HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MASSCOM AT WINONA STATE 25 YEARS AND GOING STRONG, GROWING STRONGER

2006 NEWS AUG. 1-31

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LATEST NEWS ELECTION 2006 Hatch vows $300 million for tuition relief WINONA, Minn., Aug. 31, 2006 -- Gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch promised to allot $300 million to ease state college tuition if elected. Speaking at Winona State University, Hatch outlined a plan for "closing a loophole" in current tax law that allows some foreign-owned companies to pay less in-state companies. Closing this loophole, Hatch said, would free up approximately $300 million that he said could be put to better use to ease tuition. MORE Hatch outlined two ways in which the money could be dispersed. The money could be given to students as tuition reimbursement, he said. Also, he said, the money could go directly to the colleges for tuition relief. Hatch was specific that his plan would not be used to bulk up college budgets. His goal, Hatch said, is to roll back tuition to 2002 levels. He decried that Minnesota tuition has doubled in the past six years: "We never want any child in Minnesota to use money as an excuse to not attend college." His tuition cuts, he said, would affect tuition only for Minnesota students. MORE Hatch spoke, also, about high health-insurance costs straining recent college grads who also are struggling to pay off college loans. If elected he intends to address that issue also, he said. Reporter: Elizabeth Adams Background: Hatch brings governor's race to WSU Background: Races campus people are watching MIKE HATCH Minnesota attorney general TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE UPCOMING EVENTS ST. MARY'S SOUTHEAST TECH WINONA STATE TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN'S) WSU 3, UW-Parkside 1 TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE SMU seeks public comments for accreditation WINONA, Minn., Aug. 31, 2006 -- As required by the regional college accrediting agency, St. Mary's University has solicited comments from the public. At issue is whether the North Central Association should re-accredit the college. Comments should be signed with address and phone, but the association will treat them coonfidentially, St. Mary's said. The address: Higher Learning Commission 30 Norh LaSalle Street, Suite 2400 Chicago, IL 60602 St. Mary's said that anyone with a specific dispute or grievance should request a separate form. TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE COMMENT PRESIDENTIAL JOB PERFORMANCE D RAMALEY REPORT CARD EARLIER GRADES C LATE JULY D LATE JUNE D LATE MAY B- EARLY MAY C+ MID- APR C- MID- MAR C- EARLY FEB Flitting campus to campus, today's university presidents hardly have time to figure out the local cultural. The stops are too quick on the upward zoom of their career tracks. Judith Ramaley, now at Winona State University a tad more than a year, is no exception. At her last presidency, at the University of Vermont, she grossly misgauged the local culture In a disciplinary decision that might have made sense elsewhere, Ramaley cancelled the varsity hockey season. Big mistake. In Vermont anyway. The university's governing point pointed her to the door. MORE From Vermont, Ramaley landed an interim position with the National Science Foundation and a loosely defined faculty appointment at the University of Maine. Then came her next stop, at Winona State. Just like Harry Chapin's morning DJ on WOLD, her first challenge for not repeating her Vermont disaster was to learn the Winona culture. She did many right things: Meeting political leaders, endearing herself in the banking community, glad-handing benefactors. But she has missed fundamental Minnesota values that are deeply rooted in our populist history. These include consultation, consensus-building and, most important, listening with a sincerity that conveys an interesting in learning the values of other people. MORE Like many New Breed university presidents, desperate to leave a mark as a springboard for moving on, Ramaley leapfrogged the time-consuming task of learning the values of the people of her new campus -- faculty, students and staff. Time-honored consultation through Meet and Confer and Meet and Discuss processes have been a visible pain for her, not an oppportunity for dialogue and progress toward consensus. She devised a complex administrative reorganization plan all be herself -- a complicated, multi-layered structure to replace a streamlined and budget-conscious structure that her predecessors had crafted with great deliberation and consultation over the years. Meanwhile, despite strident objections from students who would pay the bills, Ramaley ramrodded ahead with her expensive Learning for the 21st Century project. In student leadership circles, she's come to be known disparagingly as Auntie Ramaley. Think of a giant tablespoon of cod-liver oil. Her message: "I know what's good for you better than you do, and don't contradict me, damn it." Her way or no way. No compromising. MORE The patterns are unmistakable. Ramaley has imposed her vision on us, not listening nor working at bringing us into sharing her vision. Her approach has been a bad fit in the strong and workable Winona State cultural she inherited. Her approach (with apologies to Arthur Schlesinger) has been an Imperial Presidency -- top down, let the serfs comply, time is too short for anything else. Inherent in the approach, tragically, are seeds of a Vermont disaster. The CyberIndee invites reader input for periodic updates of the Ramaley presidential approval rating. Brief comments on Ramaley's latest performance will be shared with readers. Anonynmity is assured if requested. Your input Background: Previous Ramaley report cards YOUR COMMENTARY TOO IS INVITED TRY TO STAY WITHIN 300 WORDS TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE Century College students to state colleges board ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 31, 2006 -- A student at Century College, Caleb Anderson of Maplewood, has been appointed to the state colleges board as a community college representative. Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who made the appointment, said that Anderson's term would be through June 2008. Anderson works as an assistant pre-school teacher. At Century College he is involved in the student senate, debate and theater. On the MnSCU Board, Anderson succeeds Christopher Schultz. TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE WSU runs short of meningitis vaccine WINONA, Minn., Aug. 31, 2006 -- A national shortage of meningitis vaccine has left probably 50 Winona State freshmen without the protection they want, university health services director Diane Palm said. Campus nurses ran out of the government-recommended vaccine Menactra after 85 inoculations during freshman orientation. The university recommends that frosh be inoculated against the often-deadly though disease, especially in they live in cramped dorms. Many frosh get the protection before arriving at campus. Palm said. Over the summer she had only 25 or 30 students respond to a letter that they would want an inoculation during frosh orientation. "We thought we had enough," she said. Then came the rush. There was no local stockpile to draw on, Palm said. She said the manufacturer expects to begin shipping again Menactra as soon as mid-September but perhaps only in units as small as 10 doses at a time. MORE The government recommends Menactra, which is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur. The company produced 6 million doses this year, which turned out to be short of demand. Palm said Sanofi Pasteur itself may have contributed to the shortage with advertising directed at parents over the summer. Palm said the almost perennial shortage may be eased in the future by a movement to administer Menactra to children 12 to 13 in the future. Menactra offers lifetime immunity, in contrast with earlier vaccines whose effectiveness ranged from three to eight years. MORE Winona State charges $90 for inoculation. The university has not had a meningitis case since 2001, when an Ashland, Wis., freshman was diagnosed in a dorm. She survived. A Minnesota State-Mankato student died of the disease last year. Meningitis affects relatively few people, with the highest incidence among college freshmen -- about five cases per 100,000. There are about 300 meningitis deaths a year in the United States. Complications include organ failure and tissue damage that can lead to amputation. Background: Physician: WSU victim lucky, caught early Background: MSU-Mankato dorm student dies of meningitis DIANE PALM More doses on the way Sanofi Pasteur claims for Menactra efficacy: "The first quadrivalent conjugate meningococcal vaccine can help protect younger adolescents at the time of increased risk." Sanofi Pasteur on risks: "Most common adverse reactions ... include pain, redness, and induration at the site of injection; headache; fatigue; and malaise. Menactra vaccine is contraindicated in persons with known hypersensitivity to any component of the vaccine or to latex, which is used in the vial stopper. Because intramuscular injection can cause injection site hematoma, Menactra vaccine should not be given to persons with any bleeding disorder, such as hemophilia or thrombocytopenia, or to persons on anticoagulant therapy unless the potential benefit clearly outweighs the risk of administration." TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE Packers drop WSU quarterback Wrobel GREEN BAY, Wis. Aug. 31, 2006 -- The Green Bay Packer released former Winona State University quarterback Brian Wrobel in the latest fine-tuning for the National Football League season. Background: Wrobel aiming for Packer quarterback slot BRIAN WROBEL 2005 WSU grad TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE Problems stack up for WSU student WINONA, Minn., Aug. 31, 2006 -- Police ticketed a 21-year-old Winona State University student for possession of drug paraphernalia at 1:35 a.m. The man had been stopped at Fourth and Franklin streets for attempting to steal a bicycle, police said. In checking for outstanding warrants, officers learned he was wanted as a public nuisance and for failing to appear in court. The cops took the man to jail, where they found a marijuana pipe on him. Reporter: Kirsten Freeman and Sheila Goodlund TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE RECENT DAYS IN THE CITY POSTED AUG. 31, 2006 NEW PHONE PROVIDER. St.Louis-based Charter Communications, one of two Winona cable television companies, plans to add telephone service at $40 a month for unlimited local and long-distance calls. The decision will put Charter head-to-head competition against Winona-based Hiawatha Broadand, which offers television, internet and phone packages. EARLIER NEWS IN THE CITY TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE Police stop driver, find 0.14% blood-alcohol WINONA, Minn., Aug. 31, 2006 -- A 21-year-old La Crosse, Wis, man, was arrested at 1:22 a.m. on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth street for drunken-driving. Police said his blood-alcohol level tested at 0.14 percent. Reporter: Kirsten Freeman TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE Men's advocacy group: Poll students on sports inclination WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2006 -- Colleges could protect themselves from sex-discrimination lawsuits by polling both male and female students about whether they're intersted in doing varsity athletics, according to the men's advocacy group College Sports Council. Jim McCarthy, Council spokesperson, said the federal requirement for quota-based equality in men's and women's sports probably doesn't reflect differing gender-based interest levels. "There is no method that could be more fair and straight-forward for students to demonstrate their interest than simply to be asked," the Council said in a letter to NCAA schools. The Council is concerned that some schools may be dropping men's sports to bring varsity opportunities into enrollment-based quotas. Rutgers and California State University at Fresno recently dropped some men's teams. TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE Deja vu for Aber as WSU quarterback WINONA, Minn., Aug. 30, 2006 -- Junior quarterback Drew Aber will be back as the headline starter for the Winona State University football team this season. Coach Tom Sawyer decided to stick with Aber, who was the starting QB for the last final games last year. Sawyer said it was a tough choice between Aber and senior Aaron Boettcher. "They're both capable," Sawyer said. Last season Aber replaced Boettcher as quarterback after the Warriors' 51-6 loss to North Dakota. This season the Warriors would do well with either man, Sawyer said. Aber completed 153 of 260 passes for 2,388 yards and 2 touchdowns last season. The Warriors won seven of the eight games in which he started. The loss was the 35-21 Metrodome game with Concordia of St. Paul. DREW ABER QBing against Truman NEXT Truman State at WSU 1 p.m. Saturday SEASON OPENER

Probation for Appelwick's vodka-source buddy

Hatch brings governor's race to WSU

WINONA, Minn, Aug. 30, 2006 -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch will be pumping hands Thursday at Winona State University. Hatch's visit includes a news conference: Date: Thursday, Aug. 31 Time: 2 p.m. Place: Oak Rooms E and F, Krzysko Commons Cost: Free Background: Races campus people

MIKE HATCH Minnesota attorney general

Former St. Teresa counselor dies

Winona as the heart of a new Napa Valley?

University defends prof's 9/11 unorthodoxy

New Mexico ex-football players allege religious slights

Merchants Bank funds Tech scholarships

SAT scores off; biggest drop in quarter century

Winona GOP moves to mall

Study: Student indebtedness same at public, private colleges

WSU will hold election-night classes

SOCCER (WOMEN'S) WSU 3, WSU

Warriors blank Viterbo, set turnstyle record

WSU coach begins weekly football luncheon

Football coaches rank WSU 19th

Auditions set for "Nutcracker"

Islamic scholar reports death threats

"Love Makes Family" exhibit at WSU

Diehm named soccer defensive player of week

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 29, 2006 -- The Northern Sun named Winona State University goal-keeper Amanda Diehm, a sophomore, as the conference's defensive soccer player of the week. Diehm did not allow a goal in three matches over a four-day period. Diehm played 290 minutes and came up with six saves.

AMANDA DIEHM WSU goal-tender

California governnor signs censorship ban

Report: Chancellor's son on contractor payroll

Sexual-orientation educator speaks at WSU

Dobie garners all-tourney volleyball honors

Study: Growth in online continuing-ed

Cops continue fall crackdown on drunkenness

Chamber ensemble plans winds concert

Duke rape evidence file disclosed

WSU, Benchmark establish faculty residencies

Student unhappy, but murdering the prof?

WSU masscom senior injured in car wreck

LEWISTON, Minn., Aug. 28, 2006 -- A Winona State University student journalist, Laura Gossman, was injured when her car went off a narrow, windy dirt road above Farmers Park Sunday evening. Apparently no one saw the accident happen. Gossman was pinned in the car for an hour, perhaps longer. Eventually she managed to free herself and crawl 50 feet up a ravine to the road, deputies said. She was airlifted to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn. Her injuries, including a severely dislocated ankle, were described as non-life threatening. MORE Gossman, 22, a Winona State senior, had been a news editor at the Winonan student newspaper. She also was a frequent contributor to the CyberIndee. In 2004 she was nominated for the Adolph Bremer Prize for journalistic excellence for her CyberIndee work. Gossman also had worked part-time as a reporter at the Winona Daily News. Recently she had taken a job at Home and Community Options in Winona. The last class that Gossman took at Winona State was this summer. She was planning to sign up for fall classes, which began Monday. The accident, on little used Arches Road, was reported about 7:15 p.m.

LAURA GOSSMAN WSU senior

Price tag for WSU coffee shop: $25,000

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 28, 2006 -- The remodeling for a coffee shop at Somsen Hall at Winona State will cost $25,000, according to a building permit filed by the university. Schwab Construction Co. of Winona will perform the work, the permit said. Background: WSU building Mugby Junction coffee shop

WSU PICKS UP TAB Remodeling under way

Want free textbooks? The "price" is ads

RYAN WOLF RUTH DEFOSTER LYDIA OGLESBY CRAIG FITZ- SIMMONS TOM WILDER CHAD LARIMER

TOMORROW'S GREATEST BYLINES TODAY

Court date set in Rascals incident

WINONA, Minn., Aug, 28, 2006 -- A Winona man accused of busting out the front window of Rascals, a college bar, has been told to appear in court Sept. 28. Kenneth Erkel Thorson, 24, is charged with felony damage to property, misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct. The criminal complaint says Thorson went into the bar about closing time on Thursday, Feb. 9, and told the manager he was looking for a fight. As Thorson was being escorted out he tackled the manager, according to the complaint. Then he returned and smashed the window and a neon sign, the complaint said. Police arrested Thorson on foot near Lafayette and Howard, seven blocks away. Background: Window smashed at Third Street bar

RASCALS 151 E. Third St.

UCLA offers reward in animal-rights bomb case

Georgia Tech loses case on restricting dorm speech

College to review policy on depressed students

Ohio lays out options in plagiary cases

Request a hearing.

Forfeit their degrees.

Meawhile, the engineering school has created a mandatory technical-writing seminar. Also, every engineering student will need to sign a statement of originality on theses and dissertations. Faculty who approved plagiarized papers have been banned from advising grad students.

Background: Prof sues for defamation over plagiary

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RECENT DAYS IN THE CITY POSTED AUG. 28, 2006 STEAMED BURGERS NO MORE. Downtown revitalization crusader Jennifer Hoffman, once a City Council candidate, closed her Abby's Soda Jerk after two years in business. The 50s-style eatery, 119 East Third St., had a hard time catching on. Hoffman cited personal reasons for going out of business. REASONABLE FACSIMILE? The School Board approved Alisa Petersen as a temporary replacement for board member Fred Petersen, her hubby, who has been away on summer job in Alaska since May. Petersen and the Board had been under criticism for letting his constituents go unrepresented months on end. He is expected back in October. Background LOW-COST GOVERANCE. Winona County has the fifth lowest government expenses among Minnesota's 87 counties, according to state Auditor Pat Anderson. The ranking was based on 2004 data. EARLIER NEWS IN THE CITY

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Citadel exceeds other academies in sex assaults

CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 28, 2006 -- An internal study on gender relations at the Citadel, 10 years after the military academy was forced to admit female cadets, found almost one in five women reported being sexually assaulted since enrolling. Also, one in 25 male cadets reported being sexually assaulted. Lt. Gen. John Rosa, president, said that the data would help in revising policies. Incidents were higher than at the Air Force, Naval and West Point academies, which have conducted similar surveys. At the Citadel, most of assaults involved unwanted touching and stroking, fondling private parts and kissing. But 16 of the 27 incidents reported by women and 15 of the 23 reported by men there was unwanted sexual intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, or penetration with an object. Most incidents were reported neither to school officials nor police. Most cases involving women happened in the barracks or elsewhere on campus and the perpetrator was another cadet. For men most incidents were on campus and about half of the perpetrators were Citadel cadets.

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SOCCER (WOMEN'S) WSU 2, Augustana 0

Warriors run soccer winning streak to 25

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 27, 2006 -- Winona State University scored single goals in each half to defeat Augustana 2-0 in nonconference soccer. Junior midfielder Kallie Tellefsen scored at 22:11. Kayla Walters and Amelia Kasten each assisted. At 66:53 of the second half, Heidi Woerle took a rebound shot and scored. The match was the third straight shutout for the Warriors and for goal-tender Amanda Diehm. The Warriors defense gave up just two shots, with both being on goal, Diehm coming up with the save on each shot. The match extended the Warriors' unbeaten streak to 25 matches.

Statistics

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Maxwell kids program in Winona partnership

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 26, 2006 -- The Maxwell Children's Center at Winona State University has entered a partnership with the Madison grade school to offer childcare for toddler and preschool age children this fall. June Reineke, Maxwell director, said the partnership is a win-win for everybody. The center, which plans to be financially self-supporting, will pay rent to School District 861 for three rooms, which will accommodate 30 toddler and preschool children. Reineke said the center has raised nearly $10,000 through private and business donations and grants. As much as $10,000 more is needed to finish equipping the rooms, she said..

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Montana plan: Cap tuition at 5%

HELENA, Mont., Aug. 27, 2006 -- Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, proposed capping tuition increases at 5 percent for four-year colleges and freezing tuition at two-year colleges. The plan would need approval from the Legislature. Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, have countered with a plan to cut tuition by 5 percent. Tuition increased more than 8 percent this year.

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VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN'S) WSU 3, St. Joseph's of Indiana 0 Saginaw Valley State 3, WSU 2

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Faculty strike averted at Ferris State

BIG RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 27, 2006 -- Profs and administrators ar Ferris State University came to a tentative contract agreement, one day before fall classes were to scheduled begin. Among issues were wages and health-care costs. Insiders said the tentative agreement is for 2 and 3 percent raises over the next three years. The profs' union had voted last week to authorize a strike if the university rejected its latest offer. A vote had been scheduled for Monday on whether to carry out a strike.

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Georgetown acts against Protestant proselytizing

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2006 -- Georgetown University, a Catholic institution, banned Protestant ministries from campus to prevent proselytizing. On-campus Protestant groups are unaffected -- just outsider groups. Among those banned are Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, both national organizations. Constance Wheeler, a Protestant chaplain at Georgetown, made the announcement in the wake of growing tension over whether the Protestant organizations are seeking cinversions.

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ELECTION 2006

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WSU Democrat takes stock of Gutknecht vows

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 26, 2006 -- A campus Democrat leader at Winona State University, Student Sen. Rick Howden, criticized Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., for breaking his vow to help balance the federal budget when he was first elected. Howden cited 1994 photo-op news coverage of Gutknecht waving the so-called Contract with America from the Capitol steps. The contract promised a balanced budget. "How has Gil done?" Howden asks in a letter to newspaper opinion pages. Howden notes that the huge budget surplus that "Gil and his Washington friends" inherited six years ago is gone: "The country now is deeply in debt -- debt our kids and grandkids will pay on for the rest of their lives." MORE The Contract with America also laid out strict term limits, Howden said: "Gil promised us 12 years ago he wouldn't serve more than 12 years. Now the news is out that he got caught (not once but twice) trying to erase his promises from an online Internet encyclopedia. Howden, former president of the Winona State student Democrats, said he supports Democrat Tim Walz, a Mankato teacher a 24-year National Guard member, for Congress. He praised Walz for "integrity, courage and intelligence." Background: Congressman caught trying to dink with history Background: Races campus people are watching

RICK HOWDEN WSU Student senator

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WSU SECURITY REPORT WEEK ENDING AUG. 26, 2006 Aug. 26, 2006: Police arrested a student near Ninth and Huff streets at 3:35 a.m. for minor consuming and obstructing legal process. Aug. 26, 2006: Three students were cited at 12:05 a.m. for attempting to bring alcohol into the Lourdes dorm. Aug. 26, 2006: Security guards cited several students for an alcohol violation in the Quad dorm at 11:15 p.m. Aug. 26, 2006: Security guards responded to Morey dorm at 12 p.m. concerning a student who was experiencing pain. A friend took the student to the hospital. MORE Aug. 25, 2006: A student reported at 12:30 p.m. that she provided some personal information to a salesperson and later became concerned. Aug. 24, 2006: Security guards assisted some students who were stuck in an elevator in the Quad dorm at 11:30 p.m. Aug. 23, 2006: A staff member reported at 8:45 p.m. that a student pedestriam had been struck by a vehicle while crossing at Huff and Howard streets. The student hd gotten up and walked away and eventually walked to the campus nursing station for minor injuries. Police were notified. Aug. 23, 2006: At 4:45 a.m. security guards assisted a student who was feeling ill. The student went to the hospital. Aug. 20, 2006: A student reported at that her unlocked bike was taken from outside Kryzsko Commons.

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Judge: Same-sex marriage rights not portable

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug, 25, 2006 -- A state judge ruled that Monroe Community College did not discriminate against an employee when it denied health benefits for the woman's lesbian partner. The employee had argued that the couple, who had married in Canada, should receive the same benefits as heterosexual married couples. The judge ruled that state law does not recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.

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FREE EXPRESSION / FREE INQUIRY

California acts to protect student press

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 25, 2006 -- The California Legislature passed a bill to prohibit officials from censoring student publications at public colleges. The bill grants student reporters free-speech protections similar to those held by professional journalists. The Senate voted 31-2 in favor. The House earlier approved the bill 76-0. The bill partly was a reaction to a secret memo thatt Christine Helwick, general counsel of the California State University system, to campus presidents that they may have "more latitude than previously believed" to censor subsidized student newspapers. Helwick said a 2005 decision by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in an Illinois case. In the case, Hosty v. Carter, the court supported administrators who censored a student newspaper at Governors State University.

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In Washington, Mark Goodman, executive director of the Student Press Law Center, called the California Hosty bill "a positive step." Since the Hosty case, Goddman has encouraged student journalists, particularly in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, the Seventh Circuit's jurisdiction, to push administrators for official recognition of their editorial freedom. The Student Press Law Center's efforts intensified in February, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in the Hosty case.

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California is the first state to pass Hosty legislation to support student-press freedom. Goodman said at least one other state may consider a Hosty bill this year.

Background: California moves to shield college press
Background: Student press adviser foresees rocky road
Background: Supreme Court passes on student media case

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FREE EXPRESSION / FREE INQUIRY

Colorado panel calls for tenure rule changes

BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 25, 2006 -- A University of Colorado committee recommended 40 changes in the tenure system, including quicker firing of incompetent profs. The 431-page report concluded that the university's tenure processes generally are sound in supporting academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas but need strengthening. The review follows investigations into prof Ward Churchill, who became a magnet for tenure-system critics after he likened some victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attack to a Nazi leader. The university now is in the process of dismissing Churchill after investigations into his research practices. As a tenured prof he has appealed. Churchill's critics say he was awarded tenure too quickly and without a sufficient review of his academic work. MORE The report recommends an outside audit of a sample of tenure cases every five years, a review of the entire tenure process every 10 years, a six-month deadline for reviewing faculty members under investigation for dismissal "for cause," and new post-tenure reviews to provide incentives to professors to perform well. Background: Colorado prof appeals dismissal

WHAT IS TENURE? Tenure is a special kind of job security that colleges award to senior profs to protect them from politicians and others who don't like their academic inquiries into issues that may be unpopular. Tenure is an essential to the free inquiry and free expression that are at the heart of a college's mission. Think Galileo. Think Darwin. Think Martin Luther. Think Aristotle. Think Christ.

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VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN'S) WSU 3, Texas A&M Kingsville 1 Augstana 3, WSU 0

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WSU offers aviation ground school

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 25, 2006 -- A private-pilot ground school course is being offered at Winona State University this fall. Prof George Bolon said that the 11-week Federal Aviation Administration-approved course will help students pass the FAA written exam for pilot certification. Bolon said that registration can be completed at the first class:

Date: Tuesday, Aug. 29 Time: 7 p.m. Place: Stark 106 Cost: Not announced Contact: George Bolon at (507) 457-5585

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Colleges claim new federal grant rules unworkable

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2006 -- The American Council on Education, a lobbying group for colleges, complained that proposed federal requirements for colleges to verify student eligibility for new grant programs places a "breathtaking new administrative burden" on colleges. David Ward, association president, noted that the U.S. Education Department would have colleges determine the eligibility with a "retrospective, granular analysis on every transcript." It's unworkable, Ward said. Several other higher-ed organizations have joined Ward's objections.

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At issue is eligibility of talented low-income students for extra grant money if they have completed rigorous high-school programs. The grants would be would be $750 to $1,300, provided students maintain a 3.0 grade-point average. Not only is the detailed analysis for eligibility unworkable, Ward said, but the proposed timelines to determine eligibility in time to get money to students are impossible. Similarly problematic are the new so-called Smart Gants for Pell-eligible students in engineering, math, science or certain foreign languages, Ward said.

Background: Feds to allow grants for evolutionary bio students

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Business ethics book co-authored by SMU ex-president

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 25, 2006 -- The retired president of St. Mary's University, Louis DeThomasis, and Minneapolis Star Tribune business columnist Neal St. Anthony wrote a book, "Doing Right in a Shrinking World: How Corporate America Can Balance Ethics and Profit in a Changing Economy." The book, published by Greenleaf, is on several business book club lists. "We focus on doing ethics in a profit-driven world economy and show the reader how ethics and profit can coexist," DeThomasis said. DeThomasis and St. Anthony ask in the book whether ethical agreement is possible in a multicultural world? Do religions help or hinder businesses to do ethics? How do U.S. chief executives tackle ethical issues? "Alone, the Golden Rule, religious tenets, and other static belief systems are no longer viable options in our ever-changing world," DeThomasis, a Christian Brother, said. "With the diverse cultures, religions and organizations in our global economy, we must continuously adapt to unique situations and make decisions that benefit all people." MORE The book argues that it is important to frame business ethics not as a higher calling or a legal minimum requirement but as a realistic tool for increasing profit. DeThomasis and St. Anthony encourage spreading wealth and improving the quality of life and human rights worldwide. The publisher, Greenleaf Books, is promoting "Doing Right" as a new perspective to help organizations balance ethics with profit and do away with the idea that businesses should apologize for seeking increased wealth. The book offers case studies of executives who embrace cultural differences and proceed with imagination, faith and commitment to doing ethics in a rapidly changing pluralistic economy.

MESSAGE FOR BUSINESS: Benefit all people CO-AUTHORS DETHOMASIS SMU chancellor and former president ST. ANTHONY Newspaper columnist

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College advising in place for Minnesota vets

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 25, 2006 -- A new initiative to assist military veterans returning to college has been created by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs with a $600,000 legislative grant. Donald Pfeffer, of the state college system, will direct the program under a five-year contract with state veterans departmen. Regional offices, which opened Aug. 14, will provide information, resources and referrals about veterans benefits, the Montgomery GI bill, psychological assistance and physical injury support. The regional offices offices are at Minnesota State-Moorhead, Lake Superior College in Duluth, St. Cloud State, Southwest Minnesota State, Minnesota State-Mankato and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

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Feds to allow grants for evolutionary bio students

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2006 -- Oops. The U.S. Education Department said it was an oversight that evolutionary biology was omitted from a list of science majors eligible for a new federal grant program. David Dunn, chief of staff, said evolutionary biology would be on the final list of programs for which the new $4,000 Smart Grants are available. Dunn made the statement in a written document, which did not squarely address suspicions that the omission ws in deference to President Bush and to religious rigghtists who have campaigned against Darwinism.

Background: No federal Smart Grants for evolutionary biology

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ELECTION 2006

Klochubar aide notes shift in Kennedy tactics

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 25, 2006 -- The Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, Mark Kennedy, is distancing himself from the president, according to a campaign aide for Democrat Amy Klochubar. In a message to Klochubar supporters Ben Godfarb noted that Kennedy's current ads are reveaking a whole "new" side of him. "Unlike his campaign ads in the past, his good buddy George Bush is nowhere to be seen, and he even forgot to mention he's a Republican," Goldfarb said. "It takes a lot of guts to look into a camera and tell people you're bipartisan and independent when you've voted with your president and political party no less than 92 percent of the time.

Background: Races campus people are watching

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Study: North Carolina tuition hikes illegal

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 25, 2006 -- The University of North Carolina system is vulnerable t a lawsuit for its near-annual tuition increases, accordig to a study by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research. The report refers to a state constitutional mandate that "higher education, as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the state free of expense." The system has had tuition increases annually from 1999 through 2002, resulting in a 71 percent increase for in-state undergrads. In 2004 and 2006 there also have been increases for individual campuses. The report cautions that a tuition lawsuit could cost massive amounts of money if tuition refunds are ordered.

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T'ai chi among WSU fall courses

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 25, 2006 -- A senior-level course, T'ai Chi Holistic Health, will be taught by retired Winona State prof Brice Wiklkinson this fall at the univerity. The course is offeed through the Health, Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences Department. The class has been recommended by the National Council on Aging, Wilkinson said.

Date: Monday, Aug. 28 Time: 8 a.m. Place: Lourdes 157 Cost: Not announced Contact: Brice Wilkinson at (507) 457-5083

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New Orleans schools sues over insurance

NEW ORLEANS, La., Aug 25, 2006 -- Dillard University sued its insurance carriers for cutting flood coverage. The suit names Lexington Insurance, Axis Specialty Insurance, and RSUI Indemnity. Dillard claims the companies ignored an emergency state rule aimed at protecting institutions ravaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Said Dillard President James Garer: "You can't kick the wounded when they're down. You can't profiteer from someone else's misery." The companies cut the university's flood coverage from $500 million to $50 million and hiked deductibles. Meanwile, Loyola and Tulane universitues have sued their insurance companies for failing to pay claims for hurricane losses.

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Court: College must accept all-male frat

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2006 -- The College of Staten Island must accept an all-male frat as a campus club, a federal judge ruled. The college had been denied denied club status to the proposed chapter of the international frat Alpha Epsilon Pi on grounds it practied by gender discrimination by not accepting women. Judge Dora Irizarry ruled that federal law protects the single-sex nature of social frats and sororities. The frat now will be eligible for college financial support and access to facilities.

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States increasing funds for higher-ed

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2006 -- State financial support for higher education nationwide will grow 6.3 percent this academic year, according to a projection from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The increase will move ahead of last year's 6.1 percent. Eleven states plan to increase higher-ed spending 10 percent, the report said. Mississippi, which has changed iys higher-ed funding mechanisms, has the latgest increase -- 28.6 percent. Alabama is second at 18.7 percent. Two states, New Jersey and Texas, have cut their higher-ed spending.

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ELECTION 2006

Union chief: Colleges suffering under Pawlenty

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 25, 2006 -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is running for a second term, has not been the friend of higher-ed that Nancy Black, president of the state professors' union, would like. In a letter to union members, including Winona State profs, Black noted that Pawlenty slashed approriations for the MnSCU system, of which Winona State is part, by $189 million for the biennium. When Pawlenty took office in 2002 the state appropriation for MnSCU institutions was $601 for the biennium, Black noted. Even with increases for Pawlenty's second biennium the appropriation is back only to $600 million. That, she said, is $1 million short of four years ago. Over those four years, she said, enrollment has grown by more than 10,000 students, and inflation has risen 12 percent. The union, the Inter Faculty Organization, is prohibited by law from edorsing candidates but does provide fact sheets on legislative voting records and candidate positions on higher education. To IFO members, Blcks said: "Read this information, and please vote in November."

NANCY BLACK Tough on governor Black: State higher-ed funding less than four years ago, even as enrollment and inflation go up

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Prof sues for defamation over plagiary

ATHENS, Ohio, Aug, 25 2006 -- the former chair of of mechanical engineering at Ohio University, Jay Gunasekera, sued the university for a report that he charges accused him falsely of supporting academic fraud. Gunasekera said the report, on a student plagiarism scandal, claims there is no evidence that he was aware of any of the plagiarism. The report, he said, has cost him job opportunities and a nomination as a fellow of the International Academy of Manufacturing Engineering. The report, by an on-campus investigating committee, called for the dismissal of Gunasekera and a fellow faculty member in "rampant and flagrant plagiarism" by grad students over more than 20 years.

Background: Resignation follows plagiarism report

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SOCCER (WOMEN'S) WSU 0, South Dakota 0 (tie) (double overtime) (exhibition).

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Maryland bans its funds from Sudan

BALTIMORE, Md., Aug. 25, 2006 -- The University of Maryland system joined the movement to drop investments in companies that do business in Sudan to protest the country's governmental complicity in the Darfur genocide. The system, which does not have any current investments in Sudan, has directed its money managers to avoid them in the future.

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WSU inks second Burlington Catholic cager

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 25, 2006, -- A second Burlington, Wis., basketball plater, Rion Rayfield who helped lead his high school to a state championship and a 26-1 season, has been signed to play for Winona State University. Rayfield, a 6-foot-1 guard from Burlington Catholic High, joins former prep teammate Matt Smith on the Warrior team. Coach Mike Leaf said he was especially pleased that Rayfield chose Winona State, noting that he originally signed with North Dakota. "There was a coaching change at UND, and Rion requested his release from there," Leaf said. "We now welcome him as a Warrior." Leaf called Rion "a true point guard" who can also play the off guard position. Rayfield shot 51 percent from three-point range last season. He also averaged 20.5 points and 4.8 assists per game. "He is fundamentally very sound," continued Leaf. "He can shoot the lights out, create off the dribble and will be very dangerous in the open court."

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In high school, Rayfield was on the Associated Press and WBCA all-state teams. He was Wishhops.net Division 4 player of the year. Three imes he was on the Racine all-county team, the all-area team, and all-conference team. He was on the all-state Journal Sentinel team and named all-area and conference player of the year.

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Besides Rayfield and Smith, the Warriors have signed Brad Meyer of Winona High School standout.

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Last season the Warriors captured the NCAA Division II national championship along with the North Central and Northern Sun championships. The tean finished the season 32-4 with a 22-game winning streaand totaled a 32-4 record.

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Fall drunkenness-arrest season off and running

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 24, 2006 -- The dark side of a new college semester showed itself, predictably, with public drunkenness in the Winona State University neighborhood. Anticipating high levels of partying, the cops were out in reinforced numbers and made arrests in six incidents early Thursday:

A 20-year-old man was cited near Huff and King streets at 12:05 a.m. for underage drinking, underage possession of alcohol, and public consumption.

An 18-year-old man was cited near Fifth and McBride streets at 12:09 a.m. for underage drinking and driving.

A 28-year-old man was stopped at Fifth and McBride streets at 1:11 a.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence of a drug.

A 19-year-old man was cited near Howard and Center streets at 1:37 a.m. for underage drinking.

The fall drinking-arrest season began the night before, at 1:04 a.m., when a 21-year-old man was stopped near Fifth and Johnson streets and cited for drunken driving and marijuana possession.

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Lincoln building to become WSU's June 15

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 24, 2006 -- The School Board set June 15 as the new date to vacate the Lincoln building and turn the property over to Winona State University. In the meantime, mid-level Learning Center will continue to use Lincoln, at Huff and Sarnia. The Board has rented a building at 909 West Fifth St. for the Center's art and work-skills classes at $1,000 a month. The district's executive offices and most other Lincoln programs have been moved to the high school or other district buildings.

Background: WSU acquisition of Lincoln on hold

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Indian activist LaDuke scheduled at WSU

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 24, 2006 -- An Ojibwe champion of Indian rights, Winona LaDuke, has rescheduled a Winona State University speech from last spring, which she canceled to testify before a Senate committee at on her wild rice bill. The title of LaDuke's presentation: "Honoring the Earth: Our Native American Legacy." LaDuke is known for her work as environmentalist, economist and writer. She was the Green Party vice-presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000.

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 19 Time: 7 p.m. Place: Somsen Auditorium Cost: Free Contact: Cindy Killion at (507) 457-5098

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SOCCER (WOMEN'S) WSU 4, Southwest Missouri State 0 (exhibition).

Warriors win in final seconds

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 24, 2006 -- Winona State University opened its season by needing to go down to the final seconds before beating Missouri Western State 1-0 in nonconference soccer. The Warriors finally got a goal from All-American Kayla Walters with five seconds left in regulation play. Walters got the shot off in front of the net after a shot by Holly Sutton bounced off Missouri Western goalkeeper Ahsley Harret. Walters was able to put the ball in the back of the net. A minute earlier the Warriors missed opportunity to take the lead. Sutton bounced a shot off the left post. The ball bounced to Heidi Woerle, who was wide open. Woerle got off a shot but put it high over the net. For the game the Warriors got off 15 shots, five on goal, and allowed only two shots, with Winona State goalkeeper Amanda Diehm not needing to come up with a save on either shot. The match extended the Warrior unbeaten streak to 23.

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RECENT DAYS IN THE CITY POSTED AUG. 24, 2006 COCAINE PROFITS. Daisey May Coughlin, 23, of suburban Minnesota City, was arrested after, police said, she sold cocaine on five occasions to informants under police surveillance Police quoted Coughlin that she had pulled in $100,000 selling cocaine since January. Some weeks she earned as much as $6,000, police said she told them. IN ABSENTIA. The wife of School Board member Fred Petersen is being considered to pinch-hit for the rest of his protracted absence to go bush-piloting in Alaska. Board Chair Larry Laber said Alisa Petersen would be a "good fit." Fred Petersen has missed all board meetings since May and says now he won't be back until October. EARLIER NEWS IN THE CITY

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Three Guthrie theater trips planned

WINONA, Minn., Aug. 24, 2006 -- It'll be a triple-feature of matinees at the Guthrie for Winona theater aficionados who sign on for three bus trips to the Cities. Winona State University theater prof Dave Bratt said he has arranged buses for "Lost in Yonkers," by Neil Simon, Oct. 28; "The Glass Menagerie," by Tennessee Williams, Feb. 24; and "The Merchant of Venice," by William Shakespeare, April 21. The deadline for reservations for the first trip is Thursday, Sept. 28, Bratt said.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 28 Time: Bus at 10 a.m. Place: Bus departs Performing Arts Center Cost: $25 to $30 Contact: Dave Bratt at (507) 457-5241

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Gizmo-enabled college recruiters head for Fair

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 24, 2006 -- The state college system has dusted off its touch-and-find interactive kiosks for another run at the State Fair. The screens offer a virtual tour of MnSCU campuses, including Winona State and Southeast Tech. Representatives from various campuses will be avaialble to counsel fair-goers on programs to earn a degree or retool a career. The exhibit includes a giant interactive map of Minnesota showing all 53 campuses. Representatives from Minnesota Online, a clearinghouse of 120 online programs, will be on hand. Fairgoers also will have a chance to win prizes once an hour by spinning the Wheel of Luck. Campus presidents and system trustees will be available to discuss educational opportunities.