News in Brief
Penn State Intercom......January 18 , 2001
Listen to WPSU-FM, Penn State's Public Radio Station, for University Park weather delays. The station will have the official word on class delays and cancellations. WPSU-FM-91.5 also is on the Web at http://www.wpsu.psu.edu/. In addition, the official weather word will be available on the emergency number at (814) 865-4000. For a complete list of WPSU station frequencies, check the Web at http://www.wpsu.psu.edu/about.html. Photo: Greg Grieco |
Blood drives
The American Red Cross asks faculty and staff to start the new year with a blood donation. This month, there is an urgent need for all blood types, with the demand for blood continuing to outpace the supply. The following drives will take place on the University Park campus this month:
* Friday, Jan. 19: Arts Building, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are recommended. To schedule one, call Gwen at (814) 865-2591 or e-mail gmiller@psu.edu
* Tuesday, Jan. 23: Shields Building, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are required. To schedule one, call Kaye Keith at (814) 863-3681 or e-mail kxm1@psu.edu.
* Wednesday, Jan. 24: Physical Plant, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are required. To schedule one, call Lynette Goodrow at (814) 863-2340 or e-mail lvg2@nw.opp.psu.edu.
* Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 30-31: HUB-Robeson Center, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To schedule an appointment for an "open" drive, call Connie Schroeder, Red Cross blood services campus coordinator, at (814) 237-2713 or e-mail ccblood@vicon.net. To confirm donor eligibility, call American Red Cross regional blood services at (800) 54-BLOOD, ext. 2797.
Media award nominations sought
The College of Communications has announced a call for entries for the 2000 Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism. The award recognizes distinguished contributions to the improvement of print and electronic journalism through responsible analysis or critical evaluation. Work nominated for the award evaluates news media coverage of significant subjects or issues.
The deadline for entries is Jan. 31. Send entries to The Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism, 302 James Building, University Park, Pa. 16801-3867.
For information, call Angie Brown at (814) 865-8801, e-mail aab7@psu.edu or check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/dept/comm/bart/award.shtml
Lobbying disclosure
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has held that the Pennsylvania Lobbying Disclosure Act ("PLDA") is unconstitutional. However, the Commonwealth has appealed the court's decision, and the PLDA remains in effect during this appeal process.
Consequently, the University is required to maintain compliance under the PLDA pending the outcome of the appeal. The due date for Penn State's Quarterly Expense Report under the Pennsylvania Lobbying Disclosure Act is quickly approaching. In the report, Penn State must disclose all lobbying activities and expenses for the months of October, November and December 2000.
So that Penn State can meet its legal obligations under that act, it is imperative that all employee lobbying activities and associated expenses be reported to the Office of Governmental Affairs as soon as possible, to meet the Jan. 30 deadline.
The lobbying reporting forms and instructions are on the Web at http://www.govt.psu.edu/govaffairs/PLDA.html. The forms also can be requested from the Office of Governmental Affairs. Completed forms should be sent to the attention of Richard DiEugenio in the Office of Governmental Affairs, 117 Old Main.
For specific inquiries, e-mail Mary Ann Chavey at mqc9@psu.edu and include the word "lobby" in the subject line. To view the University's policy concerning employee contacts with state and federal officials (AD 50), check the Web at http://guru.psu.edu/policies/AD50.html.
Ninth Quality Expo
The University's commitment to improvement initiatives and teamwork is highlighted annually at the Quality Expo. The Center for Quality and Planning is seeking exhibitors to participate in the ninth annual Quality Expo, to be held April 12 at The Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus.
Team members are encouraged to share their experiences using quality improvement principles and/or tools. Teams do not need to have completed an improvement initiative in order to exhibit.
To register to exhibit at the Quality Expo, call Carol Everett at (814) 863-8721 by Jan. 31. Registration forms also are online at http://www.psu.edu/president/cqi/expo2001/exhibitor.htm. Registration forms should be mailed to the Center for Quality and Planning, 405 Old Main, University Park, Pa., 16802.
Tracking troubles
In an effort to better track trouble calls reported to the Office of Telecommunications Network Operations Center, a new application for referencing these calls has been implemented.
All interruptions or other problems with telephone/voice, video or data networking telecommunications services reported to the center at (814) 863-4357 are given a case number for tracking purposes. The case number will be provided via e-mail to the person reporting the trouble. If the problem does not allow the user to receive e-mail, a case number will be provided upon request at the time of the call.
The case number is used as a tracking method for the particular trouble or problem and should be used as a reference when calling the center to inquire about the status of a previously reported problem. An e-mail notice will be sent, referencing the case number, when the reported problem is rectified.
More information is on the Web at http://www.otc.psu.edu/help/help.asp.
Social norming campaign
The University Park Campus-Community Partnership recently launched a social norming campaign to educate students that most of their peers are low-risk drinkers and to encourage them to take care of their friends when they have been drinking.
The campaign uses social norms theory which assumes that students overestimate the extent to which other students engage in high-risk drinking, which may cause some students to drink at higher levels.
The University Park Campus-Community Partnership was formed in 1999, and involves 44 representatives from the University and the Centre Region working together to reduce the negative consequences of high-risk alcohol use.
Conflict of interest reminder
Employees of the University are reminded that they should exercise the utmost good faith in all transactions that touch upon their duties to the University and its property. In their dealings with and on behalf of the University, employees will be held to a strict rule of honest and fair dealings between themselves and the University.
Employees should not use their positions, or knowledge gained in those positions, in a way that a conflict of interest might arise between the interest of the University and that of the individual. Employees should disclose to the administrative head of the college or other unit in which they are employed, or other appropriate superior officer, any potential conflict of interest of which they are aware before a contract or transaction is consummated.
New look, address
As a result of feedback
from a recent user survey, the Administrative Information Systems (AIS)
Web site is presenting a new look and a new address later this month.
Although the site can be reached at its current address,
http://ais.psu.edu/
is the one that should be bookmarked.
The structure of the site remains unchanged, but the home and secondary level pages have a new look. Essential news is now available from the home page. The search capability is more visible and also available directly from the home page.
Additional user-recommended enhancements will be made over the next few months and will be announced in the essential news section.
Health Services re-accredited
University Health Services has again been awarded the certificate of accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc. In order to achieve re-accreditation, University Health Services underwent an intensive on-site survey of its facilities and services. The survey findings resulted in a full three-year accreditation.
The AAAHC conducts its accreditation program on a national basis and has accredited more than 500 ambulatory health care organizations. It is a private, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization.
International fellowships
International graduate fellowships are available from the Ford Foundation for 2001-02. The foundation's program is designed to help prepare a new generation of future leaders for the challenges of the 21st century.
The centerpiece of the foundation's $330 million commitment is the new Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program that will provide $280 million over the next 10 years to support post-baccalaureate study for Fellows from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Russia.
The program provides support for up to three years of formal graduate-level study. Fellows will be selected from countries in Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Russia where the Foundation maintains active overseas programs. U.S. nationals are not eligible, although Fellows may study in the United States.
For 2001-2002, eligible countries include West Africa (Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana), Chile, Peru, Russia and Vietnam.
For details, check the Web at http://www.fordfound.org/.
Carpool
* Riders are needed for a carpool from Philipsburg to University Park. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call Tim at (814) 865-6524 or e-mail tmw3@psu.edu.
* Riders are needed for a carpool from Tyrone to University Park. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call Jen at (814) 865-9505 or e-mail jenny@cse.psu.edu.
For the Record
The master plan for Penn State Beaver does not include a new library. Incorrect information was given in a story on page 6 of the Nov. 30 Intercom. For the corrected copy of the story, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2000/17nov00botbeaverplan.html.