January 11, 2010

Inside this Issue

From the Chancellor
Featured Events & Activities
Accolades

From the Chancellor

Despite a blizzard at Christmas and some very windy and cold days, the semester break has been good for students, staff, and faculty.  Faculty member are prepared for the spring semester, staff are engaged in many ways supporting student activities, and students have returned for the start of classes.

Enrollment for spring semester 2010 will be up significantly from spring of 2009.  While some registrations will continue to be completed over this first week, we are very pleased with enrollment.  Of course, returning students are the major part of total students, but we do have about 30 new high school admits, 75 transfer students, and nearly 30 new international students.  We continue to see an increase in degree seeking online students, which shows in our number of transfer students because nearly all have some previous college credits.

The state budget situation continues to impact the University of Minnesota and the Crookston campus.  While we haven’t received full budget instructions yet, we are preparing our 2010-11 budget.  We have requested information from departments and units detailing cost savings, increases in productivity and efficiency, and new investments.  We have one committee on campus that will examine every aspect of the operations of each academic and administrative unit.  Their work will include reviewing existing programs and administrative structures to ensure programs meet future needs and that our operations are the most efficient and effective.  A second group is working with a financial planning model that will support the work of the first committee.  The state budget shortfall will definitely impact the campus.

I want to acknowledge the work of our facilities staff in clearing the grounds of the snow that has accumulated.  For those driving on campus you have certainly noticed the piles of snow that are around.  Sidewalks and intersections have been cleared as much as possible to maintain safety.  Facilities staff members are also paying attention to heating and cleaning of the buildings.  We all appreciate their work during the winter period.

Here’s to the start of a rewarding semester.

– Chuck

Charles H. Casey, Chancellor
University of Minnesota, Crookston

Featured Events & Activities

Spring Semester Classes Begin Monday, January 11

Seasonal and H1N1 Flu Shot Clinic for Faculty and Staff, Wednesday, January 13 – 12 to 3 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday, Monday, January 18 – classes excused, campus offices closed

UMC Hosts High School Knowledge Bowl, Thursday, January 21 – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., various locations across campus

“Flip It Off:  Save Your Energy for When It Counts,” Kickoff Event for the Otter Tail Power Company Energy Challenge, Tuesday, January 26 – 7 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

U of M 2010 Legislative Briefing Live Videocast from McNamara Alumni Center, Wednesday, January 27 – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Kiehle 116

Mixed Blood Theatre Performs “Dr. King’s Dream,” Wednesday, January 27 – 7 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium

35th Annual Ag-Arama, Saturday, January 30 – 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., University Teaching and Outreach Center (UTOC); Alumni Social from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Irishman’s Shanty; Ag-Arama Dance 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Crookston Armory

For details on these and a comprehensive listing of other events or to discover what’s happening this week, visit UMC Today at www.umcrookston.edu/today or review our news page at blog.lib.umn.edu/umcweb/news.

Around Campus

Administrative Affairs –

Seasonal flu shots will be available free of charge for faculty and staff on Wednesday, January 13, from noon until 3 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.   Faculty and staff will need their University employee ID.  H1N1 vaccine will also be available free of charge during that time for any faculty, staff, and students wishing to get it.  All students who have not yet received the H1N1 vaccine are encouraged to do so in order to help minimize a third wave of that strain of influenza.

Academic Affairs –

The following new adjunct faculty will assist with instruction for spring semester 2010.  Please welcome them to campus.

Ag and Natural Resources Department

Greg Hoch, teaching specialist, natural resources

Arts, Humanities and Social Science Department

Bonnie Ekstrom, lecturer - online, psychology
Eric Gudmundson, teaching specialist, criminal justice
Jessica Jorgenson, lecturer - online, literature
Tami Jo Nettum Lieberg, lecturer, criminal justice

Business Department

Sharon Fletcher, teaching specialist - online, business management

Math Science and Technology Department

Theodore Chapman, teaching specialist, math
Roberta Dahlen, teaching specialist, general biology labs
James Farrell, lecturer, physics and math
Jinu Philip John, teaching specialist, chemistry labs

Student Affairs –

“Flip It Off: Save Your Energy for When It Counts” is the theme for the student kickoff event for the Otter Tail Power Company Campus Energy Challenge, scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, at 7 p.m. in Bede Ballroom.  The event, a “Family Feud” style competition where teams of students will test their knowledge of energy and related conservation issues.  The entire campus community is invited to attend, and all attendees will receive an energy saving item.

In acclaimed celebration of the life and career of Martin Luther King, Jr., Mixed Blood Theatre will perform “Dr. King’s Dream” on Wednesday, January 27, at 7 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium. The event is free, and the public is welcome.  The performance is sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Services and is offered in honor of the civil rights leader’s birthday, which is officially recognized as a national holiday on January 18, 2010.  Learn more.

Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD) and the UMC Sustainability Committee are proud to announce that the campus has entered a nation-wide recycling competition, RecycleMania.  More than 500 colleges and universities will participate in the 2010 RecycleMania competition that begins on January 17 and runs through March 27.  The goal is to increase awareness of campus recycling.  All participating institutions are required to report measurements (pounds of recycled materials divided by campus population) on a weekly basis.  The campus that collects the most recyclables in a variety of categories wins.  Weekly updates will be placed on the University’s sustainability Web page.

The U of M, Crookston has been approved to take part in the National Society of Leadership and Success for spring and fall semesters of 2010.  The program involves a speaker series broadcast via the Internet and related discussions that help students develop their leadership skills.  The goal of UMC’s participation in the program is to help enhance leadership development opportunities for students and increase their persistence for graduation as well as other personal and professional objectives.  Speakers scheduled for spring 2010 include authors and experts Robert Cialdini, Bertice Berry, and David Bach.  For more information contact Peter Phaiah or Don Cavalier.

The U of M system is again offering the Innovation, Diversity, Equity, Achievement (IDEA) Grant Program to units within the University of Minnesota.   Successful IDEA Grant proposals address issues of institutional equity and diversity and help develop welcoming spaces for underrepresented and marginalized members of the University community.  Proposals will be reviewed for funding in two cycles on February 10, 2010, and April 30, 2010.  For more information or details about proposal submissions, visit www.academic.umn.edu/equity/idea_grants.html. Questions should be directed to Peter Phaiah, 218-281-8505.

Development & Alumni Relations –

The Second Annual Faculty and Staff Fund Drive in support of student scholarships kicks off Tuesday, January 19.  All faculty and staff will receive information on this campaign via campus mail.  Everyone is encouraged to take part at any level, as a high percentage rate of participation is as important as the total dollar amount raised.  A great incentive is that all contributions will be matched dollar-for-dollar.  

At the Thursday, January 7, meeting of the U of M, Crookston Alumni Association Board (UMCAA) three new members were welcomed to the Board:  Linda Morgan, ’85 and ’09; James Kruize, ’91; Katie Shaw, ’07; and Paige Eskelson, ’08.

University Relations –

President Bruininks will preview the U of M's 2010 legislative request and talk about the challenges faced by higher education in these trying economic times at the U of M 2010 Legislative Briefing on Wednesday, January 27.  The event will be videocast live from McNamara Alumni Center in the Twin Cities to all campuses of the University.  On the Crookston campus the event will be viewable in Kiehle 116.  Light hors d'ouvres and refreshments will be served on site starting at 5:30 p.m.  President Bruininks will speak at 6 p.m.  Guest speaker Mary Lahammer will share her insights as a U alumna and political journalist.  Those planning to attend are asked to register online by January 20. 

Campus maps have been updated to include Evergreen Hall as well as other recent changes and additions.  The large map displayed on the wall in the entrance gathering area of Sahlstrom Conference Center has also been updated, as have the smaller wall display maps in Dowell Hall, Hill Hall, Selvig Hall, and the Sports Center.  The exterior map at the campus entrance will be updated when weather permits.  Printed versions of the new maps have the copyright date 2009 and are printed on goldenrod paper.  If you have outdated print copies of campus maps (most of the 2006 maps were printed on buff paper and show Brink Hall), please send them to the recycling bin.  For additional copies of the new map contact John Zak at 218-281-8394.

Athletics –

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has named Bri Zabel, a junior from Northfield, Minn., the NSIC Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of January 4.  Zabel earned the recognition for her conference play in two outstanding victories for the Golden Eagles on January 2 and 3.  The Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball Team defeated defending national champions and #11 ranked Minnesota State (Mankato) 88-74 on January 2 and followed that performance with a 76-72 victory over Southwest Minnesota State (Marshall) on January 3.

Campus & Community –

The Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership has released its biennial report for 2008-09.  It is available online.

Accolades

The U of M, Crookston continues to move forward in pursuing energy conservation and sustainability goals, recently earning a Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTS) grant of $11,000.  The grant will support students being paired with a faculty or staff member for two projects:  a feasibility study for a methane digester and measurement of building-to-building energy use.  Students from a variety of majors will begin working on the project early in spring semester 2010.  Learn more.

UMC student Katya Zepeda, a freshman from Crookston, was recently selected to receive a $1,000 Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur (CASE) grant supporting innovative service learning projects.  Zepeda will use her CASE grant to raise funds for the Crookston food shelf by hosting an Empty Bowls Dinner (more information at www.emptybowls.net).  She plans to recruit at-risk students from the local high school to help implement the project, while at the same time increasing students' exposure to the University of Minnesota and higher education.  Zepeda is only the sixth student to receive a CASE grant from Minnesota Campus Compact over the past three years.

Associate Professor Chuck Habstritt, who retired in December from the U of M, Crookston, received the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association's Achievement in Crop Improvement Award Thursday, January 7, at the association's annual meeting in Mahnomen, Minn.   He was recognized for his life-long career in crop improvement.

Publication notes:  The E-Update is published twice each month August through April and once each month May through July.
Issues are posted online.

If you have any questions regarding the information in this news update, please send them to urumc@umn.edu.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.