Weekly Bulletin

Baden-Württemberg directorship

The opportunity to serve as resident director of the University's Baden-Württem-berg Exchange Program for 2003-04 is now open. Candidates should be tenured members of the UMass faculty, with doctorate, fluent in German, and experienced in graduate and undergraduate advising. Some acquaintance with the German university system is desirable.

Candidates are invited to submit their curriculum vitae to the Baden-Württemberg Program, International Programs Office, William S. Clark International Center. Additional information concerning duties and qualifications is available from Regine John (reginejohn@ipo.umass.edu) or Frank Hugus (hugus@ipo.umass.edu); both can be reached at 5-2710).

Applications must be received by Dec. 20.

Faculty Senate meeting

The Faculty Senate will meet Thursday, Dec. 19 at 3:30 p.m. in 227 Herter Hall.

Library hours extended for finals

The Du Bois Library has extended its hours for final exams. The building is open 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. through Dec. 19. On Dec. 20, the Library will be open 7 a.m. to midnight, and on Dec. 21 from 7 a.m. to noon.

The added hours are intended to provide students with additional study space during the last week of classes, reading period and finals. No staffed services will be provided during the added hours of 7-8 a.m. and midnight to 2 a.m.

The extension of the Library's hours is the result of a collaboration of Library staff, interim Provost Charlena Seymour, deputy provost John Cunningham, and the UMass Police.

The UMass Police Department's walking escort service coincides with the extended hours. Call 5-2123 (Escort Service) or 5-2121 (Police dispatch) to request a walking escort.

Hours for the branch science libraries are unchanged, and are available on the Library's Web site (www.library.umass.edu) or by calling 5-0414.

Mosher, Lappas to speak at Sports Luncheon

The Weekly Sports Luncheon on Wednesday, Dec. 18 will feature comments by Betsy Mosher, associate athletic director for Compliance Services, and men's basketball coach Steve Lappas.

The luncheon takes place at noon in 1009 Lincoln Campus Center. The buffet lunch is $6.50. Call 5-4289 for reservations.

Campus tours end Dec. 20

The last campus tour of the fall semester will be on Friday, Dec. 20 at 1:30 p.m., according to Lisa Hargis of the New Students program.

No tours will be offered from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1. Daily tours at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. will resume on Thursday, Jan. 2 and continue through Intersession, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday on Jan. 20.

For information, call 5-4237.

Expiration of personal leave time

Personal leave time awarded to eligible employees on or after July 6, 2001 will expire on Saturday, Dec. 28, according to Juan A. Jarrett, assistant vice chancellor for Human Resources. Any balance remaining after that date will be forfeited.

Personal leave awards for calendar year 2003 will appear on check statements issued on Friday, Jan. 3. Eligible employees may begin using their new personal leave time starting on Sunday, Dec. 29.

Questions concerning the awarding or use of personal leave time should be directed to Dotty Lesko in the Time & Labor Section of Human Resources, (dlesko@admin.umass.edu) or by phone at 5-6121.

Note card sets benefit Friends of the Library

Boxed sets of note cards featuring Leslie Schaler's photos of the Library Courtyard Garden are on sale through the Library Office. The 12-card sets are $10 with proceeds going to the Friends of the Library.

Send checks payable to Friends of the Library to Susan McBride in the Library Office.

Academic Computing offers faculty training during January

The Academic Computing component of the Office of Information Technologies is offering several opportunities in January for faculty to develop their professional skills in the use of Web sites to support learning and teaching.

Faculty who are interested in learning how to post a simple Web site for their classes should sign up for "Building a Course Web Site (Why and How)," scheduled for Jan. 14-16 from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The session includes lunch and open afternoon work sessions. The three-morning workshop consists of two parts. The first part, on Jan. 14, uses demonstrations and discussions with faculty who currently use Web sites to help them explore the specific ways a Web site can address the pedagogical or practical challenges faced in their courses. The second part (Jan. 15-16) is a hands-on site-building workshop based on the plans developed in the first session. Combining demonstrations of Dream-weaver with ample work time, the goal is to have participants complete the workshop with a posted site and the skills to maintain and expand it.

Register by calling 7-0072 or via e-mail (accofac@oit.umass.edu) by Dec. 30. Details, including daily agendas and prerequisites, are available online (www.umass.edu/acco/workshops/faculty.html).

Faculty who already have a course Web site, but are interested in providing students with more interactive elements, should contact Academic Computing about setting up a custom introduction to WebCT. WebCT makes it easy to create a site with online discussions, quizzes, student project areas and other features.

Informal WebCT training sessions for individuals and groups will be arranged during January. Individual faculty or departments can contact Doris Peterson at 5-3957 (peterson@oit.umass.edu) to schedule a consultation.

Physiology seminar offered at Medical School

"The Development of the Neuroendocrine Brain" will be discussed by Stuart Tobet of the E.K. Shriver Center at the UMass Medical School on Monday, Dec. 16 at noon in the Physiology Seminar Room, S4-308 of the Worcester campus.

Lappas shows airs on Channel 40

"The UMass Basketball Show with Steve Lappas presented by Coca-Cola" is currently airing on WGGB-TV, Channel 40 in Springfield and WLVI-TV, Channel 56 in Boston.

Hosted by Channel 40 sports director Scott Coen, the program features game highlights, interviews with the Minutemen and previews of upcoming contests.

The program airs Sundays at 12:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Channel 40 and 11:30 p.m. on Channel 56.

Student art work exhibited

"The Sylph Deck: a Lepidopteran Tarot," an exhibit by Japanese major Tyran Grillo, is on display through Jan. 31 on the Garden Level of the Du Bois Library. The black-and-white creations are accompanied by samples of other tarot decks and books related to tarot.

Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology seminar

John Gross of Harvard Medical School, a candidate for a faculty appointment in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, will present a special seminar on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at noon.

Gross will speak on "Unraveling Protein Interactions that Control Eukaryotic Translation Initiation: Insights from the Solution Structure of the m7GDP/eIF4E/eIF4G Complex."

The seminar will take place in the eight floor seminar room in the Lazare Research Building.