Here is some clarification regarding E-campus courses counting toward full-time enrollment status for graduate students, as a follow up to the announcement/information on this subject sent by Brenda McComb in early November.

Effective winter 2012 (this term), the E-campus course exclusion for registration requirements for graduate assistants (GRA/GTA) appointment and qualification for graduate scholarships has been removed.  E-campus credits will be viewed as no different than on-campus courses, and will count toward reaching full-time enrollment status (12-credits) for graduate students. Similarly, E-campus courses will count toward full-time enrollment status for graduate scholarships and fellowships, and scholarship/fellowship tuition relief programs.

We are piloting this program for one year (winter 2012 through fall 2012); at the end of that period, a decision will be made as to whether this will be continued.  Financial impacts to programs offering E-campus graduate courses will only be felt when a graduate student receiving a tuition remission or waiver takes an E-campus course.  For those students with a tuition waiver, E-campus and the unit offering the course will see a reduction in tuition revenue. If a grant pays tuition remission for on campus course credits it will also pay for E-campus course credits.

Analysis of the current situation is that few on-campus graduate students currently take E-campus courses, so the financial impact will be small.

Examples:

1. Student A is a GTA employed at > =0.2 FTE and is taking 9 credits of on-campus courses and 3 credits of E-campus courses. The tuition for both on-campus and E-campus courses is waived.  Loss of revenue to the unit and E-campus is equal to the value of the tuition income for the E-campus course credits.

 

1. Student B is a GRA at > =0.2 FTE and is paid from a grant in which tuition is included in the grant award. This student is also taking 9 credits of on-campus courses and 3 credits of E-campus courses.  The tuition for both on-campus and E-campus courses is paid from the grant.  Loss of revenue to the unit and E-campus is equal to the value of the tuition income for the E-campus course credits.

 

1. Student C is not employed by the university in a tuition waiver-qualified position, and is not receiving any tuition remission.  This student is taking 9 credits of on-campus courses and 3 credits of E-campus courses. The tuition for both on-campus and E-campus courses is paid in full by the student.  E-campus and the unit will receive revenue from tuition income for the E-campus course credits as they did prior to this new policy.

 

Student fees are not covered by the GRA/GTA fee waiver nor for scholarship tuition relief waivers; any additional student fees charged for E-campus courses therefore must be covered by the student regardless of tuition waiver, just as on-campus course fees must be paid by the student.

 

Questions, please give me a call.

 

Fran Saveriano

Director of Graduate Student Financial Support and Recruitment

Oregon State University Graduate School

541/737-1459

 

I write to call your attention to two important developments here in Washington: the release by the National Science Board (NSB) of the biennial report Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 and the release by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of a draft RFA to award $100 million over five years to a number of projects tackling the major challenges of international development.

National Science Board: Science and Engineering Indicators 2012

States reduced per-student funding for major public research universities by a fifth during the past decade, while foreign competitors invested heavily to challenge our nation’s once dominant position in science, innovation and higher education, according to the new NSB report out today.  The NSB found state funding for the top 101 public research universities declined by 10 percent between 2002 and 2010, in inflation adjusted dollars and nearly three-quarters of the universities experienced reductions in state funding.

The 575-page Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 report, a biennial report to the President and Congress, is the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis on the nation’s position in science and technology.  It also provides important insight into the plight of public research universities across the nation as well as the important role our institutions play in the nation’s global competitiveness.  We have issued the following statement in response:

“America’s public research universities are a critical component to the nation’s global economic competitiveness.  State support per student for public universities has been trending down for over a decade and that drop in support is driving up tuition costs and increasing the indebtedness of graduates.

“Public university leaders continue to work diligently to control costs and raise funds for additional student financial aid to ensure access to the widest range of students possible. All over the country major change is underway on public university campuses in order to respond to student and public needs with quality even as there have been significant reductions in public funding.

“However, the facts remain, that cuts in state appropriations have resulted in higher tuition and we urge states to do all they can to sustain their support of students and their public universities. For more than 150 years, public research universities have provided the intellectual and human capital to advance America, now is not the time to abandon this critical resource.”

The entire report is available on the National Science Foundation website.  There is significant data within the report that I encourage you to use to build support within your state.

USAID: Request for Applications

USAID announced an interesting opportunity focused on engaging the university community in new approaches to tackling the major challenges of international development.  The draft RFA, comes with a strong S&T emphasis, but it is multidisciplinary in its approach and also reaches deeply into the social sciences.  Our information is that it will award $100 million over five years to two or three consortia, tackling the broadest problems; and seven or eight single institution proposals, with a narrower focus.

The approach draws in some respects on the NSF’s Center concept, and those of you who met with or heard USAID Administrator Raj Shah at our Annual Meeting will realize that his remarks to us were setting the stage for this initiative.

Although this is a draft version, we understand the final will not be substantially different.  We also understand there may be a relatively short response time once the final is released, although we will urge USAID to allow time for our best institutions to do their best work on this flagship initiative.

We provided the document to your International Programs and International Agricultural Officers last week, and it is also going out to your Research VPs.  They are aware of the process for submitting questions and that there will be a pre-solicitation conference/webinar on the afternoon of January 24.  (Details are at  http://universityengagement.usaid.gov.)  Your campuses are no doubt already hard at work, but I wanted to make you personally aware of what I see as an excellent opportunity to deepen the collaboration between our member institutions and USAID.

 

Oregon Lottery Graduate Scholarships

The Graduate School encourages nomination of qualified, degree-seeking graduate and post-baccalaureate professional students under the Oregon Lottery Graduate Scholarship program. Total funding available for these awards will be distributed equally on the basis of academic merit and financial need.

Please limit your nominations to no more than three per department/program. When submitting more than one nominee, please provide a rank ordering to assist in the review process.

Please refer to the announcement (click on link above) for eligibility and procedural requirements.  Nominations must be received by the Graduate School by March 1, 2012.

 

Englund Memorial Postgraduate Scholarship

Applications are sought for the 2012-13 Eric Englund Memorial Post-graduate Scholarship, which is to be awarded to a graduate of Oregon State University. This scholarship will be given for graduate study in agricultural economics (preferably, but not necessarily exclusively, in its international aspects), or home economics.

One or more scholarships will be awarded for the 2012-13 school year, depending on the qualifications and financial needs of the applicants. Students should consult with the Office of the Dean of Health and Human Sciences for home economics students or the director of the Applied Economics graduate program to determine the deadline for submitting their completed application forms and accompanying documents.

Please refer to the announcement (click on link above) for eligibility, procedural requirements and deadlines.

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Information regarding these and other scholarship and fellowship programs administered by the Graduate School may be found at: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/fellowships.php.

 

A matrix of programs administered by the Graduate School may be found here:  http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/current/2012-13%20Fellowship%20Table.pdf

 

It’s the time of year to review existing (non-academic or non-course) fees and/or request new fees.  Please browse your department’s existing fees at http://osufees.bus.oregonstate.edu/.  Changes to existing fees or new fees would be effective July 1, 2012.

Any changes to existing fees or requests for new fees must go through an approval process .  The deadline for Internal and External fee proposals is Friday March 16, 2012. Proposals submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the University Internal/External Fee Committee (I/EFC).  Before receiving final approval, external fees must be made available for public review in the Valley Library for 30 days before a mandatory public hearing is held in June.

For any revisions or additions, a justification will be needed to explain how the fee was calculated.  A worksheet with the calculation could also be submitted.  Samples of Recharge Fee Calculation Forms can be found within the exhibit section of the FIS Manual. http://oregonstate.edu/fa/manuals/fis/003.

All existing fees must be reviewed annually, even if there are no changes.  Please confirm by March 1 that you have reviewed all existing fees, If you only wish to change the index or some wording within the description, please let me know by the March 1 date.

For assistance with University Fees, see the Fee Criterion section https://fees.oregonstate.edu/Public/FeeCriteria.aspx within OSU Fees Online.  This section contains Fee System Instructions plus links to informative policies.  If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Alexis.

 

J.S. Barrett has won a 2012 Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship which will be presented at the WM2012 Conference in Phoenix, AZ on 28 February, 2012.  Mr. Barrett will also get an all expenses paid trip to Phoenix to claim his award.

 

As you know, the Research Office recently implemented a new web-based solution for proposal preparation and routing, Cayuse 424, that seeks to replace the paper-based transmittal form with an electronic process.  Your new faculty colleagues have had an introduction to the system through both the College of Science New Faculty Mentoring Luncheon and the Research Office New Faculty Orientation.  They also are being provided with two special training opportunities (for new faculty only, registration required) through the RO on Nov. 29 and 30.

We have arranged for additional Cayuse 424 training opportunities for all College of Science faculty and staff who engage in grant writing and submission activities as well.  These will take place on Wednesday 14 December from 9-10:30am, and Friday 20 January from 9-10:30am (early in the Winter term).  The location for these sessions will be MU 211.  If demand dictates, we will schedule an additional training session in mid-February.

Please forward this message to your colleagues and encourage them to plan to attend a session.  More details and location confirmation will follow in a separate e-mail.

Many thanks to Pat Hawk, Lin Reilly and their colleagues for making this opportunity available to us.

 

We are gearing up for our spring awards celebration on April 27^th, and are looking to you for nominations. The OSU Alumni Association presents several awards to outstanding Oregon Staters throughout the year. We need your help nominating Oregon Staters who have excelled in their field of study, been dedicated to serving Oregon State University or have served their community.

This spring we will be awarding the E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award, the Jean and “Scram” Graham Leadership Award and the Honorary Alumni Award.

Please see the details below to learn more about each award or to nominate a deserving Oregon Stater.

E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award:

Established by the Oregon State University Alumni Association in 1981, the E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award is a tribute to this remarkable man’s devotion and contributions to OSU and the state of Oregon. The award recognizes and honors former OSU students who have significantly contributed to society and whose accomplishments and careers have brought credit to the University.

To find out more about the E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award please click here.

Jean and “Scram” Graham Leadership Award:

Every outstanding university depends greatly upon the loyal service of its alumni and friends. Jean and Scram’s abiding love for Oregon State University, their strong commitment to maintaining OSU traditions and ideals, and their loyal and tireless support of the University deserve special recognition. In their honor this award is given.

To find out more about the Jean and Scram Graham Leadership Award please click here.

Honorary Alumni Award:

Established by the Oregon State University Alumni Association in 2005, the Honorary Alumni Award recognizes those who have contributed greatly to OSU and the Alumni Association yet have not received a degree from Oregon State University. These individuals have tirelessly given of their time and resources to Oregon State University.

To find out more about the Honorary Alumni Award please click here.

We look forward to receiving your nominations for these prestigious awards by February 10, 2012. Please note that the nominations forms online list a deadline of February 3, 2012. Please disregard this deadline.

Thanks so much. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Dr. Mas Subramanian, Milton Harris Professor of Materials Science at the Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, is being honored with the 2012 Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) Medal.   This medal is awarded exclusively to outstanding chemists of Indian origin who work outside of India.  The medal will be presented to him during the 2012 CRSI 14th National Symposium in Chemistry to be held in early February in Trivandrum, India.

Mas Subramanian, an internationally recognized expert on designing inorganic solid state functional materials, also Signature Faculty Fellow in the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnology Institute.

Before joining OSU in 2006, Subramanian was a scientist at DuPont Central Research and Development.  He has published nearly 300 papers in professional journals, which in turn received over 12,000 citations. His work yielded 54 patents that are in place or pending.  In recognizing his outstanding contributions to science and various technologies, DuPont Company awarded him with prestigious Charles Pedersen Medal (named after Chemistry Nobel Laureate from DuPont) in 2004.

An expert in such fields as high temperature superconductivity, thermoelectrics, magnetoresistive materials, catalysis and solid-state dielectrics, Subramanian is continuing his work in the discovery and development of new materials.   Recently Subramanian’s group discovery of new intense color pigments at OSU received worldwide attention and is featured in popular press all over the world including New York Times.

Subramanian received a doctoral degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India in 1982 and master’s and bachelor’s degree with honors at the University of Madras in India in 1977 and 1975 respectively.

 

To the OSU Community:

Dr Sherm Bloomer has been appointed as Director of Budget and Fiscal Planning at OSU, effective February 1, 2012. As Director, Sherm will report to the Vice President for Finance and Administration.

We have recognized that the University has a critical need for strong leadership in this position, and many of you will not be surprised that we thought of Sherm for this role. He has a great deal of skill and ability in the budget and fiscal planning area, and we are delighted that he has accepted our invitation to make this transition and serve the University in this way.

President Ray and we are most appreciative of Sherm’s leadership and service as Dean of Science. Sherm served as Dean for over twelve years. Under his leadership, the College’s administrative team, faculty and staff have achieved tremendous growth and success in every discipline. Sherm has worked tirelessly on behalf of the College. He imparted a culture of transparency and fiscal responsibility, leading to an increased participation in shared governance. His deep commitment to student success has resulted in numerous initiatives to increase student retention, graduation rates and course access. Concern for, and mentorship of, his faculty, advisors and staff have been important priorities for Sherm, and have been reflected in the open door policy and easy access that he is known for.

A strong and vibrant College of Science is critical to the success of the University’s goals as outlined in our Strategic Plan. To support those goals, the University has worked with the College to make critical investments in new faculty, advisors, facilities, instrumentation and access to key undergraduate courses. The College will continue to be an essential part of the University’s research, teaching and service missions, and lead the University’s efforts in scholarship and education in basic science and mathematics.

We will immediately initiate an internal search for an Interim Dean and a national search for a permanent Dean, and will provide details to you as soon as possible. Sherm will remain engaged with the College’s interim leadership through Winter term in order to assist with critical issues and to complete the organizational changes that the College has initiated

We will have an opportunity to celebrate Sherm’s leadership and service as Dean during the coming months. In the meantime, please join us in offering our sincere gratitude and congratulations to him.

Best wishes to you as you for a productive Winter term.

 

Sabah Randhawa

Provost and Executive Vice President

Mark McCambridge

Vice President for Finance and Administration

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Dear Colleagues:

I wanted to follow up the Provost’s announcement with a note to thank you all for the opportunity to have served as Dean of the College of Science.  This has been the most rewarding phase of my career and it has been a constant source of pride to be able to represent the wonderful work that all of the faculty, staff, and students in the College do.

The opportunity for this change in position came up suddenly, but it seemed a change that was timely for me and for the College.  We have accomplished a tremendous amount together.   The College is in a strong financial position, has raised nearly $80M in the Campaign for OSU, has made major investments in new facilities and instrumentation, has created innovative education programs while keeping pace with huge student growth, and has begun (with the Linus Pauling Science Center) to dramatically improve our facilities for research and teaching.   Most importantly, we have had tremendous success hiring talented young colleagues into the College and have a strong and dedicated leadership team in place.  The organizational change we went through has allowed the College to focus on our core disciplines and bring 9 new tenure-track faculty in life sciences, 7 in Mathematics, 7 in Chemistry, 3 in Physics and 3 in Statistics by the end of this year.   A chance to lead a College with such success and such promise will draw some very talented applicants to serve as the next Dean.

While the transition will be rapid, I will remain working with the College leadership to ensure that progress continues on important issues.  I will complete the promotion and tenure reviews for the College this year and will review with your chairs any critical issues that need to be noted for attention by me or by the new leadership of the College.  The Provost has asked me, in particular, to continue to work with the College to complete the proposals for changes to form the School of Life Sciences and associated curricular changes and to finalize a proposal to develop connections in the statistics community on campus.  Much of this work is well advanced and I am sure we will be able to move it forward quickly.

Finally, I note that the Provost has been clear in his commitment to a strong and vibrant College of Science.  This commitment is manifest in the new positions we have seen in the last two years;  the investments that have been made in equipment, advisors, and facilities; and in the commitment for a national search for a permanent Dean.  I know that the future for the College is very promising.

Thank you again for the opportunity to work with you and to learn from you.  It has been a tremendous pleasure and honor.

 

Best regards,

Sherm

 

The Center for Teaching and Learning is now accepting applications for the L.L. Stewart Faculty Development Fund.

The cut-off date of January 31, 2012 is extended until Friday, February 10, 2012.

The L.L. Stewart Faculty Development Fund provides individual faculty members with funds up to $2,200 for professional development activities that have a clear connection to the enhancement of teaching and student learning at OSU.  In addition, the Center may consider applications up to $4,400 (two awards of $2,200) for exceptionally compelling and well-written proposals.

Applications and guidelines are available at: http://oregonstate.edu/ctl/grants.

Applications are evaluated jointly by the Advancement of Teaching committee of the Faculty Senate and the Center for Teaching and Learning.

If you have any questions, contact Jeanna Towns at jeanna.towns@oregonstate.edu.