Home > Brief > Archive > Brief (1-24-2007)

Read Brief on the Web at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief/Brief_1242007.html .
Vol. XXXVII No. 3; Jan. 24, 2007
Editor: Gayla Marty, brief@umn.edu

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

---

A NEW TICKETING SYSTEM FOR U EVENTS DEBUTED THIS MONTH to provide better service and features for students, faculty and staff, and the general public. The system, which is being phased in, went online Jan. 4 for Northrop Auditorium, Rarig Center, and Ted Mann Concert Hall at UMTC and is projected to be ready for the UMD fine arts festival this spring and for UMTC athletics by June 15. Ticketing is just one of more than 50 projects that will be featured at the first-ever U-wide Quality Fair, Jan. 25, 8 a.m.-noon, McNamara Alumni Center, UMTC. Presentations will be streamed live at http://www.umn.edu/osci/fair.html . Read more about the enterprise ticketing system at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/U_introduces_new_ticketing_system.html .

THE ACADEMIC HEALTH CENTER HAS NAMED CROOKSTON as the site of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) for northwestern Minnesota. AHECs provide federal and state support to improve health care in medically underserved areas by training more doctors, nurses, and dentists. Crookston will become the state's fourth AHEC site, joining Fergus Falls, Hibbing, and Willmar. Read more at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/Improving_health_care_in_northwestern_Minnesota.html .

U RESPONDS TO GOVERNOR'S BUDGET: President Bruininks gave a mixed review to the governor's budget proposal for the 2008-2009 biennium, unveiled Monday. Gov. Pawlenty recommended funding half of the U's request, with full support for the research-focused portions and none for the education and general compensation portions. See http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/news_details.php?release=070123_3124&page=UMNN . Learn more about the U's budget request at http://www.umn.edu/urelate/govrel .

PEOPLE: Regents Professor Ronald Phillips is cowinner of the 2007 Wolf Prize in Agriculture; Robert Kudrle succeeds G. Edward Schuh as the Humphrey Center's Freeman Chair. Read more at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Faculty_Staff_Comm/people.html .

---

CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

University-wide:

University-wide:

THE McKNIGHT LAND-GRANT PROFESSORSHIP PROGRAM marks its 20th anniversary this year. The 2007 recipients, named by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost and the Graduate School this month, are UMTC faculty members Daniel Bond, microbiology and BioTechnology Institute; Kathleen Collins, political science; Christy Haynes, chemistry; Karen Ho, anthropology; Nihar Jindal, electrical and computer engineering; Marta Lewicka, mathematics; Helene Muller-Landau, ecology, evolution, and behavior; William Schuler, computer science and engineering; Kathleen Vohs, Carlson School of Management; Christophe Wall-Romana, French and Italian; and Chun Wang, biomedical engineering. They will be honored by the Board of Regents in March. For more information, see http://www.grad.umn.edu/faculty-staff/mcknight/land_grant_recipients.html .

THE OFFICE FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT has announced 33 projects, with a total of 47 principal investigators at UMD and UMTC, to receive 2006-07 Public Engagement Seed Grants. The grants allow U faculty, staff, and students to work with their communities to bring about change. See http://www.engagement.umn.edu/awards .

DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP AWARDS FOR INTERNATIONALS honor leadership by U international alumni, former students, and friends to highlight outstanding contributions around the world as a result of their association with the U. Nomination deadline for 2007 awards is Feb. 1. For more information, see http://www.international.umn.edu/awards/leader/leader.html .

FOUR TYPES OF AWARDS are made by the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment, and the Life Sciences to address broad, societal implications of related problems. Proposal deadlines are Feb. 5 for (1) individual faculty and (2) departments, programs, and centers; and Feb. 19 for (3) graduate/professional students and (4) members of the consortium and the Joint Degree Program in Law, Health, and the Life Sciences. See http://www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu/rfps or contact boyle032@umn.edu or 612-626-5624.

DEADLINE FOR PRESENTATION PROPOSALS for the U-wide Teaching and Learning Conference is Jan. 29. The topic is "Enhancing Student Learning: Conversations About Research and Practice." Sponsored by the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, UMTC Center for Teaching and Learning, and UMTC Digital Media Center, with support from the Bush Foundation. April 23, McNamara Alumni Center, UMTC. See http://www.adt.umn.edu/conference07 .

NEXT MEETING OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEE will be Jan. 31, 9 a.m.-noon, 238A Morrill Hall, UMTC. All civil service staff members are welcome. See the agenda at http://www.umn.edu/csc .

SEARCH CAPABILITY FOR INTERNET-DELIVERED COURSES, created by the Office of the Registrar, is now available on the University Catalogs Web page. Users can identify U courses delivered entirely or in part on the Internet. Read more in this month's edition of The Record at http://onestop.umn.edu/onestop/Services/News_Events_and_Activities/Record.html .

THE REVISED STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, amended by the Board of Regents Dec. 8, is posted under "Academic" at http://www.umn.edu/regents/polindex.html .

Crookston:

"THE POWER OF A DREAM" will be presented by civil rights activist and Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith. Jan. 25, 4 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium. A reception will follow. See http://www.umcrookston.edu/umcnews/stories/story431.html .

THE 32ND ANNUAL AG-ARAMA will be dedicated to Dave Hoff, whose career at UMC spanned 38 years until he retired in 2005. Ag-Arama features contests in agronomy, animal science, horticulture, and natural resources. Students showcase knowledge and skills in their major area of study and interact with alumni and faculty members. Jan. 26-27, U Teaching and Outreach Center. See http://www.umcrookston.edu/umcnews/stories/story432.html .

QUALITY FAIR EXHIBITOR FROM UMC will be Kevin Thompson on exceptional support for online students. Jan. 25, UMTC. See http://www.umcrookston.edu/umcnews/stories/story435.html .

Duluth:

COLLECTIONS OF THE ST. LOUIS COUNTY NORTHEAST MINNESOTA HISTORICAL CENTER, housed at UMD since 1976, are coming under the oversight and day-to-day operations of UMD historical archivist Patricia Maus this month. The collections date back to 1830; categories include social history, iron mining, Lake Superior shipping, lumbering, and development of Duluth, regional railroads, and the Duluth-Superior port. Minnesota and St. Louis Historical Society members will continue to have input about the center's contents. See http://www.d.umn.edu/lib/nemhc .

TWO WORKSHOPS ON INNOVATIVE TEACHING will be presented Jan. 30 by Karl Smith, professor of engineering education at Purdue U and Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor, civil engineering, UMTC: "The Rigorous Design of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the Sciences," 9:30-11 a.m., Kirby Student Center Ballroom C, "Engaging Students in Large Classes Though Active and Cooperative Learning," 2-3:30 p.m., Ballroom B. Sponsored by the Instructional Development Service, Bush Foundation Grant for Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Teaching and Technology, and University Education Association.

"THE CASE AGAINST PLUTO: Why Our Ninth Planet Failed to Meet the Requirements for Membership" will be presented today, 7 p.m., Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium. The Astronomy Club will lead a discussion. Free and open to the public. See http://www.d.umn.edu/~planet .

Morris:

PLAN-IT-GREEN (PIG) is a pilot program in which UMM and community volunteers will share expertise in sustainability and environmental issues with area fifth- and sixth-graders. A sustainability festival, supported by a grant from the Jeffers Foundation, will be Feb. 17, 1-4 p.m., Science atrium and laboratories. See http://www.morris.umn.edu/ummnews/View.php?itemID=2269 .

QUALITY FAIR EXHIBITORS FROM UMM will include the Center for Small Towns and the Global Teaching Program. Jan. 25, UMTC. See http://www.morris.umn.edu/ummnews/View.php?itemID=2263 .

Twin Cities:

CAMPUS FOOD AND BEVERAGE SURVEY: GIVE YOUR INPUT. Faculty and staff are invited to provide information for the Retail Dining Work Group, which is working on the upcoming U-wide food-and-beverage request for proposals. Take a short survey (seven questions) at http://www.uservices.umn.edu/umfoodbev to help gain a better understanding of what is important to UMTC dining services customers.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES, made by a strategic positioning task force chaired by professors Mary Jo Kane and Perry Leo and announced last week, include better data collection of academic information for effective monitoring, a summer bridge program, better access to academic programs relevant to student-athletes' interests, maintaining contact with those who leave the U before graduation, and better integration with the broader U community. See http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/news_details.php?release=070119_3118&page=NS .

FIRST ADAPTED SPORTS CLUB will launch a membership drive with a wheelchair basketball exhibition featuring the Courage Center's athletes. Jan. 26, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Rec Center. See http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/news_details.php?release=070116_3108&page=NS .

ENJOY GOPHER SPORTS this semester--and help build campus community--with reduced-price tickets for faculty and staff. Cheer on Coach Jim Molinari and the men's basketball team when they play Penn State at Williams Arena, Jan. 27, 11:15 a.m.; tickets are $15 while supplies last. The discount is also available for games vs. Iowa (Feb. 7, 7 p.m.) and Michigan (Feb. 24, 1:30 p.m.). Tickets are available at the U of M Bookstores in Coffman Union and the St. Paul Student Center and the ticket office in Mariucci Arena. Watch for men's gymnastics (Feb. 17), women's gymnastics (Feb. 24), baseball (March 24), and softball (April 14). This special offer is available through a joint initiative of U governance and athletics.

"NEW NEUROSCIENCE, OLD LEGAL PROBLEMS: The Case of Juvenile Responsibility" will be presented by Stephen Morse, U of Pennsylvania, as the fourth annual Deinard Memorial Lecture on Law and Medicine. Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Coffman Theater. Free and open to the public, but registration is requested by Jan. 30. E-mail lawvalue@umn.edu or call 612-625-0055. See http://www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu/news_and_events .

SAVE ON WINTER FUN: The Coffman Union information desk offers discounted ski passes for Spirit Mountain and Wild Mountain--save as much as $17. Discounted tickets are also available for lots of indoor activities, including the Science Museum and Children's Museum. See http://www.coffman.umn.edu/info .

THURSDAYS AT FOUR: Upcoming topics are "The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages" (Jan. 28); "The Trouble With Time: Personal and Public Narratives in Memoir and History" (Feb. 1); and "Performing Polarities: Activist Theatre in Israel-Palestine" (Feb. 8). See http://www.ias.umn.edu .

MORE EVENTS include Legislative Briefing (Jan. 24); local M.D. Lynne Eldridge on her book, Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time (Jan. 25); "Risk and Response to Global Environmental Change," a conference (Jan. 25-26); public reception for Critical Translations art exhibition at the Nash Gallery (Jan. 26, exhibit runs through Feb. 15); Chinese New Year party (Jan. 28); "Globalizing Justice: Do Human Rights Trials Really Work?" by Regents Professor Kathryn Sikkink (Jan. 29); "Sudan at the Crossroads: Two Years After Signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement," by Norwegian diplomat Tom Vraalsen (Jan. 30); "A New Era of Conflict," by U.S. coordinator for counterterrorism Henry Crumpton (Jan. 31); "Whose America Is It? A Policy Discussion on Economic Migration and the American Dream" (Jan. 31). SEE THESE AND MORE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS EVENTS ONLINE at http://events.tc.umn.edu .

NEWS RELEASES are posted daily at http://www.umn.edu/urelate/newsservice/home.php

.

---

Published by University Relations at the University of Minnesota. Gayla Marty, editor. Please send comments, questions, or submissions to the editor at brief@umn.edu . All Twin Cities event submissions are handled through the events calendar at http://events.tc.umn.edu .

Brief is published by e-mail and on the Web at www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief.html . See also UMNnews, a U-wide Web publication, at www.umn.edu/umnnews .

Notice: Brief is the official University of Minnesota staff and faculty weekly news digest, featuring human resource, employee benefit, administrative, legislative, budgetary, event, and other pertinent information. You may choose to unsubscribe from Brief, but please be aware that if you do, you will not receive this up-to-date information, compiled and delivered directly to you, in any other University communications. To unsubscribe, visit http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief/Subscribe.html .