Subbaswamy invites comments on strategic planning document

The campus community is being asked by Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy to review and comment on a planning document developed by the Joint Task Force on Strategic Oversight (JTFSO) that “sets an agenda for the campus, and will guide subsequent institutional-level and departmental implementation plans.”
 
In a March 27 broadcast e-mail Subbaswamy said the draft document, titled “Innovation and Impact: Renewing the Promise of the Public Research University,” is intended to promote discussion across campus with the objective of presenting a final version to the Faculty Senate and other groups by

Efforts accelerate to educate campus about tobacco-free policy

Just three months before the campus joins more than 750 other colleges and universities that have become tobacco-free, a public awareness campaign is being launched to inform students, employees and visitors about the new policy.
 
At the heart of the “Let’s Clear the Air” appeal is a new website, which is being augmented by banners, ads on buses and campus delivery trucks and other highly visible venues—all aimed at reminding readers about the impending July 1 implementation date.
 
Starting in February, members of the Tobacco-Free Policy Implementation Committee began a series of open

Facilities and Campus Services reorganized

Several organizational changes within Facilities and Campus Services were implemented March 24, according to associate vice chancellor Juanita Holler, who heads the unit. “These changes are the result of an organizational review that was conducted to identify efficiency and effectiveness improvements,” she said. 
 
Under the plan, Alterations moved from Facilities Planning to the Physical Plant, consolidating two skilled labor groups under one umbrella. The move will result in enhanced oversight and scheduling of all maintenance and small project operations, said Holler. 
 
Fleet Maintenance

Late Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe served as visiting professor

Careful readers of last week’s tributes to the late Nigerian author and literary titan Chinua Achebe may have noticed that he spent several years teaching at UMass Amherst in the 1970s and ’80s.
 
Achebe, 82, who died March 21 in Boston, came to prominence in 1958 with the publication of his first novel, “Things Fall Apart.” The book sold more than 10 million copies in 45 languages and became a class of world literature.
 
In 1972, Achebe accepted an offer to teach at UMass Amherst as a visiting professor of English.

Governor's visit to campus canceled

Gov. Deval L. Patrick has canceled his March 28 campus appearance due to a scheduling conflict, according to the governor’s staff. The event may be rescheduled in the future, organizers say.

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