Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

ACADEMIC & STUDENT AFFAIRS NEWSLETTER

An Electronic Communication

MARCH 2005

http://www.academicaffairs.mnscu.edu/

WCET & EDUTOOLS RESEARCH PROJECT

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is participating in a WCET & Edutools research project over the next 5 to 6 months that will compare features of digital learning object repository software products, research issues in using shareable content objects, and share advances made by project participants in using learning objects.

Our system, along with University of North Carolina, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Regis University in Colorado, Indiana Higher Education and the University of Wisconsin System are working together to follow up the first round of research completed by 4 state systems/large institutions in Spring of 2004 who investigated LOR solutions and issues in a similar project.

Members of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities research work group include the following individuals from the Office of the Chancellor, Simone Vuong, Dick Johnson, Gary Langer, and Deborah Proctor. Dennis Kronebusch and Warren Kemplin of Rochester Community & Technical College along with Ken Graetz of Winona State University are also participating in this project to work with other systems of higher education as they “make their way down the road of reusable and shareable learning objects and face choices on how to store, categorize, locate, and share this content and are struggling with the new field of Learning Object Repositories (LOR), or more generally, digital content repositories” (WCET Call to Participate Letter ).

The results of the ongoing WCET & Edutools research project will be the development of a rigorous comparative framework to compare LOR packages, and a thorough review of existing systems researching digital learning object repository software. Select work group members from our system may present with other systems of higher education involved in this project at the November 2005 WCET Conference in New Orleans. For additional information, contact Deborah Proctor at deborah.proctor@so.mnscu.edu

BOARD APPROVAL OF POLICY ITEMS

The Board of Trustees approved the following policy items at the

January 19-20, 2005 meeting:

1. APPROVED: Amendment to Policy 2.1 Campus Student Associations

2. APPROVED: Amendment to Policy 3.7 Statewide Student

Association

3. APPROVED: Policy 3.29 College and University Academic

Transcripts

Current Board of Trustees' policies and Chancellor's procedures are available on the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities website at www.mnscu.edu.

ACCOUNTING COURSE EQUIVALENCY PROJECT UPDATE

We are pleased to report considerable interest among college accounting faculty members in establishing additional course equivalencies with state university accounting courses. At the Realizing Student Potential conference, March 4, 23 attendees participated in the accounting discipline session-with seven colleges expressing the intention to submit one or more proposals for course equivalencies by the April 4 deadline. The conference session title was “Accounting Transfer Project-Proposing Course Equivalencies for Principles of Accounting I & II (aka Financial & Managerial)” and the presenters included Grover Cleveland and Dennis Daly, Metropolitan State University and Barbara Prince, Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

Since the February 16 mailing to College CAOs, the online submission guidelines have been modified with one additional request-for a copy of a representative course syllabus. The project website <http://transfer.project.mnscu.edu/> contains both the submission guidelines and course guidelines.

For more information, contact Jerry Johnson at jerry.johnson@so.mnscu.edu or 651-649-5987.

TRANSFER 101 TRAINING

Twenty-two transfer specialists from 20 colleges and universities recently participated in Transfer 101 training. The two-day training covered transfer legislation and policies, using www.mntransfer.org, campus transfer communications and processes, institutional and program accreditation, DARS/CAS/XML/ISRS integration, non-MnSCU credit, transcript evaluation and organizational planning. Presenters from the Office of the Chancellor included Jerry Johnson, Gina Boeckermann, Laurie Tralle, and Linda Lade. Campus presenters included Cheryl Avenel-Navara, Minnesota West Community and Technical College; Bev Thorndson, Normandale Community College; and Carol Ziehlsdorf, Winona State University.

For more information, contact Jerry Johnson at jerry.johnson@so.mnscu.edu or 651-649-5987.

WHAT’S NEW WITH TRANSFER

NEW FAQs

http://www.mntransfer.org/TSInfo/faqs_ts.html

New questions regarding the following topics have been added to FAQs for Transfer Specialists as follows: “High-Tech Institute,” “Higher Education Transfer Alliance (HETA),” “Canadian Transcripts”, “Chauncey Group International,” and “Waiving Assessment Tests.”

Curriculum Updates

http://www.mntransfer.org/Catalog_Curr/template.html

Curriculum Updates for 2004-2005 MnSCU campuses are posted on the web under "Educators & Advisors" section, "Curriculum", "Catalog/Curriculum Changes."

Course Equivalency Tables

http://www.mntransfer.org/Tables/CourseEquivalency.html

**** Institutions are updating their course equivalency tables through MNCAS. Visit MNCAS at www.mncas.org to see Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota’s dynamic course equivalency tables.

Normandale Community College (credits from Advanced Placements; CLEP; International Baccalaureate; Inver Hills CC; Metropolitan SU; Minneapolis CTC; Minnesota State CTC; MSU, Mankato; MSU Moorhead; North Dakota SU; North Hennepin CC; Northwestern College; Pine TC; Ridgewater College; and South Central TC).

University of North Dakota (credits from Century College and St. Cloud TC)

Transfer Guides Updated on MnTransfer.org

http://www.mntransfer.org/Tables/CourseEquivalency.html

Normandale Community College

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Northwestern College

University of Minnesota – Dental School

Winona State University

North Hennepin Community College

Augsburg College

Augsburg College – Business Administration

Augsburg College – Social Work

University of Minnesota – College of Biological Science

Please forward this newsletter to other staff members who may be able to use this information.

Questions or comments may be directed to:

Gina Boeckermann gina.boeckermann@so.mnscu.edu 651-649-5742

2005 NATIONAL TECH PREP CONFERENCE

The 2005 National Tech Prep Conference in Orlando, Florida is scheduled for September 28 (preconference) to October 1, 2005.

Please consider submitting a presentation proposal. This year a new theme of interest to postsecondary has been added entitled Postsecondary Transition. If your presentation is accepted, Tech Prep will contribute $500 per presentation topic to your local consortium to help defray expenses.

For our college and university partners, please contact Mary Messimer at mary.messimer@so.mnscu.edu if you plan to submit a presentation proposal.

All presenters are required to register for the conference and pay the registration fee. Key presenters registration fee is $125. Additional presenter's registration fee is $325. Presenter registration deadline is August 19

To access the online form, criteria and description of themes go to: http://www.cordonline.net/NTPN/presenter/

Presentation themes include:

1. Academic Achievement and Testing in Math, Science, and Communication

2. Career Counseling, Development, and Advising

3. Developing and Administering Partnerships

4. Postsecondary Transitions

5. Workforce/Economic Development

6. Career Pathways Strategic Improvement Coalition (CPSIC)

Other information about the conference will be available at www.cord.org. Click on conference. If you have questions, please call or e-mail me or Jim Mecklenburg.

mary.messimer@so.mnscu.edu 651-296-9590 or jim.mecklenburg@state.mn.us 651-582-8682

DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS

Sr. Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affair

Linda L. Baer

651-282-5515, linda.baer@so.mnscu.edu

Academic Innovations

Gary Langer

651-649-5772, gary.langer@so.mnscu.edu

Academic Policy, Faculty Development, Relations and Federal Grants

Deena Allen

651-296-8113, deena.allen@so.mnscu.edu

Research and Planning, Academic Programs