Today's News: Friday, March 8, 2013
Featured
4 year graduation guarantee
It's a four year guarantee to graduate from college, so why aren't more students taking advantage of it? The University of Minnesota has had the program in place since 1996. Back then the four year graduation rate was 26%, today its 58%.
KSTP
http://universityofmn.kstp.com/news/news/196072-4-year-graduation-guarantee
Administration
U of M sees "opportunities to improve" in administrative staffing report
In a new snapshot of the University of Minnesota's administrative ranks, leaders see opportunities to make the U leaner. At the Friday, March 8, Board of Regents meeting, University President Eric Kaler previewed an early report on the U's administrative structure that he will present to legislators early next week.
Pioneer Press
http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_22747477/university-minnesota-report-trigger-more-scrutiny-administrative-staffing
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/
MPR
http://minnesota.publicradio.
Research
'Marshall Plan' for African wildlife?
African lions and villagers would benefit from fences to protect them from each other, according to a new study by University of Minnesota researcher Craig Packer published online by Ecology Letters on March 5.
Science Daily
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130308103419.htm
From soap to clothes Triclosan is everywhere. Does it pose a threat?
It may have been in the soap, deodorant or toothpaste you used this morning, the clothing you’re wearing now, or the kitchenware you’ll use for dinner tonight. If research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is accurate, chances are it’s in you, too. Whether triclosan poses a threat to human health or the environment, is a matter of some debate. However, a recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota that found increasing amounts of the chemical in several state lakes has prompted further thoughts.
Twin Cities Daily Planet
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2013/03/07/soap-clothes-triclosan-everywhere-does-it-pose-threat
Business and Politics
Best Buy ending its telecommuting ban
It's the end of working from home for most Best Buy employees, after the Minnesota-based company announces that it is ending its telecommuting program. Frank Douma, a Research Fellow at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs, explains why the common citizen should care about this move.
KARE 11
To Watch: http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=1014523
The costs of medical care
This week on the Friday Roundtable, MPR takes a look at the reasons behind the costs of medical care. Jim Pacala, associate head of the University of Minnesota's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, chimes in.
MPR
To Listen: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/03/08/daily-circuit-friday-roundtable-medical-costs
Health care could be impacted by expected MN doctor shortage
Doctors are getting older in Minnesota. In the next 10 years one in three will retire, and there aren't enough future physicians to replace them. Dr. John Andrews, head of the University of Minnesota's Graduate Medical School, adds insight.
KSTP-TV
To Watch: http://kstp.com/news/stories/S2955873.shtml?cat=1
In Edina, civic discussion can turn uncivil
Snarkiness and the Internet seem to go hand in hand, as the city of Edina recently found when it tried to engage residents in an online discussion of housing redevelopment policies. Brendan Watson, assistant professor of journalism at the U of M, comments.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/local/west/196231121.html?refer=y
People and Lifestyle
Minnesota, hats off to thee!
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/
Breaking the silence on prostitution in Twin Cities
It's hard to put an end to a problem that few people know of, let alone talk about. And that’s precisely why the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) is working hard to raise public awareness about sex trafficking and the prostitution of women and children in the Twin Cities through a series of public discussions aimed at putting an end to the practice.
Twin Cities Daily Planet
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2013/03/06/community-voices-breaking-silence-prostitution-twin-cities
Daylight saving: Springing forward harder than falling back
Daylight saving time is this weekend, and we'll move our clocks forward an hour. While it's nice to have an extra daylight at the end of the day, this time change can feel like jet lag. That hour makes a difference. It's a big change in a short period of time, and spring forward is often harder than the fall time change. In fact, according to Dr. Conrad Iber, medical director of Fairview's sleep program, the number of car accidents is higher on the Monday after daylight saving in spring versus the fall.
WCCO-TV
To Watch: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/03/08/daylight-saving-springing-forward-harder-than-falling-back/
The role of health care services in preventing teen pregnancy
Teen birth rates have hit a historic low nationwide. However, when comparing the United States' teenage birth rates to that of other countries, it becomes clear that the U.S. has a long way to go. Renee Sieving, Ph.D., an associate professor with the Center for Adolescent Nursing in the U of M School of Nursing, offers insight on how to lower these rates further.
HealthTalk
http://www.health.umn.edu/healthtalk/2013/03/07/the-role-of-health-care-services-in-preventing-teen-pregnancy/
Updates and Events
Lila Downs sings for her father
When Lila Downs pours herself into her music, she doesn't think much about her mixed heritage. But during a recent visit to St. Paul, Downs was touched when someone told her how much she was like her Scottish-American father, longtime University of Minnesota art professor Allen Downs. In a concert Sunday at the University of Minnesota's Ted Mann Concert Hall, Downs will celebrate the life, art and career of her father, who died years before she launched her career.
MPR
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/state-of-the-arts/archive/2013/03/lila-downs-sings-for-her-father.shtml
U to lease space at Minneapolis Supercomputer Building
The University of Minnesota’s Advanced Research & Diagnostic Laboratory, which carries out clinical medical research on a contract basis and stores specimens in high-tech freezers, is set to sign a lease for a 16,774-square-foot space at the Minnesota Supercomputer Building.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/business/196082891.html?refer=y