An update on the University’s defense of its admissions processes in two lawsuits, one against LS&A and one against the Law School, will be the subject of a program titled “Affirmative Action: Where Do We Stand?” 2–4 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Michigan Union Ballroom. Speakers will be Nancy Cantor, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Jeffrey Lehman, dean of the Law School; and John Payton, attorney with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, the Washington, D.C., firm representing the University in the lawsuits. Marvin Krislov, vice president and general counsel, will moderate.
A number of developments in the two cases have taken place over the summer months. The program will give the campus community information on the history of the lawsuits, the philosophy behind the University’s admissions practices and its commitment to a diverse campus, and an update on the legal status of the cases. A question and answer session will follow.
New Web site gives information on lawsuits
A new Web site providing information on the admissions lawsuits has been developed by the Office of the Vice President for Communications, with assistance from the Information Technology Division and the Office of the General Counsel. The site contains many of the relevant court filings, public statements made by University officials and groups both on and off campus, press releases, and answers to frequently asked questions. A “what’s new” section will allow those following the cases to identify quickly the most recently posted information. The site can be found at www.umich.edu/~urel/admissions.
Eradam to inaugurate Turkish Studies Colloquium Series
Yusuf Eradam, a Turkish writer, translator and musician, will inaugurate the 1999–00 Turkish Studies Colloquium Series with an illustrated lecture at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 in Room 1636, Social Work Bldg. The program will be preceded by a light reception at 7:15 p.m.
Eradam will argue that products of popular culture lead consumers to alienation and to some misconceptions about personal identity (Turkish, patriarchal, Islamic) and can lead to prejudice and discrimination. Examples from American and Turkish popular culture will be examined through slides, musical tapes and discussion.
Eradam is a visiting scholar at U-M and visiting lecturer at Saginaw Valley State University.
The free, public lecture is sponsored by the Turkish Studies Colloquium, Ayse’s Courtyard Café and the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies.
For more information, contact Mary Mostaghim, 764-0350.
Symposium focuses on unilateralism in international law
A symposium on “The Role and Limits of Unilateralism in International Law” will be held Sept. 24–25 in Room 116, Hutchins Hall.
The program is designed to facilitate an exchange of views between European and American international lawyers on the legitimacy of unilateral action, particularly in the context of a mulitlateral regime that appears to govern such action. Its timeliness, sponsors say, is underscored by a number of recent instances in which unilateral approaches have been preferred, albeit unusually in the name of upholding the international rule of law.
Topics include international trade and environment, the United Nations and the maintenance of peace, the Internet and the International Criminal Court, and Landmines.
For information, contact the Center for International and Comparative Law, 764-0535 or wls@umich.edu.
State Street project presents summaries
The Downtown Development Authority and U-M Project Team working on the State Street Development Project are hosting a public presentation noon–1:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Michigan Theatre. The presentation will include summaries of work conducted by the School of Business Administration, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and the School of Public Policy. Included will be preliminary options for physical infrastructure improvements, which those attending will be asked to discuss.
Popcorn and pop will be provided starting at 11:45 a.m. but please bring your own lunch.
Sit (virtually) next to a space scientist
Ever wonder what it would be like to sit next to a scientist who is investigating mysteries of the cosmos? You can do just that, in a virtual reality way, through Sept. 24.
A seat awaits you in the Space Physics and Aeronomy Research Collaboratory (SPARC) where U-M scientists are leading a research “campaign” with space physicists worldwide. Data collected are displayed in real time on the SPARC Web site, www.windows.umich.edu/sparc. Visitors to the Web site can watch research in action and ask questions.
SPARC is a collaborative research effort, with space physicists controlling and gathering data from more than a dozen instruments across and above the globe while working through the virtual collaboratory.
The multidisciplinary SPARC project involves researchers from the School of Information; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences; Space Physics Research Laboratory; and Center for Parallel Computing. Additional participants come from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Rice University, Southwest Research Institute, SRI International and Cornell University.
A $2.5 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant awarded in 1998 supports SPARC, one of the largest grants offered through NSF’s Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence Initiative.
HUGS offers information sessions
The Nutrition Counseling Center at U-M Hospitals has scheduled three information sessions about the HUGS weight loss program. The 10-week workshop, endorsed by M-Fit, focuses on self-confidence and personal food selections. Information meeting times are: noon–1 p.m. Sept. 20 in H101, University Hospital, B1; 4-5 p.m. Sept. 23 in 209 University Hospital, 2G; and 6:30–7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at the East Ann Arbor Health Center.
To register for an information session or inquire about the HUGS program, call 936-4399.
Turner launches new groups
Turner Geriatric Clinic is starting two new groups this fall.
In “The Century: A Look Back” participants will learn about trends of the past century and discuss how events and inventions shaped our world. Issues that will be considered include the concepts of time, convenience, necessities, leisure and changing roles. The group will meet 10 a.m.–noon Thursdays Sept. 23–Oct. 14 at the Turner Resource Center, 2401 Plymouth Road. There is a $10 fee for supplies. Scholarships are available.
In the three-week “Peer Counselor Training” workshop, participants will learn skills needed by peer counselors. Peer counselors visit senior citizens in their homes and provide support. If you are a good listener and looking for a place to volunteer, this might be the one. The group will meet 9:30 a.m.–noon Mondays Sept. 27–Oct. 11 in Room 1139 (conference), Cancer/Geriatrics Centers Bldg.
For information, call 764-2556.
Powers presents Davidson Professorship Inaugural Lecture
Martin Powers, professor of history of art, will discuss “Representing the People” at 4:10 p.m. Sept. 28 in Rackham Amphitheater in honor of his appointment to the Sally Michelson Davidson Professorship in Chinese Arts and Cultures.
Most artists throughout time have been adept at representing people, but it is only at rare moments in history that artists face the challenge of depicting “the people,” an abstract entity representing the source and ultimate judge of political legitimacy. In his inaugural lecture, Powers will take a cross-cultural look at some of the ways in which this challenge has been solved in early modern and modern times in the East and West.
A reception follows in Rackham Assembly Hall.
Delbanco presents inaugural Frost Professorship lecture
Nicholas Delbanco, professor of English, will present “The Lost Suitcase” at 4:10 p.m. Sept. 27 in Rackham Amphitheater in honor of his appointment to the Robert Frost Collegiate Professorship in English Language and Literature.
In this year of Ernest Hemingway’s centennial, the long-dead author continues to publish. Delbanco will discuss the difference between youthful promise and posthumous fame, focusing on “The Lost Suitcase,” the early manuscript that Hemingway’s first wife so irretrievably misplaced. What, Delbanco wonders, might be the case if it is found?
A reception follows in Rackham Assembly Hall.
Liz Lerman will be here Sept. 28–29
Dancer and choreographer Liz Lerman, founder of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, will visit campus Sept. 28–29 for a public lecture and an interview hosted by Gay DeLanghe, chair of the Department of Dance.
Lerman will discuss how her work explores community history and important social issues through movement and story. She also will help plan a collaborative performance project, culminating in a residency for her company with the U-M and the University Musical Society (UMS) in fall 2001.
In her lecture at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 in the Hussey Room, Michigan League, Lerman will discuss “Colliding Truths, Diverse Possibilities.” She will be interviewed on film by DeLanghe 10 a.m.–noon Sept. 29 at the Argus II Studio, 400 S. Fourth St.
Productions of Lerman’s touring company, established in 1976, have included “The Good Jew?,” “Safe House: Still Looking” and “Shehechianu.” The group’s 1998–00 programming initiative is a dance/theater/musical work called ‘Hallelujah,” in which national and local artists and community participants of every age join the company on stage in a multi-dimensional expression of celebration and recognition of hard times endured.
Sponsors of Lerman’s Ann Arbor visit are the Arts of Citizenship Program and UMS. Co-sponsors are the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, Department of Dance, Arts at Michigan, Institute for Research on Women and Gender and the Center for Community Service Learning.
Galinsky talks about children’s views of working parents
Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of the Families and Work Institute, will discuss her recently published book, Ask the Children: What American’s Children Really Think about Working Parents, at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 in Rackham Auditorium. A book-signing will follow the free, public lecture. The program is sponsored by the Center for the Education of Women and the Family Care Resources Program, and co-sponsored by Warner-Lambert/ParkeDavis and the Child Care Network. For more information, call 998-7080.
Sundwall to discuss future of physician workforce legislation
David Sundwall, chair of COGME, will discuss “COGME at the Crossroads: Options for the Next Century” at 8 a.m. Sept. 29 in Ford Auditorium, University Hospital as part of the Family Medicine Grand Rounds.
Sundwall previously was a senior staff member for Sen. Orrin Hatch on the Health and Human Services Committee and is president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association.
‘Citizenship and the European Union’ focus of Sept. 22 lecture
Rosi Braidotti, director of the Netherlands Research School of Women’s Studies, Utrecht University, will discuss “Becoming Europeans: Citizenship and the European Union” at 4 p.m. Sept. 22 in the Rackham East Conference Room.
Braidotti also is chair of Women’s Studies in the Humanities and coordinates the NOISE European Summer School in Multicultural Women’s Studies, which is officially approved by the SOCRATES program.
Her publications include Nomadic Subjects and Patterns of Dissonance, and several articles on feminist theory, poststructuralist philosophy, psychoanalysis and cultural studies.
The lecture is sponsored by the Institute for Research on Women and Gender. For information, call 764-9537.
Roller hockey, tennis and frisbee deadlines are Sept. 22
Sept. 22 (4:30 p.m., Intramural Sports Bldg., 606 E. Hoover) is the entry deadline for three upcoming Intramural Sports Programs sponsored by the Department of Recreational Sports. For information on any of them, call 763-3562.
‘Hot topics’ focus of law series
The Law School and Center for International and Comparative Law have announced the fall 1999 International Law Workshop, “Hot Topics on International Law,” focusing on today’s most debated issues in international and comparative law. The workshop is intended for non-specialists. Speakers will talk for about 30 minutes, followed by discussion and questions. Sessions will be held 4–5:30 p.m. in Room 116, Hutchins Hall. Videotapes of the presentations will be on reserve in the Center’s office, 300D LR. Refreshments, sponsored by the Michigan Journal of International Law, International Law Society and the Center will follow each talk.
September sessions are “The Hormone Beef Case—A Transatlantic Socio-Cultural Clash,” Sept. 22, and Horst Krenzler, the Jean Monnet Professor at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy, and “Globalizaiton and Labor Rights,” Christoper McCrudden, reader in law, Oxford University, Sept. 28.
October and November sessions will be listed in the Record Calendar.
Fulbright Association hosts picnic
The Fulbright Association of Southeastern Michigan will host a picnic for visiting Fulbright scholars, students, teachers, their friends and family, as well as Fulbright alumni 1–4 p.m. Sept. 26 in the Gallup Park shelter. American Fulbrighters are asked to bring a vegetarian dish to pass. Beverage and meat for grilling will be provided. For information, call 994-0916 or 996-2880 or send e-mail to vhbarkas@umich.edu or elkinjl@umich.edu.
CRLT offers GSI, faculty enrichment courses
The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) has announced its fall 1999 calendar of workshops. September programs for graduate student instructors (GSI) and faculty members are:
The following programs also are available to faculty members:
The CRLT programs are free for GSIs and faculty members, but pre-registration is recommended. To register for a workshop or for more information, contact CRLT, 764-0505.
Observatory to hold open houses, launches lecture series
The newly restored University of Michigan Detroit Observatory will hold open houses 1–4 p.m. Sept. 23, Oct. 21, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. A $5 donation is suggested for admission. Call 763-2230 for restrictions regarding children and groups.
The inaugural lecture of the Observatory’s monthly lecture series is at 3 p.m. Oct. 12. Russell Bidlack, dean emeritus and professor emeritus of library science, will discuss “Asa Gray’s Role as the First University of Michigan Professor.”
Other lectures are:
Autism scholar here Sept. 23
Helen Tager-Flusberg, a distinguished scholar of autism, will present a public lecture at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 23 in the Commons Room, Center for Human Growth and Development, 300 N. Ingalls Bldg. Tager-Flusberg is a research scientist and director of the Center for Research on Developmental Disorders, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts.
The lecture, the first in a series on autism, is sponsored by the Institute for Human Adjustment. For information, call 764-8440.
CEW schedules fall workshops
The Center for the Education of Women (CEW) is offering “Research in Progress: The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Children and Its Relationship to Emotional Abuse Among Siblings,” a brown-bag presentation about collaborative research between a current and a former CEW scholar, noon–1:30 p.m., Sept. 27, CEW Conference Room.
To register or to obtain more information on other programs, call 998-7080.
‘Contexts for Diversity’ explored Sept. 30
“Contexts for Diversity: Europe and North America” will be the focus of a day-long program Sept. 30 designed to provide another perspective on diversity issues in the United States by exploring legal, economic and social aspects of the European and North American experiences. The symposium is sponsored by Dialogues on Diversity.
Roberta Gutman, corporate vice president and director of global diversity, Motorola, will give the keynote address at 4 p.m. on “Global Diversity and Institutional Change.”
While critics are calling for an end to affirmative action, corporate America is alive with diversity initiatives, with globalization the driving force behind the initiatives. The challenge of cultural consolidation, however, comes not only with the merger phenomenon. Once women and minorities get in the company door, they should be able to move into and then up in the ranks. Gutman believes that ensuring diversity takes a commitment from the top and cannot be achieved unless executives are held accountable.
Other sessions are:
All sessions will be held in Rackham Auditorium. A reception in the Assembly Hall will follow Gutman’s presentation.
Co-sponsors of the program are the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, Center for the Education of Women, Arts of Citizenship Program, School of Business Administration, Institute for Social Research and the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs.
For information, contact Bess Chuang, 615-1291 or divasst@umich.edu.
Library holds book sale
University Library will hold a public book sale 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 24 in the Shapiro Library Atrium. Most books will be priced $1 for hardcovers and 50 cents for paperbacks, with some specially priced. The sale features only books on history, philosophy and religion.
In keeping with this theme, the Library also is holding a contest that will net two winners $5 certificates good for purchases at the next sale. Individuals who correctly identify the location of the quotation “In darkness dwells the people which knows its annals not” that appears on a University building will be eligible to win one of the certificates, with winners at a random drawing.
For information, contact Diana Slaughter, dlslter@umich.edu or 763-5356.