Deaths
Raynard Coe Swank, professor emeritus in the School of Library and Information Studies, died March 17 in Richmond, Calif. He was 82.
He was dean of the school from 1962 to 1970, retiring in 1980. From 1948 to 1962 he was director of libraries at Stanford University.
Under Swank's leadership, the School of Librarianship, as it was then called, moved into the then-new area of information science while expanding its influence in the more traditional areas of librarianship. Research activity expanded, in part under the auspices of the new Institute of Library Research, which Swank created.
Swank was principal author of the 1971 California Library Network Master Plan that formed the basis for library cooperation in California.
A fellowship fund to support students in the new School of Information Management and Systems, successor to the School of Library and Information Studies, has been established in Swank's memory. Contributions may be sent to the Ray Swank Fellowship Fund at the school.
Around Cal
Family Ties
Hubert Howe Bancroft, whose collections founded The Bancroft Library in 1905, met some of his descendants April 23 at the 48th annual meeting of the Friends of the Bancroft Library. Astride his shoulders is great-great-great grandson Michael Bancroft, who is flanked by aunt Kim Bancroft and father Bradley Bancroft--great-great grandchildren of the founder.
The meeting also marked the opening of a new exhibit at the library, "Building Bancroft: The Evolution of a LIbrary," on display through November. The Bancroft has become the most heavily used special collections library in the country.
Awards and Honors
Sam Davis, professor and chair of the architecture department, received the Excellence in Education Award from the American Institute of Architects, California Council, March 31. The jury said of Davis: "He is a distinguished leader who has been consistently committed to the architectural profession and education of aspiring architects. ... Embraced as an advocate of innovative and energy efficient affordable housing design, his contributions to the built environment are respected by students and colleagues alike. The solid balance he maintains between his academic and professional endeavors is a model to which all architectural educators should aspire."
Michael Southworth, professor of city and regional planning and landscape architecture, has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects--the highest honor the institute bestows on its members.
Brian Staskawicz, professor of plant biology, and Noel Keen, professor of plant pathology at UC Riverside, will receive the Ruth Allen Award for 1995 from the American Phytopathological Society at a ceremony in August. Considered the society's most prestigious award, it recognizes innovative research contributions that have changed the direction of work in plant pathology.
The Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science has chosen the following professors for one-semester Miller Research Professorships in 1996-97:
Mary Gaillard, physics
Sung-Hou Kim, chemistry
Kenneth Raymond, chemistry
Daniel Rokhsar, physics
Stuart Russell, electrical engineering and computer science.
The institute also supports Visiting Miller Research Professors and Miller Research Fellowships.
Campus Memos
Memoranda mailed to deans, directors, department chairs and administrative officers on the chancellor's mailing lists. For copies, contact originating offices.
March 30: Full Fee Remission Program for Graduate Student Researchers, from Joseph Cerny, vice chancellor for research, dean of the Graduate Division.
April 14: Call for Proposals for Staff Internships and Funding, from Horace Mitchell, vice chancellor--Business and Administrative Services.
April 19: Search for New Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Affairs, from Chancellor Tien.
April 19: Important Update for Permanent Residents Still Holding Form I-151 (Green Card), from Richard Buxbaum, dean, International and Area Studies.
Benefits
Revision to Leave Policies Proposed
The Office of the President has proposed revisions to Staff Personnel policies, A&PS policies and MAP policies on Leave Without Pay, Vacation, Sick Leave, Overtime, Hours of Work and Leave Records, as permitted by the new federal Family and Medical Leave Regulations. Those regulations allow for deductions of leave for less than a full day for exempt employees.
Copies of the proposed changes are available for review at the reference desks of Doe and Moffitt libraries and at the reception desk of the Personnel Office, 207 University Hall.
Comments should be sent in writing to Director of Human Resources Alice Gregory, 207 University Hall, #3540, by May 15.
Health Matters
Task Force Looks at Computer Training Needs
by Kathleen Phillips Satz
About 10,000 Berkeley staff employees use computers to do their work. Campus training specialists expect at least three-quarters of them will need computer training in the next decade.
To determine what training employees will need and how to make sure they get it, Alice Gregory, director of human resources, asked the Employee Development and Training unit to form a partnership with Information Systems and Technology. Since January a task force including representatives from each control unit has been doing research, asking questions, analyzing data on current computer skills and projecting skills needed for the future.
The goal of the task force is to "establish a campus program to provide departments and individual employees with the opportunity, guidelines and resources to acquire computer skills for accomplishing their work and enhancing career development," according to task force co-chairs Marissa Peck and Laura Kim.
As the campus moves toward new administrative information systems and more sophisticated computer technologies, employees are discovering that knowing how to type on a computer keyboard isn't enough. Not only do they need to operate several different software packages, but the variety of systems being used across campus means they must understand how other programs work and how to communicate on-line.
Two Skill Levels
Task force members have defined two levels of computer skills: core competencies and computer literacy.
Core competencies are the minimum building blocks--the basic skills an employee needs to function in the campus computing environment. The task force will concentrate first on these skills, which they've divided into two equally important modules.
The first module is related to the computing environment, including an understanding of how networks and systems operate, what policies govern computer use and how the computing environment is structured.
The second module includes the mechanics: basic how-to skills, such as turning on the computer, working with a mouse, connecting cables, understanding computer jargon and basic troubleshooting.
Once an employee has the core competencies, the next level identified by the task force is computer literacy, which includes the additional computing skills required for a person's individual job. Some employees may use basic word processing skills most of the time, while others may work with spreadsheets, data base programs or electronic communications, and some will need to understand computer programming.
How You Can Participate
The task force will produce a report this summer that describes the current computing environment, identifies core competencies, sets out goals and timelines for computer training and examines the possibilities for partnerships with campus and off-campus resources to provide training.
The report will be presented to campus management and staff through publications, focus groups, staff organizations and networking groups. Once it receives campus feedback, the task force will take the next steps, including:
o recommending additions to current training resources;
o developing methods to help employees assess the computer skills they already have and identify the new skills they need;
o creating a plan for delivering training on the core competencies;
o identifying current and potential resources for training that staff might need on the more advanced skills that make up computer literacy.
Co-chairs Peck and Kim said they plan to have some pieces of the training plan in place by next fall, with additional training modules added throughout the coming year.
To find out more about the project, contact Peck in the Personnel Office, 642-0559 or mpeck@uclink, or Kim in Information Systems and Technology, 642-6411 or lkim @garnet.
Staff Enrichment
Employee Development And Training
For information, copies of the 1994-95 Employee Development and Training catalog or to enroll in classes, call 642-8134.
Vista Community College/PACE Program
May 10, noon-1 pm, Room 24, University Hall
Find out why dozens of UC Berkeley employees have taken advantage of Vista Community College's associate degree programs to finish their college freshman and sophomore years. Program for Adult College Education (PACE) and other associate degree programs and classes are scheduled at times convenient for people who work.
Meeting Facilitation
May 16 and 18, 8:30 am-noon, Room 24, University Hall
Are the meetings you facilitate effective? Through discussion and activities you will learn how to improve the quality and productivity of the meetings you facilitate.
Basic Skills Tutors Needed
The CALS Project needs volunteers to work one-to-one with employees who want to improve their writing, speaking, reading and basic math skills. The next tutor training begins June 8. Tutoring times and locations are scheduled according to the tutor's availability. Volunteer tutors are asked to commit one or two hours per week for six months.
For more information on becoming a tutor or learner with the CALS Project, contact CALS Project coordinator Jane Griswold at 643-5280 or e-mail jgris@uclink.berkeley.edu.
Wanted: Catalog Cover Art
Career employees are encouraged to submit artwork for the fifth annual catalog cover contest sponsored by Employee Development and Training (EDT). The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate for art supplies and his/her artwork will be featured on the cover of the 1995-96 EDT Catalog of Programs and Services. This year's theme is "Change." Deadline is 5 p.m., Thursday, June 22. Call 642-8134 for information.