Vol. XXXVIII No. 21; June 18, 2008
Editor: Adam Overland, brief@umn.edu

Read Brief on the Web at www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief/Brief_06182008.html.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
--President Bruininks speaks on LRT and budget.
--Total compensation statements begin arriving.
--People: Greg Cuomo named associate dean for extension at CFANS; Andrew Svec appointed director of communications, public relations, and marketing, UMC; and more.

Campus Announcements and Events
University-wide | Crookston | Duluth | Morris | Rochester | Twin Cities

PRESIDENT BRUININKS SPEAKS ON LRT AND THE BUDGET following last Friday's Board of Regents actions. For an overview of the Board meeting, see "Regents approve budget, light-rail resolution." For President Bruininks's thoughts on why now was the time to act on Central Corridor and how this year's budget prepares the University for the road ahead, see President's perspective.

TOTAL COMPENSATION STATEMENTS BEGIN ARRIVING at employees' homes this week. For the first time in the U's history, staff and faculty will receive statements that account for the total dollar value of their pay and benefits. For more information, see Total Compensation.

PEOPLE: Greg Cuomo has been named associate dean for extension at the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences; Andrew Svec was appointed the new director of communications, public relations, and marketing, UMC; tax director Kelly Farmer was selected to receive the NACUBO Tax Award; best DGS and assistant DGS winners were featured in a Graduate School story. Read about these and more awards and appointments in People.

CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

University-wide:

APPLICATIONS FOR EQUITY AND DIVERSITY "IDEA GRANTS" are invited by the Office for Equity and Diversity. The program funds projects, programming, events, and research that support historically underrepresented students, faculty, staff, and communities. All academic and administrative units across the U are eligible to apply; grants are awarded quarterly. Next deadline for applications is June 30. For more information and the application, see Idea Grants.

FIVE U DEPARTMENTS ARE WINNERS OF SPIF GRANTS. The Service and Process Improvement Fund (SPIF) grants were established by President Bruininks in 2005 to support Transforming the U goals: exceptional students, exceptional faculty and staff, exceptional organization, and exceptional innovation. For information about each winner, see SPIF.

THE HARDY PLANTS RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM hosted by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum will celebrate a long history of plant breeding in Minnesota and the north central United States. Lunch, tours, and a wine and cheese reception are included in the $25 registration fee; free to students. June 19, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Snyder Auditorium. For more information and to register, see Hardy Plants or contact Mary Meyer.

U OF M INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD POLICY WILL CHANGE July 1. The new policy calls for the assessment of a one-time $2,500 initial review fee for all medical business and industry-sponsored applications involving human research subjects. The fee applies only to research involving human subjects; it is not applicable to animal research, exempt research, or expedited research. Departments should incorporate the review fee in the budget of relevant industry-sponsored research. The new policy is available for review online. For more information or questions, e-mail Moira Keane or call 612-626-4851.

NEW FOOD AND VENDING CONTRACTS BEGIN JULY 1. The Board of Regents in April awarded Taher, Inc. a 10-year contract to provide non beverage vending service to UMTC, UMM, and UMR. Existing non-beverage vending machines operated by ARAMARK on UMTC and UMR will be removed between June 23 and July 9. Coca-Cola was awarded a new 10-year contract that includes beverage-vending rights at UMC, UMD, UMM, UMTC, and UMR. Coca-Cola has committed to have all machines updated to be energy efficient by Aug. 31. For more information, see Vending.

WEBMAIL PRO AND WEBMAIL 3.0 will be decommissioned Aug. 1. GopherMail will continue as a Web-based e-mail application for central e-mail accounts. U e-mail accounts will remain the same, and e-mail addresses will not change. Send questions or comments to webmail.

Crookston:

A REGIONAL MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR STANLEY SAHLSTROM, founding provost for UMC, was held on June 13. Sahlstrom is remembered for his vision, leadership, and commitment to the campus, the community of Crookston, the region, and the state. He led the transition of the Crookston campus from a residential high school to a two-year technical college beginning in 1965 and served as provost until 1985. Following Sahlstrom's resignation as UMC provost, he was elected to the U Board of Regents--a position he held for 12 years. For more information, see Sahlstrom.

DAN SVEDARSKY, professor of wildlife management and head of the Natural Resources Department at UMC, spoke in late May at a national meeting of the Wildlife Services agency in Estes Park, Colorado. The meeting reported on progress and techniques used in managing and controlling certain animal species that come into conflict with humans. Svedarsky is president of the Wildlife Society. For more information, see wildlife management.

Duluth:

UMD THEATRE PRESENTS THE MOUSETRAP, Agatha Christie's longest running mystery, opening June 26, 7:30 p.m., Dudley Theatre, Marshall Performing Arts Center. Multiple performances are scheduled for June and July. The play is part of the Sieur Du Luth Summer Arts Festival and is directed by UMD theatre professor Tom Isbell. Tickets are $14 adults, $12 seniors, $8 students/children, and $6 UMD students (ID required). The festival features a variety of opera, jazz, chamber music, and big band concerts throughout the summer. For more information, see festival.

THE UMD CENTER FOR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION has created an academic online journal entitled Bemaadizing: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Indigenous Life. Structured to be highly interactive, Bemaadizing will provide an academic forum for universities and colleges as well as professional groups and organizations working in the field of Native American studies. The first issue of the biannual journal was published June 2. For more information, see Bemaadizing.

NORTH SHORE SUMMER MUSIC EXPERIENCE, presented by the UMD Department of Music, is a one-week camp, June 22-28, for students entering grades 7-12. Participants can pick among four different areas that provide a variety of rich musical experience. For more information or to register, e-mail professor Mark Whitlock or see Summer Music.

Morris:

THE ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON SMALL TOWNS in Morris brought together a large group of people--including education professionals, engineers, and rural development industry specialists--to promote energy self-reliance. Presentations from the June 3-4 event are online. For more information, see Small Towns.

Rochester:

MINNESOTA SESQUICENTENNIAL EVENTS CONTINUE throughout the summer with "A Look at the Past." Join Judge Kevin Lund on a walk through downtown Rochester and explore its architectural history. June 26, 5:30 p.m., location TBD. Cost: $5. Register with Julie Densmore. For more information, see Sesquicentennial.

Twin Cities:

EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS ON THE UMTC CAMPUS THIS SUMMER. From prowling for art to kayaking the Mississippi, outdoor adventure is just a walk, bike ride, or short drive away. For more information, see these summer suggestions.

THE 2008 SPLIT ROCK SOIREE SEASON opens June 24. Split Rock Soirees feature four evenings of readings and artists' talks that celebrate the energy, talent, and accomplishment of the Split Rock Arts Program faculty. Open to the public, followed by a meet-the-artists reception. June 24, 7 p.m., McNeal Hall Auditorium. July 8, 15, and 22, 7 p.m., Weisman Art Museum. Students free, others $5. For more information, see Split Rock or call 612-625-1976.

THE MEDICAL DEVICES CENTER'S CORE FACILITIES ARE OPENING. Tour the state-of-the-art medical device laboratory and experience surgery suites in 3D. June 24, 3:30-7 p.m., Shepherd Labs, 100 Union Street S.E. For more information, see opening.

THE BALANCE STUDY: Balancing Life and Reducing Stress for Those Providing Elder Care is a National Institutes of Health funded study being conducted by the HealthPartners Research Foundation and the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the U. The study is looking at two interventions to help caregivers manage stress: caregiver education and support and mindfulness-based stress reduction. The summer session starts the second week in July (orientation June 25). The fall session begins early September with dates TBD. To participate or for more information, see Balance Study or call Dana McGree at 952-967-5031.

THE CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY (CIDRAP) will host a webinar June 26, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in 5-125 Moos Tower. The event is titled MRSA [methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus] Menace in the Workplace. Online attendance requires registration and payment. Physical attendance is free and open to all U faculty, staff, and students. For more information or to register, see CIDRAP.

OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (OIT) WILL DECOMMISSION FILENET Web content management application on Dec. 31. Units currently utilizing FileNET will need to convert to UMContent or move to a non-centrally supported solution. OIT will provide support to departments that elect to migrate to UMContent. To request support, contact the UMContent Support Group.

MORE EVENTS include TechPlan: New Frontiers in Transportation Policy, Technology, and Planning (June 19); Teaching Workshop: Cambodia and the Holocaust: Searching for Justice (June 21); Bravo! Faculty Recital (June 22); Cafe Scientifique: Principles of Economics (June 24); Human Resource Management (June 26). SEE THESE AND MORE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS EVENTS.

Published by 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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