UW-Green Bay, LOG Archive, Vol. 31 No. 4



Microsoft contract is signed Positioning discussion continues Final fall enrollment numbers Update on Wilde case Y2K website State is No. 1 in ACT scores Internet courses are under way Outlook calendar reminder Snail ecologist lecture Program reminders Fall Festival week Phantom is here Library slogan Brief Publications	Vol. 31, No. 4 / Sept. 20, 1999 This e-mail news digest is distributed each Monday to faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Links are included to more detailed stories at the Marketing and University Communication website. Microsoft contract is signed; look for CDs in October It's finally official. Microsoft has signed an "enterprise" contract with state public higher education in Wisconsin (the UW System and the Technical College System), allowing faculty and staff to have free home-use rights to Microsoft products, and allowing students to purchase products and upgrades at a fraction of the market price. UW System administrators say the deal relieves institutions of the overhead of tracking and paying for individual licenses. (It will not obligate anyone to use Microsoft products, and institutions will continue to have purchase agreements with other vendors.) Kathy Pletcher, associate provost for information services, says she will be sharing more details later but CDs should be available by late October. Faculty and staff will have the option of choosing Microsoft Office '97 or 2000 for home use, while students will be offered Office 2000. *** * * * *** Positioning is topic of today's P-G, list-serve discussion, Faculty Senate The University's positioning possibilities are the topic of an A-1 story in today's Green Bay Press-Gazette. The article, headlined "University seeks ways to improve," quotes student leaders on proposed facilities improvements that would promote UW-Green Bay as a fun place to learn. The article also describes the Compelling Idea task force report as an attempt to refocus the student learning experience. The UW-Green Bay Faculty Senate has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, Sept. 29, to continue the discussion started last Wednesday regarding the task force report. Some faculty members are encouraging others to take part in an online "town meeting" at GBTEACH-L, a list-serve managed by Prof. Tony Galt. *** * * * * Final enrollment: 5,436 heads; 4,359 FTE UW-Green Bay's enrollment totals for the 10th day of the fall semester, the day UW System locks in the official figures, shows 4,359 FTE and 5,436 heads. The Office of Institutional Research reports the FTE is down 2.3 percent from last year and the headcount is down 2.9 percent. The reductions were planned and generally correspond to the degree to which UW-Green Bay exceeded its target last year. A smaller new freshman class (918 as compared to 1,022 last fall) was a major factor. The final numbers for fall '99 show UW-Green Bay exceeding its tuition revenue targets, and coming within about a half of a percentage point of its state-approved FTE target. * * * * *** Investigator offers one-year update on Wilde disappearance The lead investigator into last fall's disappearance of college student Amber Wilde tells the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel he fears the worst, is confident of progress toward solving the case, and is continuing to focus attention downstate on people outside the family who may have told conflicting stories to police. Wilde disappeared last September, a few weeks after transferring here from UW-Washington County in West Bend. More from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel news archive. *** * * * * Thursday starts Y2K countdown; here's a website Haven't heard as much lately about Y2K worries? Feeling safe? That's good, but this Thursday the 1900s will enter their final 100 days and that's sure to bring renewed speculation as to whether preparations will in fact prove adequate. The state of Wisconsin is encouraging its citizens and agencies to bookmark www.y2k.state.wi.us for news and information. Don't forget, UW-Green Bay also has a solid local site, accessible from the Computing homepage. * * * * * State ACT scores again highest in the nation With a record number of students taking the ACT, Wisconsin has again posted a 22.3 composite score, retaining its No. 1 standing in the nation among states in which ACT is the predominant college admissions test. Wisconsin had 42,358 students, 67 percent of the graduating class of 1999, taking the ACT at some time during their sophomore, junior, or senior year. * * * * * Internet courses will be offered to Extended Degree and Nursing students Nine general-education courses have been developed for Extended Degree and Nursing students under the auspices of a Central Investment Fund grant received in 1998. The courses will be offered in the Extended Degree program. The past year has been spent in training of faculty and staff and the development of the courses in the WebCT courseware product. During the past summer seven of the nine courses were "beta tested" with students. The first official course, Cross Cultural Communications: World Music started Sept. 11. The rest of the courses will begin at monthly intervals over the academic year, with enrollment limited to students in Extended Degree and Nursing. More on the Extended Degree courses; look in "What's New" under "On-line Courses." * * * * * Outlook calendar changeover is Oct. 1 Here's a reminder if you need a reminder that you've been reminded: UW-Green Bay will complete the changeover to the Outlook calendar system on Oct. 1. If you continue to use Russell Calendar Manager or another system, you'll be out there on your own and might even hinder others from taking best advantage of tools that simplify the process of scheduling events and arranging meetings. Other Outlook advantages include integration with e-mail, and remote access via the Web. For training sessions, email Swiggumj@uwgb.edu or (for Mac users) Spetha@uwgb.edu * * * * * Renowned snail ecologist will speak here Sept. 30 "Time, Space, and Very Slow Motion: Patterns in the Diversity of Snails," is the topic for Robert A. D. Cameron at a free lecture at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30 in Rose Hall 250. Cameron is professor emeritus of evolutionary ecology at the University of Sheffield, and is one of the world's foremost snail ecologists. His appearance here is part of a 10-day visit that gives him an opportunity to examine species-rich land snail assemblages in North America, which until recently had been thought to be less diverse than Europe. He'll work with researchers including Prof. Jeff Nekola who has uncovered rare snails on the Niagara Escarpment. Cameron's visit is made possible by the heirloom plant sale program. More. * * * * * Reminders: Poetry and vacations Two programs to look for: poet Gary Gildner presents a free public reading at 7 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 22) in the Niagara Room. And cultural historian Fred Inglis will speak on the "The History of the Vacation" at noon Friday (Sept. 24) in Rose Hall 250. More on Gary Gildner. More on the vacation lecture. * * * * * It's Fall Festival week Check the posters or brochures for details, but look for Fall Festival events on campus as organized by Student Life, Residence Life, Athletics and various student groups. There's a comedian in the Phoenix Club Tuesday night, an outdoor dance at housing the next, and the ever-popular Jim Wand Hypnotist on Thursday. An alumni reception at the Union and an evening concert on the Sports Center grounds Friday night starts "Little Siblings Weekend." Saturday is inflatables day at Residence Life (with giant slides, velcro obstacle courses). * * * * *** Phantom is here The Phantom of the Opera is here for 40 performances through Oct. 23, with the curtain going up on Wednesday. Planners are looking for a reprise of the 1997 run, which was an economic and artistic blockbuster and attracted tens of thousands of patrons to the Weidner Center. Tickets are still available, but call ext. 2217 for specifics. *** * * * * Friends of the Cofrin Library: Suggest the slogan, win a book The Friends of the Cofrin Library are brainstorming for an organizational slogan or motto. They welcome your suggestions. Visit the group's website and refer to the organization's mission statement (in part, "Friends interested in strengthening the University Library, enhancing its collections, facilities and services, and promoting its usefulness") for inspiration. If your entry wins, you'll receive the all-new, easy-to-use, all-facts-under-the-sun edition of the New York Public Library Desk Reference. Send entries to SampsonC@uwgb.edu * * * * * Brief Michael Kraft was a guest on Tom Clark's statewide Public Radio call-in show last Friday morning. He discussed public policy and development-related issues. The show originated from Door County to mark the activation of stations 89.7 WHND and 91.9 WHDI. * * * * * Publications Michael Draney, NAS, has a recent publication; Draney is co-author of a piece, "Relationship of habitat age to phenology among ground-dwelling Linyphiidae (Araneae) in the southeastern United States," from the proceedings of the International Congress of Arachnology, in the Journal of Arachnology 27: 211-216. Jack Frisch,** professor emeritus in COA, has just received a copy of Beckett and Beyond (Princess Grace Irish Library Series, 1999) which includes his paper, "Beckett and Havel: A Personification of Silence." Frisch presented the paper at a 1991 symposium, "Beckett and Beyond," held in Monaco. The book represents the symposium's proceedings, and includes papers by 32 Beckett scholars. *** * * * *** LOG ONline is prepared for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay faculty and staff by the Office of Marketing and University Communication. To submit a Brief, a Publication, a news item, an announcement, or just plain feedback, UW-Green Bay employees can call ext. 2626 or e-mail us at Log@uwgb.edu.

Microsoft contract is signed

Positioning discussion continues

Final fall enrollment numbers

Update on Wilde case

Y2K website

State is No. 1 in ACT scores

Internet courses are under way

Outlook calendar reminder

Snail ecologist lecture

Program reminders

Fall Festival week

Phantom is here

Library slogan

Brief

Publications

Vol. 31, No. 4 / Sept. 20, 1999

This e-mail news digest is distributed each Monday to faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Links are included to more detailed stories at the Marketing and University Communication website.

Microsoft contract is signed; look for CDs in October

It's finally official. Microsoft has signed an "enterprise" contract with state public higher education in Wisconsin (the UW System and the Technical College System), allowing faculty and staff to have free home-use rights to Microsoft products, and allowing students to purchase products and upgrades at a fraction of the market price. UW System administrators say the deal relieves institutions of the overhead of tracking and paying for individual licenses. (It will not obligate anyone to use Microsoft products, and institutions will continue to have purchase agreements with other vendors.) Kathy Pletcher, associate provost for information services, says she will be sharing more details later but CDs should be available by late October. Faculty and staff will have the option of choosing Microsoft Office '97 or 2000 for home use, while students will be offered Office 2000.

* * * * *

Positioning is topic of today's P-G, list-serve discussion, Faculty Senate

The University's positioning possibilities are the topic of an A-1 story in today's Green Bay Press-Gazette. The article, headlined "University seeks ways to improve," quotes student leaders on proposed facilities improvements that would promote UW-Green Bay as a fun place to learn. The article also describes the Compelling Idea task force report as an attempt to refocus the student learning experience. The UW-Green Bay Faculty Senate has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, Sept. 29, to continue the discussion started last Wednesday regarding the task force report. Some faculty members are encouraging others to take part in an online "town meeting" at GBTEACH-L, a list-serve managed by Prof. Tony Galt.

* * * * *

Final enrollment: 5,436 heads; 4,359 FTE

UW-Green Bay's enrollment totals for the 10th day of the fall semester, the day UW System locks in the official figures, shows 4,359 FTE and 5,436 heads. The Office of Institutional Research reports the FTE is down 2.3 percent from last year and the headcount is down 2.9 percent. The reductions were planned and generally correspond to the degree to which UW-Green Bay exceeded its target last year. A smaller new freshman class (918 as compared to 1,022 last fall) was a major factor. The final numbers for fall '99 show UW-Green Bay exceeding its tuition revenue targets, and coming within about a half of a percentage point of its state-approved FTE target.

* * * * *

Investigator offers one-year update on Wilde disappearance

The lead investigator into last fall's disappearance of college student Amber Wilde tells the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel he fears the worst, is confident of progress toward solving the case, and is continuing to focus attention downstate on people outside the family who may have told conflicting stories to police. Wilde disappeared last September, a few weeks after transferring here from UW-Washington County in West Bend. More from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel news archive.

* * * * *

Thursday starts Y2K countdown; here's a website

Haven't heard as much lately about Y2K worries? Feeling safe? That's good, but this Thursday the 1900s will enter their final 100 days and that's sure to bring renewed speculation as to whether preparations will in fact prove adequate. The state of Wisconsin is encouraging its citizens and agencies to bookmark www.y2k.state.wi.us for news and information. Don't forget, UW-Green Bay also has a solid local site, accessible from the Computing homepage.

* * * * *

State ACT scores again highest in the nation

With a record number of students taking the ACT, Wisconsin has again posted a 22.3 composite score, retaining its No. 1 standing in the nation among states in which ACT is the predominant college admissions test. Wisconsin had 42,358 students, 67 percent of the graduating class of 1999, taking the ACT at some time during their sophomore, junior, or senior year.

* * * * *

Internet courses will be offered to Extended Degree and Nursing students

Nine general-education courses have been developed for Extended Degree and Nursing students under the auspices of a Central Investment Fund grant received in 1998. The courses will be offered in the Extended Degree program. The past year has been spent in training of faculty and staff and the development of the courses in the WebCT courseware product. During the past summer seven of the nine courses were "beta tested" with students. The first official course, Cross Cultural Communications: World Music started Sept. 11. The rest of the courses will begin at monthly intervals over the academic year, with enrollment limited to students in Extended Degree and Nursing. More on the Extended Degree courses; look in "What's New" under "On-line Courses."

* * * * *

Outlook calendar changeover is Oct. 1

Here's a reminder if you need a reminder that you've been reminded: UW-Green Bay will complete the changeover to the Outlook calendar system on Oct. 1. If you continue to use Russell Calendar Manager or another system, you'll be out there on your own and might even hinder others from taking best advantage of tools that simplify the process of scheduling events and arranging meetings. Other Outlook advantages include integration with e-mail, and remote access via the Web. For training sessions, email Swiggumj@uwgb.edu or (for Mac users) Spetha@uwgb.edu

* * * * *

Renowned snail ecologist will speak here Sept. 30

"Time, Space, and Very Slow Motion: Patterns in the Diversity of Snails," is the topic for Robert A. D. Cameron at a free lecture at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30 in Rose Hall 250. Cameron is professor emeritus of evolutionary ecology at the University of Sheffield, and is one of the world's foremost snail ecologists. His appearance here is part of a 10-day visit that gives him an opportunity to examine species-rich land snail assemblages in North America, which until recently had been thought to be less diverse than Europe. He'll work with researchers including Prof. Jeff Nekola who has uncovered rare snails on the Niagara Escarpment. Cameron's visit is made possible by the heirloom plant sale program. More.

* * * * *

Reminders: Poetry and vacations

Two programs to look for: poet Gary Gildner presents a free public reading at 7 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 22) in the Niagara Room. And cultural historian Fred Inglis will speak on the "The History of the Vacation" at noon Friday (Sept. 24) in Rose Hall 250. More on Gary Gildner. More on the vacation lecture.

* * * * *

It's Fall Festival week

Check the posters or brochures for details, but look for Fall Festival events on campus as organized by Student Life, Residence Life, Athletics and various student groups. There's a comedian in the Phoenix Club Tuesday night, an outdoor dance at housing the next, and the ever-popular Jim Wand Hypnotist on Thursday. An alumni reception at the Union and an evening concert on the Sports Center grounds Friday night starts "Little Siblings Weekend." Saturday is inflatables day at Residence Life (with giant slides, velcro obstacle courses).

* * * * *

Phantom is here

The Phantom of the Opera is here for 40 performances through Oct. 23, with the curtain going up on Wednesday. Planners are looking for a reprise of the 1997 run, which was an economic and artistic blockbuster and attracted tens of thousands of patrons to the Weidner Center. Tickets are still available, but call ext. 2217 for specifics.

* * * * *

Friends of the Cofrin Library: Suggest the slogan, win a book

The Friends of the Cofrin Library are brainstorming for an organizational slogan or motto. They welcome your suggestions. Visit the group's website and refer to the organization's mission statement (in part, "Friends interested in strengthening the University Library, enhancing its collections, facilities and services, and promoting its usefulness") for inspiration. If your entry wins, you'll receive the all-new, easy-to-use, all-facts-under-the-sun edition of the New York Public Library Desk Reference. Send entries to SampsonC@uwgb.edu

* * * * *

Brief

Michael Kraft was a guest on Tom Clark's statewide Public Radio call-in show last Friday morning. He discussed public policy and development-related issues. The show originated from Door County to mark the activation of stations 89.7 WHND and 91.9 WHDI.

* * * * *

Publications

Michael Draney, NAS, has a recent publication; Draney is co-author of a piece, "Relationship of habitat age to phenology among ground-dwelling Linyphiidae (Araneae) in the southeastern United States," from the proceedings of the International Congress of Arachnology, in the Journal of Arachnology 27: 211-216.

Jack Frisch, professor emeritus in COA, has just received a copy of Beckett and Beyond (Princess Grace Irish Library Series, 1999) which includes his paper, "Beckett and Havel: A Personification of Silence." Frisch presented the paper at a 1991 symposium, "Beckett and Beyond," held in Monaco. The book represents the symposium's proceedings, and includes papers by 32 Beckett scholars.

* * * * *

LOG ONline is prepared for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay faculty and staff by the Office of Marketing and University Communication. To submit a Brief, a Publication, a news item, an announcement, or just plain feedback, UW-Green Bay employees can call ext. 2626 or e-mail us at Log@uwgb.edu.