February 2008

Whitney Harris, executive director of the Diversity and Muliticulturalism division, speaks to an audience at the Somai Education Center in Minneapolis.

Whitney Harris (at far right), executive director, Diversity and Muliticulturalism division, Office of the Chancellor, and Jamal Adam, counselor, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, share comments at the Super Weekend event at the Somali Education Center in Minneapolis Friday, Jan. 25. Seated behind Adam is Phil Davis, president, Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

Recent news releases

January 31, 2008 - Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to hold public hearings on proposed state career and technical education plan

January 22, 2008 - Minnesota State Colleges and Universities officials set to promote higher education at places of worship

January 15, 2008 - Chancellor recommends lowest tuition increases for state colleges and universities since 1998

January 14, 2008 - Request for $350 million in building and remodeling projects approved by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Trustees (This release was issued originally on June 21, 2007, but now contains updated numbers.)

January 8, 2008 - Applications sought for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees

News and notes

New combined grants announcement developed

Faculty, staff and administrators on the 32 campuses and staff in the Office of the Chancellor now will have an easier time sorting through announcements about grants. Applicants for grant money from the Office of the Chancellor often have to search multiple Web sites or review multiple grant announcements to find funding opportunities. To make information easier to find, and to make applying easier, five Academic and Student Affairs funding programs are issuing one combined grant announcement.

For more information, go to:

2008 Legislative Conference presentation

The “One Minnesota, Our State, Our Future: 2008 Legislative Conference” in January included Minnesota State Colleges and Universities colleagues Paul Wasko, Nancy SooHoo, Patrick Opatz and Deborah Proctor, who presented information about eFolio, ISEEK and Minnesota Online military programs to more than 135 legislators. Many of the legislators at the conference were introduced to these online products for the first time. Of particular interest were the education and reintegration resources offered by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to returning veterans. The conference, at the University of Minnesota, was designed to allow legislators to explore various interactive technologies available in the state, including:

Rural Health module - a free online module to orient students to health care and life in rural Minnesota. Although developed to prepare health professional students embarking on rural rotations, it could be used in other fields. This module was developed by the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center and Hibbing Community College with other partners. It covers orientation to rural Minnesota, roles of health professionals and building healthy communities and is available at: www.ruralhealth.umn.edu.
Alcohol and Campus Life course - To counter the increase in alcohol abuse by students on and off campus, the University of Minnesota developed an online one-credit course. Based on research, the course uses videos and other interactive features. Minnesota State University Moorhead and Inver Hills Community College currently are using it. For more information, go to www.collegelife.umn.edu. For an explanation of why Minnesota State University Moorhead requires students to take this course, go to www.collegelife.umn.edu, click on the “Alcohol & Campus Life” picture and then click on "ACL On Campus," then click on “MSUM Orientation Video.” For more information, contact Gary Langer in the Office of the Chancellor (gary.langer@so.mnscu.edu)

New feature on Finance and Facilities Web site

A new feature has been added to the Finance and Facilities division Web site to avoid overwhelming campuses with requests for information from the Office of the Chancellor. Finance division staff have been asked to look at this calendar before sending requests to campuses to make sure campus staff are not overloaded with the same due date for multiple items.

View the calendar (PDF)

Chief Finance and Facilities Officers Conference recap

More than 200 Finance and Facilities employees from the colleges and universities and the Office of the Chancellor attended the 11th annual winter meeting of chief finance and facilities officers in January at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront Hotel, St. Paul. College and university staff members were honored for outstanding service and excellence in financial and facilities management.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees member Dan McElroy was the guest speaker at the opening luncheon. Colleagues from the Office of the Chancellor making presentations included Jim Lee, Human Resources; Don Beckering, Fire/EMS/Safety Center; Mary Al Balber, General Counsel; Lisa Liljedahl, ITS; Jeff Hudson, Supervisory Training; Todd Digby, system director of libraries; and additional staff from Government Relations and the Finance and Facilities division.

New system bonding publication now available

The 2008 capital budget request publication, Building a Smarter Minnesota: 382,000 Reasons to Reinvest, describes each of the 37 projects in the system's $350.2 million bonding proposal to the Legislature.

The publication is intended for legislators and their staffs to use throughout the legislative session that starts Feb. 12. College and university presidents and other officials also use it when talking to legislators and community leaders to promote their projects. The book includes maps, photographs and charts to explain the projects and why they are needed.

The top priority project is $110 million for repair and replacement projects across the entire system. These projects include replacing leaky roofs and aging mechanical and electrical systems, and complying with fire safety code, health code and accessibility requirements.

The system's bonding priority list, approved by the Board of Trustees, emphasizes classrooms, science labs and applied labs. These projects will help colleges and universities educate more health care professionals and expand education in the science, technology, engineering and manufacturing, or STEM, fields.

Sustainable renovation and construction is another strong emphasis in the system’s facilities planning, and Page 38 of the book gives a detailed look at how “green” products and practices are used across the system.

Contact Chris McGing at christine.mcging@so.mnscu.edu in Public Affairs to obtain copies.

View a PDF of the capital budget request publication

Super Weekend a super success

Chancellor James McCormick and 14 presidents and top administrators from Minnesota State Colleges and Universities spoke during 17 church services at places of worship during the weekend of Jan. 26 - 27 to promote higher education in communities traditionally underrepresented in higher education. As part of the initiative to increase the number of students of color preparing to attend college, the Office of the Chancellor’s Diversity and Multiculturalism division teamed with faith groups in the Twin Cities and Willmar to reach out to parents and young people in their communities.

Participating in the Super Sunday presentation Jan. 27 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Minneapolis were (from left) Juan Cuzco, youth group director, and Brother Kevin, both of Holy Rosary Catholic Church; and James McCormick, chancellor, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and Victor Ramirez, Community Outreach intern, of the Office of the Chancellor.

The goal was to provide information and support for parents as they help their children prepare to succeed in college. Chancellor McCormick spoke at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Many of the congregation members took copies of the system’s Go Places brochure and the one-page handout “College Starts Here: Steps to Get Ready.” System representatives also were on hand to answer admissions questions.

Raúl Ramos, community outreach and training specialist for the Diversity and Multiculturalism division, coordinated the Super Weekend program.

Male Access and Success Study Group meets

Members of the Male Access and Success Study Group, composed of faculty, staff and students, met for the first time Jan. 31. The purpose of the group is to assist the Diversity and Multiculturalism Division in reviewing the status and related issues of male access and success at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. The group will make recommendations to enhance the access and success of males in the system. The recommendations will be shared with the system and larger higher education community. The study group is led by Whitney Harris, executive director of the Diversity and Multiculturalism division.

Achievements

Two articles co-authored by Linda Baer, senior vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, were published recently in national journals. The Society for College and University Planning published “Smart Change.” Co-authors include Judith A. Ramaley, president of Winona State University. The other article, “Action Analytics: Measuring and Improving Performance that matters in Higher Education,” was published in the February issue of Educause Review. Copies may be obtained from Academic and Student Affairs.

Rick Jones, Central and Southern Region Technical Support, has earned the SANS GIAC Certified Windows Security Administrator certification. Jones completed the 12-week SANS @Home SEC-505 Windows Security program in late September and then had 90 days to finish the GCWN testing. Those certified have the knowledge, skills and abilities to secure and audit Windows systems, including services such as Group Policy, Active Directory, Internet Information Server, IPSec and Certificate Services.

Recent graduates

Mailor Moua, Facilities, recently earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the College of St. Scholastica.

Retiree celebration

Margaret Jenniges, director of financial reporting, is retiring after 36 years of service. A gathering to honor Jenniges will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 4 in Conference Room 3304.

Before joining the system in April 2000, she worked at the Department of Agriculture, the Office of the Legislative Auditor and the Department of Finance Under Jenniges’ direction, her unit prepared the first systemwide financial statement to have an independent audit and receive an unqualified audit opinion. Since then, the unit has implemented many new accounting standards, worked with the colleges and universities to improve data integrity and prepare financial statements.

Issue archive

in this issue

Upcoming events

Gordon Davies to present at system offices Feb. 5 and 6

Gordon Davies, who served on the eight-person panel that investigated the shootings at Virginia Tech in April 2007, will speak to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities constituents Feb. 5 and 6. Davies will discuss the report’s findings and the challenges of confronting such crisis events at colleges and universities.

The first of two scheduled events will take place at the Leadership Council meeting Feb. 5. A second presentation for other system leaders will be 9 to 11 a.m. Feb. 6. The presentation, "The Virginia Tech Experience: A Conversation About Lessons Learned," will be an interactive event with a discussion and question-and-answer format. The Feb. 6 presentation will be on the 23rd Floor of Wells Fargo Place. Contact Mary Campbell at Mary.Campbell@so.mnscu.edu if you would like to attend.

Chief academic officers meet Feb. 14

The Academic and Student Affairs division will host a meeting at the Office of the Chancellor Feb. 14 for chief academic officers. The business agenda will include presentations and discussion on emerging issues important to the academic community, including “Action Analytics,” an action plan regarding the legislatively mandated 60- and 120-credit limit for system academic programs; the Enterprise Investment Committee structure and outcomes to date; and the Academic and Student Affairs annual awards process.

Student Affairs staff development and best practice conference Feb. 21 - 22

This year’s conference, “Student Affairs Conference: Focus on Access and Opportunity,” will focus on the Board of Trustees’ strategic plan and related action plan. This annual conference allows campus leadership to present and showcase strategies and programs that help support access and student success.

Become a FAN - Phase II

The 2008 legislative session begins Feb. 12. This year, the focus of the Legislature is the bonding bill.

In the coming weeks and months, your support is needed for the bonding bill. Please join our Friends Action Network at www.fan.mnscu.edu so you can communicate with legislators at critical moments during the session.

As the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill stated, “All politics is local.” Phase II of the Friends Action Network, which was introduced by Government Relations for last year’s legislative session, puts more emphasis on local campuses. Seven pilot campuses have FAN-specific Web sites that look and feel like their college or university’s homepage. Blogs also are available for the pilot institutions to share up-to-date campus information with their FANs. Plans call for more institutions to participate next year until every campus has its own FAN Web site.

“As we move into this session, it is important that our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community supporters work together to build public support for the state colleges and universities at the Capitol and throughout the state,” said Mary Jacquart, who heads the Government Relations staff.

New Employees

Carolyn Deeb
Carolyn Deeb has worked for State of Minnesota agencies and departments throughout her career from 1978 through 1982; and 1988 to the present. Her new position in the Office of the Chancellor supports the Board of Trustees office.

Teri Fritsma
Teri Fritsma has joined the Office of the Chancellor as a project consultant on the CareerOneStop and ISEEK teams, where she will help develop career exploration content and tools for various audiences. Previously, she worked for both the Minnesota Department of Economic Security (now DEED) and the Louisiana Department of Labor, including several years of experience with labor market and career information. She is happy to be back in the Midwest after living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for several years. Fritsma holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Iowa.

Scott Goings
Scott Goings has joined the General Counsel’s office as assistant general counsel. His focus is in information technology, intellectual property, facilities, student services and other areas. Goings represented Minnesota State Colleges and Universities for seven years as an assistant attorney general with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. He previously worked for the Minneapolis law firm of Leonard Street and Deinard and clerked for the U.S. District Judge Harold Vietor, Southern District of Iowa. Goings holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Grinnell College and received his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Nancy Joyer
Nancy Joyer has joined the Office of General Counsel as a compliance coordinator. In this new position, she will provide assistance to colleges, universities and the Office of the Chancellor in their efforts to ensure compliance with applicable laws and policies. Previously, Joyer was an assistant attorney general. She has 18 years experience practicing higher education law, having represented Minnesota State Colleges and Universities since its merger and its predecessor, the Minnesota Community College System. Most recently, she was the lead attorney at the Attorney General’s office for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Joyer also teaches law and ethics in St. Cloud State University’s master’s and doctoral programs. She received her J.D. from the William Mitchell College of Law and her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of Minnesota.

Mary Jo Kennedy
Mary Jo Kennedy has joined the Office of the Chancellor as librarian in the Fire/EMS/Safety Center Library. Her primary function is to assist in planning, developing and providing library and information services to Fire/EMS/Safety Center staff as well as system faculty, staff and students. Kennedy has worked in libraries since 1977, getting her start at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She also has worked at the Minneapolis Public Library, Inver Hills Community College Library, and PALS, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities library operating system.

Todd Noble
Todd Noble recently began working as a support analyst, located at the Granite Falls campus of Minnesota West Community and Technical College. His assigned campuses will be Itasca Community College, Hibbing Community College, St. Cloud State University, Ridgewater College and North Hennepin Community College. Noble has been a state of Minnesota employee for 20 years, working for the Supreme Court as a network administrator.

Lisa Olson
Lisa Olson has joined the Office of the Chancellor as a business analyst in the ITS area, after being a business analyst in the private sector for more than 11 years. Olson worked in pharmacy benefit management for nearly seven years for Express Scripts, Inc. and Prime Therapeutics, LLC, and nearly five years in life insurance and investments at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Russ Roering
Russ Roering has joined the Portfolio Management Office as a project manager. Roering has more than 23 years of experience in the IT industry, including 13 years of project management experience. He previously was a senior project manager for system test and integration services at Unisys Corporation in Roseville.

Cindy Schneider
Cindy Schneider has joined the Human Resources division as a senior administrative specialist. Previously, Schnieder worked at Explore Minnesota Tourism, the state's tourism promotional agency, and before that at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s crime laboratory.

George Warner
George Warner has joined the Office of the Chancellor as a senior labor relations representative advocating employers' interests in the collective bargaining processes. He was previously associated with the Employers Association of the Twin Cities. Warner is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law and the University of St. Ambrose Seminary.

Nicole Woodworth
Nicole Woodworth recently joined the facilities division, bringing training and support expertise for the Unifier system. Woodworth attended Brown Institute for computer programming and the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education for Oracle development and database design principles. Working in IT since 1997, Woodworth was a programmer/analyst for almost four years and most recently worked in batch operation for almost five years.

Submit an item to The Chronicle

Contact the internal newsletter reporter for your division:

Board of Trustees: Patty McCann
Academic and Student Affairs: Tim Price
Chancellor's Office: Janice Kwallek
Finance and Facilities: Nancy Lamden
Government Relations: Melissa Fahning, Candi Walz
Human Resources: Vicki Schoenbeck
Information Technology: Valerie Zahorski Schmidt
Internal Auditing: Darla Senn
Legal Affairs: Dorothy Zenner
Foundation: Maria McLemore
Multiculturalism and
Diversity: Renée Hogoboom
Public Affairs: Nancy Conner

Past editions of The Chronicle are available in the issue archive at the top of this page. If you have a question you would like The Chronicle to answer, or other comments and suggestions for the newsletter, send an e-mail to Paul Berger at paul.berger@so.mnscu.edu.

For more announcements from the Office of the Chancellor, visit the System Gateway home page.

The Chronicle: An internal newsletter for the Office of the Chancellor