Volunteer Opportunities

Remind your students to attend the

Student Employment Fair

Wednesday, 8/28 from 1:00PM-4:00PM

EMU student Center ballroom

70+ Part time Employers (on and off campus)

Take advantage of your work study!

Register at: ​handshake.emich.edu ​and select “Events”

Add it to your calendar!

Questions? Contact the University Advising & Career ​Development Center via email or call 734.487.0400

EMU Esports welcomes five nationally ​ranked competitors to the team

2024 marks the first semester of recruitment for Eastern Esports. Read ​the full announcement on EMU Today.

This year’s new lineup includes:

Jacob Bennett - National Champion - Rocket League

Stephen Meagher - Top .5% Nationally - League of Legends

Kyle Grieg - Top 1% Nationally - Rocket League

Alexander Sandberg - Top .5% Nationally - Valorant

Luke Miller - Top 1.5% Nationally - Overwatch 2

EMU Esports has already been gaining ground in competitive and charitable Esports events by participating in the 2024 ​Gamers for Giving. Read more about Head Coach Zach Lewis and the EMU Esports team on Academic and Student Affairs.

Critical Disability Studies

at EMU

July is Disability Pride Month, and to recognize this important observance and celebration, Academic and Student Affairs ​would like to highlight the Critical Disabilities Studies minor program at EMU.

What is Critical Disability Studies?

Critical Disability Studies emerged out of its intersections with other critical disciplines such as African American Studies, Queer Studies, ​Women & Gender Studies, etc. It allowed, and still allows, researchers in many fields to consider disability in ways beyond the Medical ​Model of Disability, broadening our knowledge and understanding of society and culture.

Growing out of these other disciplines, Critical Disability Studies as an independent field asks ​the question: “what are the structures within our society that are ableist and that keep people ​with disabilities from fully participating?”

Contemporary research in this field focuses on both visible and, increasingly, hidden ​disabilities. Importantly, Critical Disability Studies also strives to include marginalized voices in ​the discussion, centering the voices of people with disabilities rather than medical ​professionals or caregivers.

For Students

The Critical Disability Studies minor complements a broad range of majors and areas of study. It ​is particularly useful for students going into the health sciences. Understanding the nuances of ​how the medical and social models of disability work together allows doctors, nurses, ​psychologists, etc. to better serve their patients.

Beyond the medical field, this minor is also excellent for students going into education and for ​students in the humanities and social sciences. Teachers can better uplift and advocate for ​their disabled students. Anthropology majors can gain a deeper understanding of history and ​human behavior. There is virtually no area of study that can’t benefit from a minor in Critical ​Disability Studies.

For Faculty and Staff

Researching and finding ways to address the social circumstances that disable people benefits everybody. Our community at EMU is no ​exception. In the classroom setting, this means encouraging the use of aids and accommodations which grant students of all abilities ​access to an education. Eyeglasses and contact lenses are an assistive device the same way a cane or wheelchair are. We already make ​accommodations in our society and in education; we need to broaden those accommodations to include everyone.

Luckily, EMU is already taking steps to make it easier for students to communicate these needs to their instructors. Rolling out this Fall, the ​Disability Resource Center is currently working on improving the accommodation letter process for both students and instructors. These ​changes will empower instructors to work with students to find solutions and identify accessibility issues.

How to Take Action

If you know a student who might benefit from this minor, encourage them to pursue it. Students may direct questions ​to undergraduate advisor Jill Dieterle or program administrator Julian Murchison. Additionally, if you identify an area ​that could be more accessible, whether that’s campus infrastructure, electronic access, classroom accommodations, ​etc. reach out to the Disability Resource Center.

Together, we can change the narrative around disability and make EMU an even more inclusive and diverse place.

Between June 25 and July 7, nine EMU students traveled to ​Slovakia for a study abroad program spearheaded by Dr. ​Zuzana Tomaš from the TESOL/DOWL program. The students ​first learned about the sociopolitical context of Slovakia and ​examined various challenges faced by Slovak youth.

EMU students then engaged in a series of intercultural ice-​breakers and culture-centered activities with participating ​Slovak and Spanish university students before working in ​international teams to develop and implement a civically ​oriented program for youth. At the end of the program, they ​celebrated the Slovak learners' projects at the Learning ​Celebration event.

This project was made possible thanks to EMU's Study Abroad ​Office staff and a collaboration between the TESOL program ​at EMU and the TESOL and Social Work programs at Matej Bel ​University.

EMU Wins 2024 U.S. Open ​College Beer Championship

EMU earned the title of 2024 Grand National Champion at this year’s ​U.S. Open College Beer Championship competition. The EMU ​Fermentation team won three gold medals in the open competition ​and placed third in the head-to-head competition. The gold medal-​winning beers included a Belgian Tripel, an ESB (Extra Special ​Bitter), and an English Barleywine. Nine of the eleven competing ​schools entered an American Pale Ale (APA) to be judged against ​each other, and Eastern Michigan's placed third in that competition.

Last year, the Provost Office interviewed Taylor Heckaman, an ​alumni of the Fermentation Science program and previous winner ​of the U.S. Open College Beer Championship. Read more about ​Heckaman’s experience with Fermentation Science.

The U.S. Open College Beer Championship is for student brewers enrolled ​at schools, colleges and universities that teach brewing courses. The ​U.S. Open College Championship is the only competition of its kind ​focusing on student brewers.

Rebuilding History:

Participate in the EMU History project

In Fall 1892 and Winter 1893, photographer J. J. Gibson created 56 remarkable photographs of the Michigan State Normal School ​(today EMU). These photos formed the core of the Normal School’s exhibit at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, and today they ​provide invaluable windows into the Normal School’s development as an institution of higher education.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the University Archives have launched a website that presents an online reconstruction of ​the Normal School exhibit, along with six explanatory essays that place the exhibit in its historical context.

The research team, composed of Preservation Studies grad student Finn Vincent-Fix, History grad student Mackenzie Kortes, ​Archivist Alexis Braun Marks, and Associate Dean Jim Egge, invite the EMU community to contribute to the project by viewing and ​responding to the images.

In addition to the virtual exhibit, this Fall CAS and the University Archives will display a physical reconstruction of the 1893 exhibit in ​the new exhibition space in Halle Library.

Claim your spot in CAPS Summer Mental Health Training

Social Media: Beyond the Façade

Every summer, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers a training for staff and faculty on mental ​health issues among college students. More students with mental health challenges are coming to universities ​and our staff need to be educated about these issues and how to respond effectively and compassionately to ​our students.

Please join us for this session (being repeated twice) to help think ​about these questions, and to develop a draft of your own policies ​that you can use this semester. Our facilitators have thought a ​great deal about these issues, and are prepared to guide you ​through these challenges, giving you every opportunity to craft a ​policy that reflects your own perspectives on Gen AI and its place ​within your pedagogy.

Developing Effective AI-Integrated Assignments Across ​the Curriculum

Location: 140 BB Strong or Zoom

Date/Time: Wednesday, August 14, 2024 @ 1 PM

In this workshop, we will highlight effective AI integration in ​university coursework, sharing principles for effective assignment ​design and practical examples. The examples will address ​generative AI integration in both gen ed and upper-level classes. ​Although we will provide specific examples and best practices, we ​will also address challenges, uncertainties, and questions ​participants may have in this rapidly developing area. Participants ​will have time to develop their own ideas and have conversations ​with others in the session.

2024 New Beginnings Conference

Location: EMU Student Center

Time/Date: August 22, 2024 @ 8:30 AM - 12:45 PM

The Faculty Development Center and the Office of Campus & Community Writing are proud to once again host this ​year's New Beginnings Teaching Conference. This year’s conference will focus on “Building Connections.” We invite all ​members of the EMU community to join us and be inspired by new ideas - especially ones that enhance our ​understanding of creating connections with our colleagues, students, and community. We’ll have an innovative keynote ​address (20 Ideas in 20 Minutes), interactive concurrent sessions, and a Gallery of Ideas. Join us to engage with ​colleagues, learn new things, and get the fall 2024 semester off to a great start. We look forward to welcoming you all ​back to campus!

We are now accepting proposals to present at the 2024 conference. See below for relevant links.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Register for Narcan (Naloxone) and ​CPR/AED Training

Increase your emergency medical preparedness - learn to administer ​Narcan and use CRP/AED.

Monthly trainings are available for students, faculty, and staff.

To register for Narcan training, email Auggie Mickevicius at ​amickevi@emich.edu with your chosen date, your name, and your EMU ID ​number.

To register for CPR/AED training, email email Kathryn Wilhoff at ​kwilhoff@emich.edu with your preferred available date, name, department ​where you work, and your EMU ID number.