by Graduate School
Master’s degrees give graduates a competitive advantage in today’s job market. Besides providing specialized knowledge in a field, a master’s degree provides more career options, increases earnings and facilitates upward mobility on the corporate leadership track. Michigan Tech’s accelerated master’s degree programs are designed to provide a faster, easier and more cost-effective route for Michigan Tech students to earn a master’s degree.
by Commencement Committee
The Spring 2020 graduate celebration website is now ready for graduates to upload their profile information. A series of video messages and a Huskies Pep Band performance recording will be added on May 23. In the meantime, check back often to see new celebration profiles created by the class of Spring 2020.
Everyone can join in! The Celebrating Spring 2020 Graduates website has information and links for graduates, family, friends and community. Take a look.
In preparation for an on-time, face to face fall semester start, a cross functional campus team is finalizing the details of Michigan Tech’s return to campus plan.
Michigan Tech’s plan is predicated on the state’s guidance for a phased re-opening, incorporates best practices as suggested by state, federal, and non profit agencies and takes into account other factors to ensure the health and safety of our entire community.
by Husky Emergency Assistance Fund
In a little more than six weeks, the Husky Emergency Assistance fund has received 255 donations totaling $51,600.
by Jackie Huntoon, Provost and Senior VP for Academic Affairs
Prior to the start of the COVID-19 disruption, which basically coincided with Michigan Tech’s spring break, approximately 25% of Michigan Tech’s full-time instructional personnel had gone through the complete professional development program designed to prepare them to teach fully online courses. Since that time, about 375 individuals have either signed up for or completed that training. Just over 40 additional individuals have signed up for the remote instruction professional development program. This means that by the time fall semester begins, more than 585 individuals, or 84% of full-time instructional personnel employed at Michigan Tech during spring semester 2020, will have completed a professional development program designed to help them improve their instruction in remote, online, and face-to-face settings. Even better news is that these numbers are expected to rise, as people are still working with their chairs and deans to determine and get signed up for the right program for them.
I want to thank all the faculty who have completed or will be completing this professional development in preparation for fall semester. Your efforts demonstrate your commitment to our students’ success.
by Administration
The Portage Lake Golf Course (PLGC) is now open. The course is in wonderful shape and the crew has worked hard to provide great golf conditions for our patrons. We are also working hard to follow state health and safety requirements and ask you to join us in doing your part to stem the spread of COVID-19. For that reason, we’re asking all PLGC patrons to schedule and pay for their memberships or greens fees in advance.
Call the Pro Shop at 7-2641 if you intend to purchase your season pass, or go to our online store and we can safely process your payment and give you direct access to the course without checking in.
by Beth Williams, Career Services
Typically in Career Services, as the school year ends and most Michigan Tech students head off for summer jobs, we complete the assessments of the past year and incorporate lessons learned into planning for our fall events. This year, however, our department has been busier than normal amidst the COVID-19 disruption. The last few weeks have been a constant buzz of virtual appointments with students, phone calls with employers, and Zoom meetings with career services colleagues around the country.
So, what impact is COVID-19 having on corporate recruiting and our students’ job prospects? The following is what we’ve been hearing in Career Services and our response to this situation.
by Rick Koubek, President
Dear Members of the Michigan Tech Community:
Friday officially marked the end of the spring term at Michigan Tech. On Saturday, we would have celebrated the success of 1,066 graduates at our Spring Commencement ceremony. Had things been normal, Mike Pulick, former president of Grainger International, a Michigan Tech electrical engineering alumnus, and former Blue Key president, would have served as our keynote speaker. Instead, we are redirecting our energies in creative ways as we adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic—including the launch of an online 2020 commencement celebration web page on May 23.
by Brian Cadwell, Director and Chief, Department of Public Safety and Police Services
The Department of Public Safety and Police Services (DPSPS) reminds the campus community that scammers are very much active in leveraging the current crisis to steal your personal information, your money or both.
While most of the scams that were present before the pandemic have merely been updated to use words/themes associated with the crisis, there have been reports of some unique techniques that criminals are using to take advantage of the uncertainty that we currently face. Some of these techniques are:
by Brian Cadwell, Director and Chief of Police, Public Safety and Police Services
Under Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s extended “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order, all persons are required to wear face coverings when entering enclosed public spaces, including campus buildings and workspaces, where social distancing cannot be maintained.
Michigan Tech strongly encourages employees to provide their own personal face coverings in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance:
