• Lou Arminio, ITS information security analyst, and Penny Medina, assistant to the dean of the College of Education, discussed the upcoming United Way campaign and asked for support of campus leadership. NAU’s division of the United Way of Northern Arizona, which most recently has been coordinating relief efforts for the victims of the Schultz Fire and the subsequent flooding, has an “ambitious” goal of $115,000, and is seeking about $13,000 of that from the President’s Cabinet and other campus leadership. Information about the campaign should be arriving in mailboxes soon.
  • Pat Haeuser, vice president for Budget, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, and Laura Jones, director of Planning and Institutional Research, presented the President’s Cabinet report, detailing a variety of metrics from gift-giving to grants and contracts to student data. Student data is changing daily, but NAU expects another influx of freshmen and transfer students. Read the President’s Cabinet report
  • Mason Gerety, vice president for University Advancement, said his area has seen the amount of gifts going up while the number of donors is going up. “It will be the year of ‘The Ask,’” he said. Laura Huenneke, vice president for Research, said she is hoping to boost the number of proposals made by NAU researchers. “You can’t get the money in without proposals going out,” she said. Proposals will continue to be a focus for the research area.
  • NAU’s May commencement, which will have to move out of the Skydome because of construction, will take place in Flagstaff. Details are still being worked on and some ceremonies for Extended Campuses students may be scheduled elsewhere. Debra Larson, associate vice provost for Academic Administration, and Jane Kuhn, associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, are looking at several options on the NAU Flagstaff campus, including Lumberjack Stadium, which also is under construction, the Fieldhouse, and fields and parking lots that could be tented. December 2010 commencement is on schedule as already planned. Updates will be posted at nau.edu/graduation when available.
  • David Bousquet distributed a question-and-answer sheet on the proximity card initiative that will automatically take attendance in some of NAU’s larger classrooms. The sheet addresses some of the questions and comments sent in by NAU faculty, staff and students. It will be posted on an interactive website.
  • Northern Arizona University is exploring options available to continue health benefits for domestic partners after Dec. 31. Diane Verkest, associate vice president for Human Resources, said her department is exploring a variety of scenarios, including partnerships with other education institutions or government entities.
  • The Native American Cultural Center is on track to begin construction across from Cline Library where the Counseling Center now stands. Plans for the center will be presented to the Arizona Board of Regents at its Aug. 5 and 6 meeting in Tempe.