Featured Articles

State approves changes in 2004-05 unclassified pay plan

Chancellor Mash part of historic meeting with legislators

UW-Eau Claire online MBA program ranks among top in nation

Gray-Mash, Hollon named co-directors of Center for Collaborative Leadership in Education

Concert Choir to participate in D-Day performances in France

Blugold Marching Band invited to perform at Packers halftime

Lyall outlines UW System challenges during visit

University Bulletin Special Edition coming Thursday

Summer Bulletin to begin June 14

State approves changes in 2004-05 unclassified pay plan
On May 11, the Joint Committee on Employment Relations approved the parity pay plan proposal of the Office of State Employment Relations submitted by Director Karen Timberlake at the request of UW System President Lyall and the Board of Regents.

The plan for unclassified staff has several components.

Adjustment — It improves the scheduled general merit increase from 1.0% to 1.35% and authorizes a 1.35% solid performance adjustment to the unclassified staff pay ranges for 2004-05. The effective date for the distribution of 2004-05 adjustments will be July 1, 2004, for 12-month unclassified employees and the start of academic year for those on academic year appointments.

Lump sum payment — The new plan also provides a $250 lump sum payment to full-time faculty and academic staff and a $125 lump sum payment to non-represented graduate assistants. A separate check will be issued for these payments on July 30, 2004.

Health insurance — In addition, the parity pay proposal reduces employee contributions for health insurance. Refer to the table detailing the revised and original rates. Unclassified staff also will receive a refund of the difference between the revised contribution rates and original ones used thus far for 2004 health insurance. A separate check for this refund will be issued in mid-July.

If you have questions regarding the parity pay plan, contact Human Resources.

Chancellor Mash part of historic meeting with legislators
Chancellor Donald Mash was among top UW System officials who participated in what is being called an historic first joint session of the legislature’s two committees that oversee higher education.

Mash, UW System President Katharine Lyall, Regent President Toby Marcovich, Regent Guy Gottschalk and dean of the UW-Madison College of Letters and Science Phil Certain met with 12 lawmakers May 6 to begin a dialogue on the future of the UW System.

Mash discussed the importance of the legislature investing in the UW System in order to meet the state’s economic development needs and to reverse the trend of state budget cuts that have led to diminished university capacity.

Gottschalk updated legislators on the Board of Regents' year-long study, "Charting a New Course for the UW System." Legislators were interested in and asked to receive more information about the study’s recommendations related to deregulation of the UW System that could lead to cost-savings and increased funding for financial aid.

Committee chairs, Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, and Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, both indicated the meeting was a positive development. “We need to put the UW back on the front burner,” said Kreibich. Harsdorf called the meeting “a very good first start.” Full story.

UW-Eau Claire online MBA program ranks among top in nation

“UW-Eau Claire looked very good in this study. The research confirms our belief that we offer our MBA students an exceptional e-program.” — Bob Erffmeyer

UW-Eau Claire’s master of business administration online program is one of five in the United States to meet all 12 criteria identified by a UW-Eau Claire research team as being important to students evaluating online education.

“Of the 33 programs in the country that are completely online, have no residency requirement and meet the quality standards of the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, only five meet the 12 indicators we’ve identified as being important to online program quality,” said Bob Erffmeyer, director of UW-Eau Claire’s MBA program and co-author of the paper. “Some of the highest cost MBA programs fail to meet many of these quality indicators.”

Programs meeting all indicators are UW-Eau Claire, Drexel University in Pennsylvania, Florida Atlantic University, Howard University and Suffolk University. Full story.

Gray-Mash, Hollon named co-directors of Center for Collaborative Leadership in Education

Robert Hollon	Cynthia Gray-Mash

Two veteran faculty members in UW-Eau Claire’s School of Education have been named co-directors of the university’s new Center for Collaborative Leadership in Education.

Cynthia Gray-Mash, associate professor of foundations of education, and Robert Hollon, professor of curriculum and instruction, will lead the new center on campus, which received administrative approval last fall.

The Center is part of an ongoing initiative by the School of Education and UW-Eau Claire to serve area school districts and to enhance teacher education at UW-Eau Claire. Full story.

Concert Choir to participate in D-Day performances in France
The UW-Eau Claire Concert Choir, conducted by Gary Schwartzhoff, director of choral activities, will tour Spain and France this summer from May 26 to June 9.

Highlights of the choir’s performance schedule include a concert at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and a concert for 300 World War II veterans in Caen, France, the center of some of the fiercest fighting in the liberation of 1944 and home to Le Mémorial de Caen, an award-winning peace memorial and World War II museum. Both these concerts, as well as several others, are planned as part of the 2004 American Celebration of Music in France, which offers performance opportunities for American musicians and a way to renew long-standing Franco-American ties. Full story.

Blugold Marching Band invited to perform at Packers halftime
Randy Dickerson’s confidence in UW-Eau Claire’s Blugold Marching Band was rewarded recently in a big way. The band has been invited to perform at the half-time show for the Green Bay Packers when they face the Giants Oct. 3 in Green Bay.

“The band was really excited when I told them the news,” said Dickerson. “ It’s been a personal goal of mine to get the marching band to the point where they could perform off campus, and since I was a student at the University of Southern Mississippi when Brett Favre was there, having our first performance be for the Green Bay Packers makes it even more special for me." Full story. Visit the band's Web page to read more about the group and preview its recently released CD.

President Lyall outlines UW System challenges during Eau Claire visit
The state of Wisconsin must reinvest in higher education if the UW System is to continue meeting its high standards for academic quality and access, UW System President Katharine Lyall said during a brief visit to Eau Claire Monday, May 10.

“I’m proud that we’ve maintained enrollment levels despite big budget cuts,” said Lyall, who visited Eau Claire, Menomonie and River Falls during a quick two-day swing through western Wisconsin. “We must stabilize funding or the System will not be able to support 160,000 students.”

Challenges facing the System noted by Lyall include restoring faculty positions, providing adequate financial aid, serving adult students, meeting business/industry needs and supporting students of color.

Monday’s stop in Eau Claire was part of Lyall’s plan to visit each campus a last time before she retires this summer. Full story.

University Bulletin Special Edition coming Thursday
The spring semester of the 2003-04 academic year is winding down, and with that comes a lot of news about commencement, retirements and accomplishments. You can read all about it in a Special Edition of the University Bulletin that will be e-mailed to you Thursday.

Stories planned for the Special Edition include:

• UW-Eau Claire commencement set for May 22
• Graduating senior awarded Fulbright Teaching Assistantship
• UW-Eau Claire graduates its first online MBA class in May — View MBA commencement online
• Faculty and staff members retire
• Eight members of classified staff retire
• Alumni Association to present awards
• Classified Staff Scholarship recipient named
• UW-Eau Claire faculty and staff selected as "Wisconsin Idea Fellows"

This abbreviated issue will not include Calendar items, Faculty/Staff News, In The News items and Notices.

Summer Bulletin to begin June 14
This is the final issue of the University Bulletin for the 2003-04 academic year. The Summer Bulletin will be published weekly during the eight-week summer session beginning Monday, June 14. The summer publication will carry official notices, calendar items, faculty and staff news and other news briefs.

Items for the Summer Bulletin should be sent by mail or e-mail to Liz Wolf Green, News Bureau, Schofield 201, by 10 a.m. Monday for publication in the following week's issue.

Publication of the University Bulletin will resume with the Aug. 23 issue to coincide with the official opening of the 2004-05 academic year.

University Bulletin
Published weekly during the fall and spring semesters by the UW-Eau Claire News Bureau. News items and notices should be sent to the News Bureau, Schofield 201, by 10 a.m. Monday for publication in the following week’s issue. E-mail submissions to Liz Wolf Green at greenew@uwec.edu are encouraged. Faculty/staff news items are published on a space-available basis.