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Past Issues
Bob Bruininks is the new University of Minnesota president. The Board of Regents announced his appointment Nov. 8, one day after naming Bruininks sole finalist following a nearly 6-month nationwide search. Bruininks, whose contract will run through June 30, 2005, has been with the U for 35 years in various positions—interim president, executive VP and provost, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, and professor of educational psychology. Presidential inauguration plans have not been finalized.
Regents have approved the U's $96 million legislative request for new state funding. Request, which calls for a 50-50 partnership with the state, is the smallest in a decade. U's share would be funded through a 4.5 percent annual tuition increase and reallocations totaling 2.5% of the U's $1.8 billion operating budget. Request will support academic initiatives and infrastructure, faculty and staff compensation, and student experience improvements. For more information about the request, see www.umn.edu/govrel.
Post-9/11 federal legislation addressing national security has "real and potential effects" on the U, and the U is taking steps to ensure compliance, said interim VP for research David Hamilton to Regents Educational Planning and Policy Committee Nov. 7. He cited 3 provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act with immediate impact on the U and its research activities—Select Agents and Restricted Persons (U has inventoried and secured certain biological substances and is developing a policy to define roles of those who handle them); Collecting and Reporting Information on Foreign Students and Faculty (U is modifying its admissions system); and Surveillance and Disclosure of Records (federal officials would have access to all student records).
Hamilton said, in addition to new federal laws, some government agencies are imposing publication restrictions in research contracts or requiring prior approval of non-U.S. citizens working on research projects. U contract officials have been screening federal award agreements for any restrictions on the right to publish; U policy prohibits research secrecy.
New U international student enrollment is down by 180 students or 18% over fall 2001, reported C. Eugene Allen, International Programs executive director, to regents Nov. 7. Drop is attributed to post-9/11 federal regulations that have increased security clearances for students from certain countries and in certain academic fields. Allen said if numbers continue to drop, U will see "significant adverse effects" in some academic programs, especially science and engineering where the bulk of international graduate students is concentrated and there is an inadequate pool of domestic students. U administrators are awaiting the results of a survey conducted by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges to determine if international student and scholar enrollment has been affected nationwide. U currently has 3,400 students and 1,000 scholars from 130 countries.
U is one of 5 institutions selected by PeopleSoft to develop systems that will accommodate the federal government's new Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). SEVIS, which will take effect Jan. 30, 2003, will electronically track international students and scholars and link colleges and universities, U.S. embassies and consulates, U.S. ports of entry, the Department of State, and exchange visitor programs.
Also at regents meeting: Discussion of predesign and memorandum of understanding for an on-campus, Gophers-Vikings football stadium and approval of National Register of Historic Places nomination for West Central School of Agriculture and experiment station on the UMM campus. School is one of the most intact examples of a residential agricultural facility remaining in the U.S.
International Education Week is Nov. 18–22. U colleges and departments will host events to highlight the U's support of international education. Week was first declared by the U.S. Departments of State and Education in 2000 as part of its effort to encourage policies and programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and to attract future leaders from abroad to study in the U.S. For list of events, see www.international.umn.edu/ieweek/2002.
CROOKSTON—UMC will host a briefing Nov. 22 in Kiehle Auditorium for regional professionals and business and civic leaders to assess regional health care workforce issues and needs. Group will discuss the nature of the problem, resources available to address the problem, plan to meet those needs, and the roles higher education institutions play.
Don Cavalier, Counseling and Career Services director, was elected vice chairperson of Minnesota State Department of Economic Security's Job Service Employer Committee.
Pam Holsinger-Fuchs, Student Activities and Service Learning director, was named one of 25 Women on the Go by Minnesota's American Council on Education Network and the Office of Women in Higher Education for being a leader in higher education.
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DULUTH—Special Minnesota Public Radio feature, "Tuning the Hall," about achieving "near perfect" acoustics in UMD Weber Music Hall, will air worldwide after Nov. 15 on the Voice of America's English Language Service weekend program "Our World." Story can be heard at news.mpr.org/features/200210.
School of Medicine Duluth (SOMD) will present the 3rd free public lecture in its "Doc Talks" series Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., 142 SOMD lecture hall. Richard Danila, Minnesota Department of Health, will speak on "The Threat of Bioterrorism: Issues and Our Plan for Preparedness." Call 218-726-7012 or 726-8975.
Free UMD Planetarium shows are offered every Wednesday at 7 p.m., 130 Marshal W. Alworth Planetarium. Open to the public. For more information, e-mail planet@d.umn.edu or call 218-726-7129.
MORRIS—UMM hosted the north central North America regional portion of the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest Nov. 9. Computer science majors Matt Fair, Dan Flies, Jeff Hauck, Curt Kunkel, Mike Maurer, and Joel Nelson competed with teams from St. Cloud State, Moorhead, NDSU, and SDSU for a chance to advance to the world finals in Beverly Hills, CA, in March.
Cougar Soccer team advances to first rounds of Final Four after defeating Northern State U in playoffs.
Former Cougar wrestler Tina George captured the silver medal in the Women's World Wrestling Championship in Greece.
Instructional Technology Fair 2002 will be Nov. 14, Student Center. Linda Jorn, Digital Media Center on TC campus, will give the keynote address at 9 a.m. Fair will include 20-minute presentations by national and local vendors and teachers on products, innovations, or lesson plans and concurrent 50-minute sessions on instructional technology topics, beginning on the hour until 4 p.m.
ROCHESTER—UMR and Association of Southeast Minnesota Nurse Practitioners hosted a seminar, "Setting the Pace: A Clinical Practice Update Utilizing Case Study Analysis," for 50 nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and midwives from the region.
UMR and Assisi Community Center held a full-day conference on Rachel Carson's Silent Spring to study the scientific, environmental, literary, philosophical, and legal impacts of the book that led to the current environmentalist movement.
TWIN CITIES—2002 Community Fund Drive has surpassed its goal of $1 million as of Nov. 7. Month-long drive was extended to Nov. 8. Grand prize drawing will be Nov. 15. For results, contact your
unit volunteer or see www.umn.edu/cfd.
Boynton Health Service primary care, vision, and gynecology services listed in the UPlan Health-Partners Classic Network Provider Directory is available to all faculty and staff members who select HealthPartners Classic. Directory listing incorrectly states that services are only open to students. Questions, see www.consumerchoice.com/uofm or call Boynton Health Service at 612-624-6985.
Second-year dental and dental hygiene students have launched an e-mentoring program with ninth graders at Roosevelt Medical Magnet High School in Minneapolis. Project will help students learn more about basic sciences and health care professions as well as recruit students to dentistry.
Event: Biological Basis of Behavior Group fall retreat, "The Sensory Basis of Communication," will be Nov. 23, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., BSBE building. Event is free and open to all interested in behavior study. For more information, see nash.cbs.umn.edu/BBBG.
Lectures: "A Life of Birds: Illustrated Lecture and Book Signing" by wildlife artist Robert Bateman will be Nov. 14, 7 p.m., Bell Museum. Call 612-624-9050.
o Former VP Walter Mondale will lecture on "High Tide: The 89th Congress, Lyndon Johnson, and the Warren Court" Nov. 19, Cowles Auditorium. For tickets, call 625-5309.
o Howland Symposium "Thinking Smarter About Public Policies for Out-of-School Time," featuring national leaders in youth development, will be Nov. 20, 9 a.m.–noon, McNamara Alumni Center. To register, call 624-8192.
U Children's Literature Research Collections and Rivendell Group of the Mythopoeic Society will host a panel discussion, "Harry Potter in the Library of Childhood," Nov. 20, 2:15 p.m., Andersen Library.
o McKnight Summer Fellows presentations, "Society, Politics, and Government in Late Imperial Austria: Thoughts on a New Synthesis" and "Mobilizing Wonder, Creating the Scientific Imperial Subject—Japan 1920–45," will be Nov. 20, 3:30–5 p.m., 710 Social Sciences.
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