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Welcome Back!
On Aug. 22, President
Young addressed the faculty with his State of the U speech to mark
the beginning of the school year. You can listen to his speech or
download it as a podcast starting Thursday, Aug. 24 by visiting
www.utah.edu/podcast.
The speech will be available in text form on the president’s
web site at www.admin.utah.edu/president
early next week.
Faculty
Profile: Jeff Metcalf's Big Venture
Last fall a group of
20 non-traditional students, whose pasts included homelessness,
prison, and a lack of formal education, met on the rooftop garden
of the Salt Lake City Public Library to view the landscape. It was
the first class of the Venture Course in the Humanities. Jeff Metcalf,
an assistant professor in the Department of English, was one of
five instructors invited by the Utah Humanities Council to teach
the new program, which provides adults facing economic barriers
the chance to attend college. The curriculum includes literature,
art history, history, writing, and philosophy. Metcalf had his class
read Mary Oliver’s The Journey—an appropriate
poem that invites the reader to examine her or his life. The students
then wrote their own “journey” poems. “They stepped
into a world that was frightening in many ways, a place they thought
they had been excluded from,” says Metcalf. “Now, at
least three of them plan to go to college. We want to include these
people at the University of Utah. They are dream students,”
he notes. This fall, the U is offering a second year of the program
called Beyond Venture, where students will use documentary filmmaking
to examine the question, “What is important in my life? If
I had one way to tell it, what it would be?”
In addition to Jeff
Metcalf, U of U professors Jack Newell and Jennifer Bauman taught
the Venture Course in the Humanities. You can hear the complete
interview with Jeff Metcalf on the U’s podcast site at www.utah.edu/podcast
under “Humanities.” For more information on the Venture
Course, visit www.utahhumanities.org/Venture.htm.
KNOW
YOUR U: History 101
John R.
Park Day
At the commencement exercises in June, 1919, a memorial program
was held in honor of John R. Park to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary
of the beginning of Park’s presidency in 1869. The principal
feature of the program was the dedication in his honor of the administration
building as the John R. Park Building. From that day forth June
9 was to be celebrated as “John R. Park Day.” Oops we
missed it...
~Paul Mogren
Librarian, Marriott Library
Yikes! Tuition Hikes!
Money from tuition hikes
at Utah’s nine public colleges and universities is being used
to cover the costs of about $1.2 million in operations and maintenance
costs and more than $6 million toward the retention and hiring of
key faculty, according to a report reviewed in late July by the
Board of Regents. This fall, Utah students are seeing tuition increases
ranging from 3.5 percent at Salt Lake Community College to 9 percent
at the U of U. The base 3.5 percent increase is standard throughout
the state for faculty compensation, but most schools tack on an
additional school-specific increase to go toward retaining key faculty
and staff. Because these costs were not funded by this year’s
legislature, students are picking up the tab. At the U, roughly
$2.5 million from student fees will go to pay for faculty and staff—an
increase in the percentage usually paid by students from 25 percent
to 35 percent. In the past, the state has paid for about 75 percent
of faculty compensation funds.
From an article in
the Deseret Morning News, July 27, 2006
FYI
Mystery Photo Contest!
What is it? Where is it on campus?
Photo
by Roger Tuttle
Send
your answer (be specific!) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu
by 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24 for a chance to win two tickets to
the Utah vs. Northern Arizona football game on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.
If we get more than
one correct response, we’ll do a drawing from our Ute cookie
jar and list the lucky recipient right here by Thursday, Aug. 24
at noon.
Thanks to the Athletics department for providing the tickets!
This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only.
While
You Were Gone...
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New Moran Eye Center Opens
Now the largest and most comprehensive eye center between the Mississippi
River and the west coast, the new John A. Moran Eye Center opened
Aug. 3. The 210,000-square-foot, $54 million building was designed
by Salt Lake architectural firm FFKR and built—on schedule
and within budget—by Layton Construction. The new facility
adds 40 percent more patient care space, triples the amount of laboratory
space, and brings together under one roof clinical and research
facilities. The former Moran Eye Center building, which was built
in 1993, will be used by the university to house other health sciences
departments.
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UNP Names New Director
Rosemarie Hunter, associate professor of education, was named special
assistant to President Young for campus community partnerships and
new director of University Neighborhood Partners, the partnership
between the U and Salt Lake City’s west-side community. She
replaces Irene Fisher, who retired July 29. Hunter is from Pennsylvania
and received an MSW from BYU and an educational administration certificate
and doctorate in social work from the U of U.
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Bob Goldberg to Lead Tanner Center
Robert A. Goldberg, U of U professor of American history for 26
years, is the new director of the Obert C. and Grace A. Tanner Humanities
Center. He began his three-year position July 1 and will oversee
about 30 annual events sponsored by the center. He plans to emphasize
its mission to make university resources and knowledge more available
to the broader community. This fall the center will focus on Utah’s
tradition of public interest in religious topics and host a conference
on “Hell and its Afterlife,” which will explore the
historical idea of hell in various religious traditions. For more
information on Bob Goldberg’s appointment, visit www.hum.utah.edu/humcntr.
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Biologist Named Director of Huntsman Institute
Noted biologist Mary Beckerle has been named executive director
of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. On the U faculty since 1986, Beckerle
is a professor of biology and adjunct professor of oncological sciences.
She holds the Ralph E. and Willia T. Main Presidential Endowed Chair
in Cancer Research and is president of the American Society of Cell
Biology, which has 11,000-plus members. Beckerle, one of few women
to lead a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, was
most recently the institute's deputy director and senior director
of laboratory research. Her research focuses on how cells move and
stick together, key factors in cancer's spread. She replaces Randall
Burt.
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Hasnain Joins Board of Regents
Ali Hasnain, ASUU president in 2005-06, has been selected by Governor
Huntsman to represent public college students on the state Board
of Regents for a one year term. As the only student regent, Hasnain
is one of 16 voting members on the 18-member board, which sets policy
for the state’s 10 public colleges and universities.
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In Memoriam: Milton Arthur Voigt, 1924-2006
Milton Arthur Voigt, longtime U of U administrator and professor
emeritus of English, died July 29 of pneumonia in Salt Lake City.
He was 82. A Wisconsin native, Voigt received his doctorate degree
from the University of Minnesota and arrived at the U in 1960 to
teach English literature. He retired in 1992. Voigt was a scholar
who studied the 18th century and wrote a definitive work about satirist
and poet Jonathan Swift. Voigt played tennis well into his 70s,
and was known as a man of culture–a supporter of the arts
and good causes in Utah.
Construction
Update
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Block U Facelift Underway
Thanks to a generous gift from philanthropists Ira and Mary Lou
Fulton, and hundreds of matching donations from U of U supporters,
work to repair the Block U on the mountain began the first of August.
In addition to new concrete over the 5,000-square-foot surface,
improvements will include a new drainage system, re-vegetation to
help control erosion, and an LED lighting system. Administrators
believe this project will ensure that the Block U will be an attractive
symbol of a healthy and sound U of U for generations to come. Planners
hope to complete the $400,000 project in time for the first football
game on Sept. 9.
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Stadium Crosswalk to Close
The crosswalk on 400 South linking the stadium parking lot with
the south part of campus is now closed. A renovated pedestrian tunnel,
with new lights, paint, and ground surface provides a safe and convenient
way to move people across the street.
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Changes Come to Campus Access on First South
In preparation for construction in February of the Sutton
Geology and Geophysics building, the south end of the Mines building
has been razed and the Ore Dressing Lab building will follow in
December. The access road at 1480 East has been permanently closed
and will become a staging area for the new building. The road at
the intersection of 100 South and Wolcott St. will become the sole
access road into campus from 100 South.
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University Hospital Expands
A $120 million hospital expansion project broke ground in July and
will include a new five-story Patient Care Pavilion, a two-story
addition to the Critical Care Pavilion, and a four-story expansion
to the helipad parking terrace. The project, which will transform
the main hospital entrance, should be completed in 2009.
UTA
Ed Pass—Don't Forget to Renew!
Want to continue riding
TRAX and UTA buses for free? Then don’t forget to
renew your UTA Ed Pass by Sept. 15 at one of the following
locations: UCard office (Olpin Union), Commuter Services (Annex),
the UCard office (hospital), or the Campus Store (bookstore). You
will need to show your UCard and turn in your expiring Ed Pass in
order to get the new Ed Pass. You will receive the RESOURCES FOR
U booklet with your UTA Ed Pass, which outlines auxiliary services
available to the U community and contains valuable coupons for use
on campus.
Of
Interest to Faculty & Staff
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Research Training Opportunities Offered to Faculty & Staff
Registration is currently underway for fall 2006 Research
Administration Training Series classes. The Office of the Vice-President
for Research offers U faculty and staff more than 25 instructional
courses on various pre-award, post-award, and clinical research
topics including funding searches, grant-writing workshops, project
management, and good clinical practices. Participants may attend
individual classes of interest or pursue any of three Certificates
of Achievement. Many courses are eligible for continuing education
credit hours by various professional associations. Complete program
information, class descriptions, and online registration are available
at www.education.research.utah.edu.
For more information, contact Tony Onofrietti, at 585-3492 or tony.onofrietti@hsc.utah.edu.
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Plan Ahead for Field Trips
Are you planning field trips, activities, or events with
your class or group? If so, plan ahead for special requirements,
hazards, approvals, accommodations, liability waivers, equipment
needs, transportation requirements, and emergencies. A field trip
guideline checklist and approved liability waiver form can be accessed
at www.utah.edu/risk_management/contracts/html/liability-field_trip_waiver.htm.
Questions? Contact Risk and Insurance Management at 581-5590.
Applause
Please
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University Singers Reign in Spain
In June, the 47-member mixed choral ensemble of the U’s
School of Music was awarded the 2006 European Grand Prix for Choral
Singing in Tolosa, Spain. Said an event official, “There are
many good choirs that sing with technical accuracy, but your choir
sings with great feeling and emotion. The jury felt it and the audience
felt it—and that’s what made your choir rise above the
others.”
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Red Goes Green—U Gets EPA’s Top Ten Award
In July, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the U
of U has made its list of Top 10 Green Power Partners. The U was
recognized for its voluntary purchase of 25 million kilowatt-hours
of green power in the form of wind-generated electricity from Sterling
Planet. The list of schools awarded the distinction is available
at www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/top10ed.htm.
•
University Hospital is Tops—Again!
For the 13th
time, University Hospital has been named one of America’s
best by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked it No. 22 in
the country in gynecology, No. 26 in orthopedics, and No. 34 in
cancer care. Hospitals were scored on factors such as reputation,
mortality rate, nurse-to-patient ratio, and patient services.
•
U Named Among 100 Best Campuses for LGBT Students
In August, the
Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students included the U of U in
its list of 100 best campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
students. The U joins MIT, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton
universities on the list of schools that offer resources and a positive
environment for LGBT students. Selections were based on institutional
policies, academic and student life, health services, campus safety,
and recruitment and retention efforts. For more information, visit
www.campuspride.net
or contact the LGBT Resource Center at 587-7973 or cmilne@sa.utah.edu.
Bulletin
Board
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Five Years Later... Remembering Sept. 11, 2001
Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about the
events of Sept. 11, 2001? How has the event changed you? Send a
short, 50 to 100-word paragraph by Aug. 28 to
fyi@ucomm.utah.edu and we’ll include a few in the next
online issue of FYI News.
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Books for Sale at Library
Check out Marriott Library’s ongoing book sale on the third
floor near the duplication area. The books, which are not needed
in the collection, are reasonably priced and proceeds will be used
for new acquisitions. Questions? Contact Teddi Kachi at 581-7526,
or teddi.kachi@library.utah.edu.
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Campus Rec Offers Fitness Program
Registration for Campus Recreation Services’ fitness program
begins online Monday, Aug. 28, and in person at the Field House
beginning Wednesday, Aug. 30. Classes include aerobics, belly dance,
break dance, jazz dance, Latin dance, tai chi, weight training,
Pilates, yoga, yogalates, golf for women, and tennis. Personal training
and a 5,000 square foot free-weight center are also available at
the Field House. For more information and to register online, call
581-8898 or visit www.utah.edu/campusrec.
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New Neighborhood Café to Open Soon
The Flying Scotsman, located at 230 S 1300 E (where Gepetto’s
used to be) is the newest café to open in the university
neighborhood. Owner Alan Merritt McGillis is using his clan’s
tartan plaid for the kilts worn by servers and the décor
features images of the Loch Ness monster. The menu features “Scottish
cuisine with an American twist,” and that includes haggis
and blood pudding, as well as scones and fish and chips. The restaurant
is now open for a pre-grand opening phase from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. with the grand opening on Aug. 31.
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Mental Health Tip of the Day
Spend time with children. Their natural zest for life is infectious.
As well as the pleasures of a spontaneous hug or a chubby little
hand in yours, try to take away with you some of their joy in simple
things, licking an ice cream, playing with water, tramping through
fallen leaves, or following a butterfly.
~From the Self Help section of the U’s Counseling Center Web
site at www.sa.utah.edu/counsel
Looking
Ahead
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Sept. 11—The September Project Comes to the U
11:45 a.m., Hinckley Caucus Room
Joseph Vogel, author of Free Speech 101: the Utah Valley
Uproar over Michael Moore, will speak on Sept. 11 at 11:45
a.m. in the Hinckley Institute Caucus Room (255 OSH). Throughout
the month of September, people all over the world will meet in libraries
as part of The September Project to promote democracy and engage
citizens. As a participant in The September Project, the Marriott
Library will collaborate with ASUU, The Vote Project, and the Hinckley
Institute of Politics to bring thought-provoking events to campus.
These events are expressions of democracy, citizenship, and freedom.
For more information, contact Heidi Brett at heidi.brett@utah.edu.
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Sept. 20—Major
Exploration EXPO
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Union Ballroom
All U of U academic departments will gather in one location to share
information about their majors, minors, certificates, and/or services
available to current and potential U students. Exhibitors are departments
and service agencies at the U. Attendees are U students who are
looking for a major and/or minor, a second major, and other opportunities
that create a unique undergraduate experience. Last year’s
EXPO drew 800 students. For more information, contact Steve Hadley
at shadley@uc.utah.edu
or 581-8335.
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Sept. 23-30—Homecoming
For more information, visit www.alumni.utah.edu/homecoming.
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Sept. 28—Employee
Appreciation Day
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Olympic Cauldron Park, Rice Eccles Stadium.
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