November 15, 1999 Take Note Benefits update for Health Net subscribers Sutter Health/Santa Cruz Medical Clinic is continuing to negotiate with Health Net. At this time, it does not appear that negotiations will be concluded prior to the end of UC's open enrollment period, which ends at midnight on Monday, November 22. Currently, the contract between Sutter Health/Santa Cruz Medical Clinic and Health Net is scheduled to terminate on January 1, 2000, if no agreement is reached. In the event that the contract is terminated, Health Net members seeing physicians at the the Santa Cruz Medical Clinic will be provided with a special enrollment period to choose another health plan. Therefore, Health Net members who are enrolled with the Santa Cruz Medical Clinic and wish to remain in Health Net do not need to take any action at this time. If a special enrollment period is necessary, details will be published in a future issue of Benefits Update, and eligible Health Net members (those enrolled with Santa Cruz Medical Clinic) will receive a notice at their home address. Please watch future issues of Benefits Update for additional information. First Night Santa Cruz seeks volunteers First Night has become the New Year's Eve thing to do for residents of Santa Cruz County. Last year 30,000 people joined this community celebration of the arts in downtown Santa Cruz. First Night invites both individuals and groups to help create this year's celebration by volunteering to work at the event. Eight hundred (800) volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks. For a three- to four-hour commitment, all volunteers receive a blinking-light admission button. There are special rewards for volunteers who work after 9 p.m. on December 31. Volunteers who contribute more hours, such as site managers and set-up/clean-up crews, also receive a "Friends of First Night" sweatshirt and are invited to a thank-you party in the new year. Just like the regular admission button, the volunteer button can be used for free bus transportation to and from downtown Santa Cruz on December 31. For more information or to volunteer, call (831) 425-7277. Education Abroad Program opening for associate director for Academic Affairs The Education Abroad Program (EAP) is seeking an associate director for Academic Affairs (ADAA). The ADAA provides leadership in the generation of academic policy, development of new and revision of existing instructional programs, and the administration of academic personnel processes such as the recruitment of Study Center directors. The ADAA must be a tenured member of the UC Academic Senate. He or she may be a current faculty member or recent retiree. Previous experience with EAP on a campus or abroad is a plus but not a prerequisite. The appointment is for a two-year term, subject to a possible renewal for a second two-year term. The appointment is for the academic years 2000-01 and 2001-02, and commences July 1. The application deadline is February 1. Letters of application or nomination (including curriculum vitae) should be sent to: Search Committee for Associate Director, Academic Affairs, c/o Professor John A. Marcum, Universitywide Director, Education Abroad Program, EAP Universitywide Office, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106-1140. Proof of citizenship or eligibility for U.S. employment is required. Donations sought for annual Women at Work Retreat Craft Fair The Annual Women at Work Retreat Craft Fair will be held this year on December 1 and 2. Fair organizers are calling on all artists and craftspersons to donate to this wonderful event, which supports the Women at Work Retreat scholarship fund. Jewelry, woodwork, ceramics, photos, clothing, candles, pictures, soaps, cards, holiday ornaments, and decorations have been popular in the past. All items should be turned in by November 29. To donate crafts or for more information, contact Connie Croker at (831) 459-2713. Diversity Dialogue Groups forming Ten staff members have just finished the initial Diversity Dialogue Group Leader Training and are now looking to recruit staff to join their groups. Each group consists of five to seven members who make a commitment to meet four hours each month for one year. At these meetings, participants learn from one another through open, frank discussion about assumptions, stereotypes, and individual perceptions of difference. The program requires that supervisors release their employees two hours each month to attend group meetings and that employees volunteer two hours of their own time. Groups will be forming by mid-November. For more information or to join a group, contact Terilynn Pennisi-Miller at (831) 459-3252 or terilynn@cats.ucsc.edu. Meningitis vaccine Over the past decade there has been a rising incidence of outbreaks of meningitis reported on college campuses. This has prompted the American College Health Association (ACHA) to recommend that college students "consider vaccination to reduce their risk for potentially fatal meningococcal disease." There is a vaccine available against meningococcal disease that is 85 percent effective against many, but not all, of the subgroups of meningococcal bacteria. The Student Health Service is following the ACHA recommendation of making vaccination and information available to students. Students can make an appointment for vaccination by calling (831) 459-2500. Immunization costs $65, plus the injection fee. Most health insurance, including the campus undergraduate and graduate plans, does not cover the cost of this preventive measure, but charges can be billed to the student's university account. For more information on meningococcal disease, go to the American College Health Association Web site. Nominations for Regents' Professors and Lecturers sought The Committee on Regents' Professors and Lecturers is soliciting nominations for the 2000-01 academic year. The program was established to bring distinguished men and women from nonacademic careers to the university. The program has limited funding for stipends and travel only. Sponsoring units should be prepared to cover other expenses such as housing, transportation, etc., during the individual's visit to campus. Regents' Lecturer appointments may be for two weeks or more, but less than a full quarter; Regents' Professors may serve for a quarter and the individual may be assigned a course to teach. Full information on the program is in the Academic Personnel Manual. Nominations should originate from academic units rather than individuals and should provide detailed information on how the nominee would be utilized. The deadline for submission of nominations to the committee is November 30. Requests for additional information should be directed to Linda Mueller, Academic Human Resources, at (831) 459-4689, or mule@cats.ucsc.edu.