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UCSC hosting police training simulators

Fire Slug t-shirts go on sale at fire station

Meetings offer preview of online information system

Workshop on Long Marine Lab plan set for August 15

Dining Services to make dinner for shelter residents

Construction update

Draft on housing access to be posted before fall public forum

August 5, 2002

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UCSC hosting police training simulators

Photo of officer using driving simulator
Driving simulators are used both to teach the safest driving techniques and to practice unusual maneuvers, such as a police chase. Photo: Louise Donahue

Police officers from UCSC and throughout Santa Cruz County are getting valuable training in handling situations ranging from police chases to armed robbers--all from the safety of two mobile training simulators.

The simulator training, hosted by the UCSC Police Department and set up near police headquarters at H Barn, allows officers to spend half a day on driving techniques and half a day on scenarios potentially involving use of force.

Funding for the simulators comes from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, with the course work developed by the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training consortium. (UCSC Police sergeant Robert Jones is one of the instructors.) The sophisticated mobile units are the only ones in the state that go to where the officers are, saving departments considerable travel time.

Efforts to make the experiences as realistic as possible are apparent, especially in the use-of-force simulator. Officers' "shots" from a computer-connected mock gun are tracked by computer to see if they hit the intended target. And if an officer is shot at by an on-screen suspect and fails to take cover, plastic pellets come flying out toward his or her ankles and feet as a not-so-gentle reminder. The training, which also includes lectures, began July 10 and will continue until August 28.


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Fire Slug t-shirts go on sale

Sammy Slug has a new t-shirt, and it's available at the UCSC fire station. The navy blue Fire Slug t-shirts sport a logo created by fire captain Paul Babb, and are being sold to raise money for the UC Fire Fighters Association.

The 100-percent cotton shirts are available in small, medium, large, extra-large, and extra-extra-large. The XXL shirts sell for $18; the rest cost $17. Checks should be made payable to the "UC Fire Fighters Association."

Shirts are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except during the lunch hour, Monday through Friday. Call (831) 459-2339 to arrange sales at other times.

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Meetings offer preview of online information system

Academic Information Systems (AIS) will present a campuswide introduction and overview on the recently acquired Student Administration package from PeopleSoft at a series of sessions on August 14 at UCSC's Media Theater.

The new system, which will replace the Student Information System, will allow faculty members to handle such functions as posting a course syllabus, checking on enrollment, and adding any needed announcements for courses. Students will be able to check on their courses and print unofficial transcripts. The system is designed to be user-friendly and alleviate some of the current staff workload.

Campus community members will get a preview of the system at all the sessions, but each focuses on different areas:

• 8:30 a.m. to 10:15, enrollment management

•10:30 a.m. to 12:15, curriculum management

• 1 -2:45 p.m., advising and academic planning management

• 3-4:45 p.m., faculty and faculty support staff

For more information, email Bonita Sebastian, or call her at (831) 459-1471.

Workshop on Long Marine Lab plan set for August 15

UCSC will hold a public workshop on Thursday, August 15, to discuss the preliminary draft of the Coastal Long Range Development Plan (CLRDP) for Long Marine Laboratory. The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the La Feliz Room of the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz.

Anyone interested in this topic is urged to attend the workshop and provide input, share information, or ask questions. (See earlier Currents story.)

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Dining Services to make dinner for shelter residents

As part of its outreach services, University Dining Services will be preparing and serving an on-site barbecue dinner to the approximately 50 residents of the River Street Shelter, Santa Cruz, on Thursday, August 15.

In addition to its annual support of UCSC’s Second Harvest Food Drives, and the ongoing distribution of prepared but unserved food to River Street and other local shelters, Dining Services will be providing free ServSafe training to the staff of River Street. ServeSafe training includes safe handling of food, maintaining proper temperature for storage, cooking and more. Call (831) 459-4539 or email for more information.

Parking lot closes to make way for Engineering Building

Preparation work for the new UCSC Engineering Building has prompted the closing of Lot 139, the lot behind Baskin Engineering Building. The lot is expected to remain closed, with the contractor likely to break ground on the new building this month. New handicapped spaces are available for those who require them. There are also some spaces reserved for university and service vehicles. Others should park in the Core West Parking Structure or Lot 150, which is also known as the North Perimeter Lot. Guests to the campus may use pay station spaces at the parking structure. 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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Draft on housing policies to be posted before fall public forum

The committee looking at policies for university-owned housing for faculty and staff plans to have a draft recommendation ready two weeks before the next public forum, tentatively scheduled for mid-September. That draft will be posted on the Campus Welfare Committee web site.

The Campus Welfare Committee is meeting throughout the summer and plans to make a recommendation in early October to John Simpson, campus provost and executive vice chancellor. Simpson had initially directed the committee to make a recommendation on housing by June 15, but the committee requested more time to gather information and receive input from the campus community, said Assistant Chancellor Leslie Sunell, the committee chair. A campus forum on housing was held May 20. Several suggestions for determining who should receive priority for housing were discussed.

In August, the Campus Welfare Committee will receive the results of an independent survey of demand for university-sponsored housing among faculty and staff. The committee is now working on a concept paper to be used in further discussion with the campus community in the fall. (See related Currents stories.)

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