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Written by Ashley Gaschk
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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
 Image courtesy of Sandy Olson-Loy
The University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) administration, along with central University officials, have unilaterally opted to slow down the construction of UMM’s much-anticipated “Green Dorm.” Much more than a traditional dormitory, the Green Prairie Living and Learning Community (Green Prairie Community) will serve as a residence hall during the school year, a place to house conference attendees over the summer, and a true model of green living year-round—but not before Fall 2010.
The Green Prairie Community was originally intended to be open to students for the 2009-2010 academic year. The timeline, however, which “was tight from the beginning” according to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Sandy Olson-Loy, has been slowed to ensure the success of a multitude of factors. The most outstanding of these factors are University bonding issues, cost estimates, summer occupancy, and a true dedication to the green initiatives that are being planned.
According to Chancellor Jacquie Johnson and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Facilities Lowell Rasmussen, the University’s bonding limit is one of the major overriding factors in the project’s slower progress. Johnson described the decision as having to do with “the current economy and the variety of projects that are on the horizon or … in the works for the University of Minnesota.”
“The fiscal officers watch very closely how [many] bonds they put out there,” Rasmussen said. “There’s always a cap on the bonds; they don’t want to go over a certain level because if they do, it will cost the University more money to build those buildings.”
Because of limitations on bonding capacity, the University had to determine which projects could be postponed for later, and decided that the Green Prairie Community was one of those.
Slowing the process down allows for UMM to collect more estimates for the cost of construction.
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Written by James Morales
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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
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Our fall 2008 admissions and enrollment cycle has been unique compared to past cycles in several important ways. First, we have received 1,464 new high school student (NHS) applications as of May 2, 2008, a record number for UMM and a 35 percent increase over last year.
Second, the Admissions Office has worked hard to make offers to eligible applicants and we have exceeded our offer goal so far. Currently, 1,021 offers of admission have been extended, 27 percent ahead of fall 2007. Third, confirmation deposits have been tracking behind for much of the admissions cycle. As of mid-February, confirmation deposits were behind by 26 percent compared to the previous year.
Fortunately, this gap has now closed and as of May 2, our deposits are now ahead of last year by ten percent. Obviously, it is good to see this movement in a positive direction. Phone calling projects to admitted students encouraging them to deposit are one of the factors that resulted in this positive upswing.
The staff in the Admissions Office, together with other partners across campus, including faculty, students, and members of the Financial Aid Office, can be credited with these results. |
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Written by Britney Appier
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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
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The UMM Center for Small Towns, the University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, and Minnesota Public Radio will jointly be hosting the Sixth Annual Symposium on Small Towns: “The Power of Small: Building Solutions for Energy Self-Reliance.” This Symposium will be held on June 3-4 and will discuss energy solutions from government agencies.
The keynote address will be given by Peter Hutchinson, soon to be president of Bush Foundations, and will address how energy can come in many forms. The focus of this event will be the development of efficient food, fuel, and power systems that give energy to our vehicles, buildings, and personal living styles. Social, economic, and political factors that surround the implementation of these systems will be addressed and attendees will learn to execute these power sources through workshops, networking, mentoring, and other educational opportunities.
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Written by Ashley Gaschk
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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) Service Learning, along with several Morris area sponsors, hosted the first-ever Bread and Bowls event on Friday, May 2. Argie Manolis, the Service Learning Coordinator at UMM, said she got the idea from a member of the Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance (PRCA). A PRCA member who also works with UMM’s Center for Small Towns suggested the idea for an event that combined the elements of the event: art, donations to fight violence and poverty, entertainment and camaraderie.
Those who attended Bread and Bowls, which was held in the cafeteria at Morris Area Elementary School, donated ten dollars in exchange for a hand-made bowl or cup and a hearty meal of donated soups, coffee, and home-made desserts.
The proceeds were split between two area organizations: Someplace Safe, an advocacy program for victims of abuse, and the Stevens County Food Shelf. Manolis was especially interested in this particular combination because of the research she had been doing on the relationship between violence and poverty. |
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