Soundings, the newsletter for WWU families, is available online.

Here are some of the stories you'll see in the latest edition:

Good news for this spring's class: Employers plan to hire more than 19 percent more new college graduates than they did last year, according to a national survey.

But with so many people still looking for jobs, new-graduate job seekers need to represent themselves the best way they can.

"There's no better weekend to connect with your student and enjoy campus and the surrounding area," says Anna Carey, director of New Student Services/Family Outreach.

Western is offering more opportunities than ever this year to travel the world with Western faculty while earning WWU credit.

With 15 different trips to five continents courses will explore topics such as religion and post-colonial literature in Senegal, sustainability in Greece, conservation in Costa Rica and ecotourism in Peru.

With a growing number of Western students taking advantage of the GI Bill, WWU's Vetarans Services Office has grown, too.

Now there is enough space to pull together a couple of couches and put on some coffee for veterans and dependents who want to stop by and chat. Creating a sense of community for veterans is just as important as providing technical help, say staff members. They should know -- they're veterans, too.