O&M holiday shutdown tips
During past holiday seasons, severe cold weather has resulted in damage
to some campus facilities. The Operation and Maintenance Division is asking
faculty and staff members to follow a few guidelines to reduce the potential
for damage. First, remember to lock all windows and doors and close blinds
and curtains in all offices. Also, turn off all unnecessary laboratory services,
including gas, air, vacuum and water. Fume hood fans that are not needed
also should be turned off. Finally, leave all radiator valves turned on
to ensure adequate heating and avoid damage from freezing. O&M workers
will check all campus areas Dec. 20 for obvious problems but cannot operate
fume hoods or lab services since they must presume use is intentional.
Overnight housing available
If because of inclement weather conditions, employees are asked to remain
on campus overnight to guarantee their availability for the next day, emergency
accommodations are available at reduced rates. Faculty and staff members
can stay in guest housing provided by the Housing Division or the Illini
Union. Department heads will approve the cost of accommodations from departmental
funds if an employee is requested to remain on campus by their department.
The reduced rates are: Illini Union, $31/single and $35/double; and Housing
Division, $16/single and $26/double. To ensure accommodations are available,
department heads should call the Housing Division or the Illini Unions as
early as possible.
For individuals who personally choose to stay on campus because of bad weather
conditions, housing arrangements may be made on a space-available basis
at the same locations. The rates are: Illini Union, $42/ single and $45/double;
Housing Division, $22/single, $30/double. To make a reservation, call the
Illini Union, 333-3030; Sherman Hall, 333-2250; or Daniels Hall, 333-0464.
Scholarship for study of aging
The Retirement Research Foundation is sponsoring the Paul D. Doolen Graduate
Scholarship for the study of aging. The purpose of the award is to stimulate
and support interest in the study of the biological and sociological aspects
of aging or treatment of diseases of the elderly. Scholarships of up to
$2,500 will be awarded in the 1997-98 academic year to two graduate students
whose principal scholarly interest is in the field of aging. Students must
be in their second year of graduate study to be eligible. One student will
be chosen from the biological-biomedical sciences and the other from the
behavioral-social sciences. Priority for awarding will be given to candidates
who hold an assistantship or fellowship. Application materials can be requested
by calling 333-2030. The deadline for application is Feb. 4.
Sign up for shared benefits
Open enrollment has begun for faculty members and academic professionals
who wish to donate to the Shared Benefits Program. The program maintains
a leave pool that gives employees the ability to share accumulated leave
with co-workers suffering from serious illness or injury. (Note: A separate
pool is maintained for staff/Civil Service employees.) To participate in
the program, an employee must have 11 days of accrued leave (one day minimum
to donate plus 10 days retained for personal use). Beginning with this enrollment
period, vacation days may be donated and used to retain a 10-day leave balance
if the employee does not have enough sick-leave days accrued. No transfer
of funds will occur, but the employee's leave balance will be reduced by
the number of days contributed. An employee who has donated to the pool
may request sick-leave days from the pool when experiencing a catastrophic
illness or injury, or when a disability claim is pending before the State
Universities Retirement System. Further information about the program and
applications for donating to the pool are available from Constance Caveny,
Office of Academic Human Resources, 333-6747. Forms are due by Jan. 15.
Employees who have previously contributed to the pool still maintain eligibility.
Order your holiday carry-outs
Illini Union cooks will be whipping up more baked goods for the Christmas
holidays.
The carry-out menu includes 9-inch pies (apple for $5.85, pecan for $8.30
and pumpkin for $5.60), carrot layer cake for $11.85, Christmas Stollen
(2-lb. loaf) for $5.10, dinner rolls for $2.95 a dozen and pecan rolls for
$10.65 a dozen.
Orders must be placed by noon Dec. 16 and may be made by calling 333-1140
or returning an order form to Illini Union Food Service, MC-384. Baked goods
will be available for pickup between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec. 20 in the Colonial
Room of the Illini Union. Free parking will be provided that day in the
D-10 lot, just east of the Union.
Prices include sales tax. Payment may be made by American Express, Visa,
MasterCard or Discover credit cards.
Children's holiday party
A children's holiday party will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 15 in the
Illini Rooms of the Illini Union. Sponsored by the Faculty-Staff Social
Committee of the Illini Union, the party will feature Santa Claus, cartoon
characters, a puppeteer, storytellers, magicians, activities and more. The
event is limited to the families of students, faculty and staff members,
and retirees. Tickets, which are $1 for children and $2 for adults, are
on sale at Ticket Central in the Illini Union or can be purchased at the
door. Present your i-card when purchasing tickets.
Concession volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to run the concession stand at UI men's home basketball
games. Proceeds from the concession will benefit the Civil Service Employees
Dependent Scholarship Fund. For more information, contact Bernard Hettinger,
333-0585, or after 4:30 p.m. at 356-6945.
Children's Chorus featured
The Central Illinois Children's Chorus will perform holiday music at 2 p.m.
Dec. 8 at the Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion. The free concert,
open to the public as part of WILL-FM's Second Sunday Concert series, also
will be broadcast live on WILL-FM (90.9) with host John Frayne. The program
by members of the children's Concert Choir and Chamber Choir will include
selections from Benjamin Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols"; John
Rutter's "Angel's Carol"; "Hanerot Halalu: A Song for Hanukkah,"
a Hebrew song; and "Kling, Glockchen," a traditional German carol.
Artistic director Charmian Bulley directs the Concert Choir, while Eric
Johnson directs the Chamber Choir.
Time capsule design project
Presentations and critiques of proposed design concepts for the Cyberfest
time capsule will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 5 p.m. on Dec.
10 at 307 Graduate Industrial Design Studio, 2108 S. Griffith, Champaign
(west of the UI Credit Union, off of First Street). The designs are products
of an industrial design class taught by Surya Vanka, professor of industrial
and mechanical engineering. The winning design will hold items chosen Cyberfest
participants including Arthur C. Clark, author of "2001: A Space Odyssey,"
and be buried during Cyberfest '97 in the courtyard of the Undergradate
Library. The capsule will be opened in 2067 on HAL's 70th birthday, also
the UI's 200th anniversary.
Additional faculty members from UI's industrial design department and the
College of Engineering, as well as two Chicago designers have been invited
as jurors for the critiques of the designs. The students' designs should
not only protect the contents for 70 years, but communicate present-day
culture to people of the future.
Cyberfest '97 is a week-long celebration in March to honor the birth of
HAL, a computer who, according to the novel, was said to originate on Jan.
12, 1997, at the "HAL Plant" in Urbana. For further information
about the time capsule design project, call the Graduate Industrial Design
Studio, 333-3248.