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Strategic Planning and Budgeting University Reaccreditation 2007 MSU Moorhead |
February 2000 Campus
Update After July 1, 2000, our campus name will be Minnesota State University Moorhead February 17, 2000 TO: Campus Community FROM: President Barden RE: News and Issues Legislative Update: As a campus community, we continue our legislative lobbying efforts on behalf of the MSU capital bonding requests. I, in addition to members of the administrative team, have spent a significant amount of time in St. Paul informing legislators from District 9 and others involved in the funding process. These efforts complement last Monday's campus leaders' press conference, Student Senate Lobby Day and IFO Lobby Day February 16. Your efforts will make a difference. I appreciate your participation in building the future of MSU! I anticipate the legislative session to move quickly and be completed mid-April. If you have not yet done so, please contact our state representatives to voice your support of MSU's capital bonding requests. Senator Keith Langseth can be reached at 122 Capitol, 75 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155 and Representatives Kevin Goodno and Robert Westfall can be reached at State Office Building, 100 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155. I encourage you to send the same message to Governor Jesse Ventura. He can be reached at 130 State Capitol, 75 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155, phone (651) 296-3391. NCA Visit: As an institution voluntarily associated with and accredited by the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools, we participate in their process of peer review. All faculty and staff should be aware that a peer team from NCA will be on our campus March 20-21, 2000 for a focused visit. At that time, the NCA team will provide evaluation and consultation in three key areas: enrollment, assessment of student academic achievement, and implementation of strategic planning processes and outcomes. This visit is part of the continuing process of peer evaluation completed by all accredited institutions of higher learning. The visiting team can (and probably will) speak to any of you. To prepare for a possible interaction with the NCA assessment team, first, be aware of their visit and why they are here. Second, please try to communicate awareness and support of our efforts in the areas of enrollment improvement (our student enrollment is increasing, budgets are stable), assessment of student outcomes (all departments have incorporated assessment plans), and strategic planning (the strategic planning and budgeting process, the Academic Program Review Task Force, and the comprehensive plan for MSU facilities are in place). Please take the time to visit the NCA web site at http://www.moorhead.msus.edu/acadaff/NCA/ to learn more about the campus visit. Minnesota State University Moorhead: It has come to my attention that several members of the campus community have been using the new campus name and abbreviated forms of the campus name. Please note that the new name, which goes into effect July 1, is Minnesota State University Moorhead. There is no hyphen, comma, or period in the name. The abbreviated form is MSU Moorhead. Do not use MnState Moorhead or some other shortened form as the abbreviation. Once the new logo bearing our new name is selected and protected, a revised version of the University's identity and publications standards policy will be made available. In the meantime, please make sure that our campus name is used correctly. I appreciate your help in this matter. Grant Funding: Interdisciplinary Major in Graphic Communications: Congratulations to the Department of Technology's graphic communications program. The program was recently awarded a $124,700 MnSCU Emerging Curriculum Grant for the creation of an interdisciplinary major in graphic communications. The funding provides support for a major involving music industry, art, mass communications and graphic communications. This new major was approved by APAC last spring. Successful Collaboration Yields Significant Funding: Students enrolled in our industrial distribution and industrial management programs have been enjoying the results of a significant collaboration. Last year, MnSCU awarded a $172,000 Regional Industrial Partnership Grant to MSU to create a series of high-tech labs. The Technology Department collaborated with its professional advisory board to define their laboratory needs, and one focus was industrial process controls - the systems that allow an operator to type instructions into a computer to control a pump or switch located in another room or even in another state. I am happy to tell you that as a result of that collaboration, Border States Electric, Fargo, and Allen & Bradley Co., Milwaukee, donated more than $60,000 to supplement the lab with customized training stations. The new lab is located in 211 Hagen. This is a wonderful example of how cooperative relationships with members of professional advisory boards can benefit our students and campus. Facilities Updates: After 10 months of construction, the Center for the Arts renovation is complete. Many of you may have already had the opportunity to enjoy the improved facility. If you haven't yet made your way to CA, be sure to spend some time in the new art gallery. The area is a wonderful showcase for the talents of the visual artists in our campus community. The updates in Nemzek are just as impressive. The new synthetic flooring in the field house has been installed and the replacement of the fire doors in the corridor is nearly completed. Most of the demolition work in the locker room is finished. Over the past semester, our students have been enjoying what may be the campus' best-kept secret -- the converted gymnasium in 126 Nemzek which has been lined with new mirrors and filled with refurbished Nautilus and free weight equipment. This exercise room complements the former racquetball court which was renovated last spring and filled with cardiovascular equipment. Both of these exercise rooms are open to all students, faculty and staff. MSU Involvement in F-M's 125th Anniversary: You may not realize that the year 2000 marks the 125th anniversary of Fargo-Moorhead. The two cities plan a year-long series of events to commemorate the anniversary. I am pleased to tell you that our annual Fourth of July celebration will be a centerpiece of the 125th anniversary celebration. Other MSU events incorporated into the 125th include the Straw Hat Players summer season and this fall's Power Bowl football game with Concordia College. Go to the January 2000 Update |
