UC Berkeley News
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News Briefs

26 January 2007

Nominations for two senior administrative posts are sought

Jan deVries, vice provost for academic affairs and faculty welfare, and Mary Ann Mason, dean of the Graduate Division, have both announced plans to step down at the end of the academic year and return to teaching and research. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost George Breslauer has issued a call for nominations for these key academic administrative leadership positions.

The vice provost for academic affairs and faculty welfare is responsible for oversight and management of the academic-personnel process on the Berkeley campus. With the executive vice chancellor and provost (EVC&P), the vice provost acts as a liaison with the Academic Senate's Committee on Budget and Interdepartmental Relations; coordinates all dean searches and plays a critical role in faculty recruitment and retention; and advises the EVC&P on allocation decisions for both operating budgets and faculty FTE resources for all academic units.

The dean of the Graduate Division provides campus-wide oversight to ensure equity and fairness across the different disciplines, and advocates for graduate education and research as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet and the Council of Deans, and with the Academic Senate. The dean provides leadership in all areas of graduate education, including admissions, financial support, and the appointment and training of GSIs; works closely with the Graduate Council to administer policies, standards, and requirements for graduate study; and participates in research into master's and doctoral education at Berkeley and nationally.

Current Academic Senate members holding the rank of full professor are eligible for these positions. Letters of nomination should be sent to EVC&P George Breslauer at bresl@berkeley.edu no later than Friday, Feb. 23.

Breslauer will form two advisory committees, one for each position, which he will chair.

Nomination deadline approaches for key diversity grant

Nominations will be accepted until Friday, Feb. 23 for the second annual Chancellor's Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence (CAAIE), awarded to faculty who have made "distinctive contributions" to enhancing diversity and equal opportunity. Awardees each receive $30,000, to be placed in a departmental account for use at their discretion.

"This award recognizes Senate faculty members who have successfully demonstrated a commitment to excellence by providing leadership in research, education, and public service in building an equitable and diverse learning environment," says Cristina Perez, director of the campus Office for Faculty Equity, which administers the award.

Recipients will be recognized at an April 4 ceremony at University House. For details, see facultyequity.chance.berkeley.edu/fellowships/chancellors_excellence.html.

Nominations for new staff award are due by Friday, Feb. 9

A new award will be presented to a Berkeley staff member at the March 7-9 meeting on campus of the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA). The Berkeley Staff Assembly Exemplar Award will recognize a career staff person whose exemplary service - to the campus, the community, or both - is characterized by such qualities as camaraderie, inclusion, integrity, and ethics, among others.

The recipient, who will receive a $250 award along with systemwide acknowledgement of his/her exemplary service, will attend and participate in the March 8 award presentation on the Berkeley campus. For details, or to nominate a candidate by the Feb. 9 deadline, visit bsa.berkeley.edu.

Instructional grants available to faculty

Two teaching-grants programs are still available to Berkeley faculty for the 2006-07 academic year. Both programs receive, review, and act upon applications on a rolling basis throughout the academic year.

The Instructional Minigrant Program provides rapid access to modest funds of up to $1,000 for small-scale projects to improve existing courses, develop new courses, evaluate instruction, and/or assess curricular needs.

Instructional Improvement Grants provide up to $3,500 each for innovative projects that will directly and significantly affect teaching and learning. Recipients might, for example, develop materials for new or existing courses or develop new modes of instruction. All faculty members, including lecturers, are eligible to apply.

The grants programs are sponsored jointly by the Academic Senate's Committee on Teaching and the campus's Office of Educational Development. Guidelines and applications are found at teaching.berkeley.edu/grants.html. For information, contact Steve Tollefson at 403 Sproul, 642-6392, or tollef@berkeley.edu.

Flu-shot clinic scheduled for Friday, Jan. 26

A campus flu-shot clinic has been set for Friday, Jan. 26, from 10:30 to 1:30 in the Tang Center, 2222 Bancroft Way. The cost for staff, faculty, and members of the community is $25 (no shots will be administered to children). No appointment is necessary. For information, call 642-1814.

Louis Heilbron memorial to be held Feb. 13 in San Francisco

A memorial service for the late Louis Heilbron, a longtime friend of the university, will be held at Temple Emanuel in San Francisco on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 4 p.m. The synagogue is located at Lake and Arguello streets.

The first chair of the Board of Trustees for what became the California State University system, Heilbron was a Berkeley graduate (B.A. 1928, J.D. 1931) who maintained strong ties to the campus throughout his long life. His service to Berkeley included terms on the boards of International House and the Boalt Hall Alumni Association, as well as involvement in fundraising (through the UC Berkeley Foundation) and membership in such organizations as the Order of the Golden Bear, the Berkeley Fellows, and the Big C Society. His son, John Heilbron, professor emeritus of history, served as vice chancellor (similar to today's executive vice chancellor and provost) and chair of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate in the early 1990s and late 1980s, respectively.

Health-risk survey and workshop offered

The Berkeley campus is a pilot location for "UC Yourself Living Well," a new wellness initiative offered by UC Office of the President in collaboration with UC health plans and campus wellness programs. Employees can complete a confidential health-risk assessment questionnaire (HRA), found on their UC health plan's website (see the Health*Matters website, www.uhs.berkeley.edu/FacStaff/HealthMatters/uclivingwell.shtml, for direct links to the HRA and other wellness programs).

A follow-up workshop, led by John Swartzberg, medical chair of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, will address health risks identified by the HRA and programs available to address those risks. The workshop will be offered Feb. 9, 13, and 15. For details and to sign up for a workshop, visit hrweb.berkeley.edu/ice/home/ (enrollment option) and scroll down to UC Yourself Living Well. For information, call 643-4646.

For the record . . .

In last week's issue, a News Brief announcing the eligibility of Berkeley graduate or professional students for Albert Schweitzer Fellowships misstated the program's web address; it is www.schweitzerfellowship.org.

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