1. BOARD APPROVES CONTRACT WITH MROZ
The Board of Control voted unanimously Dec. 10 to approve a contract with President Glenn Mroz.
Mroz was appointed to the position in March and has since been working without a contract. The agreement extends through June 30, 2007.
"We thought that it was merited based on his performance," said Mike Henricksen, vice chair of the Board of Control. "And the contract brings some finality to the interim situation."
Board Member Kathryn Clark agreed. "I'm pleased," she said. "Glenn has earned the right to a contract. He's done a wonderful job in very tough circumstances, and this gives him some stability. He's also given up his research program in forestry to help Michigan Tech, and he should be rewarded for that."
The contract continues Mroz's annual salary of $195,000. It includes a provision allowing the board to change his compensation at its discretion.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence," Mroz said. "And I look forward to serving the university as long as I'm needed."
The contract also allows Mroz to return to his former position as dean of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, should he leave the president's post. In addition, it provides for one paid sabbatical year should he step down from the dean's post at a salary of $150,000.
The Board of Control initiated a national search for a new president after Curt Tompkins left the position in March. Board Member David Brule, who chairs the committee undertaking the search, said that he expects to have a short list of search firms to present to the Board in April.
_______________
2. OPEN FORUM WITH MROZ DEC. 16
President Glenn Mroz will host an open discussion forum on Thursday, Dec. 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom A.
This is an opportunity for members of the MTU community to ask questions. Mroz does not plan to give a formal presentation.
As in the past, release time will be provided for the hourly staff with the approval of their supervisor. Everyone is encouraged to attend.
_______________
3. BOARD OKs DHH FURNITURE PURCHASE, NIXES MTU ATTORNEY
The Board of Control approved Dec. 10 the $288,000 purchase of furniture for student rooms in Douglass Houghton Hall, but not without debate.
Board Chair Rodger Kershner said the purchase violated board policy, since it was not bid separately. Residential Services Director John Rovano said that all the vendors who submitted bids to furnish Wadsworth Hall were told that they could be asked to provide furniture at the same price for DHH. Kershner said that the university could get lower prices if it asked the vendors to bid again.
Rovano said that a committee including several students had overwhelmingly favored this furniture, both on the basis of quality and price.
Board Member David Brule supported the purchase. "I don't have any problem with that," he said. "It's about $776 a room for a set, which is pretty inexpensive."
The board approved the purchase on a voice vote with no opposition.
Kershner proposed that the university hire a legal counsel, or university attorney, to advise "the board, the administration, and other elements of the university community." Currently, MTU contracts with legal firms but does not have an attorney on staff.
Kershner said a university legal counsel could do much of that work at half the cost. Last year, the university spent about $770,000 on legal expenses, with approximately $481,000 of the total devoted to intellectual property work and the balance to other legal specialties.
"A general counsel would pay for himself very quickly," Board Member Norman Rautiola said. "I'm surprised you don't have a general counsel."
Reck opposed the measure, saying that the counsel to the board should not also serve as counsel to the university. Brule said he was against the measure because of the expense.
Vice Chair Mike Henricksen agreed. "We can't get all this information from one person," he said. "I can't vote for this either."
Rautiola said he wanted to see a report on the university's legal costs.
The motion was defeated 6-1, with Kershner casting the lone vote in support.
The board also opted against a proposal by Kershner to create an Audit Committee. Instead, members chose to incorporate the oversight functions of the proposed committee within the board's Finance Committee.
In other business, the board
* heard from CFO Dan Greenlee that "no surprises" have surfaced in the university's finances during the first four months of the fiscal year. Revenue from tuition and fees is $750,000 higher than anticipated, and general fund salaries and fringe benefits are about $238,000 lower than at this time last year.
* changed Les Cook's title from vice provost for student affairs to vice president for student affairs, in recognition of the fact that he reports directly to the president. No change was made in his compensation.
_______________
4. WAY NEW AND IMPROVED: INTERNET, OTHER INITIATIVES NET MORE PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
(Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles on university initiatives to enhance recruitment and marketing.)
Some new recruiting initiatives are showing positive, but early, signs for admissions. For beginners, the new Michigan Tech website design has focused on student recruitment, and it features academic interest areas, a new approach, according to Director of Web Development Dennis Walikainen.
"Our research told us that prospective students tend to think in broader terms when considering a university," he said. "They think, 'I want to work in computing or the environment.' So, we created a series of pages to that end." The home page topped 330,000 unique visitors for the month of October, the highest total since stats have been kept, and academic interest areas are featured prominently on it.
Most interestingly, the academic area titled "Engineering" showed up in the top-10 most-visited Tech sites for the month of October, according to Walikainen. New pages for Academics, About MTU, Campus Life, and Prospective Students also fared well. "The high ranking for visits to those new pages means we are gaining users where we want them to be looking," he said.
Also key to the new look is its connection to the Admissions Office. In addition to the focus on prospective students that permeates the homesite, University Communications has also done an extensive redesign of the Admissions site, with some key new features.
"We have more interactive features that potential students are looking for," says Rob Forget, director of undergraduate recruitment. "For example, the new Ask a Question link helps students get answers 24/7. It's an automated answering system through third-party software." A new FAQ page has been created, and future plans include instant messaging and chat forums (the first of which will feature Hispanic students). The portal for accepted students is also important for admissions.
"George Fox (director, administrative computing) and his people have done a great job with the portal and these other tools," Forget said. "We are trying to push new info to accepted students through the portal, and if academic or administrative departments have exciting projects they are working on, they should send the info to Scott Bershing. He, Scott Pollins and Mary Crane have also done great work."
Smart Apps, an enrollment application that has some information filled out for the prospective students, also help in the recruiting mix. Forget said University Communication's Arlene Collins, Diane Keranen and Bill Tembreull, in addition to the Administrative Computing staff, have been instrumental in making it happen. "The Print Shop crew of George Rangus and Jeff Jensik and Steve Rossi from Data Services have also been great," Forget added.
It all seems to be working. Overall applications are up 26 percent, thanks in part to waiving the online fee for undergrads. "Although applications do not equal enrolled students, it's a good indicator of where we are headed," Forget says. "And, we are really pleased with overall minority applications, which are up 51 percent, and minority deposits are up 21 percent."
Forget also mentioned the Flash/Postcard series that has been ongoing for three years as generating buzz for admissions. Prospective students are mailed a postcard which sends them to a Flash website with links about the university. Student Kelvin Lee has created the last couple of Flash sites for University Communications. Forget is toying with the idea of using Blizzard T. Husky to send reminders to prospective students, perhaps in the next postcard mailing.
Overall, the idea of Admissions, University Communications and Administrative Computing working together is paying off. "It's only natural," Walikainen said. "The Admissions Office is vitally important to the university, and we want to help them in any way we can."
_______________
5. STAFF COUNCIL SURVEY RESULTS POSTED
Submitted by Staff Council
Staff Council wants to thank those staff who participated in our recent survey. The results have been compiled and are available at the council's web page, http://www.admin.mtu.edu/staff_council/ . The council will make additional information available to the campus following evaluation of the results.
_______________
6. PROPOSED SENATE CONSTITUTION ON THE WEB
Proposed revisions to the University Senate constitution are now posted on the senate's website at http://www.sas.it.mtu.edu/usenate/Const-New-04.htm .
The Presidential Advisory Committee, composed of the former members of the senate, approved the changes Dec. 1. Two referenda on the constitution, one of faculty and one of professional staff, are slated for next month.
The PAC also plans to hold a forum on the constitutional changes in January.
_______________
7. MTU OFFERING FREE SDC MEMBERSHIPS FOR LOCAL NATIONAL GUARD FAMILIES
Sports and Recreation is offering free Student Development Complex memberships to the immediate families of local National Guard members who have been called up to serve overseas.
"This is in appreciation of the sacrifice the families of Company A of the 107th Battalion are making by having loved ones deployed overseas," said Kevin Kalinec, assistant manager of recreation. The memberships will be valid for the duration of the family member's deployment. They include the use of the fitness center, pool, racquetball/squash courts and the multipurpose room.
To sign up, family members can come by the ticket office located in the Student Development Complex and present the Tan Activated Military Identification Card along with a valid picture I.D. For more information, contact Kalinec at 487-2975, kgkaline@mtu.edu
_______________
8. SDC OFFERING TRIAL MEMBERSHIPS
During Dec. 20-31, the Student Development Complex will accept I.D. cards from any local fitness center as a trial membership to the facility.
Visitors will have access to the racquetball/squash courts (equipment rental available at a small fee), fitness center, multipurpose room/walking track and swimming pool. Visitors can also use the general public locker rooms and saunas. There are no limits to the number of times someone may visit; reservations are recommended when using the racquetball/squash courts.
To take advantage of the offer, present your current I.D. card from any local fitness center at the multipurpose desk located on the first floor or at the fitness center, on the second floor.
If you do not have a current membership with a local fitness center but are still interested in a trial SDC membership, contact Kevin Kalinec at 487-2975 or kgkaline@mtu.edu.
_______________
9. TECH STUDENTS HEAD TO THE WORLD FINALS--AGAIN
By Laura Walikainen, student writer
For the second year in a row, Michigan Tech will be represented in the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals.
Joe Nievelt, a senior in computer science, and Kyle Rokos, a graduate student in computer science, competed in the 2004 world finals and will do so again this year. Jonathan Kaus, a senior in computer engineering, will join this year's team as well.
To reach the world finals, the MTU team qualified in the ACM North Central North America Programming Contest, which drew 187 teams from 71 universities.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University will host the 2005 Finals in Shanghai, China. On April 3, the Michigan Tech team will travel to China to compete with 72 teams from around the world.
For more information on the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, visit http://icpc.baylor.edu
_______________
10. APPLY NOW FOR MUCI TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER GRANT
Members of the MTU community are invited to submit grant proposals to the Michigan Universities Commercialization Initiative (MUCI) Challenge Fund.
Challenge Fund grants support innovative life science research projects that have demonstrated promise for technology transfer but have not yet obtained funding and/or partners to proceed with commercialization. The fund provides investment stage money to help investigators and institutions test the market for the technology and move projects through the steps to successful commercialization, licensing or creation of start-ups.
MTU is a member of MUCI, a collaborative effort to enhance technology transfer at Michigan's research institutions. MUCI's primary contribution to these efforts is the Challenge Fund, which provides gap financing for early-stage life sciences technologies developed at its 10 member institutions.
The next deadline for Challenge Fund grant applications is January 10. Proposals must be submitted through the Corporate Services. For more information, visit the MUCI website, http://www.much.org, or contact Tina Bissell, MUCI business manager, at tbissell@umich.edu or 734-647-5730; Jim Baker, jrbaker@mtu.edu, 487-2228; or Peter Radecki, ppradeck@mtu.edu, 487-2228.
_______________
11. HUMANITIES RECOGNIZED FOR WRITING PROGRAM
The humanities department's Scientific and Technical Communication Program is one of 11 winners of the Conference on College Composition and Communication's (CCCC's) Writing Program Certificate of Excellence for fall 2004. Established in 2004, this CCCC award is presented to 20 writing programs each year. The recipients of these awards will be honored at the CCCC Conference on March 18.
The STC program was cited for its excellence in meeting the following criteria: imaginatively addressing the needs and opportunities of its students, instructors and locale; offering exemplary ongoing professional development for faculty of all ranks, including adjunct/contingent faculty; treating contingent faculty respectfully, humanely and professionally; using current best practices in the field; using effective, ongoing assessment and placement procedures; modeling diversity and/or serving diverse communities; having appropriate class size; and having an administrator with academic credentials in writing. In particular, the Michigan Tech program was noted for its professional interdisciplinary writing program, which offers multiple initiatives (e.g., writing center, computers in writing-intensive classes, Center for Computer-assisted Language Instruction), and its work with the National Council of Teachers of English Preparing Future Faculty program.
The other writing programs being honored this fall are the Center for Academic Writing at Central European University, Budapest, Hungary; the Advanced Writing Program at Clemson University, S.C.; the Writing Lab at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.; the Department of Composition and Rhetoric at Rowan University, Glassboro, N.J.; the Writing Portfolio Program at Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, Conn.; the Community Writing Center at Salt Lake Community College, Utah; the Technical and Professional Writing Program at San Francisco State University, Calif.; the Campus Writing Program at the University of Missouri, Columbia; and the Engineering Communication Program at the University of Washington, Seattle.
The CCCC, with 8,000 individual members worldwide, supports and promotes the teaching and study of college composition and communication. For more information, visit http://www.ncte.org/groups/cccc.
_______________
12. NO TECH TOPICS TILL NEXT YEAR
We resume publication the week of Jan. 7. Happy holidays!
_______________
13. TEACHING AT TECH: ARE STUDENTS LESS RESPONSIBLE?
by William Kennedy, director of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development
The old joke goes, "What's worse; ignorance or apathy?" Answer: "I don't know and I don't care."
One of the most frequent complaints I hear from faculty members is that more and more of our students come to college disengaged and disinterested in their studies. In the current edition of College Teaching, two English professors set out to investigate the changing ethos of contemporary college students in an article entitled "The Dea(r)th of Student Responsibility." The article surveys the literature on student engagement and reports the results of an extensive survey of undergraduate students conducted by the authors, Professor Holly Hassel of the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County and Jessica Lourey, an instructor at a technical college in Minnesota.*
Our own data suggests that many students study less than an hour a week for each hour they are in class and that most students expect to receive at least B grades for this level of effort. A recent study found that on an average day, about one-third of students were absent from class. When surveyed, more than three-quarters of the students felt six absences in a semester class was perfectly acceptable. More than half of the surveyed students felt that a lack of attendance should not be reflected in their course grade.
Causes? The authors point in predictable directions such as grade inflation in secondary schools. Thirty-seven percent of American high school students graduate with A- or better averages with less than one hour per day of outside study. Grade inflation doesn't end in high school.
At Harvard, students earn A- or better grades more than 50 percent of the time with 91 percent graduating with honors. In 1969, 7 percent of U.S. college grades were As. By 1993, the number had risen to 26 percent and climbing. In short, students may have good reason to expect high grades for half-hearted effort.
Testing? Many students also feel attendance requirements are punitive. Why? "If I do well on the test," they say, "why should you care whether I attend class or not?" The question assumes that the test is a comprehensive and complete measure of the desired learning and that only learning that is testable is meaningful. Students seem to have concluded that the only lasting material result of their academic experience in college is their grade on the test. Teachers who swim against this current by demanding attendance risk paying a significant price on their student opinion generated course evaluations.
Remedies? Hassel and Lourey suggest that we need to confront student cynicism and apathy head on. They argue that a "Pygmalion effect" is at work in the classroom. First-year students, in particular, must be made aware of the long-term costs associated with superficial learning inclinations. Perhaps such a message, repeated often enough by enough folks, might have some effect.
Second, they suggest faculties should come together to agree upon some rational meaning for assigning course grades and setting behavioral standards. Their survey demonstrated that although students assign perfectly rational meanings to the various letter grades, 81 percent of respondents saw themselves as being above average and, thus, deserving of B or better grades. One might term this the "Lake Wobegon" effect.
In my view, the erosion of student engagement is complex and a byproduct of broad cultural changes. There are things that I, as a classroom instructor, can do about it that are within my control. I can consistently telegraph genuine concern and enthusiasm for each of my students and their learning. If grades are the motivator, in my mind, only superficial learning is likely to result. My job, then, is to model a passion for my field and demonstrate in all my interactions with my students that substantial effort and participation are my baseline expectation both for me and for them.
Broader fixes, I fear, may not be so easy to come by. If they were, I suspect that those Eastern elites, with those deep pockets and staid images, would probably have fixed this problem long ago.
* Vol. 35, no. 1, Winter 2005
