Spring Commencement at Minnesota State University, Mankato will be Saturday, May 13, with 1,665 students graduating in three ceremonies. Last year, we tested a three-part Commencement, with ceremonies at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. Graduating students and their families had high praise for the successful new, three-part format, so we're using it at Commencement again this year.
Each ceremony will include students from two of the university's six undergraduate colleges. Students from the College of Graduate Studies & Research will march in the event for the undergraduate college with which they are affiliated. All three of the events will be in Bresnan Arena of Taylor Center.
Students and faculty from the College of Arts & Humanities and the College of Science, Engineering & Technology will take part in the 9 a.m. ceremony. Students and faculty from the College of Business and the College of Education will participate in the noon event. And commencement for the College of Allied Health & Nursing and the College of Social & Behavioral Science will be at 3 p.m.
Prior to last year the University held one Spring Commencement for all graduates. But with more than 14,000 students, Minnesota State Mankato has grown too large for one spring ceremony.
Graduates and parents told us that the new format provides a much-improved experience, from several perspectives:
I'm pleased that we're able to offer an improved Commencement experience for students, friends and families. Commencement is a defining moment, and it should be an enjoyable one.
Congratulations to all of our Spring 2006 graduates. The University's faculty, staff and administration are proud of you.
Sincerely,
Richard Davenport
For the last two years faculty, staff and administrators have prepared rigorously for the visit by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission accreditation evaluation team. The team visited campus in February, and I am delighted that it intends to recommend full reaccreditation for the maximum 10-year period.
This is the most important news of the year for us — perhaps the most important news of the decade. Accreditation affects everything that we do to promote learning, and the evaluation team's recommendation is critical to our progress. The team chair, Dr. Neil Hattlestad, said he plans to recommend full, 10-year accreditation, with just one interim report. The team cited no concerns.
That was not the case in 1996, when another accreditation evaluation team cited eight major concerns with our programs and policies. We have made significant strides since then, and we have successfully addressed those concerns.
During 2004 and 2005 staff and faculty committees spent hundreds of hours discussing our strengths, weaknesses and plans for the future, explaining them in a 276-page report that was submitted to the evaluation team. The self-study effort was led by English Professor Donald F. Larsson and Dean of Library Services Joan Roca; they and the many other committee members deserve special congratulations for their thorough work.
The success of our efforts is a credit to the entire campus community. Without accreditation we could not attract students, because we no longer would be eligible for the Federal student financial assistance programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
The final decision on accreditation won't be made for several weeks. However, the site evaluation team has submitted their detailed written report to the Higher Learning Commission office. Once the final report has been approved by the Commission, it will be available to the public.
I'm pleased that the independent evaluation team has concluded that our students receive a high-quality education that prepares them well for leadership and research in business, industry, government and academia. I am confident that the team's recommendation of full, 10-year accreditation will be validated by the Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees.
President Richard Davenport points to the portion of Trafton Science Center that will be renovated with $32.9 million in funds included in the Governor's 2006 higher education bonding proposal. The governor visited campus earlier this year to announce his support for the Trafton project.The legislative session that started in March is an important one for Minnesota State Mankato.
The governor's $897.2-million bonding proposal includes $270.1 million for higher education. Of that, $142.5 million is for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. The House and Senate have each passed separate bonding bills, and a conference committee has been named to work out a final bill to present to the Governor. The Trafton project is in both the House and the Senate versions.
The Trafton remodeling and expansion is critical to our mission. Named in honor of Gilbert H. Trafton, professor of biology and chair of the Division of Science and Mathematics, the hall is our science, engineering and technology center, and our largest classroom building. Thirty percent of all classes offered on campus are taught in Trafton.
The building has been in use for 36 years, and we've outgrown it. The number of science and engineering majors (now more than 2,800) and the number of science and engineering programs has grown substantially since 1970. Since Trafton was built we have lost 2,500 square feet of student study and research spaces to office spaces as enrollment and science faculty has grown. Even with the Trafton remodeling and addition, we will be 20 percent below the peer benchmark average.
The building's infrastructure needs to be refurbished, and its outdated classrooms and laboratories need to be brought into ADA and environmental compliance.
Last year we developed a plan for remodeling Trafton. The plan includes:
Construction is planned in two subsequent phases over a four-year period:
A renovated Trafton Science Center will allow Minnesota to continue to lead the technology revolution, and will let Minnesota State Mankato continue to promote learning and provide resources and cutting-edge research for business and industry.
Legislators from Southern Minnesota waited to answer questions while Rep. Bob Gunther of Fairmont announced a new coalition of lawmakers in February. The bipartisan coalition, consisting of legislators from districts south of the Twin Cities, adds clout for bills that benefit Southern Minnesota.Legislators from Southern Minnesota have formed a new coalition that will benefit Minnesota State University, Mankato and all communities south of the Twin Cities.
Nearly 30 legislators from both parties announced the alliance recently in a meeting on campus. The new coalition will advance issues in the Legislature that are of interest to Southern Minnesota.
The coalition is similar to the Range Legislators bloc that has benefited Minnesota's Iron Range for decades. It will mean greater legislative clout for projects such as Trafton Science Center, a new transportation headquarters building for Mankato, support for our Minnesota Center for Renewable Energy and our Minnesota Center for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence, and better funding for Southern Minnesota roads and bridges.
I commend the legislators who organized the coalition — especially Rep. Bob Gunther of Fairmont, who spearheaded the idea. It is a concept that promises real benefits for the people of Southern Minnesota, and it is long overdue.
Matthew Collie, forensics All-AmericanThe Speech Team has earned national accolades for the University with top finishes in two of the nation's most prestigious college forensic tournaments. Congratulations to the team, and to forensics All-American Matthew Collie.
The team placed eighth in the National Forensic Association National Championships in April, as well as second in the NFA President's I Division. This is the first time in 15 years that a Maverick forensic team has ranked among the top 10 in the NFA championship. And the team finished 19th in the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament March 30-April 4 — its best ranking in that tournament since 1991.
Matt is one of only 12 students nationwide named to the AFA-NIET All-American Team. He was selected based on his competitive success in forensics, academic achievement and campus and community service.
Congratulations to two faculty members — Jerzy K. Fiszdon (Mechanical Engineering) and David Laverny-Rafter (Urban and Regional Studies) — who have received 2005-2006 Fulbright awards.
Their Fulbrights are the 18th and 19th at Minnesota State Mankato. Several students also have received Fulbright student scholarships, and last year the university was cited as one of the nation's top producers of student Fulbright Awards.
Jerzy is teaching and conducting research at the University of Botswana, developing a research program in energy resources and alternative energy and alternative energy utilization. He also is helping to develop a Master of Science program, is developing a course in the current curriculum, is helping faculty members redesign their courses, and is presenting a seminar on energy utilization.
David has been researching the impact of light rail transit and conducting comparative research of European and American light rail systems, and will meet with the University of Southampton Transportation Research Group for three weeks in May. This is his third Fulbright appointment; previous awards are from 1986 and in 1995. His 2006 Fulbright position is designed to allow experienced professors to consult with overseas institutions on academic issues.
The Fulbright Scholars Program is intended to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and participating governments and host institutions. Fulbright scholars demonstrate extraordinary leadership in their respective fields and are selected based on academic or professional achievement.
For the fifth year Minnesota State Mankato has received MnSCU excellence awards for financial and facilities management. We are one of only two universities to receive both the finance and facilities awards this year.
In January we received the Excellence in Financial Management Award, for significant contributions to increased efficiency and effectiveness. We also received the Excellence in Facilities Management Award, for successful and timely completion of capital projects, effective use of space, and customer service excellence.
These awards are the result of outstanding leadership and team effort. I'm proud of the work that our finance and facilities staff members are doing to improve services to students at a time of increasing financial pressure.
In addition to these divisional awards, Dean Trauger, vice president for Finance and Administration, received the Outstanding Service Award. It's the second time that Dean has received this award — he also was honored in 1999. And it's a fitting tribute to Dean as he prepares to retire later this year after serving the University for 37 years.
Congratulations to the Service-Learning Program, which recently received a national Student Affairs Professionals Best Practices Award from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
The award cites Service-Learning for the community service opportunities that it provides to students — specifically, for providing many meaningful opportunities for faculty and students to integrate learning with community volunteerism. More than 50 faculty members use service-learning as part of their classroom teaching, and the number is growing.
The program and its partnership with Academic Affairs will be featured in the NASPA journal, and listed on its website.
Under the direction of Kelly Meier, the Student Leadership Development and Service-Learning Office provides a variety of co-curricular opportunities for student community service, including the New Student Service Project, Make a Difference Day, Earth Day, Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, National Children's Book Week, Youth Activity Fair, The Sound of Reading literacy project and Dr. Seuss's Birthday/ literacy event. And during spring break Service-Learning sponsored a trip to New Orleans, where students, faculty and staff spent the week rebuilding homes for families dislocated by Hurricane Katrina.
Thanks to Service-Learning, Minnesota State Mankato students and faculty make a difference in the Greater Mankato community.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (left) talked with Auto & Manufacturing Engineering Technology faculty member Bruce Jones (right) during a visit to Mankato in 2004, while College of Science & Engineering Technology Dean John Frey (second from right) and Mankato Department of Transportation District Engineer Jim Swanson (second from left) looked on.For years our College of Science, Engineering & Technology and, more recently, our Center for Renewable Energy have conducted cutting-edge research regarding ethanol-blend fuels and other sources of renewable energy. Now, through the Governor's Office and other agencies, there's heightened interest in our renewable energy expertise.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has used our research as part of two major initiatives: In his call to increase the number of E-85 vehicles in the State of Minnesota automobile fleet, and in his request that the Legislature increase the amount of ethanol from 10 to 20 percent in gasoline sold at Minnesota service stations.
The Center for Rural Policy & Development co-hosted a public forum on renewable energy this winter at the University. At the forum Mike Bull, assistant commissioner for Renewable Energy at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, pointed out that 11 percent of Minnesota's electricity is generated using renewable sources, and the state is on track to increase that amount to 20 percent by 2015.
We are continuing to work with the Governor's Office and other agencies on renewable fuels — most recently regarding a possible hybrid vehicle/alternative fuels test site in St. Paul.
In addition, our Center for Renewable Energy has been awarded $500,000 in federal funds for renewable energy research and a wind generator maintenance training program.
Minnesota is a renewable energy leader, and there's no doubt that we will use more resources in the coming years to produce home-grown energy. Because of the work that has been done by our College of Science, Engineering & Technology and our Center for Renewable Energy — and because of the vast potential for renewable fuels development in Southern Minnesota — I'm confident that Minnesota State Mankato will continue to play an important role in the expansion of this new industry.
Recently I announced the addition of a full-time sexual violence education coordinator to our staff, to raise student awareness about the causes and consequences of violence.
This new position will be permanent and full-time, and it will come with a $15,000 annual operating budget and a full-time graduate assistant. We are conducting a search now, and our goal is to have the position filled by the end of June, so we can develop orientation programs for new students.
We've had a part-time coordinator since last year. This part-time position has raised student and community awareness, but we need to do more. The full-time coordinator will have additional resources to coordinate campus-wide training about sexual assault prevention; to consult with student victims of sexual violence; and to design and implement sexual violence education programs that create a safe campus environment.
This new position will allow us to better explain how sexual violence impacts the entire community, and how everyone can be part of the solution.
My sincere thanks to History Professor Emeritus William E. Lass for the first endowment gift to Memorial Library. The new Marilyn J. Lass Memorial Endowment for Library Services will support the Marilyn J. Lass Minnesota Collection.
Marilyn J. Lass (1932-1994) was a University librarian from 1967 to 1994. Her love of research and history led her to develop the unique collection of Minnesota materials that came to be known as the Marilyn J. Lass Center for Minnesota Studies. The Center is one of the nation's most complete repositories for Minnesota books, periodicals, state documents and maps.
Marilyn developed the collection, helped students use it for their research, and made the materials accessible through special indexes and finding aids. She also taught courses about the processing of manuscripts, and became one of the state's leading authorities on Minnesota documents.
It is with mixed feelings that I announced the resignation of Mark Johnson as Vice President for Technology and CIO. Mark has served the University during a period of great change in technology and has been recognized both on campus and at the system and state level for his expertise and leadership. But he has accepted an exciting new challenge.
Mark is leaving to become Chief Administrative Officer for the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. There he will be responsible for all technology, finance, budget, planning, facilities, procurement and contracts for the country's entire college system.
While a definite departure date has not been determined, Mark anticipates beginning his new responsibilities by July 1, 2006.
Fernando Delgado, Dean of Graduate Studies & Research, will leave the University in June to accept a position as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Hamline University, St. Paul.
Fernando has been instrumental in the development of new applied doctorate programs, and he has significantly raised the visibility and functionality of the College of Graduate Studies & Research since he joined us in 2004. Vice President of Academic Affairs Scott Olson will appoint an interim dean for the 2006-07 academic year.
Scott announced earlier that Dr. John Alessio will be the next dean of the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences. John will begin his new duties in July.
John currently is professor of Sociology and Anthropology at St. Cloud State University, where he served from 2003 until present, and from 1984-2000. He has held several faculty leadership positions at St. Cloud, including director of Sociology and director of the Social Responsibility MS program. At St. Cloud he also served as president of the University Faculty Association and state treasurer of the IFO.
