28 September - Academic Affairs Strategic Initiative Goal #7

Academic Affairs Strategic Initiative Goal #7

Assessment Workshops/Discussion Sessions

The assessment committee will be sponsoring assessment workshops/discussions during fall semester. The focus of the October workshop is Dean Krejci's strategic planning initiative to have "all departments have assessment plan in place and operational" in 2005-06.

Tuesday, October 4 12:00 noon-1:00 in Brown Hall Lounge Wednesday, October 5 8:30-9:30 a.m. in Brown Hall Lounge

Box lunch will be served at the noon meeting and muffins/juice/coffee will be served at the 8:30 a.m. meeting. Please RSVP to Kay Schneider at schneide@cord.edu so that we can get accurate catering counts. 

28 September - American Indian Heritage Month

Colleagues,

I am forwarding the information describing activities on campus associated with American Indian Heritage Month. These events have always been interesting and many times thinly attended. Please consider commending these events to your students' attention.

Mark Mark J. Krejci, Dean of the College & Vice President for Academic Affairs

For immediate release: 

Concordia College to celebrate American Indian Heritage Month

Moorhead, Minn. – A special presentation by acclaimed author and artist Kent Nerburn is among the highlights of this year’s American Indian Heritage Month series at Concordia College in November.

Other programs in the diverse lineup include presentations by Jon Eagle, an American Indian social worker, John McCarthy, an Indian gaming official, and a panel of American Indian students who will share their opinions about racism.

The American Indian Heritage Month series begins Nov. 2 and concludes Nov. 10. All events are free and open to the public. The full schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, Nov. 2

American Indian social worker Jon Eagle will speak on native spirituality during chapel at the Concordia College Centrum, Knutson Center, at 9:50 a.m. A member of the Hunkpapa Band of the Lakota Nation, Eagle has dedicated his life to serving American people, helping children and families in many communities. Eagle is currently a member of the National Advisory Work Group and consultant pool for the National Cultural Competence Initiative. He also serves as a faculty member for The Communities Can! Leadership Academy founded by Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development. While on the Concordia College campus, Eagle will be participating in an interdisciplinary faculty panel and will also be available for classroom visits. (For more information about having Jon Eagle visit your classroom, contact Margie Andreason at mjandrea@cord.edu. 

Jon Eagle will join a panel of professors from various disciplines in the Frida Nilsen Lounge, Fjelstad Hall, at noon. Panelists will discuss a passage from Kent Nerburn’s award-winning book, “Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads.” This event is part of the celebration and in preparation for the Concordia College Principia’s Fall Academic Lecture. (For more information about the panel discussion, contact Dawn Duncan at duncan@cord.edu.)

Thursday, Nov. 3 

At 4:30 p.m. in the Frida Nilsen Lounge, Fjelstad Hall, Jon Eagle will again join a panel of professors to discuss a passage from Kent Nerburn’s book mentioned above. The excerpt is entitled “Junkyard Cars and Buffalo Carcasses.”

Friday, Nov. 4 

American Indian social worker Jon Eagle will discuss native spirituality during Community Time at the Concordia College Centrum, Knutson Center, at 9:20 a.m.

Monday, Nov. 7 

Author, sculptor, and educator Kent Nerburn will present the Concordia College Principia’s Fall Lecture in the Centrum, Knutson Center, at 7 p.m. The title of his presentation will be “Learning to Live on the Land Together.” A respected writer, Nerburn has been involved with American Indian issues and education for many years. Nerburn, who holds doctorates in Art and Theology, is the winner of the Minnesota Book Award for 1995.

Tuesday, Nov. 8 

John McCarthy, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, will give a presentation at the David Birkeland Lounge, Concordia College Memorial Auditorium, at 12 noon. The title of his talk will be “Tribal Gaming in Minnesota.” McCarthy has been involved with the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) since its inception in 1986. MIGA ’s first task was to assist tribal governments in negotiating compacts with the State of Minnesota. In 1988 MIGA teamed with tribal leaders and played a key role in negotiations, helping create tribal gaming opportunities. McCarthy has more than 30 years of experience working with tribal governments; his insights, anecdotes, and ideas should be of interest to students, faculty, and the public.

Kent Nerburn will speak with Concordia students in Birkeland Lounge throughout the morning and again in the afternoon, following McCarthy’s talk. This space can accommodate up to three classes at a time. If interested in participating, contact Dawn Duncan at duncan@cord.edu 

Hank Tkachuk, professor of Communication Studies and Theatre Art, will speak at Christiansen Recital Hall, Concordia College, at 9 p.m. He will give an interactive presentation on ethnocentrism.

Wednesday, Nov. 9 

American Indian student Rachel Poitra will teach a workshop on how to make native quill earrings at the Frida Nilsen Lounge, Fjelstad Hall, at 4 p.m. Workshop participants will create a pair of porcupine quill earrings. Due to limited space, the workshop has 15 openings. To register, contact Margie Andreason at mjandrea@cord.edu. Poitra is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.

Thursday, Nov. 10 

A Tri-College student panel will present “Student Perspectives: Implications of Racism in Daily Life,” at the Frida Nilsen Lounge, Fjelstad Hall, at 4:30 p.m. American Indian students will share their personal experiences and explain how racism remains a relevant and timely issue for people living in the Fargo-Moorhead community. For more information about the student panel, call 218.299.4267.

For more information about the American Indian Heritage Month program series at Concordia College, call 218.299.4267.

26 September - Call for Nominations: K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Awards

**Applications are available through the Academic Affairs Office**

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

We have many of our alum who are in graduate school and you might know of one who we should nominate for the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Awards from AAC&U. If you know of such a student, please let me know so that we can contact the graduate program, consider the student, and initiate the nomination process.

Thanks for your attention. 

Mark J. Krejci, Ph.D. Dean of the College & Vice President for Academic Affairs

22 September - Student divisional representatives (SDRs)

To: Faculty September 22, 2005

From: Academic Affairs Co-Commissioners

Dear Faculty of Concordia College:

Hello! We would like to introduce ourselves as the new co-commissioners for Academic Affairs. As most of you are aware, Lisa Vang and Nicole Sorenson, co- commissioners for 2004-2005, implemented the student divisional representatives (SDRs). The purpose of these students was to act as a liaison between students and faculty within their respective divisions. They were also available to answer any questions about their department, as well as for mentoring and registration. The spring semester was a trial period to determine if the program would be beneficial to the college. The SDRs were not used to their full potential, so this year we are working to revise the program to be more student and, hopefully, faculty friendly.

We would greatly appreciate any input you might have as to how the SDR position could be revised to be more valuable not only to the students at Concordia College, but also to the faculty. Here are some possible questions for you to consider: 1.) How can the SDR position be revised to be more useful to the faculty? 2.) How would you as a faculty member like to see the SDR used by other students? (Mentoring, tutoring, advising, etc.) 3.) Does your department already have a student in a position similar to the SDR position? Is this position paid or unpaid?

Please feel free to give any additional feedback. We will continue to communicate with Concordia’s faculty as progress is made. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, 

Whitney Frahm and Kristin Streifel 

2005-2006 Academic Affairs Co-Commissioners

22 September - Community Time 2005-2006

September 

2 Opening Chapel Centrum 

9 Faculty Senate Birkeland Lounge 

16 Family Weekend Communion Centrum 

23 Faculty Senate Ivers 292 

30 Homecoming Communion Centrum

October 

7 Faculty Senate Centrum 

14 Faculty Senate Birkeland Lounge 

21 Mid Semester Recess 

28 Faculty Senate Birkeland Lounge

November 

4 American Heritage Month Speaker Centrum 

4 Faculty Senate Ivers 292 

11 Faculty Senate Birkeland Lounge 

18 Presidential Distinction Scholarship Centrum 

25 Thanksgiving

December 

2 Department Meeting 

9 Division Meeting 

16 Finals/Commencement

January 

6 Department Meeting 

13 Faculty-as-a-Whole Centrum 

20 TBA Centrum 

27 Multicultural Affairs Centrum

February 

3 Department Meeting 

10 Presidential Distinction Scholarship Centrum 

17 Division Meeting 

24 Mid Semester Break

March 

3 Mid Semester Break 

10 Presidential Distinction Scholarship Centrum 

17 Department Meeting 24 Celebration of Excellence 

31 TBA

April 

7 Department Meeting 

14 Easter Break 

21 Division Meeting 

28 Final Exams

(Dates/events subject to change)

20 September - Summary of Senate Action Fall 2005

Dear members of Faculty Senate and members of the faculty,

During our Senate deliberations, some inquired about previous Senate resolutions that were passed based on the 2004 summer task force groups. The document below presents the motions that were passed according to Senate minutes. The Core Curriculum Task Force, in creating the format for the new core that is now being debated in Senate, included the motions that pertained to the structure of the new core. The group or groups mandated to develop implementation of the new core will need to consult these motions as the structure passed by Senate this fall is implemented.

Motions from First-Year Experience Task Force 

Motion 1 as passed

Concordia’s FYE program should enable each student’s academic and personal success through a comprehensive, collaborative and sustained program that values the whole person. This program will embody a philosophy of liberal education that is characterized by:

Rigor: FYE engender and expect high levels of intellectual engagement. 

Relevance: FYE will provide for student learning that is connected and coherent by creating links between the core, a student’s major, co- and extra-curricular programming, and contemporary life. 

Relationship: FYE will encourage opportunities for connectedness between students, faculty and other members of the wider civic community

Motion 2 as passed

The FYE program will create a strong base for an academic career by emphasizing “A Love of Learning” and “Foundational Skills and Capacities” even while introducing students to the other Goals for Liberal Learning. FYE will achieve this through:

Enhancing oral communication instruction Enhancing writing instruction for all entering first year students regardless of previous writing experience Improving the development of appropriate information literacy competencies in direct connection with the pursuit of critical inquiry and applied research. These competencies will include accessing, evaluating, and using information.

Motion 3 as passed

The FYE Program must educate the whole person, taking into account both the academic and personal success of the student. Such a holistic approach must include:

Wellness instruction in the first year Development of transitional skills across the first year program Intentional connections between the residential life program and academic programming Collaboration among teaching and library faculty, Student Affairs professionals, and students in curriculum and program planning

Motion 4 as passed

The FYE Program will include at least the following best practices as ascertained nationally in first year programming:

Linking orientation and first year programming thematically and structurally Enabling one significant student-faculty mentoring relationship Practicing learner centered, experiential, and engaged pedagogies Making use of upper class peer mentors Encouraging one significant co-curricular or extra-curricular experience

Motion 5 as passed

The FYE Program will include a first semester Inquiry Seminar that emphasizes the process of critical inquiry and student academic success, is linked to a FYE theme, and provides for departments to propose seminars that link disciplinary interests to the FYE theme (e.g. Theme of Justice with Inquiry Seminars such as Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, Justice in the Health Care Systems, etc.)

Motions from the Core Distribution Task Force

Motion 1 as passed

In revising our Core Curriculum we will work to develop courses that include as one of their goals helping students to develop multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary courses.

Motion 2 as passed

That these courses be purposefully connected to one another through a reinforcement of transferable thinking and communication skills; revisited questions, issues, themes and ideas; and references to modes of inquiry that have been or will be examined by students throughout their undergraduate education.

Motion 3 as passed

That these courses will address issues, questions, problems, etc., that students see or will come to understand as relevant to their lives and their intellectual, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Motion 4 as passed

That these courses be guided, in particular, by Goal Three of the Goals for Liberal Learning (including its intercultural elements), as well as Goals One, Two, and Four as appropriate to course content.

Motion 5 was defeated

Motions from the Off-campus Programs Task Force

Motion 1 was defeated

Motion 2 as passed

That deliberate and creative efforts be made to adapt existing and future off-campus programs, both comparative and immersion based, to the principles outlined in the Four Pillars: Academics, Engagement, Location & Duration

Motion 3 as passed

That options for both domestic and international Off-Campus programs be expanded and developed in order to provide students with the greatest variety, relevance, and flexibility in program selection and participation.

Motion 4 was defeated

Mark J. Krejci, Ph.D. Dean of the College & Vice President for Academic Affairs

20 September - Interim Director of International Education

To the Concordia Community,

It is my pleasure to inform you that Dr. Per Anderson has agreed to serve as Interim Director of International Education. Per is taking over this task in the midst of a full teaching load and will need a few weeks to clear his plate of some responsibilities in order to be able to devote more time to the office. He will be working to solidify the staff and to assure that our quality program maintains it strength and grows to offer an ever growing set of experiences to our students.

I will be working with the Off Campus Programs Committee to develop and start a search process for the new Director to take over in the summer. Thank you to all of the leaders and those interested in International Education as we dealt with this situation.

Mark J. Krejci, Ph.D. Dean of the College &

19 September - Walther Prausnitz

To the Concordia Community on behalf of President Jolicoeur

We join in mourning the death of Dr. Walther G. Prausnitz. His contributions to Concordia College made him one of the faculty leaders at our College over his long and productive career. His students appreciated the challenge he gave them in the classroom and through mentoring relationships. He led campus efforts in developing the core curriculum and in assessment and faculty development. He has been honored by Concordia with awards and acknowledgments including the Ruel and Alma Wije Distinguished Professorship and we were honored to have him as a member of the faculty and an emeritus member of the community.

Visitation will be from 1:00-2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20th with the funeral at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church. Arrangements are being made through Wright Funeral Home.

Mark J. Krejci, Ph.D. Dean of the College & Vice President for Academic Affairs

19 September - Faculty Development Opportunities

To: All Faculty

From: Jim Aageson, Division Chair

The 69th Annual Conference of the Association of Lutheran College Faculties "Ethics in Our World Today" will be held September 30-October 1 at Midland Lutheran College, Fremont, Nebraska. The dean's office will sponsor two people to attend this conference. Please contact me as soon as possible if you would like to attend this conference (x3425, aageson@cord.edu). For more information about the conference, see www.lutherancolleges.org/alcf/

The AAC&U's Integrative Learning Conference will be held October 20-22 at the Denver Marriott City Center. Early conference registration is available through September 29. See http://www.aacu.org/meetings/integrative_learning/index.cfm for more information about this conference.

14 September - Family Weekend Ice Cream Social

Dear Colleagues,

We have again been asked to attend the Family Weekend Ice Cream Social to represent our departments and potentially meet our students' parents. I have attended this event, off and on, over the years I have been at Concordia and while at times I met some parents other times I would attend and have no students show up with their parents. On those occasions, I must admit, I thought I had wasted my time. But after what happened last year, I know that I did not. I heard from parents, both at the event and through cards, letters, and e-mails afterward, who told me that they were so impressed with our faculty for attending such an event. They appreciated our interest in the lives of their daughters and sons and expressed their appreciation for being able to meet particular faculty as well as seeing how supportive faculty must be at Concordia as demonstrated by our attendance at the event.

Please consider attending the event and, even if not one student shows up to introduce you to their parents, you demonstrate this communities commitment to our students. In advance, let me thank you for attending the event and supporting our students.

Mark J. Krejci, Ph.D. Dean of the College & Vice President for Academic Affairs

12 September - Faculty Development

To: All Faculty

From: Jim Aageson, Division Chair

UND's second biennial Reflecting on Teaching Colloquium will be held on Friday, September 23 at the Memorial Union. This year's featured speaker is Dr. Marilla Svinicki, University of Texas, author of "Learning and Motivation in the Postsecondary Classroom" (Anker 2004). Schedule and registration information can be found at www.und.edu/dept/oid.  Registration deadline is September 16.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announces the following 2005 fall conferences: 

October 20-22, Denver, CO, "Integrative Learning: Creating Opportunities to Connect"

November 10-12, Providence Rhode Island, "The Civic Engagement Imperative: Student Learning and the Public Good" 

For registration information and a complete list of conferences offered by AAC&U, see www.aacu.org. 

12 September - Faculty Colloquium Series

The Faculty Colloquium Series will begin on Tuesday, September 13, 2006, with Dr. James Postema, Professor of English, presenting: "First (Double) Crossings in the Greenlanders' Saga: Vikings, Christianity, and the Skraelings of North America."

The Greenlanders' Saga is the first known European text about America; it narrates Viking explorations around the year 1000 C.E. of what we now call Newfoundland and Labrador. This 13th-century Icelandic text has been extremely influential in conceptions of the early history of America, and while it has given pride to Scandinavian immigrants, it has also served as a vehicle for both ethnic and religious prejudice. As such it is the first in an almost monolithic pattern of Eurocentric histories that assert a fictional but hegemonic Christian presence in America, even as it belittles and disappears Native peoples from history. But in order to understand American history and the history of Native Americans justly, we must deconstruct the Viking myth of discovery: rather than providing a stable basis for historical claims of "discovery," the Greenlanders' Saga is in fact a very conflicted text. It asserts fictions about North America that set Christianity against Norse values, even as it co-opts and celebrates the Norse patriarchs' vanquishing of the Native peoples. It is the original seed of "manifest destiny," and of European domination of how the history of America is told.

All Faculty Colloquium Series are scheduled on Tuesday afternoons, 4:30-5:30 p.m., in Frida Nilsen Lounge. All are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

12 September - Resignation

I am writing to inform the campus that Victor Udin has resigned as Director of International Education. I am taking steps to identify leadership and adjust staff in the program. The strength of our International Education program will of course continue because those who maintain the strength, the faculty leaders, stay devoted to our international education efforts. Thank you for your continuing work to provide these valuable experiences for our students.

Mark J. Krejci, Dean of the College & Vice President for Academic Affairs

8 September - F.Y.I. Assessment and Institutional Research Newsletter

To: Faculty and Administrators

From: Kay Schneider (schneide@cord.edu) 

The September edition of the F.Y.I. Assessment and Institutional Research Newsletter is online in pdf format at: http://www.cord.edu/dept/acd/local/assess/sept2005.pdf 

Contents include:

• U.S. News and World Report "Best Colleges" rankings
• Question of the month: "What is the relationship between hours studied and grades earned at Concordia?"
• Link to the first edition of the Concordia College Fact Book
• List of summer assessment grant recipients
• List of assessment committee members
• Assessment workshop announcement

Hard copy is available upon request.

6 September - Symposium Announcement

TO: Concordia Faculty, Staff and Students

FROM: Lowell H. Larson, Director of Cultural Events

RE: 2005 Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposium

The 2005 Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposium "HIV/AIDS in the Global Community: Scientific, Economic and Cultural Challenges" will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 11 in Memorial Auditorium. Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland will deliver the keynote address "Issues in the Global AIDS Pandemic." There will be two plenary sessions on Monday morning, more than twenty concurrent sessions on Monday afternoon, followed by the Sue Coe "We All Fall Down" art exhibit reception and a theme related film in Francis Frazier Comstock Theater on Monday evening. The symposium will conclude with a student panel followed by a community panel on Tuesday morning.

As has been our tradition, the normal academic calendar has been suspended for the duration of the symposium so that students and faculty can fully participate in the event.

Please visit the symposium website at www.cord.edu for full schedule information, biographic information on our renowned speakers and a bibliography of related educational materials.

The Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposium is a very important event in the academic life of Concordia College and has been addressing significant world issues since 1985. This year we have invited knowledgeable speakers to present various positions on the issues and challenges surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Please plan to attend these sessions which have been carefully planned to enable our participants to make informed judgements through hearing and discussing divergent points of view.

6 September - Faculty Senate Meeting

To: Faculty

From: Academic Affairs Office

Please note that Monday, October 10 has been added to the Faculty Senate meetings. The meeting will be held at 4 p.m. in Birkeland Lounge. The chairs meeting by division scheduled for this date has been cancelled.

Thank you!

5 September - Proposals for new courses

Dear faculty colleagues,

Proposals for new courses to be offered for the first time during the spring semester of the 2005-2006 academic year should be submitted to the Curriculum Committee by Thursday, September 22. This early submission date is necessary so that courses can be approved before the Spring Course Schedule goes to press. It would help the committee, if you can alert us now if you are planning on submitting a new course proposal.

New course proposal forms are available on the committee's web page at http://www4.cord.edu/acadAffairs/committees/curriculum/Default.asp. You must use Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox (not Netscape). Please submit eight copies of the proposal to the committee chair for distribution to the committee members.

Modifications of course number, course title, catalog description, and course prerequisites also require Curriculum Committee approval. The Modification of Course Form is also available on-line.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you,

Elna K. Solvang chair, Curriculum Committee

5 September - Faculty Development Opportunities

To: All Faculty and Administrative Staff

From: Jim Aageson, Division Chair and Faculty Development Coordinator for The Collaboration

As a member of The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning, Concordia faculty and staff have access to resources to help with planning or managing a campus or departmental program to improve teaching and learning. The Collaboration can help find qualified presenters or consultants, regional expertise, and information on teaching and learning resources.

For more information, visit their website at www.collab.org 

1 September - Faculty Senate Schedule

Colleagues,

The Senate schedule should not have listed September 12th as a meeting date. This falls during the Faith, Reason & World Affairs Symposium.

Further, some of the meetings will not be held in Birkeland Lounge. The following meetings will be in these different locations.

9/23 - Ivers 292 

10/7 - Centrum 

11/4 - Centrum

All other Community Time meetings are in the Birkeland Lounge.

Sorry about the confusion.

Mark J. Krejci, Ph.D. Dean of the College & Vice President for Academic Affairs