Spectrum - Volume 18 Issue 32 May 30, 1996 - CALENDAR
A non-profit publication of the Office of the University Relations of Virginia Tech,
including
The Conductor
, a special section of the
Spectrum
printed 4 times a year
CALENDAR
Spectrum Volume 18 Issue 32 - May 30, 1996
Events
Friday, 31Salary and Wage Paydate.
Non-copyright Coursepack Material Due for Summer II '96.
JUNE
Sunday, 2
YMCA Hike, 1:30 p.m., Meet at 403 Washington St.: Pandapas Pond, led by Beate Schmittman.
Monday, 3
First Summer Last Day to Drop.
"With Good Reason," 7:30 p.m., WVTF-FM: "What's My Line? Managing Careers in the 21st Century," with Doug Woundy, VMI, Marianne Miller, VCU, and Margaret Klayton, Mary Washington.
Wednesday, 5
Bloodmobile, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Squires .
Sunday, 9
YMCA Hike, 1:30 p.m., Meet at 403 Washington St.: Dragon's Tooth, led by Su Clauson-Wicker.
Monday, 10
First Summer Last Day to Resign.
"With Good Reason," 7:30 p.m., WVTF-FM: "Good Cops/Bad Cops: New Efforts to Prevent Police Misconduct," with Tod Burke, Radford, and Brian Flick, Piedmont Virginia Community College.
Wednesday, 12
Staff Commission Meeting, 1:30 p.m., 400D Burruss.
Bulletins
Symposium offers latest in wireless communications
Industry and university experts from around the world will meet on the Virginia Tech campus June 5-7 to share the latest techniques and theories that are shaping the future of wireless communications.
The sixth annual Virginia Tech Symposium on Wireless Communications, presented by the Mobile and Portable Radio Research Group, will feature several new attractions, including a panel on future semiconductor products for the wireless market; a panel on the feasibility of commercial adaptive antenna technology; and a closing panel on deployment strategies for Personal Communications Systems (PCS).
The symposium also will offer 22 presentations by wireless communications professionals and researchers. Topics include radiowave propagation, modulation and signaling techniques, CDMA systems and techniques, position location strategies, and wireless networking services.
To register, contact the university conference registrar at 1-5182.
Parking permits available through mail
Due to the traffic congestion associated with the closing of Spring Road and the daily overcrowding at the Visitor Information Center during summer permit sales, Parking Services strongly encourages faculty and staff members to purchase their parking permits through the mail. Expect to receive a registration packet in the mail within the next few days. If you fail to receive a packet or if you have any questions, please call Parking Services at 1-3200.
Registration through the mail is available from now until July 12. After this date, permits will need to be purchased in person at the Visitor Information Center located on Southgate Drive.
Parking permit prices are the same as last year. The full-year permit is $50 the semester permit is $25, and the summer permit is $12. Daily permits are available for $1 for those who only drive to campus occasionally.
Blood drive scheduled
The June Virginia Tech Blood Drive sponsored by APO will be Wednesday, June 5, in the Old Dominion Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The goal is 75 units of blood.
All faculty and staff members are invited to attend. Appointments may be made by calling 961-2207. Organizations are welcome. Faculty may also sign up individuals in their classes or departments. Names and times may be faxed to 961-2207. Appointments will be running every 15 minutes, beginning at 10 a.m.
Visual data analysis software available
The university has been working for several years to create a classroom that is designed to serve the needs of the scientific and engineering community across campus. The formation of the University Scientific Modeling and Visualization Classroom is now a reality. To facilitate activities related to the classroom, Visual Numerics Inc. (VNI) has offered free distribution of their Visual Data Analysis (VDA) tools to students and faculty and staff members who want to use VDA tools in their research or educational programs on campus.
To facilitate the distribution of VNI software on campus a request form is on the web at: http://www.sv.vt.edu/~tim/vni_soft_appl.htm1.
Once your request is received, you will be notified regarding pickup of manuals and CD-ROM. Because there are a limited number of CD-ROM's, you must return the CD-ROM before you can receive the software keys. Manuals may be kept. Please allow several working days for the request to be processed.
Information Systems annual report available on line
The Information Systems annual report is available on line at http://www.vt.edu/IS/A-Report.html.
This is the first time informations systems has produced a document for electronic dissemination. Comments are welcomed.
Counselors available in Harrisonburg/Staunton area
The Department of Employee Relations Counselors will meet with interested employees in Staunton on Wednesday, June 26, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Virginia Employment Commission located at 2631 Jefferson Highway (Route 250).
The counseling program provides employees outside the Richmond area with an opportunity to meet individually with a staff counselor and to receive assistance in options for dealing with work-related concerns, discussions of applicable state policies, information on the Grievance Procedure, and/or referral for further assistance.
Half-hour appointments must be made in advance. To arrange an appointment, call the Department of Employee Relations Counselors at 1-800-552-9720.
DERC available in Charlottesville area
The Department of Employee Relations Counselors will meet with interested employees in Charlottesville, on Wednesday, July 10, from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 253 of the Virginia Transportation Research Council on the University of Virginia campus.
The counseling program provides employees outside the Richmond area with an opportunity to meet individually with a staff counselor and to receive assistance in options for dealing with work-related concerns, discussions of applicable state policies, information on the Grievance Procedure, and/or referral for further assistance.
Half-hour appointments must be made in advance. To arrange an appointment, call the Department of Employee Relations Counselors at 1-800-552-9720.
DERC announces training schedule
The Department of Employee Relations Counselors (DERC) has developed training programs on the grievance procedure, conflict management, and mediation skills. This quarter they are also conducting Grievance Procedure Training for Non-Supervisory Personnel. The following is the training schedule for June through September, 1996.
The Grievance Procedure Training for Supervisors will be conducted in Richmond, Northern Virginia, Staunton, Charlottesville, and Virginia Beach. All other programs will be offered in Richmond. Individuals interested in one of the classes should contact Personnel Services at 1-9331 for the date, time, location, and the registration form. To register for one of the scheduled classes, the training registration form should be completed and returned to DERC as soon as possible.
Because class size is limited and demand is greater than available spaces, agencies will be charged a "no show" fee of $20 for grievance procedure and introductory conflict management training and the full amount for mediation skills coursed. To avoid incurring this fee, registration must be canceled at least three workdays before the scheduled training.
The Grievance Procedures and Introduction To Conflict Management training programs are provided at no cost to your department or the individual. However, there is a charge of $65 per person for the Managing Conflict Using Mediation Skills and Advanced Mediation training programs.
Team workshop offered
The University Leadership Development Program (ULDP) is offering a one-day workshop on Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) for work teams (experienced or newly formed teams) on June 4, 1996, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center. While some individuals have attended previous workshops, this next CPI workshop represents a new phase of CPI training focused exclusively on the use of teams. This workshop is designed specifically for intact groups of individuals wanting to engage in, or already involved with, team-based process improvement.
The day-long workshop, conducted by Steve Van Aken and Dick Harshberger, director of ULDP, includes instruction, activities, and interactive discussion on process improvement, team start up, chartering, customer focus, and quality. Newly formed teams will have the opportunity to work together on issues such as clarifying their mission, team roles and responsibilities, meeting management, and a methodology for process improvement.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. There will be a $20-per-person fee charged to cover the cost of the manual and incidental expenses. ISR's or personal checks will be accepted. Morning and afternoon breaks will be provided. Participants will be on their own for lunch. Please reserve slots for your team by Friday, May 31, with Sue Fast by phone at 1-6727 or by e-mail at fast@vt.edu .. Enrollment is limited. Early registration is advised.
Funding available for graduate students
The Graduate Student Assembly now has the applications ready for the Travel Fund Project and the Graduate Research Development Project. The deadline for applications is June 14.
The Travel Fund Project (TFP) provides support for graduate students who are presenting a paper at a conference. Students may apply for up to $300 to help cover the cost of travel to the meeting.
The Graduate Research Development Project (GRDP) assists graduate students who are working on their thesis or dissertation with funding for supplies, etc. The GRDP requires applicants to submit a three-page proposal and one-page budget to be reviewed by faculty members. There is a $300 maximum for master's degree students and $500 maximum for doctoral students.
This funding cycle for both programs runs from July 1 through December 31. For more information, pick up applications at the GSA office, 309 Squires. If the office is unattended, applications are on the wall outside of the office.
Biology symposium planned
Virginia's first major biotechnology symposium for educators will be conducted in June by the Fralin Biotechnology Center.
The symposium, scheduled for June 21 and 22, will include presentations at the Hotel Roanoke by noted researchers in the field of biotechnology. The second day of the two-day event will be conducted at the year-old Fralin Center on campus.
Public school and college educators, professionals, and the general public from across the state are expected at the symposium. It is designed to help teachers from kindergarten through twelfth grade as well as college faculty members to keep up to date on developments in the rapidly changing field.
Biotechnology is the business of using living organisms or the cellular or biochemical components of organisms to benefit society. Among its applications are producing human pharmaceuticals; improving animals, plants, and micro-organisms for specific purposes; and making or modifying products.
The symposium includes laboratory activities, finding biotechnology resources on the Internet, and touring the various laboratories in the Fralin Center. Topics to be covered include gene therapy, genetic testing, biotech drug development, use of DNA techniques in law enforcement, agricultural biotechnology, and career opportunities in biotechnology.
Speakers include Paula Gregory, director of education and outreach for the National Center for Genome Research at the National Institutes of Health; Tracy Wilkins, director of the Fralin Center and president of TechLab Inc.; and Maxine Singer, president of the Carnegie Institution of Washington and scientist emeritus at the National Institutes of Health.
Other speakers are Steven Shak, project team leader of DNA research and director of pulmonary research at Genentech Inc.; Doris Zallen, director of the Choices and Challenges program at Virginia Tech's Center for the Study of Science in Society; Melissa Smrz of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Alvin Young of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Featured speakers from Virginia Tech's faculty are Carole Cramer, discussing the production of human pharmaceutical products from transgenic plants; and Brenda Shirley, discussing the molecular biology of flower color.
There is a $65 registration fee for the conference. For more information, call 1-5128.
Surplus property sale scheduled
A surplus property auction, open to the public, will be held Saturday, June 29, at the surplus warehouse beginning at 9 a.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The warehouse is now located in the old K-Mart building on South Main Street.
Checks in amounts up to $300 will be accepted. Virginia Tech employees may bid and purchase surplus items up to a limit of $500 per item or lot.
Items for the auction have been picked up from departments and stored in the surplus warehouse.
Surplus property report forms may be submitted at any time to declare items that are obsolete or no longer useful to your department as obsolete. Forms and tags are available from surplus property management at 1-5660. The department should attach tags to each item to be surplused. Completed forms should be mailed to purchasing at 144 Southgate Center (0333).
WVTF to host reading services conference
WVTF will host the National Association of Radio Reading Services (NARRS) Conference at the Patrick Henry Hotel in Roanoke June 5-9. NARRS is a group of organizations and individuals including reading services, dial-in and electronic newspapers, and producers of accessible materials in tape, large print, computer disc, and Braille. They have joined forces to expand and improve the distribution of accessible information for the blind, print impaired, and learning disabled.
Topics of discussion will include how the Internet may be a "new frontier" for reading services; the changing face of volunteerism; creative fund raising; on-line reading; the future of the airwaves, including an examination of digital broadcasting; and information access and the rehabilitation process.
Speakers include Fredric Shroeder, commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration in Washington, D.C.; Linda DuBroff, director of the Disability Task Force for the Federal Communications Commission; and Kenneth Jernigan, president emeritus of the National Federation of the Blind. Local speakers include Virgil Cook, associate professor of English at Virginia Tech.
WVTF operates a 24-hour-per day radio reading service that provides current newspaper and magazine readings for the print impaired. It operates on the subcarrier of WVTF, utilizing a portion of the station's signal. The reading service is a closed-circuit station that is accessed by a special radio, provided free of charge on permanent loan to qualified individuals.
For more information, call Ben Martin at WVTF, 387-5000.
YMCA Thrift Shop announces new hours
The YMCA Thrift Shop is now open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Donations are accepted on the loading dock until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and until 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
Bean to sign books June 1
Carl Bean, instructor of English, will sign copies of his new book, A Soul to Take, Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m.-noon at Volume Two Bookstore. Representatives from the Child Abuse Prevention Coalition will attedd the event with information about child abuse prevention. The bookstore will donate a portion of the book sales form the signing to the coalition.
The event is free and open to the public. Volume Two is located in University Mall near Kroger.
UUSA on World Wide Web.
UUSA, a division of Student Affairs, can now be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.uusa.vt.edu.
University Unions and Student Activities complements the academic program and enriches the quality of student life at Virginia Tech by providing a variety of educational opportunities, programs, and services that enhance student development.
Areas of UUSA that can be accessed on the Web Page are the War Memorial Chapel, Cranwell International Center, Event Planning Office, Leadership and Student Organization Office, Johnston Student Center, Leisure Services, Program and Student Entertainment Office, Program Support Office, Recreational Sports, Squires Student Center, Student Media, and UUSA Ticket Office. For more information, call 1-5431.