March 9, 2009

Inside this Issue

From the Chancellor
Featured Events & Activities
Around Campus
Accolades

From the Chancellor

On March 3 the state of Minnesota released its latest budget forecast, which continues to show a decline in state revenues for the 2009-2011 budget period.  While the forecast anticipates a larger deficit, the receipt of federal stimulus dollars actually reduces the overall deficit for the 2009-2011 period as compared to the November forecast.  The Governor’s budget planning will now be based on an overall deficit of $4.57 Million that is $280 Million less than the November forecast.

Legislative committees have been meeting and will be preparing their own budget plans.  Most expect they will have some difficulty in coming to agreement with the Governor’s recommendations on a number of issues.

President Bruininks acknowledges the University of Minnesota must be a part of the solution to the budget deficit while at the same time stressing the need to keep the cuts below the Governor’s recommendation.

On the Crookston campus we continue to work toward our own budget solutions.  Many of the ideas and suggestions to be considered have come from administrators, faculty, staff, and students.  Currently we have identified some reductions including:

1) $200,000 reduction in senior administration positions
2) $75,000 reduction by shifting positions to auxiliary budgets
3) $60-75,000 reduction in short-term positions

Many ideas are being reviewed, and a plan will be finalized over the next four weeks.

One result of the elimination of the vice chancellor for finance position is the appointment of Tricia Sanders as director of finance.  Through a University review of job classifications, Tricia’s current position was determined to be consistent with the responsibilities of director of finance.  Beginning March 16, she will move into that position on a permanent basis.  I’m confident she will continue to provide leadership for the Business Office and budget development.

Barbara Ricord, the administrative assistant in my office, has chosen to accept the retirement incentive option offered by the University last year.  She will retire June 5 of this year.  I have appointed a small search committee of Dr. Bob Nelson, registrar (chair); Lynette Mullins, assistant professor, Arts Humanities and Social Science Department; and Barbara Ricord to begin the search to fill this position.  We will recognize Barbara’s many accomplishments and years of service to the University prior to her retirement.

I want to thank Dakota State University Vice President for Academic Affairs Cecelia Wittmayer and Director of Assessment Carrie Ahern for presenting information on their experience with the AQUIP (Academic Quality Improvement Program).  They met with several groups on campus last week, gave a presentation about AQIP, and responded to questions from a large group of faculty and staff.

– Chuck

Charles H. Casey, Chancellor
University of Minnesota, Crookston

Featured Events & Activities

Section 8A High School Basketball Tournaments, Monday, March 9 – 4 to 10 p.m., Lysaker Gym, Sports Center

International Dinner Series: Eritrea, Monday, March 9 – 6 p.m., Bede Ballroom, advance tickets only, $12 per person, Contact Rae French, 218-281-8339

“Isis Speaks” Performance by National Poetry Slam Champion, Wednesday, March 11 – 7 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium, free and open to the public

GLBTA Information Sessions, Thursday, March 12 – 1 to 5 p.m., Minnesota Room, Sargeant Student Center

Section 8A High School Basketball Tournaments, Thursday, March 12 – 5:30 to 10 p.m., Lysaker Gym, Sports Center

Spring Break, Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20 – no classes in session

Career Day 2009, Sponsored by the Crookston Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, Tuesday, March 17 – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Kiehle Auditorium, Classrooms in Dowell Hall, Hill Hall, Owen Hall

River Watch Forum, Wednesday, March 18 – registration starts at 8:30 a.m., program from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

High School Knowledge Bowl, Thursday, March 19 – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Kiehle 116, Kiehle Auditorium, Centennial 1108, Brown D

International Dinner Series: Caribbean Countries of Jamaica and St. Kitts, Monday, March 23 – 6 p.m., Bede Ballroom, advance tickets only, $12 per person, Contact Rae French, 218-281-8339

Skywarn Training by Polk County Emergency Management, Monday, March 23 – Basic Class 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., Advanced Class 8:15 to 9:30 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium, free and open to the public

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 –

Chancellor Casey will host an open forum question and answer session on Thursday, March 19, from noon to 2 p.m. in Youngquist Auditorium of the Agricultural Research Center.  Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend and ask questions on any and all aspects of the University. 

Academic Affairs –

A retreat focusing on curriculum integration—the integration of learning abroad into the curriculum—is scheduled for March 30 on the Duluth campus.  To register, go to www.umabroad.umn.edu/ci/resources/activities.html; registration deadline is March 13.  In addition to presentations by colleagues, the keynote speaker will be Meredith McQuaid, associate vice president for international programs on the Twin Cities campus, and the annual report on the University’s progress toward study abroad goals will be presented.  For more information, please contact Kim Gillette, director of international programs on the Crookston campus.

Student Affairs –

The GLBTA Programs Office will host a series of information sessions by the Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance, made possible by a grant from PFund.  Four one-hour sessions will be offered Thursday, March 12: 1 p.m. - What is an Ally?; 2 p.m. - How to teach others to be Allies; 3 p.m. - Gender 101; 4 p.m. - Transgender Identities.  Sessions will be held in the Minnesota Room, Sargeant Student Center.  All interested faculty and staff are welcome.  Contact Kim Jorgensen, GLTBA Programs Coordinator, with questions.

A group of 78 students and staff traveled to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul Wednesday, February 25, to advocate for legislative support of higher education funding for the University of Minnesota at “Support the U Day.”  Together, nearly 300 students, faculty, and staff from all five campuses of the U of M filled the capitol rotunda for a spirited rally.  The group from Crookston then met with State Senator LeRoy Stumpf and State Representative Dave Olin before heading back to campus. Learn more.

Andy Furco, associate vice president for public engagement at the University of Minnesota, visited the Crookston campus Tuesday, March 3.  While on campus he met with Chancellor Casey, department chairs, student affairs staff, and community partners.  He also took part in a student engagement dialogue with faculty, staff, and students to discuss the online student engagement planner, which has been implemented for the other U of M campuses and will soon be launched for the Crookston campus.

Finance & University Services -

Dining Services and the Eagles Nest will be closed the week of Spring Break, Sat., March 14 through Sunday, March 22.   Both will open for breakfast on Monday, March 23.

Final framing, window installation, brick facing, interior plumbing, and electrical work are all progressing for the new apartment-style residence hall.  The project is on schedule and on budget. 

Students who plan to graduate this spring have the option to take ownership of a campus-issued laptop computer after successfully completing all academic graduation requirements, following the required procedures, and providing a fifty dollar donation to the U of M, Crookston Alumni Association.  The program is specifically intended for graduating students who have consistently participated in the laptop computer program and have paid the full technology fee each term of attendance.  Additional information will be sent to students eligible for spring 2009 graduation.  Questions should be directed to the Computer Help Desk in Kiehle Building.

Development & Alumni Relations –

The annual request letter from Northwest Educational Improvement Association (NWEIA) President, Charles Larson, should be sent next week.  Faculty, staff and friends of the U of M, Crookston are asked to please consider making a contribution to this important group, which financially supports the Crookston campus in numerous ways.

Alumnus Richard (Dick) Hebert, ’68, will be a special guest on campus Tuesday, March 24.

Lawrence Breen, Northwest School of Agriculture Class of 1944, recently made an unrestricted gift of $22,000 to the U of M, Crookston.  The Office of Development & Alumni Relations offers its sincere gratitude to Mr. Breen for this generous gift.

The first-ever Valentine Gala at the U of M, Crookston raised $2,000 for student scholarships. More than 70 community members gathered to celebrate Valentine’s Day, enjoy dinner and dancing, and connect with friends of the University.

University Relations –

The U of M, Crookston is now on Twitter, a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send and receive updates from other users.  The updates are limited to 140 characters.  When the U of M, Crookston updates with a news item, followers receive the "tweet" and can keep up with important updates and information. Check it out by visiting http://twitter.com/UMCrookston.

Athletics –

Richard Jones has been named the new women’s soccer coach.  Jones comes to the U of M, Crookston after most recently serving as the girls’ director of coaching for the Westfield Youth Soccer Association in Westfield, Ind. His responsibilities included oversight and coaching of all the travel teams.  He also served as an Indiana Olympic Development Program (ODP) staff coach and a coaching education instructor with Indiana Youth Soccer.  During his time with Indiana ODP, his teams won the 2007 ODP Region II Championship and the 2008 ODP National Championship.

Seven members of the Golden Eagles Men’s Hockey Team have earned Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA) All-Academic Honors for the 2008-09 season:  Martin Husicka, a sophomore from Vsetin, Czech Republic; Fred Kooser a junior from Omaha, Neb.; Matt Marchel a junior from Grand Forks, N.D.; Jacob Osland a senior from Mayville, N.D.; Ben Sullivan, a sophomore from Crookston, Minn.; Brent Swanson, a junior from Mason City, Iowa; and Nick Sylvester, a sophomore from Crookston, Minn.

Jamie Zelinsky, a sophomore from Brooklyn Park, Minn., and member of the Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball Team, earned NSIC All-Conference Second Team honors for her play during the 2008-09 season. Zelinsky started in 26 of 27 games during the season and ranks sixth all-time in scoring at the U of M, Crookston with 858 points through two seasons.

The Hunt Seat Equestrian Team ended the regular season as the number two team in the region and took home the Reserve High Point Team Award at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Regionals in River Falls, Wis., March 1.  Lindy Hausauer, a senior from Moorhead, Minn., captured Reserve Champion in Walk Trot Canter and qualified for the Zone Nine Championships set for March 29 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Western Equestrian Team finished its season as Team Champion and will compete in the team competition at the IHSA Western Semifinals in Findlay, Ohio, March 21-22. Two individual riders will also compete in their individual classes at the event.  Amanda Peterson, a junior from Rochester, Minn., advanced in Open Reining, and Mary Hurley, a sophomore from Grand Meadow, Minn., earned Reserve Champion and will compete in Advanced Horsemanship.

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

Campus & Local Community –

Approximately 200 regional students will showcase results from their river/stream monitoring efforts and will demonstrate their enthusiasm and knowledge of their local watersheds during the annual River Watch Forum, Wednesday, March 18, in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.  Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., with program from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Currently 34 schools—27 in Minnesota, 7 in North Dakota, and 3 in Manitoba—take part in the Red River of the North basin-wide River Watch Monitoring Program.

The Crookston Chamber of Commerce Education Committee will sponsor Career Day 2009, Tuesday, March 17.  More than 300 regional high school juniors will come to campus to learn about different careers from local professionals.  The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and features sessions in Bede Ballroom, Kiehle Auditorium, Sargeant Student Center, and classrooms in Dowell Hall, Hill Hall, and Owen Hall.

Accolades

An article co-authored by Venugopal Mukku, Ph.D., assistant professor, chemistry, has been published in the Journal of Natural Products published jointly by the American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy.  An abstract of the article “Antineoplastic Agents. 570. Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Bacillistatins 1 and 2 from a Marine Bacillus silvestris” is available online.

Leanne Butt, bookstore manager, was the recipient of a 2009 Exceptional Service Award as part of the University of Minnesota’s Auxiliary Services “Great Service Week” February 16-20.  She was recognized for her customer service work on the Crookston campus.

A group of hotel, restaurant, and institutional management students attended the Upper Midwest Foodservice & Lodging Show in Minneapolis, Minn., February 23-24.  The students took part in tours, info booths, and seminars related to the hospitality industry.  Those attending included Monica Grenell, Manish Kharel, Amber Meyer, Bobbie Jo Neubauer, Victor Obisakin, Mara Potthier, Monica Sevigny, and Shelton Derisma.

Natural resources students Erick Elgin and Chris Waltz were interviewed by Terry Dullum on the 5 p.m. WDAZ TV newscast Thursday, March 5.  The two students discussed their involvement in and leadership on issues related to sustainability on the Crookston campus, including their grassroots efforts to have the new residence hall Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. 

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.