November 15, 2010

Inside this Issue

From the Chancellor
Featured Events & Activities
Around Campus
Accolades
U of M System-Wide

From the Chancellor

It is good to be back on campus following my trip to Korea and China and three days of meetings associated with the November Board of Regents meeting last week in Minneapolis.  I want to thank everyone for dealing with a number of issues while I was gone.

The Korea-China trip was very productive in building relationships with our partner institutions, Seoul National University of Education (SNUE) in Korea and Zhejiang Economic and Trade Polytechnic (ZJETP) in China.  Kim Gillette, Ph.D., and Sean Shin joined me in a number of meetings with senior leaders at SNUE.  I made a presentation to a group of high school principals working with SNUE as well as at the 2010 international conference of the Korea Educational Research Association (KERA).  We had the opportunity to tour facilities at SNUE and to meet with faculty and administrators as well as University supporters.  We also met with leaders at the Korean Preparation Center, an English as a Second Language program.

In Hangzhou, China, we visited the Zhejiang Economic and Trade Polytechnic for the fourth time.  Kim Gillette, Jingpeng Tang, Ph.D., and I made a presentation to about 75 students who are interested in enrolling at UMC.  We also had an opportunity to meet with President Li and briefly tour the four new residence hall buildings under construction there.  It was very interesting to learn they were incorporating some construction features President Li saw when he toured Evergreen Hall on his last visit to UMC.

The November Regents meeting was dominated by news of the presidential search.  On Friday morning the Board announced that Eric Kaler, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and vice president for Brookhaven affairs at Stony Brook University, New York, will be on campus this week for public interviews.  Dr. Kaler is the only finalist at this time.

At the Educational Policy and Planning Committee the chancellors of the coordinate campuses provided updates on current initiatives.  Other Crookston campus items included risk management tolerance, PULSE Survey results, the Conflict of Interest Policy, and the State Biennial Budget Request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012-13.

In meetings with Senior Vice President Jones we discussed 1) the funding of the Promise of Tomorrow Scholarship, 2) the 15-passenger van issue, 3) the FY 2012 budget, 4) cooperation with the Northwest Research and Outreach Center, Extension, the Northwest Regional Partnership, and the Area Health Education Center, and 5) a UMC campus visit for him this semester.

While I was gone the Strategic Positioning Work Groups continued to meet and prepare reports for our meeting on Friday, November 19.  I continue to encourage everyone to follow the information on our website and Moodle sites and offer your comments and suggestions.

On Monday afternoon a decision was made not to renew the appointment of Shannon Stassen as head football coach.  Coach Stassen has been totally committed to his players, coaches, and the University of Minnesota, Crookston.  However, I concur with the recommendation of Athletic Director Stephanie Helgeson that the best decision at this time is to begin the search for a new coach.  I want to thank Coach Stassen for his many years of service to the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

– Chuck

Charles H. Casey, Chancellor
University of Minnesota, Crookston

Featured Events & Activities

International Education Week, Monday, November 15 through Friday, November 19

Empty Bowls Dinner, Tuesday, November 16 – 5 to 7 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center, $15 minimum donation goes to support the North Country Food Bank and the Crookston Food Shelf

International Market, Wednesday, November 17 – 3 to 7 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Public Forum for University of Minnesota Presidential Candidate Eric Kaler, Wednesday, November 17 – 4 to 5:15 p.m., 220 Dowell Hall (via televised broadcast feed)

Thursday Commons: Speaker, Author, Explorer Broughton Coburn Presents “Secrets of Shangri La,” Thursday, November 18 – Noon to 2 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium

Speaker, Author, Explorer Broughton Coburn Presents “Aama’s Journey,” Thursday, November 18 – 7 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium

International Kids Fair, Friday, November 19 – 5 to 7 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Thanksgiving Holiday, Thursday, November 25, and Friday, November 26 – classes excused, campus offices closed

UMC Holiday Social, Tuesday, November 30 – 4 to 7 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

World AIDS Day, Wednesday, December 1

Thursday Commons: Campus Assembly Meeting, Thursday, December 2 – 12:30 to 2 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center

Ag and Natural Resources Activities Day, Friday, December 3 – 7:15 a.m. to 2 p.m., locations across campus

For details on these and a comprehensive listing of other events or to discover what’s happening this week, visit UMC Today at www.umcrookston.edu/today or review our news page at blog.lib.umn.edu/umcweb/news.

Around Campus

Administrative Affairs –

A public forum for University of Minnesota Presidential Candidate Eric Kaler, Ph.D., is scheduled for Wednesday, November 17, from 4 to 5:15 p.m.  The forum will be held on the Twin Cities campus, but the coordinate campuses will view the forum via a televised broadcast feed.  On the Crookston campus interested students, faculty, and staff will be able to view the forum in 220 Dowell Hall.

The fall semester meeting of Campus Assembly will be held Thursday, December 2, at 12:30 p.m. in Bede Ballroom.  The agenda for this meeting and minutes from the last meeting are available online. Refreshments will be served.

Academic Affairs –

Ag and Natural Resources Activities Day 2010 is scheduled for Friday, December 3, and will bring approximately 1,200 high school students to the U of M, Crookston.  The competition, held on campus for more than 30 years, is overseen by faculty in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department.  Last year nearly 50 high schools participated in this event, which consists of more than 20 contests ranging from horticulture and forestry to ag mechanics, livestock, and sales.  FFA Regional Contests also will be held during the event.  For more information regarding Ag and Natural Resources Day, contact Amy Lubarski, 218-281-8101.  See the full schedule.

A pair of articles about the new degree program in environmental sciences appeared in the November 9, 2010, edition of AgWeek, a weekly regional publication about agriculture.  Written by Jonathan Knutson, the articles focus on the new program, on the research of Katy Smith, Ph.D., assistant professor, biology, and on Beth Walters, an environmental sciences major.  The articles are available online here and here.

Student Affairs –

Concert pianist John McKay will perform on Tuesday, November 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the main lounge in Evergreen Hall.  This performance is open to the public and free of charge with light refreshments immediately following.  McKay, a retired professor of piano from Gastavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., will perform the music of Robert Schumann and Frederick Chopin in honor of the bicentennial of their births.  Included in the program are the Arabesque and Carnival by Schumann and also several selections by Chopin that include the Fantasie Impromptu.  The event is made possible through funding from the Concerts and Lectures Committee with additional support from Residential Life.

International Programs –

Many events are planned on campus during International Education Week, November 15-19.  Highlights include the International Market featuring items from around the world for purchase on Wednesday, November 17, from 3 to 7 p.m., in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center, and two presentations by internationally-renowned speaker, author, and explorer Broughton Coburn on Thursday, November 18.  The first presentation begins at noon and is entitled "Secrets of the Shangri La" and the second, at 7 p.m., will be "Aama's Journey," the story of a woman who has virtually no exposure to Western civilization and her pilgrimage to the United States.  Both presentations will be held in Kiehle Auditorium and are free and open to the public.  See a full listing of events scheduled for the week.

The Chinese Language and Cultural Program bringing U of M, Crookston students together with students and people in the community was featured in an article on the front page of The Grand Forks Herald on Saturday, November 13.  The article is available online.

Facilities & Operations –

According to meter reading analysis done by Otter Tail Power Company comparing fall semester 2010 to fall semester 2009, as a campus the U of M, Crookston has reduced its electrical energy usage by approximately 178,000 kilowatt hours (KwH) over the past two months.  The campus used approximately 103,000 KwH less in September 2010 compared to September 2009 and approximately 75,000 KwH less in October 2010 compared to October 2009.  While it is difficult to determine exactly how much of this savings is the result of behavior change (such as students, faculty, and staff turning off lights and reducing their energy use) and how much is due to the physical improvements (replacement of light fixtures and bulbs to more efficient models and the installation of variable frequency devices (VFDs) on ventilation fans), everyone is encouraged to continue to practice energy conservation techniques wherever possible.

Development & Alumni Relations –

The U of M, Crookston will host the Fourth Annual Holiday Social on Tuesday, November 30.  The fun begins at 4 p.m. with a silent auction, and throughout the evening until 7 p.m. there will be raffles.  All proceeds will be used to support scholarships on the Crookston campus.  Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.  Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.  Learn more at www.umcrookston.edu/holidaysocial.

Special thanks to those alumni and friends who attended the UMC Alumni Association Social held Thursday, November 4, at the Ramada in Fargo.  Development & Alumni Relations plans to make this an annual fall gathering in Fargo.

A $50,000 commitment from Altru Health System in Grand Forks has been secured.  Thanks go to Altru Health for its continued support to enhance the educational experience for our students, faculty, and staff at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

The first annual Justin Knebel Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament and Derby will be held February 5, 2011, at Zippel Bay and Resort on Lake of the Woods in Williams, Minn.  Justin Knebel was a Golden Eagle student-athlete who passed away unexpectedly while he was attending UMC.   For information on participating in the tournament please contact Alysa Tulibaski at 218-281-8570 or Bill Tyrrell at 281-281-8436.

University Relations –

Working with the Math, Science, and Technology Department and KVLY TV, University Relations has developed another “Invest in Your Valley” television spot.  The spot will begin airing November 16, 2010, and is scheduled to air through January 2011.  The focus of the 15-second ad will be the new immersive visualization and informatics lab and its tie to the software engineering degree program.  Preview the TV spot online.

Athletics –

Golden Eagles Women's Soccer player Anna Ogaard, a senior majoring in applied studies from Maple Grove, Minn., has been named All-Conference Honorable Mention by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Ogaard recently completed her four-year career for the Golden Eagles. She recorded 161 saves and played in 1519 minutes while starting 15 of 17 games played.  Ogaard had a goals against average of 2.72 and a saves percentage of .778.  In her career, Ogaard accumulated 4951 minutes played while starting 53 of 64 games played.

Campus and Community -

The Empty Bowls Dinner, scheduled for Tuesday, November 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, is the culmination of several community service and service-learning projects.  It provides a way to help those who suffer and to remember the many empty bowls there are in this country and around the world.  The event is a fundraiser for the North Country Food Bank and the Crookston Food Shelf.  Tickets are $15 and are available at the Krazy Kiln in Crookston, at the second floor administrative desk in the Sargeant Student Center, or at the door.  Learn more.

Accolades

Katy Smith, Ph.D., assistant professor, biology, has been approved to serve as a member of the graduate faculty for the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  The Department of Soil, Water, and Climate offers teaching, research, and outreach in four interdisciplinary areas: atmospheric science, cropland and natural ecosystem sciences, soil science, and water sciences.  This appointment allows her to work with graduate students while maintaining her responsibilities on the Crookston campus.

ADawn Melbye, instructor, equine science, was featured in an article in the Saturday, November 14, 2010, edition of The Grand Forks Herald.  The article, available online, discusses her appreciation for hunting and how she uses that experience to teach her students about animal anatomy and her son, Blake, about gun safety among other things.

U of M System-Wide

The University of Minnesota’s 2011 Quality Fair & Forum will be held on Thursday, February 3, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carlson School of Management. The theme of this year’s event is “Working together, learning from each other.”  This event gives employees and units an opportunity to come together to share their best practices and ideas, many of which can be migrated into other units. The day’s schedule will include a keynote address and breakout sessions focusing on tools for collaboration and success, lessons from past Quality Fair winners, over 30 poster displays, donated door prizes throughout the day, and opportunities to network and learn from University colleagues.  Participants are encouraged to identify the most notable quality improvement projects or initiatives completed over the past year in their college or unit. What went well? What recommendations are there for others doing similar work? What can the University community learn from these efforts?  If any unit has a project or initiative completed over the past year that it would like to showcase, complete the poster application form and e-mail it to qualityfair@umn.edu by the deadline of Monday, November 22, 2010.  Learn more at the Quality Fair & Forum website.

Publication notes:  The E-Update is published twice each month August through April and once each month May through July.
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If you have any questions regarding the information in this news update, please send them to urumc@umn.edu.

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