May 2008

Recent news releases

April 18, 2008 - Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system honors faculty and staff for outstanding achievement

April 17, 2008 - Four Excellence in Teaching Award winners named by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees

April 16, 2008 - Sue K. Hammersmith appointed president of Metropolitan State University

April 16, 2008 - Edna Mora Szymanski appointed president of Minnesota State University Moorhead

News and notes

American Indian Student Leadership Assembly develops leaders

One of the goals of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is to increase the access and success of American Indian students at the 32 colleges and universities. Toward this goal, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Office of the Chancellor conducted an American Indian Student Leadership Assembly in April.

Developing American Indian student leaders is an important step for the access, success and retention of American Indian students. The American Indian Student Leadership Assembly included leadership development, community building and information sharing.

Twenty-five students from four Minnesota State Colleges and Universities institutions participated in the leadership assembly. The institutions represented were Central Lakes College, Itasca Community College, Minneapolis Community and Technical College and Bemidji State University. More assemblies are planned.

ISEEK releases updated “Find a Job” section

“Find a Job” is iSEEK’s Web entry point for job seekers in Minnesota. This section lets users easily connect to the Minnesota Works job bank, find salary information and learn how to apply for jobs. “Find a Job” has been updated significantly with new content for the needs of today’s job seeker. For example, individuals new to the job search now can find sections to guide them such as “Get Started” and “Job Search Step by Step.” Job seekers who want to know how the current economy is affecting the job market can visit the “Explore Job Market” section, which includes topics including Minnesota job vacancies, employment data and employee benefits.

Job seekers also can read about the latest “Careers in Demand,” which highlights high-demand careers, growing careers, growing industries and high-paying careers.

View ISEEK’s new “Find a Job” section

Winners announced for Carl D. Perkins New Program Development Grants

This year, several changes significantly improved the quality and competitiveness of proposals that colleges may submit for new program development grants funded by federal Carl D. Perkins state leadership funds. In the past, grants were limited to either $8,000 or $15,000, depending upon their purpose. This year, total funds were increased from $250,000 to $293,000, and each grant applicant could apply for up to $60,000. In addition, semifinalists were given $2,000 to support the development of their grant application. Additionally, colleges now will have two years (instead of one year) to spend their funds.

The new application process had three phases: Phase I, a brainstorming phase that generated more than 100 innovative ideas; Phase II, in which 16 colleges were selected to respond with a description and rationale for about 30 areas of interest; and Phase III, with top-scoring colleges.

Another significant change was submission of program applications using the Web. Colleges submitted project and contact information, abstract, budget and budget narrative, and upload related narrative by using a Web application developed by the Center for Teaching and Learning. The last significant change was the use of weighted scoring. The top scoring colleges from Phase III are listed below:

College	Program	Funded
Normandale Community College	Healthcare Informatics	$55,000
Northland Community and Technical College, East Grand Forks	Advanced Manufacturing Technology	$34,000
Northwest Technical College – Bemidji	Advanced Manufacturing Technology	$52,845
Riverland Community College, Albert Lea	Wind Energy Turbine Technician-Renewable Energy	$48,450
Saint Paul College	Computer Gaming and Simulation: Metaverse Technologies	$52,000
South Central College, North Mankato	Mechatronics Technology	$50,000
	TOTAL	$292,295

Next steps for this project are to prepare contracts and distribute funds to campuses. Perkins staff also will assess the success of this new approach through feedback from colleges.

Six institutions attend Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability Conference

Six institutions from Minnesota State Colleges and Universities were represented at the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability Conference in April in Decorah, Iowa. More than 250 participants from the five-state area attended the event, titled "Creating Sustainable Connections." Minnesota institutions were Bemidji State University; Hibbing Community College; Lake Superior College; Minneapolis Community and Technical College; Minnesota State University, Mankato; and Winona State University. Sally Grans-Korsh and Ken Oas from the Office of the Chancellor also attended.

Faculty from Winona State University and Bemidji State University and Grans-Korsh spoke on “Repurposing Space,” examining how important it is to reuse existing campus space. Renovation was highlighted as an important part of sustainability, as indicated by the 25 percent in growth of renovated space in the system but only 10 percent growth in new square footage.

View presentation

New courses help community and technical college faculty meet credentialing requirements

In cooperation with the Office of the Chancellor’s Center for Teaching and Learning, Southwest Minnesota State University has developed a series of new adult education courses in 2007 to help new community and technical college faculty meet the College Faculty Credentialing Board Policy requirement. More than 50 faculty members already have completed these courses at the undergraduate or graduate level. Faculty also may select to take the Teacher Education Series courses from Bemidji State University or the University of Minnesota to fulfill the requirement.

A new “Philosophy of Community and Technical College Education” course was developed by the Center for Teaching and Learning to help faculty meet the credentialing teaching and learning competency requirement. This noncredit introductory course focuses on the evolution, mission, purpose and operating features of community and technical colleges. Offered in an online, self-directed format as a D2L course enhanced with streaming video, the course was presented for the first time in spring 2008 to 178 faculty.

The Philosophy of Community and Technical College Education course will be offered each semester for new faculty. Registration opens May 1 for the 2008 Summer Session (May 27 through Aug. 22).

A guest section for the “Philosophy of Community and Technical College Education” course is available for all faculty, staff and administrators.

Visit the course and view the material for new faculty

The guest login is "ctlguest" and the password is "ctlguest" at mnsite.ims.mnscu.edu.

Science, health care education featured in system magazine

T-shirts serve as a teaching tool for Ellen Brisch, biosciences professor at Minnesota State University Moorhead, featured on the cover of the spring edition of Minnesota State Colleges & Universities magazine and in a story about her innovative approach to teaching. Brisch was named the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Minnesota Professor of the Year for 2007.

The semiannual magazine's fifth edition has a 10-page package of stories about new trends in health care education, including a focus on simulation labs and centers, polysomnography, herbalism, community health work and lean-flow techniques. Also featured are Larry Shellito, adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard and former president of Alexandria Technical College; Steve Frank, faculty founder of the acclaimed St. Cloud State University Statewide Survey; Donghui Zhang, visiting Chinese instructor at Bemidji State University; and Ray Basques, a Vietnam veteran and Century College horticulture graduate who established a scholarship for students interesting in pursuing careers in horticulture.

The magazine is mailed to Minnesota business, community and education leaders, and state college and university presidents receive multiple copies to share. Look for the magazine on the system Web site and in your mailbox. Additional copies are available in Public Affairs or by e-mailing christine.mcging@so.mnscu.edu.

Download PDF of spring 2008 issue (PDF) (2.8 MB)

Nondiscrimination Policy discussed

A recent Diversity Workplace Diversity Climate Survey conducted among Office of the Chancellor staff revealed that many staff members were not familiar with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities nondiscrimination policy. To remedy that, Whitney Harris and Renée Hogoboom of the Diversity and Multiculturalism Division presented an overview of the policy in April. The 40 or so Office of the Chancellor staff who attended discussed the latest addition to the policy regarding consensual relationships, as well as real life case studies involving harassment and discrimination. The next step is for the Diversity and Multiculturalism Division representatives to present the policy at division staff meetings. This board policy applies to all employees and is intended to protect the rights and privacy of the complainant and respondent.

View the Board of Trustees’ Nondiscrimination Policy

If you believe you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint.

Download discrimination/harrassment complaint form (doc)

Issue archive

in this issue

Lunch hour walks

Now that spring has sprung, we can finally get outside and take a walk. Walking during your lunch hour is a great way to get rejuvenated and refreshed. It might seem like downtown is just a maze of concrete, buildings and skyways, but open spaces and trails are only a short distance away. Cindy Schneider, Human Resources Division, has offered some walking routes that can be taken over the lunch hour – some are long, some are short. Pick one and try it out.

Top 10 Places to Walk Over the Lunch Hour

Rollin’ on the River #1: Walk the trail along the Mississippi River below Kellogg Boulevard – trail heads east or west from downtown.
Bruce Vento Trail/Nature Sanctuary and Trail: Take Seventh Street east to the trailhead at Payne Avenue and Seventh Street. Walk through the sanctuary area or explore the newly opened network of trails in this area.
Rollin’ on the River #2: Harriet Island trail – Take the Robert Street bridge over the Mississippi to Harriet Island – trail runs east and west along the Mississippi.
Cardio #1: Cross over the Wabasha Street Bridge; walk up and down the green staircase at the Caves.
Quick One: Walk up Seventh Street east to Mounds Boulevard (towards Metropolitan State), and back down over the Kellogg Street Bridge.
Cardio #2: Walk up Seventh Street going west to United Hospital; go into courtyard between the Nasseff Heart Center and the main United Hospital entrance and take steps up to Summit Avenue.
Rainy/Cold Day Walk (skyway accessible): Xcel Energy Center (indoor walking schedule runs roughly March – November) and it’s free.
Ramsey Hill Challenge: Take Seventh Street west to Summit Avenue, go up Ramsey Hill (very steep) and back down along beautiful Summit Avenue.
West Side Story: Cross the Robert Street Bridge, go past Captain Ken's and around Boca Chica, loop around back onto Wabasha and over the Wabasha Street Bridge.
Bluffing: Walk up the Kellogg Street Bridge, turn right onto Mounds Boulevard and follow the trail through Mounds Park, along the Mississippi River bluffs.

Upcoming events

June Diversity Brown Bag

How music enhances understanding of world cultures

Date: Mon., June 2, 2008
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Location: Conference Rooms 3304 and 3306

For more information or to join the workshop via ITV, contact Ka Vang, director, diversity programs, Diversity and Multiculturalism at ka.vang@so.mnscu.edu or 651-201-1599.

Employees and supervisors are encouraged to attend these events and are not required to use vacation leave or compensatory time.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities/AFSCME development conference May 20-21

The 2008 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities/AFSCME Professional Development Conference will take place May 20 and 21 at Alexandria Technical College. Save the date; more information will be coming soon.

Achievements

Anita Rios, director of staff and leadership development, was given the 2008 International Exemplary Leader Award at the Chair Academy's 17th Annual International Conference in April. Rios was nominated for the award by two participants in the Luoma Leadership Academy. They nominated her for her ability to advance academic and administrative leadership.

Ka Vang, director of diversity programs for the Diversity and Multiculturalism Division, recently received a national award for her pioneering work as a writer and arts activist in the Hmong American community. The Hmong community places value on business, civic and academic leaders, but rarely do they recognize artistic leadership. Through her poetry, plays and short stories, Ka Vang has advanced the artistic culture of the Hmong in America and advocated Hmong arts to the larger American community. On March 29, at the Hmong National Conference in Denver, Co., in front of 500 people, Ka received the Pioneer Award from Hmong National Development Inc., a social service organization with a mission to improve the quality of life for the Hmong.

New Employees

DeeGee Frenzel
recently joined the Center for Teaching and Learning as office manager. Over the last year, Frenzel has been working in the Office of the Chancellor through ProStaff. Frenzel brings knowledge of grants and financial management from her previous experience at the Northwest Minnesota Foundation and Deerwood Bank. Frenzel earned an administrative assistant degree from Northwest Technical College in Bemidji. She also received a certificate in retail banking from the Institute of Financial Education, Stevens Point, Wis. She keeps three horses near Blackduck and goes north to ride them whenever she can.

Keswic Joiner
Keswic Joiner has joined the Office of the Chancellor Facilities Division as director of risk management. Previously, he was at Target Corporation where he managed the inventory for their.com distribution. Prior to that, Keswic was in the insurance industry for 14 years in Minnesota and California. He received his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Minnesota. Keswic referees basketball during his spare time.

Jamey Webster
Jamey Webster has joined the Office of the Chancellor Facilities Division as an information systems manager. He will help lead the implementation of the new program management information system software for design and construction of projects in support of the system's Capital Improvement Program. Webster was most recently at Fair Isaac Corporation where he was an associate manager in their information technology area. He also has experience working for Jostens, the University of Minnesota Duluth and the U.S. Navy. Webster holds bachelors degrees in biology and chemistry from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

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
Diversity and
Multiculturalism : Renée Hogoboom
Public Affairs: Nancy Conner