News Briefs

A five-member committee of faculty members is beginning work this fall to evaluate counseling and course selection for student athletes. The committee members were formally approved during the Senate Assembly's Sept. 22 meeting.

Named to the five-member Athlete Academic Advising Committee were: Chairman Ed Rothman, professor of statistics, LSA; Dr. Deborah Berman, University Hospital; Edie Goldenberg, professor of political science and public policy, LSA; Fritz Kaenzig, School of Music, Theatre & Dance professor; and Robert Wallin, director of academic services, LSA. The committee was one of several ratified Sept. 22 by the Senate Assembly.

David Potter, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA), says the committee is expected to begin its evaluation in coming weeks with a plan to present a report to SACUA at the end of the current term. He says a report to the faculty Senate Assembly should follow in January.

Arabic language program wins grant

The Department of Near Eastern Studies has been awarded a three-year $1.17 million grant from The Language Flagship, Diffusion and Innovation program. The goal of the grant is to support expansion, innovation and coordination of Arabic curriculum and other Arabic Flagship programs in the areas of teaching, testing, material development and dissemination, as well as intensive summer Arabic teaching and Arabic teacher training; the training of qualified undergraduate students to achieve proficiency in Arabic while pursuing degrees in their academic majors; and intensive Arabic study at Alexandria University in Egypt for students who receive Flagship scholarships.

Academic Women's Caucus seeks nominees

The Academic Women's Caucus is seeking nominations for the 2009 Sarah Goddard Power Award and the Sarah Goddard Power Distinguished Service Award, presented annually to individuals who have distinguished themselves through leadership, scholarship and sustained service on behalf of women. The nomination deadline is Nov. 21. Four copies of nomination information and of the nominee's curriculum vitae should be sent to Professor Cynthia Marcelo, MSRBIIA560, Box 0654, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. For additional information on the award and criteria for eligibility go to sitemaker.umich.edu/awc or call 763-6721.

DPS to send crime alert e-mails

Through collaboration with Michigan Administrative Information Services, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) will now send crime alerts via e-mail to all Ann Arbor students, faculty members and staff. Units will no longer be asked to forward crime alerts to their various e-mail groups. DPS will send the crime alert e-mails in HTML format. For those who cannot access HTML-formatted e-mails, there will be a link on the DPS Web site to print and post hard-copy fliers to notify non-e-mail readers and visitors. Updates will be posted at police.umich.edu. Questions or comments can be sent to public.safety@umich.edu.

Medicine at Michigan honored for excellence

The redesigned spring issue of Medicine at Michigan recently won three awards of excellence from the University and College Design Association. The magazine is published three times a year by the Medical School and the Office of Medical Development and Alumni Relations. UCDA was founded in 1970 as the nation's first and only association for professionals involved in the creation of visual communications for educational institutions. It has more than 1,000 members throughout the U.S. and Canada.