June 2022 WMU News

Western Michigan University's Board of Trustees approved recommendations for tenure and promotions of dozens of faculty members during its meeting Thursday, June 23.

A rising star with the gymnastics world at her fingertips, Payton Murphy's decorated collegiate gymnastics career nearly ended before it took off. The standout Western Michigan University student-athlete suffered a severe neck fracture just days after her first meet as a Bronco in January 2020. Her passion for the sport fueled a recovery that was nothing short of miraculous, catapulting her back onto the mat just a year later and earning her a spot as one of three finalists for the 2022 College Women's Sports Awards’ (CWSA) Honda Inspiration Award.

The WMU Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase of 3.85% as well as a rise in need-based financial aid by 4.27%—or $1 million. At the new rate, Western is expected to continue to be one of the most affordable of Michigan’s high-research institutions and fall in the middle of the state’s 15 public universities. 

Room and board for 2022-23 will rise by 2% and rental rates for Stadium Drive Apartments and Western View Apartments will wise 3.75%.

The WMU Board of Trustees will consider tuition and fees and room and board rates for 2022-23 when it meets Thursday, June 23, at 11 a.m. in the Bernhard Center, rooms 157-159. The trustees will also consider the general fund budget, which includes compensation; academic tenure and promotion; and labor agreements with the POA and TAU, among other items. 

Luis Angel Morales has been working toward being an occupational therapist since he was little—he just didn't always have the words for his career path. Now set to graduate with a master's degree, Western's Department of Occupational Therapy helped him get the experience he needs to put his passion for helping others into practice.

The Black Graduate Student Organization is hosting a Juneteenth Gala to celebrate Black culture, heritage and freedom. The event, planned for Saturday, June 18, will feature soul food and desserts from local Black businesses, music and spoken-word poetry.

On June 15, the Bronco players and coaches worked with the participants at several stations, with a variety of different drills. The groups rotated through stations focusing on shooting, ball handling, passing, rebounding and defensive skills.

You can't score if you don't take a shot. It's true both on the court and in life for Western Michigan University student-athlete Hannah Douglas, who will graduate on Saturday, June 25, with a bachelor's degree in food and consumer package goods marketing and a job waiting out west.

Graduates will participate in one of two programs beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) at Miller Auditorium.

Western Michigan University's integrated supply management program recently ranked No. 14 on national researcher Gartner's list of Top 25 U.S. Supply Chain Undergraduate Programs. This is the 13th year that WMU has been recognized within the top tier of programs nationwide.

First-year interior design student Matt Collins is already putting his passion into practice, lending his artful eye to one of the newest businesses on the Kalamazoo Mall.

Professors Dr. Mark Hurwitz and Dr. Manuel Bautista were selected by the National Science Foundation for programs related to the law and science as well as astrophysics.

The three-hour educational training is available each semester to all students, faculty and staff. It focuses on what it means to be an ally to LBGT students; strategies to support people who are coming out; the complexities of sex, gender and sexual orientation; and respectful language to use.

For the first time in Western Michigan University’s history, a team of 30 Haworth College of Business advertising and promotion students has won first place in a district competition for the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition.