Volume 23, Number 6, September 24, 2003
Calendar
News Items
Owen 270
Open House September 24
Student services located in 270
Owen Hall will host an open house for all faculty and staff on
Wednesday, September 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Faculty and staff are
encouraged to stop by and join staff members for soup, bread, and an
opportunity to visit about the services offered to students. The
event is cosponsored by the Academic Assistance Center, Student
Support Services, Counseling and Career Services, and Disability
Services.
Ventriloquist Dan Horn Performs September 24
Ventriloquist
Dan Horn will perform at UMC Wednesday, September 24, at 8 p.m. in
Kiehle Auditorium. The recipient of the prestigious International
Ventriloquist of the Year award, Horn is considered to be one of the
best ventriloquists in the nation. The performance is sponsored by
UMC’s Student Programming and Activities for Campus Entertainment
(SPACE). Visit <www.danhorn.com>
for more information.
Burton
and Bergland to Talk Ag September 25
University of Minnesota, Crookston Chancellor Velmer Burton, Jr., and
former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland will join forces
Thursday, September 25, to discuss opportunities and careers in
agriculture. The public is invited to attend the two presentations on
the importance of agriculture in the societies of today and tomorrow.
The first session will take place at 10 a.m. in the Fisher High School
auditorium, with the second following at 1:45 p.m. at Fertile-Beltrami
High School.
“These two leaders will share the importance of agriculture in today’s society and to demonstrate all that agriculture has to offer,” said Brent Sorenson, UMC assistant professor of agricultural business. “UMC has excellent training for students, and agriculture is a career that as an abundance of profitable positions now and in the near future.”
Bergland is also a former University of Minnesota Regent who now resides in his hometown of Roseau, MN.
For more information
contact Brent Sorenson, Ph.D., at (800) 862-6466 ext. 8138 or
soren045@umn.edu.
--Michelle Christopherson, Assistant to the Director, Center for
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Facilities Use Draft Policy Open Forum September 30
An open forum has been scheduled
for Tuesday, September 30 at 2:30 p.m. in Brown Dining Room A-B
to discuss and receive input on the draft policy titled:
Facility Use and Event Scheduling Policy, Draft #4, September 10,
2003 (Word document) 
.
Individuals and
departments involved in hosting, sponsoring, or co-sponsoring events on
campus are especially encouraged to attend.
--Bob Nelson, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Registrar
State of
the University Address Set for October 2
University
of Minnesota President Robert H. Bruininks will present his annual State
of the University Address at the University Senate meeting Thursday,
October 2, at 3 p.m., in Coffman Memorial Union Theatre, 300 Washington
Avenue S.E., Minneapolis. A question-and-answer period will follow the
speech.
Live video viewing on coordinate campuses will take place at the
following locations:
Duluth: 410 Library
Morris: 2950 Science Auditorium
Crookston: 101 Dowell
Rochester: ST108
Visit <www.umn.edu> for video streaming link.
Diversity
Conference October 2
MCDC’s 10th
Annual Diversity Conference, “Living and Working in America:
Opportunity or Adversity?” Transforming Personal Stories into Tools for
Success, will be presented live via satellite Thursday, October 2,
from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in the Youngquist Auditorium, UMC Campus.
The agenda is as follows:
|
8 to 8:30 a.m. |
Registration |
|
8:30 to 10 a.m. |
Live Broadcast,
including: |
|
10 to 11 a.m. |
Facilitated Discussion by Vanessa Bailey, Ph.D. candidate in Human Resource Development, University of Minnesota |
The Conference is sponsored in part by the Multicultural/International Program and Diversity Services.
UPlan
Update Info Session October 3
Employee
Benefits will sponsor an informational forum on the UPlan changes for
2004 on Friday, October 3, in Brown Dining Rooms A & B, Sahlstrom
Conference Center.
The University is facing historic reductions in state appropriations over the next two years and must meet the resulting budget challenges by reducing its operating costs. Because of the University’s budget crisis and rising health care costs, changes have been made to the medical and dental plans. Co-payments for office visits and prescription drugs are increasing, and the employee share of the premium cost will increase. Learn more about these and additional changes in the medical and dental plans so that you can make an informed choice during Open Enrollment. Representatives from the medical and dental plans will also be on hand to answer your questions.
Two presentations will be offered:
-
Noon to 1 p.m. – General Presentation – Dann Chapman, Director, Employee Benefits
-
1 to 1:30 p.m. -- Questions/Answers & Information Booths – Administrative Partners
Visit the Employee Benefits Web site for more information about your benefits: <www.umn.edu/ohr/eb>. These changes are subject to collective bargaining. The University will engage in good faith bargaining with representatives of unionized employees.
Blood
Drive October 6
The Student Athletic Advisory
Committee (SAAC) will be sponsoring UMC’s first blood drive of the year
Monday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium. SAAC
members will be in the Sahlstrom Conference Center entrance the week of
September 29 to October 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. soliciting donors for
this important event. As always, the blood supply in this area is very
low. We need to do our part and take one hour out of the day to help
save somebody’s life! Please consider donating. Contact Stacey
Grunewald, 8512 for more information. Thanks!
--Stacey Grunewald, RN, Student Health Services Coordinator
UMC Policy
on Excusing Classes for Convocation
Convocation at the University of
Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) is celebrated twice each academic year-once
each during fall and spring semester. As a policy, classes are excused
for the hour-long Convocation, and students, faculty, and staff are
strongly encouraged to attend and celebrate UMC’s accomplishments with
their peers and colleagues. The public is also invited to attend. A
tradition dating back to the founding of the campus, Convocation
consists of a keynote speaker selected by the UMC Student Association
and recognition of student academic and athletic achievements.
Convocation also features musical selections courtesy of the UMC Music
Department. The event has traditionally been scheduled on a Wednesday
near the middle of the semester at 10 a.m. The UMC Student Association
has the authority to schedule the event with the approval of
administration.
--Approved by Faculty Assembly, 9/19/03
Attention Photocopy Machine Users
The UMC Publications and Design
Department now has a new high-speed copier located in Kiehle 125. The
machine was purchased to replace one of the older print presses and to
offer better and faster service. The new machine will collate, staple,
three-hole punch, and can use colored paper. Best of all, the machine
is networked, so you can e-mail your job request in a word document
attachment directly to Linda Wilkens (lwilkens) for the fastest
service. In the e-mail, just provide your budget number, the number of
copies needed, the color of paper, the date and time needed, and any
finishing needs (i.e. back to back, single sheet, stapling, hole
punching, etc.). Often, turn around time is less than four hours.
As a reminder, campus photocopy rates for the machines in Dowell Hall and Selvig Hall are now at $.06 per sheet (one side) as approved by the Executive Committee at a May 2003 meeting. The new rates went into effect September 1, 2003. We have set the rates for the new machine in Kiehle 125 at only $.04. per sheet for a single sheet (standard weight paper) and $.07 per sheet for double-sided sheets in order to help mediate the cost increase on the other machines. Also, please note that the campus networked laser printers are not meant for large print runs.
The Publications and Design Department also offers color photocopy options and various design and layout services at very budget-conscious rates.
We understand that everyone on campus is
feeling the budget crunch. Please know that we are working to keep our
prices significantly lower than other off-campus options. We hope to
provide a valuable, convenient service to the campus. Thank you.
--Andrew Svec, Director of Communications
Clarification on Procedures for Obtaining Accommodations Related to
Disability
Thank you to all of you who
include a disability statement on your course syllabi. That practice
has done a lot to encourage students to make appropriate arrangements
for accommodations in a timely way. A number of inquiries have
been directed my way this fall about how students obtain services and
what services are available, and so this is a brief summary of the
process for any of you who are not already familiar with it.
The University of Minnesota requires that students who seek academic accommodations related to a disability provide documentation from an appropriate specialist in order to arrange for accommodations. Ideally, that documentation will include a diagnostic assessment, a statement of how the disability impacts functioning, and what accommodations are recommended. Often times, a high school will include a copy of the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) as well. Disability documentation must be directed to the campus disability services office (at UMC that is Owen 270F). It should not be retained in other offices or duplicated for storage in other areas. It is regarded in the same way as confidential medical information.
The Disability Services Office uses the documentation to establish appropriate accommodations in consultation with each student, and accommodations must be directly related to the specific disability. Requests for accommodations may be initiated at any time during the semester, or any time during the period of the student’s enrollment in college, but generally the earlier that accommodations are initiated, the greater their effectiveness for the student. It has not been our practice, for example, to begin accommodations during final exam week since it generally takes longer than four days to get all of the information processed and notifications delivered. Accommodations will vary from one student to the next depending upon the diagnostic information provided by the student. Faculty will receive notice of approved accommodations from the campus disability services office, and are not required to provide accommodations until those arrangements are completed. UMC serves students across all disability groups, but identified lower ability alone, while challenging for the student, is not a specific disability. Those students are best served by careful advising, allowing “extra” time to move through a program of study, appropriate use of developmental coursework, tutoring and good time management.
Students with disabilities are identified in a variety of ways. Many will first report a disability on a survey sent out by Student Health during New Student Registration in the spring. Others identify on a fall survey of new students, and many others initiate discussions while visiting campuses during their high school years. Older students are often referred by Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans’ Services or other agencies, and still others are referred by faculty or self-refer.
Students with disabilities are subject to the same academic and conduct expectations of any other student. If there is a concern, it is helpful to find out about it as early as possible so that an appropriate problem solving process can take place. Students with disabilities have access to the same rights and grievance procedures as other students, and also have the right to grieve a decision by the campus disability services office. On our campus, grievances would be directed to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Dr. Robert Nelson. Students with disabilities have the same responsibilities as other students along with a few extras mentioned in this memo.
A student with a disability is not required to report or document a disability unless the student is seeking to arrange for accommodations of some sort. There are many students each year who choose not to disclose for a variety of reasons. It is imperative that disclosure of a disability to a faculty or staff member be respectfully and professionally used, and that no additional casual disclosure is made without specific consent of the student. Before letters of accommodation are sent to faculty, for example, this office must have the student’s consent to do that.
UMC faculty and staff have consistently provided a high level of valuable support and assistance to students with disabilities on our campus. In addition, it has been my personal experience that this campus community strives to achieve the “spirit” as well as the letter of the law when it comes to serving students. By that I mean that a climate of inclusiveness and a recognition of the diverse talents, perspectives, challenges and contributions that these students offer is understood and valued and ultimately makes us better at what we say we are trying to do.
Please continue to
contact this office if you have additional questions or concerns. I hope
this clarifies the process for those of you with questions to date.
Additional information about specific instructional strategies,
disability categories, reasonable accommodations, and other related
topics is available on our website. Thank you.
--Laurie Wilson, UMC Counseling and Disability Services
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Program (UROP)
Application
material for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program projects from
January 1, 2004 through June 15, 2004 is now available in the Academic
Affairs Office. UROP offers financial awards to full-time undergraduate
students for research, scholarly, or creative projects undertaken in
partnership with a faculty member. UROP affords undergraduates the
unique educational experience of collaborating with a faculty member on
the design and implementation of a project. At the same time, faculty
have the opportunity to work closely with students and receive valuable
assistance with their own research or professional activity. UROP
encourages students to conduct research and pursue academic interests
outside of their regular courses by employing them to work on special
projects. UROP applications are judged on the quality of the proposed
project and the educational benefit to the student. Copies of UROP
proposals submitted by UMC students that have been funded are on reserve
in the library. The maximum award is $1,700 – stipend up to $1,400
(hourly rate is $10.84) and expense allowance up to $300. Completed
applications should be returned to the Academic Affairs Office by 4:30
p.m. on October 6, 2003. Late applications will not be accepted.
--Academic Affairs
Missing!
Our lighted board to announce
events was taken from the Sahlstrom Conference Center lobby on Friday,
September 12. Also, the old Regal the Eagle head from the mascot
costume was taken out of a storage room in Hill Hall and is missing.
Anyone knowing where these items might be please contact Pam
Holsinger-Fuchs. Thank you.
Accolades
On Tuesday, September 16, Wendell Johnson, UMC associate
professor of biology, and Ed Wene, scientist for the Agricultural
Utilization Research Institute (AURI), hosted three Canadian
conservation specialists who were interested in learning more about
research being done about hybrid poplar trees as a commercial crop. The
conservationists are interested in applying the research to the Canadian
government’s project to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide as part of
its commitment to the Kyoto Agreement, a
framework laid down by 38 developed countries to prevent global warming,
and to stave off destruction of Canada’s old-growth forests by providing
an alternative fiber source. Pictured above are (from left): Wendell
Johnson; Gordon Falk, tree improvement specialist for the Conservation
Department of Manitoba; Tim Keddy, forest management field coordinator
for the Canadian Forest Service, Alberta; Derek Sidders, silviculture
operations specialist for the Canadian Forest Service, Alberta; and Ed
Wene.
VolunTEAM
Update
If you’re interested in learning more about the Crookston VolunTEAM,
please contact Mike in the VolunTEAM office (Dowell 112) at 281-8526 or
chris282@umn.edu. Or, simply visit <www.volunteam.org>.
Special Dates
Birthdays
September 24 – Pam McGee
September 25 – David DeMuth
September 28 – Don Cavalier
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, September 27, to hear excerpts from the speeches by this
year’s inductees to the UMC Athletic Hall of Fame. UMC Insight is
hosted by Andrew Svec, UMC Director of Communications.
UMC
Bulletin
The UMC Bulletin is posted at:
<www.UMCrookston.edu/campusinfo/wkbulletin/bulletin.htm>