Volume 21, Number 1, August 22, 2001
Calendar
News Items
Master Plan Revision
Every five years, UMC revisits its master plan in order to make
the most of campus resources and to make sure the campus meets the
changing needs of students, faculty, staff and the region. The firm
Oslund an Associates of Minneapolis has been hired to coordinate the
planning efforts for the next revision. They are seeking input from
faculty and staff for their final proposal. Preliminary planning
documents and plans are now available online at <www.umcrookston.edu/campusinfo/masterplan/MP-2001.htm>.
Interested faculty and staff are invited to attend the Campus Master Plan Overview and General Session on Thursday, August 23, 1 to 3 p.m., in Dowell 207. Joseph R. Favour and David Motzenbecker of Oslund and Associates will present their concepts and lead discussions regarding their work so far.
Orientation 2001: “Tradition Begins With U”
Mark your calendars! Orientation
2001 is scheduled for August 24–27.
New students will arrive on campus between 9 a.m. and Noon on Friday, August 24, 2001. A social will be held for all new students, family members, and faculty and staff at 5 p.m. in Brown Dining Room. Enjoy the music and entertainment of the Valley Fiddlers. Orientation Convocation will follow dinner at 6 p.m. and will include information about academic tradition at UMC, an introduction of faculty and staff, and the Fourth Annual Reader’s Theatre performance, “A Day in the Life of a College Student.”
Orientation 2001 will continue for new students throughout the evening of August 27. Other events to highlight include a chance for students to meet their faculty adviser on Friday, August 24, from 3 to 4 p.m.; “Real World 101”, a theatrical look at difficult issues that college students face; and a faculty barbecue on the Mall on Sunday, August 26, at 11 a.m. Please join in and help to welcome our new students!
For more information
about Orientation 2001 or other First Year Experience programs, please
visit the FYE website at <www.umcrookston.edu/FYE>.
--Kami Mattson, Director, First Year Experience
Dinner and
Arrangements for Convocation Friday, August 24
Faculty and staff who would like
to participate in the New Student Convocation are invited to go through
the buffet line in Brown and eat in Bede Ballroom where tables will be
set up for this group. The buffet starts at 5 p.m. and Convocation is
scheduled to begin at 6. The platform party (R. Smith, D. Sargeant, B.
Nelson, D. Knowlton, S. Brandt and P. Holm) will dress in formal
academic robes and the faculty and staff more informally. At one point
in Convocation the faculty and staff will be invited to introduce
themselves at the microphone. I hope everyone will make an effort to
open our academic year and meet our new first year students and their
families. Please let me know if you have questions or need more
information.
--Doug Knowlton, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Work-Study Job Fair August 27
The Financial Aid Office is
planning a work-study job fair during New Student Orientation on Monday,
August 27, from 8 to 9 a.m. in Bede Ballroom.
We have sent out invitations to the new incoming freshmen who have been awarded work-study inviting them to participate in the job fair. Due to the limited time frame, we have decided to limit the initial fair to freshmen work-study students only. Once school starts we will try to hold a second job fair for everyone.
If you currently
supervise a work-study position, you should have received (via campus
mail) the current position notice and a list of students that you
requested for rehire and their status (rehired, not eligible, etc.).
--Heidi Patterson, Associate Director of Financial Aid
Meet
Crookston Through Service
Once again, as part of New
Student Orientation we will be doing "Meet Crookston Through Service"
with our new students. This will take place on Saturday morning, August
25, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. We will meet in Brown Dining Room and
then go out in groups to various sites around town such as the Care and
Share, Humane Society, local schools, etc. If you are interested in
helping with this and being assigned to a project, please contact me.
All those who help are invited to stay for lunch that day for free.
Please e-mail me, and I will let you know which projects are available.
This is a great time to help build better relationships with our
community and at the same time get to know some of our new students!
Thanks for your consideration.
--Pam Holsinger-Fuchs, Director of Student Activities and Service
Learning
MN Senate
Capital Investment Committee on Campus Sept. 11
The Senate Capital Investment Committee will visit the Crookston
Campus and Northwest Research and Outreach Center on Tuesday,
September 11. They will arrive about 11 o'clock to tour and then have
lunch.
Board
of Regents to Meet at UMC September 13-14
The next board of regents monthly
meeting will be held September 13-14 at the University of Minnesota,
Crookston campus. Many of the Regents will be arriving in Crookston on
the evening of Wednesday, September 12. The Board of Regents meeting
agenda can be found on the Web at <www1.umn.edu/regents/agendas/2001/september/text/>.
Enhancing
Student Learning Through Innovative Teaching and Technology Strategies
A website for UMC’s three-year
faculty development grant, funded by the Bush Foundation, has been
constructed. General information is available there, as well as a copy
of the actual grant. Please refer to the website for continued
information about the progress of this important project.
The website is linked from the UMC Academic Affairs home page <www.umcrookston.edu/UMCadmin/AcademicAff > or directly at <www.umcrookston.edu/UMCadmin/AcademicAff/FacDevelGrant>. The plan is that faculty cohort teams will meet monthly and will submit a summary of their meeting notes to be posted in our web.
UMC Receives
$100,000 From Bremer Foundation for Service
Learning
Pam Holsinger-Fuchs, UMC Director of Student
Activities and Service Learning, discusses UMC's Service Learning
Program with Rob Jacobson, President of Bremer Bank of Crookston.
UMC has been awarded a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation that will provide a total of $100,000 over the next four years. The grant will be used to support UMC’s Service Learning Program, which involves students and faculty in course-related community service projects. According to Pam Holsinger-Fuchs, director of student activities and service learning at UMC, the money will be used to set up a volunteer clearinghouse that will benefit the entire community and to fund staff positions for the program.
Northwest Minnesota
Foundation Awards Grant to UMC for RuralCare
Partners Project
Tom Jorgens (left), President of Polycell
Technologies, and NMF Executive Director John Ostrem (middle) present
the grant check as UMC Chancellor Don Sargeant (right) looks on.
The Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NWF) recently awarded a grant for $32,500 to UMC to launch a sustaining financial model for health care coverage in seven counties of northwest Minnesota. RuralCare Partners, a collaborative effort that is comprised of the Northwest Minnesota Health Care Purchasing Alliance and the North Region Health Alliance, will implement the project. The funds will be used to market insurance coverage, for education about the project, for technology support, and for a vital aging initiative.
UMC
Faces Aftermath of August 8 Storm
Winds of up to 100 miles per hour
that swept across northwest Minnesota on the evening of August 8, 2001,
caused much damage to the campus grounds at the University of Minnesota,
Crookston (UMC). The winds blew down more than 75 trees across campus
and caused damage to the roofs of several buildings at UMC and at the
Northwest Research and Outreach Center. UMC staff worked quickly to
clean up the mess. View photos of the damage and clean up at <www.umcrookston.edu/special/wind_damage08-2001>.
August 9
Storm Day Clarification
As you are aware, the Crookston
area was hit by a severe summer storm Wednesday evening August 8. In
addition to causing extensive damage to the campus, the storm disrupted
electrical service to UMC and full power was not restored to the campus
until mid-afternoon on Thursday. Some employees were unable to report
to work on Thursday due to personal property loss. Some employees
reported to work then left after they discovered UMC was without
electrical power. Others reported to work and assisted with storm
assessment and cleanup efforts for the entire day.
The campus was not officially closed on August 9, and there was considerable cleanup work that needed to be performed. Closing the campus would have forced UMC to incur additional expense and cost, as well as the loss of productivity. The decision not to officially close the campus focused on whether or not the weather had created a condition where there was unreasonable risk and danger. “Extremely hazardous driving conditions are the primary basis for determining if there is unreasonable risk and danger.”
UMC’s Executive Committee met to discuss how to process the various employee requests resulting from this unique situation. After careful consideration of all the facts, it was agreed that it was important that the campus follow the established procedures as defined by UMC Campus Emergency Closing Policies and Procedures.
Below is a summary of how employee absence from work on August 9, 2001 will be processed:
Employees who did not report to work or left work early when the campus remained open (not an official closing) have the following options:
1. Use accrued vacation leave for time not worked on Thursday,
2. Use compensatory time for time not worked on Thursday, or
3. Make-up the hours not worked on Thursday at a time mutually agreeable with the supervisor.
Supervisors should make
special allowances for employees (other than those in the "Essential"
categories) who had reason to believe that their personal safety or that
of their family was in jeopardy. Arrangements will be made for the use
of vacation or to make up time at the supervisor's discretion for any
part of a work shift missed. The supervisors shall inform the
appropriate administrator of his/her action.
--Les Johnson, Director of Human Resources
Introducing the Inside
Scoop!
The Employee
Career Enrichment Program is pleased to announce the Inside Scoop. The
Inside Scoop is an online networking directory that will link University
of
Minnesota
staff and faculty with other employees interested in sharing their work
experiences. After all, the best way to find out about a job,
department or college, is to hear about experiences and perceptions from
the inside. By searching the Inside Scoop volunteer database you can
find a person who matches the career and department that you are
interested in, set up an appointment to meet in person or over the
phone, and gain the insight about all the golden opportunities at the
University.
Before this
employee-to-employee network can be fully functional, we need
volunteers! We are issuing this invitation to all University employees,
in any capacity, in any location. It does not matter how long you have
worked at the University or what job you do - as long as you are willing
to share. Expected time commitment should not exceed 5 hours per YEAR.
An outline of volunteer expectations and training information, as well
as the volunteer sign-up form is available on our website: <www.thescoop.umn.edu>.
--Barb Krantz Taylor, Director, Employee Career Enrichment Program,
Center for Human Resource Development, U of M, Twin Cities
University’s
Medical Plan
As you are aware, the University
of Minnesota will be changing its health plan at the end of this year.
The University will be adopting a self-insured system in an effort to
tailor a package that better meets the needs of University employees and
control costs.
The Administrative Working Group (AWG) which was appointed in November 2000, spent many months analyzing data and considering various options. They were very aware of how important affordable health care is to you and your families. The new plan will include virtually all of the clinics presently being utilized by University employees, although it is possible that some of you may have to change health care plans or pay a higher premium, in order to stay with the same clinic or physician. The Interim Health Benefits Committee (IHBC), which included representatives of most employee groups, has endorsed this approach to providing health insurance to University employees.
UMC has received formal notification that a team will be on our campus to conduct an UPlan Employee Informational Forum designed to explain the University’s new medical plan. Prior to the meeting, you will want to visit the web site listed below. It may be a good idea to take some time to think about issues that are of particular importance to you and your family and prepare a list of questions to bring to the meeting.
Steve Burrows, the new Director for Health Programs and Vic Fickling, University Benefits Counselor are scheduled to be at UMC on September 26 to conduct two informational meetings with employees. The presentation will last about 50-55 minutes and will allow time for questions.
UPlan Open Forum Meeting
DATE: September 26, 2001
DAY:
Wednesday
TIMES: 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon
ROOM: Sahlstrom Conference Center A
A copy of handout
materials will be available for you to pick up at the sessions. Advance
information on the plans, cost estimates, and participating clinics is
available at the following website: <www.healthbenefits.umn.edu>.
--Les Johnson, Director of
Human Resources
UMC Logo Usage
If you are considering ordering
products or items that will include the University of Minnesota Wordmark,
the Crookston "M," or the Golden Eagle Logo, please check with
University Relations to make sure you are using the correct images and
University colors. In developing the Marks of Excellence for the
University, there are several guidelines to follow that pertain to
logos, images and colors as there are with the Golden Eagle. It may
seem like a minor item, but it is all part of building a consistent
image for UMC. Any questions you have may be directed to the University
Relations Office at 281-8394 (John Zak). Thank you for your
cooperation.
--Curt Almlie, Director, University Relations
Curriculum Transformation and Disability
Training
Twelve UMC faculty and staff
participated in the CTAD training workshop offered August 14 and 15 at
UMC. Participants included: Wendell Johnson, Marilyn Grave, Cleon
Melsa, Twyla Treanor, Ken Myers, Marsha Odom, Behrooz Sedaie, Paula
Viker, John Loegering, Mary Margaret Pringle, Lyle Westrom and Lynn
Gevens. Presenters for the workshop included Judy Foxx, Judy Schuck,
and Barbara Blacklock from the TC campus and Lydia Block, a consultant
to the grant project. Participants were introduced to the principles of
Universal Instructional Design (academic curb cuts) which can greatly
enhance access to educational materials for all students, but especially
those with disabilities. Participants were asked to attempt to include
some aspects of Universal Instructional Design in their coursework, and
will then be surveyed throughout the year to assess its impact on
teaching and learning. A follow-up session later in the fall will allow
for additional faculty discussion, collection of information and
dissemination of information. CTAD training is funded by the U.S.
Department of Education through the TC General College and Disability
Services.
--Laurie Wilson, Counselor/Assistant Education Specialist
Campus Maps
New campus maps have been printed and are now ready for distribution. We ask that you discard the old maps (green background) and replace with the new maps (tan background). You may obtain new maps at the University Relations Office in Robertson Hall at your convenience. If you prefer, please contact Rose Ulseth in University Relations at ext. 8439 and new maps will be delivered to you as soon as possible.
Updated Staff Information
Yes, it’s time
again to review your official faculty/staff listing on the UMC web
directory. Please go to <www.umcrookston.edu/faculty/direct.htm>,
find your listing, and review it. If you have any additions, changes,
or deletions, please let me know. You can either print the entire page,
make changes directly on the page, and send to me for updating, or you
can send me an e-mail detailing the changes you want made. Thank you in
advance for your consideration.
--Andrew Svec, Director of
Communications
Staff Announcements
Kami
Mattson (formerly Kami Trowbridge) has accepted the position as
Director of First Year Experience. Kami will be in charge of New
Student Orientation and will continue her work with faculty and staff to
promote several new and innovative programs to promote the retention of
our first year students. She has an office in room 5 of Hill Hall’s
lower level.
Peggy
Miller has accepted the position as Coordinator of the Alcohol and
Other Drug Awareness Program (AODAP) at UMC. Peggy will be in charge of
coordinating all AODAP services and will work with administration,
faculty, and staff to promote new and innovative programs, workshops and
seminars. She will also continue to teach her courses in sociology at
UMC. Her office is located in Bede Hall Room 211.
Other new staff members include:
Milissa (Skarsten) Van Eps,
Admissions and Financial Aid Representative
Nick Kornder, Executive Assistant - Sports Information
Coordinator
Emily Sinks,
Child Care Teacher, UMC Children's Center
Karina
Dick,
Child Care Teacher, UMC Children’s Center
Robert DeGroot, Adjunct Lecturer –
Manufacturing (on site Twin Cities), Center for Business & Technology
Lisa Larson, Adjunct Lecturer – Manufacturing (on site Twin
Cities), Center for Business & Technology
Joseph Robert, Adjunct Lecturer– Manufacturing (on site Twin
Cities), Center for Business & Technology
Charity Ambuehl, Adjunct Teaching Specialist, Center for Health &
Human Services
James Kent, Adjunct Lecturer – Music, Center for Learning
Foundations
Shanon Oldenburg, Adjunct Lecturer, Center for Learning
Foundations
Craig Silvernagel, Adjunct Lecturer – Marketing, Center
for Business & Technology
Paul Welch, Adjunct Teaching Specialist, Center for Health &
Human Services
Accolades
David
DeMuth, assistant professor of physics and math, is featured in the
August 2001 issue of Presentations Magazine. David’s work on
integrating video and database technologies into his physics courses is
featured in a case study for that issue.
This Week’s Special Dates
Birthdays
August 25 - Lynn Gevens
Reminder: Faculty and staff are encouraged to share well wishes for birthdays, anniversaries, births, etc. with the rest of the campus. Please send items for this week’s special dates via e-mail to Andrew Svec at asvec@mail.crk.umn.edu and/or Sue Dwyer at sdwyer@mail.crk.umn.edu. Thanks.
Bulletin Schedule
Resumes
With this edition, the UMC Weekly
Bulleting begins its regular weekly publication for the academic year.
Deadline for submission of items for inclusion each week is noon on
Tuesdays.
UMC Bulletin
The UMC Bulletin is posted at:
<http://www.umcrookston.edu/campusinfo/wkbulletin/bulletin.htm>
Attachments
-
Weekly Schedule for August 20-26, 2001 (word document)