The Regents will begin their monthly meeting at 2 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Regents’ Room with the annual report from the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs and the annual state funding requests for the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses. Public comments will be heard at 4 p.m. The meeting will resume at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 19 with remarks by President Lee C. Bollinger and regular agenda items.
No Record on Nov. 29
There will be no issue of the Record on Nov. 29, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. To ensure publication of events taking place through Dec. 8 in the Nov. 22 issue , all Calendar and Briefings items must be received by 5 p.m. Nov. 16. The Nov. 22 Calendar will include events through Dec. 8.
December publication dates are: Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. The first issue of the new year will be published Jan. 10.
Eligibility expanded for reimbursement accounts
Same-sex domestic partners and their dependent children who meet the dependency requirements are now eligible for participation in the health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts. This change occurred after the 1999 Open Enrollment materials were distributed and may affect enrollment choices related to reimbursement accounts.
To qualify, you and your partner must:
For more information or to request enrollment materials, contact Sue White, reimbursement accounts plan administrator, 763-1217. If you meet the eligibility requirements, call the Benefits Enrollment Line (BEL) during the Adjustment Period, 7:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. through Nov. 23 and 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Nov. 24, to enroll. Paper enrollment materials also may be requested at any Benefits Office and must be returned by Dec. 31.
For information, refer to the Open Enrollment workbook, visit the Web at www.umich.edu/~benefits, request a 2000 Reimbursement Accounts plan book or contact any Benefits Office: Central Campus, 763-1214; Medical Campus, 764-6584; Flint, (810) 766-6845; or Dearborn, (313) 593-5192.
Men’s Glee Club concert is Nov. 20
The Men’s Glee Club, directed by Jerry Blackstone, associate professor of music (conducting), will celebrate its 140th anniversary at the Annual Fall Concert, 8 p.m. Nov. 20 in Hill Auditorium. The Glee Club will perform a musical mixture composed of such works as David Conte’s Carmina Juventutis, Aaron Copland’s The Promise of Living and Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria. The Friars, an octet from the Glee Club also will perform.
For tickets or more information, call 764-1448 or visit the Web at www.umich.edu/~ummgc.
HR/AA requests survey return
A Human Resources and Affirmative Action (HR/AA) survey was mailed Nov. 8 to a random sample of faculty and staff. HR/AA asks those who received the survey to take a few minutes to fill it out and return it via campus mail in the envelope provided. Campus participation is essential as HR/AA examines the value of its services to the University.
December brings early paydays
The December monthly payroll will be distributed on Dec. 22. The last biweekly payday will be Dec. 30—one day early due to the Dec. 31 observation of the Jan. 1 holiday.
Borders purchases Nov. 19–21 will benefit children’s centers
Purchases made at Borders Book and Music Shops Nov. 19–21 will benefit the U-M’s children’s centers—the Children’s Center, the Children’s Center for Working Families, Pound House Children’s Center, Family Housing Child Development Center and University Hospitals Child Care Center. The centers will be given store credit for 21 percent of purchases. The fund-raising opportunity allows schools to enlarge their libraries.
Individuals should mention the children’s centers at the time of purchase. Forms are available at the store to credit the centers. To place phone orders, call the participating locations—612 E. Liberty St., 668-7652, or Arborland, 677-6948.
Is your PC ready for Y2K?
Are you one of the thousands of individuals on campus who owns a personal computer? If so, what, if anything should you do to prepare for Y2K?
In general, most Macintosh owners can rest easy. According to Apple, Macintosh computers are in good shape for the new millennium. However, Mac users also should know that some types of software (especially older versions) could potentially create problems.
The news is mixed for PC owners. Machines running system software Windows 95, 98 and NT are reported by Microsoft to be Y2K-ready. Users of Windows 3.1, however, are much more likely to experience problems. As with Macs, some types of PC applications software (especially older versions of some types of personal finance software) could create problems. To be on the safe side, both Mac and PC owners should check each vendor’s Web site for Y2K software information. Links to many hardware and software vendors are published on the University’s Year 2000 Web site at www.year2000.umich.edu/individual.html.
Anyone running a Windows-based system is encouraged to take advantage of a free diagnostic tool created by Microsoft to detect and report on potential problems lurking in their computers (not just on the Microsoft products it contains). The tool, called the “Microsoft Year 2000 Product Analyzer,” can be downloaded from the Microsoft Y2K Web site, www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/pca/pca.htm.
The Information Technology Division has created a step-by-step document to help walk users though this process. The new document, titled “Making Sure Your Windows Software Is Year 2000 Compliant, S4288,” can be found on the Web at www.itd.umich.edu/bin/otfdoc?ID=S4288.
Retirees to meet Nov. 18
The Retirees Association will meet beginning at 3 p.m. Nov. 18 in Suite 18, Wolverine Tower. Guest speaker John Dann, director of the Clements Library, will discuss the history of the Panama Canal at 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 764-9291.
Observatory holds open house
The University of Michigan Detroit Observatory will hold an Open House 1–4 p.m. Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. The newly restored building and its museum will be open for self-guided tours. The 1854 Observatory has telescopes from the 1850s in their original mounts, including an 1857 16-inch refracting telescope and an 1854 meridian circle.
Admission is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. The Observatory is located at the corner of East Ann and Observatory Streets. For more information, call 763-2230 or visit the Web at www.DetroitObservatory.umich.edu.
Salary level cutoff increases for highly compensated staff
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that the salary level used to define highly compensated faculty and staff will increase from $80,000 for 1999 to $85,000 for 2000.
If your gross earnings in 1999 are less than $85,000, you are eligible to contribute up to the IRS annual family maximum of $5,000 to a dependent care reimbursement account for 2000. The dependent care account annual contribution limit for 1999 for highly compensated faculty and staff is $3,600.
If you wish to increase your dependent care contribution amount for 2000 as a result of this change, there are two ways to do it.
For more information, call any Benefits Office: Central Campus, 763-1214; Medical Campus, 764-6584; Flint, (810) 766-6845; or Dearborn, (313) 593-5192.
Charette to discuss risk management
Bob Charette, a specialist in information systems and technology-related risk management, will present Forum 4 for System Administrators, “How Much Risk Management Is Enough?” 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Whitney Room, School of Education Bldg.
The program, sponsored by the Office of Policy Development and Education, will provide information on what to look for and what to do to manage risk. Participants also will learn how to communicate with management about the cost and reduction of a known risk, as well as the resultant savings to the organization. Charette will describe an integrated approach that minimizes surprise and future risk while improving ethics.
The forum is $35, including lunch. To register, send an e-mail message with Chartfield information to Joyce Ruppert, jartar@umich.edu. For more information, call Paul Millis, 647-4274.
Public forum to be held on U’s tobacco investments
The Advisory Committee on Tobacco Investments will conduct a public forum to address whether the holding of securities in a tobacco company is antithetical to the University’s core missions. The meeting will be held 7–9 p.m. Nov. 29 in Rackham Amphitheater. The committee welcomes comments from the University community.
Individuals who cannot attend the meeting, but would like to share their opinions are encouraged to send e-mail to tobacco@umich.edu.
UMS needs ushers
The University Musical Society (UMS) is seeking volunteer ushers for its concerts in Hill Auditorium, Rackham Auditorium, the Power Center for the Performing Arts, Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, the Michigan Theater and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.
An orientation will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 in Room 2, Modern Languages Bldg. Individuals must apply in person and may not apply for anyone else.
UMS utilizes a 300-member volunteer usher staff for all of its Ann Arbor presentations. For more information, call the UMS Usher Hotline, 913-9696, or send e-mail to Jenny Palmer, jpalmer@umich.edu.
Work/Life/Family events are this week
The Work/Life/Family Series, sponsored by the Family Care Resources Program and the Center for the Education of Women (CEW), will continue with two programs this week.
CMENAS to mark 700th anniversary of Ottoman Empire
The Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (CMENAS) will present a colloquium, “Legacy of the Ottoman Empire: The Architecture of Mimar Sinan,” at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 in Room 1636, Social Work Bldg. The program, observing the 700th anniversary of the origins of the Ottoman Empire, will focus on the architectural innovations of Sinan, an Armenian Ottoman who served three sultans in the 16th century.
The featured speaker is Gulru Necipoglu, the Aga Khan Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture, Harvard University. Necipoglu received the Albert Hourani Book Award from the Middle East Studies Association for The Topkapi Scroll: Geometry and Ornament in Islamic Architecture. Three U-M faculty members will provide context for Necipoglu’s presentation at the conclusion of her talk.
A reception will follow the free program at 8:45 p.m. The program is partially funded by the Institute for Turkish Studies and the Turkish Studies Colloquium. Sections of a film, Mimar Sinan, the Ottoman Architect and His Times, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in Room 1636, Social Work Bldg. For more information, call 764-0350.
’24 OURS’ on display at Alumni Center
“24 OURS: An 86,400-Second Interpretation of Life in Color” is a free exhibition showcasing the work of photography students through Nov. 30 in the front lobby, Alumni Center. On Oct. 9, 15 photography students were asked to capture life in Ann Arbor, as they knew it, on film. The exhibition marks the research and creative efforts of the students in developing a deeper understanding of a specific time, space and subject.
The Alumni Center is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri.
Register for Cancer Research Symposium by Nov. 22
The Cancer Research Symposium, sponsored by the Cancer Center and open to faculty, students and staff, will be held 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Dec. 10 in Dow Auditorium, Towsley Center.
Molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, immunology and other clinical fields will be discussed. “Meet-the-Expert” discussions, poster sessions and platform presentations by postdoctoral and predoctoral fellows will be offered. Registration is required by Nov. 22.
Contact Ginny Schneider, 936-9603 or ginnysch@umich.edu. or visit the Web at www.cancer.med.umich.edu/resource/ccsymposium.htm.
Puerto Rican Week is under way
The 17th Annual Puerto Rican Week, sponsored by the Puerto Rican Association, the Latino Task Force and the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, will be held through Nov. 20. Free events include:
For more information, contact the Puerto Rican Association, pra@umich.edu.
NES Fellowship competition under way
The Center for Political Studies, in conjunction with the National Election Studies (NES), seeks to appoint two pre-doctoral NES Fellows for the 2000–2001 academic year. Fellows will receive tuition support, an $18,000 stipend, health insurance and a $4,000 research fund. Fellows should be interested in interdisciplinary work and its strength across the social sciences. Applicants whose research combines analysis of institutions with analysis of individuals will be given special consideration.
NES Fellows will use the year to finish their dissertations in residence at the Center. Fellows also will complete one project using NES data and will participate in the NES Seminar on Behavior and Institutions.
Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation, a transcript, a cover letter outlining their plans for the year, and a copy of their dissertation prospectus to Nancy Burns and Donald Kinder, NES Fellows Program, 4258 Institute for Social Research, 426 Thompson St. 1248. Applications will be reviewed beginning today (Nov. 15) and continuing until positions are filled.
‘Ten Years After’ the fall of the Wall
The Center for European Studies (CES) will sponsor “Ten Years After,” a free, public symposium Nov. 19–Dec. 5 to examine the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of East Germany. The participants in the symposium, representing a wide range of disciplines, will analyze the cultural, social and political changes set in motion in 1989. Two conferences, “The Unification Effect” and “[Re]Constructing Berlin,” will focus on reconfigurations of German culture and building and city design.
Architect Peter Eisenman will give the opening lecture on “Building Memory: Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial” at 6 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Lecture Hall, Art and Architecture Bldg. The symposium also includes films and two exhibitions, “Images from Berlin” and “Berlin: Constructed History.” “Images” will be on display through Dec. 13 in the International Institute Gallery, ground floor, Social Work Bldg. “Berlin” will be shown Nov. 29–Dec. 12 in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning Gallery, Art and Architecture Bldg.
For a complete schedule of events, contact the CES, 936-6480 or ces.info@umich.edu. or visit the Web at www.umich.edu/~iinet/ces. Sponsors include the Office of the Provost, International Institute, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Center for European Studies, Department of Germanic Languages and Literature, Center for Russian and East European Studies, Program in Film and Video Studies, Department of History, Office of the Vice President for Research, Department of Sociology, the Daimler Chrysler Fund, Michigan Theater, Goethe-Institut, World Heritage Foundation, Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst, and the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Detroit.
Hare lecture is Nov. 18
John Hare, professor of philosophy, Calvin College, will address “Does Morality Need God?” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in Room 116, Hutchins Hall.
Hare is the author of The Moral Gap, which examines the gap between our society’s moral code and our ability to live up to those standards.
Hare’s lecture is sponsored by several student groups including Campus Chapel Ministries, Graduate Christian Fellowship, Christian Legal Society and Ad Hoc. For more information, call Amanda, 668-7421, or visit the Web at www.campuschapel.org.
‘Splendid Table’ demo and supper benefits Michigan Radio
Lynne Rosetto Kasper, host of “The Splendid Table” radio program and author of The Splendid Table and The Italian Country Table, will demonstrate cooking techniques and hold a supper featuring her recipes 2–6 p.m. Nov. 20 at Schoolcraft College, 18600 Haggerty Rd. in Livonia. Kasper will be assisted by Michigan Radio host Todd Mundt.
The event, benefiting Michigan Radio, is $125 per person. For tickets, call 764-9210. Space is limited to 70 participants.
Keller to speak Nov. 17
Michael A. Keller, Stanford University, will address “Libraries for the Community of Scholars: The Parable of Talents” 3–4:30 p.m. Nov. 17 in the Founders Room, Alumni Center. Keller’s talk is part of the 1999–2000 “Library Cultures: Exploring Dimensions of Change” lecture series sponsored by the University Library and the School of Information.
Keller established Stanford University’s HighWire Press, which co-publishes such journals as The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Science Magazine and The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
For information, visit the Web at www.si.umich.edu/library-cultures or call 763-2285.