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Vol. XXVIII No. 34October 14, 1998
http://www.umn.edu/urelate/brief/1998-10-14.html
Other issues
Editor: Maureen Smith (612) 624-2801

Biennial budget proposal, presented to regents Friday, asks for an increase of $198.7 million from the state: $95.9 million for competitive compensation, $32.6 million for enriching the undergraduate experience, $37 million for financing health professional education, $20.5 million for connecting the U to the community, $24.6 million for promoting a climate of quality service; increased tuition revenue is projected at $11.9 million.

Competitive compensation looks like the largest item, President Yudof said, but it is "integral to every other item" and to the academic initiatives funded by the last legislature. If the undergraduate experience is to be enriched, for example, or if the molecular biology initiative is to succeed, compensation must be competitive. "The only people who make it work are our faculty and staff." If the compensation request is funded, Yudof said, "we would be in the ballpark of the increases the faculty and staff have received the last 2 years."

Freshman seminars are at the heart of the request for enriching the undergraduate experience. Proposal is to hire 100 additional faculty. Because of the time needed to hire faculty, most of the request is for the 2nd year. Total of $32.6 million is lower than for the health professional item, but the ongoing amount is higher.

Yudof listed other efforts to improve undergraduate education, from the successful freshman convocation to such proposals as a Center for Freshman Studies (with seminar rooms and computer labs in a designated residence hall) and new certificate programs and minors in CLA ("one of my favorite items"). Idea of the certificates and minors would be to give students a set of highly marketable skills alongside a liberal arts major. Yudof's example: a student could major in history or philosophy and also learn how to keep up a home page.

Financing health professional education is a major concern. Costs are going up for a combination of reasons, and at the same time revenues are going down with reductions in federal support and clinical income. Without some help from the state, Yudof said, "we'd balance the budget, but we'd balance it at a very high price to the state of Minnesota." In addition to the legislative request, the U is seeking an allocation from the tobacco settlement and an increase in a trust fund to the state Department of Health.

Women's soccer stadium will be built just north of Gibbs Farm museum in St. Paul, regents agreed. Projected $3.2 million cost is $1.2 million more than was estimated for the original site. Of that difference, $800,000 is because of a revised estimate of construction costs and $400,000 is for utilities and construction of the competition field at the new site. President Yudof said the neighborhood, which had objected to the stadium, will work with the U in trying to secure legislative funding to move the recreation playing fields now north of Gibbs Farm to the pasture fields on the St. Paul campus. If funding is not secured, the president said, the recreational fields will have to go where the soccer stadium was originally sited.

Facilities committee approved a revised schematic design for the architecture addition and remodeling project. "I'm much happier with the new design," said Regent Metzen, one of several committee members who had expressed dissatisfaction with the original design presented during the summer. Construction schedule calls for the building to be vacated next June and construction to be completed by May 2001.

Open enrollment for medical insurance, long-term disability insurance, and the health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts is Oct. 16-Nov. 15. All eligible faculty and staff should receive packets this week at their campus addresses; be sure to take note of the medical plan premium rate changes. If you haven't received a packet by Oct. 22, contact Employee Benefits at (612) 624-9090 or (800) 756-2363. Provider directories for the medical plans have been sent to departments and will also be available at the Employee Health and Benefits Fair Oct. 27 at the Student Center in St. Paul and Oct. 28 at Coffman Memorial Union in Minneapolis. Details about the fair are available in a separate mailing.

Employee Benefits presents "Integration of Health Promotion in the Primary Care Setting," first in a series of brown bag sessions on health topics, today (Oct. 14), noon-1 p.m., 215 Donhowe Building; also available through interactive TV at Duluth, Morris, Crookston, and St. Paul. Second session, "Coping with Chronic Conditions," Oct. 20, will include Moos Tower on the Minneapolis east bank as an additional interactive site.

CROOKSTON--Alcohol and Drug Awareness Week is Oct. 19-24. Highlights: presentation by Matthew Mims on "Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol: The Real College Life?" Oct. 19, 7 p.m., Bede ballroom; and presentation on "DWI--The Real Influence," Oct. 20, noon, Brown Dining Room AB. Presenters include a lawyer, police officer, and student.

Campus Preview will be Oct. 15-16, sponsored by Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. Prospective students are invited to tour the campus and attend an information session.

UMC's Outstanding Alumni honored at homecoming are Harold Stanislawski, ä81 grad of diversified ag program from Fergus Falls, and Chuck Levine, ä80 horticulture grad from Roseville.

DULUTH--UMD Art Faculty Biennial Exhibition and McKnight Foundation Photography Fellowship Exhibition will both be on display Nov. 3-Dec. 24 in the Tweed Museum of Art. Art faculty exhibition showcases the research and production of faculty in the art department. McKnight exhibition presents the work of 6 McKnight fellows: Thomas Allen, UMD's Gloria DeFillips Brush, Dorit Cypris, Chris Faust, Colleen Mullins, and Keri Pickett.

More than $53,000 in scholarship checks were presented to students at the UMD Engineering/Industry Scholarship Banquet Oct. 8 in Duluth. This collaboration between regional industries and academia was supported by representatives from mining, power, wood products, high-tech manufacturing, construction, and engineering.

MORRIS--Legislators Hilda Betterman, Torrey Westrom, and Cal Larson; former UMM chancellor Dave Johnson; and vice provost Craig Swan are expected to attend the Morris Science Project groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. during homecoming weekend. Site is the Little Elm Park, on the edge of the science (west) parking lot. "The new science project is of monumental significance...for the impact [it] will have on the education of our students and on the excellence of our faculty," said Maddy Maxeiner, assistant to the chancellor.

Coaching staff and athletics department will join with the American Football Coaches Association Oct. 17 to sponsor a national child identification drive that includes distribution of more than 7 million child ID kits at all 681 college stadiums nationwide. Free child ID kits will be distributed immediately following the Cougar homecoming game vs. UMD (Oct. 17, 1:30 p.m., UMM Field).

Women's basketball team achieved the 4th highest team GPA among NCAA Division II schools. Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its 1998 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, recognizing the nation's highest NCAA Division II team GPAs for 1997-98, based on nominations submitted by WBCA member coaches.

TWIN CITIES--Homecoming kicks off earlier. Game against Michigan State Oct. 24 will be at 11:10 a.m. and will be on WCCO TV, channel 4. Parade now starts at 9 a.m. on University Ave. from Sanford Hall to Oak St., Parents' Brunch now 8:30-10:30 a.m. at University Ave. and Pleasant St. Other homecoming events include: Oct. 19, Community Fund Drive kickoff with Channel 9's Robyne Robinson, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Northrop plaza; Oct. 23, bonfire, 7 p.m., St. Paul Gym field; Oct. 24, homecoming ball, 8 p.m., Coffman Great Hall.

Noted speakers: Kenneth Starr, Office of the Independent Counsel, and 11 top executive-branch scholars will participate in a national symposium commemorating the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Nixon, beginning at 8:15 a.m. Oct. 24 in 125 Willey Hall. Open to the public; RSVP to (612) 625-9330.Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel is the next Distinguished Carlson Lecturer, Nov. 3, 12:15 p.m., Northrop Auditorium. Free tickets may be reserved by calling (612) 625-6688.Robert Ballard, the oceanographer made famous by his 1985 discovery of the Titanic, will speak Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Ted Mann Concert Hall. Event is free, but advance tickets are required. Call (612) 624-9050.

Lectures and events: Kevin Trenberth will talk on El Nino/La Nina dynamics and climate impacts Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m., B-45 Classroom Office Building, St. Paul.Office of Admissions will host 3 Saturday open houses for prospective students and their parents Oct. 17 and 31 and Nov. 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For information, call the VISITLINE at (612) 625-0000 (toll free 800-752-1000, TTY 612-625-9051).Lecture series on "The Humanities: Alternative Visions to Current Orthodoxies" begins with lectures by Roger Shattuck Oct. 15 ("Reading from Scratch, Without Fads," 7 p.m., Minneapolis Public Library) and Oct. 16 ("Two Four-letter Words and When to Use Them," 3:30 p.m., Bell Museum Auditorium); call 624-6563."The Shelter of Hospice and Palliative Care" by Betty Ferrell, Oct. 21, 4 p.m., Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Center; call 625-7651.Beautiful U Day luncheon will be Oct. 23, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at east end of Washington Ave. pedestrian bridge and St. Paul Student Center. If you are interested in volunteering to serve food, call Lynn at 626-8124 or e-mail her at bresi004@tc.umn.edu.

Announcements: Two new public parking lots (S106 and S109) opened recently on Buford Circle in hilltop area of St. Paul campus. Off-peak, daily rate parking is offered 4:30-10 p.m., Monday-Friday, for $3.50 a day. Short-term parking prior to 4:30 p.m. is $1.60 per hour. Departmental reservations can be made by calling 625-3433.Listening session on the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, with Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater and Rep. James Oberstar, will be Oct. 20, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Humphrey Center auditorium. Call Marit Enerson at 625-8575.