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February 3 , 2006
In this Issue:
- UW-RF Reviewing New Mission, Vision, Values Statements
- State Department Conference Opens Avenues for UW-RF
- Nate Splett Named Interim Dean of CAFES
- Save the Date—April 28—for Chancellor Betz’s Inauguration
- UW-RF Signs Exchange Agreement with Three Indian Universities
- Economic Center to Offer Free Business Seminars
- Registration for Summer Session Begins
- Human Resource Management Class begins in February
- Can Single Sex Classrooms Help? Closing the Gender Gap in Math and Science
- Financial Planning Certificate Class Offered
- Key Business Contacts
1. UW-RF Reviewing New Mission, Vision, Values Statements
As it prepares for an upcoming strategic planning exercise and North Central Accreditation review, UW-River Falls is reviewing its values, vision and mission.
Chancellor Don Betz has been leading discussions across the campus to reach consensus on the statements.
The statements will drive the strategic planning process, the Chancellor explained. He expects to launch an intense, short strategic planning process that will establish up to five objectives for the University.
The statements can be found on the UW-RF web site at:http://www.uwrf.edu/vision/.
2. State Department Conference Opens Avenues for UW-RF
A summit sponsored by the U.S. State Department and U.S. Department of Education on international higher education may bode well for globalization efforts at UW-River Falls.
Chancellor Don Betz was among a select group of 125 chief executive officers from higher education institutions and national secondary education advocacy groups who attended the event on Jan. 5-6 in Washington, D.C.
Among those who addressed the conference were President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, State Department Secretary Condoleeza Rice and Education Secretary Margaret Spelling.
The highlight of the conference was an announcement by President Bush that he will seek $114 million for a national security language initiative. It will provide money to higher education and school districts for education in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Persian, Hindi and Central Asian languages. It also will provide funds for additional Fulbright Scholarships to send Americans overseas and to bring scholars to the U.S. to study.
In his remarks, the President explained that the initiative would enhance America's security while it also directly provides the opportunity for those of other nations to learn more about Americans.
"I'll tell you what's really neat, is to sit down with leaders from around the world, welcome them in the Oval Office or go to their office, they say, you know, Mr. President, I went to Texas A&M, or I went to Stanford -- like President Toledo of Peru," the President related. "It makes it so much easier to conduct foreign policy and diplomacy when you've got that common ground of being able to talk about a university experience here in the United States. It makes it so much easier to be able to advance the interests of this country when you're dealing with a leader who doesn't have a preconceived notion about what America is all about, because he spent time studying here in the United States."
"The clarion call from Secretaries Rice and Spellings as well as from the First Lady and Karen Hughes was a commitment to public service, to become involved in some dimension of America's multifaceted international initiatives and programs," Betz said. "We want our students to become the face of America abroad whether it's via the Foreign Service, Department of Commerce and dozens of other gateways to serving the country by connecting with other peoples and cultures in their native lands."
Betz has long had an interest in international affairs. He holds a doctorate in international studies with his dissertation on the Arab-Baath Party in Syria. He was a staff member for several years in the United Nations working with the International Peace Conference on the Question of Palestine. For 17 years, he was chairman of the United Nations-affiliated International Coordinating Committee for Non-Governmental Organizations on the Question Palestine.
3. Nate Splett Named Interim Dean of CAFES
Chancellor Don Betz has named Nate Splett, associate dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and professor of agriculture economics, as interim dean of CAFES.
Splett replaces Steve Ridley, who retired as CAFES dean in January after 31 years of service to UW-River Falls.
In addition to his administrative duties at UW-RF, Splett also teaches introductory agricultural economics, advanced microeconomic theory, agricultural accounting, agriculture law, farm management and horticulture management. He is a former chair of the UW-RF department of agricultural economics.
Splett's experience combines teaching and research with experience in agri-business and the public schools. He was a vocational agriculture instructor in the Barron and Turtle Lake high schools, a loan officer for Production Credit Association, a supervisor for the Farm Credit Administration, has served as a consultant to agriculture-oriented financial institutions, and has taught economics at UW-Stout. He has also been a visiting lecturer at the Academy of National Economy in Moscow.
Splett holds a B.S. in agricultural education and an M.S. in agricultural economics from UW-RF as well as a Ph.D. in agriculture economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Splett will continue the duties of interim dean until May 15 when Dale Gallenberg, of South Dakota State, assumes the position of dean of CAFES.
4. Save the Date—April 28—for Chancellor Betz’s Inauguration
UW-RF community partners and friends are reminded to “Save the Date” of Friday, April 28 to participate in the inauguration ceremony of Dr. Don Betz as the 16h chancellor in the institution’s 132-year history.
The ceremony will begin with a pre-inauguration concert at 1 p.m., followed by the installation ceremony at 2 p.m., followed by a reception at 3:15 p.m.
The chancellor will broadly outline his vision for the University, focusing on four themes: globalization, diversity, service to the St. Croix Valley and leadership development.
All events are at the Robert P. Knowles Physical Education & Recreation Center.
Future editions of BizNews will carry additional details on other events planned during that week.
5. UW-RF Signs Exchange Agreement with Three Indian Universities
UW-River Falls and three institutions of higher learning in India have signed memorandums of understanding, paving the way for international exchanges between faculty, staff and students.
UW-RF faculty, staff and administrators will work closely with S. Narasinga Rao, dean of Dr. Joe C. Jackson College of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Central Oklahoma, who represented UW-RF on a recent visit to India to forge the partnerships, as well as representatives from the Indian colleges and universities.
"The beauty of a memorandum of understanding is that it opens up the dialogue for a thorough review of opportunities," said Chancellor Don Betz. "The commitment to international education is more than alive here at UW-River Falls."
The institutions include the St. Joseph College of Business Administration and the Jain Group of Institutions in Bangalore, Karnataka, and SRM University in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. MOUs are pending with several other institutions, including Sri Venkateswara University, Periyar University and Madras Christian College.
6. Economic Center to Offer Free Business Seminars
The UW-RF Center for Economic Research will begin its spring semester Friday seminars featuring faculty from the College of Business and Economics and an invited guest from the UW-RF psychology department.
Preceding each seminar is a 15-minute refreshment time in Room 317 of South Hall. Presentations will follow from 3:15 to 4 p.m. in Room 321 of South Hall. The seminars are free and open to the public.
The first seminar, "The Case of the Rock-and-Roll Partnership: An Interactive Collaborative Learning Exercise," is on Feb. 17. Suzy Rogers, a business law professor, and Claire Killian, a management professor, will present a specific exercise on how knowledge gained in college course work can be applied in actual business situations. The presentation focuses on an exercise created for undergraduate business law students.
Upcoming seminars include psychology faculty member Travis Tubre on March 3 presenting "Gender Differences in Responses to Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Sexual Harassment;" computer science and information systems faculty member Anthony Varghese on March 24 presenting "Mathematical Modeling of Atrial Fibrillation Due to a Gene Mutation;" finance faculty member Reza Rahgozar on April 7 presenting "Are Share Values a Good Measure of Company Performance?" and on April 28, economics faculty member Hamid Tabesh will present "Determinants of Choice of Business Major: A Case Study."
For more information on the CER Friday Seminar Series, contact center director Tabesh at 715/425-3335 or hamid.tabesh@uwrf.edu.
7. Registration for Summer Session begins Feb. 20
UW-River Falls offers a variety of classes and travel opportunities for the general public and students during its summer session, May 22-Aug. 20. Registration for summer session is available beginning Feb. 20.
Instructions on how to get more information on all classes and travel opportunities offered this summer is available at http://www.uwrf.edu/summer,or contact the Outreach and Graduate Studies office at 715/425-3256 or 800-228-5607.
8. Human Resource Management Class begins in February
Advance your career and strengthen your credentials in human resource management by enrolling in this spring course.
Participants will gain a solid foundation in the HR principles and practices critical for managing the challenges in today’s work environment. Using the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®) Learning System, the course supplies a current reference of HR practices, broadens the perspective of functional specialists, and strengthens individual competencies and productivity.
The course is offered on the UW-River Falls campus, just east of the Twin Cities, on Monday evenings from Feb. 20-May 8.
Participants pay $995 for this noncredit course, which includes the cost of the SHRM Learning System study guide and CD.
To register online, visit http://www.uwrf.edu/ogs and go to Continuing Education>Noncredit Classes and Events. You may also contact the UW-RF Outreach office by email at outreach@uwrf.edu or call 800-228-5607 for more information or to request a registration form.
9. Can Single Sex Classrooms Help? Closing the Gender Gap in Math and Science
Can math and science education be improved by separating girls and boys? Some people think so.
A bill recently introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature would permit public schools to enroll only one sex or to create single sex classrooms. Some critics argue that boys and girls need to learn together in order to later work effectively with both genders in the workplace. Others say that studies at this time are too limited to undertake such dramatic changes in education. Parents and educators, as well as business professionals, will want to know about the proposed legislation and its implications to education and the future workplace.
This topic will be presented by Rellen Hardtke, UW-River Falls physics department on March 9 as part of the Community Classroom series sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences Outreach and the Outreach office.
All events are open to the public and are held from 7 – 8:30 p.m. in the lower level of the River Falls Public Library on Division and Union streets in River Falls. No reservations are required to attend.
For more information, visit the web site at www.uwrf.edu/outreach, or contact the Outreach office at outreach@uwrf.edu, or call 800-228-5607.
10. Financial Planning Certificate Class Offered
Distinguish yourself in the field of financial planning and advising by becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Beginning in March, the UW-RF plans to offer the classes that meet the education requirement for Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. CFP® certification.
The first class in the series, Financial Planning Process and Insurance, will focus on the basics for successful financial planning; the legal, ethical and regulatory issues affecting financial planning and the time value of money concepts. The course will also cover the insurance principles and risk management concepts that will help professionals in identifying their clients’ needs.
The UW-RF Financial Planning Certificate Program is registered with CFP Board, which awards the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ and CFP (with flame logo) certification marks. Students who complete all the courses in the program will be eligible to sit for the national CFP® Certification Examination administered by CFP Board.
This program is also the only CFP Board-registered program offered in west-central Wisconsin and conveniently close to the eastern suburbs of the Twin Cities. Besides preparing individuals for CFP® certification, the program provides practical training for anyone currently employed in a variety of financial services, legal or administrative professions. The courses may also meet continuing education requirements for a variety of professions.
Interested individuals should contact the Outreach and Graduate Studies office at 715/425-3256 or 800-228-5607, or send an email to outreach@uwrf.edu to request more information. The program is also described on the Internet.
11. Key Business Contacts
Don't know where to start to find help on business matters?
Try these contacts:
Area Resource Center: www.uwrf.edu/current/info/AtoZ.phtml
Career Services: www.uwrf.edu/ccs/
Center For Economic Research: 715/425-3335
Center for Economic Education: 715/425-3269
College of Business and Economics:
www.uwrf.edu/cbe/
Outreach and Graduate Studies: www.uwrf.edu/ogs/
Small Business Development Center:
715/425-0620
Survey Research Center: 715/425-0701
UW-RF BizNews is produced by the College of Business
& Economics, Outreach and Graduate Studies, Career
and Counseling Services, and the Office of Public Affairs.
Questions, comments or suggestions about this BizNews
E-mail? Contact Mark.A.Kinders@uwrf.edu.
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