Vol. 37, No. 83, March 16, 2006     /     Log Archive

Disclaimer: Problem gambling is a serious concern, especially on college campuses where the freedom of independent living and easy access to online gaming and other temptations can set some young people on the wrong path. That said, filling out brackets is as American as checking scores online at work, and we're still proud our 3-year-old, given the choice last night between Duke and Southern in an opening-round game, repeated back "Southern." The pool he's in offers bonus points for opening-round upsets. Attaboy! Be bold. In news today:

Eight win Teaching Enhancement Grants
Eight members of the faculty received spring semester Teaching Enhancement Grants awarded by the Instructional Development Council. The recipients are Denise Bartell, Human Development; Terrie Johnson, Public and Environmental Affairs; Kaoime Malloy and Benjamin Moritz, Communication and the Arts; James Marker and Donna Ritch, Human Biology; Nydia Villanueva, Natural and Applied Sciences; and Asmamaw Yimer, Education. Grant awards ranged from $225 to $750. In all cases, the grants supported attendance at professional conferences.

Spring break in Florida won't be spent on the beach
A dozen members of the student chapter of Habitat for Humanity will leave Saturday morning for Florida where they'll spend spring break week helping to build houses in Avon Park about 80 miles south of Orlando. Chapter vice president Jackie Gough reports that on-campus fundraising to support the trip went "exceptionally well." Sixty-five attended a benefit spaghetti dinner, the group sold 30 cases of Seroogy's candy bars, a Cold Stone Creamery ice cream sale was a hit, and the group received a number of donations. Says Gough, "The group is looking forward to the trip and is very excited." They'll return to Green Bay on Sunday, March 26.

Snapshot: 'Empty Bowls' is fully a success
The Art Agency's "Empty Bowls" fundraiser on Wednesday was both artistic and financial triumph, with $1,750 raised for charity. For a closer look, click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/page/photo.htm.

Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin will be LifeLines sub
Marlee Matlin — actress, advocate for the deaf, spokeswoman for the Red Cross, author, wife of a Los Angeles police detective and mother of four — is the final speaker in the 2005-06 Bellin Health LifeLines Series at the Weidner Center on May 9. She is a replacement for Dana Reeve, who recently passed away at the age of 44 of lung cancer. "We are terribly saddened at the news of her passing. She was an amazing individual," said Brock Neverman, Weidner Center general manager. "We are extremely fortunate that Ms. Matlin was available on short notice — on the same day originally planned to close the LifeLines season — and are very excited to have her share her story. It will be an incredible evening." For ticket information, click http://www.weidnercenter.com/weidnermain/events+and+tickets/press+releases.asp.

Gilson is new coordinator of Testing Services
Pam Gilson has accepted the position of Coordinator of Testing Services. She currently works in the Registrar's Office and will be assuming her new duties April 3. Testing Services is located within the Office of the Provost. Gilson's responsibilities will include coordinating activities associated with the administration of College BASE and other institutional testing programs, credit-by-exam and credit-for-prior-learning programs, New Freshman, Graduating Senior and Alumni surveys and University course evaluations. She will also provide staff support for institution-wide activities coordinated by the Office of the Provost.

Faculty members appointed to program-review task force
Provost Sue K. Hammersmith announced Wednesday (March 15) her appointments to the newly formed Comprehensive Program Review Task Force. Members are:
• Co-chair: Dean Fritz Erickson, Professional and Graduate Studies
• Co-chair: Interim Dean Fergus Hughes, Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Assistant Prof. Joy Benson, Business Administration
• Prof. Jeff Entwistle, Communication and the Arts
• Prof. Bob Howe, Natural and Applied Sciences
• Prof. Ray Hutchison, Urban and Regional Studies
• Associate Prof. Anne Kok, Social Work
• Debbie Furlong, director of institutional research (ex-officio)

Faculty members were nominated by the Committee on Committees and Nominations. The Provost noted that members will bring a wide range of perspectives to the table, with faculty in both graduate and undergraduate programs, each of the Senate voting domains, two members of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Budget, and two unit chairs. "Even more important," she added, "these individuals are well respected for their integrity, their ability to see the big picture beyond their particular programs, and their commitment to the entire institution and campus community."

Initial report expected by early fall
It is expected the Comprehensive Program Review Task Force could have ready its initial report for campus review at the beginning of the Fall Semester 2006, with a final set of recommendations to be submitted to the Provost by mid-October. The co-chairs will be working with the interdisciplinary unit chairs to ensure that the process includes appropriate measures, opportunities for unit input, and a realistic work plan. The Task Force review of all academic programs — including general education and service components — comes as Academic Affairs sharpens its focus on identifying priorities for future development and aligning resource allocation with academic priorities. (A parallel review of non-academic programs and services is also expected to be undertaken in the coming year).

Task Force approach is one outcome of Strategic Plan 2006-09
Creation of a comprehensive task force is the first initiative to be announced resulting from Strategic Plan 2006-09, recently finalized by The Academic Affairs Planning Committee. Look for the full list of goals, strategies and actions following Spring Break when the report is distributed and published to the Web.

Congratulations: WNIT for Phoenix women, starting tonight
The UW-Green Bay women's basketball team received word earlier this week that it had been invited to compete in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, a reward for an impressive 23-6 season that ended just shy of another conference championship. The Phoenix plays Iowa State University (17-12) at 7 tonight (Thursday, March 16) in the WNIT first round at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. The WNIT bid marks the ninth straight postseason berth for the Phoenix. UW-Green Bay will be making its third appearance in the WNIT, following a consolation title in the eight-team 1992 event and a first round loss in the 2001 tournament at Illinois. For more on the game, see http://www.uwgb.edu/athletics/wbb/031306.asp.

Follow the action
Tonight's WNIT game from Iowa State will be broadcast live starting at 7 p.m. on WDUZ-AM 1440 "The Fan."

UW's alumni magazine takes critical look in mirror
UW-Madison's alumni magazine has been remarkably candid about covering and analyzing the University's recent trials and tribulations. With a headline likely written by a fan of "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," the story "The year of unfortunate events" in the spring 2006 edition lays out in detail what has at times been a State Street standoff in terms of Legislative support (or, some say, lack of support) for the UW. Click http://uwalumni.com/media/images/photography/onwisconsin/pdf/State.pdf.

Wiley: Cuts, bad press hurt UW recruitment efforts
UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley says cuts in state support to the university's budget and other disagreements with the state Legislature have made it more difficult for campus to attract and retain star faculty. See http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=76163&ntpid=2.

Two opportunities to hear from Peruvian Visiting Scholar are coming up
Julio Alegria, who is visiting Green Bay under the auspices of the St. Norbert College-University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Joint International Visiting Scholars Program, will give a free public presentation, "Peru: Past Present and Future," at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 20 in the Fort Howard Theater in the F.K. Bemis International Center at St. Norbert College. Alegria is director of the Swiss-funded Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Services Project (SANBASUR), which works to develop sustainable water and sanitation services in rural communities in the Andean Mountain region of Peru. Alegria also will speak at UW-Green Bay at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 4 in the 1965 Room of University Union. His topic will be "Improving the Quality of Life in the Andes: A Case Study."

Snowstorm-cancelled Mayhem will show up in May
The show postponed by the February blizzard, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem at the Weidner Center, has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 25. It was a hot ticket: Sales were so strong for the Fort Howard Hall event that it was reconfigured so the audience and bar service would share the stage with the musicians. Ticket holders for the original date must return those tickets by April 15, and new tickets will be issued with the correct date. See http://www.weidnercenter.com/.

Conference focuses on Door County's natural heritage
Government officials, land managers, educators and citizens are invited to a two-day conference on the topic of Door County's Natural Heritage Tuesday and Wednesday, April 18 and 19 at Björklunden Lodge, Bailey's Harbor. Registration is open now. Conference sponsors include the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity and Outreach and Extension at UW-Green Bay, The Ridges Sanctuary, The Nature Conservancy and the Friends of Toft Point. Watch for more closer to the date, or click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2006mar.htm#heritage.

So long, SID, we'll see you soon
Brian Nicol, who served in the University's sports information office as an intern, an assistant and in a seven-year stint as director, left UW-Green Bay earlier this week to pursue a new career as an elementary school teacher. Nicol is currently completing an alternative certification program and will begin student teaching this fall. Didn't get a chance to say farewell? Brian and his wife Marie (former Phoenix volleyball star) plan to remain in the community and will stay closely associated with the University and the athletics program.

UW-Green Bay SIFE students bring youngsters to campus
Middle-schoolers gathered at UW-Green Bay earlier this week for International Business Day, an event that showed the economic interaction between nations and allowed students to talk with people from other countries. A Press-Gazette story is at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060315/GPG03/603150557/1247/GPGbusiness.

Madison to get flu institute
Gov. Jim Doyle has announced plans to construct a $9 million institute to study influenza viruses, a move he hopes will keep top-tier researchers in the state and maintain its reputation as a leader in biotechnology. See http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=408466.

Can 50,000 Megawatts be Wrong?
That's the title chosen for a presentation by David Blecker, representing Seventh Generation Energy Systems. He'll speak at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 27, in MAC Hall 208. Advocates say that, from the global to the local, wind energy has evolved into a mainstream, reliable and economical power source. The speaker will also address whether small wind systems can fit into campus, home or farm settings. Prof. John Katers, NAS, is the campus contact at katersj@uwgb.edu.

'iPods now double as study aids'
That was the headline over a short story (what other kind is there?) in USA Today earlier this week about colleges and universities around the country, including UW-Madison, taking advantage of the iPod's popularity. See http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2006-03-14-ipod-university_x.htm.

Reminder: Recertify for CPR
Anyone who currently holds, or has held, a CPR certification from the American Red Cross may recertify in a class being held on Sunday, April 2, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Wood Hall Room 222. This class will be for Adult, Child and Infant CPR. Please notify instructor Bruce VandenPlas of your intention to attend by either calling 497-0151 or emailing vandenpb@uwgb.edu. It is important to pre-register in order to get all materials needed. The cost for the class is $20.

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