Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

November 15, 2005

Greetings,

This is the first in an ongoing series of monthly updates this year from the Provost’s Office regarding important academic news.  The scope and scale of individual academic accomplishment at the University of Minnesota is simply astounding, as robust now as it has been constant and lasting throughout our history.  As Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, I am pleased to share some recent noteworthy examples of institutional developments and academic achievements on the Twin Cities campus.

• Congratulations to award-winning University faculty and staff:


• Professors Anne Pusey (College of Biological Sciences) and Kamil Ugurbil (Medical School)were recently inducted to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.


• Professor John Gulliver (Institute of Technology), Roberta Hunt (School of Nursing), Sally Kenney (Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs), Kathleen Sellew (Office of International Programs), and Jole Shackelford (Medical School) are American grantees of the 2005-06 Fulbright Scholars Program.


• Professor Carrie Wilmo (College of Biological Sciences) has been named the recipient of the American Crystallographic Association’s 2006 Etter Award, which recognizes crystallographers at the early stages of academic careers who have achieved national and international recognition for research scholarship.

• The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges completed a comprehensive evaluation of the Twin Cities campus October 30-November 2.  The visiting team will recommend re-accreditation and had high praise for the depth and breadth of active involvement in strategic positioning.  To access the self-study report, see http://www.academic.umn.edu/accreditation/index.html.

• The Class of 2009 appears to be the best ever freshman class admitted to the University of Minnesota (http://www.academic.umn.edu/provost/reports/fall05enroll_tc.html). 

• Our aspirations to become one of the three best public research universities in the world, of necessity, entails a focus on improving the student experience and excellence in teaching (http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/10/13/65583).  The University’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers is one venue for institutional recognition of faculty who deliver instructional excellence at all educational levels.  The deadline to submit nomination dossiers for University-wide awards recognizing commitment to quality education is January 26, 2006:
  • Horace T. Morse - University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education (http://academic.umn.edu/provost/awards/aoce.html)
  • Award for Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education (http://academic.umn.edu/provost/awards/aoce.html).
  • John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising(http://academic.umn.edu/provost/tate/forms.html).

• Through successful efforts in the past legislative session, the University has been able to enhance support for graduate education by increasing the Graduate School’s base budget by $3.5 million in FY2006, and an additional $1.5 for FY2007.  These funds are designated for the recruitment and support of graduate and professional students.

• A national search is underway for a new dean of the newly configured College of Education and Human Development (http://education.umn.edu/employment/dean.html).

• This Fall, over 500 University faculty, staff, and students are directly involved in strategic positioning.  See how you can participate at (http://www1.umn.edu/systemwide/strategic_positioning/).  13 academic and 3 system-wide academic task forces are working to develop recommendations in 4 primary academic areas: undergraduate reform, graduate reform, college design, and issues of institutional culture. 

• MyU, the University’s customizable Web portal, had nearly 58,000 users in the past month and almost 10,000 users daily, including faculty, staff, and the Class of 2009, of which each has its own custom view to the U (http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/
  The_digital_doorway_to_the_U.html).

Given the opportunities and the challenges inherent in this unprecedented journey of institutional transformation, I appreciate your support as we move forward this fall and welcome your comments and suggestions on how the Provost’s Office can help to fulfill the vision, mission and values of the University of Minnesota.

Sincerely,

E. Thomas Sullivan

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Julius E. Davis Chair in Law