Vol. 38, No. 146, August 27, 2007     /     Log Archive

Perhaps the highly public misadventures of Michael Vick (who is in court today) will have at least one positive and lasting effect, linguistically. Any number of folksy colloquialisms are now presumably banished to the doghouse. "We don't have a dog in that fight... That lawyer's very tenacious, a real pit bull... It's going to be an absolute dogfight." All are probably off-limits for a while. Shouldn't use 'em in polite company. As used to be said around here, them dogs don't hunt. In real news today:

Kicking off the new academic year with Convocation
Reminder: It's Tuesday (Aug. 28) for the annual University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Faculty and Staff Convocation. A continental breakfast begins at 8 a.m. in the University Union's Leona Cloud Commons. More than 500 chairs will be set up in the Phoenix Room for the program scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Highlights:
o Presentation of Founders Association Awards for Excellence
o Introduction of new faculty and staff
o Remarks by Chancellor Bruce Shepard
See you there!

Look for coverage Tuesday afternoon
As always, University Communication's website will provide a one-stop archive of the day's news. Photos, a transcript of the Chancellor's speech, full writeups on the award winners, and short online bios of each of the newcomers will be available later Tuesday at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/page/

Remembering a special founder
UW-Green Bay has been conducting all-campus convocations for nearly 40 years. Tomorrow's will be the first without founding chancellor Edward Weidner, who passed away this summer at age 85. His contributions were celebrated at a campus-community gathering June 9; expect a brief mention or two of his legacy during the convocation program, along with acknowledgement of the Weidner Family. (An Ed Weidner Remembered website remains archived at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/weidner/index.htm.)

All roads lead to the Union
Traffic report for the hundreds of faculty and staff who will be heading to the University Union first thing Tuesday? Mostly clear, but allow extra time. Remodeling of the Union and Student Services Building remains under way, but hallway closings and re-routing that would have made the trip a huge hassle a week ago have since been cleaned up. Follow the signs.

Hot food!
Also in the forecast for Tuesday's convocation is a filling breakfast. The menu features scrambled eggs, home-fried potatoes, bacon, assorted pastries, coffee and juice.

Editorializing on Xiong remembrance
The Green Bay Press-Gazette weighs in this morning on a student group's plans to host an on-campus gathering in remembrance of Mahalia Xiong. A few talk-radio callers had publicly questioned the scheduling of the event, and also its appropriateness given that alcohol could have played a role in the death. The P-G concludes any criticism is off-target. See the final "Quick Takes" item at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070827/GPG06/708270498/1269/GPGopinion

Some students fear no WHEGs means no school
A recent article in the Janesville Gazette quotes a UW-Whitewater student who is afraid the state budget impasse is going to shut him out of school this fall, because he relies on the Wisconsin Higher Education Grant program. See http://www.gazetteextra.com/uwwaid082307.asp

Columnist, a Green Bay native, says UW System funding is shameful
A first-generation UW graduate, now a newspaper man, says he is offended by politicians and alumni who he says aren't committed to keeping the door open for tomorrow's students. http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/207005

Budget talks drag on
Wisconsin is now the only state in the nation with a July 1 budget deadline that has thus far failed to craft a state budget. (Funding continues at previous levels, however.) See the latest Associated Press update at http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=206937&ntpid=1

A word from the wise on Green Bay's economy
Green Bay native, one-time faculty member and UW System veteran David Ward, now an economic consultant, agreed to a Q&A with Marketplace magazine recently. His views on entrepreneurism and the changing Northeast Wisconsin economy are summarized here:

"At one time, this area was very prominent for its risk taking. Just look back 100 to 125 years ago when the paper industry was founded and new mills were started up and down the Fox River... We built businesses that are competitive globally today, from Kimberly Clark to Manitowoc Crane to Oshkosh Truck. What happened, in my interpretation of history, is we became so successful that the logical thing was to go to work for someone else in a large corporation and we lost a generation or two of entrepreneurs. As those businesses mature and require fewer and fewer people, we need to return to the roots that built all of that..."

Reminder on Student Drivers
Do you have students in your area who have been authorized to drive on University business? If yes, please read on.

UW System policy requires we purge students from our authorized driver database annually. We will be purging all student drivers from the UW-Green Bay authorized driver database on September 4, 2007. As a result, all students who want to drive on University business must complete and re-submit a new Vehicle Use Agreement. (Please note that this only applies to students who want authorization to drive on University business.) The link to Vehicle Use Agreement is at http://www.uwgb.edu/busfin/safetyrisk/fleet/DriverAuthorization.htm

Send completed Vehicle Use Agreements to Jane Rank, CL 805. Or drop off completed agreements in CL 805 or CL 830 B. Because student and supervisor signatures are required, electronic submissions cannot be accepted. Please note that student drivers who have out of state licenses must submit a notarized statement with their Vehicle Use Agreement.One final note: Non-student employees are not purged from the database. Therefore, non-student employees do not have to submit a new Vehicle Use Agreement. Their authorization remains in effect until they leave University employment as long as their driving record meets minimum driving standards.
Questions? - Please contact Jane Rank, rankj@uwgb.edu

Adjunct instructor gets business-education award
Jennifer Wegner of the Mishicot School District has been named the 2007 Outstanding Secondary Business Educator by the Wisconsin Business Education Association. She will be honored at the WBEA's fall convention Sept. 29. Chairperson of the vocational department in Mishicot, Wegner is an ad hoc instructor for UW-Green Bay, most recently with the "Offerings for Educators" program coordinated by Education Outreach.

Brief
Mai Lo, a multicultural adviser with the American Intercultural Center, has been selected to present "The Success of First-generation Millennium Hmong Students: Contributing Variables, College Adjustments and Advising Challenges" at The 11th Annual Wisconsin Academic Advising Association Conference on September 20-21 at UW-River Falls. The conference will also cover topics such as advising research, special advising techniques, programs or practices that assist students, collaborations that help students succeed and will connect advising colleagues throughout the state.

You can submit material for inclusion to the Office of Marketing and University Communication at Log@uwgb.edu. Past issues are achived at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/logarchive/logarch.htm.