Projects include Phase II of the Western View student residential living complex and the renovation of the downtown Kalamazoo building that will house the WMU School of Medicine.

Gifts, pledges and deferred commitments made to WMU totaled $41,575,189 for the 2011-12 fiscal year, which ended June 30. This includes nearly $412,000 in gifts and pledges over $10,000 made in June.

Board approves agreement that spells out the terms under which the University may provide support to the medical school as well as how WMU will be compensated for those resources and services.

WMU received more than $4.6 million in grants during May and June, bringing the year-to-date total for the 2011-12 fiscal year, which ended June 30, to more than $22.7 million.

The Kalamazoo Film Society will present the romantic comedy "Hysteria" Friday through Sunday, Aug. 10-12, at WMU's Little Theatre. The film, set in Victorian England, is rated R. Admission is $5.

Lease agreements approved by the Board of Trustees include a copy center and casual restaurant, both to be located in the Bernhard Center.

The Department of Foreign Languages is now the Department of World Languages and Literatures, as approved by the Board of Trustees.

The Board of Trustees approved an operating investment policy statement as well as charters for the University audit committee and Department of Internal Audit during their July 25 meeting.

Four students who have transitioned from Michigan's foster care system to lives as successful college students will share their stories with members of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth Monday, July 30.

Mophie, the portable-power trailblazer and developer of the globally renowned juice pack for smartphones, has announced its expansion into the Business Technology and Research Park.

Trustees recently approved the retirements of staff members Maxine R. Gilling, William A. Green, Linda M. Rowen and David H. Smith. They also signed off on the resignation of Dr. Pingbo Tang.

Major budget investments include financial aid, which will see a more than $2.26 million increase, as well as academic support, student services, and campus operations and maintenance.

Tuition to increase 3.91 percent to $378.66 per credit hour for undergraduate courses offered at regional locations and $535.29 per credit hour for graduate courses offered online or at regional locations.

Increase will provide needed funds to preserve institutional quality while keeping cost to attend WMU $460 below $10,442 average annual cost of Michigan's 15 public universities.

Seventeen business students have been awarded scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year in recognition of their outstanding character and academic excellence.

As an associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Edwin A. Martini will focus on undergraduate and graduate student enrollment management, curriculum development and academic program review.

A portion of the trail on the east end of Asylum Lake in WMU's Asylum Lake Preserve will be modified this summer to increase safety, improve accessibility and mitigate erosion.

The WMU Board of Trustees is expected to consider tuition rates and adoption of a general fund budget for the 2012-13 academic year when it meets Wednesday, July 25, in the Bernhard Center.

WMU's Sunseeker solar race team is coming home from the American Solar Challenge with an eighth-place finish and the national collegiate event's annual sportsmanship award.

Ribfest Kalamazoo runs Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 2-4, and features live music, a cook-off, eating contests, children's events and an arts and crafts sale.

Ralph Marcus "Mark" Spink, retired professor of media services and coordinator of production services in media services, died June 17 at age 86. A memorial service is scheduled for Sept. 2.

Charlene R. Bennett, a former administrative assistant for more than 16 years in the Division of Continuing Education, now Extended University Programs, died June 9. She was 88. There are no services scheduled.

The Instant Innovation Program, part of the Michigan Corporate Relations Network, is a collaboration of six public universities connecting businesses with university resources to help drive innovation.

A combination of heavy rains and electronic problems on the second day of the race led to a multiple-hour delay. The next leg of the race comes through Kalamazoo on Tuesday, July 17.

Racing team will cover more than 1,600 miles over eight days, traveling through Michigan and stopping in Kalamazoo at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences on July 17 for a mid-day checkpoint.

Officers elected to serve one-year terms on the Alumni Association Board of Directors include Chludzinski, La Mere and Lueth as president, vice president and treasurer, respectively.

The WMU Center for African Development Policy Research brings keynote speaker Dr. Solomon Bililign to campus for The seventh International Conference on African Development.

Division of Multicultural Affairs expects to receive a grant renewal from the U.S. Department of Education, resulting in additional funding for the College Assistance Migrant Program.

Kalamazoo Gazette newspaper archive materials dating back to the 1800s will eventually be available to citizens as part of the WMU Archives and Regional History Collections.

The Legacy Collections Center will be built on the Oakland Drive Campus to house the WMU Archives and Regional History Collections as well as archives of the Kalamazoo Gazette.