus and identified these three buildings as requiring infrastructure upgrades, maintenance and renovations.

These three iconic buildings serve as the front door for visitors to campus, and have not had significant renovations since the mid-1970s. All of the buildings are in need of upgrades to air conditioning, plumbing and data networks. Additional details about the nature of the repairs and renovations will be shared later this fall. Work on the buildings will not begin until the spring 2013 semester, pending approval of final plans from the Board of Trustees.

"Renovating and repairing Johnston Hall, Marquette Hall and Sensenbrenner Hall is an investment in the future of this campus," said President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. "Our efforts will ensure these three buildings have updated infrastructures, which will allow us to more efficiently use the space available to us to better educate our students."

The Facilities Master Planning Committee, which is made up of faculty, students and staff, had also reviewed the maintenance needs on campus and identified these three buildings as requiring infrastructure upgrades, maintenance and renovations.

Marquette Hall will remain the home of the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts & Sciences; the renovation will help to address concerns related to classroom and office space. Johnston Hall, the home of the Diederich College of Communication, will be able to accelerate its ongoing renovation. The initial work on Sensenbrenner Hall will focus on infrastructure, while discussions are underway with the Facilities Master Planning Committee to determine building details. Projects will be completed in phases in order to work around ongoing activities within the two occupied buildings.

Project costs will be paid through a Marquette bond offering. That bond offering, which is pending a public hearing scheduled by the Wisconsin Health and Education Finance Authority, includes both the issuance of new bonds and the refinancing of existing debt to take advantage of favorable interest rates.

3. A message on strategic planning from President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.

Dear students,

As you may know, creating a 5-7 year strategic plan to guide our academic and campus priorities is my top priority for this academic year. Last spring, we took the important first steps in the process, hosting 17 listening sessions across campus. I know many of you participated in the student-focused strategic planning listening session, and I want to thank you for your insights and request your continued participation in this process. For this plan to be the visionary framework we hope it to be, it has to reflect the wisdom, dreams and desires of our campus community.

As university leadership began to synthesize what we heard in both the listening sessions and informal discussions during the past academic year, five themes emerged as overarching ideals. I share them with you here and invite your response to them as areas of focus for the university during the next several years:

Pursuit of Academic Excellence for Human Well-being: Bolstering our academic strength will be the primary focus of our planning and will be grounded in service of the "well-being" of the world, a tradition established by the earliest leaders of Jesuit higher education.

Research in Action: Marquette is increasingly recognized for the research and scholarship undertaken by our faculty and students. This distinguishing focus of our university needs to be both better articulated and better prioritized through our planning process.

Service, Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement: Our community recognizes that as a Jesuit university, Marquette has a special opportunity and responsibility to Milwaukee, in particular, and to contribute more broadly to needed solutions for community problems, especially through the knowledge and expertise of its faculty and students.

Formation of the Heart and Soul: With our educational experience rooted in the humanistic curriculum established by the earliest Jesuits, Marquette will continue to prioritize its commitment to develop each student's full potential inside and outside the classroom. In the context of an increasingly diverse community, we will continue to draw on our special gift for formation — academically, socially and spiritually.

Stewardship of Valuable Resources: For the strategic plan to be effective, any priorities established must be tied to specific financial plans and a commitment to appropriate resources, whether financial, human, physical, or any other sort.

I invite you to visit our new strategic planning website for information about the strategic planning Coordinating Committee I have convened to facilitate campus involvement throughout this important process. Your input is invaluable as we guide Marquette University to even greater success.

Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. President

4. Update to safety alert protocol

Beginning this weekend, the Department of Public Safety will issue text message safety alerts in addition to emailed safety alerts when an incident occurs on or near campus.

The text message, which will include the location and nature of the incident, will indicate that additional information and updates can be found at www.marquette.edu/safety-alerts.

To receive these alerts, as well as weather-related closing information, students must enroll in the university's emergency text messaging system by entering their cell phone number in the "Personal Information" section of CheckMarq. Complete instructions can be found online.

5. Meet new Campus Ministry director at open house, ice cream social

Students are invited to a meet and greet open house for Mary Sue Callan-Farley, the new director of Campus Ministry, Tuesday, Sept. 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in AMU, 236. Light refreshments will be served.

Students will also have the opportunity to meet Callan-Farley at a Campus Ministry ice cream social Sunday, Sept. 9, after the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Masses in the Narthex outside of the Chapel of the Holy Family.

6. Sign up for MUSG positions

MUSG is looking for Senators as well as representatives for the Diversity Taskforce. Elections for MUSG Senators will be held Thursday, Sept. 13. MUSG Senators will be elected to represent residence halls, off-campus housing areas and commuter students. Candidate registration packets are available online and are due to the MUSG Office in the AMU, room 133, no later than Friday, Sept. 7, at noon. The Diversity Taskforce will serve as representatives of student organizations to strategize and implement plans for campus diversity. The application is available online. For best consideration, please fill out no later than Thursday, Sept. 6. Contact Arica Van Boxtel, MUSG president, with questions.

7. Organizational meetings for intramural sports begin next week

Organizational meetings for intramural sports leagues will be held Wednesday, Sept. 5, through Tuesday, Sept. 18, in the Helfaer Recreation Center. The managers' meeting for each sport must be attended by one member of each team. Students who would like to be placed on a team should also attend. Sign-ups for several tournaments will also be available. For more information, call the Intramural Office at 8-1558.

8. Learn about international opportunities at Study Abroad Fair

The Office of International Education will hold a Study Abroad Fair Friday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in West Towne Square. Students will have the opportunity to explore Marquette's study abroad programs, talk with students who have studied with the programs and meet with study abroad coordinators. In the case of rain, the event will be held in the AMU, second floor lobby.

The Office of International Education will also hold region-specific information meetings Monday, Sept. 10 to Thursday, Sept. 13. For more information, contact Erin LeMoine, international communication and marketing coordinator, at 8-5762.

9. Challenges and opportunities in water and sustainability to be addressed

Dr. Perry McCarty, professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, will present "Challenges and Opportunities in Addressing Water Scarcity, Quality Degradation and Sustainability," Tuesday, Sept. 4, at noon in Engineering Hall, 236. McCarty is an internationally recognized leader in environmental engineering. He is a member of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, and received the Stockholm Water Prize in 2007. This event is sponsored by the College of Engineering.

10. Native American poet and musician to perform on campus

The Office of Public Affairs will host poet Joy Harjo for a night of spoken word poetry and jazz funk music Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium. Harjo is one of the most famous Native American voices worldwide, grounded in a body of work that spans more than 30 years.

A talkback with Harjo, as well as a book signing for her new autobiography Crazy Brave: A Memoir, will take place after Harjo and a member of her band perform. The performance is the result of the newly formed Milwaukee Native American Literacy Cooperative, an innovative partnership with other area institutions including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College and Indian Community School, designed to bring the leading voices of indigenous literature and culture to Milwaukee. The event is also sponsored by the Office of the Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion.

11. Sign up for two-day course on anaerobic biotechnology

The Water Quality Center's annual two-day short course on Anaerobic Treatment of High-Strength Industrial Waste will be held Wednesday, Sept. 5, from 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Thursday, Sept. 6, from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the Raynor Memorial Libraries' Conference Center.

The course is designed for both practitioners and students to learn the fundamentals and full-scale application of anaerobic biotechnology used to convert industrial waste into renewable energy. Continuing education credits can be earned. A complete schedule of the days' events and speakers can be found online.

The registration cost is $230 for students, $775 for standard registration and $875 for exhibitor registration. For additional information, contact Dr. Daniel Zitomer, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and director of the Water Quality Center, at 8-5733.

12. Law School to host public hearing on access to justice for low-income or vulnerable residents

The Marquette University Law School will host the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission Public Hearing Thursday, Sept. 13, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Eckstein Hall Appellate Courtroom.

Created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the State Bar, the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission seeks to develop and encourage means of expanding access to justice for low-income or vulnerable residents. At the hearing, community leaders, policy makers, judges, lawyers, service providers and members of the public are invited to share experiences with the challenges facing low-income or vulnerable residents who have critical civil legal problems.

The hearing is free and open to the public, and registration can be completed online. To present testimony at the hearing, contact Rebecca Blemberg, associate professor of legal writing, at 8-7834.

13. Health Sciences forum will tackle depression

The College of Health Sciences will present "Depression: The Intersection of Hope, Medicine and Research," Monday, Sept. 17, from 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the AMU, Monaghan Ballrooms. The forum will tackle what neuroscience researchers and mental health providers are learning about depression, its biological basis and the hope for a biological treatment. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that 10 percent of adults in the U.S. are affected by depression, the need to de-stigmatize this condition is long overdue. Guest panelists will include:

Dr. Peter M. Lake, medical director at Rogers Memorial Hospital – Oconomowoc, Child and Adolescent Center
Suzy Favor Hamilton, Olympic runner successfully coping with depression
Dr. Paul Gasser, assistant professor of biomedical sciences
Dr. William E. Cullinan, dean of the College of Health Sciences

A complimentary breakfast will be served at 7:15 a.m. Registration can be completed online. For additional questions or special needs, contact Alysia Dvorachek, advancement associate, at 8-7697. This event is sponsored in part by the Kelben Foundation, Marquette CIRCLES, Rogers Memorial Hospital and Billie and Dr. Michael Kubly.

14. Liturgical ministers wanted

Campus Ministry is looking for communion ministers, altar servers and hospitality greeters for Catholic Masses and celebrations. Interested students should visit Campus Ministry online and sign up by Monday, Sept. 3. For more information, contact Timothy Johnston at 8-0522.

15. Hunger Clean Up team leadership information session

An informational meeting about Hunger Clean Up team leadership will be held Wednesday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. in the Center for Leadership, Service and Involvement on the first floor of the AMU. Students will learn about how to coordinate a team of students for Marquette's annual Hunger Clean Up. For more information, contact Michael Lampe, graduate assistant for student development, at 8-5791.

16. Pure Dance Marquette to hold auditions

Pure Dance Marquette, a jazz and lyrical style dance group, will hold auditions Wednesday, Sept. 5, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Humphrey Hall. All interested students are welcome to audition. For additional information, contact Alexis Holbach.

17. EthicsPoint available to anonymously report suspected areas of misconduct on campus

Marquette believes that each member of the campus community has a responsibility to conduct business in an ethical manner, and to report, in good faith, any suspected activities of misconduct on campus. The university has selected EthicsPoint, a third-party vendor, to provide a way to report suspected areas of misconduct on campus — anonymously and confidentially. EthicsPoint provides a secure server and toll-free hot line for faculty, staff, students and vendors to confidentially report activities on campus that may violate federal or state laws and regulations, or university policies and procedures. Reportable concerns include, but are not limited to:

Academic misconduct
FERPA violations
Misuse of resources
Financial fraud
Harassment
Conflict of interest
Software piracy
HIPAA violations
Scientific misconduct
Environmental health and safety matters
Vandalism
Cheating
Hazing

Submit a report online or by calling 800-445-7068. To learn more about EthicsPoint and other places to report concerns, visit the EthicsPoint website.

18. Music and movie downloads addressed in copyright policy

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 contains provisions for the regulation of peer-to-peer applications when used in ways that infringe on the copyrights of commercial works (usually entertainment media files). The Marquette Acceptable Use Policy includes a section, "Copyrights and licenses," that defines copyright rules and possible penalties for not following the rules.