September 2, 2008

Inside this Issue

From the Chancellor
Featured Events & Activities
Around Campus

From the Chancellor

The return of faculty, staff and students over the past few weeks has brought renewed energy and enthusiasm to the University of Minnesota, Crookston Campus. That energy and enthusiasm was evident during the Orientation Convocation on Friday, August 22. Kiehle Auditorium was overflowing with new students, their parents, other family members and faculty and staff. It was a signature event for our campus.

Many people from several units are responsible for the success of this event. However, Sara Kaiser and Lisa Samuelson deserve special recognition for their efforts. My thanks to everyone who helped make this convocation so remarkable, including keynote speaker Kim Gillette, Ph.D., director of international programs, and all faculty and staff who took the time to show their support for our new students and their families.

During the week of August 18 – 22, new staff and faculty were recognized and welcomed. Several opportunities were provided to share campus and community resources with our new employees. We all look forward to the contributions these individuals will make to provide an exceptional student experience. It is a special time in the history of the University of Minnesota, Crookston to add so many quality individuals who will add strength and capacity to our academic and support units.

Our welcome to these individuals needs to continue throughout the year. Please continue to show them your support.

Official enrollment reports won’t be available for a couple of weeks. That said, our numbers look very good for fall semester. We will share the final total as soon as official numbers are available. It is especially encouraging to note the increases in average ACT scores and in high school rank percentile for our incoming freshmen. Enrolling better qualified and prepared students will help us achieve our graduation rate goals of 40% in four years, 50% in five years and 55% in six years. This is another example of a coordinated effort by many individuals and units across the campus to achieve positive results.

We will continue completion of facility improvements, distribution of laptop computers, implementation of the phone system and changes in dining services. In each area there is a commitment to exceptional organization and innovation to improve the campus experience.

I encourage everyone to continue to participate in campus and community events. At the August 28 Chamber of Commerce board meeting, I was pleased to hear board members mention the involvement of University of Minnesota, Crookston students, staff and faculty in the community. Working together benefits everyone.

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

Featured Events & Activities

UMC Athletics Crookston Community Day, Saturday, September 6 - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Parking Lot E north of Ed Widseth Field – tailgating, games for kids, and country band Four Wheel Drive

Admissions Campus Preview Day, Saturday, September 13 - 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., prospective new students and their families check in at the Northern Lights Lounge in the Student Center

Homecoming Week 2008, September 22 -27 – theme is Mardi Gras Madness

Athletic Hall of Fame and Outstanding Alumni Banquet, Friday, September 26 – 6 p.m. social, 6:30 p.m. dinner; 7 p.m. program, Bede Ballroom

Homecoming Bonfire and Pep Fest, Friday, September 26 – 9 p.m., corner of Parking Lot E and practice field

Homecoming Parade around the Mall, Saturday, September 27 – 10:30 a.m. – everyone is welcome

Naming Ceremony for Sargeant Student Center, Saturday, September 27 – 11:15 a.m. (immediately following Homecoming Parade), Northern Lights Lounge – the Student Center will be named in honor of Donald G. Sargeant, Ph.D., faculty member from 1970 to 2007, chancellor from 1985 to 2003

Teambacker Tailgating, Saturday, September 27 – 11:45 a.m., Parking Lot E, featuring live band Four Wheel Drive

Homecoming Football Game – 1 p.m., Ed Widseth Field, UMC Golden Eagles vs. Minnesota State University, Moorhead

For details on these and other events 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

After a competitive application process, the U of M, Crookston has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to serve as the official Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center for the state of Minnesota. As an EDA University Center, the Crookston campus will work with and provide applied research, technical assistance and other support to economic development professionals to strengthen the competitiveness and diversification of the economy throughout rural Minnesota. The grant is renewable for two additional years before returning to a competitive application process.

The Department of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will host a faculty and staff luncheon presentation and conversation with Wade Fauth, director of grant-making for the Blandin Foundation , Thursday, September 4.

Margot Rudstrom , Ph.D., has joined the faculty of the Agriculture Department as an assistant professor teaching agricultural business and economics. She holds a doctorate in agricultural economics from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. Most recently, Rudstrom served as an associate extension educator with University of Minnesota Extension at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris. Prior to her work there, she was an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management. Her research interests include dairy risk management, milk marketing, low input dairy systems, economics of compost barns and strategic planning.

Also joining the faculty of the Agriculture Department is ADawn Melbye , who will serve as an instructor for the equine science program. Melbye was most recently an agricultural education teacher at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, Minn. A 1997 graduate of the U of M, Crookston, Melbye double majored in equine industries management and animal industries management. She went on to complete her master's degree in agricultural education at the University of Minnesota in 2003.

New faculty member Katy Smith , Ph.D., assistant professor of biology in the Math, Science and Technology (MST) Department, earned her doctorate in environmental soil science from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Her undergraduate degree in biology is from the University of North Dakota. Smith most recently worked as a soil scientist for the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service at the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn, Ala. Her research interests include soil science, environmental science, soil-plant-atmosphere interactions and global environmental change.

Also new to the MST Department is Venugopal Mukku , Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry. He holds a doctorate from Andhra University in Visakhapatnam, India, and his master's and bachelor's degrees are from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in Prasanthi Nilayam, India. Most recently, Mukku was a v isiting assistant professor at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. From 2003 to 2006, he served as a faculty research associate at the Center for Cancer Research at Arizona State University in Tempe.

Student Affairs

College students from around the area will hone their outdoor skills at College Outdoor Skills Day Saturday, September 6, at the Red River Valley Natural History Area, located west of the Crookston campus, and at the Crookston Gun Club. Programs offered through this free event include fly-fish casting, target archery, rifle shooting, trap shooting, tracking and identification, and tree stand safety. The event is sponsored by the U of M, Crookston; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; West Polk Deer Hunters; Crookston Gun Club; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; Federal Cartridge; the U of M, Crookston Natural Resources Club; and the Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society. For more information or to register, contact Laura Bell ( lbell@umn.edu ), lab coordinator and naturalist, at 218-281-8131.

The Office of Residential Life's 21 Days to Success program, which takes place from September 15 through October 5, promotes healthy study habits based on research that repeating an activity for 21 days can create a new positive habit. The program's goal is to have residents collect “Regal Eagle Study Bucks,” distributed by residential life staff who “catch” students studying in the resident halls during the 21 days of the program. Each study buck represents an entry in a drawing where students could win prizes, including discounts to their housing bill. The program will culminate with a drawing on the evening of Monday, October 6, in the McCall Hall Coffee Cellar.

Finance & University Services

Renovation of Dowell Hall's third floor biology labs is near completion except for a few minor finishing touches and the testing and balancing report. Additional doors were added to Dowell 206 and 207 to comply with safety codes. The remodel of Dowell 207 is also now complete with new carpet, furniture and technology—including a wireless network and new smartboard technology. In Dowell Hall 116, the new business boardroom/classroom, all of the framing and most of the HVAC work is complete, and the carpet and some of the wood panels have been installed. The furniture was placed prior to August 26, enabling classes to be held as planned. Additional finishing work will continue this week after hours.

Development & Alumni Relations

We offer our sincere thanks to Donald Oss, Columbia, Missouri, for a second gift annuity commitment of $40,000 to the University of Minnesota, Crookston in memory of his late wife Wilma (Anderson) Oss , alumna of the Northwest School of Agriculture's class of 1948. Recently, during fiscal year 2008, Mr. Oss made a commitment of $50,000.

Faculty & Staff Fund Drive information will go out via campus mail this week. Please look for materials and consider even a small gift to help us attain our goal of 100% participation.

Please consider nominating an individual or individuals for the Torch & Shield Award , which recognizes those who have provided leadership and who have aided in the development of the U of M, Crookston, the Northwest Research and Outreach Center (NWROC) and/or University of Minnesota Extension in this region. It is the highest award an individual can receive from the campus. The Torch & Shield Awards Banquet is set for Wednesday, October 29, 2008. The nomination form is available online at www.umcrookston.edu/alumni/forms/torchshieldnomination.htm .

University Relations

Patti Tiedemann of UMC Printing and Design is spearheading efforts to produce the University of Minnesota, Crookston Cookbook , featuring recipes from faculty, staff and alumni. Proceeds from sales of the cookbook will support campus scholarships. This unique cookbook will be published in the spring of 2009. Any current or former faculty and staff as well as alumni from UMC and the Northwest School of Agriculture are encouraged to submit up to four of their favorite recipes. Send your recipes via e-mail to ptiedema@umn.edu .

Athletics

The Golden Eagles Women's Volleyball Team will host the Golden Eagle Invitational Volleyball Tournament September 5-6 in Lysaker Gymnasium. Teams scheduled to attend the invitational include Bemidji State University; University of South Dakota; MSU-Moorhead; Lake Superior State University; and University of Manitoba.

The Athletics Department will host Crookston Community Day Saturday, September 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Parking Lot E just north of Ed Widseth Field before the Golden Eagles Football Team plays the home opener against Mayville State University at 1 p.m. As part of the festivities the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) will host fun games and prizes for kids of all ages, and Teambackers will host tailgating and the performance of country band Four Wheel Drive . The Golden Eagles Women's Soccer Team will face the University of Wisconsin-Superior at 2 p.m. and the Golden Eagles Women's Volleyball Team will take on the University of South Dakota at 4 p.m. Earlier in the day the Widseth Scholarship Awards will be announced during a special 9 a.m. ceremony in Brown Dining Room in the Sahlstrom Conference Center. The Widseth Awards recognize athletic and scholastic achievement of incoming football players.

Matthew Erzar has been hired as the director of intramurals . He will also serve as the assistant coach for the men's baseball team. Intramural sports will begin September 8 with flag football and September 9 with soccer. For more information visit www.goldeneaglesports.com/intramurals .

Visit www.goldeneaglesports.com for schedules and cheer on the Golden Eagles.

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.