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Vol. XXXVIII No. 33; October 22, 2008
Editor: Adam Overland, brief@umn.edu
Inside This Issue
--President Bruininks presents an outlook on the U's financial
health in light of the economy.
--UMR has received provisional approval for its first four-year
undergraduate degree program.
--People: James Parente has been named dean of the College of
Liberal Arts; and more.
Campus Announcements and Events
University-wide | Crookston |
Duluth | Morris | Rochester | Twin Cities
GLOBAL FINANCIAL TURMOIL IN RECENT WEEKS has raised questions about the University of Minnesota's financial health and the impact on faculty, staff, and students. Through careful strategic planning and financial management, the U is positioned to weather the current storm. The U community is responding decisively to ensure the future financial strength of the U, encourage investment in the U, protect employees, and continue to reward performance. For more information, see the Letter from President Bruininks.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-ROCHESTER ANNOUNCED that it has received provisional approval by the Board of Regents to recruit and admit students for UMR's first four-year undergraduate degree program. The bachelor of science in health sciences program will admit its inaugural class of freshmen in fall 2009. For more information, see Rochester campus announces first undergraduate degree.
PEOPLE: James Parente has been named dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Stephanie Helgeson and W. Daniel Svedarsky will receive UMC's highest recognition, the Torch & Shield Award. Read about these and more awards and appointments in People.
CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
THE ACADEMIC PROFILE OF INCOMING U OF M FRESHMEN IMPROVED SYSTEMWIDE. All four of the U's undergraduate campuses saw notable improvements in the 2008 freshman class. Total enrollment at the Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Twin Cities campuses increased by 0.3 percent, from 66,099 in fall 2007 to 66,312 in fall 2008. For more information, see the news release.
RECENT TURBULENCE IN U.S. FINANCIAL MARKETS CAN AFFECT RETIREMENT INVESTMENTS. The University has in place an oversight structure that assures that its retirement plans function as they should to allow participants to pursue individual objectives with respect to long-term retirement savings. For more information, see retirement.
THE U'S COLLEGE READINESS CONSORTIUM (CRC) will convene two open meetings on preK-12 education. Each meeting agenda will look at an educational issue of overarching importance and provide time for updates on programs and research around the U. Meetings will be held Nov. 12, and Apr. 8., 9-11 a.m., President's Room, Coffman Union. CRC is part of System Academic Administration.
THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY IS TAKING APPLICATIONS for its Research and Creative Collaboratives for the 2009-10 academic year. The institute seeks participation from all colleges and schools at the U and encourages graduate student participation. Each collaborative will be provided with space in the institute and a research budget of up to $15,000. Applications are due by Jan. 30. For more information, see collaboratives.
AWARDS TO SUPPORT RETIREES who need financial assistance to pursue projects related to their research, instructional, or other work history are now available from the Graduate School and the U of M Retirees Association. The first deadline for proposals is Dec. 15. For more information, see funding.
HEALTHCARE CHOICES IS A NEW UPLAN-SPONSORED PROGRAM designed to help employees navigate the health care landscape. UPlan members can complete the Web-based HealthCare Choices program by Dec. 31 to receive a $65 Wellness Reward. For more information, see HealthCare Choices.
THE SYMPOSIUM "CHILDREN IN NATURE: HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT BY DESIGN" will examine the implications for a child's physical and mental health relative to outdoor activity. The symposium features nationally known experts Stephen Kellert of Yale and Robin Moore of North Carolina State University. The symposium is cosponsored by the University of Minnesota Consortium on Youth, Families, and Children, and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's Public Policy Programs. Nov. 6, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Arboretum. For more information or to register online, see Children in Nature.
THE COUNCIL OF ACADEMIC PROFESSIONALS AND ADMINISTRATORS recently announced the winner of the 2007-08 Outstanding Unit Award--the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences. The Outstanding Unit Award recognizes units and departments at the U that are exemplary in their support of professional and administrative staff. For more information, see Outstanding Unit Award.
THE 2008-09 ACADEMIC YEAR REPRESENTS A MILESTONE FOR UMC. As the campus begins its 15th year as a baccalaureate-degree-granting institution, fall enrollment for degree-seeking students has hit a record high. For more information, see milestone.
A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY for UMC's new campus residence hall was held Oct. 15. The $10.6 million, 128-bed facility will house UMC's growing student population. For more information, see growing.
THE UMD MUSIC DEPARTMENT WILL PRESENT an Ovation Guest Artist Concert with award-winning soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, a young Armenian-Canadian admired for her stunning stage presence and exceptional musicality. Bayrakdarian, who sings on the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack of the film The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, has received many grants and awards including the first prize in the Operalia, three Juno awards, and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., Weber Music Hall. Tickets are $32/$27/$17. All seats reserved. Advance purchase recommended. For more information, see Ovation Concert.
GLENSHEEN LIVING LITERATURE: EDGAR ALLAN POE is an evening of spooky thrills at Glensheen Historic Congdon Estate, Oct. 23, 24, and 25, 7 p.m. The event features a thrilling experience of an eerie classic by Poe in a 39-room mansion, a flashlight tour, and refreshments. Tickets are $30. For more information, see Glensheen.
UMD FACILITIES MANAGEMENT CELEBRATES ITS ANNUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE APPRECIATION WEEK with tips, tasks, and tidbits on campus sustainability and green living, Oct. 20-24. The "Take a Break With FM" event offers an opportunity to meet Mindy Granley, the new UMD sustainability coordinator, Oct. 24, 9-11 a.m., Darland Administrative Building, second floor lunchroom. For more information, call Trish Winberg at 218-726-8265.
UMD WILL HOST A STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, "Bridging Universities: Bringing Together People and Communities." The keynote speaker will be Tim Wise, author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son. Wise discusses the ways in which racial privilege shapes the lives of most white Americans. Other speakers include Duluth mayor Don Ness and faculty members from UMD and the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Free and open to the public. Oct. 27, 4-7:30 p.m., UMD Kirby Student Center Ballroom. For more information, see Student Leadership.
UMM IS ONE OF ONLY 12 CAMPUSES NATIONALLY SELECTED for a site visit and analysis by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a prestigious center for sustainability and renewable energy. RMI is collaborating with the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education to research barriers and solutions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on college and university campuses. For more information about RMI, see Campus Climate Change.
CHANCELLOR JACQUIE JOHNSON represented UMM on Stevens FORWARD!, a group charged with the task of stewarding Morris and Stevens County into the 21st century. Group leaders presented the planning and imagining phase of the group's work during a public reception Oct. 14. For more information, visit Stevens FORWARD!
WATCH THE GOLDEN GOPHERS take on the Purdue Boilermakers Oct. 25, 11 a.m., Westfire Grille, 2043 Superior Drive N.W., Rochester. Price is $15 per adult, $5 student donation (includes buffet and entrance into a drawing for prizes). All proceeds go to scholarships. RSVP by E-mail or call 507-285-7120.
THE REGENTS PROFESSOR LECTURE SERIES, featuring public talks by newly appointed Regents Professors, will hold its next lecture Nov. 11, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Center. Steven Ruggles, Regents Professor of History, will discuss "The Decline of the Extended Family." Ruggles's talk will be followed by a reception. For more information, see Regents Lecture Series.
HELP THE U BREAK A WORLD RECORD, OCT. 28, at the Guinness World Record flu shot event. The U is shooting to dispense 10,000 flu shots in an attempt to shatter the previous record of 3,271. Get a free flu-shot at one of four locations: Northrop Plaza, Java City, Moos Tower, Humphrey Center, and St. Paul Student Center. U students, employees, and their dependents (18 years of age or older) are eligible to participate. For more information, see World Record.
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT HAS STARTED THE TRANSITION FROM BUILDING COOLING TO HEATING. The process varies by building and area of campus and can sometimes take several weeks. While Facilities Management typically starts this changeover in mid-October, some buildings need to be handled differently and may experience a change in temperature earlier or later than the projected time. For more information, see Facilities Management.
MAJOR PARTY CANDIDATES FOR MINNESOTA'S U.S. SENATE SEAT will speak at the Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Center. Scheduled forums include Al Franken, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate, Oct. 22, 1-2:15 p.m., and Senator Norm Coleman, Republican Party candidate, Oct. 23, noon-1:15 p.m. Dean Barkley, the Independence Party candidate, held a panel discussion on Oct. 8. For more information, see Humphrey Center.
NORIKO KAWAI WILL PERFORM JAMES DILLON'S THE BOOK OF ELEMENTS, a five-volume piano solo, at the Ted Mann Concert Hall, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. For more information, see Crossing oceans for music.
CELEBRATE HOMECOMING 2008: MARCHING INTO THE FUTURE. Events from Oct. 27 through Nov. 1 include a Red Cross blood drive, pep rally, maroon & gold T-shirt swap, and Homecoming parade led by University of Minnesota alumnus and Disney talent booking and casting director Stan Freese. In a rare appearance outside the Disney theme park, the world-famous Mickey Mouse will accompany Freese. For more information, see Homecoming.
JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN, Leslie Klinger, author of The New Annotated Dracula, will speak at the University. A reception follows, with books available for sale and signature, courtesy of Once Upon a Crime Bookstore. Attendees in costume will be entered for a chance to win a free signed copy of the book. Oct. 27, 7 p.m., Elmer L. Andersen Library. For more information, see Dracula.
THE 2008-09 LECTURE SERIES ON LAW, HEALTH, AND THE LIFE SCIENCES examines "The Paradigm Shift Caused by Synthetic Biology: Tensions Between Innovation and Security." Arti K. Rai, the Elvin R. Latty Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law, will argue that synthetic biology is producing a paradigm shift in biology that in turn presents challenges for law and policy. Nov. 4, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Coffman Union. For more information or to register, call 612-626-5624, e-mail lawvalue@umn.edu, or visit the Web site.
THE SEMINAR "GENDER, SCIENCE, AND MYTHS OF MERIT" will present some of the current data on gender in science and suggest measures to adopt for greater equity among the sexes. Hosted by the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, the seminar features Marlene Zuk of the Department of Biology, University of California-Riverside. Nov. 5, noon, 335 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul. For more information, see Gender Seminar.
THE 16th ANNUAL KUEHNAST LECTURE will be held Nov. 5, 3 p.m., 335 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul. The lecture series is in honor of Earl Kuehnast, Minnesota state climatologist (1968-86). This year's lecture on climate change will be presented by Susan Solomon, atmospheric chemist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory. For more information, see Kuehnast Lecture.
CARING FOR A PARENT WITH MEMORY LOSS: LEGAL, MEDICAL, AND DISTANCE ISSUES will take place Nov. 8, 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m., 2-530 Moos Tower. The conference will provide information, support, and education for individuals concerned with caring for parents with memory loss. For more information or to RSVP for the free event, e-mail Joe Gaugler or call 612-626-2485. Download the conference brochure at Nursing.
PRINTY MEMORIAL LECTURE: "Nursing Leadership for a Needy World" will take place Nov. 10, 12:15-1:15 p.m., 2-690 Moos Tower. David Printy, president and CEO of Oasis Hospital, United Arab Emirates, will discuss the importance of preparing nurse leaders to mentor and educate nurses practicing in a variety of cultural settings. Free, but an e-mail RSVP is requested.
MORE EVENTS include "Somali Refugees in Europe," a presentation by Abdi Roble and Doug Rutledge (Oct. 22); Responding to Student Writing (Oct. 23); Linguistics Colloquium (Oct. 24); Journeys: Travels Far and Travels Near (Oct. 24-Dec. 19); The Obama Effect (Oct. 25); Seminar: The Impact of Mortgage Foreclosures on the Immigrant Population of Minneapolis (Oct. 27) Guinness World Record walk-in flu shot event (Oct. 28). SEE THESE AND MORE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS EVENTS.
Published by Internal Communications in the Office of University Relations at the University of Minnesota. Please send comments, questions, or submissions to the editor at brief@umn.edu. The deadline for submissions is noon on the Friday before publication. All Twin Cities event submissions are handled through the events calendar at http://events.tc.umn.edu.
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