WELCOME
Jeralyn Jargo, Dean of Nursing and Applied Science at Lake Superior College, effective July 1, 2003.
Brenda Lyseng, Interim Dean of Math, Science and Technology at Century College, effective July 7, 2003.
William J. Lowe, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Metropolitan State University, effective July 14, 2003.
Scott Olson, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Minnesota State University, Mankato, effective July 14, 2003.
Denise Schlake, Vice President for Student Affairs,
Minnesota
State University, Mankato, effective July 14, 2003.
Doug Allen, President of Ridgewater College in Hutchinson and Willmar, effective
July 28, 2003.
Campus Provosts for Minnesota State Community and Technical College:
Wadena - Kathleen Curphy
Moorhead - Jerome Migler
Fergus Falls - David Gabrielson
Detroit Lakes - Bill Leff
Campus Provost for Northwest Technical College:
Bemidji - Vern Treat
Campus Provost for Northland Community and Technical College:
East Grand Forks - Kent Hanson
GUARD ONLINE
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities are offering on-line courses for Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers who are being deployed to Bosnia and Europe. These on-line courses have been established to coincide with the soldiers’ deployment schedule. Soldiers will have access to the course work through the Internet. The institutions that are participating include: Alexandria Technical College, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Bemidji State University, Century Community and Technical College, Hibbing Community College, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Lake Superior College, Metropolitan State University, and Rochester Community and Technical College. College representatives and staff from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System office were stationed at Camp Ripley July 12 - July 23.
These individuals met with each soldier to advise them on their educational plans and to enroll them in these specially scheduled on-line courses offered by the colleges and universities. For further information, visit the web site at http://www.guardonline.mnscu.edu
SPEECHES FOR THE BEACHES
Looking for some good summer reading? On CTL’s web
site you will find some of the best of the speeches offered by a range of
speakers at CTL faculty development events during 2002-2003. Check out addresses
given by Chancellor McCormick, Sr. Vice Chancellor Linda Baer, and others
on a variety of teaching-and-learning topics. Not as good as being there,
but good reading nevertheless! http://www.ctl.mnscu.edu
MINNESOTA ONLINE
CONFERENCE DAY
Minnesota Online hosted a 2004 “Kick Off” Day, July 17th with panelists representing neighboring Midwest regional and/or statewide online systems. It was a great day! Over 80 Minnesota State College’s and University’s administration, faculty, and staff joined Minnesota Online Council members to discuss various topics that are key to delivering higher education to students at a distance. Threaded discussion was lead by Sr. Vice Chancellor, Linda Baer. Questions were posed to the panelists surrounding central issues such as; success indicators and assessment measures, quality assurances for e-learning, and program development options. Considerations of other system wide initiatives were moderated throughout the afternoon that generated ideas for new collaborative ventures within Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, as well as, on a regional basis.
Many thanks go out to the representatives from North Dakota University System Online, University of Wisconsin Colleges, University of Wisconsin Learning Innovations, and the South Dakota Board of Regents for making the day special for Minnesota Online. Planning is already underway for the next conversation days!
For additional information regarding the Minnesota Online Council and the Midwest Online Systems being represented, go to: or contact,
Lynette Olson, E-Learning Accreditation
Project Director, Office of the Chancellor, Minnesota, State Colleges
& Universities, ETC, 1450 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul, MN 55108,
Phone: 651-649-5957.
FIRST ANNUAL DARS USER CONFERENCE
This first annual DARS User Conference was held June 5 and 6, 2003 at the Training and Development Center at Anoka Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids Campus. Fifty-nine individuals were in attendance, representing 29 different institutions. The conference gave DARS Users the chance to learn and share with each other. We had some enlightening roundtable sessions where everyone had an opportunity to discuss DARS implementation issues and to share written brochures and other resources as well. DARS training staff offered sessions on Audit Appearance and Troubleshooting Audits.
At the conference, the DARS team announced the release of a new process which allows the sending of a complete set of transfer articulation rules from DARS to the www.mntransfer.org website. This eliminates the need to keep separate documentation of transfer tables for on-campus and www.mntransfer.org website use. The whole process has now been streamlined to the extent that each institution can now have the entire catalog of courses for every MnSCU institution and for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities imported into their DARS database, write the transfer rules and then post those rules to mntransfer.org. Campuses can provide a great student service by reporting transfer acceptability and applicability using DARS, plus they can easily post that same information.
Information about the conference and related documentation can be found at: www.dars.mntransfer.org
NATIONAL BENCHMARKS FOR STUDENT SERVICES
In January 2003, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities contracted with WCET (Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications - www.wcet.info) to develop an alpha version of an audit tool to help its member institutions assess the quality of their online student services.
This audit focuses on 10 student services in four areas: Administrative Core Services-admissions, registration, student accounts, catalog, schedule of classes, and financial aid; Communications Suite-institution to student; Personal Services Suite-orientation and career services; Academic Services Suite-academic advising.
The audit then identifies how a particular service fits within a four generation model for services. These generations are defined as follows:
* Generation I: Information is presented in silos.
* Generation II: Information is segment.
* Generation III: Information is individualized - personal portal.
* Generation IV: There is an added value to the information (decision making guides, process orientation, etc).
In developing this audit, WCET worked with Minneapolis Community and Technical College and Hibbing Community College to identify critical components in each service. This self-assessment audit is based on that work.
On June 26th the results were presented. The results can be found at:
http://www.eresources.mnscu.edu/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={CB46510B-E83B-49E3-805F-5FCD6CCAFE2C}
ONLINE PORTFOLIOS
On May 14, 2003 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities launched a groundbreaking tool that will enable students, teachers, and jobseekers throughout the state to create their own Internet-based portfolios and showcase their achievements.
The new eFolio Minnesota, at www.efoliominnesota.com, is the nation's first statewide electronic portfolio system.
"Now eFolio Minnesota will help you go beyond the traditional paper résumé and easily build a Web site that demonstrates your accomplishments using photos, video, audio and graphics," said Linda Baer, senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, in an announcement at Century College in White Bear Lake. "This new portfolio system puts Minnesota at the forefront in online technology for the state's citizens," said Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor James H. McCormick. "Our development of eFolio Minnesota fits our strategic plan and reflects our commitment to helping Minnesotans succeed in life and work."
New users can begin building their eFolios as soon as they sign up on www.efoliominnesota.com and are issued a password and Web address. Online tips and an electronic and telephone help desk are available as people build and personalize their eFolios. Individual eFolios also can include interactive surveys and links to other Internet sites.
"It's an ideal career and educational development tool for students and jobseekers, because it allows them to organize and store their achievements and demonstrate their success to prospective employers and educational institutions," Baer said.
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities developed the system with support from the Minnesota Department of Economic Security One Stop Service Center. Funding came from a U.S. Department of Education congressional award. The system is powered by Avenet, a Twin Cities-based technology firm.
IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: FOCUSING ON CONNECTIONS AND TRANSITIONS TAKING PLACE IN MINNESOTA”
An article co-authored by Cyndy Crist, Mary Jacquart, and David Shupe, has just been published in the Winter 2002/Spring 2003 issue of "The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education," published by the Center on Education and Work at the University of Wisconsin. Titled, "Improving the Performance of High School Students: Focusing on Connections and Transitions Taking Place in Minnesota," it is a revision of a paper they prepared for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, in January 2002.
A PEER REVIEW PROCESS MODEL DESIGNED FOR MINNESOTA ONLINE E-SEAMLESS EDUCATION SERVICES PROJECT
WHAT IS IT AND WHAT IS PLANNED?
The
purpose of a peer review process is to ensure and recognize quality and
to observe first hand the value of learning and interaction designed around
distance education. The results of this process will be used to refine criteria
and protocols for the future delivery methods of online learning and for
communicating to external stakeholders that an established set of delivery
standards is met.
The peer review process for Minnesota Online will have three components to identify campus readiness relating to education delivered via distance education: (1) conduct a peer review, by a peer review team; (2) review an “Institutional Change Request Report,” prepared by the institution requesting to offer one or more degrees online; (3) make a recommendation for approval, made by the peer review team and Minnesota Online Council, on the basis of the first two components.
The Minnesota Online Council’s evaluation process applies to online programs for which a degree is awarded. The Minnesota Online Council will manage the evaluation process and criteria to determine the college’s or university’s readiness to offer online degrees. For more information and a copy of the complete process, please contact:
Lynette
Olson, E-Learning Accreditation Project Director at 651-649-5957 Or via email
-- Lynette.Olson@so.mnscu.edu
UPCOMING MEETINGS CONFERENCES
AUGUST
August 6, 2003, Seamless Education TF
August 7, 2003, CTL Summer Seminar
August 28, 2003 E-Student Services WG
SEPTEMBER
September 3, 2003, Seamless Education TF
September 9-10, 2003, Minnesota Tech Prep New Coordinator Orientation and Workshops, contact/registration: http://www.grantsplus.mnscu.edu/events
September 9, 2003, Leadership
Council
September 10, 2003, Minnesota Online
September 16-17, 2003, Board of Trustees
September 18, 2003 Academic and Student Affairs Advisory Council
September 25, 2003, E-Student Services WG
OCTOBER
October 1, 2003, Seamless Education TF
October 3, 2003, CTL Campus Leaders Conference and ALA
October 6-7, 2003, Leadership Council
October 10, 2003, Discipline Conference
October 17, 2003 Minnesota Online
October 21-22, 2003, Board of Trustees
October 28-30, 2003, Joint Chief Academic and Student Affairs Officers/Deans
October 30, 2003 E-Student Services WG
NOVEMBER
November 4, 2003 Leadership Council
November 5, 2003 Seamless Education TF
November
16-17, 2003 Board of Trustees
November 6, 2003, Statewide Transfer
Specialist Meeting (U of M, MnSCU, Private Colleges)
November 13, 2003 Minnesota Online
November 20, 2003 E-Student Services WG
DIVISION OF
ACADEMIC & STUDENT AFFAIRS
%Sr. Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs, Linda L. Baer
651-282-5515, linda.baer@so.mnscu.edu
%Academic Programs, Gary Langer
651-649-5772, gary.langer@so.mnscu.edu
%Academic Resources, Deena Allen
651-296-8113, deena.allen@so.mnscu.edu
%Research and Planning, Leslie Mercer
651-282-2547, leslie.mercer@so.mnscu.edu
%Strategic Partnerships, Michael Murphy
651-282-5516, michael.murphy@so.mnscu.edu
%Student Affairs, Mike López
651-296-0447, mike.lopez@so.mnscu.edu