After nearly forty years of service to EMU, current provost of eight years, Dr. Beryl Brubaker, is retiring after serving in the nursing program, enrollment management, and of course, provost. The provost primarily serves as the chief academic officer as well as the temporary “primary administrator” on campus in cases of President Loren Swartzendruber’s absence. The provost also supervises various on-campus organizations and individuals like the vice president for student life and the director of institutional research, in addition to supervising the deans of the undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs. Due to the imminent retirement of Dr. Beryl Brubaker, the EMU faculty is hosting a potential candidate, Dr. Lawrence Ressler, this week. Continue Reading...

Only students sequestered in their dorms would not know that there has been a recent artistic addition to EMU’s campus in a very visible way, an installation placed by the 3-D Design class, taught by Kreg Owens. The class is focused on concepts of designing art in three dimensions, and this particular project involved plaster molds and clay castings. Each of the 11 students in the class made 100 small clay castings of objects they chose, and once the castings were fired in the kiln the class collaboratively installed their clay objects on a spot they chose on campus. Continue Reading...

Students frustrated with EMU’s policy requiring all juniors, regardless of age, to live in on campus housing, have been given new reason to be optimistic. Next year EMU’s Parkwood Apartments will reclassified as on campus housing, allowing any student age 20 or older an alternative to Hillside or the dorms.

According to Jan Kauffman, first year director of Housing and Residence Life, one of the main reasons for the change was “upperclassmen wanting more options.” Kauffman acknowledged, “[the application process for] Hillside is very competitive” and that not being accepted is a big source of frustration for students. Apart from student requests, Kauffman said that the addition of more housing options will be a necessity in the fall semester with the demolition of Oakwood.

Continue Reading...

The VACA Department is undergoing significant change. Currently, 10% of EMU students are already within the department, a number that is constantly growing. Additionally, Lara Scott, a VACA professor, is leaving the program at the end of this year. The process of finding her successor is also nearing its conclusion, with the final two candidates coming to EMU for campus visits. Continue Reading...