June 3, 2008

Inside this Issue

E-Update Earns High Marks
Events & Activities
New Student Orientation Starts August 22
SIFE Team Earns National Honors
Back Issues

From the Chancellor

It is with much sadness that the University of Minnesota, Crookston has learned of the passing of Stanley D. Sahlstrom, Ph.D., the “founding father” of the Crookston campus, where he served as provost from 1965-85. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues as he will be deeply missed by all.

Dr. Sahlstrom had a great passion for education and students. His enthusiasm for student achievement and success was a hallmark of his years as provost, and he never lost that zeal. He continued to connect with former students throughout their careers and made a point to visit them during his travels.

An ardent advocate for rural Minnesota, Dr. Sahlstrom was instrumental in laying the foundation for the Crookston campus. He is remembered for his vision, leadership and commitment to the campus, the community of Crookston, the region and the state. To learn more about Stanley Sahlstrom and his legacy, you can read the official statement released by the campus yesterday.

Budget News

The Minnesota Legislature agreed on a plan for a balanced budget when they adjourned on May 19. That plan includes a reduction of funds for the University of Minnesota. While the amount may seem small compared to the total University budget, it does affect the Crookston campus. We have been planning our budget for several months and are disappointed that some of the initiatives and investments we would like to make will be postponed until we have a better idea of the budget situation for the 2008-09 year.

Executive Retreat June 3-5

We will be holding our annual executive retreat this week, June 3-5, where we will discuss plans and priorities for 2008-09 and beyond. Under the theme “Creating an exceptional education and experience,” the leadership team will focus on reviewing progress over the past two to three years, improving campus climate and spurring cultural change, improving the student experience and financing the future. All topics reflect and build on the Strategic Positioning Report of November 2006. Our plan will be to engage in group discussions to develop strategies for the future, set benchmarks, develop measures for progress and assign leadership and timelines for reporting.

Other News

Registration of students for fall semester is going well, and we continue to be successful in recruiting new faculty to provide the academic leadership for students.

On May 30, we welcomed Vice President for University Services Kathleen O’Brien to campus along with Emergency Management Director Terry Cook and Sustainability Coordinator Amy Short. Several meetings were held to discuss emergency management plans, campus safety, sustainability issues, campus master planning and current facilities projects.

I’m pleased to announce that Associate Professor Harouna Maiga, Ph.D., will be recognized for North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture’s Teacher Fellow Award at the NACTA annual meeting in Logan, Utah, June 10-13. Instructor Terrill Bradford will also be receiving the NACTA Graduate Student Award at the same event. Professor Maiga and Instructor Bradford are examples of the exceptional faculty we have at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

I am also pleased that Andrew Svec has been named the new director of communications, public relations and marketing for the Crookston campus. Many of you know him from the 14 years he spent working on campus previously. Andrew will provide continued strategic leadership in this area as well as marketing management and counsel on external and internal communications as a member of the administrative team. He assumes his duties on June 12.

Again, I hope everyone has plans for some vacation time with family and friends over the next few months. I encourage you to take time to relax and renew yourself after the very busy academic year.

Chuck

– Charles H. Casey, Chancellor
University of Minnesota, Crookston  

Featured Events & Activities

Girl's Basketball: Shooting and Scoring Camp, June 10-12 – Former Gophers Kelly Roysland and Leslie Knight and Golden Eagle Jamie Zelinsky will be assisting players grades 7-12 and grades 3-6 in shooting techniques and a wide variety of drills. For more info or to register, review the brochure online. (PDF)

White Earth Reservation Academy of Math and Science Visit, June 16-17 – Some 60 students from the White Earth Reservation Academy of Math and Science will be on campus for programs taught by Crookston and Twin Cities campus faculty.

UMore Park Campus Forums, June 16-17– Learn more about UMore Park and Vermillion Highlands and help shape the future of the University properties. Coordinate campus communities are encouraged to participate June 16 at 10 a.m. and June 17 at 12:30 p.m. Details are online at http://www.umorepark.umn.edu/CampusForums.

West Polk County Relay for Life, June 20 – Help fight cancer by participating in the Relay for Life that starts at 6 p.m. on the Campus Mall. Contact Facilities Exec Administrative Specialist Michelle Ramstad at umlr005@umn.edu for more info.

Third Annual Game Design Camp, June 21- 28 – Students learn the fundamentals of game design, modeling and simulation and receive hands-on training on commercial game editors in an engaging workshop setting. Details online at http://www.UMCrookston.edu/camps/gamedesign.

Northwest School of Agriculture Alumni Reunion, June 27-28 – Welcome back alumni from the residential high school located on the campus from 1906-1968. Reunion highlights include a fish fry, an historic video program, music by the Fall Creek Quartet and the Top Aggie Awards ceremony. For more info, contact Rose Ulseth at 218-281-8439 (rulseth@umn.edu).

We look forward to seeing you. For more details or to discover what's happening this week, visit UMC Today at www.UMCrookston.edu/umcnews or review our news page at www.UMCrookston.edu/umcnews/stories.

Around Campus

Academic Affairs – An online degree program in Applied Studies for delivery as early as Spring 2009 was recently forwarded to the U of M administration for review and consideration by the Board of Regents.

The Center for Adult Learning held its annual College in the High School workshop for partner faculty and administrators on June 2.

A vendor award for delivery and maintenance of the new round of laptop computers for the Crookston campus has been forwarded to the Board of Regents for consideration.

Student Affairs and Enrollment – Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) placed third in their league at the SIFE National Exposition in Chicago, Ill., in May. Congratulations to the team members for setting this new level of competitive achievement on the Crookston campus. News Release

Good progress is being made toward meeting enrollment goals for Fall 2008, however we need to keep working hard to achieve them. Faculty and staff will continue assisting new students with registration throughout the summer, with two large registration dates scheduled for June 9 and 20. Admissions would like to thank all the faculty advisors and staff who assisted with April and May registration dates. The personalization created a very positive experience for new incoming students.

New student orientation will begin on Friday, August 22, and run through Monday, August 25. New students and their parents will be on campus beginning at 8 a.m. on August 22. Volunteers are needed to help with check-in. Orientation Convocation is scheduled for Friday, August 22, in Kiehle Auditorium at 3:45 p.m. and all faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. For more info, contact First-Year Experience Coordinator Sara Kaiser at kais0067@umn.edu.

Online enrollment for summer is projected to be up 20 percent over last summer. The summer term began on June 2.

Finance & University Services – Upgrades to Dowell Hall labs and the Business Department Conference Room are currently underway.

Development & Alumni Relations – Special thanks go out to the U of M, Crookston Teambackers for making a recent donation of $20,000 in support of student-athlete scholarships.

Our appreciation also goes out to individuals who made contributions to the Northwest Educational Improvement Association (NWEIA) this spring. Please consider making a donation in 2008-09.

A reminder ... June 27 and 28 is the Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) reunion on campus and we are expecting a great turnout. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to attend and help make them feel at home. Contact Rose Ulseth at 218-281-8439 (rulseth@umn.edu) to register.

Save the dates for golf this summer and help raise funds to support student-athletes. For more details or to sign up, contact Director of Athletic Fundraising Bill Tyrrell at 218-281-8436 (btyrrell@umn.edu).

June 26 – Golden Eagles Texas Scramble/Mark Olsonawski Golf Tournament at Two River Golf Club, Hallock, Minn. Registration 10 a.m.
July10 – Heart of the Valley Golf Tournament, Ada, Minn.
July 19 – 18hh Annual Golf Classic at Minakwa Golf Club, Crookston. Registration 10 a.m.

Thank you to alumni, friends and donors for your continued commitment in support of the University of Minnesota, Crookston! For more information on giving, please contact Corby Kemmer, director of Development & Alumni Relations at 1-800-862-6466 x8434; 218-281-8434; ckemmer@umn.edu.

University Relations – The Campus E-Update is a hit, according to survey results that indicate it is a valuable resource that strengthens campus communications and the campus community supports dedicating resources to produce the e-newsletter. Thank you to the more than 100 individuals who took the time to respond. Highlights include the following:

1) Usage – Nearly 70 percent of respondents read/review it “frequently” or “always.” Add in “occasionally,” and the total moves to 94 percent.

2) Sharing – Nearly 25 percent forward the E-Update to other external audiences, “occasionally” (15 percent), “always” (8 percent) or “frequently” (2 percent).

3) Value – 60 percent find the information of value “frequently” or “always.” Add in “occasionally,” and the total is up to 91 percent.

4) Most Valuable – Respondents indicated that “all” and “news From the Chancellor” were the top two categories.

5) Commit Resources – 93 percent indicated the campus should continue to produce the E-Update. A majority (55.4 percent) indicated that the same frequency was appropriate, while one time per month came in a close second.

Short, marketable Web addresses have been created for academic departments and degree programs to support marketing efforts. Contact E-Communications Manager Amber Bailey for the new addresses at albailey@umn.edu.

Visit us on YouTube at http://youtube.com/user/UMCGoldenEagles. Communications Assistant and student Stephanie Onken established the site late spring semester 2008 and plans to showcase more about campus life in the new academic year.

We are excited to welcome back former Crookston campus staff member Andrew Svec as the new director of communications. He joins campus on June 12. Director of Communications Krista Lemos leaves the campus community on June 13 for a new endeavor in Beijing, China.

Athletics – The Golden Eagle Athletic Department held a day-long staff retreat May 29 to focus on NCAA Division II attributes, graduation rates, recruiting, retention, academic advising, community engagement, financing the future of Golden Eagle Athletics and the culture of our athletic programs. The morning of the retreat featured Greg Dale, Ph.D., a professor of Sport Psychology and Sport Ethics at Duke University, who spoke on building a championship culture.

Athletic Director Stephanie Helgeson, along with Bill Tyrrell and Cory Kemmer, will be attending the 15th Annual National Association for Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) Convention, June 9-15 in Dallas, Tex.

Assist. Director Natasha Kuhle will be attending the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators conference “NACWAA/HERS” June 7-12 in Atlanta, Ga. This is a week-long intensive management training program designed for coaches and administrators in intercollegiate athletic administration.

Golden Eagle summer camps are just around the corner, so don’t miss out. For details, visit http://www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Publication notes: The E-Update is published twice each month August thru April and once each month in the summer, May thru July. Issues are posted online.

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