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Past Issues
U will face a $38.2 million budget challenge in fiscal year 2003—$23.6 million in anticipated state cuts and $14.6 million in additional costs for security, insurance coverage, and software updates—President Yudof told regents May 10. To face this challenge, Yudof proposed increasing tuition and fees by an average of 16%, reducing college and unit budgets by 2%, in-creasing faculty salaries by 4% instead of 6%, and only partially funding staff and faculty salary increases through central administration. "For the colleges and units, these reductions represent real pain, including the loss of faculty and staff positions and a reduction in service hours," Yudof said.
To mitigate the increases in tuition and fees, Yudof said the U will add $2 million in need-based grants and implement a new credit pricing model offering smaller, per-credit rate increases on 13 or more credits. If his proposal is adopted, Yudof said the U is likely to "be in the middle of the pack again next year" in tuition among Big Ten universities.
For more information on the proposed fiscal year 2003 budget, see www.umn.edu/urelate/govrel/41102regents. Regents will act on the $2 billion budget at the next monthly meeting June 14.
Regents approved design for new $1 million Washington Ave. bus shelters after Yudof assured regents he will review the schematic plans carefully, and if necessary, come back to regents with recommendations. At May 9 Regents Facilities Committee meeting, several regents raised concerns that the new shelters' arched copper roofs would obstruct the view of Northrop Mall and Coffman Union. New shelters, located on each side of Washington Ave. and to be constructed at the same time as the Washington Ave. pedestrian bridges, will be approximately 1,030 square feet and will accommodate 225 people each.
Bus stops cannot be moved further east or west to resolve aesthetic concerns because of issues such as traffic flow, sidewalks, and building setbacks, said interim U Services VP Greg Fox. "[The Washington Ave. bus stop] is the major pickup point on campus and the 2nd busiest bus stop in Minnesota," he said. Combined U and Metro Transit bus services recorded more than one million riders in February, said Bob Baker, parking and transportation director.
Former Gopher men's basketball coach Clem Haskins will repay the U $815,000 over 11 years following a May 13 Hennepin County District Court order. U filed lawsuit September 2000 against Haskins to recover $1.5 million associated with his contract buyout after he admitted lying in U's investigation of academic fraud in the Gopher basketball program. Court order adopts an arbitration award issued May 10 by former state District Court Judge Richard Solum.
After extensive national search, finalists for executive VP and provost position (EVPP) are Robert Jones, VP for Campus Life; Christine Maziar, VP for Research and Graduate School dean; Risa Palm, U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill College of Arts and Sciences dean; and Marlene Strathe, U of Northern Colorado provost and VP for Academic Affairs. Finalists will be scheduled for interviews and public speaking engagements. President Yudof is expected to name new EVPP by end of the month.
American Society of Interior Designers has awarded the U a $1.18 million grant to develop a Web-based clearinghouse for design and human behavior research. Denise Guerin and Caren Martin, Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel faculty, are co-principal investigators. They will collect existing research findings from design disciplines and translate them into user-friendly information that will be available on the Web this fall.
U is again accredited by Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), a private nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science. AAALAC, a voluntary accreditation program, has more than 640 members—companies, universities, hospitals, government agencies, and other research institutions.
Adult bone marrow stem cells can become liver cells, according to Stem Cell Institute researchers. Findings are published in May 15 issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation. Catherine Verfaillie, institute director, said the research could benefit patients with genetic diseases of the liver and some types of cirrhosis or acute liver failure due to medications. Cells might also be used to create bio-artificial livers, which can bridge a person from acute liver failure to transplant.
U Libraries online catalog, MNCAT (via LUMINA), will have a new interface on TC campus starting this summer (Web address will remain the same: www.lib.umn.edu/books). Change spearheads the transition to a new statewide, integrated online library system that will also be implemented at the other campuses next year. For more information, see www.lib.umn.edu/about/mncat.
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CROOKSTON—Stacey Grunewald, student health services coordinator, received the Outstanding Service to Students Award based on UMC student votes.
New Golden Eagle sculpture was officially dedicated May 11. Sculpture, by Richard Arfsten of Burlington, WI, was made possible by a grant from the Arts Council of the Northwest Regional Development Commission. Grant acknowledges UMC's Sport Center role as host site for many regional and community athletic tournaments and other events. To view sculpture, see www.crk.umn.edu/campusinfo
/tour/SportsCenter/eaglesculpt.htm.
UMC will host its 10th Annual Regional Junior High Music Festival May 15. Junior high school musicians from 10 area schools will participate in the daylong performance festival.
DULUTH—2002 faculty awards and recipients are Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award: Ron Caple, chemistry; Albert Tezla Teacher/Scholar Award: Leif Brush, art; and Outstanding Faculty Adviser Award: Thomas Duff, finance and management information sciences; Frank Guldbrandsen, education; Keith Lodge, chemical engineering; William Payne, theater; and Gerald Pepper, communication.
MORRIS—At May 10 commencement ceremony, 357 students received bachelor's degrees. Guests were Regent Berman and UMM Alumni Association president Donald Brabeck, '84. Curtis H. Larson Award recipients and senior class speakers were Stephanie Chrismon and Nathan LaCoursiere. Regent emerita Josie Johnson gave keynote address and concert band performed "In This Moment," original composition by graduating senior Aaron Perrine.
About 30 murals, created by Morris area preschool and elementary schoolchildren depicting "Our Favorite Thing(s) About Our Small Town," will be shown at the annual Ice Cream and Lollipops children's public art exhibit May 15–18 in Oyate Hall. Event, which draws 700 children annually, is a 30-year UMM and Morris community tradition.
ROCHESTER—UMR will host P. M. Forni, Johns Hopkins U professor and author of Choosing Civility: The 25 Rules of Considerate Conduct, May 29, 7 p.m., in Assisi Heights Community Center. Forni is cofounder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project, which strives to assess the relevance of civility to quality of life in the workplace and in society at large.
TWIN CITIES—Medical School will receive $3 million from Fairview Health Services as part of
its ongoing commitment to medical education and research. Money will go to recruit and retain key faculty in blood and bone marrow transplant, stem cell research, urology, pediatric cardiology, and other areas deemed high priority by the school and Fairview.
Old Test File (OTF) is seeking recent tests from faculty. OTF, located in 197 Coffey Hall, maintains a file of previous tests provided by professors for students to use as study aids. Faculty who contribute to the service can save on printing costs (if they typically supply old tests to students), encourage studying for exams, and alleviate student concerns about types of test questions. Send tests with course number, your name, and year test was given in electronic or paper formats to spboc@umn.edu or mail to St. Paul Board of Colleges, Old Test File, 197 Coffey Hall. For more information, see www.umn.edu/~spboc.
Insurance information for international travel or study is available for faculty, staff, and students at Global Campus in 94 Blegen Hall or call 612-626-4782.
Events: U Pediatrics Foundation 7th annual WineFest will be May 17–18 at Minneapolis Convention Center. Proceeds will go to research at the Department of Pediatrics. Activities include wine tasting (more than 300 wines) and hors d'oeuvres by Twin Cities restaurants May 17 and black-tie dinner and auction May 18. See www.theWineFest.com or call 612-625-4020.
• Iris, starring Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, and Hugh Bonneville, will be shown May 17–23, 7:15 p.m. (and 9:15 p.m., May 17–18). Tickets are $6 general, $5 students/seniors, $4 U Film Society members. Call 627-4430.
• Rosalyra String Quartet will perform May 19, 3 p.m., Weisman Art Museum (WAM). For tickets ($8 general and $6 WAM members, students, and seniors), call 625-9495.
Lecture: "Stealth Chemicals Sabotaging the Destiny of Wildlife and Humans," by Theo Colborn, World Wildlife Fund senior program scientist, will be May 23, 7 p.m., Bell Museum. To reserve free tickets, call 612-624-9050 or e-mail bellreg@umn.edu.
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