WMU Today
Federal regulations and University policy require WMU faculty, staff, and students who serve as Principal Investigators, Project Directors, or senior/key personnel on externally funded projects to submit disclosures. These steps protect research integrity, funding eligibility, and national security.
What’s Changing?
Starting the week of November 17, individuals with pending proposals, active awards, or those planning to submit proposals must:
Both are required for compliance with federal regulations and WMU policy.…
Portions of the P1 and P2 sections (see map linked below) at Asylum Lake Preserve will undergo a prescribed prairie burn on a yet to be determined date in November. Due to specific weather conditions required for a safe burn, including air temperature below 60°F, humidity above 40% and wind speeds between 5-15 mph, the exact date and time of the burn will be announced shortly in advance. If the required conditions are not met this month, the burn will not occur.
Some WMU offices will close or operate on limited hours Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 27-30, for Thanksgiving recess. Students, employees and the public are encouraged to call ahead to make sure that a particular office on campus is open.
For emergencies only, contact WMU Public Safety at 911. For non-emergencies, call (269) 488-8911. Office closings apply to non-represented University employees. Many represented employees have contractually scheduled regular work days Nov. 24-25 since the University continues to provide services during Thanksgiving recess. Represented employees should direct questions to their management.
…Burn the bird before you dig in! Torch those Thanksgiving calories with a special workout with Dre at West Hills Athletic Club on Thursday, Nov. 27 @ 8 a.m. This high-energy session will leave you feeling strong—just in time to feast guilt-free! Burn the Bird before you dig in! Because every bite of your Thanksgiving meal tastes better when you’ve earned it. Membership to West Hills is a part of your benefits package—you just need to activate your membership. Open to both members and guests alike. Pricing varies by West Hills membership level, register here!
The Western Michigan University community is invited to submit nominations for the 2026–27 Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award (DFSA), recognizing faculty who have made outstanding contributions to their disciplines, elevated the University’s reputation, and demonstrated sustained scholarly excellence.
Nomination Deadline:
Monday, February 2, 2026
Submission Instructions:
All nominations must be submitted electronically through the online webform.
Criteria and guidelines are available from the DFSA webpage
The application deadline for faculty to join the Global Classrooms Collaborative Spring 2026 has been extended to Nov. 25. Selected participants will engage in a facilitated learning community throughout the semester, following a structured process to design a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) course. Support includes assistance with international partner matching, course design and intercultural pedagogy. Faculty will receive grant funding, distributed in two parts, half during the spring collaborative and the remainder following course implementation and submission of a final report.
Learn more or attend an information session here. …
Jil Larson, Professor in the Department of English, will speak on "Artificial Intelligence and the Complexities of Love and Creativity in Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun" as part of the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society's lecture series. The talk will be on Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 2209 of the Student Center. It explores how Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel helps us think about the ethics of artificial intelligence and other technological advances in relation to the perennial philosophical question of what it means to be human.
Dr. Larson serves on the Ethics Center's advisory board and has developed literature courses on topics such as ethics and belief and ethics, science and the future. Her current research focuses on memory and ethics in the…
Open enrollment for 2026 health care benefits and flexible spending accounts (FSA) opens Monday, October 27 and runs through Friday, November 14 for benefits-eligible faculty and staff. Please view your 2026 Benefits Guide, which includes your 2026 health plan contribution rates. The enrollment and change forms are online on the Benefits Open Enrollment webpage.