News
in Brief
Penn State Intercom......April
24, 2003
Luncheon, fashion show slated
The University Women's Club will hold its annual spring luncheon and fashion show for female faculty, staff and alumna of Penn State, as well as the wives, daughters and mothers of University employees, at 11:30 am Tuesday, April 29, at The Nittany Lion Inn Boardroom, University Park.
Cost is $16. For information, call Lilly Nichol at (814) 238-2127.
Intercom schedule
The Intercom publishing schedule for this academic year is coming to an end. One issue remains before Intercom ceases publication for the summer. The copy deadline for the May 1 issue is noon Wednesday, April 23. Intercom will resume publishing Sept. 4.
For the full schedule, check the Web. Go to http://www.psu.edu/INTERCOM/ and click on the link to deadlines.
Learning Factory Project Showcase
Students from all engineering disciplines will display new product ideas and designs at the Learning Factory Project Showcase from 1 to 4 p.m. May 2 at the HUB-Robeson Center, University Park.
More than 200 students from senior capstone design courses will present their solutions to real-world engineering problems. First-year design project finalists from the freshman design and graphics course will demonstrate their new concepts for manned space exploration missions.
Twenty student teams from the engineering entrepreneurship program will deliver five-minute "elevator" pitches to sell their product designs.
Graduate student teams from engineering and business also will be on-hand to deliver their product concepts.
The event is free to the public.
Computer help available to faculty
Faculty may receive one-on-one computer/technology consulting from a student Technology Learning Assistant (TLA).
TLAs tutor faculty individually in their offices on topics such as Penn State's Course Management System, ANGEL;
e-mail organization; PowerPoint; and how to create basic Web pages.
Faculty interested in participating in the program should apply by May 9. Complete the application form on the TLA Web site at http://tlt.its.psu.edu/support/tla/. For information, e-mail Carol Dwyer at cad6@psu.edu.
Book sale is May 9-12
The American Association of University Women, State College Branch, will hold its 42nd Annual Used Book Sale from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 9 to 12 at the Ag Arena on the University Park campus.
Sunday is half-price day and Monday is Bag Day. More than 250,000 used books, maps, paperbacks, tapes, CDs, sheet music and special magazines will be sold.
Parking and admission are free. The event benefits fellowships and educational projects.
Women's health study
Nancy Williams, an expert on reproductive function and exercise in the Department of Kinesiology and Noll Physiological Center, is seeking women to participate in a study that involves a healthy eating plan and an exercise program.
Women between the ages of 25-35, weighing between 115-180 pounds, not using any hormonal contraceptives with regular menstrual cycles, not currently exercising and not smoking, may be potential subjects.
For information, call (814) 863-4488 or e-mail aec147@psu.edu.
Absence policy reminder
Faculty and students are reminded of Penn State's policy regarding students' requests for absence from class for the purpose of observing a religious holiday. The University Faculty Senate Policy on Class Attendance (42-27) states that instructors should provide, within reason, opportunity to make up work for students who are obliged to miss classes for legitimate reasons.
As further clarification, Academic Administrative Policy on Religious Holidays (R-4) states that while the University makes every effort to avoid conflicts with religious holidays, when conflicts are unavoidable, the policy is to try and make special arrangements for the student affected. The Faculty Handbook states that "Faculty members are encouraged to entertain requests for exemptions from class attendance for purposes of religious observances."
In consultation with campus and community religious leaders, The Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs has compiled a listing of those holy days of the major world religions for which observance may require a student to depart from his or her normal routine at the University. Only those holy days which occur when classes are in session are included. This is not, therefore, an exhaustive list of all major holy days in each religious tradition. The list is available on the Web at http://www.sa.psu.edu/cera/relhol.html.
World Campus kiosk
Penn State World Campus has temporarily relocated its administrative offices from Mitchell Building to the former Minitab Building in Cato Park, 3081 Enterprise Drive in State College.
A World Campus kiosk has opened in the HUB-Robeson Center, across from the Robeson Gallery (next to the Penn State Bookstore, on the lower level) for the on-campus convenience of students. In addition to dropping off lessons, students can get information, register for or drop courses and make payments. The kiosk will operate from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Students and faculty members can drop off lessons at the new HUB kiosk, in the lesson mailbox located on the loading dock of the World Campus building in Cato Park or they can still be mailed to World Campus, 207 Mitchell Building, University Park PA 16802-3601. The lessons will be forwarded to the new World Campus location.
For information, call (814) 865-5403 (press option 2 or 3).
Input sought
The Commission for Women is in the process of producing a book on the history of women at Penn State, and is seeking input on who should be included. To suggest the inclusion of women who had an impact on the University in any area, contact Susan Shuman at sbs1@psu.edu.
For the Record
The Almquist Research Center at University Park was misidentified in a photo caption on page 8 of the April 17 edition of Intercom.