MVU and University of Detroit Mercy Providing Teachers In Training With Online Teaching Experience
Lansing – MVU® and the University of Detroit Mercy are teaming up to train the next generation of online educators by providing UDM teacher education students the opportunity to experience online teaching at various levels of instruction.
MVU online instructors will provide a student teaching-like experience to UDM education students who enroll in Advanced Instructional Technology /Teaching in the Virtual Environment, a course being offered by UDM this summer to undergraduate and graduate students.
This course is designed to meet the challenge of preparing teachers to successfully engage students and deliver content in the online environment. Face-to-face sessions will be combined with hands-on teaching experience in virtual classrooms through Michigan Virtual School®, Michigan’s state sponsored virtual school.
“I applaud the University of Detroit Mercy for taking the initiative to introduce educators to online and blended learning environments,” said Jamey Fitzpatrick, President & CEO of MVU. “Increasingly individuals pursuing a career in the teaching profession will need a practical understanding of instructional strategies and techniques in the world of online learning.”
Both pre-service (undergraduates) and certified teachers will have the opportunity to explore teaching in the virtual setting in this course. Theoretical principles in online teaching and learning will be integrated into using instructional technologies to design and implement various aspects of online teaching in the participant’s specialized content area.
“The University of Detroit Mercy Teacher Education Program is so excited to enhance the skills of our teacher candidates by collaborating with Michigan Virtual University,” said Lorri J MacDonald, Ed. D., Chair, Department of Education, University of Detroit Mercy. “This is truly a win-win arrangement. MVU teachers win by gaining experience mentoring teacher candidates. UDM teacher candidates win by gaining experience in teaching with the latest embedded technology. Michigan students win by learning from 21st century skilled teachers in their classrooms. It doesn’t get any better than that!”
This course is the second step in an MVU-UDM effort to acquaint teacher education students with the challenges of teaching online. The relationship began last fall when three UDM pre-service students participated in a six-week online job shadowing experience with MVU online instructors.
Earlier this year, six more students completed the shadowing experience. Students who enroll in this course will be entered into online courses with MVU teachers as guest teachers, and will have the opportunity to interact with high school students in Michigan Virtual School courses.
The course will be offered from May 6 – June 22. Full-time educators who enroll in this course are eligible for a 60 percent discount on tuition. Students interested in the course, should call 313-578-0401 for more information. Students must receive instructor approval prior to enrollment.
About MVU
MVU is a private, nonprofit Michigan corporation established by the State of Michigan in 1998 to serve as a champion for online learning. It is the parent organization of the Michigan Virtual School®, Michigan LearnPort®, and Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute™. Visit www.mivu.org for more information.
About UDM
University of Detroit Mercy is Michigan’s largest private Catholic University, with approximately 100 academic majors and programs. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the University has campuses located in downtown and northwest Detroit. UDM is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and the largest of 16 Mercy institutions of higher education in the United States. For the 12th consecutive year, University of Detroit Mercy is listed in the top tier of Midwestern Regional Universities in the 2013 edition of the U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.” Visit www.udmercy.edu for more information.
Five Companies to Invest $26.3 Million in West Michigan
LANSING – The Michigan Economic Development Corporation today announced that five companies were approved for incentives by the Michigan Strategic Fund through the Michigan Business Development and Community Revitalization Programs to support their expansions in the state. The projects are expected to generate up to $26.3 million in investments and add 195 new jobs in Michigan.
“These five companies are demonstrating that Michigan can compete with any state in the country as a great place to grow a business,” said Michael A. Finney, MEDC President and CEO. “These projects will strengthen and further revitalize the West Michigan region and help growing companies in a variety of industries generate new job opportunities.”
The Michigan Strategic Fund approved incentives for the following projects:
Arcadia Brewing Company, a microbrewery, winemaker and restaurant, and Enmar, LLC, a real estate holding company, plan to redevelop and locate into a new 30,000 square-foot pub, production facility, brew house and eatery on 2.6 acres of riverfront property in the City of Kalamazoo. Arcadia Brewing Company has been awarded a $575,000 Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant based on capital investment of up to $2.3 million. Enmar, LLC has been awarded a $425,000 Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant based on capital investment of up to $3.2 million. The project is expected to create 42 permanent jobs. The City of Kalamazoo is offering financial and infrastructure support to the project.
ArcticAx US, a molecular diagnostic company that commercializes genetic markers for the testing of diseases, has been awarded a $220,000 Business Development Program incentive to open a new operation in the City of Grand Rapids. The facility will be used initially for patient testing of the company’s Macula Risk product, a test that can determine whether an individual is at risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration, which causes partial or total blindness. The company expects to invest up to $1.9 million and create 28 new jobs as a result of the project. The City of Grand Rapids will consider a property tax abatement to support the project.
Blue Star 2, LLC is part of Prairie Real Estate Group, a commercial real estate development and management company. Blue Star 2 has been awarded a $595,000 Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant to completely renovate and lease the building located at 376 Main Street in downtown Benton Harbor. The finished space will include commercial and/or retail space and loft style apartments. The project is expected to create approximately 20 permanent full-time jobs, with a total capital investment of up to $2.4 million.
Ionia Ventures, LLC, under the direction of 616 Development, a real-estate firm focusing on revitalizing unused spaces in downtown Grand Rapids, has been awarded a $361,500 Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant to rehabilitate two buildings in downtown Grand Rapids. The project will transform the properties into one mixed-use building that will include a restaurant on the first floor, office space on the second floor and apartments on the top three floors. The project is expected to create 35 permanent full time jobs, and a capital investment of more than $6 million.
Quality Edge, Inc., a manufacturer of aluminum and steel residential building products such as soffits, fascia, drip edges, gutter protection and siding, has been awarded a $310,000 Business Development Program incentive to expand its operations to include a new metal roof product line in the City of Walker. The company proposes to invest up to $10.5 million and create an additional 70 new jobs as a result of the expansion. The City of Walker has offered a $149,000 12-year tax abatement in support of the project.
Signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder in December, the Michigan Business Development Program provides grants, loans and other economic assistance to qualified businesses that make investments or create jobs in Michigan, with preference given to businesses that need additional assistance for deal-closing and for second stage gap financing.
The MSF will consider a number of factors in making these awards, including: out-of-state competition, private investment in the project, business diversification opportunities, near-term job creation, wage and benefit levels of the new jobs, and net-positive return to the state. Business retention and retail projects are not eligible for consideration of these incentives.
The Michigan Business Development Program replaces the state’s previous MEGA program that was a feature of the Michigan Business Tax that was eliminated under business tax restructuring legislation approved and signed into law by Snyder in May 2011.
The Michigan Community Revitalization Program provides grants, loans, or other economic assistance of up to $10 million to projects that will revitalize regional urban areas, act as a catalyst for additional investment in a community, reuse vacant or historic buildings and promote mixed use and sustainable development.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a public-private partnership serving as the state’s marketing arm and lead agency for business, talent and jobs, focuses on helping grow Michigan’s economy. For more on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit: www.MichiganAdvantage.org.
Source: Press Release by Michigan Economic Development Corporation
State of Michigan to Host Virtual Career Fairs in July, September
LANSING —The state of Michigan, one of the first states in the nation to bring job seekers and employers together in an interactive virtual environment, has scheduled two new dates for MiVirtualCareerFair in 2012.
The first MiVirtualCareerFair event on July 25 will feature a variety of business services occupations including marketing and communications, logistics, accounting and finance, legal services, human resources, management and more. The second, scheduled for September 26, 2012, is a general career fair open to any Michigan industry or economic sector.
“Many Michigan businesses have an urgent need for top talent,” said Amy Cell, Senior Vice President for Talent Enhancement at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). “MiVirtualCareerFair events allow individuals from anywhere in the country to connect with Michigan employers, and provide busy business professionals an easy, cost-effective way to review dozens of talented job seekers without ever leaving the office.”
MiVirtualCareerFair is aimed at finding specialized, hard-to-find talent for Michigan companies, and provides a live, interactive platform to review and recruit skilled professionals from anywhere in the world within a 3-D virtual environment. The next two MiVirtualCareerFair events will be live online Wednesday, July 25 and Wednesday, September 26 from 10 am to 4 pm each day.
The deadline for employers to reserve a booth at the July 25 event is July 9. Employers who reserve a booth for the July virtual career fair before June 30 will receive an early bird discount of $100 — 33 percent off the cost of a standard booth. In addition, employers who reserve a booth for both events now will receive a 50 percent discount on a standard booth for the September event. The deadline for employers to reserve a booth for July and receive the discount for a booth in September is Monday, July 9.
The first two MiVirtualCareerFair events attracted more than 2,300 job seekers and dozens of Michigan employers with hundreds of jobs to fill. The two upcoming MiVirtualCareerFair events provide an opportunity to:
Connect and interact with recruiters and candidates from wherever you are, avoiding the time and expense of traditional career fairs.
Upload position descriptions and submit resumes for multiple job listings.
Meet other job seekers and employers in the Networking Lounge.
View informational videos in the Auditorium.
Use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to search for connections and update your status from within the event.
At MiVirtualCareerFair events, employer representatives host exhibitor booths customized with logos, links to company profiles, job postings, employee benefits, and employer contact information. Post-event, employers will receive in-depth analytics including candidate resumes, applications, chat transcripts, and booth visit data. All job openings posted during the fair will be accessible to participants for 30 days after the live event.
Employers can access information about registration for one or both of the upcoming career fairs, view a demo video of the online environment and access a list of exhibitor rates and benefits here. Participation is free for job seekers, who can register, view informational videos on the virtual environment, and learn how to navigate within it here.
“We are committed to finding and utilizing the best, cutting-edge tools and techniques to help Michigan businesses overcome their talent challenges,” said Amy Cell. “MiVirtualCareerFair is a unique way to help deliver talented job seekers right to an employer’s doorstep from anywhere in the world.”
Source: Pure Michigan Press Release
More local governments in Michigan Using Data to Make Decisions Amid Fiscal Crisis
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Just over two-thirds of Michigan’s local governments say they use “data-driven decision making” as they try to cut costs and boost efficiency amid tough economic times, a new University of Michigan survey reports.
Local governments collect and analyze a wide range of data on their operations and costs. Examples include emergency response times, comparative employee wages and the amount of trash collected. This information is used to help make better-informed decisions about budgets, policy and management.
The survey from U-M’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy reports that 68 percent of Michigan’s local governments say they use data for decision making in some fashion. Just under one-third (29 percent) said they do not use data in any significant way.
The use of performance data is growing, with 36 percent of these local governments reporting that their jurisdictions began using data within the last five years, according to the survey—part of the Michigan Public Policy Survey series by the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy.
Other key findings include:
–Most jurisdictions (70 percent) that use data do so on an ad hoc basis, rather than a systematic or formal basis, while nearly a quarter (24 percent) say they collect and use data as part of a formal performance-measurement and management program.
–Large percentages of those who use data believe the efforts are effective for a wide range of purposes, especially for guiding budget decisions (88 percent) and identifying cost savings or program efficiencies (83 percent).
–For those who do not use performance data, one of the biggest perceived barriers is the expected costs related to data use. However, few jurisdictions that do use data today say that costs have been a significant problem.
The poll was conducted from Oct 3 to Nov. 23, 2011, and involved online and hardcopy surveys sent to the top elected and appointed officials in all counties, cities, villages and townships in Michigan. A total of 1,330 jurisdictions returned valid surveys, resulting in a 72 percent response rate. The margin of error was plus or minus 1.43 percentage points.
The report is available online at http://closup.umich.edu.
Press Release: University of Michigan
Three Companies to Invest $22 Million, Add 200 Jobs in Michigan
LANSING – The Michigan Economic Development Corporation today announced that three companies were approved for incentives by the Michigan Strategic Fund through the Michigan Business Development and Community Revitalization Programs to support their expansions in the state. The projects are expected to generate up to nearly $22 million in investments and add up to 201 new jobs in Michigan.
“These three companies are demonstrating that Michigan can compete with any state in the country as a great place to grow a business,” said Michael A. Finney, MEDC President and CEO. “These new investments show once more Michigan’s highly competitive business climate and tremendous workforce capabilities mean real opportunities for leading edge companies.”
Altronics Energy, LLC has been awarded a $450,000 Business Development Program incentive to expand its West Michigan operations. Altronics proposes to invest up to $2.6 million to expand its operations in Byron Township to conduct complete manufacturing of small wind turbines as well as serve as the lead North American distributor of the turbines. The company expects to create up to 90 new jobs as a result of the project. Michigan was chosen over competing sites in Ontario and South Carolina. Byron Township has offered a tax abatement to the project.
Ellington WF, LLC is part of a group of companies that manages and operates properties and is a developer of retail, multifamily and commercial mixed-use urban infill projects. Ellington WF, LLC has been awarded a $1 million Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant to offset costs for site preparation and construction of the new Whole Foods building in the City of Detroit. The project is expected to create 80 permanent jobs, with a total capital investment of up to $14.9 million.
FIAMM Technologies, LLC has been awarded a $500,000 Business Development Program incentive to expand its manufacturing facility in the City of Cadillac. The manufacturer of automotive horns proposes to invest up to $4.4 million to expand capacity in order to meet the growing demand for its products in both North America and export markets. This expansion will create 31 new jobs over the next two years. The City of Cadillac is supportive of a financial commitment to the project in the form of a tax abatement estimated at $252,000.
In March, Governor Rick Snyder met with executives from FIAMM during his investment mission to Europe, when he led a delegation to promote business opportunities in Michigan to German and Italian company executives and government officials.
Signed into law by Snyder in December, the Michigan Business Development Program provides grants, loans and other economic assistance to qualified businesses that make investments or create jobs in Michigan, with preference given to businesses that need additional assistance for deal-closing and for second stage gap financing.
The MSF will consider a number of factors in making these awards, including: out-of-state competition, private investment in the project, business diversification opportunities, near-term job creation, wage and benefit levels of the new jobs, and net-positive return to the state. Business retention and retail projects are not eligible for consideration of these incentives.
The Michigan Business Development Program replaces the state’s previous MEGA program that was a feature of the Michigan Business Tax that was eliminated under business tax restructuring legislation approved and signed into law by Snyder in May 2011.
The Michigan Community Revitalization Program provides grants, loans, or other economic assistance of up to $10 million to projects that will revitalize regional urban areas, act as a catalyst for additional investment in a community, reuse vacant or historic buildings and promote mixed use and sustainable development.
| The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a public-private partnership serving as the state’s marketing arm and lead agency for business, talent and jobs, focuses on helping grow Michigan’s economy. For more on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit: www.MichiganAdvantage.org. |
Cliffs Global Operations Services Technology Group Receives ISO 9001:2008 Certification
Ishpeming, MI — Cliffs Natural Resources, (NYSE: CLF) (Paris: CLF)
announced today (May 8th) that its Global Operations Services Technology Group, located in Ishpeming, MI, has received the International Organization for Standardization’s certification for the analysis of iron ore pellets.
The ISO 9001:2008 certification recognizes organizations that can link business objectives with operating effectiveness. This certification is issued by Strategic Resources, Inc., an accredited registrar that issues quality, environmental, health & safety, and security management system registration certificates based on internationally recognized standards.
“Cliffs is committed to providing the best quality product for our customers,” said Marc Johnson, senior director, technical services. “This certification shows that commitment and demonstrates the dedication of our employees to produce a quality product that meets customer standards.”
Companies that receive ISO 9001:2008 certifications have demonstrated effective records management, customer commitment, planning and implementation, resource management, efficient process control and measurement and analysis.
The Technology Group is the technical division of Cliffs Natural Resources focusing on resource evaluation, feasibility studies, project development and process optimization across the Cliffs organization.
About Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is an international mining and natural resources company. A member of the S&P 500 Index, the Company is a major global iron ore producer and a significant producer of high- and low-volatile metallurgical coal. Cliffs’ strategy is to continually achieve greater scale and diversification in the mining industry through a focus on serving the world’s largest and fastest growing steel markets. Driven by the core values of social, environmental and capital stewardship, Cliffs associates across the globe endeavor to provide all stakeholders operating and financial transparency.
The Company is organized through a global commercial group responsible for sales and delivery of Cliffs products and a global operations group responsible for the production of the minerals the Company markets. Cliffs operates iron ore and coal mines in North America and two iron ore mining complexes in Western Australia. The Company also has a 45% economic interest in a coking and thermal coal mine in Queensland, Australia. In addition, Cliffs has a major chromite project, in the pre-feasibility stage of development, located in Ontario, Canada.
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