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Reminder: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation January 20

Organizational changes are occurring within the Office of Physical Planning and Construction

Improved SurePay statements beginning in mid-February

Panel of local physicians kicks off Health Sciences Speaker Series

Career Focus Program offered by Training and Development

Receive fresh organic produce grown on campus

Star gazing, meditation, and Greek cooking classes offered by the Recreation Department

Construction update

January 19, 2004

More News

Reminder: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation January 20

The 20th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20, in the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church Street, in downtown Santa Cruz. The event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

Yolanda King, Martin Luther King's daughter, will be the keynote speaker (see Currents article). UCSC dancers and the Inner Light Choir will perform. KZSC-88.1, the campus radio station, will broadcast King's speech live.

For more information or disability-related needs, call (831) 459-1438.
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Organizational changes are occurring within the Office of Physical Planning and Construction

Charlie Eadie, director of Campus and Community Planning, has accepted a position with the City of Watsonville Redevelopment Agency and will be leaving the University on February 1. Christine Aldecoa, senior planner, who has lead UCSC's Environmental Assessment Group, will be retiring from the University effective April 1.

In a letter to the campus community, Frank Zwart, campus architect and associate vice chancellor of PPC, said his office is developing an "organizational structure that will support physical and environmental planning for campus in the short term and will also provide long term continuity for future planning activities."

See full text of Zwart's letter.
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Improved SurePay statements beginning in mid-February

The Accounting Office expects to begin laser printing SurePay payroll statements starting with payroll payments in mid-February. The new statements represent a major improvement over the current carbonized data-mailer statements originally introduced in 1984. The new statements will offer the following new features and information:

  • Improved legibility 
  • Improved security - each statement will be delivered in a sealed brown window envelope
  • No more truncated information - multiple pages will be provided as needed
  • Full descriptions of deductions instead of abbreviations
  • Display of the actual payment date, in addition to the payroll period ending date
  • Display of year-to-date tax-deferred plan information, by plan
  • Display of year-to-date gross earnings, in addition to year-to-date tax reportable earnings
  • Display of deduction-limit information, such as the OASDI earnings limit
  • Display of earnings by title and pay period
  • Certain information will remain confidential, including social security number, home address, and name of bank (as applicable); also, the last four digits of the bank account number will be "X"ed out (as applicable)

If you have any questions about the new statements, contact the Payroll Office at (831) 459-2488.
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Panel of local physicians kicks off Health Sciences Speaker Series

A panel of practicing physicians will discuss careers in health care this week in the first presentation in a new Health Sciences Speaker Series. The series is geared primarily toward premed students and others considering careers in health care, but all members of the campus community are welcome to attend.

"Is a Physician's Lifestyle Right for You?" will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 21, in Room 221, Interdisciplinary Sciences Building. The panelists are ophthalmologist Robert L. Block, M.D., O.P.H.; toxicologist and emergency room doctor Alan Buchwald, M.D.; family physician Catherine Sonquist Forest, M.D., M.P.H.; and OB/GYN Martina Nicholson, M.D.

The lecture series is presented by the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology in association with the Santa Cruz County Medical Society.

UCSC established a new health sciences major last year as part of an initiative to better serve students interested in careers in health care. Caroline Berger, health sciences internship coordinator, said she was gratified by the response from the local health care community when she began organizing the new lecture series.

"There are so many doctors in the local community who want to speak to students and make connections with the campus, it's been very exciting to make contact with them," she said.

Additional presentations in the series are scheduled for February 11 and March 5. For more information, contact Caroline Berger at cberger@biology.ucsc.edu.
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Career Focus Program offered by Training and Development

No matter how long you’ve been in the workforce, it's never too late to start planning for a satisfying career. The Career Focus Program, offered by the Training and Development Office, will help you identify your career interests and potential and maximize this potential in today’s workforce and in the future.

The series of workshops uses career development exercises and activities to assist participants in developing immediate or long-term career plans. Participants will learn about:

  • Career assessment instruments (career values, personal style, motivation skills, occupational interests)
  • Conducting informational interviews
  • The campus job market
  • Resume writing and interviewing tips
  • UCSC career paths
  • Developing a career action plan

The workshops will take place on Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m. (Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26; March 4, 11), and attendance is required at all sessions. There is no cost. Applications, including Supervisor Approval Forms, must be received by Training and Development by January 26. The program is intended for non-probationary career staff. For more information about the Career Focus Program, contact workshop@ucsc.edu or (831) 459-5565.

To see the full range of professional development and technical training classes being offered by the Training and Development Office this winter, go to www2.ucsc.edu/train-dev/.
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Receive fresh organic produce grown on campus

By becoming a member of the UCSC Farm's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, you will receive a season's worth of fresh organic produce for $600/full share (feeds four people), or $380/half share (feeds 2-3 people).

The makeup of the weekly boxes changes as the growing season progresses, but a typical box includes a mix of 8 to 12 types of vegetables, herbs, and fruits per week. Pickups on the Farm begin in early June, weather permitting, and continue into the fall. Call (831) 459-4661 or e-mail navail@ucsc.edu.
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Star gazing, meditation, and Greek cooking classes offered by the Recreation Department

The Recreation Office is offering the following activities this week. Call (831) 459-2806 to register.

Astronomy Workshop with Joe Jordan, Thursday, January 22, 7 to 11 p.m.
Learn everything you wanted to know about astronomy and space. Constellation mythology and lore from many cultures and ages. The wonders of the night sky, the basics of observational astronomy, "cosmic ecology," and information on resources and equipment. Indoor lecture-discussion followed by a hike to upper campus for stargazing (weather permitting). Cost: $12/students, $17/general admission.

Meditation Workshop with John Provax, Tuesdays, January 20 and 27, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Stevenson Silverman Lounge. Explore different forms of meditation and learn how to begin your own meditation practice. Zen walking, American Native Teachings, Tibetan singing bowls, and guided visualizations will be presented. Cost: $18/students, $28/general admission.

Greek Cuisine with Jozseph Schultz, Thursday, January 22, 2:30 - 5:30 p.m., Village Kitchen, UCSC Village. Explore the fun, fast, and unfinicky foods of Greece and its islands. Among the dishes made will be avgolemono chicken egg-lemon soup, kalamarakia tighanita gilded calamari, skordalia walnut garlic sauce, paximadi Greek flint bread, mushroom stifado braised in wine-cinnamon-garlic sauce, tzatziki youghurt-cucumber salad, spanakariso spinach-rice pilaff, and loukamades doughnuts in orange-flower syrup. This is a hands-on class. Bring containers for leftovers. Everyone helps clean up. Cost: $28 (iIncludes instruction and full dinner).
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Winter groundbreaking likely for Humanities and Social Sciences Building

Groundbreaking is expected this winter for the $29 million Humanities and Social Sciences Building. The project will consist of three buildings located at the corner of McLaughlin and Hagar Drives on what is now a parking lot northwest of Cowell College. Construction update story

For more information, visit the Transportation and Parking Services web site and the Physical Planning and Construction web site.
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