Headlines UMC Ranked “Best College” for Sixth Year New
Student Orientation New Student Convocation August 30 |
Volume 23, Number 2, August 27, 2003
Calendar
News Items
UMC
Ranked “Best College” for Sixth Year
The University of Minnesota,
Crookston, has been ranked one of the best public colleges in the
Midwest for a sixth consecutive year, according to U.S. News and World
Report’s rankings for 2004. UMC was again ranked among the top three
colleges in the category “Top Public Midwestern Comprehensive
Colleges–Bachelor's.”
The 2004 rankings were made public Friday, August 22, at the U.S. News website <www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/eduhome.htm>. UMC also received the recognition in U.S. News and World Report’s annual “best colleges” issue, released on August 25.
“This recognition certainly reinforces UMC’s commitment to offering a quality educational experience and acknowledges the work and accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students,” said UMC Chancellor Velmer S. Burton, Jr.
“Our goals now,” he added, “are to continue the University of Minnesota tradition of excellence at UMC and to build on our strong educational foundation by expanding our academic offerings with new programs that feature our signature polytechnic approach of combining theory, practice, applied research and experimentation.”
UMC’s category, Top Public Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's, contained 324 comprehensive colleges categorized into four geographical regions of the U.S.—North, South, Midwest, and West. According to U.S. News these institutions focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degree programs —in the liberal arts, which account for fewer than half of their bachelor’s degrees, and in professional fields such as business, nursing, and education.
New
Student Orientation
Aug. 29-Sept. 1
New Student Orientation runs
August 29 through September 1. Highlights include: Transfer Student
Orientation on August 29; the Student and Faculty Convocation on
Saturday, August 30, 3:30 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium; “Meet Crookston
Through Service,” an introduction to service learning through volunteer
activities across the city of Crookston on Monday, September 1; and
keynote address and Common Reading Program discussion with Michael
Dunphy, leadership and professional development speaker, on Monday,
September 1, 7 p.m., in Brown Dining Room. Fall semester classes begin
Tuesday, September 2. For full schedule information visit <www.UMCrookston.edu/FYE/Orientation>.
New Student
Convocation August 30
All UMC Faculty and Staff: as a very important part of welcoming
and orienting our new students we have designed a slightly different New
Student Convocation. This Convocation will be held at 3:30 p.m. on
Saturday, August 30, in Kiehle Auditorium. As a part of the new
format the students will actually be processing into the auditorium
following the platform party and the faculty/staff. All members of
the UMC campus community are invited to participate in this event.
If you plan to be a part of the event and march with the community
please report to Kiehle Hall 116 by no later than 3:15 p.m.
The platform group
will be wearing formal academic dress but the rest of the UMC community
can be more casually dressed. The program will include welcoming
statements, the symbolic lighting of the torch to begin the academic
year, and introductions to our campus traditions. We anticipate
that the program will last between 30-45 minutes. We hope that
many of you will be able to be a part of this initial welcoming of the
newest members of the UMC community. Please let me know if you have any
questions.
--Doug Knowlton, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Interim Admissions
Co-Directors Named
I'm pleased to announce that Brian Steenerson, assistant director
of Admissions, and Michelle Christopherson, assistant to the
director for the Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, have
agreed to serve as interim co-directors of the Office of Admission.
Brian has five years experience working in UMC's admissions office, and
Michelle has spearheaded recent recruitment initiatives in the Center.
Each brings unique strengths and perspectives to the co-director's role
and they are well suited to jointly lead UMC forward during the national
search for a fulltime permanent director.
Please
join me in congratulating Brian and Michelle!
--Bob
Nelson,
Vice Chancellor for Student
Affairs/Registrar
Special
Bookstore Hours
In order to better serve our
students and the campus community, the UMC Bookstore will be open as
follows:
-
Monday-Friday, August 25-29 – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-
Saturday, August 30 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-
Sunday, August 31 – 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
-
Monday, September 1 – Closed
-
Tuesday-Thursday, September 2-4 – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
-
Friday, September 5 – resume normal hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Strike Possibility
On August 19, Teamsters Local 320
delivered to the University a "notice of intent to strike." While this
does not mean that the employees will actually strike, the Teamsters
have met the legal requirements to be able to engage in a strike. If a
strike is called, it could begin anytime between August 30, 2003, and
September 17, 2003, when the notice of intent to strike expires.
I am writing today to assure you that the University is continuing its efforts to resolve the issues with the Teamsters bargaining unit. Mediation is scheduled for the week, and we are hopeful that an agreement will be reached.
The University's goal is to provide competitive, market-based compensation and benefits for all employees. However, we must meet this goal while prudently managing our limited public resources.
As you know, the University is facing enormous, historic budget pressures this year. The $185 million--or 15 percent reduction--in state funding has resulted in a real decrease in base funding for the University. At the same time, many of our costs--including health care costs--keep increasing.
This budget challenge is being managed in a number of ways, including increased tuition, layoffs, program curtailment or elimination and proposed changes in the employee health care program. In addition, the fiscal year 2004 budget approved by the Regents in June included no funding for salary increases for faculty and staff. Balancing the budget and preserving the University's core academic mission requires broad and shared sacrifice across the University community, including students, families, and employees.
While I remain hopeful that this week's mediation will resolve the issues, I want to assure you that, in the event of a strike, the University's important teaching, research, and outreach work will continue. We have prepared appropriate strike plans, and they will be implemented to maintain a high level of service to our students and visitors. Thank you for your past contributions and for your continued efforts to serve our constituencies.
Additional important information about this issue and how a strike may impact the University community is included below. The information details issues of importance to the various groups of employees who not part of Teamsters Local 320. Additional information will be provided as it develops. Please check <www.umn.edu/ohr> on a regular basis for updated information.
Information to Non-Striking Employees in
the Event of a Strike
It is important to understand what a strike by Teamsters Local 320
may mean for other University employees. First, only employees in PELRA
Unit 3, Service, Maintenance, and Labor, represented by Teamsters Local
320, may legally strike at this time. Second, all other employees who
are not part of Unit 3 must come to work and perform duties assigned to
them. Any employee who is absent from work or who does not perform his
or her assigned duties will be considered engaged in an illegal strike,
unless he or she has authorization by his or her supervisor. Finally,
non-striking employees must not take any action that will restrain or
coerce employees who are legally striking.
During this challenging period, all employees are urged to understand their legal rights and obligations. Further details on these issues is provided in the following sections.
Non Striking Employees:
-
PELRA (the state law governing labor relations for the public employees) provides that any employee who strikes illegally may be discharged as of the day the violation occurs. Moreover, any employee who is discharged due to illegal strike activity and is subsequently rehired by the University is required by law to serve a two-year probationary period.
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No employee may take a leave of absence (vacation, sick leave, or leave without pay) during the strike unless it is approved by the appropriate department head. All previously approved leaves of absence for non-striking employees that would occur during the period of a strike must be reconsidered, and may or may not be authorized again by the department head. Non-striking employees must be prepared to present medical certification of illness to be eligible for sick leave during the strike.
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All non-exempt employees who, as a result of a strike, are required to work in excess of the normal work week (40 hours) will be paid or receive compensatory time as provided by the Civil Service Rules or their respective bargaining unit agreement.
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Employees who are assigned during a strike to perform work typically performed by a higher paid class will be paid for this work as provided by the Civil Service Rules or their respective bargaining unit agreement.
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Non-striking employees must not take any action that will restrain or coerce employees who are legally striking.
Student Employees and Graduate Assistants:
-
All student employees and graduate assistants are required to report for work, as normal, during a strike. They may be assigned tasks different from those which they normally perform.
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Student employees and graduate assistants must not take any action that will restrain or coerce employees who are legally striking.
Supervisors and Managers:
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All supervisors and managers are required to report for work during a strike. Specific assignments and operating instructions will continue to be provided by appropriate managerial personnel. During the period of a strike, supervisors and managers may be expected to perform duties outside of their normal functions, including tasks that normally would be considered bargaining unit work.
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Supervisors and managers must not take any action that will restrain or coerce employees who are legally striking.
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Exempt employees (except those with "V" class status) who as a result of a strike, are required to work in excess of the normal work week will be paid at a rate of one and a half times the normal rate of pay for the excess hours worked or, at the discretion of the department head, given compensatory time off.
Faculty and P&A Employees:
-
Faculty and P&A employees must report for work as normal during a strike.
-
Faculty and P&A employees must not take any action that will restrain or coerce employees who are legally striking.
Information Regarding Picket Lines:
The following procedure is recommended if a strike occurs and picket
lines form around building entrances or other locations where
non-striking employees enter:
-
Supervisors should schedule their time so they can be reached by telephone during hours their employees come to work. Employees will be given the telephone number where the supervisor can be reached.
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Employees have a responsibility during a strike to:
a. cross the picket line;
b. avoid confrontation with pickets and not engage in arguments, debates on the issues, or shouting even if subjected to verbal harassment;
c. leave the area of the picket line if it appears likely that resistance will be encountered while crossing, and telephone the supervisor for instructions;
d. bring their motorized vehicle to a complete stop when crossing a picket line, then proceed with caution (to do otherwise is a violation of state law);
e. keep their windows and doors locked when passing through a picket line in a vehicle;
f. report to the police at once any act of violence or criminal activity at the picket line;
g. make notations of such violence or criminal activity in as much detail as possible and submit them to the supervisor as soon as possible.
--Carol Carrier, Vice President, Human Resources, University of Minnesota
Accolades
Pam
Elf, assistant professor of biology, recently had an invited review
of her work and working hypotheses published. The paper is entitled
“Yolk Steroid Hormones and Sex Determination in Reptiles with TSD.” It
appeared in the July 2003 issue of General and Comparative
Endocrinology, Volume 132, pp. 349-355.
Special Dates
Birthdays
August 30 - Jeff Sperling
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@umn.edu and/or Sue Dwyer at sdwyer@umn.edu. Thanks.
UMC Insight
UMC Insight, the weekly radio
show about UMC, airs on KROX Radio 1260 AM Saturdays at 8:45 a.m. Tune
in Saturday, August 30, to hear an interview hosted by Andrew Svec, UMC
Director of Communications.
UMC
Bulletin
The UMC Bulletin is posted at:
<www.UMCrookston.edu/campusinfo/wkbulletin/bulletin.htm>