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Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Governor Dayton at UMD for Economic Development Forum

Campus Community:

Chancellor Black invites you to the following forum:


Governor Dayton Heads to Duluth for Regional Economic Development Summit



On Friday, October 7, 2011, Governor Mark Dayton will convene a regional economic development summit in Duluth at the University of Minnesota Duluth.



Governor Dayton will be joined by Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon and other state and local leaders for the summit which is aimed at gathering the best ideas on job creation from Minnesotans and to highlight Minnesota's strong business climate and economic development opportunities.



Governor Dayton has held regional summits throughout the state, including: Winona, Fergus Falls, Brainerd, Virginia, Faribault and International Falls. These summits will culminate in a statewide jobs summit later this month.



Who: Governor Mark Dayton, Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon

What: Regional Economic Development Summit

When: Friday, October 7, 2011, 1:00 p.m.

Where: University of Minnesota Duluth, Kirby Ballroom, 1120 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN 55812-3085




Panelists include:

Governor Mark Dayton

Lt. Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon

Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Mark Phillips

UMD Chancellor Lynn Black

Duluth Mayor Don Ness

Rob West of APEX

JoAnn Hoag of St. Luke's Hospital

Bill Ulland of Ikonics

Karen Diver of the Fond Du Lac Band

Dan Urshan of Urshan Retirement Group

Mike Schultz of Sappi Paper

Senator Tom Bakk

Senator Roger Reinert

Rep. Kerry Gauthier

Rep. Tom Huntley

Rep. Mary Murphy

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Message from Chancellor Black - September 27

Dear Campus Community,

Freedom of expression, fostering diverse views and opinions, and
promoting civil debate form the foundation of our democracy, and are
part of the treasured tradition of this country's public universities
and of the University of Minnesota Duluth.


I want to provide information to you about a video that was produced
by Youth for Western Civilization (YWC) and posted recently on its
website. The video provides edited excerpts of a dialogue that took
place on September 16, 2011, between a YWC representative, a UMD
student, and a UMD staff member. Because the entirety of the video
recorded that day has not been shared with us, it would be imprudent
to jump to conclusions about the full exchange between the parties
portrayed in the edited video that has been made public.

Some additional facts:

* YWC is not an affiliated student organization at UMD, but like other
organizations, it is free to distribute literature on campus as long
as it complies with campus guidelines. The YWC representative is not a
UMD student.

*The YWC representative was distributing copies of the U.S.
Constitution and the organization's promotional materials. In
recognition of Constitution Week, UMD's Office of Civic Engagement
sponsored several activities including distributing pocket-sized U.S.
Constitutions.


*No complaints about threats or violence were made to the UMD Police
Department at the time of the incident. One complaint was made on
September 27, 2011, after the videotape was posted on the internet.

At UMD, we strongly support the staff of the Office of Cultural
Diversity and the Multicultural Center. We place a priority on
creating a positive and inclusive campus climate. Advancing equity,
diversity, and social justice is a core value of our university and is
a goal of the UMD Strategic Plan.

Sincerely,

Lendley C. Black, Chancellor

Monday, September 12, 2011

Director of External Affairs Announced

September 12, 2011

To: UMD Campus Community

From: Chancellor Lendley C. Black

Subject: Director of External Affairs

I am pleased to announce that Sue Banovetz has been named the Director of External Affairs, effective September 26, 2011. Sue currently operates Banovetz Public Relations and, since 1997, has been the mayor of the City of Vadnais Heights, a suburb of St. Paul. Her previous experience includes serving as the Director of Media and Public Relations for the College of Liberal Arts on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Other positions she has held include Vice President of Government Relations for R3 Verdant Technologies in Minneapolis; Director of Alumni Relations at William Mitchell College of Law; Director of Public Relations and Marketing for the Saint Paul Area Red Cross; Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Century College in White Bear Lake; Communications Manager for the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Board; and member/chair of the Duluth School Board.

A St. Paul native, she lived in Duluth for 11 years and has family ties to Silver Bay and the Iron Range. She attended UMD for two years and graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus with a bachelor's degree in political science, journalism and speech communication.

As Director of External Affairs, Sue will provide leadership and administrative oversight to a newly created unit consisting of media and public relations, community relations, government relations, marking and communication, publications and photography. This cabinet-level administrative position will be responsible for providing leadership, counsel and strategic direction to me as well as to the campus community.

I would like to thank the members of the Search Committee (Tricia Bunten, Development Office; Mary Cameron, Human Resources; Mark Emmel, Lion Hotel Group; Betty Greene, Finance and Operations; Lucy Kragness, Chancellor's Office, Chair; Jim Riehl, Swenson College of Science and Engineering; Mimmu Salmela, KUMD; and Dan Tomhave, Admissions) for sharing their time and their expertise working on this important search. Sue received strong support from the committee members, as well as from the broader UMD community. Please join me in welcoming Sue to campus.


Friday, July 15, 2011

UMD Men's Hockey Joins National Collegiate Hockey Conference

July 15, 2011

To: UMD Campus Community

From: Chancellor Lendley C. Black

Subject: UMD Men's Hockey Joins National Collegiate Hockey Conference


I am pleased to announce that effective July 13, 2011, the University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey program became a founding member and participant in the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The other founding members are: Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University (Ohio), University of North Dakota, and University of Nebraska Omaha.

This change does not affect the women's hockey program, which will continue to compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). UMD's commitment to the continued national prominence of the women's program remains strong.

The UMD men's program will begin competing in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference with the 2013-14 season. Meanwhile, we will continue our commitment and participation in the WCHA. The new National Collegiate Hockey Conference and its final roster of premier hockey institutions will no doubt bring significant national attention to the conference and its members.

The collegiate athletic climate has been particularly volatile in the recent years, with conference realignments affecting a number of different sports and universities. Our top priority throughout this process has been to secure conference affiliations that will ensure that UMD is elevated by academic and athletic excellence. Our school has become a nationally recognized bastion of scholastic achievement; it is my responsibility to ensure that our athletic teams play in prominent forums that can provide exposure for such academic accomplishments.

By joining the National Collegiate Hockey Conference with other institutions that also share a strong commitment to their hockey programs, we are providing long-term stability for our program. I anticipate that the new conference will provide the best competition in the country. The visibility we attain through our association in the new conference, in part, will be reflected in our ability to attract impressive new students seeking a quality scholastic experience, including outstanding student-athletes to our hockey and other programs.

Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing you at Amsoil Arena this fall when we raise the national championship banner and the players defend the title for another exciting hockey season.


Vice Chancellor for Student Life Selected

July 15, 2011

To: UMD Campus Community

From: Chancellor Lendley C. Black

Subject: Vice Chancellor for Student Life Selected

I am pleased to announce that Lisa Erwin has accepted the position of Vice Chancellor for Student Life, effective August 15, 2011.

Dr. Erwin is currently the Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota, a position she has held for 4 years. She was at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City from 2001-2007, where she held a series of appointments including Associate Dean of Students, Assistant Dean of Students for Information Resources, Director of Student Financial Aid, and Director of the Student Administration System. Prior to that, she was at Fort Hays State University in Kansas, where she was Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Assistant Dean of Students, Director of Student Development, and Residence Hall Director. She was also a Graduate Assistant in the Office of Student Activities and Services for 1 year at Kansas State University.

Dr. Erwin earned her Ph.D. in Counseling and Student Development from Kansas State University in Manhattan, her M.S. in Counseling with an emphasis in Student Affairs in Higher Education at Fort Hays State University, and her B.A. in Economics from Indiana University in Bloomington.

Dr. Erwin received strong support from across campus, and I hope that you will join me in welcoming her to the UMD community.




Thursday, June 30, 2011

Search Committee for Director of External Affairs

June 30, 2011

To: UMD Campus Community

From: Chancellor Lendley C. Black

Subject: Search Committee for Director of External Affairs

I am pleased to announce that the Search Committee for the new Director of External Affairs has been formed, and that the pool of applications is currently under review. I would like to thank the Search Committee for sharing their time and their expertise working on this important search. The Director of External Affairs will provide leadership and administrative oversight to a newly created unit consisting of media and public relations, community relations, government relations, marketing and communication, publications and photography. This cabinet-level administrative position will be responsible for providing leadership, counsel and strategic direction to me as well as to the campus community. We hope to conduct campus interviews in August, with a fall starting date. Thank you.


Search Committee
UMD Director of External Affairs

Tricia Bunten, Chief Development Officer, University Relations
Mary Cameron, Associate Director, Human Resources
Mark Emmel, President and Chief Operating Officer, Lion Hotel Group
Betty Greene, Associate Administrator, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations
Lucy Kragness, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, Chancellor's Office; Chair
Jim Riehl, Dean, Swenson College of Science and Engineering
Mimmu Salmela, Development Officer, KUMD
Dan Tomhave, Assistant Director, Admissions

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

June 29, 2011


Dear Campus Community:


I am pleased to announce that Dr. Bilin Tsai has been named the Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, effective August 1, 2011. Dr. Tsai has been serving as the Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Administration since August of 2009. She joined the UMD faculty as an Assistant Professor of chemistry in 1976 and was promoted to Professor in 1991. She has served as Head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for 11 years, as well as Assistant Dean in the former College of Letters and Sciences and as Associate Dean in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. She has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago. Please join me in thanking Bilin for her many years of service, and for agreeing to serve in this important role.


I would like to thank the advisory task force that assisted me with the process of choosing the Interim Executive Vice Chancellor: Vickery French, Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Administration; Jannifer David, Head of the Department of Management Studies; Richard Davis, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering; Susan Maher, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts; and Joyce Strand, Head of the Department of Education.


We continue to recruit new candidates for the Executive Vice Chancellor position and plan to have additional campus interviews in October.



Sincerely,


Chancellor Black