Hills Named Associate Vice President for HRD
Rick Duffett, vice president for Administration and Finance, has announced the appointment of Warren Hills as the new associate vice president of Human Resource Development. Hills assumed his duties at Ferris on August 2, 1999.

Hills previously served as the Colleague Growth and Development Leader for Tower Automotive in Traverse City. His career also includes positions as manager of human resources at Four Winns in Cadillac and as director of student employment at Northwestern Michigan College.

Hills holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Grand Valley State University, a master's degree in Counseling from Central Michigan University and is certified as a senior professional in human resources.

Sept. 15 Dedication of Student Convocation
Center/Wink Arena Official dedication ceremonies for the newly-constructed Student Convocation Center/Wink Arena took place on Wednesday, Sept. 15. As part of the festivities, a plaque was presented to Emma Wink in honor of her late husband, legendary Ferris men's basketball and golf coach Jim Wink.

On Dec. 12, 1987, the University's Health and Physical Education (HPE) Building basketball facility was officially dedicated as the James M. Wink Arena. In 1998, the HPE Building was converted to the Student Recreation Center. A brand new Wink Arena is now housed within the Student Convocation Center (SCC).

The SCC, a 42,000 square-foot facility, is located adjacent to the Ewigleben Ice Arena and seats 2,400–including prime sections of chair-back seating. The building complex features an expanded lobby that adjoins the Ice Arena with a new pro shop, concession stands, and a display for the Bulldog Hall of Fame. The Student Convocation Center/Wink Arena will not only serve as the new home for the FSU men's and women's basketball programs, but will also be used for commencement exercises, major concerts, and special events.

Ferris Hosts Freshmen Legislators
Term limits created a larger than usual crop of new Michigan legislators,* all of whom were invited to this year's Legislative Leadership Conference hosted from July 28-30 by Ferris State University.
Since 1990, Ferris has offered quality training sessions to newly elected Michigan legislators in a bipartisan climate where legislators can voice their ideas, have their questions answered and tackle difficult issues.

This year's training focused on policy, its creation and analysis. Legislators also examined the art of political decision making in round table discussion format. The agenda featured speakers well known in the political arena including FSU President William Sederburg who presented a session on managing conflict.

More Merger Issues Resolved for Ferris State, Kendall
Ferris State University President William Sederburg and Kendall College of Art and Design President Oliver Evans have agreed to operate Kendall as an "additional location," rather than a "branch campus," for financial aid purposes. The decision was recommended by the Task Force based upon the final report of the eight-member Ferris/Kendall Financial Aid Merger Subcommittee.

The Ferris and Kendall Merger Task Force has been focusing on the issues of administrative structure, financial aid, human resource concerns and tuition as it works toward the Aug. 1, 2000 official merger date.

Personnel from Ferris and Kendall recently met with U.S. Department of Education officials in Washington to discuss financial aid issues regarding the merger. Attend-ing from Ferris were Ronnie Higgs, director of Financial Aid, and Scott Hill-Kennedy, general counsel and interim vice president for External Affairs and secretary to the Board of Trustees. Kendall representatives were Sandy Britton, director of business services, and Sandra Davison-Wilson, vice president of business and financial affairs.
DOE officials indicated the financial aid transition due to the merger should be seamless, and they will work closely with Ferris and Kendall personnel to ensure this happens. These officials also commended Ferris' and Kendall's early and thorough initiative in making the needed financial aid transitions.

Agreement Signed for New National Guard Scholarships
Official signing ceremonies were held August 3 for a scholarship agreement between Ferris State University and the Michigan National Guard. New scholarship monies will be available to prospective students in the Guard and will bring mature, capable students to Ferris.

*Editor's Note: Two of the new State Representatives are FSU alumni Stephen Ehardt (P'78) and Rep. Mickey Mortimer (B'82).