At its Feb. 27 meeting, the WMU Board of Trustees approved the retirements of 11 faculty and 14 staff and also signed off on three faculty resignations as well as two faculty leaves.

People who want to improve their translation skills while working on their language proficiency in Arabic, Japanese or Spanish may apply now to the four-week translation program being offered on campus July 1-25.

The 75th anniversary Southwestern Michigan Vocal Festival, one of the largest, oldest and most successful high school choral festivals in the United States, will be held on campus Wednesday, March 13.

Making connections between industry and university resources is the goal of WMU's Business Connection office. During a March 22 breakfast lecture, Director Lisa Garcia will share more about the services offered.

Before disbanding, the University Dames invites all members and former members to attend its 100th-anniversary program May 4. Call Jean Scott at (269) 343-2296 to be added to the invitation mailing list or to add others.

Dr. Susan Linz will speak at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, in 2028 Brown Hall. Her presentation, titled "Good Governance in Transition Economies: A Comparative Analysis," is free and open to the public.

Student organization Hillel at WMU will be providing free camel rides to the campus community from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, in WMU's parking lot 81 near Valley 3.

School of Music faculty ensemble Western Wind Quintet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, in the Dalton Center Recital Hall. Dr. Dan Jacobson will host a 7 p.m. discussion ahead of the performance.

Grammy-nominated composer and trumpeter Tim Hagans will join the Western Jazz Quartet at the Western Invitational Jazz Festival at 8 p.m. Friday, March 15, in the Dalton Center Recital Hall.

Dither, a New York-based electric guitar quartet, will kick off the School of Music’s New Sounds Festival 2013 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, in the Dalton Center Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

Renowned faculty ensemble the Merling Trio will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, at the Dalton Center Recital Hall. The performance will be preceded by a 7 p.m. discussion hosted by Dr. Dan Jacobson.

The Children's Place Learning Center is enrolling school-aged children for its 2013 Summer Program, which begins June 3 and continues through Aug. 30. Register by the week or for the summer.

WMU's first survey documenting student views on race and ethnicity was conducted by the Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations. Results are available online at wmich.edu/walkerinstitute.

Men's soccer walk-on tryouts will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 15, at the Seelye Indoor Athletic Facility on Stadium Drive. A physical, sickle cell test and insurance paperwork is required.

The New Sounds Festival, which highlights some of the best contemporary music in the world, kicks off Thursday, March 14, and runs through Friday, April 5.

The 2013 Pioneer Music Educator and Visiting Scholar Symposium, hosted by the School of Music, features several events that are free and open to the public March 12.

Acting at its Feb. 27 meeting, the WMU Board of Trustees authorized a lease agreement with a national firm that will manage the campus bookstore operations.

Some campus services at will be on reduced hours during WMU's spring recess, which begins Monday, March 4, and continues through Sunday, March 10.

Jeanne H. Carlson of Novi, Mich., and James F. Hettinger of Fennville, Mich., have been elected to serve for 2013 as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the WMU Board of Trustees.

The all-student cast will give several performances of Shakespeare's classic tragedy "MacBeth" March 14-24 in the Williams Theatre at the Gilmore Theatre Complex. Tickets are now on sale.

The Kalamazoo Film Society will present the film "The Impossible" Friday through Sunday, March 8-10, at WMU's Little Theatre. The film is rated PG-13; admission is $5.

"A Tribute to Doo Wop," featuring Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, Bobby Hendricks' Drifters and Larry Marshak’s Tribute to the Platters, is coming to Miller Auditorium for one performance at 8 p.m. Friday, March 8.

Bridgett Blough, a certified natural chef and founder of The Organic Gypsy, a food truck business, will speak at 8 a.m. Friday, March 8, in 2150 Schneider Hall. The event is free, but registration is required.

The College of Aviation's maintenance director, Scott Austin, has been named a Regional Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year, putting him up for selection as 2013's top U.S. aviation maintenance technician. 

The Student Recreation Center will be the site of an open house sponsored by University Recreation for WMU employees and retirees from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27.

In a formal session Wednesday, Feb. 27, the WMU Board of Trustees will welcome new members Michelle Crumm and Ronald Hall and elect a chair and vice chair to lead the board during 2013.

The Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations will sponsor a fundraising dinner from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, in the Bernhard Center Ballroom. Reservations are requested by Wednesday, March 6.

Dakaboom will bring its unique blend of musical comedy to Western Michigan University's campus at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the Bernhard Center's North Ballroom.

Students who would like to be a positive role model and mentor for a group of incoming first-year students are encouraged to apply to be a Fall Welcome ambassador. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, March 15.

WMU is offering a comprehensive preparation course for the GMAT in its regional facility at 2333 E. Beltline Ave. SE. The instructor-led course costs $450 and will be held Fridays and Saturdays from March 1 through March 22.