The WMU Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet in formal session at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, in the North Ballroom of the Bernhard Center on Main Campus. The meeting also will be livestreamed at wmich.edu/trustees.

When faced with funding challenges as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, members of Western Michigan University's precision flight team, the Sky Broncos, launched a campaign to collect and return bottles and cans for cash.

The show must go on! WMU Theatre will bring "Sunday in the Park with George" to life in Miller Fountain Plaza in front of the Richmond Center for Visual Arts. Opening night is Friday, Sept. 18, and the show runs through Sunday, Oct. 4.

The SRC is returning to action in phases, beginning with outdoor and virtual fitness programming. The facility will reopen Friday, Sept. 11. Current students, faculty and staff can participate in those classes free of charge through the month of September. Paid SRC membership will be required to utilize indoor facilities.

The We Talk  series includes five virtual, interactive presentations and a campus rea.

Richardson, a senior at Western majoring in aviation flight science, says he got the flying bug from the birds, but it didn't become something of a personal pandemic until his last year in high school. And it took a bit of soul-searching. "I asked myself about all the things that interested me," he recalls. "There was a tie among music education, culinary arts, photography and aviation. As a kid, I was always fascinated with flying. Driving around with my parents, I would always tend to watch the skies."

Hailing from the area around the Capitol City of Lansing, Lantz says he had "a life-long interest in aviation, but I never thought I would make it a career until I learned about Western's aviation school." Now in his senior year, he's majoring in aviation management and operations, complementing that with a minor in general business. "When I learned that Western had this specialized program, I knew it would be a good fit for me."

WMU's health center offers seasonal influenza immunizations to full- and part-time employees, students, retirees and other eligible individuals beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8. Precautions are in place to reduce risks associated with COVID-19. Drop-in clinics are not yet scheduled for the fall semester.

Shannon Carpenter is scheduled to graduate after the 2020 fall semester with a degree in aviation maintenance technology, she is the reigning chapter president of the Association of Women in Aviation Maintenance at the WMU College of Aviation. Carpenter, who hails from the Livingston County community of Howell northwest of Detroit, has her eyes set on future employment in corporate aviation and, further on down the line, a position with the National Transportation Safety Board.

Employers have posted thousands of jobs to the online career site Handshake, and representatives from Career and Student Employment Services and the Zhang Career Center have had conversations with hundreds of employers about their hiring needs.

Dozens of children will enter the school year with an added layer of protection thanks to a partnership between Western Michigan University's Laboratory for Advances in Rehabilitation Sciences and Synergy Applied Medical and Research Inc. Dr. Alessander Danna-dos-Santos spearheaded the project.

From creating structure and boundaries to finding time to make time to connect as a family, there are a number of ways parents can help ease the transition to the virtual classroom.

Large-scale COVID-19 screening is underway as students return to Western Michigan University's campus for fall semester. The five-day testing event is being held at the Student Recreation Center on Main Campus through Tuesday, Sept. 1 (The event was originally scheduled to end Monday, but it was extended by an additional day due to demand). Those interested in participating should call Sindecuse Health Center at (269) 387-3287 to schedule an appointment.

Students can register Wednesday, Sept. 2, for the Campus Read.

With more than 300 RSOs on campus, there's a place for everyone to find community at WMU. From academic and service groups to entertainment, outdoor fun and Greek life, there are many opportunities to get involved on campus.

"I decided to attend WMU because the College of Aviation offers one of the best programs in the country that includes an emphasis on aviation management and operations," Pruitt says. "My instructors have years and years of experience in this field, and that is incredibly valuable."

Sleeping Giant Capital, a private investment firm with ties to Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business, announced that it has launched a $50 million investment fund to generate economic, social and educational returns in West Michigan by acquiring small businesses.

Dr. Erika Friedl, the Edwin E. Meader professor emerita of anthropology at Western Michigan University, has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Iranian Studies. The highly distinguished award is presented to someone who has spent their life promoting and supporting the field of Iranian studies. Friedl was selected from among some of the top scholars, historians and linguists in the world.

COVID-19 upended life as we know it and sent the global economy into a tailspin. Unprecedented business shutdowns halted production in many areas, led to layoffs in others and left supply chains in a lurch. Now five months in, there are signs of hope the U.S. economy is on its way to recovery.

Fall Welcome programs are now virtual or in smaller settings but are still seen as an essential and fun tool to introduce students to campus.

Safety is top of mind as Western Michigan University prepares to welcome students, faculty and staff back to campus for fall semester. From antimicrobial solutions and misters to electrostatic disinfecting equipment, a number of state-of-the-art cleaning processes are being employed to mitigate spread of COVID-19 on campus.

Raised in the southeastern Michigan village of Pinckney, Thaler says choosing WMU for higher education was an easy decision. "Being a Michigan native and with the opportunity to attend a top-tier aviation program only two hours from home was very appealing. I also appreciated the fact that Western had a Division 1 sports program." Thaler earned his degrees in aviation flight science and aviation management and operation -- with a minor in general business -- in the spring of 2015. On the way to that achievement, he worked as a webmaster for the College of Aviation during his entire time at Western. He also took part in recruitment events and tours for the college, which landed him a post-graduation job with Crosswinds Aviation.

Dining Services is prioritizing student safety as we begin Fall Welcome by limiting dining center access to Fall Welcome participants only from Thursday, Aug. 27 through Saturday, Aug. 29. Enrolled students on campus at this time not participating in Fall Welcome may purchase meals from the Grab'n Go locations. Meal plans begin Sunday, Aug. 30 and dining centers will open up to all enrolled students. Grab'n Go locations will remain available for staff and enrolled students.

Trevor is from Westphalia, MI, a small town near Lansing. He began at the College of Aviation in the Summer of 2017 and is now a senior preparing to graduate in December! Trevor is double majoring in Aviation Flight Science and Aviation Management and Operations. He is also obtaining a General Business minor and is thinking about getting either an MBA or a master’s degree in human factors.

What started as an effort by a handful of faculty members to offer free groceries to students during the pandemic has grown exponentially. Now called Community Student Connection, the group has already given out thousands of bags of food and also raised enough money to pay rent for hundreds of students.

The SHRM student chapter merit award program encourages the development of more effective student chapters and recognizes outstanding activities and projects.

There are many changes ahead for the new semester, and students will soon be adapting to the new normal. The Counseling Services team is ready to help the campus community with the transition, offering a number of mental health resources as students move through the process.

Under the new system, students purchase an internet-based permit online where parking rights are assigned to the license plate of a registered vehicle.

Drs. Alvis Fong, Shameek Bhattacharjee, Steve Carr and Ajay Gupta received a nearly $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to create materials for teaching safe, secure and reliable artificial intelligence.