Featured Articles

Dr. Steven Tallant named provost/vice chancellor

Transition from mainframe to PeopleSoft to happen by summer 2009

Associate Vice Chancellor William Harms to retire

Students' memorial service is April 20

Student Research Day participation grows this year

Web site keeps campus community up-to-date on Davies Center building project progress

David Orr to close 2006-07 Forum series

Sept. 11 hero to speak on campus April 20

Behind the Scenes …with the Student Radio Initiative

Student ensembles to perform spring concerts

Regents extend 'Return to Wisconsin' program

Student team places in national sales competition

Dr. Steven Tallant named provost/vice chancellor

Dr. Steven Tallant

Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich announced April 9 that he has named Dr. Steven Tallant as the new provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UW-Eau Claire.

Tallant, who has served as interim provost and vice chancellor at UW-Eau Claire since April 2005, surfaced as a top candidate in a highly competitive national search, Levin-Stankevich said.

"I consider it a great honor and privilege to be asked to serve this university in the permanent role of provost and vice chancellor," Tallant said. "This is an exceptional university with a very bright future. I'm looking forward to working with all members of the campus community to move UW-Eau Claire forward under the leadership of Chancellor Levin-Stankevich." Full story.

Transition from mainframe to PeopleSoft
to happen by summer 2009
UW-Eau Claire will complete a transition from its current mainframe-based administrative computing system to the UW System-mandated PeopleSoft Campus Solutions software package by summer 2009, Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich announced April 11.

"It is my expectation that the existing Unisys mainframe will be retired at that time and that PeopleSoft Campus Solutions will be our primary software package serving in place of the existing Blugold and Bridge systems," Levin-Stankevich said in a memo announcing the timetable for the transition.

The current mainframe-based system provides faculty, staff and students password-protected access to information related to course registration, advising, grade submission, grade lookup, payroll and employment, tuition and financial aid, and other administrative information.

"There was never a question of if we should move to Campus Solutions but rather when we should move," said Andrew Phillips, interim associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. "Having a timeframe specified in this way should help us to plan an approach to the conversion that will continue to ensure convenient and user-friendly access for students, faculty, and staff."

As part of the UW System Common Systems initiative, UW-Eau Claire must eventually convert its financial, human resources and administrative computing systems to various PeopleSoft packages that will be used systemwide. UW-Eau Claire will begin using the PeopleSoft shared financial system July 1, and dates have not yet been determined for the switch to the remaining UW System-mandated software packages. Read Chancellor Levin-Stankevich's April 11 memo.

Associate Vice Chancellor William Harms to retire

William and Jeannie Harms

William Harms, UW-Eau Claire's associate vice chancellor for student services, has announced he will retire Sept. 3 after 27 years at the university. At this time an interim associate vice chancellor for student services will not be appointed pending discussion with the chancellor about the responsibilities of the position, said Andrew Soll, vice chancellor for business and student services.

Harms, who began his UW-Eau Claire career in 1980, has led UW-Eau Claire's student services units — which include the Children's Center, Housing and Residence Life, University Police, University Centers, University Recreation and Sport Facilities, Athletics, and Parking and Transportation Services — since 1994.

Students' memorial service is Friday, April 20

Jason Buchmeier	Jason Schluter

A memorial service will be held Friday, April 20, for Jason Buchmeier and Jason Schluter, two UW-Eau Claire students who died as the result of a March 16 traffic accident in Georgia while they were traveling to Florida for spring break. Buchmeier, 21, was a junior geography major from Mauston; Schluter, 23, was a senior kinesiology major from Lyndon Station.

The 5 p.m. service will be held at the Ecumenical Religious Center adjacent to campus.

Student Research Day participation grows this year

First-place winners in the 2006 Student Research Day business and professional studies category were Phong Xiong and Erin Quinlan, shown here explaining their project to Karen Havholm, interim assistant vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs. (Photo by Rick Mickelson, LTS)

UW-Eau Claire students will display their student and faculty collaborative research as well as independent student research at the 15th annual Student Research Day April 23-24.

Student research posters will be on display from noon to 5 p.m. Monday, April 23, and from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, April 24, in Zorn Arena. Judging will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday.

Dr. Karen Havholm, interim assistant vice chancellor, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, said she was happy to see more than a 25 percent increase in submissions of abstracts this year, prompting the move to Zorn Arena. Last year 196 projects were displayed in the Council Fire Room of Davies Center, but a larger space was needed for the 252 projects to be displayed this year. Full story.

Web site keeps campus community up-to-date
on Davies Center building project progress
University Centers has created a Web site to inform UW-Eau Claire students, faculty and staff about issues related to the proposed Davies Center redevelopment project. The $48.8 million student-initiated redevelopment plan, approved March 19 by the State Building Commission, still must be approved by the Legislature and the governor. View Web site.

David Orr to close 2006-07 Forum series

David Orr

Environmentalist David Orr will speak on "The Global Predicament" Thursday, April 19, at UW-Eau Claire. His presentation, which concludes the 65th season of The Forum, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Zorn Arena.

Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin College, chairs Oberlin's environmental studies program. He is best known for his pioneering work on environmental literacy in higher education and his recent work in ecological design.

An hors d'oeuvres reception with Orr will be held in The Dulany in Davies Center from 6 to 7 p.m. preceding the evening's Forum. Full story.

Sept. 11 hero to speak on campus April 20

William Rodriguez

William Rodriguez, believed to be the last man out of the World Trade Center's north tower on Sept. 11, 2001, will speak at UW-Eau Claire Friday, April 20. "Last Man Out: A 9/11 Hero's Story" will be presented at 7 p.m. in Schofield Auditorium. Admission is free and open to all.

A native of Puerto Rico, citizen of the United States and resident of New Jersey, William Rodriguez was employed for nearly 20 years as a maintenance worker at the World Trade Center in New York.

The program is cosponsored by the L.E. Philips Memorial Public Library and the University Activities Commission of the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate. Full story.

Behind the scenes … The newest installment in the series "Behind the Scenes …," produced by Learning and Technology Services to provide a look behind the scenes of various aspects of university life, features the Student Radio Initiative. Behind the scenes with UW-Eau Claire's Student Radio Initiative Sophomore philosophy major AJ Moen, Stevens Point, hosts his weekly SRI-75 radio program, "Just Another Indie Show." Learn more about the Student Radio Initiative at UW-Eau Claire in the newest installment of "Behind the Scenes." (Photo by Rick Mickelson, LTS) You don't see their faces. But every day you can hear their creative observations, wit, and banter; listen to the music they love; and learn something in the process. Broadcasting from their sound booth in the Haas Fine Arts Center, "they" are the Student Radio Initiative, UW-Eau Claire's only 100 percent student-run, free-format radio station. SRI currently produces 15 different weekly programs, including a Wednesday night two-hour hard rock set with faculty adviser Dr. H. (aka J. Erik Hendrickson, associate professor of physics and astronomy). Take an audiovisual look behind the scenes with the Student Radio Initiative. The sound track for this "Behind the Scenes" installment was created by SRI members Jake Kolstad, a sophomore information systems major from Marinette, and Scott Morfitt, a freshman communication and journalism major from Amery. Music was provided by Ryan Clark, a freshman computer science major from Neillsville, for Get Off My Couch Productions and Overred.

Student ensembles to perform spring concerts
The following UW-Eau Claire ensembles will present spring concerts through April 23 in Gantner Concert Hall of the Haas Fine Arts Center:

• Percussion Ensemble: today, 7:30 p.m.
• Jazz Ensemble II: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 19. More information.
• Symphony Orchestra: 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22. More information.
• Women's Chorus: 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 23. More information.

Regents approve Bridgman remodeling project
The UW System Board of Regents on April 13 approved a $1.44 million remodeling of UW-Eau Claire's Bridgman Hall, according to a report in the April 14 edition of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. The project would include replacement of windows and a conversion from steam to a hot-water heating system, said Charles Major, director of UW-Eau Claire Housing and Residence Life. The remodeling, which would be funded by residence hall fees, next will be considered by the State Building Commission April 18.

Also during the Board of Regents April meeting at UW-Oshkosh, UW System President Kevin Reilly reported that the system has met or exceeded 17 of 20 measures aimed at enhancing the university's service to its students. Reilly presented to the board the 13th edition of "Achieving Excellence," the UW System's annual Accountability Report.

According to this year's report, the UW System continues to provide access for 33 percent of Wisconsin high school graduates and the UW System's six-year graduation rate increased to 64.2 percent, exceeding the long-term goal of 64 percent. However, the UW System has not yet achieved its diversity-related goals. 

In other business, the regents approved the extension of the "Return to Wisconsin" program, which allows children and grandchildren of UW alumni to attend selected UW campuses at discounted nonresident tuition rates. The program will be available for an additional three years at UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater.

For more information about the regents' April meeting, see the Day 1 and Day 2 news summaries.

Student team places in national sales competition

Representing UW-Eau Claire at the National Collegiate Sales Competition in March were, from left, Katrina Rademacher, faculty coach LaNette Flunker, Lindsay Renneau, Ann Lundberg and Bowie Burger. (Contributed photo)

Four UW-Eau Claire senior marketing students - Lindsay Renneau, Altoona/Sturtevant; Ann Lundberg, Owatonna, Minn.; Bowie Burger, Eagan, Minn.; and Katrina Rademacher, New Prague, Minn., - represented UW-Eau Claire at the National Collegiate Sales Competition, held March 15-17 at Kennesaw State University near Atlanta, Ga.

The UW-Eau Claire team placed fifth nationally, beating teams from such schools as Babson College, Ball State University, Cal Poly State University-San Luis Obispo, Clemson University, Florida State University, Illinois State University, Purdue and the University of Houston. LaNette Flunker, senior lecturer in management and marketing, served as the faculty coach for the UW-Eau Claire team. Full story.

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 Julie Poquette at poquetjm@uwec.edu are encouraged. Faculty/staff news items are published on a space-available basis.