Weekly Bulletin

Social Security and Medicare counseling

Do you know if you will be eligible for Social Security income?

Alexandria Szymt, Social Security representative, will be on campus Tuesday, March 18 to provide individual Social Security and Medicare counseling.

Employees of retirement age (62 or older) may schedule an appointment by contacting the Human Resources Department at 5-6113 or 5-1478.

Phi Beta Kappa annual meeting

The annual meeting of Phi Beta Kappa will take place on Thursday, March 6 at
4 p.m. in 301 Herter lounge. New members from the classes of 2003 and 2004 will be elected. Other items of business include the election of officers, discussion of the commencement ceremony, and the approval of a new constitution and bylaws as required by the national office.

New faculty not yet on the society's list-serv are invited to contact Joseph Bartolomeo, English Department, Bartlett Hall.

University Staff Association elections

Balloting for the University Staff Association executive board will be conducted Friday, Feb. 28 in 163C Lincoln Campus Center from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

USA members will elect a president, vice president, general secretary, treasurer, grievance officer, membership secretary, parliamentarian and four at-large representatives on the executive board.

Voters will also choose delegates to the Massachusetts Teachers Association meeting scheduled for May 30-31 in Boston and the National Education Association representative assembly, to be held July 1-6 in New Orleans.

Human Resources has requested that supervisors afford reasonable time to USA bargaining unit members to vote.

Big Friday

Paychecks for the period of Feb. 9-22 will be issued Friday, Feb. 28.

Molecular Genetics and Microbiology seminar

Dr. Ronald G. Collman of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine will speak on "HIV-1 Env-macrophage interactions in pathogenesis" on Friday, Feb. 28 at 12:15 p.m. in the MGM Seminar Room, S5-310 of the Medical School in Worcester.

Departments asked to participate in Take Our Children to Work Day

The planning committee for Take Our Children to Work Day, set for April 24, is inviting campus departments to staff tables at the breakfast reception and plan activities to be offered during the day of the event.

Launched in 1993 as Take Our Daughters to Work Day, the program this year is being expanded to include boys. The Ms. Foundation has renamed the national event Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, but the campus is calling the program Take Our Children to Work Day. The event is intended to educate children about the range of job possibilities in their futures, teach them about the workplace and the University, and give them a glimpse of what the adults in their lives do every day.

As in previous years, the breakfast reception and information fair will be held at the Mullins Center. Information tables will be staffed from 8:30-10 a.m.

Campus units are also encouraged to schedule activities such as tours, films, speakers and workshops between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

For information, contact Ann Carr at 5-3464 or via e-mail (acarr@admin.umass. edu).

First Friday

The Renaissance Center's First Friday series continues March 7 with an open house from 4-6 p.m. Open to the public, First Fridays showcase the center's latest acquisitions of rare books and other materials. Refreshments will be served.

MSBDC offers workshop on 'Your First Business Plan'

Allen Kronick, a senior management counselor with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, will present the workshop "Your First Business Plan" on Thursday, March 6, 9-11 a.m. at the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, 395 Main St., Greenfield. The session is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the Western Massachusetts Regional Office of MSBDC.

This workshop will focus on business management fundamentals and business plan development. Topics will include financing, marketing and business planning.
The registration fee is $25 and reservations are required. To register, call 737-6712.

Subjects needed for Psychology study

Earn $15 by participating in a simple project on people's beliefs about social issues. The time commitment is one hour.

Individuals interested in taking part should call 7-6508 and leave a message with a contact phone number.

'W' deadline is March 26

All faculty and advisors are asked to remind undergraduates in their classes and departments that they have until Wednesday, March 26 to drop a class with a record of "W."

"Doing so will have no adverse impact on their cumulative average. A "W" on one's transcript is nearly always preferable to an "F, " according to Pamela Marsh-
Williams, associate dean and director of the Undergraduate Advising and Academic Support Center.

"If you have not already done so, I urge you to provide some feedback to students on their performance in advance of this date," says Marsh-Williams. "Such information would encourage those who need it to get additional help in time to make a difference in their performance as well as enable students to make a more informed decision on whether to continue in a course beyond the March 26 deadline."

For more information, students should contact the office of their academic dean.

Story lists district office hours

Rep. Ellen Story (D-Amherst) will hold district office hours in Amherst on Friday, Feb. 28, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Bangs Community Center.

Office hours are set aside for residents to discuss ideas or concerns regarding state government programs or legislative matters. No appointments are required.
Story can be reached locally at 256-6300. Her district aide, Jan Klausner-Wise, can be contacted at 253-3690. Story can also be reached in Boston at (617) 722-2692 or by e-mail (Rep.EllenStory@hou.state.ma.us). Her mailing address is Room 167, State House, Boston MA 02133.

Story lists district office hours

Rep. Ellen Story (D-Amherst) will hold district office hours in Amherst on Friday, Feb. 28, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Bangs Community Center.

Office hours are set aside for residents to discuss ideas or concerns regarding state government programs or legislative matters. No appointments are required.
Story can be reached locally at 256-6300. Her district aide, Jan Klausner-Wise, can be contacted at 253-3690. Story can also be reached in Boston at (617) 722-2692 or by e-mail (Rep.EllenStory@hou.state.ma.us). Her mailing address is Room 167, State House, Boston MA 02133.

Cahoon and Lappas are Sports Luncheon speakers

Hockey coach Don "Toot" Cahoon and men's basketball coach Steve Lappas will be the featured speakers at the Weekly Sports Luncheon on Wednesday, March 5 at noon in 1009 Lincoln Campus Center.

The buffet lunch is $6.50. Call 5-4289 for reservations.

Blood drive

The Hampshire County Chapter of the American Red Cross will conduct a blood drive on Tuesday, March 4, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in 174 Lincoln Campus Center.

Study seeking pregnant women

The Exercise Science department is seeking pregnant women in all trimesters to participate in a research study validating a physical activity questionnaire.

Participation involves two meetings lasting about 30 minutes. Subjects will be paid $50.

Contact Dawn or Rebecca in the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at 5-1583 or by e-mail (droberts@excsci.umass.edu).