May 29, 2003

1. Cutting costs and keeping excellence
2. The business of the U
3. Are you difficult?
4. Of chapters and Finnish connections
5. Preventing violence in African American homes
6. Could bats hold the secret to longer life?
7. Looking to the past for small-town solutions
8. U of M Happenings
9. Links

U NEWS

Cutting costs and keeping excellence
For the next two years, the University of Minnesota will have almost $1.1 billion in state money to pay for operating costs. Most people would jump for joy at getting a billion dollars, but this amount only covers about one-third of the University's total operating budget for two years. To respond to this financial challenge, the University is trimming costs and reshaping the way it does things.

The $1.1 billion passed on May 29 by the Minnesota State Legislature for the University's next biennium is less than what was proposed in both the House and Senate higher education bills, and it's about $196.3 million less than the amount the University received in 2001. This reduction in state funding is the largest the University has ever had to face.

With declining state funding, the U has already eliminated more than 500 positions, and it expects to raise tuition. Students would pay 14.8 percent more for the 2003-04 school year and another 13 percent more for 2004-05. U faculty and staff will pay more for health care (subject to collective bargaining for represented employees) and will not see a salary increase this coming year. Minnesotans in some counties will have to travel farther for U education and leadership programs because University of Minnesota Extension Service county offices will be closed in favor of regional centers.

"We're committed to maintaining a great institution despite the dire fiscal situation," says U President Bob Bruininks. "We are approaching these reductions strategically, not cutting in the ways that decimate great programs and a quality education. The only way we can effectively serve our community and the state of Minnesota is to deepen existing academic and research investments and to continue to make new ones."

President Bruininks will present his budget recommendations for fiscal year 2004 to the Board of Regents for review on Friday, June 13.

The board will hold a public forum on the proposed budget on Tuesday, June 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 600 McNamara Alumni Center on the Twin Cities campus. If you'd like to express your thoughts or ideas on the budget, e-mail regents@umn.edu with your name, address (including e-mail), the group you will represent (if any), your relationship to the University, and a general presentation topic. You may also send this information to the Office of the Board of Regents, 600 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 or call 612-625-6300. Final action on the budget is expected at a special board meeting on June 26.
To learn more about the U's budget planning for 2004-05, see www.umn.edu/urelate/govrel/050803regents.

For more information about the changes in the U of M Extension Service, see www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews
/2003/UofMEXTSERresponds.html.

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The business of the U
Imagine signing on as the CEO of the third largest business of its kind in the nation, a highly diversified conglomerate with annual revenues of $2.3 billion, 30 percent growth over the past decade, and accountability that extends beyond the board or shareholders to all citizens of the state. That's the job U President Robert Bruininks tackled, and now he's helping citizens understand the business of the University.

President Bruininks will speak at the Carlson School of Management's First Tuesday Luncheon Series on June 3.

"I am frequently asked about the University's financial management, often with the assumption that because we're public, we're inefficient," Bruininks explains, and University public opinion polls confirm his observation. For the past two years, U research has shown that Minnesota adults are not confident in the University's financial management, yet it is very important to them. "The truth is that we're very well-managed, quite efficient by many measures, and we utilize business practices like those of most Fortune 500 companies. We need to close the gap between what people understand about our financial management and the value they place on it."

To begin that process, he's explaining the business of the University--in corporate lingo--to business leaders and the broader public. Bruininks will speak at the Carlson School of Management's First Tuesday Luncheon Series on June 3.

"The University runs very well--6,000 classes start and stop on time, faculty successfully compete for hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding, we create knowledge that fuels business, and we leverage the state's investment by 16:1 or more--how many businesses can boast that kind of return?" Bruininks says. "Our mission is not that of a typical business, but our investment strategy, our search for efficiencies, and the entrepreneurial bent of our faculty and staff all resemble those of our counterparts in the private, for-profit world."

To register for the First Tuesday Luncheon Series or to learn more about it, see www.csom.umn.edu/page2066.aspx. For the University's annual financial report, see www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/cont.

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Are you difficult?
From time to time, we all encounter what we consider difficult behavior in other people. But is it really them, or are we the problem? Lisa Dau, a counselor in the University of Minnesota's Employee Assistance Program, has some tips for understanding how you come across to other people.

If you find yourself answering "yes" to any of following, chances are someone will perceive you as difficult.

* Do I interrupt?
* Am I impatient?
* Do I talk more than listen?
* Do I lose my temper easily?
* Am I argumentative?
* Do I talk at people rather than with them?
* Do I criticize people publicly?
* Do I manipulate others?

The University's Employee Assistance Program provides free professional and personal problem-solving resources to U faculty and staff.

We often don't notice the reactions we generate in others or we misinterpret them. If you want to communicate more effectively in relationships, or if you want to prevent a friendship from going sour, ask people how they see or experience you. But make sure you do this with people who will be honest and with people you trust and respect. Then take what you learn and make some changes.

The University's Employee Assistance Program provides free professional and personal problem-solving resources to U faculty and staff. Services included referrals to legal, financial, and eldercare services; and workshops or one-on-one counseling on issues such as depression, job conflicts, and alcoholism. To learn more about the program, see www.umn.edu/ohr/eap.

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Of chapters and Finnish connections
What do Iceland, Poland, Singapore, and Morocco have in common? A University of Minnesota alumni chapter. On June 13, Finland will become another country with University alumni determined to nurture the University of Minnesota spirit miles from Gopherland.

Kuopio, a Minneapolis Sister City, will be home to the 66th University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA) chapter. The Finnish chapter's inauguration will take place in the Minnesota Room at the University of Kuopio, and representatives from every major Finnish university will be on hand to sign the charter. "The signing of the founding document will take place at about 3 p.m. with a drop of wine and the chapter will get its temporary board," says founder Osmo Hanninen, a physiology professor and medical doctor in Finland. University of Kuopio Rector Matti Uusitup, who last year renewed a university sisterhood agreement with President Bob Bruininks, will preside over the event.

Most UMAA chapters are started by an enthusiastic alum, like Hanninen, who wants to network with other local alumni. Alumni seeking to start a chapter contact the UMAA outreach staff in Minneapolis, who will provide information about alumni in their area, a manual of chapter guidelines and processes, and administrative support.

Chapter leaders and their volunteer board members serve as ambassadors for the U and plan social and educational events for area alumni and friends. Events include visits by the University president, performances by University student and faculty artists, and viewing parties for televised Gopher sporting events. Chapters also play a vital role in their community by holding policy lectures, issue forums, and legislative networking activities. And some may also award student scholarships.

"Chapter leaders all share a real love for the University and a drive to share their spirit and pride in the U," says Chad Kono, UMAA chapter outreach director. "Now, thanks to the initiative of Hanninen and others, alumni in Finland have a way to foster the U of M spirit despite being so far from campus."

To learn more about UMAA chapters, see www.alumni.umn.edu/chapters.

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Preventing violence in African American homes
Stop and hear a child's cry, suggests the title of an upcoming conference hosted by the University of Minnesota's Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community.

In 1993, the institute was established as an outcome of a discussion by several African American scholars about domestic violence and its effects on their community. They concluded that victims of abuse in African American homes were not receiving adequate help because the policies and intervention strategies that were in place for domestic violence did not address the cultural needs of African American families. What was needed, believed the group, was an organization focused on identifying the most effective ways to prevent and reduce family violence among African Americans. The institute is housed in the U's School of Social Work.

The U of M's Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community presents: "African American Children and Domestic Violence: Prevention and Intervention--Stop and Hear a Kid's Cry," as part of their national conference June 5-6.

The institute publishes a seasonal newsletter; hosts public lectures, national conferences, and training forums; and provides resources and consultation services to local and national groups. More than 600 people, including social workers, foster parents, and law enforcement officers, are expected to attend the institute's June 5-6 national conference, "African American Children and Domestic Violence: Prevention and Intervention--Stop and Hear a Kid's Cry," at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

To learn more about the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community or the conference, see www.dvinstitute.org.

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Could bats hold the secret to longer life?
Since the days of Aristotle, humans have sought to unlock the secrets of aging and remedy the ravages of time. Bell Museum

A camera-shy fruit bat from Costa Rica (Photo credit: Anja Brunet)

graduate student Anja Brunet believes bats may hold that key. Bat species number more than 1,000 and account for one quarter of all the mammals on earth. With life spans of up to 30 years, bats outlive other small mammals by a substantial margin.

Brunet's research, which compared bats and shrews--a close relative of bats that live only one to two years--suggests that bat cells produce energy more efficiently and with only half as much of the harmful byproducts known as free radicals. Free radicals start reactions in the body that destroy DNA, protein, and cell membranes. This damage, scientists believe, is what leads to the degenerative effects of aging.

U graduate student Anja Brunet measures the wing length of a vampire bat in Mexico, where she conducted her master's degree research.

Another factor that distinguishes bats from shrews (and other mammals) is their ability to fly. "It is possible that flight is associated with longevity," says Brunet. Birds, like bats, are also remarkably long-lived, she adds. "Maybe the energy required for flight requires the most efficient mitochondria (cell structures that produce energy) and, in turn, decreases the free-radical damage that leads to aging." She also discovered that young bats, which don't yet fly, produce twice as many free radicals as flying adults.

"Ultimately," she says, "if we can get a handle on how individual cells age, we might be able to do something about Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases." Though such discoveries may be far in the future, Brunet hopes that her research will help lay the groundwork for such advances.

To learn more about Brunet's research, see www.bellmuseum.org/imprint.html. To meet Brunet and her bat, Reinaldo, see "Bats at the Bell" in the eNews Happenings section.

Edited from an original story by Jennifer Amie in Imprint, spring 2003.

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Looking to the past for small-town solutions
There are 853 cities in Minnesota, of which 727, or 85 percent, are small towns with less than 5,000 people. The Center for Small Towns at the University of Minnesota, Morris, is hosting a first-of-its-kind event to help small towns, such as Ronneby (population: 16) and Tenney (population: 6), battle declining revenues and a disappearing workforce.

"Rural Minnesota: A Century of Change," will bring together county commissioners and city managers, citizen action groups and extension educators to focus on the transformations and trends faced by rural towns in Minnesota between 1900 and 2000. The symposium will be held on June 10 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and June 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the student center on the Morris campus. The public is invited to attend. "This is an excellent opportunity to both understand and celebrate small towns," says Roger McCannon, center director. "We hope that the past century of change may guide us in the research, programs, and policies of the future." The Center for Small Towns is a community outreach program that links those involved in rural development or rural issues with appropriate U resources.

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and U Regent Robert Bergland will give the keynote address, and five topic-specific sessions--each providing a historical analysis and a future outlook--will culminate in a panel discussion on the needs of small towns.

The registration fee is $45, which includes lunch, admission to an exhibit, and a ticket to a concert by mandolinist and fiddler Peter Ostroushko on June 10 at UMM's Edson Auditorium. To register or for more information, call Barb Hesse at 320-589-6451 or see www.mrs.umn.edu/services/cst/symposium/index.htm.

To learn more about the Center for Small Towns, see www.mrs.umn.edu/services/cst.

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U OF M HAPPENINGS

Using math to understand the heart
The U's Institute for Mathematics and its Applications will host "Secrets of the Heart," a free public lecture on the use of mathematical models and computer animation to understand the processes of the human heart. The event is Thursday, June 5, at 7 p.m. in 2-650 Moos Tower on the Twin Cities campus. For more information, call 612-624-6066.

Biography of a congresswoman
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia) and author Joan Steinau Lester will read from the congresswoman's biography, Fire In My Soul, on Friday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, 301 19th Ave. S. on the Twin Cities campus. A book signing will follow the public reading. For more information, call Sue Finnegan at 612-625-6082.

Farewell reception for UMC chancellor
Chancellor Don Sargeant and his wife, Mary Beth, will be honored at a public reception on Friday, June 6, at 9:30 p.m., at the Northland Inn of Crookston for their contributions to UMC and the Crookston community. Sargeant is stepping down as chancellor of UMC at the end of June after 18 years at the helm. Crookston Mayor Don Osborne will declare June 6 Don and Mary Beth Sargeant Day. For more information, call Mike Meyer at 218-281-8434.

Music on the mall
Reggae, honky-tonk, classic rock... there is not only one music genre at the U's annual Summer Session at Northrop. From Wednesday, June 4, to Wednesday, July 30, the U's Department of Concerts and Lectures will host free, outdoor concerts from noon to 1 p.m. on Northrop plaza on the Twin Cities campus. The modern jazz band Triplicate will kick off the series on June 4. For a complete concert schedule, see www.northrop.umn.edu or call 612-624-2345.

Bats at the Bell
From Sunday, June 8, to Sunday, August 31, you can explore a bat cave, try on a giant pair of bat ears, and learn about different bat species at the Bell Museum of Natural History on the Twin Cities campus. The museum's "Bats in My World" exhibit will also feature the latest in bat research. U bat researcher Anja Brunet and her bat, Reinaldo, will be at the "Bats in My World Opening Party" on June 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. Museum admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children ages 3-16. (Admission on June 12 is $8 for adults and $5 for Bell Museum members and children; reservation is required, call 612-624-9050.) For information about museum hours or location, see www.bellmuseum.org/hours.html.

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LINKS

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