January 15, 2008

Inside this Issue

Budget News
Celebrate the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Donors Create Scholarships
Events & Activities
New Hires in Academic Affairs
Small Campus. Big Degree. Tips
Private and Public Information Guidance

 

From the Chancellor

 As we begin the Spring 2008 semester, I want to welcome everyone back to campus. I know many individuals took some vacation time over the holidays to spend time with family and friends. I hope the time was as enjoyable as it was for me. I look forward to another productive semester that will end with commencement and recognition of students who will complete their requirements and graduate with a degree from the University of Minnesota.

 Fall semester closed out with great news regarding student achievement on campus. We are proud that 42 students made the Chancellor's 4.0 List last semester and 141 students made the Dean's List, by earning a 3.5 GPA for Fall 2007. Congratulations to all on your accomplishments.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Life and Legacy

This month we also take time to remember and reflect on the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., as a major force in organizing the civil rights movement and basing its principles on nonviolence and civil disobedience. As a University system, we officially celebrate and remember the values and change he inspired with a designated campus holiday the third Monday in January, which is Jan. 21 this year. In addition, the Black Student Association is hosting a series of events this week encouraging everyone to “Remember the Dream – Live the Vision” and find ways to carry on Dr. King's advocacy for equality and fair treatment, regardless of nationality, race or gender. As part of the events, president of Dale Earnhardt Inc. Max Siegel, the first African American to graduate from the University of Notre Dame Law School with honors, will speak at 6 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium on January 17. We encourage you to participate in this exciting student-lead and organized opportunity and find out more about their dreams for the future.

Enrollment Continues to Climb

Enrollment for the semester looks very good and should result in a significant increase over Spring 2007. (First-day numbers are more than 80 degree-seeking students over official Spring 2007 enrollment). Admissions staff is also strategically recruiting students for Fall 2008. New High School (NHS) applications and admits continue to exceed the previous three years by a significant margin. Follow-up calls to students who have applied and been admitted will enhance the opportunity to have students enroll at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

Private and Public Information/Records

As a normal part of operations and business processes, the Crookston campus maintains information on students, faculty and staff. Some is classified as private and some is releasable to the public as regulated by federal and state laws. The U of M must follow state and federal privacy and records laws regarding public and private data. As a result, details regarding individuals sometimes must be kept private to comply with our responsibilities and policies. To help units understand more about determining what is public information and what is private data, a brief statement has been developed by Les Johnson, Human Resource director in consultation with Central Human Resources and the General Counsel's office. This statement provides general guidelines as well as additional resources. It is available on the Web, linked from the online Faculty/Staff Handbook. We encourage you to review the information. In cases that may require clarification, the Office of the General Counsel will be consulted prior to release of information.

Budget Update

Preparations are well underway for submission of the 2008-09 Budget. We received budget instructions near the end of December, are reviewing the materials and have begun to develop and compile the needed details. Our budget meeting with central administration is February 19, with materials due February 12. The budget will be presented to the Board of Regents in April.

 In preparation for the 2008-09 Budget, department and unit managers were asked to submit ideas for new initiatives or support for current investments. All information is currently being reviewed and prioritized for funding consistent with strategic initiatives. As communicated on previous occasions, central funding for new initiatives is very limited. New requests are limited to 1) legal/contractual/compliance/safety; 2) start-up funding provided in FY08; and 3) essential and critical need in either program funding or staffing requirements. While it is anticipated that few initiatives will be funded this year, it is important to identify the priorities and needs from each unit in order to make the decisions today that will best move the campus forward.

 The campus is also putting together its Compact as part of the planning process. This year a very limited compact document is required, detailing accomplishments relative to the Compact requests funded for FY08, actions taken, how any related funds have been invested, metrics developed to anticipate outcomes, reallocations made and impact. The compact is a written agreement – available to the public – between the University's management and the campus that aligns broad University goals with the directions, investments and actions of the unit.

 Again, welcome to Spring 2008 at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. It's a great time to be at a small, personal campus delivering a world-class degree.

 Chuck

– Charles H. Casey, Chancellor

University of Minnesota, Crookston

Featured Events & Activities

Alumni & Friends Social, January 16 – Join alumni and friends in Hallock, Minn., for an informal alumni gathering at the Caribou Grill - Restaurant & Lounge, 225 W. Broadway, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy complimentary appetizers and a time to reminisce with classmates from the area. For more information, call 800-862-6466, ext. 8439 or e-mail Rose Ulseth at rulseth@umn.edu.

 Power of a Dream Speaker Series, January 17 – In celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Black Student Association is hosting Max Siegel, president of Dale Earnhardt Inc., at 6 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, January 21 – No classes; offices closed.

 Golden Eagle Hockey, January 25 – Cheer on the Golden Eagle Hockey team as they meet Concordia-Wisconsin in the Civic Arena at 7:30 p.m.

 Ag Arama 2008, January 26 – The annual Ag Arama will be held in the University Teaching and Outreach Center (UTOC), located just north of campus. Alumni and friends are invited to take part in the activities. Beginning at 8 a.m., contests will be held in agronomy, animal science, horticulture and natural resources. The event concludes with an awards ceremony at 2 p.m.

 Golden Eagle Basketball, February 2 - Watch the Golden Eagle women's basketball team take on Concordia-St. Paul at 6 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium followed by the men's game at 8 p.m.

 We look forward to seeing you. For more details 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 – Assessment is an integral part of developing and maintaining quality programs and services at the University. A continuous assessment program administered by the Higher Learning Commission is being reviewed and considered as an alternative to the 10-year review that we have done previously. A group will be formed this semester to consider the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) and look at the types of activities that would be involved in an ongoing review process.

 The University Promotion and Tenure committee has successfully completed the development of a template for 7:12 statements and passed the template back to the departments for consideration and approval. The 7:12 statements define the expectations for tenure and promotion and post tenure review within each department. After any modification by the departments, the final approved 7:12 statement needs to be submitted to U system for approval.

 We are pleased to have hired a number of new employees in Academic Affairs. Congratulations and welcome to Assistant Horticulture Professor Eric Castle (started Jan. 7); Ag Business Instructor Charles Lariviere (starts Aug. 18); Associate Professor in agricultural business and economics Margaretha (Margot) Rudstrom, Ph.D., (starts Aug. 18).; Diversity Services Asst. Director Wynfred Russell (started Jan. 14); and Student Services Counselor Vicki Svedarsky (started Dec. 10, 2007).

 The University of Minnesota Quality Fair will be held on the Twin Cities campus on January 31. For more information, contact Dept. Head Bill Peterson (bpeterso@umn.edu or 218-281- 8265).

 Student Affairs and Enrollment – The official opening for the newly installed ice rink was held on January 12. The event was combined with Winter Olympics games, including snow shoe relay and human curling and a Boot Hockey tournament. The ice rink offers great outdoor winter activity options. There are 18 pairs of skates, figure and hockey, available for check-out in the Student Center.

 Finance & University Services – In December, U of M administration changed the timeline several times for the Crookston campus to accept or reject proposals from outside vendors to operate food services on campus. The final deadline is now January 18. Much information has been analyzed and collected in response to questions posed at the campus forums and via surveys. Summaries are still being compiled and we look forward to sharing them in the near future.

Development & Alumni Relations – Happy New Year! We start off with great news. Walter, '57, and Elinor Fehr, Ames, Iowa, have established the Walter and Elinor Fehr Scholarship in Agronomic Science with a gift of more than $25,000. Thanks to various donors, the Jim Karn Endowment is now more than halfway to the endowment level of $25,000.

 More than 240 members have joined Teambackers already this year and contributed more than $102,000 during the first six months of the campaign. Several events are happening this month, including a social in Hallock, Minn., on Jan. 16 and annual Ag Arama festivities on Jan. 26. More details are available in the Featured events & activities section of the E-Update. We look forward to seeing you then.

 For detailed ways of giving in support of the University of Minnesota, Crookston and its students, please contact Corby Kemmer, director of Development & Alumni Relations: 218-281-8434; toll free 1-800-862-6466 x8434; e-mail ckemmer@umn.edu. Your gifts and support make significant and positive differences in the lives of students. Have a great 2008!

University Relations – Help spread the word about the U of M, Crookston brand – Small Campus. Big Degree. Material has been created to make it easy and fun to talk about the unique aspects of the Crookston campus.

 What's Small Campus. Big Degree. all about? The U of M, Crookston delivers relevant, hands-on learning and research in a technology-rich setting. How? 1) Leadership – Internships and volunteer opportunities are built into coursework. Students have access to more than 40 clubs and organizations on campus and student-athletes compete at the NCAA Division II level; 2) Technology innovation – Still the “laptop U” leader after 15 years, technology is integrated across teaching and learning in all disciplines. Computers are a vital part of the experience: students are equipped with laptops and perform work and hold discussions online; 3) Exploration and discovery through teaching and research – Students get paid to design and conduct their own research or work alongside faculty on projects. The 14:1 student/faculty ratio ensures that dedicated faculty members help students succeed; and 4) Securing a great career – With a world class U of M degree and 97% job placement rate, students find a job in their field of study within six months of graduation. Invent yourself.

More tools and resources are found online. Make it a mission to share the great benefits and features of the Crookston campus today.

Athletics – The NCAA Convention was held Jan. 10-14 in Nashville, Tenn., with Chancellor Casey, Athletic Director Stephanie Helgeson, Assistant Athletic Director Natasha Kuhle and Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) Cleon Melsa attending. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference meetings were held on January 13 at the convention.

Competitive Resource Group/Athletes 4-Hire will be on campus meeting with student-athletes on January 23 for group sessions and January 24 for individual sessions. CRG acts as the bridge between quality college-degreed student-athletes and organizations looking for candidates who possess the traits found in most athletes: focused, results driven, mentally tough, disciplined, team oriented, confident, coachable and persistent through adversity. These traits are attractive to most organizations especially in the areas of sales, management and general business.

Visit http://www.goldeneaglesports.com for schedules and cheer on your Golden Eagles in 2008.

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.