¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§

Bella Hounakey, who survived being trafficked and enslaved by a family member as a child, received Nomi Network's 2020 Abolitionist Award for the work she's done to prevent and eradicate trafficking as an advocate for survivors.

A new self-help application available to WMU students, faculty and staff offers a number of tools and resources aimed at managing mental health. Supporting the University’s wellness mission, WellTrack allows users to track their mood over time, identify stressors, intentionally schedule self-care activities and learn about strategies to manage feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.

Launched by WMU's College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with WMUx, the webinar series is funded through University research and innovation grants awarded to promote a range of fields of study surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting Gate business  accelerator is open to all WMU sophomore and older undergraduate and all graduate students through a competitive application process where students must demonstrate a promising idea for a product or service, which can be launched within a short period of time

Mountaintop Initiatives is a new $2 million investment to advance the University's charge toward racial justice. In addition, the newly formed Racial Justice Advisory Committee will lead efforts to address systemic racism and racial inequities on campus and identify actions to build a campuswide culture of change.

WeVote is ramping up its efforts as Election Day nears, raising visibility and opportunities for students to register to vote and learn about candidates and issues. This year's message: Bronco's vote early.

WMU was one of 90 institutions from around the nation named an annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity—HEED—honoree by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine and recognized for its efforts supporting diversity in higher education.

Applications for the fall 2020 WMU Student Sustainability Grant allocations cycle are due on Thursday, Nov. 19, by 11:59 p.m. Collaborators expect to award up to $32,500 this fall semester. Awards will be announced by mid-December 2020.

Western ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ University—in collaboration with Iowa State University, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Technological University and North Dakota State University—is hosting a virtual film and panel discussion to enhance awareness of gender bias and continued lack of diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields.

A series of virtual book clubs hosted by Western ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ University's Center for the Study of Ethics in Society begins Wednesday, Sept. 30, and runs through November.

Enrollment proved to be one of the better-than-expected elements in this year's budget picture. Predicted in May to be down as much as 15% in some national higher education models and similarly in the University's own forecast, WMU's fall enrollment is 20,490, down by 4.6%, which is less than a third of the predicted decrease.

The WMU Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet in formal session at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, in the North Ballroom of the Bernhard Center on Main Campus. The meeting also will be livestreamed at wmich.edu/trustees.

When faced with funding challenges as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, members of Western ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ University's precision flight team, the Sky Broncos, launched a campaign to collect and return bottles and cans for cash.

The show must go on! WMU Theatre will bring "Sunday in the Park with George" to life in Miller Fountain Plaza in front of the Richmond Center for Visual Arts. Opening night is Friday, Sept. 18, and the show runs through Sunday, Oct. 4.

The SRC is returning to action in phases, beginning with outdoor and virtual fitness programming. The facility will reopen Friday, Sept. 11. Current students, faculty and staff can participate in those classes free of charge through the month of September. Paid SRC membership will be required to utilize indoor facilities.

The We Talk  series includes five virtual, interactive presentations and a campus rea.

WMU's health center offers seasonal influenza immunizations to full- and part-time employees, students, retirees and other eligible individuals beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8. Precautions are in place to reduce risks associated with COVID-19. Drop-in clinics are not yet scheduled for the fall semester.

Employers have posted thousands of jobs to the online career site Handshake, and representatives from Career and Student Employment Services and the Zhang Career Center have had conversations with hundreds of employers about their hiring needs.