U of M Crookston Campus E Update an internal administrative news digest December 2, 2014

Transcription

1 U of M Crookston Campus E Update an internal administrative news digest December 2, 2014 Editor s note: this will be the last edition of E Update for The next edition will be published on Monday, January 12, the first day of spring semester From the Chancellor We have now officially entered the final lap of the marathon we call the academic semester, and we will all soon be sprinting into finals week. I know there is much yet to be accomplished between now and then, and so I want to wish everyone a healthy and productive last few weeks of the term. It has been a busy and successful semester in so many ways. Next week this will continue with the final Regents meeting of the calendar year. While I have not seen the final docket, we expect UMC to be featured prominently in the approval of the design for the Wellness Center, the annual presentation of the Accountability Report, and with the final approval of two new academic majors: international business and English. It should be a good meeting, and I ll look forward to providing a report during the first E Update of As you may know, one of our major strategic planning initiatives involves recruitment and retention of both on campus and online students. I wanted to express my appreciation to everyone who has been engaged in this effort to date with a special thanks to those who have been involved in the recent development of departmental or area action plans. The Strategic Planning Leadership Team will begin work on reviewing the plans later this week. It is exciting and gratifying to see such committed engagement in this important process. As part of our recruitment efforts and service to our surrounding region, our seemingly endless stream of campus visitors this semester continues on Friday, December 5, when we host the annual Agriculture and Natural Resources Activities Day. We expect approximately 1,000 high school students on campus, along with many teachers. We know this creates related challenges for parking and Dining Services, but please join me in welcoming these folks on campus for this very special day. For many students this will be their first visit to campus, and we want it to be an all important great first impression. I also want to thank the faculty who will be excusing students to be involved in this important activity. I want to work here! was a surprise comment from another recent visitor, U of M Vice President Pam Wheelock, when we met following her brief half day visit to our campus on November 20. She was struck by how committed our staff and faculty were to our mission, particularly our care for students. Following our meeting and in the spirit of the season, I had a chance to reflect on being thankful for the opportunity to work at such a great place. I am often asked by friends and family, including this past Thanksgiving, about living in Northwest Minnesota, especially as we enter winter. Frankly, they wonder how people survive here! The answer for me is always the same: it s the people that make this place special.

2 While winter is not officially here for astronomers, it is for meteorologists, and it certainly feels like winter! My best wishes for a wonderful winter break and, with temperatures dipping, please be careful when traveling and while enjoying amazing Northwest Minnesota! Sincerely, Fred Wood Chancellor University of Minnesota Crookston Featured Events & Activities The Upgrade Student Experience Preview for Faculty and Staff, Wednesday, December 3 2 to 3 p.m., Bede Ballroom, rooms B E, Sargeant Student Center Agriculture and Natural Resources Day (ANRAD), Friday, December 5 contests all morning at various locations across campus, 1:30 p.m. awards ceremony, Lysaker Gym, UMC Sports Center Crookston Student Association Hosts Santa Land, Saturday, December 6 1 to 4 p.m., Northern Lights Lounge, Sargeant Student Center free and open to the public Northwest Minnesota Foundation s Export Roundtable will be held Tuesday, December 9 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.,bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center, cost is $20 per attendee and includes lunch UMC Music and Theater Faculty Chamber Recital, Wednesday, December 10 7 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium, free and open to the public What s on Wednesday (W.O.W.): Concert/Dance Featuring 8 th Hour, Wednesday, December 10 9 p.m. to Midnight, Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center Service Learning Brown Bag Lunch Discussion Building and Maintaining Community Partnerships, Friday, December 12 Noon to 1 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center UMC Music and Theater Holiday Choir Concert, Friday, December 12 7 p.m., Haflso Church, Polk County Historical Museum, 719 E Robert St., Crookston UMC Music and Theater Holiday Band Concert, Saturday, December 13 7 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium Fall Semester Final Exams, Monday, December 15, through Thursday, December 18 UMC Faculty and Staff Holiday Luncheon, Friday, December 19 11:30 to 1:30 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center, open to faculty and staff from UMC, the NWROC, and Extension Christmas Holiday, Thursday, December 25 campus offices closed Floating Holiday, Friday, December 26 campus offices closed New Year s Day Holiday, Thursday, January 1, 2015 campus offices closed Floating Holiday, Friday, January 2, 2015 campus offices closed

3 Spring Semester 2015 Classes Begin, Monday, January 12, 2015 For details on these and a comprehensive listing of other events or to discover what s happening this week, visit UMC Today at or review our news page at Learn more about events across the entire University of Minnesota system via Brief: Around Campus Administrative Affairs Faculty and staff from across the campus community, including UMC, the NWROC, and Extension, are invited to attend the annual UMC Holiday Luncheon on Friday, December 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center. A complimentary meal of pasta with sauce and meat options, Italian vegetables, breadsticks, and assorted beverages will be served. Contact Melissa Parkin, Dining Services, for any special dietary needs. Academic Affairs Approximately 1,000 students from more than 50 high schools, FFA chapters, and clubs will be on campus on Friday, December 5, for Agriculture and Natural Resources Activities Day (ANRAD). The event, which includes roughly 20 different contests ranging from horticulture and forestry to ag mechanics, livestock, and sales, has been held on campus for more than 30 years. The day begins early with registration for the equine contests beginning at 7:15 a.m. An awards ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium, UMC Sports Center. The contests are overseen by Agriculture and Natural Resources Department faculty with assistance from UMC students. U of M Crookston Music and Theater will host three events in December. All are open to the public. No admission will be charged, but freewill offerings will be accepted to support the music programs on campus. Faculty Chamber Recital Wednesday, December 10, 7 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium Holiday Choir Concert Friday, December 12, 7 p.m., Haflso Church, Polk County Historical Museum, 719 E Robert St., Crookston Holiday Band Concert Saturday, December 13, 7 p.m., Kiehle Auditorium Student Affairs The Crookston Student Association (CSA) along with several U of M Crookston student clubs and organizations will host the annual Santa Land on Saturday, December 6, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Northern Lights Lounge of Sargeant Student Center. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature many activities for children and the opportunity for photos with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and their elves. Cookies and cider will be provided.

4 Campus residence halls will close at 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 18, for the semester break. The halls will reopen to students for spring semester on Sunday, January 11, 2015, at 1 p.m. Students who need to stay on campus during break must register at the Residential Life Office in Centennial Hall and pay $12.50 per day. Technology Support Services As the holiday season approaches, students, faculty, and staff are reminded to be cautious of online scams and questionable shopping sites. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US CERT) has useful information to help avoid these risks. As always, members of the UMC campus community are encouraged to report any issues to the Computer Help Desk. cert.gov/ncas/current activity/2014/11/24/us CERT Alerts Users Holiday Phishing Scamsand Malware Campaigns Development & Alumni Relations The Office of Development & Alumni Relations recently received a cash gift of $25,000 from Aron Anderson in honor his friend of more than fifty years, the late Jack Bywater, who served for many years as UMC s director of admissions. The gift will support an endowed scholarship in Jack Bywater s name. After the first five months of fiscal year 2015 (July 1, 2014 June 30, 2015) UMC is having one of its most successful fundraising years in history. Raised funds are approximately 150% above year to date fiscal year Potential donors are asked to consider UMC in year end giving. For more information on these opportunities, contact Corby Kemmer, director of development, at or ckemmer@umn.edu. University Relations University Relations has reactivated the Maroon & Gold Fridays promotion with the local community. From Homecoming in October through the end of basketball season in February, businesses and organizations whose staff wear maroon and gold on Fridays will receive special promotional items such as pennants, buttons, and single game athletics passes when visited by Regal the Golden Eagle and student communication assistants Sarah Hecht or Monika Sweet. Participating businesses will be entered into a drawing for a $250 office party in late February Roughly twenty local businesses have confirmed their participation. Photos of staff from these businesses showing their maroon and gold pride will be shared on UMC s official Facebook page. Athletics Golden Eagle Women's Basketball player Katrina Moenkedick, a junior from Perham, Minn., majoring in applied studies, was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North Division Player of the Week on Monday, December 1. She tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Bemidji State in the conference opener on Saturday, November 29, as the Golden Eagles

5 improved to 2 3 on the season and 1 0 in the NSIC. This is the second time Moenkedick has received a Player of the Week Award from the NSIC. Three members of the Golden Eagle Football Team have been named to the All Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) teams. Greg Lofquist, a senior from South St. Paul, Minn., majoring in criminal justice, was named to the NSIC North Division All Conference First Team. Lofquist was joined on the All NSIC teams by Andrew "Rock" Hall, a senior from Detroit, Mich., majoring in criminal justice, and Drew Selvestra, a junior from Eagan, Minn., majoring in criminal justice, who were named NSIC North Division All Conference Honorable Mention. Learn more. Golden Eagle Women s Soccer player Rachelle Alcini has been named to the 2014 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Women s All Central Region Third Team. Alcini, a senior from Ann Arbor, Mich., majoring in health sciences, was one of 22 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) players to earn All Central Region honors. In addition, she was an All NSIC Second Team pick as announced November 4 by the conference office. The University of Minnesota Crookston Women s Soccer Team recently earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) College Team Academic Award for posting above a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) or higher. The Golden Eagles finished this past season with a 3.31 GPA. The team, which has continued to show improvement in the classroom under Head Coach Joe Alianiello, earned the award last season with a 3.17 GPA and has continued to excel on and off the field. Under Alianiello s guidance, the Golden Eagles also had their best season thus far posting their first ever.500 record with a (5 5 5 NSIC) mark and picking up a major win over a ranked Augustana College (S.D.) team as well as draws against Winona State University, University of Minnesota Duluth, and Upper Iowa University. To view all game scores and upcoming athletic events, visit The Upgrade a.k.a. The Enterprise Systems Upgrade Project (ESUP) Faculty and staff who serve as advisors and/or who work in student services are encouraged to attend the Student Experience Preview on Wednesday, December 3, from 2 to 3 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, rooms B E. The session will include demonstrations of class registration, bill payment, and viewing financial aid. Also covered will be how MyU and the One Stop website will work together after the upgraded systems launch in February Previews for a student audience will be available in January and February. In February 2015, the Upgrade will usher in a new Reporting Center that consolidates UM Reports, UM Analytics, and PeopleSoft reports. The Reporting Center provides a single window into commonly used reports from multiple reporting tools. Features include: improved search function, real time data, ability to "like" favorite reports, links to the data warehouse web query tool, HRMS query viewer, and EDMS. Here is some important information for people who use reports: Some reports will have different names and content. UM Reports favorites and bookmarks will not transfer, so save a list in order to find them after The Upgrade

6 If you have created and saved ad hoc queries in the Data Warehouse, they may need to change due to business process changes. During the one to two week system cutover period in February, most UM Reports will be viewonly with static data. Learn details about reporting changes at Watch a short video to prepare for the new Reporting Center at U. University of Minnesota System With matching funds from the Office of the Vice President for Research, researchers from the School of Public Health, the Medical School, and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences have launched a dedicated research facility, the Driven to Discover Building, on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. University of Minnesota faculty and students are invited to take advantage of this unique and powerful opportunity to quickly recruit participants in new or ongoing research studies by submission of an application for use of the space during the 2015 Minnesota State Fair. Projects conducted at the 2014 Minnesota State Fair demonstrated its potential for rapidly recruiting and collecting human subjects data. In just 12 days, over 9,000 fairgoers enrolled and participated in studies at the Driven to Discover Building, exceeding total recruitment goals. More information, including the 2015 Request for Applications, can be found on the Driven to Discover Building website: building.html. Campus and Community The Northwest Minnesota Foundation s Export Roundtable will be held Tuesday, December 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center. The event is open to the public. Cost is $20 per person and includes lunch. This seminar and networking event is meant for both new business owners interested in selling internationally as well as experienced exporters. Experts scheduled to take part in the roundtable include Steve Riedel, Minnesota Trade Office; Brian Erickson, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; and Michael Sparby, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI). The event is co sponsored by the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, AURI, and the University of Minnesota Crookston. Learn more and register (by December 4) at Accolades U of M Crookston s online degree program in accounting was ranked among the top 30 coming in at #19 on the list of the most affordable online accounting bachelor s degrees in the U.S. as compiled by Accounting Degree Review, an independent online resource for current and prospective accounting and finance students that provides data based rankings and critical reviews of the top traditional and online accounting and finance degree programs. The rankings may be viewed in their entirety at degree.org/most affordable online bachelors degrees in accounting.

7 OnlineU.org listed the U of M Crookston s online degree programs in accounting and health management among the 20 most affordable online degrees in their respective categories for UMC s online program in accounting ranked #14, and its program in health management ranked #12 in the healthcare program listing. Both lists are available at OnlineU.org is operated by SR Education Group, a Kirkland, Washington based education information company. Computer Science Online has ranked the U of M Crookston among the top 20 best colleges for online computer science degrees for 2015, specifically citing UMC s information technology management major. This ranking is available at programs. The organization operates a website that offers search tools, salary data, and articles and guides for students considering careers working with computers, software, and technology. TopManagementDegrees.com, an online resource for management and business students, has listed the U of M Crookston among the 25 best schools for online bachelor's degrees in sport management. UMC came in at #6 on the list for its degree in sport and recreation management. The site s business education rankings are designed to help prospective students make informed choices about online higher education opportunities. The ranking is available at bachelors degrees in sports management. ********************* Publication notes: The E Update is published twice each month August through April and once each month May through July. Issues are posted online at If you have any questions regarding the information in this news update, please send them to urumc@umn.edu. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.