March 1, 2010

Inside this Issue

From the Chancellor
Featured Events & Activities
Accolades

From the Chancellor

March is a new month with much hope as the majority of winter is in the past, and we can all look forward to spring.  Winter sports teams have completed their schedules, and the spring sports of tennis, golf, baseball, and softball have started their competition—although it’s hard to imagine with several inches of snow on the fields here.  Thank goodness for indoor facilities and southern locations to compete.

This week University of North Dakota President Robert Kelley and Provost Paul LeBel will visit the Crookston Campus.  This is President Kelley’s first visit to our campus.  Our joint goal of the meeting will be to learn more about possible collaborations between the University of Minnesota, Crookston and the University of North Dakota.

Vice President for Equity and Diversity Rusty Barcelo will be on campus on Wednesday, March 3, to meet and discuss a number of issues with Thomas Williams, Dr. Kimberly Gillette, Dr. Peter Phaiah, and Rae French.  Meetings with faculty and students are also scheduled.

The Arts, Humanities and Social Science Department has been discussing a name change to “Liberal Arts and Education Department.”  This has been a discussion point for the past few years, and recently department faculty voted to formally adopt the new name.  I have discussed the proposed name change with the Faculty Consultative Committee, and they, in turn, brought the issue to Faculty Assembly for information on Friday, February 26.  On Monday, March 1, I recommended the name change to the Administrative Cabinet for approval, and the recommendation was accepted.  Thanks to everyone for their participation and support of this process. 

A similar consultation process resulted in the approval of a new policy regarding background checks for all new employees including new faculty.  Many positions have required a background check for some time.  Supervisors will determine the scope of the background check, and all costs will be covered by the Human Resources Office.  It is important to note that any current employee at the University of Minnesota, Crookston will not be subject to this new policy, on March 1, 2010.

The first of four international dinners begins on Monday, March 1.  We welcome community members to attend and experience an evening with our international students.  It’s a great opportunity to learn about other cultures.  Once again tickets for the dinners are sold out.  Thanks to Rae French and students for their work in hosting the dinners.

– Chuck

Charles H. Casey, Chancellor
University of Minnesota, Crookston

Featured Events & Activities

International Dinner Series:  Korea, Monday, March 1 – 6 p.m., Bede Ballroom, advanced tickets required: $12 for an individual evening or $40 for the entire four-dinner series

Women's History Month Film: “Iron Jawed Angels,” Tuesday, March 2 - 4 p.m., Evergreen Hall Classroom

Chancellor Casey’s Budget Forum, Wednesday, March 3 - 3:30 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Thursday Commons: Spring Semester Student Convocation, Thursday, March 4 – 12:15 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium

UMC Theater Presents the Musical "Leader of the Pack," Thursday through Sunday, March 4, 5, 6, 7 – 7:30 p.m. nightly, Kiehle Auditorium, admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children

Admissions Hosts Campus Preview Day, Saturday, March 6 – 9:45 a.m. Check-In, Sargeant Student Center

International Dinner Series:  Dubai, Monday, March 8 – 6 p.m., Bede Ballroom, advanced tickets required

Spring Break, March 15-19 – no classes, campus offices open

International Dinner Series:  Panama, Monday, March 22 – 6 p.m., Bede Ballroom, advanced tickets required

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 –

Chancellor Casey will hold a forum on the U of M, Crookston campus budget on Wednesday, March 3, at 3:30 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.  At the forum Chancellor Casey will discuss campus plans to address the reallocation/reduction in state funding for Fiscal Year 2011.  Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend.

The University of Minnesota system is encouraging students, faculty, and staff to take part in the 2010 Census.  In mid-March, Census 2010 questionnaires will be sent to everyone at their home addresses, this includes college students living off campus.  Student Affairs and Residential Life will work with Census officials to gather accurate information for students living on campus.  Completing and returning these forms will help determine whether Minnesota receives its fair share of more than $400 billion in federal funding for colleges, universities, and more.  Participation in the census will also help Minnesota keep its eight congressional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Spring Semester Convocation is set for Thursday, March 4, at 12:15 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium.  Thomas Haarstick, Crookston Student Association President, will serve as master of ceremonies; Chancellor Charles Casey will recognize student academic achievement; and varsity coaches will recognize their respective teams and provide season updates.

Academic Affairs –

Lisa Leiran has been hired as a teaching specialist/online student support assistant in the Business Department.  Funded by online course fees, her position will assist with the development, teaching, and enhancement of the growing number of online courses and programs as well as work directly with student support.  She completed her undergraduate work and Minnesota State University, Moorhead, and she holds an M.B.A. degree from the University of Phoenix.  She will begin her responsibilities March 1, 2010.  

Student Affairs –

"Writing Women Back into History" is the theme of a series of events throughout the month of March commemorating Women's History Month. A screening of the movie "Iron Jawed Angels" on Tuesday, March 2, at 4 p.m. in the Evergreen Hall classroom will detail the story of the defiant young activists who put their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote.  On Monday, March 29, at 4 p.m. in Bede Ballroom guest speaker Peg Lonnquist, Ph.D., director of the Women's Center at the University of Minnesota, will present "How to be Outrageous," a discussion of the skills of women leaders.  A book discussion of Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, an autobiographical family history by Chinese writer Jung Chang, will be held Wednesday, March 31, at 3:30 p.m. in the Prairie Room in the Sargeant Student Center.  Learn more.

The musical "Leader of the Pack," a theater production based on the life and music of Ellie Greenwich, will be performed in Kiehle Auditorium Thursday through Sunday, March 4, 5, 6, 7.  Performances are scheduled each evening at 7:30 p.m.  Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under with a $15 maximum for families.   The play, which features popular music from the 1960s, is produced by the U of M, Crookston Theater Department, under the direction of Associate Professor George French, in conjunction with the Office of Diversity Programs, and sponsored by Concerts & Lectures.  Learn more.

Robert Cialdini, the second speaker in the spring 2010 series for the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), will appear via live webcast on Tuesday, March 9, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in Kiehle Auditorium.  More than 75 students have joined the U of M, Crookston’s NSLS chapter.  Interested faculty and staff members are invited to join these students to listen to Mr. Cialdini, whose two books, Science and Practice and Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, have together sold over a million copies in twenty languages.  These two top-sellers are the result of years of study into the reasons people act the way they do in business and other settings. 

International Programs -

The 2010 International Dinner Series continues on Monday, March 8 with the city of Dubai (United Arab Emirates), followed by Panama on Monday, March 22, and it culminates with the International Dinner Finale on Wednesday, March 31.  International students will share their favorite dishes and special presentations related to their home country during the series.  Dinner is served each evening at 6 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.  Tickets are available in advance only, $12 for an individual evening or $40 for the entire series.  Children’s tickets are available for $10 for an evening and $35 for the series.  Contact Rae French, coordinator of study abroad, at 218-281-8339 for tickets or more details.

Operations and Facilities -

A new website, www.umcrookston.edu/masterplan, has been established to host information regarding the U of M, Crookston Master Plan, which is being updated.  The Crookston Campus Master Plan establishes a framework to guide the evolution of the campus environment in support of the academic mission.  Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to review the information and provide feedback using the comment sheet available on the site.  Feedback should be provided by March 15, 2010, so it can be compiled and reviewed before the plan is finalized.  The goal is to present a finalized, updated plan for approval by the U of M Board of Regents in late spring/early summer 2010.

Development & Alumni Relations –

Nearly 100 people attended the annual NWSA-UMC Arizona Social, held Friday, February 19, in Mesa, Ariz. The social was hosted by Corby Kemmer, director, Development & Alumni Relations, and greetings were brought from Chancellor Casey and First Lady Barbara Muesing.

Approximately $20,000 was generated by faculty & staff members in support of the Faculty & Staff 2010 Fund Drive Challenge. Sincere thanks are offered to everyone who contributed.

Junior Derek Ricke, a sport and recreation management major from Menahga, Minn., has been hired by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations as an intern for this spring and summer 2010.  He will assist with the NWSA Reunion as well as with the planning and operation of summer Teambackers events.

University Relations –

University Relations has redesigned the campus main web page.  It may be previewed at www1.crk.umn.edu/index.php  before its official launch, set for March 3, 2010.  The purpose of the redesign is not only to offer a refreshed look and feel for the campus web presence, but also to better fit University of Minnesota’s system guidelines for websites.  Additionally, this new main web page will reside on the U of M system's servers in its content management system.  Thanks go to Amber Bailey for her work on developing this new design, and to Anders Berggren, systems administrator, for his help with various coding issues for the redesign. 

Athletics –

Two U of M, Crookston student-athletes attended the 2010 NCAA Division II Leadership Academy, held February 19-21 in Portland, Oregon, and funded by the NCAA.  Golden Eagles women's soccer player Jensen Crots, a freshman from Chesterton, Ind., and football player Cecil Brown, a freshman from Edison, Ga., attended.  The conference offers numerous educational sessions which impact the development and growth of student-athletes on campus and within their conference.  Participants gain a greater understanding of the NCAA, the Division II governance and legislation process, and the Division II National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Three U of M, Crookston student-athletes have been named to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Winter All-Academic Team:  men's basketball - Trent Graves, a sophomore from Hartford, S.D.; women's basketball - Megan Eul, a sophomore from Rosemount, Minn., and Bri Zabel, a junior from Northfield, Minn.  To be eligible for this honor, the student-athlete must be at least a sophomore and a member of the varsity traveling team, must have completed at least one full academic year at that institution, and must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. 

The Golden Eagles Baseball Team will hold a spaghetti feed fundraiser on Friday, March 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Eagles Club in Crookston, Minn.  Cost is $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for children ten and under. Additional plates of spaghetti can also be purchased for $2.00 more.  All proceed will go toward the University baseball program and its spring trips.  To purchase tickets or for more information, contact Head Baseball Coach Chris Vito at 218-281-8445 see any U of M, Crookston baseball player.

Campus & Community -

A group of thirty U of M, Crookston students will take part the upcoming Students Today Leaders Forever Pay It Forward Tour, which begins Friday, March 12.  Over a nine-day period, the students will travel by bus visiting six cities:  Duluth, Minn.; Kenosha, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Rochester, N.Y.; New Haven, Conn.; and finally Washington, D.C.  The Pay It Forward Tour is a multi-city experience that engages students in service and leadership, travel to and service in a new city each day, learning about social issues, building lasting relationships, and making a commitment to continued action when they return home.  Learn more.

The Regional Partnerships and Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute invite University research faculty and graduate post-graduate students to participate in the upcoming conference, Relocalizing our Foodshed: Models and Methodologies in Cross-Disciplinary Research.  The two-day symposium and workshop is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, March 15-16, in Coffman Memorial Union on the University’s Twin Cities Campus in Minneapolis.  The symposium will convene to discuss novel models and methodologies to meet public needs associated with redesigning our food system, with a special focus on foodshed analysis and food systems planning.  For more information and to register, visit www.regionalpartnerships.umn.edu or www.hfhl.umn.edu. 

Accolades

The U of M, Crookston has been named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service.  The honor is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.  Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. To learn more, visit www.learnandserve.gov/about/programs/higher_ed_honorroll.asp.

Publication notes:  The E-Update is published twice each month August through April and once each month May through July.
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If you have any questions regarding the information in this news update, please send them to urumc@umn.edu.

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