Inside Gustavus October 28, 2010 | Volume 43, Number 9

From the President's Desk

Please join me and other members of the College community for the employee awards ceremony on Founders Day, Friday, Oct. 29, at 10 a.m. in Christ Chapel. We will recognize the contributions of three exemplary employees as well as the outstanding work of the many Gustavus employees across the campus. You also are invited to a reception in Alumni Hall in honor of the recipients following the award ceremony.

I am pleased to announce this year's honorees: The Augusta Carlson Schultz Award for the Outstanding Support Staff Employee of 2010 will be awarded to Todd Stolt, Campus Safety officer. The Eric Norelius Award for the Outstanding Administrative Employee for 2010 will be given to Bob Weisenfeld, assistant vice president for corporate and foundation relations. And, the Faculty Service Award for 2010 will be given to Eric Eliason, professor of English.

I want to say a special thank-you to the members of the Schultz Award, Norelius Award, and Faculty Service Award selection committees and to the many people who wrote such thoughtful and inspiring letters of nomination on behalf of their co-workers. The wonderful people who work at Gustavus are clearly the College’s greatest resource.

President's Cabinet Summary

The President’s Cabinet met on October 26, joined by Faculty Senate Chair Steve Mellema (physics) and Vice Chair Sujay Rao (history). The following topics were discussed:

• Drs. Mellema and Rao reported on the recent activities of the Senate, including the following three motions regarding the implementation of top priorities identified in the Academic Strategic Plan: (1) the Compensation Committee was charged with developing a three-year faculty compensation plan; (2) the Faculty Development Committee was charged with developing a three-year professional development plan; and (3) the Academic Technology Committee was charged with developing a three-year technology infrastructure plan. They also relayed faculty members’ excitement about the progress of the new academic building and brought forward questions regarding the planning process for technology needs in the building. Provost Fienen and Vice President Westphal shared with the Cabinet that they will be meeting with the chairs of the academic departments that will be housed in the new building to discuss the needs.
• President Ohle, VP Tom Young, and VP Gwen Freed reported on their recent trip to Sweden to further institutional advancement and international admission goals and to plan for the June 2011 visit to Sweden by the Gustavus Board of Trustees. The trip included an alumni gathering, visits with donors, and visits with contacts at the Sigtuna Boarding School, University of Uppsala, Nobel Foundation, Nobel Museum, Swedish Academy, and the Royal Court of Sweden.
• The group discussed upcoming office moves and construction in the O.J. Johnson Student Union. The Center for Servant Leadership will be located in what is now Linner Lounge and the Center for Vocational Reflection. The current Community Service Center will be the new location for Linner Lounge. Construction will begin in late December, and project completion is expected by spring semester 2011.
• A draft Fundraising Policy for Faculty, Staff, and Campus Organizations was distributed. Further discussion on its adoption will be held at the next Cabinet meeting.
• The guidelines and purpose of a newly established GTS Advisory Committee were reviewed. The group will be convened for its initial meeting within the next several weeks.
• Members reviewed a draft Americans with Disabilities Act policy that includes all faculty, staff, and students. The policy will be on the next Cabinet meeting’s agenda for review/approval.

News & Announcements

Construction Congestion... Starting today (Thursday, Oct. 28) the south lane of Campus Center Drive (the drive that leads in from Campus Drive—the "ring road"—to the circle on the west side of the Jackson Campus Center) will be blocked as wall panels for the middle section of the north side of the new academic building are off-loaded from a truck. This will necessitate closing the south lane of the road, but access beyond the entrance to the Lund Arena parking lot will be maintained during the off-loading utilizing the north lane. The contractor will provide personnel to control traffic when the unloading is occurring. This partial road closing is anticipated to occur periodically through this week and next week. Installation of the exterior stone panels began earlier this week; a few are up already on the northwest corner of the new building, and they really are striking.

Give Blood... Sign up at the table outside the Evelyn Young Dining Room to donate blood for the American Red Cross Memorial Blood Drive that will take place at Gustavus Nov. 3 & 4. This has been an award-winning blood drive due to the continuing spirit of service and responsibility exhibited by the Gustavus community. If you have questions about eligibility, call 1-866-236-3276 (press 3).

Flu Shots Still Available... Did you miss the employee flu shot clinic? Health Service still has vaccine available and continues to recommend the flu shot as the best way to prevent H1N1 and seasonal influenza this year. Employees will need to bring their insurance cards or may choose to pay $25 by cash or check. If you have health insurance through the Gustavus plan, your flu shot will be covered at 100 percent. The Health Service regrets that they are unable to vaccinate retired employees or current employees with Medicare coverage. If you have any questions, contact Health Service at 933-7630 and ask to speak with Tracey or Rebecca. They ask that you call ahead to schedule your vaccination in advance.

Bible Study Fellowship for Faculty, Staff, Administrators... You're invited to join a Christian fellowship group that will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Linner Lounge to discuss being a Christ follower at Gustavus. If you can't join the group in November, they'll be meeting again on Dec. 14. (Bring your lunch if you like.)

Campus Happenings

Chapel Schedule... All are invited to the worship services at 10 a.m. weekdays and 10:30 a.m. Sundays in Christ Chapel. The upcoming schedule is as follows.

• Friday, Oct. 29 - Founders Day: Provost David Fienen
• Sunday, Oct. 31 - Chaplain Rachel Larson
• Monday, Nov. 1 - All Saints' Day: Chaplain Brian Johnson
• Tuesday, Nov. 2 - Festival of Hymns: Commemoration of three Lutheran hymn writers
• Wednesday, Nov. 3 - Morning Praise
• Thursday, Nov. 4 - Chill Out: George Elliot (health service)
• Friday, Nov. 5 - Taizé

New Theatre Season Opens with Shakespeare Adaptation... The Department of Theatre and Dance opens its 2010-11 season with Shakespeare’s R&J, the Joe Calarco adaptation of one of William Shakespeare’s best-loved plays. This adaptation of the classic Romeo and Juliet love story is directed by Henry MacCarthy (theatre), with performances Oct. 28, 29, and 30 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. in Anderson Theatre. Tickets are available online at www.gustavustickets.com and at the Gustavus Ticket Center. Following the Oct. 28 performance, the audience is invited to attend a candlelight vigil outside the theatre in memory of the gay and lesbian students from across the country who have recently committed suicide.

Faculty Shop Talk Reminder... Patric Giesler (soc. & anthro.) will present the next Faculty Shop Talk tomorrow (Oct. 29). His talk, titled "Inducing Belief in the Impossible: 'Otherworldly' Theatricality and Belief in the Ritual Performances of a Little-Known African-Brazilian Secret Society," will be presented beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Interpretive Center. Feel free to arrive any time after 4:15 p.m. The abstract for this and future talks may be viewed at gustavus.edu/events/shoptalks/.

Piano Trio Features Music of Beethoven & Dvořák... The piano trio of Kenneth Freed, violin, Sharon Mautner-Rodgers, 'cello, and Yumiko Oshima-Ryan, piano, will take the Björling Recital Hall stage on Sunday, Oct. 31, at 1:30 p.m. for a concert that includes two major piano trios: Ludvig van Beethoven's four-movement Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 1, No. 3., and Antonin Dvořák's Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90, widely recognized by the title "Dumky." As individual musicians, Freed, Mautner-Rodgers and Oshima-Ryan are well-known to music lovers in the St. Peter/Mankato area: Freed, a violist with the Minnesota Orchestra, has served as music director of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra since 2006. Mautner-Rodgers, who teaches in the Gustavus Department of Music, is principal 'cellist with the Mankato Symphony, a member of the South Dakota Symphony, and a substitute with the Minnesota Orchestra. Pianist Yumiko Oshima-Ryan, an associate professor of music at Gustavus, teaches piano performance, piano pedagogy, and keyboard skills. The concert is open to the public without charge; following the performance, a reception for the musicians will be held in the lobby of the recital hall.

Honoring the Saints in Your Life... The daily chapel service on All Saints' Day, Monday, Nov. 1, will be a liturgy to remember and honor departed and living saints in our lives. You are invited to participate in this liturgy, at which candles will be lighted in memory and in celebration. If you are unable to attend, you may send the name of your loved one to chalhoub@gustavus.edu to be remembered in the prayers. Names may be submitted until 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 1.

'Exploring Religious Questions' Series Continues... Session 4 of "The Dead Sea Scrolls, Jesus and Judaism" will be held on Monday evening, Nov. 1. Alex Jassen, professor of early Judaism at the University of Minnesota who served as the academic adviser for the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Science Museum in St. Paul, will present a lecture on "The Scrolls and First-Century Judaism."

Mixed Blood Theatre Here on Nov. 2... The Mixed Blood Theatre will present Theory of Mind at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2, in Alumni Hall. Written by veteran company member Ken LaZebnik, the play tells the sensitive yet unsentimental story of a young man with Asperger's syndrome whose outing with a young woman becomes a memorable, insightful look at the tugs, shifts, and about-faces found on the autism spectrum. The presentation is underwritten in part by Legacy Amendment Funds, which will bring Mixed Blood to the Gustavus campus for two different performances during the 2010-11 academic year. The activity is also made possible by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund; it is sponsored on campus by the Diversity Center, CAB, and the Office of Student Activities. The production of Theory of Mind is free and open to the public; a post-show discussion of autism will follow the performance. For more information about this collaborative effort, contact Virgil Jones (Diversity Center) at vjones@gustavus.edu or 507-933-7449.

Fall Warmer Set for Nov. 7... The Friends of Linnaeus Arboretum is sponsoring a Fall Warmer at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. A lunch (and short meeting) precedes the presentation, "Without Geography We're Nowhere." The presenter, Christian Gilbert '98, is an eighth-grade geography educator and avid mountain climber. He is also co-founder of G4theSummit, "an online learning environment geared to serve learners of all ages in order to provide a deeper understanding of world places and culture." The event will be held in Alumni Hall; admission including the luncheon is $10 for members, $12 for non-members, and $5 for students (free admission for lecture only). To register, or if you have questions, call 507-933-6181 or e-mail shirley@gustavus.edu.

Wallenberg Lecture Brings Media Specialist to Campus... Jo Ellen Fair, Ph.D., professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will give this year’s Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Lecture on Monday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. in Wallenberg Auditorium. Her talk is titled "Not a simple story: Mass media and mass violence, the African case," and will address American media images of conflict in Africa. The lecture is sponsored by the Peace Studies program at Gustavus. For more information about the annual Wallenberg Lecture, contact Mimi Gerstbauer (political science) at 507-933-7421 or mgerstba@gustavus.edu.

Off-Campus Events of Interest

Smoking Cessation Program... River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic is hosting "Freedom from Smoking," the American Lung Association’s smoking cessation program. Registration is now open for classes, which will begin 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 9, and will meet for seven weeks. The program provides quitting strategies including coping, stress management, weight control, and long-term maintenance. Classes will be held at River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic Conference Room (1900 North Sunrise Drive, St. Peter). Call 507-934-8476 for more information or to register.

Congregational Outreach

Partners in Education... Scheduled for this week is Sarah Ruble (religion), who will speak at Woodlake Lutheran Church in Richfield at 10 a.m. on Oct. 31 (Reformation Sunday) about the history of the Lutheran Reformation. Partners in Education is a program coordinated by the Office of Church Relations in which participating faculty and staff members prepare topical presentations for adult forums, workshops, and seminars in congregations of the ELCA.

Special Events... The Gustavus Choir, under the direction of Gregory Aune, will be featured in a "Singing the Faith Hymn Festival" at Luther Seminary, Olson Campus Center, marking Reformation Sunday on Oct. 31. All are welcome to come celebrate this special day in the life of the church and enjoy the music of the Gustavus Choir. Following the event, there will be a special reception in the Olson Campus Center hosted by the Office of Church Relations for alumni clergy from Gustavus, as well as clergy parents of Gustavus students and alumni. President and Mrs. Ohle will bring a greeting from the College.

Retreats... The Office of Church Relations will host a confirmation retreat for Christ Lutheran Church in Faribault (Pastor Craig Breimhorst) on Oct. 29-30. A high school group from St. Peter Lutheran Church in Denver, Iowa (Pastor Sarah Stadler-Ammon), will be visiting Gustavus overnight on their college "road trip" on Oct. 29-30. They will be meeting with admission counselors and visiting classes on Friday, Oct. 29.

Music in Worship... Any Gustavus music ensemble or soloist is welcome to perform in congregations. For more information, contact Marilyn Beyer (x7001).

Web Tips

Never Use 'Click Here'... Don't use "click here" for your links. It is far better to use more descriptive text.

 



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Inside Gustavus is a newsletter for Gustavus Adolphus College employees produced by the Office of Marketing and Communication. It is published weekly during the academic year (except during the week of Thanksgiving, the Christmas break, Touring Week, and the Spring and Easter breaks). Anyone may submit items by filling out an online submission form. While online submissions are preferred, items may also be submitted typewritten on a letter-sized sheet of paper. Send "snail mail" items to: Inside Gustavus, Office of Marketing and Communication. Items must reach the office no later than 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday before publication. The week of Nobel Conference the deadline is 4:30 p.m. Monday. For more information, contact Steve Waldhauser (waldo@gustavus.edu or x6413).

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