December 15, 2008

Inside this Issue

From the Chancellor
Featured Events & Activities
Around Campus

From the Chancellor

Last week Dr. Baldwin and I attended the December Board of Regents meeting. There were no specific items on the agenda for the University of Minnesota, Crookston. However, there was a major presentation by Dr. Thomas Stinson, state economist, regarding the state budget situation for 2009-2011.

Dr. Stinson presented a troubling economic forecast that will surely impact the University of Minnesota and ultimately the Crookston campus. His forecast projects a deficit in the 2008-2009 year of $426 million. The expected budget shortfall for the 2009-2011 period is $4.8 billion. It’s possible the University may be retrenched to help address the $426 million shortfall for this year. The major concern will be the impact during the next two years.

Governor Pawlenty will give his state of the state address in January, and there will be another budget forecast in February. We will know more about the impact on the University at that time. In the meantime, several actions are already in place to reduce costs including a hiring pause, a freeze on some administrative salaries, and many cost reductions.

The Regents approved an additional request of $35 million for HEAPR projects and $39.5 million for the Bell Museum of Natural History. If the HEAPR request is funded, it will provide funding for additional projects on the Crookston campus.

This week the campus is focused on final exams. Some were rescheduled on Monday due to the storm over the weekend. Best wishes to students for success in their exams. They are looking forward to the semester break and spending time with family and friends during the Christmas and New Year season. Classes will resume on Monday, January 12.

Faculty and staff continue their work on campus and enjoy the semester break and holiday season. I want to extend my appreciation to everyone on campus for a successful semester. I hope all will enjoy the holiday season with family and friends and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

- Chuck

Charles H. Casey, Chancellor
University of Minnesota, Crookston

Featured Events & Activities

Finals Week, Monday, December 15 through Thursday, December 18

Faculty and Staff Holiday Get Together, Thursday, December 18 – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

New Student Registration Day, Friday, December 19 - 12:30 to 5 p.m., Northern Lights Lounge (check in), Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Holiday Break, Thursday, December 25, & Friday, December 26 – campus offices closed, no classes

U of M, Crookston Goes Tobacco-Free, Thursday, January 1, 2009

Holiday Break, Thursday, January 1, 2009, & Friday, January 2 – campus offices closed, no classes

Spring Semester 2009 Classes Begin, Monday, January 12

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 19 – campus offices closed, no classes

Ag-Arama, Friday, January 30, 2009, & Saturday, January 31

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

Administrative Affairs –

The annual Faculty and Staff Holiday Get Together will be held Thursday, December 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bede Ballroom.  All faculty and staff are invited, including everyone from the University of Minnesota, Crookston, the Crookston Regional Extension Office, the Northwest Research and Outreach Center, and the Area Health Education Center.  A buffet lunch featuring lasagna will be served, and door prizes will be awarded.  Attendees are encouraged to bring holiday treats for the pot luck dessert table as well as a gift for the “white elephant” gift exchange.

Reminder:  The U of M, Crookston goes tobacco-free January 1, 2009. Learn more.  Students, faculty, and staff who would like information on cessation resources may contact Laurie Wilson, 281-8587; Vicki Svedarsky, 281-8583; or Stacey Grunewald, 281-8512.

Academic Affairs –

Brian Dingmann, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, was one of four U of M faculty and staff members who traveled to Norway and Denmark November 15-23 to complete site visits of prospective study abroad locations. He was particularly interested in investigating program opportunities for students interested in biology and health sciences.  The delegation visited the Norwegian University of the Life Sciences in Aas, Norway; the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway; and the Danish Institute of Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Lisa Loegering, program associate for service learning, was part of a similar delegation that visited the Dominican Republic in late October.  Participants in the curriculum integration site visit program gain a better understanding of the various programs and experience the academic climate and local culture in which students are immersed during study abroad.  Financial support for these site visits is made possible by the University of Minnesota’s Office of International Programs and the Learning Abroad Center.

UMC students majoring in biology and health sciences recently presented anatomy and physiology-themed activities, under the direction of Pam Elf, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, to local middle schoolers in Crookston and Fisher, Minn.  These activities were supported through grants awarded to the Northwest Minnesota Area Health Education Center (AHEC).  The collaboration with AHEC, located at RiverView Health in Crookston, allowed the college students to learn through teaching activities that demonstrated neural sensation, blood pressure and heart rate, respiration, and pharmacology, among other topics.  The student teaching experiences took place November 25 in Crookston and December 4 in Fisher.  Additional sessions are being planned for early 2009.

The U of M, Crookston’s Agriculture Department recently signed articulation agreements with Minnesota State Community and Technical College (MSCTC) in Fergus Falls and with Minnesota West Community and Technical College (MWCTC) in Worthington. Following the plan of the respective agreements, students at MSCTC in Fergus Falls may transfer to UMC and apply their completed academic work toward a bachelor of science degree in equine science. Similarly, students attending MWCTC in Worthington complete preliminary academic work and may then transfer to UMC’s program in ag systems management, renewable energy and bio-fuels technology emphasis.

Nine student research projects have been submitted and funded by the U of M, Crookston’s Office of Academic Affairs (listed below by student(s), project, faculty/staff sponsor(s)):

• John Babin, Jr., Ramon Held, Michael Schliep, Robotics Research, Design, Building, and Programming, Martin Lundell
• Britta Berglund, Graduate Information Research Project, Eric Burgess & Kenneth Johnson
• John Boucha, Rich Internet Applications, David DeMuth
• Justin DeValk, Extra Solar Planet Research, Tricia Johnson
• Jarrod Lanctot, Maya 3D Design Research and Educational Learning Applications Building on Previous Work Using CS3 Flash, David DeMuth
• Tamara Luna, Root O2 Release Survey, Katy Smith
• Brian Pauly, Detection and Landscape Configuration of Greater Prairie Chicken Leks in Northwestern Minnesota, John Loegering
• Christine Radintz, Market Analysis of an Online Agricultural Degree, Charles Lariviere
• Ryan Worstall, Hydro Energy Storage System, David DeMuth, Dan Svedarsky

Three additional projects have been submitted to the University of Minnesota Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and are awaiting word of approval and funding. 

• Lhakpa Gurung, Teachers' and Administrators' Perceptions of In-Service Training Needs on Parent Involvement in the Public School Systems, Soo-Yin Lim-Thompson
• Thomas Haarstick, Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) as a Fuel Source in Agricultural Operations, Paul Aakre
• Jill Leoni, Alcoholic Beverage Dispensing Accuracy and Consistency, Ken Myers

Student Affairs –

Donna Johnson is the new director of Disability Services in the Office for Equity and Diversity on the Twin Cities campus.  She had previously been a colleague at the U of M in Disability Services and returns with a record of having created and maintained strong, collaborative relationships with those working on behalf of faculty, staff, students, and guests with disabilities. There is a strong past history of Disability Services working with the U of M, Crookston as a resource and collaborator.  Faculty and staff who have questions or concerns or who would like to explore issues of services and accommodations for people with disabilities should contact Laurie Wilson on the Crookston campus, and she will facilitate introductions and referrals.

Finance & University Services -

Finishing touches continue in the new Business Boardroom/Classroom, Dowell 116.  Inside cabinet and closet doors and a glass panel door have been hung; the decorative acoustic panel at the front of the room has been installed; and the platform in the display window will be built over the semester break.  A grand opening and dedication event is being planned, with the date likely to be in February 2009.p>

Development & Alumni Relations –

The second annual Women’s Holiday Social and Silent Auction, held Tuesday, December 2, raised $2,600 for women’s scholarships. More than 100 University and local women gathered to celebrate the holiday season, enjoy refreshments, and connect with friends of the University. 

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations offers its sincere gratitude to all alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and supporters of the University of Minnesota, Crookston and best wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season and new year!

University Relations –

Beginning January 1, 2009, the U of M, Crookston’s “Small Campus. Big Degree.” message will be featured on a lighted billboard located on the right side of the northbound lane of U.S. Highway 10 near the small town of Cushing, between Little Falls and Motley, Minn.

Athletics –

On December 8, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) named Bri Zabel, a sophomore from Northfield, Minn., the NSIC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.  Zabel earned the recognition for her conference play on December 5 against the University of Minnesota, Duluth and December 6 against Bemidji State University.  She helped the Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball Team win both games and start the season with a 2-0 conference record.

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

Accolades

Jack Geller, Ph.D., professor and department head, Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Department, has begun serving as a regular contributor to Prairie Business Magazine.  He is the author of two articles in the current issue, “Let’s Stop Blaming ‘Foreign’ Oil,” a commentary about oil dependency, and “The Four Rural Minnesotas,” which outlines a typology of the diverse regional demographic and economic challenges throughout rural Minnesota. The articles appear in the December 2008 issue, available online.

Alvin Killough, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, gave the keynote address at the fifth annual African World AIDS Day on Saturday, December 6, at South High School in Minneapolis, Minn.  He has long advocated for underserved and understudied populations through his scholarly research and public speaking engagements.

Two proposals for presentations submitted by Ken Myers, M.S., associate professor of hotel, restaurant and institutional management, have been accepted by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (CHRIE) for its Rocky Mountain Regional Conference, scheduled for February 13-14, 2009, in Denver, Colorado.  He will present “Educators as Collaborative Classroom Research Partners Promoting Student Collaborative Learning” and “Situational Learning or Assessing and Developing Student Skills in Synthesizing Information from an On-the-Job Situation and Reflective Problem Solving.”

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.