Welcome and Welcome Back to Com Col!
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INSIDE THIS WEEK’S NEWS@COMCOL (details below)
** Special Announcement **
+ UMASS HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF EFFORTS
** ComCol Notices **
+ NEXT STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING, SEPT 13
+ FINAL CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE INFO SESSION TOMORROW
+ OCSL WEB DESIGNER POSITION OPEN
+ WALK-IN ADVISING HOURS FOR ADD/DROP
** Course Announcements **
+ DEAN’S BOOK COURSE CLASSES BEGIN WEEK OF SEPT. 12
+ MENTORING COURSE WITH BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS
+ HOMELESSNESS SERVICE LEARNING COURSE 297S
** Other Announcements & Events **
+ TUTORS NEEDED!
+ AUDITIONS FOR COED A CAPPELLA GROUP, SEPT 12&13
+ WMUA CAMPUS RADIO NEW PERSONS’ MEETING, SEPT 14
** Previously Posted but Still of Interest **
+ CAPSTONE DROPIN INFORMATION AND SUPPORT GROUP
+ WEEKLY WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS...EVERY WEDNESDAY!
+ SCHOLARSHIP INFO: “SEEING GREEN,” SEPT 14
+ GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS, APPLY BY Sept 16
+ STUDENT JOBS IN SCERA
+ MASSACHUSETTS STATEHOUSE INTERNSHIPS
+ SCIENCE FOUNDATION INFORMATION SESSION,SEPT 26
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UMASS HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF EFFORTS
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, UMass Amherst is enrolling students displaced by the storm on a fast-track basis and supporting relief efforts for victims along the Gulf Coast. Details on how to make donations are provided below. For details about admission for displaced students, families should contact the Admissions Office directly at 413/545-0222. Members of the campus community concerned about students living or studying in the Gulf Coast should contact the Dean of Students Office at 413/545-2684.
How to Help the Victims
The UMass Amherst Community Campaign (UMACC) office has announced that it will serve as a collection site for special funds that have been established to assist in the relief efforts. Employees and students may make financial donations at the following collection sites:
* UMACC Office 305 Whitmore
* Chancellor’s Office 374 Whitmore
* Commonwealth College OCSL Office, 408 Goodell Building
* Alumni Relations, Memorial Hall, 1st floor reception area
* Health Services, Room 260
* Office of Information Technologies, 101 University Drive Suite B1
* Athletic Director’s Office, 308 Mullins Center
Additional collection sites are being established and will be announced shortly.
The following charities are putting 100 percent of contributions toward the relief efforts. No administrative costs will be deducted.
* American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund
* Lend A Hand/United Way
* Salvation Army Serving Storm Refugees
Employees wishing to increase or begin payroll deductions through the UMACC program may send e-mail to ltousign@admin.umass.edu . Please specify the charity, the bi-weekly amount, and the number of pay periods the deduction should continue. There are eight pay periods remaining in calendar year 2005. For more information, visit http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/newsreleases/articles/20545.php.
** Commonwealth College Notices **
STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING, SEPT 13
Commonwealth College's motto is "finding connections and making a difference." Student Advisory Board is a chance for you to meet with the Dean and to be a part of that process! Anyone is welcome to attend these meetings. The goals of Student Advisory Board are to:
Advise the Dean on certain issues (i.e. policies, marketing). Develop community within Commonwealth College through outreach & events . Bridge Commonwealth College with the rest of the University . Help communicate Commonwealth College’s mission of inclusiveness more effectively . Advocate for further support of the College and the University at large.
Our first meeting will be on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 in 504 Goodell at 6pm. Pizza will be provided. If you're interested in finding out more or attending, please contact Melissa Beesley at mbeesley@comcol.umass.edu or call 577-3909.
FINAL CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE INFO SESSION TOMORROW
The last CE info session will be held Friday, September 9, at 4:30 in Goodell 406A. Click here for more on the Capstone Experience.
WEB DESIGNER POSITION FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING
Analyze End-User’s web requirements; develop web site prototypes in development environment for review; develop site content and graphics by coordinating with End-Users and Assistant Director; design, create, maintain and update web pages; document web site; work with Assistant Director and Graphic designer on web related projects; work as liaison between End-User and IT team (IT Manager/DBA and web app developer); train End-Users to modify web content using Dreamweaver; other duties as assigned. Work may continue after the fall semester. Federal Work-Study preferred but not required. Contact Deidre Cuffee-Gray, CSL Office, 610 Goodell (413 545–2015 or servelearn@acad.umass.edu). See position announcement for complete information.
WALK-IN ADVISING HOURS FOR ADD/DROP
Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Please bring your degree progress report with you.
** Course Announcements **
DEAN’S BOOK COURSE CLASSES BEGIN WEEK OF SEPT 12
Reminder: DBC classes begin the first full week of classes. If you are currently registered for a class, you must attend the first meeting or you will be automatically dropped from the section. Students who’ve been unable to enroll because sections are filled may attend classes that fit their schedules. If any currently registered students are dropped for non-attendance, they will be added to the respective sections until capacity is reached.
This fall’s book selection is Remaking Eden: How Genetic Engineering and Cloning Will Transform the American Family by Lee M. Silver. It is available at the Textbook Annex for those of you who’d like to get a head start on the reading before the first class.
Dr. Silver will present his most recent work--a follow-up to Remaking Eden entitled Challenging Nature--on October 6 at 8:00pm in Bowker Auditorium, so mark your calendars.
MENTORING COURSE WITH BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS
The UMass Office of Community Service Learning at Commonwealth College with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County will be offering a mentoring course in the Fall of 2005. Applications are available in the CSL Office, 610 Goodell. If you have any questions, please contact instructors Donna Cavagnac at 253-2591 or Kristen Bouley at Tooney822@yahoo.com. See course announcement for complete information.
HOMELESSNESS SERVICE LEARNING COURSE 297S
Openings still exist for Service Learning course 297S, Homelessness and Shelter, being offered on Wednesdays from 9:05 to 11:30 am during the fall semester. The course looks at the systemic nature of homelessness in America, focusing upon its socioeconomic, historic and political roots, as well as its present day reality. Homelessness and Shelter provides an opportunity for students to explore their moral, ethical, and political motivations for engaging this increasingly pressing problem in the United States, and, using a “hands-on” approach, to work in a transitional shelter in Holyoke where they will tutor resident children after school. An overnight experience with members of a religious community of homeless people in Boston occurs at the end of September. To register or to obtain more information, please e-mail Dr. Kent Higgins at kh@som.umass.edu.
** Other Announcements & Events **
TUTORS NEEDED!
The Academic Support Office is in need of tutors of all subjects! Undergraduate tutors earn $8.00/hr. If you are interested, contact Caroline Joy at caroline@admin.umass.edu or at 5-2919 or please drop by to fill out an application in 246 Boyden.
AUDITIONS FOR COED A CAPPELLA GROUP, SEPT 12&13
Do you like to sing? Beatbox? Or both? If you have what it takes, then come try out for the Dynamics! We're the newest coed a cappella group on campus. Auditions will be held from 6pm-8pm on September 12th and 13th in the music department at the Fine Arts Center (follow the signs). Callbacks will be held on the 14th. For your audition, simply prepare a short solo to sing for us! Also, be prepared for us to test your range. If you have any questions or concerns, please email mleeson@student.umass.edu. Hope to see you there!
WMUA CAMPUS RADIO NEW PERSONS’ MEETING, SEPT 14
Do you want to get involved in Campus Radio?? Come to our New Person's Meeting! To say that getting involved in WMUA is as easy as walking through the door is only a slight exaggeration. Whether you have an abiding interest in a specific kind of music, are a news hound, a sports junkie, business-oriented, or a buttons-and-knob type, WMUA needs you. If you have the motivation, we can provide you with REAL experience at one of the most respected stations in western Massachusetts. Come to the WMUA New Persons Meeting! Learn about WMUA and how you can be a part of it on Wednesday, September 14th, at 7 PM in Campus Center Room 168. All Majors and grade levels welcome. Check out wmua.org for more information.
** Previously Posted but Still of Interest **
CAPSTONE DROPIN INFORMATION AND SUPPORT GROUP
Meetings will be hosted by Yehudit Heller in Goodell 504, on Wednesdays, from 3:30 until 5:00. Stop by and talk about your work with other undergraduate researchers, gain some tips about getting started and keep your research energized and on track. The group will be ongoing throughout the fall semester; no commitment is necessary, drop-in as needed. Yehudit Heller’s hours are Monday and Wednesday from 1:00 until 5:00. During these hours you may phone her at 545-2423. Her email is yehudith@complit.umass.edu.
WEEKLY WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS...EVERY WEDNESDAY!
Commonwealth College is pleased to announce a new initiative: Weekly Wednesday Workshops! These events happen every Wednesday (as the name implies); between 6-7pm in the Commonwealth College Lounge. We provide dinner and speakers who will address a different topic each week. The topics were created with you in mind--some include: Study abroad, grad clearance, how to apply to med school, grad school, and law school, as well as choosing a major. For the full schedule, visit our web page at www.comcol.umass.edu/weeklyworkshops.
SCHOLARSHIP INFO: “SEEING GREEN,” SEPT 14
The first Weekly Wednesday Workshop is on September 14th, from 6-7pm in the Commonwealth College Lounge (outside of 504 Goodell)-- "SEEING GREEN: Learn about opportunities for Commonwealth College Scholarships and Fellowships" will feature Firuzeh Khorasanizadeh, our in-house scholarship/fellowship expert paired with Anne Paramba from Financial Aid. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to peers@comcol.umass.edu (so we know how much food to provide). We hope to see you there!
GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
-Fulbright Grants for one-year research/study proposals for graduating seniors at http://www.comcol.umass.edu/onsa/FBUMass.html
-Marshall Scholarships for two-year study proposals for graduating seniors to participate in post-graduate studies at any college in the United Kingdom at http://www.acu.ac.uk/marshall.
-Mitchell Scholarships for one-year study proposals for graduating seniors to participate in post-graduate studies at any college in Ireland at http://www.mitchellscholar.org.
-Rhodes Scholarships for two-year study proposals for graduating seniors to participate in post-graduate studies at Oxford at http://www.rhodesscholar.org.
The UMass Amherst Campus Deadline for applying for these scholarships is 4:00 PM, Friday, September 16, 2005. For more information on these and other opportunities check Scholarships at http://www.comcol.umass.edu/onsa/ or contact the ONSA office 408 Goodell, 577-2610.
STUDENT JOBS IN SCERA
The Student Center for Educational Research and Advocacy (SCERA) is looking to recruit 2-3 paid student coordinators/task-force leaders; several paid student employees, and a dedicated team of student interns for the 2005-06 academic year. SCERA is an agency of the Student Government Association that does research and advocacy based on the self-identified needs of the student body. Click here for more information.
MASSACHUSETTS STATEHOUSE INTERNSHIPS
Fall/Winter 2005
The Caucus of Women Legislators seeks interns for the fall semester and for winter session. The Executive Director seeks reliable and hard-working individuals with interest in the Caucus and its work. Email a cover letter, one-page resume (including grade point average), and date availability to the Executive Director, Erica Mattison (erica.mattison@state.ma.us). Select applicants will be contacted for interviews. DEADLINES: Fall application deadline: September 15. Winter session application deadline: November 1. See CWL Internship announcement for more information.
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION INFORMATION SESSION, SEPT 26
If you are a senior undergraduate in the sciences, social sciences or engineering and you are planning to pursue a graduate degree, please attend this information session on the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
When: Monday, September 26th at 1:30pm
Where: Campus Center Room 917
A representative from NSF will be there to answer your questions and a panel of current fellows will discuss application strategies. Refreshments will be provided! For more information on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, visit: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201
If you have questions, please contact Graduate Student Grant Services at gsgs@resgs.umass.edu or 413-545-5273.