The Carl H. Simpson Award, which includes a $1,000 award, recognizes and supports efforts to create bridges and forge new paths that others may follow and build upon in turn.

The Wellness Program at Western Washington University has announced the class schedule for spring quarter.

All classes are from noon to 1 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Click on the name of each class for more information or to sign up.

Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire has declared that March 8 to 12 is Classified School Employee Week in Washington.

"These dedicated individuals deserve recognition and thanks for the outstanding work they are doing for this state, their communities and the children enrolled in Washington's public schools," Gregoire said in a proclamation announcing the week of recognition.

Washington has nearly 50,000 classified school employees, according to the proclamation.

Commencement activities begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, March 20, on the Western Washington University campus in Carver Gymnasium and in the SMATE Building. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and is followed by Memory Walk, which concludes at approximately noon.

All academic and administrative units are asked to avoid activity that would conflict with commencement.

Human Resources has updated the list of employees who are eligible to receive shared leave in accordance with RCW 41.04.650 to include only the following names:

• Sue-Ann Gifford

Employees may donate vacation leave, accrued sick leave and personal holiday leave as long as the donations don’t cause them to fall below the minimum balances. Leave donation forms are available in e-form version at https://esign.wwu.edu/admcs/process/forms/HR/shared_leave5.aspx.

Western Washington University employees who walk, bicycle, share a ride or ride the bus to work at least twice from March 14 to 27 could win a design-your-own Hawaiian vacation for two, including airfare, lodging and ground transportation.

A number of other prizes, including weekend getaways and merchant gift cards, also are available.

The community is invited to help honor WWU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Brad Jackson and the tradition he has built in his 25 seasons with the Vikings at a pregame ceremony before Feb. 28's huge matchup with archrival Central Washington University, which will be broadcast regionally on FSN Northwest.

Attendees can enjoy a pre-game celebration in Carver Gym D with heavy appetizers, beer and wine before heading to the biggest game of the year.

Human Resources has amended the list of employees who are eligible to receive shared leave in accordance with RCW 41.04.650 to include only these three names:

Human Resources has amended the list of employees who are eligible to receive shared leave in accordance with RCW 41.04.650 to include only these two names:

City of Bellingham officials are evaluating Google’s Fiber For Communities initiative and are asking for quick-turnaround feedback from Western Washington University faculty and staff members and students about whether or not Google’s initiative should be pursued.

A survey posted on the city’s Web site through Feb. 24 asks community members if the city should pursue this project, and if so, why.

The winter quarter edition of Sustainable Transportation News is now online at http://www.wwu.edu/transportation/documents/Winter-2010-Newsletter.pdf.

Featured in this quarter’s newsletter:

The submission deadline for the 16th Annual Employee Arts & Crafts Show at Western Washington University is Friday, March 5. The show is open to all faculty and staff members. Entry forms are available online at http://www.wwu.edu/depts/artscraftsshow/Exhibitors.shtml.

"Art and Sustainability" is an added theme for 2010, but submissions do not have to fit into the sustainable category to be accepted in the show.

The exhibit runs March 15 to 19 in Viking Union Rooms 565 and 567.

Teresa J. LaFreniere, age 66 of Bellingham, passed away February 13, 2010 after a courageous two year battle with brain cancer.  She was born June 3, 1943 in Chehalis, WA to Norman and Dorothy (Hogan) Hocking.

Wendy Walker, a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Studies in Huxley College of the Environment, will lead a discussion at 4 p.m. today, Feb. 11, about developing real-world projects for students. Walker's presentation is titled “Inviting the Real World to Help You Teach: Examples, Strategies and Rewards.” She will speak about empowering students to guide their own learning—where the final product matters to people and issues outside academia.

Wendy Bohlke, senior counsel in the Office of the Attorney General at Western Washington University, has released the following information regarding permissible and impermissible activities for WWU faculty and staff during the legislative season.

Legally permissible activities for faculty and staff:

Western Washington University faculty and staff can get 20-percent discounts, and WWU alumni can get 50-percent discounts, to the first three opening nights of "The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)" at the Mount Baker Theatre.

The discounts are valid only for the shows on Feb. 10, 11 and 12. These dates also include a special Q&A session with director Mark Kuntz, an associate professor of Theatre Arts, and the show's cast.

As always, tickets for students are just $10.

Western Washington University President Bruce Shepard posted a new blog entry this morning on what one person called the "Starbuckization" of Wilson Library. Check out Bruce's new post here. In his post, Bruce talks about the Library's plans to create a "learning commons," part of which would be a new cafe, study and relaxation area.

Testing confirms a diagnosis of active tuberculosis for a Western Washington University student seen at the WWU Student Health Center last week. This news was relayed to all faculty, staff, students and parents in e-mail messages sent this morning from Emily Gibson, director of the Student Health Center at WWU, and Greg Stern, a health officer with the Whatcom County Health Department.

Forward Willow Cabe scored a game-high 26 points as nationally ranked Western Washington University defeated Saint Martin's University, 77-64, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball contest Saturday on campus. On the men's side, forward Rory Blanche came off the bench and hit his first nine shots from the field in scoring a team-high 20 points as nationally ranked WWU defeated Saint Martin's University 88-68.