Morris (September 2016 updates)

News and Updates

Chancellor Search Committee update

The Chancellor Search Committee has reviewed applications and will be conducting off-site interviews from a selected group. Tentative dates for finalists to visit campus are October 26 through 28, and October 31 through November 4.
Morris is one of Sierra’s Top 30 Cool Schools for 2016

Office of Academic Success (OAS) names director:

Brenda Boever has been named director of Morris’s Office of Academic Success (OAS), which includes advising, academic assistance, disability resources, and success coaching. Brenda had been acting as the interim director. The mission of the Office of Academic Success is to ensure equal access to educational and academic supports, resources and information, and to promote excellence within the vision of lifelong professional and personal satisfaction in order to foster a University of Minnesota, Morris renewable, sustainable education, during the student’s academic career.

Morris campus publishes preferred and primary name statement

Recent attention and focus on Title IX issues surrounding gender, and campus climate initiatives across the University system aimed to foster and support a climate of inclusion, have elevated conversations on the use of preferred name. The system registrar council (SRC) has engaged in on-going discussions related to this and has submitted a business case to add preferred names to several student reports. Morris campus is the first of our campuses to publish a name statement to provide information on types of names and usage. Take a look: http://www.morris.umn.edu/policies/preferred-name/

Statewide Financial Aid Conference and Financial Aid Nights

One Stop Student Services has started scheduling financial aid nights at area high schools and was also a host site for the MOHE Statewide Financial Aid Conference on September 20th.

Comings and goings

• New staff in One Stop Student Services:
• Lauren Combellick - One Stop Counselor
• Nicole DeCoteau-Vause - One Stop Counselor
• New staff in Financial Aid/One Stop Student Services:
• Nick Skulan - Student Services Specialist
• Jessica Porwoll joined the Office of Academic Success this summer as a Lead Success Coordinator. She will be working with First Year Coaching and Academic Alerts.

Kudos

College of Distinction

Morris has been named a 2016-17 College of Distinction for engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities, and successful outcomes. Washington Monthly recognized Morris for its commitment to public good and affordability.

Morris achieved its highest placement to-date and was the highest ranked Minnesota college in the magazine's annual sustainability ranking. Sierra Club ranked Morris 28th in its 2016 ranking of America's greenest colleges.