Megan Gilge, Tech Topics editorial assistant, 906-487-2343

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SENATE HEARS REPORT ON INDIA CAMPUS

Michigan Tech's new campus in India is up and running, James P. Cross told the University Senate Oct. 9.

Cross, the executive director of international education, said the campus, located near New Delhi, has enrolled 10 students this semester. They will complete the first two years of their MTU programs in India and then are expected to transfer to Houghton to finish their bachelor's degrees.

The branch campus makes Michigan Tech the first American university to offer an accredited undergraduate engineering program in India. The program was successfully reviewed by the North Central Association Higher Learning Commission.

This is not a transfer program, Cross said. The New Delhi students are MTU students earning Michigan Tech credit. The course work is the same at both campuses, and students in India can enroll in most of MTU's bachelor of science degree programs in engineering, including mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering and materials science and engineering.

The campus is operated in cooperation with the Institute for Higher Education, a nonprofit organization authorized by the Indian government to offer higher education services. MTU provides the curriculum, admits students, approves the faculty and provides oversight and assessment. The institute collects tuition, administers the curriculum and is paying Michigan Tech $875 per student this year to cover MTU's costs. That amount will increase to $1,000 next year and $1,200 the following year.

The university is expected to spend about $150,000 more than it takes in during the program's first two years. Then, as students come to Houghton, the university will see a net gain, with profits of about $381,000 by the fourth year.

The program also provides additional research and graduate opportunities for Michigan Tech, since the New Delhi campus is located near a high-tech industrial park. And it will help provide a link to MTU's many Indian alumni.

When the Indian students move to Houghton, tenure-track faculty lines will be added at approximately a 15-to-1 ratio to accommodate the increased enrollment.

The branch campus puts Michigan Tech in a key position as higher education goes global, Cross said. American universities are starting to receive tremendous competition from abroad, particularly in Europe and Australia. And because tuition costs have been rising precipitously for international students, they and their families have been paying much more attention to price.

For Indian students, the new program offers a Michigan Tech education at a much-more affordable cost. MTU estimates annual expenses for international students at over $26,000. Students attending the New Delhi campus pay about $6,000 in tuition and living expenses, largely because the cost of living in India is much lower than in the U.S.

Plus, in the post-9/11 age, visa and immigration requirements have made it much more difficult to study in the U.S.

"With a minimal investment, we're taking advantage of an incredible opportunity," Cross said. "There is greater risk in not participating in the global marketplace."

The program was developed by all the MTU departments involved, and Dean of Engineering Robert Warrington said that ABET had been informed of the new campus and had no problems regarding accreditation.

Professor Tom Snyder (Biological Sciences) gave a preliminary report on a draft amendment to the tenure and promotion policy, as well as procedures. The policy and procedures will be subject to a vote of the faculty and then be presented to the Board of Control for its review and approval. The documents, developed by the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Tenure, Promotion and Reappointment, will be distributed to senators in the near future.

Assistant Professor Rosalie Kern (SBE) presented the 2004-05 proposed academic calendar, the first under the 14-week semester system. Classes would begin Monday, Aug. 30, and fall final exams would end Friday, Dec. 17. Spring semester would begin Jan. 10 and end April 29.

The senate also accepted two new proposals, one on posthumous degrees and another creating a minor in municipal engineering.

The senate is expected to act on the calendar and the new proposals at its next meeting. For more information and to view the 2004-05 calendar, visit http://www.sas.it.mtu.edu/usenate/propose/2003-04.html

Senate President Robert Keen reported that President Curt Tompkins had decided to use a national search to fill the new vice provost position. The University Senate had urged Tompkins to fill the position internally, in part to save the cost of a national search.

While there are many good candidates at MTU, only a national search can yield the best candidate, internal or external. Plus, the university would probably end up paying for a national search anyway, Tompkins said. Any candidate selected internally would leave a vacancy that would probably have to be filled with an external search.

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BOARD DEBATES SPENDING ISSUES

Some Board of Control members questioned Oct. 7 whether the university could ever deviate from the budget without board approval.

CFO Dan Greenlee presented the income statement comparing last year's budget and the actual revenue and expenditures for 2002-03. While the university managed to cut about $600,000 from its expenses, with revenues $3.4 million under budget, MTU ended the year $1.6 million in the red.

The state cut its appropriation to Michigan Tech by $2.1 million; without that revenue shortfall, the university would have broken even. Plus, the entire cost of the Employee Severance Program, or ESP, $1.7 million, was also booked in 2002-03, Greenlee said. New accounting standards required that it be included on last year's books, even though payments will be made over a 10-year period. Thus, even though the year shows a net loss, the university's cash position remains strong.

Greenlee noted that salaries and fringe benefits were $102 million, or $3 million over the $99 million budgeted, largely because of raises given to graduate students and unbudgeted increases in health-care costs.

"Did the board authorize that?" Board Member Rodger Kershner asked. He said the budget allowed the university to spend $99 million on salaries and fringes, "not $150 million."

"I'll remind you that no university money may be spent without authorization," he said.

Board Chair David Brule said that, when he supported the $168-million budget, that didn't mean that the university could never switch funds from different categories without board approval. "That would be verging on micromanagement," he said. "If it's the rule of law, we should know that."

If the university can take $168 million and spend it on anything, "that's way out of line in negligence," Kershner said.

"Where are you coming from?" President Curt Tompkins asked.

"I'm not coming from anywhere. I'm just trying to determine if you're exceeding the the budget," Kershner said. "If we say you can spend $99 million for salaries and fringes, you shouldn't spend more."

"I think your premise is wrong," Tompkins said.

"From a legal point of view, I don't think we should give carte blanche authorization to switch large sums of money," Board Member Norman Rautiola said.

"We don't," Tompkins said. The administration comes before the board to approve fund transfers, in accordance with board policy.

"The budget is an estimate," Tompkins said. He noted that health-care costs are variable, and if the university couldn't deviate from the budget, then it would have to come to the board for approval before it could pay employees' medical bills. "We have been operating under board policy," he said.

Kershner said the budget was a limit, not an estimate, and that the board should approve any expenditures that go over budget.

"I want to know about it, but I don't want them to have to ask me," Board Member Kathryn Clark said.

Pamela Eveland, director of planning and budgeting, said that this year's revenue projections are above expectations. The 2003-04 budget anticipated a 5 percent decline in credit hours taken, and now it appears that the number has slipped only 0.15 percent. "It looks like we're doing fine," she said.

Wray reported on how well the university is achieving the goals it set for itself three years ago in the strategic plan. Residential enrollment is at 5,572, up about 200 from 2001; the goal is 7,000. Graduate enrollment has risen from 9.6 percent of total enrollment to 11.2 percent, approaching its 2010 goal of 15 percent of total enrollment.

The university has exceeded its goal of increasing the number of non-Michigan, full-time undergraduate students by 10 percent. This figure, a measure of MTU's national visibility, has risen 17.6 percent this year.

Also a measure of visibility, the number of undergraduate inquiries has jumped 54.5 percent since 2000; the 2010 goal is a 60 percent increase.

The 2010 goal of having 80 percent of tenured and tenure-track faculty pursuing research, scholarship or other creative activities has turned out to be conservative. The creative productivity of the faculty is greater than originally estimated, Wray said. In 2001-02, 80.3 percent of faculty met the criteria, and last year 82.7 percent were involved in creative activities.

In other business, the board

* went into closed session for a performance review of Tompkins. When they came out, Rautiola read a statement supporting Tompkins' performance, saying, "We wish to express to you, Curt, our gratitude for a job well done." The board also stated that it wants to improve its process for evaluating the president.

* heard from the accounting firm Rehmann Robson that Michigan Tech had a clean audit. Auditor Jim Wallace said that Michigan Tech's finance staff had provided "excellent assistance" and were efficient and well-prepared.

* approved the $726,000 purchase of a focused ion beam system and a field emission scanning electron microscope. The equipment is funded by the Army Research Laboratory.

* approved the purchase of a $245,000 high-speed digital imaging system, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.

* approved a capital outlay budget request of $41 million to fund phase 2 of the Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology. Total cost of the project is estimated at $55 million.

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MICHIGAN TECH BOARD OF CONTROL GIVES FINAL OK TO WADSWORTH HALL RENOVATION

Michigan Tech's Board of Control gave final approval Oct. 7 to a major renovation of the university's largest residence hall.

The board passed a bond issue to fund the $31.3-million project, which begins in December and will be completed by fall 2005, said William Blumhardt, director of facilities management.

With 1,160 beds, Wadsworth Hall is the university's largest residence hall. It was originally constructed in 1955, with additions in 1957 and 1966. The renovations will be completed in several phases. The hall will continue to be occupied, and no more than 200 beds will be taken out of use at any given time.

The renovation will provide the amenities desired by today's students. Smaller "houses" within the larger residence hall will provide a lounge, kitchen, laundry and a greater sense of community. In addition, the remodeling provides enhanced privacy in the restrooms.

Life-safety upgrades, such as sprinklers, are also included. Wiring will be replaced to accommodate the numerous electronic devices students now bring to campus. Handicapped accessibility will be improved, and the dining services will be revamped, so food can be prepared to order.

Students will have more space, including more storage space. New furniture will be provided for the student rooms.

Design and construction management services for the project are being provided by Boldt/Hammel Green Abrahamson/U.P. Engineers and Architects.

The three-firm partnership brings together representatives from Boldt Construction of Appleton, Wis.; Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, an architectural engineering firm based in Minneapolis; and U.P. Engineers and Architects, of Houghton.

The board also approved the purchase of four diesel generators to serve as a back-up power generating system. The generators will provide enough electricity to keep the campus up and running in the event of a power outage. The action qualifies the university to purchase power at a reduced rate, with a projected annual savings of about $250,000. As part of the project, the university will be upgrading lighting in the Administration Building, EERC, Dillman Hall, Fisher Hall, Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building and the MEEM. The cost of the $3-million generating system will be added to the bond issue that supports the Wadsworth Hall renovations.

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MICHIGAN TECH "BEST CONNECTED" IN THE STATE

Lauded last year as the nerdiest school in the state, Michigan Tech also does the most to keep its nerds connected.

Based in part on interviews with over 100,000 students, the Princeton Review ranked the technological sophistication of 351 leading colleges and universities in the U.S. to develop its "Most Connected" list.

Michigan Tech made the top 25 percent with a ranking of 84. Other Michigan schools evaluated are Calvin College, 100; Albion College, 117; Michigan State University and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, both 208; and Kalamazoo College, 250.

The "Most Connected" school nationwide, according to the Princeton Review, is Hoboken, N.J.'s Stevens Institute of Technology.

Michigan Tech offers a wireless network, broadband access throughout campus and remote access to e-mail. Students can post their own Web pages on the campus network, and many courses use the Web to augment traditional classwork.

For more information, visit http://www.forbes.com/2003/10/02/cx_dd_1002campus.html

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SEAMAN MINERAL MUSEUM RECEIVES MAJOR COLLECTION

Michigan Tech's A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum has received a portion of the Gene and Rosalind Meieran Mineral Collection valued at $200,000.

The gift includes more than 200 specimens donated by Andrew and Christy Meieran, the son and daughter-in-law of Gene and Rosalind Meieran.

Some highlights include an elegant 20-centimeter crystal of smoky quartz enrobed with rose quartz crystals from Brazil and a stunning group of emerald crystals up to 7 centimeters long from Russia. A portion of the gift is on display in the museum's Hampel Gallery. The museum, located in the Electrical Energy Resources Center at MTU, is open to the public 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Admission is free.

Andrew Meieran has been fascinated by minerals and crystals from an early age, often accompanying his father on collecting trips in the US and abroad. The collection he and his wife have donated to the Seaman Museum includes many international specimens and unique crystals that had been in his father's collection, accumulated over more than 50 years. The Arizona Mineral Museum and Harvard Mineral Museum also include specimens donated by the Meierans.

Gene Meieran, a research fellow with the Intel Corporation, said the family chose the Seaman Museum to receive their collection "because it combines two important aspects of mineral collecting: display of fine specimens in a way that captivates the visitor, and scientific interest illustrating both the nature of the specimens and their relation to economy, ecology, science, technology."

Meieran said the museum's association with a university was also key. "The Seaman Museum obviously fulfills a role unlike a museum that just shows pretty rocks," he said.

"Plus, in terms of display, the museum is very good," he added. "The specimens are easily seen; they are well arranged; the labels are good; the logic is good.

"So, Seaman obviously comes to mind when one wants to put specimens into a museum with some 'clout.'"

Andrew and Christy Meieron live in Hollywood, where Andrew is involved in building restoration, including the restoration of Charles Chaplin's original house in Hollywood, where he and Christy will reside. Christy is a teacher.

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DROP DEADLINE OCT. 17

The last day to drop full-term, fall semester classes is Friday, Oct. 17, at 5 p.m.

According to the university policy on late drops, "after the eighth week of the semester, a student may request a late drop from the Office of Student Affairs, which will consider those requests that involve circumstances beyond the student's control." Extenuating circumstances considered are prolonged illness, serious accidents and death in the immediate family or of a close friend, or similar situations beyond the student's control. All requests must be made in writing. Instructions for late drops are available in the First-Year Programs Office (West Wadsworth Hall G09) or the Office of Student Affairs (Administration Building 170). No late drops will be granted to avoid poor grades.

Please note that the deadlines for for dropping Track B classes (those classes that begin on Oct. 16) are also approaching. The last day to drop Track B classes and receive a refund is Monday, Oct. 20. The last day to drop with no grade is Monday, Oct. 27. The last day to drop with a "W" grade is Wednesday, Nov. 12.

All drops must be done in person at Student Records & Registration. Drops cannot be done via the web.

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LOCAL PHONE NUMBER PORTABILITY--IT AIN'T HAPPENIN' HERE

It has been brought to IT's attention that a number of us are wishfully thinking that local number portability, or LNP, will be available here on Nov. 24.

It won't, says Telecommunications Engineer Chuck Sieders.

If you've never heard of LNP, you are not alone. It's an initiative that will allow telephone customers to change their cell phone number to their home number and eliminate the home phone. Or, vice versa. And, it will allow them to keep the same number when they switch cell phone carriers.

It sounds great, but it's not for us, at least not now. On Nov. 24, local number portability is supposed to go into effect, but only in the top 100 urban areas in the U.S. (Inexplicably, Greater Houghton is not on this prestigious list. Write your congressman.)

Rural areas are to follow "later," says Sieders. "Our people have been in touch with Cellular One, and they don't know when it will happen," he said.

Even the top 100 urban areas could see the Nov. 24 start date pushed back because of pending court actions, Sieders said. Plus, numerous technical issues have yet to be ironed out.

IT is tracking the issue and will let the university community know when LNP becomes available.

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AIR FORCE ROTC SPONSORS BLOOD DRIVE OCT. 14-15

Air Force ROTC is sponsoring a blood drive which will be conducted by the American Red Cross on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 14 and 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in the MUB Ballroom. Donors do not need to register.

"Currently there are blood shortages across the nation and even in our local area," organizers said. "Please come out and donate; it won't take long, and you could save a life."

Cookies and juice will be provided for donors.

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IMPORTANT HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION: REFERRALS POLICY TO BE ENFORCED

Effective Nov. 1, Michigan Tech's policy with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) regarding referrals to out-of-network doctors and hospitals will be strictly enforced.

Out-of-network doctors and hospitals are providers that are not members of a Blue Cross Blue Shield Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Most local doctors, all local hospitals (Portage, Keweenaw, Baraga, Ontonogan), and most regional centers (Marquette General Hospital, Mayo Clinic and Marshfield Clinic) are Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO members and a referral is not necessary. To find out if a doctor or hospital is part of the BCBS PPO network, log on to http://bluecares.com/ or call (800) 562-7884 for Michigan facilities, or (800) 810-BLUE for out-of-state facilities.

Because the BCBS PPO network is so large, it is rare that you will ever need a PPO referral. However, if you do, use the following guidelines for out-of-network referrals:

* A referral form must be completed by the referring doctor before receiving medical services from the out-of-network doctor or hospital. Once completed, bring this form with you to your out-of-network provider to be sent to BCBSM with your bill.

* Out-of-network referrals are acceptable by BCBSM only when medical services are not reasonably available within the PPO network.

* Services must be medically necessary and part of your benefits package.

* Referrals are only valid up to 60 days after the PPO referral form is completed.

* If you are having surgery, be sure that both the hospital and the doctor are BCBS PPO members.

* A referral by your doctor does not guarantee full payment. The facility or doctor you are referred to may not be approved by BCBS, or the doctor or facility may not participate with BCBS--meaning they don't accept the approved amount for the service. For example, if your surgery costs $3,000 and BCBS approves $2,000, you will have to pay $1,000 out of your pocket.

* These referral guidelines do not apply to dental and vision services.

If you have any questions, contact Maryann Wilcox in the benefits office at 487-2517, or email mawilcox@mtu.edu.

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UPDATES ON TRAVEL, MEAL PER DIEMS

Effective Oct. 1, the IRS has changed the meal per diems for the standard rate and some key cities. Please check the website (http://www.policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/travel.shtml) for the new rates when completing your travel vouchers. The standard meal per diem, which is now $31 per day, must be claimed on the day you return to Houghton.

Travel vouchers and cash advances should be turned in or cleared within two weeks of completed travel.

An employee may be held responsible for payment of an airline ticket if the approved travel advance form for that ticket is not received by Accounting Services prior to the ticket being billed.

The president must preapprove, in writing, any travel on university business outside of the United States and Canada. The revised international travel request form can be found at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/acct/pdf/international_travel.pdf . An approved copy of this authorization must be sent to Accounting Services--Travel.

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FRIENDS OF THE VAN PELT LIBRARY TO MEET TUESDAY, OCT. 21

The annual meeting of the Friends of the Van Pelt Library will be held Tuesday, Oct. 21, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the University Archives on the third floor of the Van Pelt Library. The speaker will be MTU physics professor Robert Nemiroff, who will talk about Mars and his new book, "The Universe: 365 Days," which includes 365 days of pictures from space. A short business meeting will precede the talk; refreshments will follow.

This event is open to the public. For more information, contact Dee Vincent at dee@mtu.edu.

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GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL SPONSORS FALL POSTER SESSION

A record high of 41 student research posters were presented Sept. 29 at the GSC Fall Poster Session. The posters, abstracts and student presentations were judged by more than 30 MTU faculty who selected best overall, best poster and best presentation awards.

The GSC Fall Poster Session is an opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to present their research to the entire university community, and is a place for faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students to learn about student research being carried out at Michigan Tech. For the first time this year, the GSC Fall Poster Session was an official MTU Career Day event.

In the best overall award category, Kristin Harvey received best overall for her poster, "Bending Properties, Porosity and Ash Fraction of Cortical Bone from Black Bear (Ursus americanus) Tibias are Not Compromised with Age Despite Annual Periods of Disuse." Audra Bassett received second place for "Impact of Road Type and Distance on Ground Nesting Birds at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: An Artificial Nest Study," Justin Rosemier received third place for "Disruption of Mast Production in American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) and the Effects on Small Mammal Communities as a Result of Beech Bark Disease" and Sara Brodeur received an honorable mention for "Assessing Ecological Consequences of Low-Lignin and Fast Growth Transgenic Aspen."

In the best poster category, Hao Li received best poster for "Negative Strain Rate Sensitivity and Compositional Dependence of Fracture Strength in Zr/Hf Based Bulk Metallic Glasses." Marie-Astrid Cauquy received second place for "Spectral Measurements of Reflected Sunlight for Space Situational Awareness," Rose Riemer received third place for "Validated Subject-Specific Model of Knee Joint Contact Force Distribution" and Raka Bandyo received an honorable mention for "Scratch Resistance Measure for Structural Ceramics."

In the best presentation category, Sarah Galley received best presentation for "The Effect of Fatigue Microcracks on Fluid Flow in Bone," Jennifer Tayler received second place for "Wetland Development at the Geologic Level: Isle Royale National Park and the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan," Robert Eifler received third place for "Biochemical Reponse of Meniscal Cells Due to Fluid Flow" and Darinda Miller received an honorable mention for "Polymer-Ceramic Blended Composities for Orthopedic Applications."

Jennifer Binkley-Power was awarded best abstract for "Powering our National Parks: The Propogation of Renewable Energy Use in Remote Wilderness Areas."

Kimberly-Clark supported the poster session with a generous donation. For more information about the poster session, visit http://www.sos.mtu.edu/gsc/fps.html .

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KEWEENAW PRIDE CELEBRATES NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY FRIDAY, OCT. 10

Keweenaw Pride invites Michigan Tech faculty, staff, alumni and students to participate in its celebration of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 10.

This is a day to show support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on Michigan Tech's campus and the community. Members of Keweenaw Pride will be gathered outside of the Memorial Union from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Each year members of Keweenaw Pride draw a large circle on the sidewalk and provide chalk so that people can sign their name, draw a picture or leave a quote to show their support of LGBT people in the area. "This 'Chalking Circle' becomes a support forum that allows everyone to get involved," organizers said. "Writing in it doesn't mean that you're gay; it simply means that you are supportive of the LGBT people in your life, whether you know of them yet or not."

If you can't make it to the MUB, you are invited to sign Keweenaw Pride's on-line guestbook at http://www.sos.mtu.edu/pride/ .

For additional information, visit http://www.hrc.org/ncop/ or contact Keweenaw Pride at pride@mtu.edu.

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GRADUATE SCHOOL OFFICE CLOSED OCT. 10-15

The Graduate School is moving to the fourth floor of the Administration Building. Its office will be closed from Friday, Oct. 10, through Wednesday, Oct. 15.

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ENTREPRENEURS' AND INVENTORS' CLUB MEETS THURSDAY

Scott Evett will speak about what it takes to succeed at entrepreneurship at the Entrepreneurs' and Inventors' Club meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. in EERC 100. Evett is president of Mark 1 Restoration, a construction firm with offices in Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Chicago. "He was here as a guest speaker two years ago," organizers said, "and he gave an outstanding presentation." Everyone is invited.

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TEACHING AT TECH: CONNECTING WITH 21ST CENTURY STUDENTS

by William Kennedy, director, Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development

You know that you've actually connected with your students when you say something in class that you think is particularly provocative, intriguing, or sort of "out there," and the students look at you with an intentionally dull stare and respond, "Well, duh!" I've been experiencing the electronic equivalent of a lot of these "well, duh!" moments of late as I have been requiring my graduate-level college teaching students to read a series of provocative articles concerning the strengths and weaknesses of our educational delivery systems. Each week, these students must read an article of my choosing and then send me a 250-500 word reflection detailing the central theme of the article, their evaluation of the validity of its claims and their opinion of its worth. Quite often, my individual e-mail responses to their submissions set off a flurry of subsequent e-mails through which we explore how well the article squares with our thoughts and our life experiences.

Responding to an article by Lion Gardiner that questions the ultimate utility of college grading systems, a student responded, "I love the quote that 'grades are an inadequate report of an inaccurate judgment by a biased and variable judge of the extent to which a student has attained an undefined level of mastery of an unknown proportion of an indefinite amount of material.'" Another student responded, "Students have been forced to be obsessed with grades. There is hardly ever a class, especially at the undergraduate level, that students take simply because they are interested in what is taught. There are two factors that determine whether or not students enroll in it: it is either required for a certain degree, or it is known to be easy."

Responding to an article that advocates a shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered instruction, one of my graduate students observed, "The active teaching model is a worthy goal, but progress toward it will be slow for many years to come. Essentially an entire generation of teachers and students would have to abandon the teacher-based system that they know very well. Personally, I'm very good at being a student in the teacher-centered system, and I really don't like classroom discussions, so I don't think any of this could start with me."  Another student wrote, "Personally, I don't see a lot of professors at the college level taking the extra time to think of all the possible directions a class discussion could go in. They are busy working on their own research and probably wouldn't put much effort into devising a well thought out class plan." Another observed, "[the author] is right, truly exceptional teaching involves more than knowing the material; it's knowing your students and knowing how to truly draw on the energy of their students to kill all of the student apathy from the start."

Responding to an article extolling the possibilities implicit in the Olin College experiment which employs student-centered instruction in an idyllic setting, another graduate student observed, "I don't know if I would like to go to a school like that, it would be very enjoyable but I'm not committed to engineering enough to let it invade into every aspect of my life. It sounds like the students there live, breathe and eat engineering all day and all night long." Another said, "There are several courses that I don't remember a thing about simply because all I ever did in them was repeat what the professor told me to repeat. I had very good professors for all these classes, but I just didn't do enough hands-on work in them to allow the material to stick." Another student suggested, "In the future, I can really only see only two things happening to this school (Olin College), it will either fail miserably and close down, or it will keep undergoing slight changes until it does a full circle and comes back to the teaching style of most colleges and universities with maybe an enterprise style format."

And just when I am about to collapse under the mass of it all, one of my students offers up something like this: "I am sensing a pattern in our reading, most of what we do in our current educational system hinders the students' creativity and passion for learning and pushes them to passively absorb only the material that is deemed important enough to put on a test. But what will it take to start a change?"

Would it be fair to respond, "Well, duh?"

MOZART'S FIRST AND HAYDN'S LAST: CZECH ORCHESTRA PERFORMS AT THE ROZSA

submitted by University Cultural Enrichment

From the capital city of Prague, the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra visits the Rozsa Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10. This is their fifth North American tour since 1999. Richard Ormrod, a rising young star on the international concert scene, will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, and the concert will also include works by Mozart, Haydn and Husa, a Czech composer. Tickets are available from the Rozsa Center Box Office (487-3200, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday) or online at http://tickets.mtu.edu .

The program begins with Mozart's first and ends with Haydn's last symphony. Music historians agree that the Symphony No. 1 in E-flat was written when Mozart was only eight years old while his family was visiting London. Mozart's father, Leopold, was recovering from a throat infection, and the young boy genius entertained himself by composing a symphony!

One of the remarkable aspects of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 is that Beethoven attempted to change the nature of the concerto form in this work, making the soloist an equal partner of the orchestra. This presents the pianist greater opportunity to display his versatility and skill in expressing the various moods and challenges of the concerto.

The Pastorale for Strings by Czech composer Karel Husa is the only contemporary work on the program. Husa emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1950s and taught at Cornell University and Ithaca College. He has served as a guest conductor for orchestras worldwide, and in 1969, he won the Pulitzer Prize for music.

The concert concludes with Haydn's Symphony No. 104 in D. Known as the London Symphony, it was so well received at its premier performance in 1795 that the Morning Chronicle reported, "for 50 years to come musical composers would be little better than imitators of Haydn." The composer was particularly happy because in addition to the success of the new work, the concert was given for his benefit, and he made a large sum of money!

A winner of the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque, among many other accolades, the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra has earned its standing as one of the major international touring orchestras. Today's orchestra includes musicians from both the Czech Philharmonic and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. The CPCO has had highly successful tours of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Asia, which have been immediately followed by recording contracts with European, Asian and American record companies and filmmakers.

Artistic director Pavel Prantl made his debut at the age of eleven with the Czechoslovak Broadcasting Corporation. Since then he has enjoyed a distinguished career as a violinist, winning national and international competitions. He joined the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 1967, and after several stints as concertmaster and director with other orchestras, he founded the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in Prague in 1977. The orchestra performs without a conductor, conforming to the practice of the 18th century. Prantl, who is acknowledged to be one of the most outstanding violinists in the Czech Republic, leads the orchestra from the first violin position. Critics describe him as a musician with effortless grace, technical assurance and impeccable skill, with a "rare sweetness" of tone.

Pianist Richard Ormrod is a native of Cardiff, Wales. Like Prantl, he was a child prodigy, performing in public for the first time at the age of 10 with a leading Welsh orchestra. After graduating from King's College, Cambridge, he spent several additional years training in Moscow. By the age of 19, he had won prizes in several major international competitions. He has toured extensively, earning great critical acclaim, performing throughout the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, the former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Italy, Israel and Morocco. The BBC has broadcast his performances live on television and radio. In the U.S. he was an artist-in-residence at the Aspen Music Festival for five years, performing concerti, presenting recitals and participating in chamber music performances. Ormrod started touring in the U.S. in 1996, and this current tour is his third with the CPCO.

The concert is made possible with funding from the Katherine M. Bosch Endowment and is part of MTU's Great Events Series.

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BAILEMOS NIGHT FEATURES MEXICAN FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT, LATIN DANCING

Michigan Tech will host "Bailemos," or "Let's Dance," Night to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on Friday, Oct. 17.

A buffet featuring traditional Hispanic recipes, including Spanish rice, fajitas, caramel flan and Mexican pineapple cake, will be served 6-7:30 p.m. and will be prepared by Michigan Tech's new chef, David Maplethorpe. The menu should have something for everyone, including foods for vegan and low-carbohydrate diets.

Mariachi singer Roxanne Chantaca, dressed in traditional mariachi attire, will perform from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. She will talk about her music in English and sing in Spanish. Madeline Mercado Voelker, Hispanic/Latino outreach coordinator, says "Mariachi singing is traditionally a male role, and I am excited to bring Roxanne to Michigan Tech."

Salsa dance classes will be offered by NOSOTROS, Michigan Tech's Hispanic student organization, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The dance will be held from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Students from many countries, including El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, have contributed their favorite music. "The students have a huge sense of pride with this event," Voelker said, "from the music to the food to the decorations to making sure the flow of the event is going make people feel that they are in a Hispanic or Latino country."

The buffet will be served in the Memorial Union commons, and will be $7 for students and $9 for everyone else. Chantaca's performance and the dance will be held in the ballroom. The $1 admission is separate from the dinner.

Bailemos Night is sponsored by the General Motors Corporation Foundation, Educational Opportunity, Hispanic/Latino Outreach, Michigan Career Development KCP Initiative, MICUP Program, and NOSOTROS/SHPE.

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ECO-LIT READING GROUP STUDIES SASQUATCH LEGEND

submitted by Fred Young

The next meeting of the Eco-Lit Reading Group will take place on Monday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in Walker 116, and will feature the film "Sasquatch Odyssey: The Hunt for Bigfoot."

This five-star film won the award for Best Foreign Documentary at the New York International Independent Film Festival. It was also selected for the International Documentary Association's October Film Festival and the Telluride Mountain Film Festival.

This humorous film poses fundamental questions about the origins of humankind, while reveling in the sub-culture that surrounds the mystery of Bigfoot. The film chronicles four old men, "The Four Horsemen of Sasquatchery," in their elusive search for the fabled creature. Starting over 40 years ago and funded by Texas oil magnate Tom Slick, these four men began a never-ending rivalry and life-long quest to prove the existence of this mythical entity.

"Sasquatch Odyssey" is the catalyst for the group's latest environmental read, "Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide," by Robert Michael Pyle, who has a Ph.D. from Yale University in Ecology. Pyle is a serious nature writer and won the John Burroughs Medal for best natural history book in 1987 for "Wintergreen: Rambles in a Ravaged Land." He is the author of seven other books in the field of nature literature.

"Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide" is available in an affordable paperback edition from Northwind Books. Be sure to mention that you are with Eco-Lit and you will receive a 20 percent discount.

The meeting is free and open to the public.

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CLUB INDIGO WATCHES "THE HAUNTING" ON OCT. 17

submitted by Joe Kirkish

With movie budgets growing and growing, and audiences enjoying them less, it's refreshing to revisit a classic like the ghost story, "The Haunting." Is it scary? You bet! It includes things that go bump in the night, doorknobs that turn of their own volition, icy chills in the air and spiral stairways that have a mind of their own. For all that, it's greatest strength is its restraint.

"The Haunting" is October's Club Indigo feature, a special introduction to the Halloween season of ghosts and goblins. It is the best variation on the Hill House stories, originally taken from a short story by spook-authoress Shirley Jackson.

A group of four volunteers agree to spend a night in Hill House--a dark, old Victorian gothic pile that, under Robert Wise's inspired direction, appears ominous and threatening, both outside and in. There are plenty of sequences of surprising terror, despite the fact that there is no real on-screen violence or visible signs of apparitions. By allowing the imagination to take hold, the scares and frights are all the more vivid. Director Wise knows that the unseen is what's truly scary, something that all the blood and gore of special effects can't create, not nearly as frightening as the imagination. It capitalizes on our fears of the dark and strange noises; it generates more tension around the fiddling of a doorknob than any horror movie could get out of an entire ocean full of graphic horror, which is so common in films today. In fact, the 1999 remake, which did just that, proved a total failure.

The movie begins at 7:15 p.m., preceded by a 6 p.m. pre-Halloween buffet. Chef Eric Karvonen of Eagle River's Fitzgerald's restaurant has planned an all-Halloween buffet, complete with all sorts of yummy ghoulish goodies. Cost for movie and buffet is $13; for the movie alone, $3.50. There will be special rates for kids, who will love it. For buffet reservations, call the Calumet Theatre at 337-2610.

Thermoanalytics of Calumet and Northern Auto of Hancock are sponsoring this spooky event.

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AUDITIONS SCHEDULED FOR "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING"

Michigan Tech's Department of Fine Arts will hold open auditions for its Winter Carnival theater production, Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," on Oct. 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. in McArdle Theatre (Walker Arts and Humanities Center).

Both Michigan Tech students and community members are invited to audition. No special preparation is needed, although reading the play in advance is recommended. Rehearsals begin Oct. 27.

Three performances of "Much Ado" are scheduled for Feb. 6, 7 and 8, directed by Christopher Plummer. More information is available from Plummer (487-3282, cplummer@mtu.edu) or the fine arts office, 209 Walker, 487-2067.

INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAM OCT. 15

Assistant Professor Timothy Scarlett (Social Sciences) will review MTU's contributions to industrial archaeology over the past decade as part of Michigan Archaeology Month. He will explore current research projects and outline visions of Michigan Tech's future in the field.

The talk will be held at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Dow 642. A reception will follow at the Industrial Archaeology

Laboratory in the Academic Office Building Annex. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call 487-2113 or visit http://www.industrialarchaeology.net .

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SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION WORKSHOP THURSDAY, OCT. 23

The Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development is sponsoring a workshop on supplemental instruction (SI) on Thursday, Oct. 23. SI utilizes advanced undergraduate students to provide scheduled workshops tightly coordinated with specific academic courses, and is intended to increase student success in courses with significant failure rates. Several SI programs will be examined.

To register, call the Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development at 487-2046. Lunch will be provided for those who register by Monday, Oct. 20.

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MEEM GRADUATE SEMINAR THURSDAY

Professor Jayathi Y. Murthy of Purdue University will give a presentation, "Modeling and Simulation of Sub-Micron Heat Conduction," Thursday, Oct. 9, 3-4 p.m. in MEEM 112.

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PHYSICS COLLOQUIUM THURSDAY, OCT. 16

Professor Ras B. Pandey of the University of Southern Mississippi will present a physics colloquium, "Polymer Thin Film Growth and Roughness (General, Advance)," Thursday, Oct. 16, 4-5 p.m, Fisher 139.

MTU NOTABLES

Associate Professor Richard Honrath's (Civil and Environmental Engineering) paper, "Vertical Fluxes of NOx, HONO and HNO3 Above the Snowpack at Summit, Greenland," was recently identified by ISI in its bimonthly citation count as a "New Hot Paper" (one that was cited a number of times in the top 0.1 percent of all papers). Their listing of these papers is posted at http://www.esi-topics.com/nhp/nhp-september2003.html . This paper was coauthored by Y. Lu, a recent MS graduate in Environmental Engineering Science, and scholars from several other insitutions. You can read ESI's interview with Honrath at http://www.esi-topics.com/nhp/2003/september-03-RichardHonrath.html .

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IN THE NEWS

Assistant Professor David Flaspohler and graduate students Audra Bassett and Peter Hurley (SFRES) were featured in the Oct. 3 Michigan Outdoor News article, "North Manitou Study Puts Spotlight on Deer Management." They have spent three years conducting the fieldwork for a National Park Service study of the ecological health of North and South Manitou islands. Flaspohler comments on the impact of hunters on North Manitou Island's deer population.

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NEW FUNDING

Professor S. K. Kawatra (Chemical Engineering) has received a $168,357 award from the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, for his project, "Novel Binders and Methods for Agglomeration of Ore."

Associate Professor Miguel Levy (Physics) has received a $152,231 contract from UES, Inc. for his project, "Development of Ion Beam Techniques for Layer Splitting of Oxide Materials."

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IN PRINT

Professor Iosif Pinelis (Mathematical Sciences) published a paper, "A Discrete Mass Transportation Problem for Infinitely Many Sites, and General Representant Systems for Infinite Families," in the journal Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Vol. 58, No. 1.

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Calendar: October

10--Friday

  7 p.m.--Women's Volleyball, Hillsdale at MTU--SDC Gym

  7:30 p.m.--Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra--Rozsa Center

11--Saturday

  1 p.m.--Football, Ferris State at MTU--Sherman Field

  4 p.m.--Women's Volleyball, Wayne State at MTU--SDC Gym

  7:05 p.m.--Men's Hockey, Silver/Gold Intrasquad Game--MacInnes Student Ice Arena

13--Monday

  7 p.m.--Women's Volleyball, Finlandia at MTU--SDC Gym

14--Tuesday

  10 a.m.-4 p.m.--American Red Cross Blood Drive--MUB Ballroom

15--Wednesday

  10 a.m.-4 p.m.--American Red Cross Blood Drive--MUB Ballroom

17--Friday

  7 p.m.--Women's Volleyball, Findlay at MTU--SDC Gym

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MICHIGAN TECH POSITIONS AVAILABLE

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

The following positions will be posted Friday, Oct. 10, 2003, at 1 p.m. through noon, Friday, Oct. 17, 2003, in the Human Resources Office or at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings/

Office Assistant 5--Chemistry Department (UAW internal and external posting)

Food Service Helper--Residential Services, Dining (Regular, part-time position; variable hours; AFSCME internal and external posting)

Loan Coordinator--Financial Aid Office

Budget Analyst--Budget Office (Temporary, full-time position)

University employees are reminded to apply in writing prior to noon, Friday, Oct. 17, 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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