January 2003 Campus Update

MSU Moorhead
Office of the President
203 Owens Hall
1104 Seventh Ave. S.
Moorhead, MN 56563
(218) 477-2243

May 2003 Campus Update

May 5, 2003

To:       The Campus Community

From: President Barden

Re: Campus Update

Professional Development Day: I am pleased to tell you that the campus community supports the incorporation of a faculty professional development day into the academic calendar. As you are planning your fall schedules and syllabi, note that Friday, October 10, 2003 is a non-instructional day and we will be engaged in a professional development day. The focus and planning committee membership will be announced soon.

Threshold Credit Requirement for B.A. set at 120 Credits: The shared governance process on campus has been completed. The change from 128 credits to 120 credits will be effective starting with B.A. candidates who file for graduation at the end of fall semester, 2003.

Annual President’s Summer Retreat: As many of you know, I have hosted an annual summer retreat for the entire campus community designed to engage us in in-depth dialogue on significant issues facing the University. Unfortunately, our financial situation forces us to significantly scale back the size of the event. For summer 2003, the retreat will primarily involve the members of the Administrative Council and University Budget and Planning Committee and it will be scheduled following the conclusion of both the legislative session and the MnSCU Board of Trustees’ final meeting regarding tuition. The purpose of the retreat will be to engage in intense budget planning once we have the final budget allocation from the state and our final tuition rate is set. The event will take place in late July.

Financial Planning for the Upcoming Biennium: After reviewing budget projections for FY04 and FY05, the University Planning and Budget Committee has advised tuition rate increases of 15% for both years. A rate increase of 15% for the second year of the biennium is based on an expectation of inflation in employee compensation expenditures during the biennium. I consulted with the Student Senate regarding the University’s financial projections and the tuition increases, and will present to the Board of Trustees on behalf of MSUM. The Student Senate begrudgingly supported a tuition increase of 15% for FY04 and 10% for FY05; Student Senate President Peter Hartje will communicate the Senate’s position to the Board of Trustees. The Senate’s position reflects language in legislative bills currently under consideration; that is, the State will not cover any inflation in cost of salary/wages or fringe benefits for state employees in the coming biennium.

Commencement: On May 16 we celebrate the graduation of 865 students (up from 772 last year) at 2 p.m. in Nemzek Hall. We expect about 72% of the students to participate in the ceremony. Dr. Yvonne Condell, MSUM professor emerita, will present the keynote address to commemorate the occasion. I look forward to seeing you at the event!

Alumni Foundation’s Campus Campaign Success: Thank you for supporting the MSUM Alumni Foundation’s 2003 campus campaign. Foundation Executive Director Susan Grover is pleased to announce that thanks to the generosity of the University community, we surpassed the Foundation’s goal of raising $115,000 for student scholarships, university grants and programs. The final numbers will be announced at the Campus Campaign Ice Cream Social on Thursday, May 8 at 2 p.m. on the mall between the library and Center for the Arts.

Campus Construction: By now, you have probably noticed the increased activity at the newly completed Hendrix Health Center, located just east of the Center of the Arts. The Hendrix staff moved into their new space a few weeks ago. On May 8, they will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house event beginning at 3 p.m. I hope that you will come see the new facility. Recall that the Health Center was forced to move due to a chronic mold problem in the basement of Dahl Hall, the Center’s former location. This new location is, of course, a much better facility, and is certainly more accessible to our students.
     Beginning today, there is a significant decline of activity on the northeast side of campus. The Comstock Memorial Union is now closed for the summer so crews can work on improving the building’s HV/AC system. All of the offices and businesses have been dispersed on campus, and their locations have been appropriately communicated via campus mail and email.
     On 11^th Street and 5^th Avenue, our new campus sign is nearly completed. No, we haven’t changed our University name again; the word “Moorhead” will soon be added. The open, recessed space below the campus name will become home to a dragon logo, and when we secure enough funding, we will install an electronic billboard in that space. The board will be used to display daily/weekly events on campus. Other campus signs will be installed later.
     The construction of the Science Teaching Lab Building continues. The construction crew encountered some difficulties with the cement pour for a portion of the building’s lower floor due to poor load-bearing properties of our soil. The building contractor and crews are working on correcting this problem, and we don’t anticipate that the situation will delay the building schedule.

Kudos: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities announced the 2002 Academic and Student Affairs Awards and recognized our biotechnology program with the 2002 Award for Excellence in Curriculum Programming at the April 16 meeting of the Board of Trustees. This is the third time in a row that MSUM has been honored with this award. The MnSCU website describes our program in this way: “This program provides graduates with dual degrees, one in chemistry and one in biology. One hundred percent of the program's graduates to date have moved into careers in science or have continued on to graduate or medical school. Effective use of technology, intense interaction between faculty and students, and collaboration with other university departments and the community, have led to a high level of student achievement and have generated strong support from outside the university.” I extend my hearty congratulations to the faculty of the biotechnology program for their success.