April 20, 2009

Inside this Issue

From the Chancellor
Featured Events & Activities
Around Campus

From the Chancellor

Senior Vice President Robert Jones was on campus Thursday, April 16, to meet with students, staff, and faculty groups.  He also spoke at Campus Assembly and met with faculty and staff from the Northwest Research and Outreach Center, Extension, NW Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Area Health Education Center, and AURI.  Dr. Jones will be back on campus on May 9 for graduation and will be the commencement speaker.

President Bruininks was scheduled to travel with Vice President Jones, but he was unable to attend due to the death of a close friend and longtime supporter of the University of Minnesota.  However, the President was available by web stream to discuss current issues with department heads, faculty, staff, and students.  The President’s schedule for the rest of the academic year is very full, but he will schedule a visit to the campus in the next year.

Budget issues continue to remain a priority across the University of Minnesota.  Legislative committees are beginning to make recommendations on budget allocations for the University.  Government Relations Associate Vice President Donna Peterson provides weekly updates on the legislative process that can help with following the work of the committees.  Refer to www.umn.edu/urelate/govrel/updates.html.   

This coming week the All College Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 21, and University Services Vice President Kathleen O’Brien will visit campus Friday, April 24. 

At the spring meeting of the Advisory Committee we will welcome two new members:  Crookston Mayor Dave Genereux and Crookston Chamber of Commerce CEO Lori Wagner.  We will also recognize Tom Jorgens, who is leaving the committee after 24 years of service.

Vice President O’Brien will be joined by University Sustainability Coordinator Amy Short.  During their visit they will present information on the University Sustainability Goals.  The schedule of the day is available at  www.umcrookston.edu/umcnews/stories/story1649.html. 

Dr. Dan Svedarsky is beginning his transition as the Crookston Campus Sustainability Coordinator.  Associate Professor Martin Lundell is assisting with that transition.

Beautiful U Day activities will be held on Friday, April 24.

We continue to have meetings and discussions regarding the merger of the Natural Resources Department and the Agriculture Department.  Several issues including schedules, teaching assignments, budgets, and administrative support are being addressed.

– Chuck

Charles H. Casey, Chancellor
University of Minnesota, Crookston

Featured Events & Activities

Annual Athletics Awards Program, Monday, April 20 – 6 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium

Student Support Services Awards Banquet, Monday, April 20 – 6:30 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center, guests by invitation

Public Engagement Day, Tuesday, April 21 – 9 to 11 a.m., community dialogue, 116 Kiehle Building

All Campus Advisory Committee Meeting, Tuesday, April 21 – 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Heritage Room, Kiehle Building

Speaker: Robyn Ochs, “Crossing Lines: Identity and the Sexuality Spectrum,” Wednesday, April 22 - 7 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Speaker:  Richard Strong, Center for Sustainable Design, “Sustainable Building Design,” Wednesday, April 22 - 7 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium

Annual Student Awards Program, Thursday, April 23 – 6 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium

Third Annual Walk with Bill for Athletic Scholarships (walk-a-thon), Thursday, April 23 - 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Ed Widseth Field

Beautiful U Day Friday, April 24

Open Forum:  University of Minnesota Sustainability Goals and Performance Measures, Friday, April 24 – 10 a.m. to Noon, Youngquist Auditorium, Agricultural Research Center

Speaker:  Patrick Welle, Bemidji State University, “Sustainability Makes Good Economic Sense,” Friday, April 24 – 1 p.m., Youngquist Auditorium, ARC

Teambacker Fun Nite, Friday, April 24 – 6 p.m. social, 6:30 p.m. dinner, 7:30 p.m. games, Crookston Eagles Club, tickets are $50 per person

Music Department Spring Concert, Sunday, April 26 – 2 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium.

Appreciation Barbeque for U of M, Crookston Sandbaggers, Tuesday, April 28 – Noon to 2 p.m., Peterson Gazebo, UMC Mall (rain site: Brown Dining Room)

Communication Program 5th Anniversary Celebration, Tuesday, April 28 – Noon to 2 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Thursday Commons Speaker:  Juan Moreno, Minnesota Extension, “Intercultural Development,” Thursday, April 30 – Noon to 2 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Retirement Reception for Barbara Ricord and Barney Selzler, Thursday, April 30 – 3 to 5 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

FAA Safety Team Speakers:  Dan Riddle, National Weather Service, and Jim Niehoff, FAA Safety Team, Thursday, April 30 – 7 p.m., Youngquist Auditorium, ARC

Commencement, Saturday, May 9 – 11 a.m. reception in Sargeant Student Center, 2 p.m., ceremony in Lysaker Gym

Faculty and Staff Celebration and Awards Program, Monday, May 11 – 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Bede Ballroom

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 –

Kathleen O’Brien, Ph.D., the University of Minnesota’s vice president for university services, and Amy Short, U of M sustainability coordinator, will visit the Crookston campus Friday, April 24.  The day’s itinerary includes meetings with the U of M, Crookston Facilities Committee to discuss master planning and with the UMC Sustainability Committee to discuss the status of sustainability efforts.  At 10 a.m. in Youngquist Auditorium, they will lead a campus forum on the U of M’s sustainability goals and performance measures.  Students, staff, faculty and the public are invited to attend the forum and provide feedback on proposed sustainability goals.

Juan Moreno, program director, Minnesota Extension Service, Human Resources, will present an intercultural development workshop for faculty and staff Thursday, April 30, from Noon to 2 p.m. in Bede Ballroom.  As part of the workshop, results from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) will be discussed.  All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

A reception for Barbara Ricord, assistant to the chancellor, and Barney Selzler, Ed.D., professor, communication, who are both retiring, will be held Thursday, March 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Bede Ballroom.  All students, staff, and faculty members as well as retirees are invited. Bobby Holder, Ph.D., associate professor, soils, will be retiring also, but he will not be able to attend the reception.  Anyone wishing to contribute money toward gifts for any of the honorees should contact Amy Lubarski at 218-281-8101.

Academic Affairs –

Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends are invited to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Communication Program in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Department at a reception Tuesday, April 28, from Noon to 2 p.m in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.  Guests will have an opportunity to visit with communication faculty members and students.  Refreshments will be served.  The event is sponsored by students enrolled in Assistant Professor Kevin Thompson’s public relations class and by the Communication Club.

Student Affairs –

Elections for the Crookston Student Association (CSA) were held Thursday, April 16.  The student body elected Thomas Haarstick to serve as CSA president for the 2009-2010 academic year, Alyssa Jensen to serve as vice president, and Shawn E. Friedland to serve as secretary.  Five student senators were also elected:  Thomas Melhorn, Eun Hye “Halie” Kang, Athena Mussenden, Karl Syverson, and Lhakpa Gurung. Elections for additional student senators will take place this coming fall.

The Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD) will sponsor a series of activities during Sustainability Week, April 20-24. A theme will highlight each day, and a booth located in Sargeant Student Center will feature educational materials surrounding the theme of the day.  Among other events, the group will sponsor two guest speakers.  Richard Strong, M.S., of the Center for Sustainable Design at the University of Minnesota, will discuss sustainable building design on Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium.  Patrick Welle, Ph.D., professor of economics and environmental standards at Bemidji State University, will present “Sustainability Makes Good Economic Sense” Friday, April 24, at 1 p.m. in Youngquist Auditorium.  See a full schedule of events and activities.

Robyn Ochs, bisexual speaker, teacher, writer, and activist, will lead a workshop entitled “Challenging Homophobia” Wednesday, April 22, at 2 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.  This interactive and thought-provoking workshop will help answer questions, and then organize participants’ shared knowledge into tools and tactics for intervening against homophobia.  That evening Ochs will present a keynote lecture, “Crossing Lines: Identity and the Sexuality Spectrum,” at 7 p.m. in Bede Ballroom.  Both events are co-Sponsored by U of M, Crookston GLBTA Programs and the University of North Dakota Ten Percent Society and co-Hosted by the Queer and Ally Student Group.  The events are free and open to all students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Students, faculty, and staff will take part in Beautiful U Day and Campus Clean-Up, Friday, April 24, from 8 a.m. to Noon. Those participating will meet in the Prairie Room, Sargeant Student Center, starting at 8 a.m. to find a project and any tools they will need to complete their project assignment.  At 2 p.m. that afternoon a recognition ceremony will be held at the Nature Nook outside near Owen Hall. The Nature Nook was a Beautiful U Day project, and students have been involved in the project’s development and construction.

The U of M, Crookston Music Department will present its spring concert Sunday, April 26, at 2 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium.  Featured will be the choir, band, and string quartet.  The concert is free and open to the public.

Finance & University Services –

The new apartment-style residence hall on campus has been selected from more than 2,500 nominated projects as a Green Building of America Award-winning project and will be featured in the upcoming special “Green Success Stories” edition of the Midwest version of Real Estate & Construction Review.  The project, submitted by Michael J. Burns Architects, Ltd., will be highlighted in a case study that intertwines the words of the project’s owner/developer, consultants, architects and contractors to explain how the teams worked together to design and build one of the region’s most important, innovative or unique new or renovated sustainable facilities.

Development & Alumni Relations –

Student-athletes and others will join Bill Tyrrell, director of athletic fundraising, in the third annual Walk with Bill for Athletic Scholarships Thursday, April 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the track at Ed Widseth Field. Last year’s event raised over $10,000 for athletic scholarships.  Refreshments will be provided by Crookston National Bank. Anyone interested in making a pledge for the walk should visit www.UMCrookston.edu/billswalk or contact Corby Kemmer, director of development.

Teambacker Fun Nite is set for Friday, April 24, at the Crookston Eagles Club, downtown Crookston. Tickets, $50 per person, are available at the Development & Alumni Relations Office in Kiehle Building. Everyone is welcome to attend; they do not need to be members of Teambackers.  All proceeds support scholarships. 

University Relations –

University Relations is sponsoring a YouTube video contest open to all current students.  Participants are asked tell what they love about their major or what the phrase “Small Campus. Big Degree.” means to them.  Prizes winning videos will be announced Tuesday, May 5, at noon and will be acknowledged on the U of M, Crookston’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/UofMCrookston.

Athletics –

The campus and community are invited to free tailgating events for upcoming Golden Eagles Softball home games against MSU, Moorhead, Thursday, April 23, 3 p.m., UMC Softball Field; against the U of M, Duluth, Monday, April 27, 2 p.m., UMC Softball Field; and against Bemidji State, Tuesday, April 28, 3 p.m., UMC Softball Field. 

Free tailgating events are also scheduled for upcoming Golden Eagles Baseball home games against Mayville State, Friday, April 24, UMC Baseball Field; against Bemidji State Monday, April 27, 6 p.m., Jim Karn Field (near Crookston Catholic Cathedral); against the U of M, Duluth, Wednesday, April 29, 2 p.m., UMC Baseball Field; and against Wayne State, Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, Noon each day, Jim Karn Field. 

All tailgating events are free and sponsored by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), Student Experience, Black Student Association (BSA), Residence Hall Association (RHA), Campus Ministry and Sport and Recreation Management Program.

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

Campus & Local Community –

The EDA Center at the U of M, Crookston has selected five technical assistance requests from economic development agencies across Minnesota to comprise its 2009 work plan. The Center will assist the Northwest Regional Development Commission in Warren, Minn., with an analysis of the economic contributions of various industry sectors in their seven-county northwest Minnesota region.  The Center will also assist with projects in Long Prairie, Staples, and Tower, Minn.  Learn more.

An assortment of annual flowers, perennials, vegetables, and hanging baskets and planters will be available at the Horticulture Program’s annual Bedding Plant Sale set for Thursday, April 30, Friday, May 8, and Tuesday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Production Horticulture Greenhouse across from Parking Lot A.  The sale is open to the entire Crookston community those days.  Students and campus employees are invited to a special sneak preview sale on Wednesday, April 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. 

The Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team, Minnesota Division of Aeronautics, and the U of M, Crookston will sponsor two speakers Thursday, April 30, starting at 7 p.m. in Youngquist Auditorium.  Dan Riddle, National Weather Service, will present “Weather Forecasting for the Pilot,” and Jim Niehoff, FAA Safety Team, will present “Pilot Performed Maintenance.”  The event is free and open to all interested individuals.

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.