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Vol. XXIX No. 25June 30, 1999
http://www.umn.edu/urelate/brief/1999-06-30.html
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Editor: Maureen Smith (612) 624-2801

Clem Haskins agreed Friday to step down as head basketball coach, President Yudof announced at a news conference. Haskins will be paid approximately $1.5 million. Settlement will be paid by the men's athletic program. Yudof said investigators have identified no evidence that links Haskins with incidents of academic misconduct, but violations occurred on his watch, and "it is clear that public confidence in the academic integrity of the University has been eroded." Regents Spence and Hogan expressed their support for the agreement.

When asked if other people will lose their jobs, Yudof said he will wait for the final report before deciding. VP Boston said he and men's athletic director Mark Dienhart would begin work immediately on hiring a new coach. Yudof and other leaders met with 8 members of the basketball team before the news conference; Yudof described them as "stunned" and "hurting."

"It is important to note today that Coach Clem Haskins has established an enviable record as Gopher head coach," Yudof said. "He and his teams have provided many moments of entertainment and value for the University community and the citizens of the state of Minnesota. He has communicated to his players the goals of playing hard, working hard to achieve career goals, respecting others--including opponents--and becoming honorable men. The University is grateful for the 13 years of service Coach Haskins has provided. We wish him well, we wish him health, we wish his family well."

Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC) issued this statement June 24: "The faculty of the University is committed to academic integrity in its own work and in the work of all students. A committee of the University Senate will be investigating ways to improve enforcement of existing University rules and of strengthening them.

"We have confidence that President Yudof will deal appropriately and in a timely way with the current allegations regarding the athletic program. Since the Faculty Consultative Committee does not have access to the full results of the investigation, we cannot recommend a specific outcome. We urge that President Yudof make the decision based on that information, without either undue haste or undue delay."

Academic counselor Alonzo Newby was dismissed. He had been on paid leave, and his last day of employment was June 21. In a letter to Newby, VP Boston said he was terminated for just cause for his refusal to cooperate with independent investigators looking into charges of academic fraud and other violations in the athletic department and for participating in activities in violation of NCAA rules.

Regents approved 1999-2000 budget at a special meeting June 28.

FCC had lunch with the deans June 14. Speakers from both groups emphasized the need to work together in the coming year. The deans and FCC then adjourned to separate meetings.

Faculty salaries were a major topic at the FCC meeting. Fred Morrison said it appears that some colleges will add 1% to the 3% that will be provided from central administration, but some colleges will add nothing or only a small amount. Yudof's proposal to use private funding to supplement faculty salaries is commendable, Morrison said, but it could have no effect before 2002 and there is need for an interim solution.

Reform of academic appointments will be difficult, Kent Bales told the FCC, because there is little incentive for reform among important players. After 2 meetings of the faculty-administration task force on academic appointments, it "seemed that task force members agreed on virtually nothing," FCC minutes say. "The deans appeared to agree with none of the recommendations of the Academic Appointments Committee. The heaviest users of non-tenure-track faculty (NTT) are the professional schools, and the regularization of their appointments is not an urgent matter for these schools."

Morrison said that if it appears to faculty members of the task force that progress is not being made, the FCC should hear about it and talk with Yudof about it. Sara Evans agreed and said that if the task force cannot reach agreement or take the issues seriously, the senate will have to take independent action to force the issue.

Deadline for participating in Wall of Books in the Gateway alumni center has been extended to Aug. 6. Softcover books as well as hardcover books can now be accepted; books must be no larger than 11" by 14". Gift acknowledgment for tax purposes will be sent to those who request it and provide a return address. On the TC campus, books can easily be sent by campus mail to Books, UMAA, 501 CMU.

CROOKSTON--Center for Rural Policy and Development at Minnesota State U, Mankato, announced a grant to Rural-Urban Connections Project. Lynne Mullins, assistant professor of speech at UMC, is leading the project with Marcie McLaughlin, executive director of Minnesota Rural Partners. Project will analyze the communication that took place during radio conversations involving citizens at UMC and Lucille's Kitchen in north Minneapolis.

George Swentik, a UMC ag student, has accepted a position to coordinate FarmWrap activities for the summer. FarmWrap brings together a network of organizations to help farm men and women who are faced with change due to the crisis in agriculture. UMC and U of M Extension Service are partners in the project.

DULUTH--Minnesota Repertory Theatre returns to the UMD Marshall Performing Arts Center again this summer with 2 comedy productions:A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Lend Me a Tenor. Both shows run weekly Wed.-Sat., July 7-Aug. 7. All performances are at 8 p.m. Single tickets and season subscriptions are available by calling 218-726-8564.

The 7th annual Joel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Awards were presented at ceremonies June 10. Award winners included David A. Martin (posthumously), Lawrence Van Iseghem, Roy LaBounty, Rob Link, Steven Dastoor and Sean Dean. Dastoor and Dean are UMD School of Business and Economics graduates who started their own home computer delivery, set-up, and training business in 1994 with $300. The company now has 7 employees and 1998 sales of $1.1 million.

MORRIS--Ted Lewis of the Academic Research Consultation Service search firm was the guest at an open forum hosted by the Chancellor Search Committee June 2. A full report of the proceedings was mailed to the campus community. For more information call the committee at 320-589-6342.

Dwight Purdy, professor of English, is a commentator on a "Films for the Sciences and Humanities" video and compact disk on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Aida Martinez has been named educational coordinator for the Minority Student Program effective June 21.

TWIN CITIES-- New library now under construction on the West Bank will be named for former Minnesota governor and former regent Elmer L. Andersen, President Yudof announced June 26 at Andersen's 90th birthday celebration.

Following a national competition, National Science Foundation has awarded $2.2 million in base funding to the Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications for 5 years starting in 2000.

Free night and Sunday parking program will begin July 1 to help students returning to campus to study or conduct research and to welcome the public to see historic buildings, visit museums, and attend concerts. Free night parking will be available to anyone entering after 8 p.m. and exiting before 8 a.m., 7 days a week, in 4th St. Ramp, Oak St. Ramp, Washington Ave. Ramp, 19th Ave. Ramp, 21st Ave. Ramp, and Gortner Ave. Ramp when completed in fall 2000. Parking will be free all day Sunday at all the same ramps except Washington Ave. Ramp. Exception is that patrons will be charged for parking during events up to 30 minutes after the event starts.

Tim Johnson, curator of special collections and rare books at U Libraries, has been appointed to the 11-member Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress by the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Honors: Jane Thomas, targeted group business coordinator in Purchasing, has received the 1999 Lillian H. Williams Award from the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. Award is given to a member of the U community who does outstanding work in equal opportunity and affirmative action. Williams was founding director of the office.Professors Toni McNaron, English, and Carol Miller, American studies and American Indian studies, received the Excellence in Teaching Award from Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Writing. McNaron and Miller are cofounders of Voices from the Gaps project, an audience-participatory Web site devoted to women writers of color.

U Library treasures--rare books, special collections, archives, and manuscript collections--will soon be relocating to their new home in the Minnesota Library Access Center. Before the move, the curators are giving talks about their collections. Next 2 talks, both in Wilson Library 4th floor gallery area, 1:30-3 p.m.: Special Collections and Rare Books including the Archie Givens, Jr., and the Sherlock Holmes Collections, July 8; Immigration History Research Center and Social Welfare History Archives, July 15. Call Lanaya Stangret at 612-624-9339.