March 6, 2003

1. President Bruininks hits the airwaves
2. Three new members appointed to Board of Regents
3. Mega-bookstore opens in Coffman Memorial Union
4. General College dean awarded international peace prize
5. Philanthropy: a critical niche
6. Renewable energy and rural economic development
7. Research to products
8. ePortfolio gives students a leg up
9. Distance learning is a family affair
10. U of M Happenings
11. Links

U IN THE NEWS

President Bruininks hits the airwaves
On Friday, March 7, University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks is scheduled to be a guest on "Almanac," Twin Cities Public Television's weekly public affairs show. On Monday, March 10, Bruininks is scheduled to be on Minnesota Public Radio's "Midday" program.

U president Robert Bruininks.

"Almanac" airs on channel 2 in the Twin Cities on Friday, March 7, at 7 p.m. and is re-broadcast Saturday, March 8, at 8 p.m. on channel 17 and Sunday, March 9, at 9:30 a.m. on channel 2. For other local Minnesota broadcast times or to view the program online, see www.tpt.org/almanac.

"Midday" airs on 91.1 FM in the Twin Cities and on MPR stations throughout the state on Monday, March 10 from 11 a.m. to noon. He'll take your questions; call 651-227-6000 from the Twin Cities or 800-242-2828 from other locations. For more information or to listen online, see www.news.mpr.org/programs/midday.

Return to top

Three new members appointed to Board of Regents
On March 3, the Minnesota Legislature appointed three new members and reappointed six others to the 12-member Board of Regents that governs the University of Minnesota.

The new members of the board are:

• Patricia Simmons, representing the 1st Congressional District. Simmons, 51, is a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She holds degrees from Carleton College and the University of Chicago. Historically, University regents have had ties to Mayo. Simmons' seat was previously held by a Mayo physician.
  
  
• John Frobenius, representing the 6th Congressional
  
  
• District. Forbenious, 61, is the former president of St. Cloud Hospital and is now a health care lobbyist and consultant. He has a master's degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota.
  
  
• Clyde Allen, Jr., representing the 7th Congressional District. Allen, 68, is a business officer with Concordia College in Moorhead. In the early 1980s, he was the State Revenue Commissioner and has been the research director for the Minnesota Taxpayers Association.
  

Reappointed by the legislature are board members David Metzen, representing the 4th Congressional District; Peter Bell, representing the 5th Congressional District; Frank Berman, at large; Richard "Pinky" McNamara, at large; Maureen Reed, at large; and Lakeesha Ransom, student representative to the board.

Newly appointed board members will assume their duties immediately. The next regents meetings are March 13 and 14. For more information see www.umn.edu/regents.

Return to top

Mega-bookstore opens in Coffman Memorial Union
The largest public university bookstore in Minnesota -- and one of the largest university bookstores in the nation -- opened this week in Coffman Memorial Union. The 46,000-square-foot University of Minnesota Bookstore offers students, faculty, and staff a spacious, fully stocked academic and general interest bookstore in one convenient, central location.

"The new University of Minnesota Bookstore at Coffman Union is truly a 'super' bookstore in every sense of the word," said Bob Crabb, director, U of M Bookstores.

"The new University of Minnesota Bookstore at Coffman Union is truly a 'super' bookstore in every sense of the word," said Bob Crabb, director, U of M Bookstores. "We offer what you'd typically expect in a college bookstore: a complete inventory of textbooks and school supplies for students. But we'll go well beyond that with a fully stocked arts supply center, a large shop for University of Minnesota merchandise, and a substantial general interest section with the latest titles."

The store will be stocked with more than 200,000 titles from 3,500 publishers worldwide, including a large selection from U faculty authors and from general, academic, technical, small press, and university press titles.

"The new bookstore will have the depth and quality of an independent bookstore, an extensive section of textbooks, and an unequaled selection of technical books as well as the browsing environment of a book superstore, complete with a Starbucks coffee shop just outside the doors," Crabb said.

The bookstore was part of the Coffman Union renovation that was completed in January 2003. The store is open to the general public. For more information and store hours, or to order books online, see www.bookstore.umn.edu.

Return to top

General College dean awarded international peace prize
David Taylor, dean of the University's General College, has been awarded the 2003 Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders prize by Atlanta's Morehouse College, Dr. Martin Luther King's alma mater.

David Taylor, dean of the University's General College.

Taylor received the award for his outstanding leadership of General College and its commitment to nonviolence and peace, and for his extraordinary efforts to promote educational opportunities for all Minnestons, according to Lawrence Edward Carter, Sr., dean of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Chapel and professor of philosophy and religion at Morehouse.

Past winners of the award come from leaders in the fields of education, academia, religion, and politics, and include M. Lenore Bennet, Jr., executive editor of Ebony Magazine; H. M. Taufaahau Tupou IV, the King of Tonga; United States ambassador Andrew Young; and Rosa Parks.

The award was created to celebrate the lives and work of world peacemakers Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Daisaku Ikeda.

Taylor received the award at a ceremony in conjunction with the Legacy of Building Peace exhibit, an international exhibition on nonviolence, featuring the history and legacy of King, Ghandi and Ikeda, which was on display at the Hubert H. Humphrey Center on the Twin Cites campus in February.

Return to top

Philanthropy: a critical niche
As the University faces historic reductions in state funding, U leaders are frequently asked why the University cannot simply turn to philanthropic support to make up for the loss of state support.

Private giving is a critical component of the University's overall funding mix, but it simply cannot replace public support. Gifts, largely designated by donors for specific uses, enable the University to go beyond the limits of state funding.

Gifts to the U have created hundreds of scholarships and fellowships, supported faculty and their research, and helped build or renovate facilities. But they don't cover basic salaries or medical insurance or pay the heating bills.

Campaign Minnesota is the major fundraising campaign currently under way at the U. The campaign has raised $1.56 billion since it began in 1996.

Philanthropy plays a distinct role at the University.

• Ninety-eight percent of all gifts to the U are designated for specific purposes by donors, and the University must use these gifts as intended.
  
  
• About 65 percent of the gifts made every year are in the form of cash. The rest are bequests, other future commitments, or pledges to be paid over a period of time. The University will not realize the full value of Campaign Minnesota for a number of years.
  
  
• Many gifts, including half of those made during Campaign Minnesota, have been designated for endowment, in which the principal is held intact and invested. An annual payout ensures that ongoing funding is available only for designated programs. The University cannot draw down that principal to make up for lost state funding.
  
  
• About 10 percent of the U's revenues each year are the result of philanthropy, either through contributions available for immediate use or as payout from endowed funds. While our donors are extremely generous, they simply cannot replace core state funding, which comprises about 31 percent of University revenue.
  

There is still time to contribute to the campaign, which comes to a close in June. For more information see www.campaign.umn.edu or call 612-624-3333.

Return to top

Renewable energy and rural economic development
The University of Minnesota is helping farmers and rural community and government leaders harness the power of wind, hydrogen, ethanol, and biomass to spur economic development and meet local energy needs.

Harnessing the power of the wind through the use of large turbines, like those above, will be one focus of the WCROC workshop.

For the second year, the University's West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) is cosponsoring "Empowering the Countryside with Renewable Energy," a nuts-and-bolts workshop on using renewable energy to address energy needs and stimulate economic development.

"Renewable energy is becoming increasingly important in our nation and world," said Greg Cuomo, head of the WCROC. "This workshop will help farmers and rural communities develop plans to use renewable energy."

Last year, more than 200 farmers and community and government leaders and electric utilities cooperatives participated. This year, the workshop will cover establishing a wind farm; products, the processes, and potential of bio-refining and biomass; innovations with hydrogen energy; and funding and financing renewable energy projects. In addition, participants will discuss a proposal to create the Renewable Energy Center, a biomass district energy system that could be located in Morris. The proposed project would include wind energy, bio-diesel, heat recovery, and a bio-refinery.

The workshop will be held Thursday, March 13, 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Science Auditorium on the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) campus. Details are available at http://wcroc.coafes.umn.edu.

Other workshop sponsors are UMM, West Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Office.

Return to top

Research to products
What do a pacemaker, an airplane's "black box" and a Chisago potato have in common? They 're all products brought to life by University of Minnesota research.

That research and the resulting products were featured at an all-day exposition last week where hundreds of people strolled through the McNamara Alumni Center, taking in more than 50 different exhibits.

The event showcased both the work of researchers, and the partnerships between the U and investment, business, and private sector leaders. It's those partnerships that facilitate the transfer of University discoveries to the marketplace and create new products and services.

The Honeycrisp™ variety was 30 years in the making, from the original cross of two parents to the final introduction in 1991.

Products and discoveries on display at the event included: honeycrisp apples, a special breed of apple developed by University faculty members James Luby and David Bedford; an artificial mouth that researchers can use to replicate a year's worth of chewing in just a day; and a newly developed bluegrass that's being used at several golf courses, including the legendary Pebble Beach.

In fiscal year 2002, the University of Minnesota received $527 million in research awards -- the first time the University has surpassed the half-billion-dollar mark -- and technology transfer continued its substantial upward momentum. The amount of intellectual property generated by University faculty is up 65 percent over the last five years; the number of active license agreements the University has with business and industry increased 49 percent over the same time period; and royalties generated by University-developed technologies totaled $26.5 million in fiscal year 2002.

The U is ranked among the top three public research universities in the nation, according to a University of Florida study. Among large research schools, the U is also in the top ten in amount of income generated by its products and number of start-up companies created.

Return to top

ePortfolio gives students a leg up
In the olden days (of a few years ago), college students had to literally gather portfolio items such as writing samples, artwork, or graphic design examples to show to prospective employers. That is, in many cases, they had to take a box and start filling it. But those days are disappearing fast, thanks to a groundbreaking project at the University of Minnesota.

It's called an Electronic Portfolio -- or ePortfolio -- system, and it lets students gather, store, and distribute personal information selectively and electronically.

As students store their work electronically, they can send a prospective employer just the items they want that employer to see. For instance, a journalism major might want to send a broadcast story to a television station, but also make sure that his or her best writing clips reach a newspaper editor. Both options are simple with ePortfolio. And, using the University's "Technology for Life" plan, students can continue to use and enhance their ePortfolios throughout their lives. The content students can put in their portfolios is limitless.

Paul Treuer, an associate professor in the supportive services program at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, is the force behind the project. Treuer came up with the idea in 1995. His students have seen the real-world application of his efforts -- they are getting internships, scholarships, and jobs as a result of strong portfolios.

This is the first electronic portfolio project to be built with "open source" software. Open source is an approach to developing software that allows anyone to participate in the project's development, use, or commercial exploitation. That way it can be continually improved by anyone who wants to contribute ideas. So far 24,000 people – students, staff, and faculty -- on all four University of Minnesota campuses are using ePortfolio. To sample ePortfolio, see http://eportfolio.d.umn.edu.

Return to top

Distance learning is a family affair
To earn their degrees from the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC), Liz Tollefson ('02) and her daughters Megan ('02) and Carrie ('01) had to take classes all over the state -- East Grand Forks, Marshall, Crookston, and St. Paul. It's not as complicated as it sounds, though. Thanks to distance learning classes, they were able to complete most of their studies without ever leaving Crookston.

Liz Tollefson (left) and her daughters Megan (sitting) and Carrie (right).

Liz, Megan, and Carrie all earned bachelors degrees in scientific and technical communications, a Department of Rhetoric program in which students complete their first two years of study at either UMC, Southwest State, or Rochester Community and Technical College, and their last two years through interactive television (ITV) and online classes offered by the Department of Rhetoric, based on the St. Paul campus. This approach gives students access to instructors and programs that would not likely be available on a smaller campus.

The benefits of distance learning extend beyond graduation by preparing students to work in an increasingly technological work force. When Carrie interviewed for an internship as a technical writer, the fact that she had taken ITV classes was a real selling point. "We often work across distances," she explains, "and the fact that I had that experience made me more qualified to work in an environment that required the same kind of distance interaction."

All three Tollefsons endorse distance education options and encourage others to explore them. "If you have a good instructor and hold up your end, it is a great experience." says Megan.

For more information about distance learning, see www.idl.umn.edu or call the College of Continuing Education at 612-624-5332.

Return to top

U OF M HAPPENINGS

"What's a White Girl Like You Doing in Multicultural Education?"
Christine Sleeter, award-winning educator and writer on multicultural education and multicultural teacher education, will present a lecture on this topic Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m. in the Mississippi Room, Coffman Memorial Union on the Twin Cities campus. For more information, call or e-mail Dave Ghere at 612-626-8631, ghere001@umn.edu, or Lisa Albrecht at 612-626-7130, lalbrech@umn.edu. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Great Conversations--Corporate Responsibility
Will the scandals and shady business practices give rise to a new era of corporate responsibility? Will congressional actions amount to window dressing or true reform? Hear Norman Bowie, Elmer L. Andersen Chair for Corporate Responsibility at the Carlson School of Management; and Thomas Dunfee, Joseph Kolodny Chair of Social Responsibility in Business at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania discuss these issues during the second installment of the 2003 Great Conversations series, sponsored by the College of Continuing Education. The event will be held on Thursday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m., in the Ted Mann Concert Hall on the Twin Cities Campus. Tickets are $27, with a 20 percent discount available for UMAA members, and U faculty, staff and students. To purchase tickets, call 612-624-2345.

Shanghai Ghetto
Shanghai Ghetto, an internationally acclaimed film about the thousands of Jewish refugees who escaped Nazi persecution by fleeing to China, will be shown Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m., at the Lagoon Theater in Minneapolis. Tickets are $5. A panel discussion and reception will follow. The screening is cosponsored by the China Center on the Twin Cities campus. Contact them at 612-624-1002 to purchase tickets or for more information.

Arboretum Pancake Brunch/Maple Sugar Tour
Enjoy arboretum-made pure maple syrup and all-you-can-eat pancakes served with all the fixings. Discover how maple trees are tapped and how sap is processed. The event will be held Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen. The cost is $6 for adults, $3.50 for children ages 4-10, and children 3 and under are free. For more information call 952-443-1400 or see www.arboretum.umn.edu.

Arts on Campus
"Arts on Campus" is currently on display in the Heritage Gallery of the McNamara Alumni Center on the Twin Cities campus. The exhibit showcases significant individuals and events in theatre, dance, music, studio arts, and architecture at the University, and is free and open to the public. Hours are Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Return to top

LINKS

Hey, Sports Fans! Check out sports news and schedules of the U's teams:

Gophers
Duluth Bulldogs
Morris Cougars
Crookston Golden Eagles

Give to the U: Learn more about this fund-raising effort to build excellence in every corner of the U.

University of Minnesota Alumni Association: Your membership makes a difference.

U of M Legislative Network: Read about the University's legislative request and how you can help.

University of Minnesota Systemwide Home Page