Western Today for Friday, June 12

Western, Shuksan students learning together

WWU students working with the Center for Service Learning make regular trips to Shuksan Middle School, helping students there with coursework, relationships and community action projects. In recognition of that effort, the center recently was given the Shuksan Middle School 2008-2009 School Volunteer of the Year Award.

"The connection that Western has had with us is tremendous," says Shuksan principal Andrew Mark. "It’s huge for our kids, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything."

See the entire story as well as a photo gallery on FAST Online.

Listen to today's Board of Trustees meeting online

Today's BOT meeting, like all such meetings, is audiocast online in real time here. Once the meeting has ended at noon, the entire meeting will be available for replay as well.

New overtime reporting requirement starts July 1

Beginning July 1, overtime-eligible employees will be required to document all hours worked each pay period in addition to all paid and unpaid leave and any overtime or compensatory time, according to HR Director Chyerl Wolfe-Lee. Supervisors will be expected to review time sheets and approve hours worked. This method of documentation is called Positive Time Reporting. For more information, click here to go tot FAST Online.

Intersession parking information

Parking Services will be closed M-W, June 15-17 to attend training. Enforcement will be suspended for those three days: however disability and reserved spaces will remain in effect.

June 18-19, vehicles must display a spring, academic, annual parking permit, or a spring or academic Viking Xpress bus pass.

Permits/Xpress passes will be valid in lots with the exception of R lots, 6V, 8G, 10G, 11G, 23V, 25G, 29G, Chemistry-Biology-Sciences and the Engineering Technology lot.

Those who do not have current permits may purchase one at Parking Services on June 18-19, 7:15 AM-4:30 PM.

Permits/Xpress passes not valid at parking meters. Xpress passes must be clearly displayed. Permit holders will need to return to their regular assigned lot on June 22. If you need emergency assistance contact University Police at x3555.

The Bellingham Herald

Coon, Zachary named top WWU scholar-athletes
Western Washington University women's rowing captain Audrey Coon and Vikings' cornerback Anthony Zackary were named Western's Female and Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year for 2008-09.
Coon, who helped lead the rowing team to a fifth-straight team national championship, received the honor for the third consecutive year.
The award is to recognize student-athletes who demonstrate excellence both in academics and athletics.
WTA, WWU near bus-pass deal
A tentative deal has been reached that will allow Western Washington University students to continue receiving pre-paid universal bus passes over the next three years, a program that has dramatically boosted bus ridership. The announcement on Thursday, June 11, by Whatcom Transportation Authority staff comes after it appeared students might lose the pass because WTA and WWU couldn't agree on how much the university should pay for the passes.

Seattle Weekly

Battle over high-stakes testing goes national
The battle over high-stakes testing took a back seat this legislative session to education reform bills that promised to dramatically up school funding. But the issue is bubbling up again. State schools Superintendent Randy Dorn, elected last year on his promise to dump the WASL, sent out a press release this morning announcing that his office is getting close to completing a new assessment system. The new tests will be shorter, use multiple choice questions and, eventually, be given to students online.
David Marshak, an education lecturer at Western Washington University and a longtime critic of high-stakes testing, says he believes national standards will intensify the already considerable pressure on schools to teach to the test.

Aberdeen Daily World

Molly McKay captures Class Hearts
If anyone at college asks Hoquiam grad Molly McKay why she has a puffy heart pillow dripping with paper hearts signed by her classmates, McKay knows just what she’ll tell them.
“I’ll say every year the graduating class at my high school votes for who they think is the nicest person in class, and my classmates voted for me. I’m not a bragger, but that’s what I’ll say,” McKay said.
It was a big night for McKay, who will head to Western Washington University this summer and hopes to be a teacher on the Harbor.

WWU News Releases

The fine print: Western Today is compiled and edited by John Thompson and Matthew Anderson in the Office of University Communications. Some links have time limitations and may not be accessible in the near future. A few articles may require registration to view. If you prefer to be removed from this list, please let us know via the link at the bottom of this document. For upcoming events, faculty research, or faculty and student achievements you would like publicized, please reply to this e-mail; click here to submit news online, or click here to submit entries to our online calendar of events. For the latest Western athletics news and schedules, see http://wwuvikings.cstv.com/. For more on faculty and staff news, see the new FAST Online at http://fast.wwu.edu/.

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