Vol. 34, No. 39 / February 10, 2003

The check was in the mailbox: Retiree steps up to help out in budget crunch

Cyndie Shepard discovered a big gift in a small package recently when she opened an envelope she'd taken from the mailbox at the chancellor's residence. Inside she found a check for $30,000 made out to UW-Green Bay from retired Director of Institutional Services Al Rheinschmidt, who designated the gift for the academic program. Rheinschmidt, who retired in 1997, says he continues to monitor state and University fortunes, and decided to do what he could to help. "The University is going to have some serious budget problems at the end of this fiscal year and in the next," says Rheinschmidt, who now lives in Mosinee. He agreed to allow his gift to be publicized if it might inspire others to consider the value of public higher education.

Rheinschmidt had nearly 30-year career with UW-Green Bay

Al Rheinschmidt speaks from experience about cycles of sparse budgets, having experienced a few during his years of University service. He joined UW-Green Bay in 1970 as assistant to then-Business Manager Cyril (Zeke) Backes. "I can remember times when we didn't even have money to buy beakers for the science labs," he recalls. Rheinschmidt transferred to UW-Green Bay from the former UW-Fox Valley Center where he was business manager, a position he took after finishing his Bachelor of Business Administration at UW-Milwaukee.

Did you see the 'sun dogs'?

A picture-perfect presentation of the physical phenomenon of parhelia occurred last Friday morning (Feb. 7) in the skies over the UW-Green Bay campus. The luminous halo, "mock suns" or "sun dogs" had something to do with the low sun, ice crystals in the sky and the 60-degree apex of something-or-other. Whatever the scientific explanation, it was very pretty, and looked vaguely like... a rising Phoenix. Click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/photoarch/events/rainbow.htm.

Feb. 14 is cut-off day

What had been expected for some time became official last week: UW-Green Bay will stop accepting most new-freshman applications for the fall 2003 semester Friday (Feb. 14). The decision to cut off new-freshman applications is due to strong demand and the need to meet enrollment targets. It is the third straight year that UW-Green Bay has stopped accepting new-freshman applications by mid-February. For more, see http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2003feb.htm#cutoff.

Except for...

UW-Green Bay remains open for transfer students, who typically apply later; the target in this category has not yet been hit. Applications also will continue to be accepted from students in various other programs and categories, including re-enrolling, graduate, nursing completion and Extended Degree students. Even in the new-freshman category, exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis for those who would enrich the campus community through special talent, diversity and other circumstances.

For the record, here are final spring enrollments

The Office of Institutional Research has posted spring-semester enrollment numbers as of the 10th day of classes. The total is 4,133 FTE (full-time equivalent students) and a headcount of just under 5,000 students; both numbers are down slightly from last year. While the spring numbers inform internal institutional planning, it is the fall-semester census that serves as UW-Green Bay's enrollment of record with regard to UW System and state of Wisconsin planning and budgeting.

Straight talk from President Lyall

UW System President Katharine Lyall opened her monthly remarks to the Board of Regents last Friday by saying she is awaiting the governor's budget proposal Feb. 18, and "he has warned us all not to expect a Valentine. " She also pointed out that the UW System had already absorbed a heavy hit with this year's budget. Her remarks are archived, among other places, at Chancellor Bruce Shepard's Website at http://www.uwgb.edu/chancellor/remarks/lyall.htm.

UW System important to Wisconsin's future, governor says

The University of Wisconsin System is a top priority for Gov. Jim Doyle, even though the current budget deficit will require tough choices in the near future, the governor told the Board of Regents last Thursday. "If we slash education, we undermine what makes our state so attractive," he said. A summary of his remarks is available at the UW System news site at http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2003/r030206c.htm.

Newspaper offers various budget scenarios

With the release of Gov. Jim Doyle's budget a week away the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, in its series on the state deficit, looked at the UW System last week and noted that the System absorbed 23 percent of the cuts last time while constituting only 9 percent of state spending. That story is archived at http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/feb03/115687.asp.

Accountability Report: The good, the bad, the tradeoffs

UW System graduation and retention rates continue to rise, two strong indicators that students are being effectively served despite limited resources, according to the latest university accountability report. The report responds to multiple stakeholders and outlines the tradeoffs the UW System is making to accommodate a difficult fiscal environment. For a UW System news summary, click http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2003/r030205.htm.

'Situation unresolved with UW Board of Regents'

That's the headline from last week's Wisconsin State Journal article regarding the "who's in? who's out?" uncertainty on appointments to the citizen board governing the state university system. Read more at http://www.madison.com/wisconsinstatejournal/local/42118.php.

UW System offers recommendations for federal funding

The federal government should expand financial aid for students in need, increase funding for improving teacher quality and bolster resources for online learning. Those are the main recommendations the UW System submitted to Congress last week as lawmakers begin the process to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. If you'd like to see more, go to http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2003/r030206a.htm.

Student/faculty cast stages 'Vagina Monologues' at UW-Green Bay

A UW-Green Bay production of "The Vagina Monologues" is scheduled this week with performances at 7:30 p.m. in the University Union's Christie Theater on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (Feb. 13, 14 and 15.) The student-directed play (Andrea Libber, a Human Development/Psychology major, is the director) has an ensemble cast of students and faculty including Tracy Luchetta, Illene Noppe, Jeanellyn Schwarzenbach, Donna Entwistle and Nicole Howard. Receptions will follow the performances. Tickets ($10) may be obtained at the University Union Information Desk or at the door.

'Vagina Monologues' a benefit for Family Violence Center

All of the proceeds from UW-Green Bay's production of the award-winning play, "The Vagina Monologues," will be directed to the Family Violence Center of Green Bay. The play by Eve Ensler is essentially about being a woman in body, mind and spirit, and is based on interviews with 200 women. It is common for productions of the "Monologues" nationwide to earmark a share of the proceeds to benefit programs that work to end violence against women.

Gallagher's 'West Wing' date has been changed

Those of you who tuned in last Wednesday to NBC's "West Wing" hoping to see former UW-Green Bay theatre star Mary Gallagher, Class of '90, already know there was no Mary. Instead, her guest spot as the character Maddy Tatum has been rescheduled to either Wednesday the 16th or the 23rd. That's showbiz. Watch this space for an update.

UW-Green Bay play 'Flyer' has poignant connection

Look for more next week about the upcoming UW-Green Bay Theatre production of the play "Flyer." In the meantime, student cast members are finding serious meaning in their character development research, thanks to current events. The play is about women trying to get into the new NASA space program back in the 1960s.

Follow-up to Columbia tragedy: story on Space Grant, Space Explorers

"Local programs not changed by tragedy," read the headline in last Wednesday's Green Bay News Chronicle in the wake of the space shuttle tragedy. The story on the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium headquartered at UW-Green Bay is archived at http://www.gogreenbay.com/page.html?article=118328.

Newspaper columnist salutes Hall of Famer Nate Barnes

"It isn't the stuff of Hollywood. It's better." That's how sports columnist Chris Havel summed up the feel-good story of Nate Barnes and his Phoenix Hall of Fame induction. Barnes and his success in basketball and life are known to many on campus ("Inside" magazine, November 2001), but Press-Gazette readers enjoyed a fresh spin Saturday morning at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/sports/archive/sports_8590186.shtml.

Photo gallery from Hall of Fame night

Former and current chancellors, former and newly inducted Phoenix Hall of Fame members (The Class of 2003's Nate Barnes, Erich Quidzinski and Kim Wood Jianas), former and current coaches, and friends and fans turned out in force Friday night for the 10th annual Phoenix Hall of Fame induction banquet at the University Union. For snapshots, go to http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/page/photo.htm.

New this year: UW-Green Bay students offer free tax help in Spanish

UW-Green Bay students will begin providing free income tax help today and continue through April 15 at five locations in Green Bay. Business Administration lecturer and faculty adviser James Loebl says the students had two days of training by the Milwaukee office of the Internal Revenue Service and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. New this year, Spanish-language translators will be available when students provide tax assistance on three Saturdays at St. Willebrord's Parish Center. For background on the program, click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2003feb.htm#tax.

This just in: Correction on tax dates, sites

There has been a late change on the dates and sites for the VITA tax-help program. While most of the information in the previous item is correct, there have been updates in dates and sites. The latest schedule is archived at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2003feb.htm#income.

Column tips hat to Zehms, UW-Green Bay tax helpers

The business columnist of the Green Bay Press-Gazette devoted his column this morning to the topic "Tax service turned out to be a good idea," celebrating 30 years of the VITA program at UW-Green Bay and one of our oldest and best examples of students connecting with the community. Richard Ryman's piece is archived at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/biz_8527460.shtml.

Meeting is Feb. 21 on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender issues

The next meeting of the LGBT faculty/staff issues group will be Friday, Feb. 21, 2003 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Counseling and Health Conference Room, Student Services Building 1400. The group is open to any faculty or staff member interested in discussing issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, faculty and staff in higher education as well as the UW-Green Bay campus. If interested in participating, please call or e-mail Brian Stahlkopf at 465-2343 or stahlkob@uwgb.edu.

Mayoral candidate forum is this Wednesday at Washington Commons

Voters will have an opportunity this week to see and hear the candidates for Green Bay mayor. A forum featuring the four candidates will be held this Wednesday (Feb. 12) from noon to 1 p.m. at the Center Court of Washington Commons (formerly Port Plaza). The mayoral candidates are Mark Anderson, David Nennig, Jim Schmitt and Steven Terrien. The forum is organized by Project VOTE, a nonpartisan volunteer organization working to increase voter turnout in Brown County. Project VOTE includes representation from UW-Green Bay. The spring primary is Feb. 18, with the top two vote getters advancing to the April 1 general election.

UW-Green Bay workshop offers multicultural look at tragedy

"When Tragedy Strikes: Dealing with Violent or Sudden Death, a Multicultural and Developmental Perspective," a one-day workshop for professionals working with those who experience loss, is Friday, March 7 in the University Union. Keynote speaker is psychology Prof. Ronald K. Barrett of Loyola Marymount University, an internationally recognized specialist on the study of cross-cultural differences in death, dying and funeral rites. The workshop is sponsored by the UW-Green Bay Institute on Death, Dying and Bereavement, chaired by Prof. Illene Noppe, and the Northeast Wisconsin Alliance for Social Worker Continuing Education, a partnership of UW-Green Bay and UW-Oshkosh. Click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2003feb.htm#tragedy.

Title change: 'Rhetoric of Diversity: Rethinking African American History'

The Center for History and Social Change lecture of visiting professor Paul Young is still scheduled for this Friday (Feb. 14) at 1 p.m. in the Christie Theatre. Only the title is different. The general topic "What does it mean to be an educated person of color" has been revised. The title is actually: "Positivism and the Rhetoric of Diversity: Rethinking African American History in its Cultural Context."

Follow-up to slavery presentation: Web address

More than 400 people attended the Jan. 28 campus presentation by former Sudanese slave Francis Bok of the American Anti-Slavery Group. During his lecture, Bok mentioned a Web address for the Anti-Slavery Portal, directing those who want more information to the site. Student Life reports that a number of people have called, asking for the address. It is http://www.iabolish.com.

Date is changed for Spanish filmmaker presentation

Spanish filmmaker Helena Taberna will present her film "Extranjeras" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the historic West Theater, Walnut and Broadway. A reception for Taberna preceding the film will begin at 6 p.m. The presentation, part of the Green Bay Film Society international film series held at the Neville Public Museum of Brown County, originally was scheduled for March 5. For more, see http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2003feb.htm#film.

It's February, heirloom plants are coming, and time to offer suggestions

Prof. Jeff Nekola, Natural and Applied Sciences, coordinator of the annual (and wildly successful) Mother's Day weekend heirloom plant sale in the Laboratory Sciences greenhouse, reports that he is in the process of developing the 2003 sale list and will entertain requests. Be quick about vegetable requests, however, because he also notes that he hopes to have the vegetable list finalized in about a week. You can forward requests via e-mail.

The word on 2003 heirloom sale: More flowers, more herbs

The 2002 experiment with offering flowers and herbs was so successful that more varieties of each will be available this year, says Nekola. He adds that he has been acquiring seeds from all over the world, and will definitely have some herbs and flowers that are available nowhere else in Wisconsin. Nekola already has thyme, sage, lavender, oregano, and some other slow growing herbs planted.

Not least: Heirloom plant site has a new Web location

Here's the new address for the UW-Green Bay heirloom vegetable archive and for information about the plant sale: www.uwgb.edu/nekolaj/heirloom.

Feb. 15 gardening symposium still has openings

Registration is still available for "Successful Gardening with Native Plants," the symposium from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday (Feb. 15). Neil Diboll of Prairie Nursery, Westfield, and a nationally known advocate for prairie and native plantings, will be the keynote speaker. Rain gardens, gardening for butterflies and moths, controlling invasive species, and other topics will be covered in breakout sessions. Program sponsors are the Green Bay Botanical Garden, Wild Ones Natural Landscapers, and three entities at UW-Green Bay: The Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, the Friends of the Cofrin Library, and the Office of Outreach and Extension. For more, click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2003feb.htm#garden.

Woman of the Year? Your nomination welcome

Student Maigan Wipfli sends word that Student Government is accepting nominations for the annual Woman of the Year Award. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 19. Nominators will be asked to answer a few simple questions (why their candidate is deserving, what they have done for campus or community). For info, contact wipfmm11@uwgb.edu.

'Orange' is still the color

For those who might have missed it: UW-Green Bay, the state of Wisconsin and the entire United States of America remain on terrorist-assessment level "orange," or high risk of attack. Members of the campus community are asked to be alert for unusual activity.

UW-Madison now participating in Universal Borrowing

UW-Madison recently announced they are up and running with Universal Borrowing (UB), a service of the UW-System libraries allowing direct requests of materials from other campuses. UW-Green Bay faculty, staff and students can make requests through the Cofrin Library Catalog and these are sent directly to the library that owns the item. Items can be shipped either to the Cofrin Library or to another UB library for pickup-usually in less than three days. All eligible items circulate for 28 days with one renewal, except for videos and curriculum materials (which because of high demand will circulate for 14 days without renewals.) Non-book items from Madison cannot be requested at this time, although they will be available at a later date. For detailed directions on UB, go to the Other Libraries help page in the Cofrin Library Catalog. Interlibrary loan will still be available to make requests for journal articles and non-UW books.

Copy Center hosts open house on Tuesday

The Copy Center (Room 1204 of the Instructional Services Building) hosts an open house from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 11). It's a chance to show off some new services including a high-volume, digital color copier.

Fight cancer, order daffodils

The bright yellow daffodil is the American Cancer Society's symbol of hope in the fight against cancer. Here's a reminder that you have until Friday, Feb. 21, to place an order ($7 per bunch for you, $15 for an anonymous gift to a cancer patient). The Classified Administrative Support Committee is organizing this effort on campus; pickup dates are Monday or Tuesday, March 24 or 25. To order, contact:

MAC C332 Bev Hendricks, x2392; SS1915 Carol Wolske, x2159; TH335 Shirley Bubolz, x2336; Ecumenical Ctr Katie Johnson, x5133; Residence Life Lore Slattery, x2040; Library Mary Naumann, x2540; WH480 Sherry Rasmussen, x2164; CL805 Jan Snyder, x2082; ES301 Marie Stephenson, x2681

Holding at No. 21

For the third straight week, the UW-Green Bay women's basketball team is holding at lucky No. 21 in the Associated Press sportswriters' poll ranking the nation's top programs. The poll, released just minutes ago, has unbeaten Connecticut at No. 1.

Women go for 20th win this Saturday at home

The UW-Green Bay women's basketball team goes for win No. 20 at 3 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 15) vs. Loyola at the Phoenix Sports Center. Another big crowd is expected. (Incidentally, a measure of how hot a ticket the women's games have becomes is this comment, overheard from a late-arriving fan turned away when the last standing-room tickets had been sold for Feb. 1's sell-out: "Are there any scalpers?")

It's official: 26 straight

With all the excitement over the success of Phoenix women's basketball (19-3 overall, 10-1 in conference and nine straight weeks in the nation's Top 25), this might have been missed a few weeks ago. The team has long since guaranteed itself another winning season. For those counting, that's an amazing 26 straight seasons since the 1976-77 team went 4-17.

Reminder: Beauty, Beast and a bargain

UW-Green Bay faculty and staff are offered a $20 discount off opening night tickets for "Beauty and the Beast" at the Weidner Center Tuesday (Feb. 11) at 7:30 p.m. Stop by the ticket office now and show your faculty/staff ID, or call ext. 2217 and mention this special offer. For details on the show, click http://www.uwgb.edu/weidner/season_info/broadway/beautyandbeast.htm.

Next alumni-on-the-road reception is Thursday at Tufco

Tufco Technologies Inc. of Green Bay will be the site of the next alumni workplace reception. A fair number of people with UW-Green Bay ties are employed by Tufco, whose CEO is Lou LeCalsey, chairman of the Council of Trustees. The event, coordinated by Shane Kohl (ext. 2586), is scheduled for Thursday (Feb. 13).

Final reminders: Faculty Development, Emmons/Nekola, sled dogs, Shepard

Events of note this week that have been mentioned one or more times in recent editions of the LOG ONLine newsletter:

The Faculty Development Conference on Friday (Feb. 14), http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/logarchive/logarchive34/2003jan21.htm#faculty

Brown-bag gallery talk by Profs. Emmons, Nekola on Thursday (Feb. 13), http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2003feb.htm#project

"Valentine's Mush" sled-dog presentation on Wednesday (Feb. 12) http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/logarchive/logarchive34/2003feb3.htm#valentine

Chancellor Shepard's weekly office hours, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 11) http://www.uwgb.edu/chancellor/openoffice.htm (for a complete spring schedule)

Brief

Jane Rank, Campus Safety and Risk Manager who holds the designations CSP and CHMM, has an article titled "A Decade of Bloodborne Pathogen Training" published in the Winter 2002 edition of Laboratory Safety and Environmental Management.

LOG ONline is prepared for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay faculty and staff by the Office of Marketing and University Communication. Employees may submit a Brief, a Publication, a news item, an announcement, or offer feedback; call ext. 2527 or e-mail us at Log@uwgb.edu.