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BOARD OF CONTROL ADOPTS 2003-04 BUDGET

The Board of Control approved a balanced, $116.5-million general fund budget June 25, but not before narrowly defeating an amendment that would have cut three-quarters of the $2-million raise pool.

Also at the meeting, President Curt Tompkins announced that he and three other top univesity officers would not accept any pay raises next fiscal year.

During his opening remarks, Tompkins reiterated that his most important priority was to provide for raises for faculty and staff. "Our most talented people are also our most mobile," he said. For the last several years, MTU has not offered competitive raises and runs the risk of losing employees to other institutions, he said.

Then, on a motion by Board Member Rodger Kershner, the Board went into an unscheduled closed session for about an hour and a half for a performance review of Tompkins. Tompkins did not attend most of the closed session. When the Board reconvened in open session, no information was provided on what transpired.

Provost Kent Wray opened discussion on the budget by noting that, of the three budgets he had developed at MTU, this was the first to balance. It's also the third to show a drop in positions.

As presented, the $117.0-million general fund budget included a 10 percent anticipated drop in state appropriations, from $55.1 million to $49.6 million, and a 20.5 percent increase in tuition revenues, from $45.9 million to $55.3 million. It also provided a 24.7-percent increase in financial aid, from $11.7 million to $14.6 million, $2 million for raises and a $500,000 contingency fund.

The university has adopted a new tuition structure, charging students based on the number of credits they take rather than assessing a flat rate for full-time students. Under the administration's plan, engineering and computer science students would pay a surcharge of $400 per semester in addition to the $230 per credit hour paid by all undergraduates who are Michigan residents. Freshmen would not pay the surcharge. Overall, the administration's increases had amounted to an average 14.2 percent increase in tuition and mandatory fees.

"We know this isn't balanced," Kershner said of the budget, because it includes $3.1 million to make up for the anticipated 2002-03 deficit as well as the $500,000 contingency fund.

CFO Dan Greenlee said the 2003-04 budget does correct this year's deficit.

"I get the feeling that Kent doesn't have the details" to justify the $2 million for raises, Board Member Norman Rautiola said.

Wray said that last year, MTU was the only public university in Michigan not to give raises, and that the previous year, the raise was 1.5 percent. Other schools increased compensation by 2 percent to 5 percent last year, and among the eight universities which have set raises, similar increases are on track for this year.

"I want to see that," Rautiola said. "I want to see a copy."

"I'm assuming the man is telling us the truth," Board Chair David Brule said. Rautiola said Wray's figures could be misleading. He said he had heard Ferris State University had not given raises. Wray said that Ferris reported raises of 2 percent to faculty and 3 percent to everyone else.

Tompkins said MTU lags behind the salaries awarded by comparable institutions, and he would have liked to give more than $2 million, "but $2 million is all we had."

"The $2 million, how are you going to spend that?" Rautiola asked. "Could I see a copy of that plan?"

Tompkins said it would be distributed based on merit among faculty and staff, with supervisors deciding how the raises would be allocated. "We do that after we get the pool so we don't waste people's time," he said.

"There's been some discussion that we could lose faculty," Rautiola said, adding that $2 million would equal a 5 percent reduction in the proposed tuition rate. He said that in the 1950s, he came from a low-income family and worked his way through school, and that he was concerned that faculty making $100,000 were doing it on the backs of students such as himself.

Wray said the university is concerned about students "and we're also concerned about the quality of faculty."

Tompkins asked if the board wanted the administration to show them everyone's raises. "I don't want that," Brule said, noting that no one but an employee's supervisor is qualified to determine their raise.

"I'm concerned about giving a person earning $80,000 a $5,000 raise on the backs of these poor kids," Rautiola said.

"There's lots more financial aid now" than there was in the 1950s, Brule said to Rautiola. And, while engineering students are paying $32,000 for an education, they are getting starting salaries of $50,000.

Tompkins said MTU pays 10 percent to 25 percent less than its peer institutions. "We're losing ground, he said. "We have to start compensating people, or we'll lose some of our best horses out of the corral."

Kershner asked if the $2 million raise pool would prevent that. Tompkins said we can't know how much is enough until key people leave.

Rautiola asked Wray to explain the $1.6 million in new funding. When Wray said it included $180,000 for library journals, Rautiola asked if those could be examined. "How would you prioritize those differently from those who use them?" Board Member Kathryn Clark asked. Of the new funding, $100,000 is budgeted for raises in conjunction with promotion and tenure. Rautiola asked if those receiving those raises would also be eligible for a share of the $2 million raise pool. Yes, Wray said.

In addition, money is budgeted to install audiovisual equipment in the large lecture halls. Rautiola asked what we have now. Nothing, Wray replied. Equipment must be brought in as needed.

 "There's an infinite amount of detail I'm not interested in getting into," Brule said.

Graduate Dean Bruce Rafert said, "We are approaching an at-risk situation with faculty whose grants support graduate students." A number of productive researchers have left, taking funding and students with them. "You don't have to lose many faculty before that $2 million pool sounds like a good idea."

"A couple of things raise my eyebrows" about the budget, Board Member Claude Verbal said. "But you've got to trust the people who put it together." He asked how enrollment figured in the tuition revenue projection of $55.3 million. Director of Planning and Budgeting Pamela Eveland said the university is assuming a 5 percent decrease in credit hours taken.

"Nobody wants to see tuition go up," Board Member Mike Henricksen said, though declining enrollment has affected revenues.

Board Member Ruth Reck said that next year, we'll need another tuition increase, and the year after that. "Are we heading to disaster?" she said, adding, "This sets a terrible example for faculty. I think they leave because of negativity. If anyone can make this positive, I'd appreciate it." In an apparent message to faculty, she said, "Hang in there; we appreciate what you do. We don't want you to leave. We need your help with enrollment."

Regarding the $2 million raise pool, Rautiola said, "Kent and others have been eloquent, but you've dodged the question."

"I want a program for exceptional contributors," he said, not one that divides funding equally among departments.

It's not correct to say the raise pool would be divided equally among departments, Tompkins said. "It's an iterative process," based on recommendations by deans, directors and chairs.

"It would be nice to have a pie to cut," he added. "We haven't had a pie to cut in a couple years."

Kershner said that, while there's a risk in not giving raises, there's also the risk that tuition hikes could reduce enrollment. For MTU to award raises is also a political risk, he said, in a year when the governor has taken a salary reduction.

Rautiola said that, if the university identifies 100 high-performing people, "that's $20,000 per person."

Tompkins said MTU has 1,500 employees. "Your assumption that $2 million would go to 100 people is erroneous."

Tompkins said it was important to compensate secretaries and groundskeepers, as well as research faculty. "We're here to look out for everybody," he said.

Rautiola said that times are tough and suggested that everyone making over $100,000 take a pay cut, saying that could bring people together. Tompkins said the board could do that, "but I don't recommend that and neither does the Budget Reduction Advisory Committee."

Reck said she couldn't imagine anyone wanting a salary cut, adding that faculty should determine how the raise pool is allocated, not deans and chairs.

Saying this was the worst time in years to make up a budget deficit, Kershner said he did not support the $500,000 contingency fund set aside for shortfalls in state funding. He proposed an amendment that would cut the raise pool $1.5 million, to $500,000, and eliminate the contingency fund. The $2 million saved would be used to reduce tuition.

His amendment failed on a 3-4 vote, with Reck, Kershner and Rautiola in support and Henricksen, Verbal, Brule and Clark voting no.

Clark proposed an amendment to eliminate the contingency fund and, with the savings, reduce overall tuition by $500,000. Her amendment passed unanimously.

Reck said she wanted to reconsider the raise pool at the board's next meeting in August. "That leaves the university in limbo until August," Clark said. "That's not a solid budget; it's a rubber budget."

 "You're railroading me into saying no, and I don't want to say no," Reck said. Reck moved that the board look at the raise pool again in August. "What's the practical effect of that?" Brule asked. "Can these people decide how to award the raises and say, 'Here's your raise, but don't spend it all today?'"

That motion was also defeated on a 3-4 vote, with Reck, Kershner and Rautiola in support and Henricksen, Verbal, Brule and Clark voting no.

When the $116.5-million budget came to a vote, it passed 4-3, with Henricksen, Verbal, Brule and Clark in support and Reck, Kershner and Rautiola voting no.

The $500,000 reduction cuts tuition revenue 1.7 percent from the administration's proposal. Exactly how this change will affect students' tuition rates will be determined in the next few days by the university.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Tompkins asked the board to approve 2 percent salary increases for all employees reporting directly to him. After the board approved his request, he announced that neither he, Wray, Vice President for Governmental Relations Dale Tahtinen nor Senior Vice President for Advancement and Marketing Fred Hensley would accept raises this year. Instead, that pool of money will be used to give raises to other staff reporting directly to Tompkins, including Greenlee, who was recently promoted but did not receive a salary increase.

In other business, the board discussed the use of legal counsel, debating whether or not its members could consult their firm, Butzel Long, without notifying other board members. Kershner said his call had precipitated the discussion. The inquiry was regarding the Employee Severance Program, which he had questioned.

Brule said that when board members call on their own, they accrue legal bills for the board without the knowledge of the other board members.

"We have duties under state law, and we need to know what they are," Kershner said. He said he was in favor of having counsel provided by the university. If the board doesn't have the option of having legal counsel paid by MTU, the only option is to contact the state attorney general's office, he said.

Other members of the board said they would appreciate being notified before individual board members incur expenses with Butzel Long.

Without taking action, the board debated whether it should use charter aircraft to fly to MTU. Cost of a charter is about $7,000. Commercial tickets for the board members are about $600 to $1,000 each. While the charter is expensive, it is more convenient, members said. Rautiola suggested saving money by eliminating a co-pilot. "I won't get on a plane without a co-pilot, and I could be the co-pilot," Clark said. Tahtinen said a co-pilot was required under our insurance policy. Reck said the University should see if General Motors or Ford could be in a position to help provide plane service for the board.

The board approved the 14-week semester academic calendar as amended by the University Senate, which gives students a week off at Thanksgiving. It also gave final approval to the BS program in Software Engineering and authorized the administration to proceed with the final design phase of Wadsworth Hall renovations. The cost of the design work may not exceed $775,000.

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COOK TO HEAD STUDENT AFFAIRS

Les P. Cook, formerly of the University of the Pacific, will be the new vice provost and dean of student affairs effective July 21.

Cook most recently served as the associate vice president for student life at the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, Calif. Previously, he served in a number of positions at the University of Utah, including director of orientation and leadership development, director of orientation and student involvement and associate director of recruitment and high school services. He has also worked at Salt Lake Community College and the University of Nebraska.

"We're very pleased and excited that Les is coming to Michigan Tech," Provost Kent Wray said. "He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the University, which will allow him to build on the excellent work being done by our Office of Student Affairs."

Cook says he looks forward to coming to MTU. "I want to be on a campus where people want to be at school," he said. "Michigan Tech students tend to be focussed and high achievers; that appeals to me.

"It lets you be progressive, so you're not spending all your time on discipline," Cook said. "I have a lot of energy, and I want to be at a place where I can make an impact. I believe I can do that here, where our role is to prepare students to be global leaders."

He will fill the position being vacated by Martha Janners, who is stepping down from her post to rejoin the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences.

"In her 15 years as dean, Martha Janners has been instrumental in transforming student life at Michigan Tech, all for the better," Wray said. "We in the university community owe her a huge debt of gratitude."

Cook has been active in a number of professional associations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators; National Orientation Directors Association; and the LeaderShape Institute. He was recently honored at the 2003 NASPA National Conference. A colleague stated, "Les is, in fact, the face of NASPA today. Not your grandpa's dean of students, but an engaged risk taker who is equally at home in the board room, in the residence hall room and in the classroom. I know of no mid-level professional with more grace, intelligence, genuineness and energy."

Cook has a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Brigham Young University and a BS in Political Science and master's in social science from Utah State University.

He is married and has two children, a nine-year-old son, Cole, and a five-year-old daughter, Adison.

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CONCRETE CANOE TEAM MAKES THE TOP 10

When Michigan Tech's Concrete Canoe team set out for the nationals in Philadelphia last week, they hoped to make the top 10.

They achieved their goal and then some, finishing seventh among the elite group of 24 colleges from across North America participating in the 16th Annual ASCE/MBI Concrete Canoe Competition. The event was held June 20-22 and sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers and concrete materials supplier Master Builders, Inc.

"It's our best-ever finish," said C. Robert Baillod, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the team's advisor. "The team did a superb job."

MTU has qualified for the national finals five out of the last eight years; the team's previous best ranking was 12th.

The team floated the canoe that won them the regionals in April. While the vessel was no lightweight--at 230 pounds, it tied for heaviest with the University of Maryland's entry--it had other qualities. "The design was good, and we had great paddlers," Baillod said.

Michigan Tech does not have a rowing tradition and lacks year-round open water. Nevertheless, the team competed strongly this year in the races. "Our best finish was fourth, in the men's distance race," Baillod said.

Teams are also judged on a design paper, a business presentation and their racing canoe.

Teams at the competition adopt themes as part of their presentations, and Michigan Tech's was "Sisu," the Finnish word that, loosely translated, means courage in the face of adversity.

The canoe was painted light blue, and the team's shirts were also the national color of the Finnish flag, honoring the heritage of many of the miners in the Copper Country.

The three-day competition, hosted by Drexel University, proved to be the most dramatic in the event's history when the original race site on the Schuylkill River was flooded due to intense rainfall during the first two days of the event. The races were moved to the lake at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Park.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison took first place in the Concrete Canoe Competition. Other schools participating were the University of California at Berkeley, Université Laval, Clemson University, the University of Oklahoma, Western Kentucky University, the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Iowa State University, North Carolina State University, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, University of Kentucky, Colorado School of Mines, Boise State University, Drexel University, Lamar University, New Mexico State University, University of Rhode Island, Florida Tech, Louisiana State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rowan University,

University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia Tech.

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RESEARCHERS STUDY PROS AND CONS OF NEW DECK MATERIALS

by Jana Jones, student writer

Material for a backyard deck that doesn't require sealing or finishing, is resistant to termites and doesn't give slivers sounds pretty good to most people. However, Professor Peter Laks (SFRES) is studying this magical-sounding material, woodfiber-plastic composites, to determine if it's as good as it seems.

"There's a public perception that WPC materials are better than wood because they are low maintenance," Laks said. "There can be some serious performance issues with this product. When these materials started to be used in the marketplace, there was almost no information or studies done on it. There's a catch-up now, doing performance evaluation work [on WPCs]."

WPCs are a mix of wood fiber and thermoplastic materials that form a lumberlike material. Thermoplastic materials, such as polyethylene, a common plastic used in toys and milk containers, can be melted down and mixed with wood flour, a superfine sawdust, then pushed through a die to create long boards. At least 50 percent of the composite is wood, and the plastic used is often recycled material. WPC colors can range from light tan to dark brown--at least initially.

Laks has a sample of material that's a nice rich brown on one side. But when it's flipped over, the composite has faded to a dull grey from exposure to the sun. Color changes are just one of the problems that Laks is examining. Other problems include damage, swelling when in a humid environment, sagging between supports and mold growth.

"So far, it looks like termites don't like this stuff--there's too much plastic in it--but mold can grow on it quite happily," Laks observed.

And though the bugs don't like eating the laminate because of the plastic, the extrusion process has a side effect that can cause other six-legged problems. Some laminate boards have hollow tubes in the middle to reduce weight. However, if these boards are incorporated into a structure, such as a backyard deck, with the open ends exposed, insects may decide those hideaways are their perfect new home. "Wasps and other insects really like those holes," Laks observed.

Researchers are producing their own WPC test strips to try and make the ultimate lumber replacement. They are exposing various laminates to different levels of humidity and types of mold and see how they stand up to the fungus, dampness and dirt. Much of this work is being done at MTU test sites in Hawaii.  With time, Laks hopes that the research at the forestry center will lead to a clear answer to how well WPC decks stand up over time.

FOURTH THURSDAY IN HISTORY PRESENTS THE LIFE OF BISHOP FREDERIC BARAGA

submitted by Erik Nordberg

The life and religious work of Frederic Baraga will be the topic of a public presentation at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 26. The event will take place at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, located at the corner of Broad and 6th Streets in L'Anse. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Elizabeth Delene, archivist for the Upper Peninsula Catholic Diocese, will examine the impact of the "snowshoe priest." Born in Slovenia in 1797, Frederic Baraga became a priest and immigrated to the United States in 1830. He devoted his life to the Indians of the Upper Great Lakes. For more than 35 years, he traveled and lived amongst native peoples in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada, sharing Christian ideals and learning of local dialect and customs. His work enabled him to publish a Chippewa grammar book and dictionary in addition to prayerbooks, catechisms and sermon books in the native language.

Baraga founded a major mission at L'Anse in 1843 and became the first Catholic priest to serve the developing Keweenaw copper mining district in the 1840s and 1850s. He traveled amongst the mining camps on foot in the summer and made good use of snowshoes and dogsled in the winter months. Baraga was consecrated as the first bishop of Upper Michigan in 1853, a position he held until his death in 1868.

This presentation is part of the "Fourth Thursday in History" program jointly sponsored by Keweenaw National Historical Park and the MTU Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections. Additional support for this event is provided by the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Bishop Baraga Shrine and the Baraga County Historical Society. Following the presentation, attendees will be invited to visit the Bishop Baraga Shrine, a statue of Baraga erected along the shore of Keweenaw Bay in 1972.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at 337-1104, ext. 250 or the MTU Archives at 487-2505.

.

MTU NOTABLES

Professor Klaus J. Weinmann (MEEM) has been elected to the Grade of Fellow in the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He will be presented with his Fellow medallion and pin at an installation ceremony that will take place in conjunction with SME's fall board meeting in mid-November

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IN PRINT

Assistant Professor Chandrashekhar Joshi (SFRES) published a paper, "Xylem-Specific and Tension Stress Responsive Expression of Cellulose Synthase Genes from Aspen Trees," in Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Volume 105, 2003. He also published an invited review article, "Molecular Biology of Cellulose Biosynthesis in Plants," in "Recent Research Developments," Plant Molecular Biology Volume 1, 2003 by Research Signpost.

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ON THE ROAD

Professor Barbara Lide (Humanities) attended the 10th International Ibsen Conference, held June 1-8 at Long Island University in New York where she presented a paper, "Strindberg's Ibsen: Admired, Emulated, Scorned and Parodied."

Assistant Professor Chandrashekhar Joshi (SFRES) presented a talk, "Three Distinct Cellulose Synthases Help Building Xylem Secondary Walls in Aspen," at the "Tree Biotechnology 2003" meeting in Umea, Sweden, June 7-12. His coauthors included graduate students Anita Samuga, Udaya Kalluri (SFRES) and former postdoctoral associate Xiaoe Liang.

Associate Professor Ulrich H. E. Hansmann (Physics) visited the Institute for Basic Sciences, Pusan University, Pusan, South Korea, June 15-22. During his visit he presented a seminar, "Computer Simulations of Protein Folding".

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PROPOSALS IN PROGRESS

Researchers, their proposals and their potential sponsors are

*Sheryl Sorby (Engineering Fundamentals), Kedmon Hungwe (Department of Education), "Removing Barriers to Success: Reducing Gender Differences in Spatial Skills," Penn State

*David R. Shonnard (Chemical Engineering), Barry Solomon (Social Sciences), "Collaborative Research: Developing Design Guidance for Environmentally-Conscious Chemical Processes," NSF

*David F. Karnosky (SFRES), "Developing Predictive Algorithms for Aspen Isoprene Emissions Under Realistic Future Climate Scenarios," University of Wisconsin-Madison

*John S. Gierke, Deborah N. Beach (GMES), "Modeling Ozone Sparging for Remediation of Chlorinated VOCs in Ground Water," NSF

*Eugenijus Urnezius, Rudy L. Luck (Chemistry), "2-and 3-Dimensional Coordination Polymers Containing Transition Metals: Possible Molecular Devices and Catalysts," REF-RS

*William I. Rose (GMES), "Subcontract: "Further Research on Volcanic Ash Using EOS Aqua/Terra Data," NOAA

*Kurt Pregitzer (SFRES), "Collaborative Research: Ecological Circuitry Collaboratory," NSF

*Timothy James Scarlett, Patrick Martin (Social Sciences), "Phase I Archaeological Reconnaissance at the Fallasburg Mill Site, Fallasburg, MI," Fallasburg Historical Society

*Jim Baker (Corporate Services), "Collaborative Research: Development and Implementation of a Knowledge Sharing Infrastructure," Oakland University

*Alex Mayer (GMES), "ExCit: Expanding Cities--People, Water and Infrastructure," US Department of Education

*J. W. Van de Lindt (Civil and Environmental Engineering), "Performance-Based Design of Engineered Wood Shearwalls," NSF

*I. Matthew Watson (GMES), "Developing a Multi-Species Algorithm for Quantifying Volcanic Emissions Using MODIS, ASTER and AIRS," NASA

*Jason Blough, Geoffrey Gwaltney (KRC), "LV100 Engine/M1A2 Integration Shock and Vibration Test Plan," GS Engineering

*Aleksandra Borysow, Uffe G. Jorgensen (Physics), "Computation of the Absorption Coefficient of CH4, CO2 and Other Molecules of Astrophysical Importance," NASA

*Terry McNinch (Civil and Environmental Engineering), "Michigan HPMS Training and Publications," MDOT

*James S. Cross (Information Technology), "Making Minerals Matter: Enhancing MTU's Enterpretive Collection of Minerals for K-12 Teachers," NSF

*Gregg Bluth, Bill Rose (GMES), "Collaborative Research in Central America: Geophysical Investigations of Volcanic Activity and Hazards," NSF

*David W. Hand, John C. Crittenden (Civil and Environmental Engineering), "Modeling Alum Coagulation in Waters Containing Dissolved Organic Matter and Particulates," AWWARF

*Ghatu Subhash (MEEM), "Installation of Hardness Tester and Training," ORNL

*Gregg Bluth, Bill Rose, Matt Watson (GMES), "Volcanic Plume Compositions and Fates: Satellite Retrievals and Modeling," University of Hawaii

*Bela Torok (Chemistry), "Development of New Heterogeneous Catalysts for Asymmertric Synthesis," Research Corporation

*Jian Liu (Chemistry), "Supramolecular Control of Complexation-Facilitated Photochemical Processes--A Novel Semiconductor Nanocatalyst/Sensor System," Research Corporation

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MICHIGAN TECH POSITION AVAILABLE

Job descriptions will be available at 1 p.m. on Friday, or by e-mail at <JOBS@MTU.EDU>.

The following position will be posted Friday, June 27, 2003, at 1 p.m. through noon, Monday, July 7, 2003, in the Human Resources Office or at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings/

Food Service Helper--Memorial Union (AFSCME internal posting only)

University employees are reminded to apply in writing prior to noon, Monday, July 7, 2003, to be considered as internal candidates for bargaining unit positions only. Applicants from the recall pool will be given first consideration for non-bargaining-unit positions only. Vacancy announcements are normally posted every Friday at 1 p.m. in the Human Resources Office. Complete job descriptions are available in the Human Resources Office or by calling 487-2280. More information regarding employment opportunities is available by calling the Job Line at 487-2895. Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer.

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