Berkeleyan

News Briefs

27 October 2004

November is Open Enrollment; HR to host info sessions

November is UC’s Open Enrollment month, the time when campus employees can change many UC health and welfare benefits for the coming year. Most employees will see no increase in 2005 monthly medical-plan premiums and will continue to receive the same (or in some cases enhanced) benefits. Dental and vision plans continue at no premium cost. Plan-coverage eligibility will expand in 2005 for qualified opposite-sex domestic partners and their children or grandchildren, and for disabled children past age 23 who meet certain Social Security or SSI qualifications.

As in past years, the Office of Human Resources’ Benefits Office will provide Open Enrollment presentations for faculty and staff. These sessions will be held on the following dates: Wednesday, Nov. 17, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Monday, Nov. 22, 2 to 4 p.m.; and Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2 to 4 p.m. All sessions are in 150 University Hall; no reservations are required.

Open Enrollment begins at 8 a.m., Monday, Nov. 1, and ends at midnight, Tuesday, Nov. 30. To find detailed Open Enrollment information and to make coverage changes for 2005, visit atyourservice.ucop.edu.

Oct. 30 symposium addresses technology and aging

The public is invited to “From the Lab to the Home: Enabling Technology for the Aging Population,” a free all-day symposium on Saturday, Oct. 30, featuring new technologies and research addressing the health needs of an aging population. Panelists and participants will discuss questions ranging from the theoretical (“Why do we age?”) to the practical (“How will wireless sensor networks support independent living?”).

The event is sponsored by the campus’s Center for Research and Education in Aging. For information, visit crea.berkeley.edu/2004-conference.shtml.

Follow election 2004 results at IGS

Faculty and visiting political analysts will provide commentary on next week’s election in two events early next week. On Monday, Nov. 1, from 3 to 5 p.m., pollster Mervin Field and political science professors Henry Brady and Merrill Shanks will offer their analysis of the race and the trends revealed by the latest political-opinion polls. The following afternoon, starting at 4 p.m. and running into the evening, members of the campus community are invited to follow election results with campus experts. Both events take place at the Institute of Governmental Studies Library, 109 Moses Hall.

University librarians to convene at Berkeley on Nov. 4

The Fall Assembly of the Librarians Association of the University of California (LAUC) will be held at International House on Thursday, Nov. 4. The campus’s own LAUC division is the host of the statewide event, which will focus broadly on library issues.

Two programs during the day will address some of the challenges librarians face. An oral presentation on the work being done by LAUC’s Systemwide Operations and Planning Group will be followed by a roundtable featuring faculty members from several UC campuses offering their perspectives on library issues.

The assembly is open to all. For information, visit www.lib.berkeley.edu/LAUC/fallassembly04 or contact Terry Huwe (643-7061, thuwe@library.berkeley.edu).

Outstanding staff to be honored Nov. 3

Chancellor Birgeneau will present this year’s Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Awards at a ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 3. The campus honor — established and administered by the Chancellor’s Staff Advisory Committee — is given annually to staff individuals and teams for significant contributions toward the university’s mission of excellence in teaching, research, and public service. The ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. in Alumni House.

Campus arts consortium seeks grant proposals

Faculty, students, and staff who are planning collaborative, interdisciplinary arts programs or projects for 2005-06 are invited to submit proposals for grants from the campus’s Consortium for the Arts. The consortium is looking to support projects that enhance the vitality of the arts at Berkeley and provoke intellectual conversation about the arts.

The consortium has brought visiting artists to Berkeley from around the world and has supported a wide range of projects, including a conference on Internet art, a Latino performance art series, a course on composing music for silent films, and a staged reconstruction of a 17th-century masque. Participants in the consortium are Berkeley’s visual and performing arts departments, along with the College of Letters and Science, the Berkeley Art Museum, Pacific Film Archive, Cal Performances, and related units that promote the arts on campus.

First-draft proposals are due Wednesday, Nov. 10. To request an application form and information about criteria, requirements, and application procedures, contact Michele Rabkin at 642-4268 or micheler@berkeley.edu.

LHS inaugurates science-ed awards

The Lawrence Hall of Science now bestows two annual awards to recognize exemplary contributions in K-12 science education by entities outside the educational system. The first corporate recipient is ChevronTexaco, while the first individual award has gone to F. James Rutherford, former education adviser to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“We want to congratulate those who show exceptional dedication to the task of science and mathematics education, especially in difficult times,” says LHS Director Elizabeth Stage. “Educational organizations all over the country have benefited from the vision of our awardees.”

Rutherford, a Cal graduate, was named for a lifetime of contributions to science education; ChevronTexaco was honored for its international work to expand educational opportunities. The recipients were selected by a committee of educators, corporate advisors, community members, and LHS staff. The awards were presented Saturday, Oct. 23, at a Treasure Island ceremony and gala.

Bear Transit offers shuttle and door-to-door service

The campus shuttle system, BearTransit, provides transportation between points on campus, the downtown Berkeley BART station, parking lots, Clark Kerr Campus, the hill area, residence halls, and the north and south sides of campus. BearTransit Night Safety Shuttles, operated by Parking and Transportation and the UC Police Department, are free to all and operate specified routes from dusk to 2 a.m. To-Your-Door lines offer pick-up and drop-off anywhere within service boundaries. For daytime and nighttime shuttle schedules, route updates, and other transit information, see public-safety.berkeley.edu/p&t/beartransit.

California House-London maintains UC presence in England

California House-London facilitates research alliances in Europe, houses two UC Education Abroad Program study centers, and fosters the Cal alumni network in the U.K. and Europe. Visit www.universityofcalifornia.edu/london/ for information.

Garden State screens Nov. 5

Garden State, created by Zach Braff of the TV series Scrubs, is the Nov. 5 film offering from SUPERB. The movie chronicles the delayed coming-of-age of a pill-popping 20-something. The film screens at 7 and 9:30 p.m. in Wheeler Auditorium; admission is $5 ($3 for students with Cal ID).