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1. Top Stories

THE U SENATE IS CONSIDERING ADDING REPRESENTATION from civil service employees and academic professional and administrative staff in what could be the largest change to the senate in three decades. The proposed change would allow the two employee classifications to each elect 25 senators. To accomplish this, the number of student senators would drop from 59 to 50 and the number of faculty senators would drop from 175 to 125. The proposal must still be approved by the U Senate, U administrators, and the Board of Regents before it can be implemented. The U Senate is a governing body that makes recommendations to administration officials and regents.

ARCHITECTURE FACULTY WILL DESIGN LOW-INCOME HOUSING in St. Paul under a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture received the grant--along with co-recipients Amherst H. Wilder Foundation and Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation--and hopes to create affordable housing that integrates environmentally sound design with new cost-effective building technologies. MORE: http://www.ur.umn.edu/unsreleases/find.php?ID=920

2. News and Announcements

EDWARD SEGAL, former associate professor at the U's Medical School, died Nov. 22 at age 76. He was a clinical associate professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, a charter member of the President's Club, and served as president and board member of the Minnesota Medical Alumni Association. MORE: http://www.startribune.com/stories/466/4237299.html

THE U'S NEW INITIATIVE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT (IREE) is offering funding for seed grants, matching grants, and special opportunity grants. IREE's mission is to promote statewide economic development; sustainable, healthy, and diverse ecosystems; and national energy security through development of bio-based and other renewable resources and processes. To learn more about IREE or for information about guidelines and procedures for developing and submitting proposals, see http://www.iree.umn.edu or contact the interim IREE director Dick Hemmingsen at 612-625-2263 or hemmings@umn.edu

GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR NONCREDIT ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS through the U's College of Continuing Education (CCE) are now being offered in time for the holiday season. Certificates are valid for such programs as Compleat Scholar, Great Conversations, Split Rock Summer Workshops, and more. To buy a CCE gift certificate, call 612-625-5760 or see http://www.cce.umn.edu/giftcertificate

THE U's 2004 NORTHERN STARS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE is now accepting nominations. This conference recognizes high school sophomores from across the state who are leaders in their schools and communities and who have demonstrated a strong commitment to academics. Selected students will attend a daylong leadership conference on the Twin Cities campus on April 17, 2004. To nominate a high school sophomore student leader, contact Sarah Kussow in the Office of Admissions at 612-626-4741 or kusso001@umn.edu

THE U WILL HOST THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BISEXUALITY Aug. 5-8, 2004. This biennial conference was held in 2002 in Sydney, Australia, and was last held in the United States at Harvard University in 1998. The GLBT Programs Office is the University host. For more information, see http://www.8icb.org

THE U'S AURORA CENTER FOR ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION has been awarded $299,629 from the Department of Justice to continue programs to reduce violent crimes against women on campus. The U is one of 15 schools nationwide that has won this funding each year of the last six years. The Aurora Center was founded in 1989 and is part of the Office for Student Affairs.

DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE, a free class offered by Training Services, can help employees learn the techniques to achieving great service. The class will be held Dec. 4, 1-4 p.m., on the Twin Cities campus, with additional class dates in January. For more information or to enroll, e-mail Training Services at trngsvcs@umn.edu or call 612-626-1373. To register online, see https://onestop2.umn.edu/training/courseDetail.jsp?course=TS0068

3. Campus Events and Information

Crookston:
W. DANIEL SVEDARSKY, professor and program manager of UMC's Natural Resources Department and research biologist at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center, has been appointed to the position of interim vice chancellor for academic affairs. Svedarsky will be responsible for overseeing all academic affairs at UMC. Chancellor Burton says Svedarsky will be instrumental in moving forward new academic initiatives and in working with the Higher Learning Commission on UMC's self-study and site visit for reaccreditation.

UMC's SERVICE-LEARNING CENTER has been selected as a 2004 Minnesota Carter Partnership Award finalist. UMC's program is one of six to move to finalist status. The Minnesota Carter Partnership Award winner will be announced at an award ceremony on Feb. 21, 2004. MORE: http://www.crk.umn.edu/newsevents/notices03-04/carterfinalist.htm

THE SECOND ANNUAL LIGHT-UP-THE-MALL event will be Dec. 5, 7-10 p.m., with UMC student clubs and organizations constructing various light sculptures and displays on the campus mall. In addition, canned good donations will be accepted for the local food shelf and cookies and hot cocoa will be served at the Peterson Gazebo Dec. 5-7. The light displays will continue nightly, Dec. 8-14, 7-10 p.m.

Duluth:
JOSEPH MAIOLO will present his annual reading of Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory Dec. 11, 4 p.m., in the UMD Weber Music Hall. Admission is free, and everyone is invited.

THE UMD DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC will present its annual holiday concert series Dec. 4-7. The classical ensemble groups will perform John Rutter's "Gloria" as well as other familiar holiday music. Tickets are $4 to $6. For concert times and to preorder tickets, call 218-726-8877.

UMD DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE WILL PRESENT LLOYD'S PRAYER, a comic parable by Minnesotan Kevin Kling in which Bob the Raccoon Boy is rescued from the wild and taught what it means to be human. Performance dates are Dec. 4-7 and 9-13 in the Dudley Experimental Theatre. For show times and ticket prices, contact the box office at 218-726-8877.

MAYRA GOMEZ of the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions will discuss her experiences in Africa and look at how discriminatory practices related to inheritance intersect with violence against women in "Bringing the Right to Equality Home: Making Women's Housing Rights a Reality in Sub Saharan Africa" on Dec. 11, noon, Kirby Student Center Ballroom A. The lecture is presented by the Alworth Institute for International Studies.

Morris:
MORRIS WINTER FEST: "Generating Connections, Connecting Generations," will be Dec. 5, 4-6 p.m., Morris Elementary School Gym. The event will feature free dance lessons 6-7:30 p.m. and a community potluck 7:30-10 p.m. Tickets are $5 for general admission, $3 for students and senior citizens, and free for kids under 12. The Morris Senior Center is also holding a bazaar Dec. 6, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Students in Andy Hostetler's adulthood and aging service learning psychology course are helping with both events. Hostetler's students recently conducted life history interviews with elders in the Morris community. For more information, contact Argie Manolis at manolis@mrs.umn.edu or 320-589-6257.

AN 18-MEMBER FLUTE ENSEMBLE, comprising UMM students and community members, will provide prelude music for the annual carol concerts on Dec. 5 and 6, 6:55 p.m., with matinee performances Dec. 6-7, 1:25 p.m. Performance includes 15 pieces of Advent/Christmas music, several of French origin, in keeping with this year's theme Joyeux Noel, Christmas from France. MORE: http://www.mrs.umn.edu/alumni/universityRelations/news/view.php?id=78

Rochester:
MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE filled the Mayo Civic Center Arena to attend a rousing Marching Band concert on Maroon and Gold Day Nov. 13. The concert featured legendary hero theme music, a swing medley, '70s favorites, a baton twirler, and familiar Minnesota cheers. Rochester Area Alumni and Friends of the University of Minnesota hosted a reception before the concert and donated all proceeds to their UMR scholarship fund.

Twin Cities:
INFORMATION ON THE GOPHER FOOTBALL TEAM'S POST-SEASON BOWL BID, along with information regarding bowl tours, how to buy tickets, Gopher Superfans, bowl sites, and much more, can be found at http://www.alumni.umn.edu/fan

THE U'S GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER (GLBT) Programs Office will celebrate its 10th anniversary Dec. 5, 4-7 p.m., Mississippi Room, Coffman Union. A silent auction fund-raiser for GLBT student scholarships will be held. For further information, or to make a donation to the student scholarship fund, call 612-625-0537 or e-mail glbt@umn.edu

SANTA CLAUS WILL COLLECT BOOKS FOR CHILDREN who must spend the holidays at Fairview-University Hospital. Santa will be at the U Bookstore, Coffman Union, on Dec. 6, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., to accept books and to hear holiday requests, hand out treats, and read some of his favorite stories. The bookstore will continue to accept book donations through Dec. 20. For more information, call 612-625-6000.

A CELEBRATION OF MORTON HAMERMESH'S LIFE will be held Dec. 14, 1:30 p.m., Mississippi Room, Coffman Union. The celebration will honor the retired physics professor and former head of the U's School of Physics and Astronomy, who died Nov. 14 at age 87. For more information, contact Bobbi Eich at 612-624-6366.

AFTERNOON TEAS AT THE U's MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM will be held Mondays through Fridays in December. The cost is $20 a person. The arboretum will also offer free admission through Dec. 5. For special holiday hours and reservations, call the arboretum at 952-443-1411. For a complete list of holiday events, go to http://www.arboretum.umn.edu

SEE MORE TWIN CITIES EVENTS ONLINE at http://events.tc.umn.edu

Brief is compiled by University Relations at the University of Minnesota. Please send comments, questions, or submissions to Jason Sanford, editor, at sanfo012@umn.edu All Twin Cities event submissions are handled through the events calendar at http://events.tc.umn.edu

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