brief notes

Sexual orientation and gender identity
Ally meeting to be Dec. 7
The Ally Network December meeting will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 7 in Room 406 of the Illini Union. There will be a break at 12:55 p.m. for those who need to leave early. Anita Hund will lead a discussion on advocacy involving sexual orientation and gender identity. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns Office at 244-8863.

Christmas concert
UI German Choir to perform Dec. 9
The UI German Choir, under the direction of Fred Lawrence, will perform its annual Christmas concert at 3 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Chapel of St. John the Divine, 1011 S. Wright St., Champaign. The event is free and open to the public. The concert is co-sponsored by the Spurlock Museum.

Division of Operation and Maintenance
Carpool to stop daily shuttle services
The daily shuttle carpool service between the three UI campuses is now available through reservation only. The daily shuttle service will end for the fall semester on Dec. 7.
For more information, visit the Web at www.oandm.uiuc.edu/gcp/carpool/shuttle.htm or e-mail Katherine D. Pfeifer at kdressel@illinois.edu.

Office of Academic Human Resources
Vacation/sick leave balances
Vacation/sick leave balances for faculty members and academic professionals, as of Aug. 20, appeared on the Nov. 21, and will appear on the Dec. 21, earnings statements. Any questions regarding the balances should be directed to the employee’s home department or unit.

Faculty/Staff
IUB discounts offered Dec. 6
Faculty and staff members are invited to bring their I-cards to the Illini Union Bookstore from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 6 to receive a 25 percent discount on nearly everything in the store. There will be free gift wrapping and free UPS shipping in the continental United States of in-store purchases, in addition to giveaways, cookies and candy, and madrigal music from 5 to 6 p.m.

Before leaving for the holidays
O&M offers holiday shutdown tips
UI’s Division of Operation and Maintenance is requesting that faculty and staff members follow these shutdown tips in preparation for the holiday season. If these guidelines are followed, the potential for damage to facilities from severe weather will be greatly reduced.

1. Close and lock all windows and doors, and close blinds and curtains.
2. Turn off all unnecessary laboratory services, including gas, air, vacuum and water.
3. Turn off fume hood fans that are not needed. Consider consolidating chemical storage in fewer hoods.
4. Leave all radiator valves turned on to ensure adequate heating and to avoid freeze damage.

O&M personnel will check all areas Dec. 21 for obvious problems such as open windows. These personnel cannot alter operations of fume hoods or lab services because they must presume the use is intentional.

Ten years of data available
Campus profile on the Web
The new version of the UI campus profile is now available on the Web at www.dmi.uiuc.edu/cp/.

The campus profile is a compilation of indicators that include staffing, budgets, expenditures, space, students, degrees, courses, section sizes and ICES scores for every department and administrative unit at the UI, with totals at the school, college, vice chancellor and campus levels.

Ten years of data are displayed for most items. Users can view a standard set of items for one unit or can select the units and items wanted to create a "customized" report. The output can be viewed with a browser or downloaded into Excel.

This year’s profile shows that faculty numbers increased for the first time in almost 20 years, led by a 16.5 percent increase in the number of assistant professors. The number of students on campus reached a record high, with 37,684 students enrolled as of the 10th day of class. Instructional units (credit hours) also hit an all-time high, with off-campus courses again showing the largest percentage increase. At the same time, the percent of courses taught by graduate assistants continued to drop.

For more information or assistance in using the data, call Carol Livingstone, associate provost and director, Division of Management Information, at 333-3551 or e-mail her at livingstn@illinois.edu.

Faculty Award for International Achievement
Deadline for nominations is Feb. 4
The UI has established the Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement to recognize faculty members who have distinguished themselves in teaching, research and public service in the international dimension of their discipline or subject matter. The annual award is presented in the fall.

To nominate qualified colleagues, submit a nomination by Feb. 4 to Associate Provost Earl D. Kellogg, 303 International Studies Building, MC-480.

For further information, visit www.ips.uiuc.edu/dfa/index.html, where the full details of this program, including eligibility, nomination process, selection committee and process and criteria for selection, can be found.

The first recipient of this award was Marianna Tax Choldin, Mortenson Professor for International Library Programs. Choldin is a leading scholar in Russian and Slavic studies and international librarianship and has received the Pushkin Gold Medal Award from the government of Russia.

University YMCA
‘Communiversity’ needs instructors
Communiversity, a program of non-graded, non-credit classes offered through the University YMCA to the general public, is seeking people interested in designing and teaching courses.

The instructors can choose a subject that highlights their knowledge and experience and can develop their teaching skills in a low pressure, relaxed environment. Course topics include but are not limited to arts and crafts, dance, exercise and martial arts, languages, music, social issues and self-improvement. Instructors are paid for teaching.

Instructor applications for the spring 2002 Communiversity are due by Dec.10.

For more information or an application, stop by the University YMCA or visit www.universityymca.org/communiversity.

Child Development Laborartory
Applications now being accepted
The UI Child Development Laboratory is accepting applications for the 2001-02 school year. Half-day preschool classes for 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds meet Tuesday through Friday for three hours a day during the regular academic year. Full-day child-care classes for 3- and 4-year-olds are in session Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. year-round.

Applications for the Expanded Child Development Laboratory facility also are being accepted. This new facility will provide full-day child-care classes year-round for infants (six-weeks or older), toddlers and 2- and 3-year-olds.
That facility is expected to be open January 2003.

For more information, to obtain an application or to schedule a classroom visit, call Debbie Trouth at 244-8063, or visit the Web at www.cdl.uiuc.edu.

Physical fitness for sale
Spring rec memberships for sale
Campus Recreation spring memberships go on sale Dec. 8 and are valid through June 9. New features include precision cycling (group cycling classes), an intramural racquetball league, a new personal training studio, family fun night events and more. The cost is $86 for faculty and staff members and their spouses/partners. Visit Member Services in 140 IMPE to purchase or renew your membership. More information and a membership form are available on the Web at www.campusrec.uiuc.edu.

University Dining Services
Holiday dinner buffets Dec. 6-8
University Dining Services is serving its holiday dinner buffets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6-8 in the Colonial Room of the Illini Union.
The price of the buffet is $18.95 for adults, $10 for children ages 4-11, and children age 3 and younger are free.

All menus include salad bar, bread and rolls, dessert and beverages, in addition to the main course.

On Dec. 6, the menu includes carved country roast ham with cranberry glaze, herb-roasted chicken, butternut squash puree and winter vegetables. On Dec. 7, the buffet includes carved smoked turkey with giblet gravy, grilled salmon with fresh dill, marinated onion and wild rice risotto cakes, and broccoli rabe with lemon and garlic. On Dec. 8, diners will feast on carved prime rib with roasted wild mushrooms in red wine sauce, orange roughy with artichoke lemon sauce, glazed sugar snap peas and oven-roasted potatoes.

For reservations, call 333-0690.

WILL-FM Second Sunday Concert
UI pianist to perform in December
Pianist Gustavo Romero, a UI professor of music, will be the featured performer at the Dec. 9 WILL-FM Second Sunday Concert.

The public is invited to attend the 2 p.m. free concert in the West Gallery of the Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion. The concert will be broadcast live on WILL-FM 90.9 (101.1 in Champaign-Urbana) with host Vic DiGeronimo.

Romero’s program will include a sonata by Baldassare Galuppi; "Symphonic Etudes for Piano," Op. 13, by Robert Schumann; and an additional short work.

Romero, who has earned a growing reputation for both technical brilliance and interpretive depth, is known for his commitment to in-depth exploration of individual composers. He has performed recital series showcasing the keyboard works of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.

The WILL-FM Second Sunday Concerts are a joint venture of WILL-FM, the UI School of Music and the Krannert Art Museum.