Staff Team Report Available
- Last fall President Ruth Simmons appointed a special Self-Study committee
composed of 17 college staff members. Headed by Sidonia Dalby, associate
director of the Ada Comstock Scholars Program, the group's mission was
to "consider strategic priorities for Smith as a working community."
In preparing their final report, the team members cast a wide net across
campus, asking fellow administrative, administrative support and service
staff what they valued most about their employment at Smith and what they
would like to see changed, in order "to make Smith the best workplace
possible."
-
- The committee's thorough 26-page report identified five priority areas:
Community spirit/morale; Flexibility; Leadership; Personal/family issues;
and Workload. Under each rubric were several specific recommendations,
such as "Consider the options of flextime, telecommuting, part-time
and four-day full-time work weeks;" "Appoint an ombudsperson,"
"Evaluate the availability and affordability of childcare, eldercare
and sickcare;" and "Increase staff training and development to
reduce workload stress."
-
- The entire report is now available at the Neilson Library reserve desk
and two or more copies have been distributed to each non-academic department.
It is also available by contacting Maryann Ziomek at extension 2203.
-
- The report has been read by President Ruth Simmons and Chief Financial
Officer Ruth Constantine and distributed to several groups on campus --
the president's senior staff, Staff Council, the Human Resources Advisory
Committee, and SAMS (Senior Administrative Management Seminar) -- for their
review and comments.
-
- According to Ruth Constantine, the college has begun formulating responses
to the various recommendations and assigning many of these to specific
administrators for implementation.
-
- In addition, President Simmons will preside at the Community Forum
on Thursday, November 20, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Sage Hall, where the
self-study -- including the staff committee report -- will be the focal
point of the agenda. All are urged to read the self-study reports and come
with questions and ideas.
-
The Public Eye
- This is the first in a series of occasional columns by B. Ann Wright,
chief public affairs and college relations officer.
-
- Once upon a time the American public went in search of college information
by turning to large tomes such as Peterson's Guide and the College Board
Handbook. But now, as we head into the late '90s, each fall brings new
fashions, new cars and a new crop of college rankings in books, magazines
and newsletters. The concept of ranking colleges has become big business,
and as much as we in higher education dislike it, the practice appears
to be here to stay -- at least for the near future.
-
- Why has this happened? The short answer is that the public not only
wants but demands so-called "objective" comparisons. The long
answer is that rankings were born out of the rise in college costs and
the consumerism that has developed over the last two decades. In recent
years, as the price of a private college education approached a ceiling
for many families, the public began to search for proof of value for their
investment. The media, always seeking a new theme for public consumption,
found that ranking colleges was even more popular than ranking toasters
and cars.
-
- The good news is that this trend has led to much broader publicity
for many lesser-known colleges, especially the smaller regional institutions
that do not receive much press. The bad news is that the public too often
takes the rankings as absolute truth, assuming that school number 5 is
much better than numbers 6 and 7. And those schools not in the elite "top
25" are too often seen as also-rans in the race for prestige and value-added.
Worse yet is the fact that the ratings of colleges change from year to
year, leading the public to believe that the institutions themselves have
suddenly improved enormously or sunk precipitously. In fact, these changes
are due to fluctuations in the formula, with the weighting process changed
each year by the publications themselves.
-
- Having said all this, I should point out that Smith has done very well
in the rankings. We do not, of course appear in the Money magazine list
of "best college buys" because of our high costs. Seven of Money's
top 10 are public institutions, indicating the importance of comprehensive
fees in its rankings. In fact, Harvard is listed as number 43 and Princeton
as number 98, and both appear in the top 100 only because of their extraordinarily
high SAT and class- rank statistics. Nonetheless, research indicates that
most readers bypass the Money ratings for other, more conclusive lists.
-
- Following a nationwide poll of students, this year's Time magazine/Princeton
Review annual college issue ranked Smith in these categories:
- Best Overall Academic Experience for Undergraduates -- #6
- Their Students Never Stop Studying -- #8
- "Dorms Like Palaces" -- #4
- "The Best Quality of Life" -- #9
-
- This publication tries hard to entertain as well as inform. (We did
not, of course, appear on their "Dorms Like Dungeons" list!)
The previous year Smith was listed in the category "Professors bring
materials to life," and not listed under "Professors suck all
life from materials." Similarly, Smith is known for "Great food"
but is not on the roster for "Is it food?"; and rather than the
"Reefer madness" category, Smith is under "Don't inhale."
You can see that such publicity does get the attention of high school students.
-
- In the much-heralded U.S. News rankings, Smith moved from #12 last
year to this year's #14, tied with Grinnell and Wesleyan. The formula used
is broken down by evaluating each of these groupings:
-
- Academic reputation 25%
- Retention 25%
- Faculty Resources 20%
- Selectivity 15%
- Financial Resources 10%
- Value Added 5%
- Alumni Giving 5%
-
- While Smith is extremely strong in academic reputation, faculty resources
and financial resources, we are somewhat lower in the other categories.
As at all women's colleges, there is more shifting among students to find
the right "fit," there is less selectivity because we are dealing
with only half the pool of high school students, and alumnae giving is
somewhat more limited for women than for men. Thus, because those categories
have played a larger role in the ranking formula in recent years, Smith
has moved slightly lower in the listings.
-
- The important thing to understand about the rankings is that we should
expect Smith to move up and down as the formula changes each year, but
we remain solidly among the elite liberal arts colleges in the U.S. As
we move into a new period of innovations and programs, we can expect more
publicity and more recognition for the uniqueness of Smith's education
and preparation for the outside world. Meanwhile, readers should take those
rankings for what they are: a crude but popular tool to group the strongest
colleges so that consumers will buy magazines-and then, one hopes, look
more closely at the colleges themselves.
-
Garage Gets Green Light
- At their recent meeting, the Smith Board of Trustees voted to proceed
with the planning of a multi-story parking garage to be located at 50 West
Street, adjacent to Garrison Hall.
- According to Bill Brandt, director of campus operations and facilities,
the next step is to select an architect for the project, and a selection
committee will soon be convened for this purpose. It is still much too
early, notes Brandt, to predict when the first car will actually be parked
at the new facility.
-
Rumor Buster
- Rumor: The college is considering again offering a Voluntary Separation
- Program (VSP) to staff.
-
- The Real Story: According to Ruth Constantine, chief financial officer,
the college offered a one-time Voluntary Separation Program in 1991 to
help resolve repeated annual budget deficits. This goal was achieved, and
therefore no plans are being considered to offer a similar program.
-
Chapel Change Approved
- All on-campus AcaMedia readers should have recently received a copy
of the Report of the Ad Hoc Chapel Committee. The committee, created last
spring by President Ruth Simmons, was charged with reviewing the mission
of the Chapel and with offering "new ways that we might attend to
the spiritual development of our students at a time of increasing diversity
of religious beliefs." The group was asked also to "consider
how our religious ministries might best support the academic mission of
the college," to determine "what role the chapel should play
in enriching the moral and ethical dialogue of the Smith community,"
and to "review the current staff and administrative structure of the
chaplaincy" in order to guide the search to replace the retiring interim
dean and Protestant chaplain.
-
- The committee was composed of students Saima Salim Dada '97, Erika
Katske '98, Tiffany Sher-mei Wu '99 and Abigail Rupp '97; faculty members
Thomas Derr, Myron Glazer, Steven Goldstein, Carolyn Jacobs, Christine
Shelton and Taitetsu Unno; deans Maureen Mahoney and Richard Unsworth;
and alumnae Deborah Sosland-Edelman '80 and Joyce E. Moran '69, the latter
a member of the board of trustees who served as chair.
-
- Central to the report was a recommendation to appoint a "dean
of religious life" who would "function primarily as a community
religious leader" and could be a member of any religious tradition.
The ad hoc committee suggested that the individual chosen for this job
would have "an easy rapport with students" combined with "an
integrated vision for our diverse community in all its religious pluralism"
and the ability to "articulate moral issues in a clear and compelling
fashion."
-
- At their fall meeting earlier this month, the Board of Trustees approved
the new position, and so a search for a dean of religious life will soon
be under way. Details will appear in AcaMedia as they become available.
-
America Reads...and Smith Helps
- A new federal program is for the first time enabling Smith students
to earn work-study income by helping elementary school children learn to
read. Funding is in place, students have signed up, and a growing number
of schools and agencies are stepping forward to accept the help -- for
which they pay nothing.
-
- The new work-study positions are being made possible by the federal
initiative called America Reads, created to ensure that no American child
graduates from third grade unable to read on his or her own. A major part
of the labor for this effort is to be provided through federally funded
work-study jobs filled by students from colleges across the country.
-
- The local launching of America Reads began in earnest this summer.
The Pioneer Valley effort is being coordinated through the Five College
consortium, and Smith's participation is being directed by Valerie Schumacher,
student employment/fund coordinator in the Office of Financial Aid.
-
- "The Five Colleges have jointly made this opportunity known to
agencies and schools throughout the area," Schumacher says. "We've
also cooperated in making all Five College students aware of the tutoring
positions. I've even done a mailing to Ada Comstock Scholars to let those
who commute know that under the program they can tutor in their hometowns,
even if they're out of state."
-
- By the beginning of this November, 30 contracted Smith students were
working under America Reads, and several others were in the process of
applying. In all more than 50 Smith women have expressed interest in the
program, and Schumacher is anxious to see that number grow. "Of course,
only students eligible for federal work-study can participate," she
notes, "but we have many more of those who might sign up. We're especially
hoping to find students -- most likely Adas -- who have cars or are willing
to use public transportation, so that we take on more of the many potential
clients outside of Northampton.
-
- "Smith students are at two programs run at the Jackson Street
School -- the Jackson Street After-School Program and the Hampshire Youth
2000 Literacy Project," Schumacher adds. "Two of those students
have also arranged to work at Holyoke Health Center, linking America Reads
to a program called Reach Out and Read, which donates books to pediatric
patients. Meanwhile, Nonotuck Childcare Center and the People's Institute
are interviewing students. And we've gotten job notices from all over the
valley -- Chicopee, Amherst, Granby, Hatfield and Williamsburg. We're posting
them in books that we keep in the hallway by the job board in College Hall
and in the Ada office."
-
- The program's popularity comes as no surprise to Schumacher. "In
the past we've funded off-campus work-study positions in community service
fields, and we still do, " she says. "But the hiring agency has
always had to pay at least 25 percent of the student's earnings, as well
as all of her workers' comp and FICA. The America Reads funding provides
schools and agencies with reading tutors at no cost to them whatsoever."
-
- Schumacher meets monthly with the other Five College representatives.
A central clearinghouse at UMass, overseen by a graduate student coordinator,
tracks all of the program's responses, information and jobs. The student
coordinator also provides the basic training for each America Reads employee:
a mandatory, hourlong session for which the student is paid the tutors'
$6.60 hourly wage -- 50 cents over the standard campus salary. Any further
training is done by the hiring school or agency, which also handles the
application, interviewing and hiring procedures. Students work an average
four to six hours per week, and they teach children up through grade six.
-
- While the program is too new to have much of a track record, early
responses from clients have been good. "Hampshire Youth 2000 advertised
throughout the Five Colleges, and had high praise for the enthusiasm of
the Smith students in particular," Schumacher notes. "The program
directors were favorably impressed by the turnout they received and are
very grateful for the extra help they're getting."
-
Meet HR Top Job Candidates
- The search committee for the position of director of human resources
has selected three candidates for on-campus interviews. Each candidate
will have an open forum in the Wright Hall common room from 2:30 to 3:30
p.m. on the date shown.
-
- November 14
- Gretna Smith, 1991-present: director of personnel services, The College
of William and Mary, Virginia; 1990-91: classification and compensation
supervisor, The College of William and Mary; 1987-90: personnel practices
analyst, Virginia Department of Transportation.
-
- November 19
- Peter Martel, 1994-present: director of personnel, Amherst College;
1988-94: director of human resources, North Kingstown (Rhode Island) School
Department.
-
- November 21
- Lianne Sullivan, 1996-present: associate director, employee relations,
Harvard University; 1985-96: employment manager and various positions in
labor relations and employment, Harvard University.
-
United Way Update
- With administrative assistant Claire Kmetz in charge of United Way
lottery prizes, one might think that many weekly winners would hail from
the Office of College Relations. Instead, there has seemed to be a paucity
of prizes heading to Garrison Hall. But the jinx was broken on November
7, when Ann Shanahan's name was drawn as the winner of a one-hour massage
from Lynn Koerbel, and Patty Hayes garnered a bottle of Smith College wine
(with a label she herself designed). The other prizes in this drawing and
the lucky UW donors were:
-
- Free lunch at the Smith College Club: Jean Higgins; Eastside Grill
$50 gift certificate: Robert Saltis; two tickets to the Academy of Music:
Nancy Rich; reserved parking space: Linda Shaughnessy; $15 fruit basket
from State Street Fruit: Chester Michalik; Davis Center $5 gift certificate:
Nancy Rubeck; Packard's $25 gift certificate: Susan Daily; Beethoven by
Kenneth Fearn, piano: Sue Stano; La Salle Florist $25 gift certificate:
Judy Strong; Mobil Go Card $25: Kathleen Chatwood.
-
- Smith UW Campaign Chair Carrie Hemenway reports the latest facts and
figures: "As of November 7, we'd received $89,236.00 in donations
compared to last year's $79,809.92. Gifts have come from 426 donors; there
were 445 last year at this time.
-
- "Smith College is making a difference in our community,"
notes Hemenway. "Besides the financial generosity, many members of
the Smith community also volunteer in United Way agencies in a variety
of capacities. Many of us have used United Way services ourselves, including
the Y, the VNA, Necessities/Necesidades and the adoption services offered
by Children's Aid and Family Services."
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To Our Health: Women's Wellness is Ada's Quest
- by Kate Drake '99
- The ambition and drive shown by Ada Comstock Scholars never cease to
amaze others in the Smith community. One Ada Comstock Scholar, however,
is not only taking giant academic steps, but is also making leaps to improve
women's health on a national level.
-
- Devi O'Neill, a second-year student, interned last summer at the National
Center of Excellence in Women's Health at the University of California,
San Francisco. At the center, O'Neill did research for three different
projects. One was a manual for medical research recruiters on how to recruit
women from diverse populations that have been historically neglected in
clinical trials and medical research. Now, back at Smith, O'Neill is writing
the chapter on the lesbian population for the manual, to be submitted for
publication in the spring.
-
- O'Neill recently spoke about this project to the Lesbian Health Research
Priorities Committee at the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy
of Sciences in Washington, D.C. The conference focused on the lack of access
and research methods in lesbian health.
-
- O'Neill's other work at the UCSF center included a mental health project
aimed at creating an assessment tool to be used in primary care for mental
health disorders that are gender specific and a curriculum for lesbian
health to be used by medical schools.
-
- With seven years previous experience working as an AIDS emotional-support
counselor, O'Neill is currently volunteering for AIDS Care of Hampshire
County at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
-
- For the last few years, O'Neill has worked predominantly with women
and children with AIDS. Before she came to Smith, she attempted to start
a program for women with AIDS at the San Francisco Center for Living, but
then she began to recognize she was "really just being paid lip service"
when she was patted on the back for her efforts. "They had no intention
on focusing their resources on women. I decided to go back to school for
an education so I could do something about it myself," O'Neill explains.
"After a few scholarships at my local community college and a few
years of night school, the Ada Comstock Scholars Program found me and thought
they'd give me a chance. So here I am, and I'm so appreciative."
-
- O'Neill has designed her own major in women's health and public policy,
and after receiving her Smith degree may pursue a master's in public policy
or public health. Her interests for the future lie in medical anthropology
and conducting research in women's health that will influence policy. In
addition, O'Neill would like to teach at the university level.
-
- "Maybe I'll just have to come to Smith and start a women's health
department!" she adds with a laugh.
-
Sex-Ed Prize Pupils
- by Jen Bayer '99
- A few weeks ago, to publicize National Young Women's Day of Action,
which was held on October 23, the Smith Peer Sexuality Educators organized
a short awareness-raising quiz. Each participant had the chance to enter
a drawing if all her answers were correct.
- The winners of the drawing were Julie Lum, Sara Lacherman, Heather
Bryant, Andrea Reece, Amy Kim, Caitlin Bolley, Carolyn Rogers, Michelle
Mondoux, Jessica Linzmeier, Tamara Bruce, Sarah Thompson, Tamara Weiner,
Jessica Phillips-Fein, Jennifer Bealer and Andrea Lee.
-
- The Smith Peer Sexuality Educators thank all who took part, as well
as the businesses that donated prizes. For those who didn't try the quiz
last month, the questions (and answers) are below:
-
-
- 1) How many women die from illegal abortions each year (globally)?*
- 2) _______ are being infected by HIV the fastest.**
- 3) How often should you get a gynecological exam?
-
- Answers: 1) 100,000. 2) Heterosexual men. 3) Every year.
-
- * The answer choices given on the October 23 quiz were not correct.
(The answer "1023 million" on the original quiz was the
correct response to "How many illegal abortion are performed per year?")
Question 1 was disregarded when choosing entrants for the drawing.
-
- ** Heterosexual men are on the rise for contracting HIV by 11 percent
and heterosexual women by 7 percent. However, since only three participants
out of the 200 who entered actually chose the correct answer, those who
selected "heterosexual women" were reintroduced into the drawing.
-
- Anyone with questions about the quiz or the drawing can contact Jen
Bayer at extension 4607 or by e-mail at jbayer@sophia.smith.edu.
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Calendar Key
- Sources of further information, if any, are shown in parentheses at
the end of event descriptions. An asterisk following a listing indicates
that the event is open to the public. Admission charges, if any, are listed
when known.
Monday, November 17
- Red Cross/S.O.S. Blood Drive. Help make a difference by donating blood.
Walk-ins welcome. (S.O.S., ext. 2756; Cathy Lee, ext. 6721.)
- 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Davis ballroom*
-
- Language lunch tables.
- French
- Italian
- 12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room
-
- CDO workshop: "How to Find a January Internship."
- 12:20 p.m., CDO internship room
-
- Lecture: "Flipping and Frustrating Copolymers: Routes to Nanoscopic
Structures." Thomas Russell of the University of Massachusetts, director
of the Materials Science and Engineering Center. Refreshments served. Sponsored
by the Department of Physics.
- 3:45 p.m., McConnell 404
-
- Chemistry talk: "Chemical Use and Abuse: Pigments, Paints and
Preservation." George Fleck, professor of chemistry. Sponsored by
American Chemical Society.
- 4 p.m., McConnell B05
-
- Meeting: Amnesty International. (Vicki, ext. 6613)
- 4-5 p.m., Seelye 102
-
- Meeting and training session: Smith Debate Society. All welcome.
- 4-6 p.m., Seelye 110
-
- Green Tara Meditation. With Geshe Lobsang Tsetan.
- 4:15-5:15 p.m., Wright common room*
-
- Lecture: "Dinosaur Lives." Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar
John P. Horner, curator of the Museum of the Rockies and adjunct professor
of biology and geology at Montana State University. Sponsored by Smith
Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi and departments of geology and biology.
- 5 p.m., Wright auditorium*
-
- General meeting: Sailing Club. The club promotes sailing as a lifetime
sport. Agenda topics will include the Spring Sail to Shelter Island, New
York. Please bring $10 for dues. (Maggie, ext. 6640)
- 5 p.m., ITT
-
- Meeting of those who want to bring to Smith a Grass Roots Organizing
Weekend to enable students to learn the rudiments of political organizing.
(Marisa, ext. 6287)
- 6:30 p.m., Chase House living room
-
- General meeting: ASA.
- 7 p.m., Unity House
-
- Meeting: '01 class reps.
- 7 p.m., Seelye 301
-
- Organizational meeting: Om, a Hindu student organization. All are welcome
to celebrate Diwali and the Hindu New Year. (Elizabeth Carr, ext. 2751;
Dhruti Suchak, ext. 6432)
- 7-8 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
-
- Theater audition: (Under) Belly by Aaron Petrovitch MFA '97, directed
by John Hellweg.
- 7-10 p.m., TV Studio, Mendenhall CPA
-
- Organizational meeting: SSFFS participants in the April 1998 Five College
Sci-Fi Conference.
- 7:30 p.m., Seelye 208
-
- Concert: Informal Recital. Student performances.
- 7:30 p.m., Sage Recital Hall
-
Tuesday, November 18
- CDO extended hours.
- 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., 7-9 p.m., CDO
-
- Red Cross/S.O.S. Blood Drive. Help make a difference by donating blood.
Walk-ins welcome. (S.O.S., ext. 2756; Cathy Lee, ext. 6721.)
- 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Davis ballroom*
-
- Literature at Lunch: Elizabeth von Klemperer reading from Virginia
Woolf's "Street Haunting." Bring your own brown bag lunch; coffee
and soft drinks provided. All welcome. Sponsored by the English department.
- 12:15-1 p.m., Seelye 207
-
- Music in the Noon Hour: Soprano Karen Smith Emerson and pianist Constance
LaSalle perform songs by Richard Strauss.
- 12:30 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*
-
- Sigma Xi Luncheon Talk: "The Complete T. Rex." John P. Horner,
curator of the Museum of the Rockies and adjunct professor of biology and
geology at Montana State University. Open to faculty, emeriti and staff.
- Noon, College Club lower level
-
- Episcopal-Lutheran Fellowship meets in the parish house parlor for
worship, lunch and friendship. All welcome.
- Noon, St. John's Church, Elm Street*
-
- Hebrew language lunch table. Pizza provided.
- Noon, Bodman Lounge, Chapel
-
- CDO informational meeting: Mass Mutual. Full-time and internship opportunities
in the company's information technology department. Computer science background
not required.
- 12:15 p.m., CDO group room
-
- Language lunch tables.
- Deutscher Tisch
- Korean
- 12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room
-
- Résumé critique. Have a peer adviser look over your résumé.
- 4-6 and 7-9 p.m., CDO
-
- Religious activity: Bible study with Hallie Cowan. All welcome. (Chapel,
ext. 2750; halliecow@aol.com; Mei, ext. 6269)
- 4:30 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
-
- Lecture: "Union Organizing and Women Workers in the Global Economy."
Martie Volland, assistant director of organizing for UNITE. Sponsored by
the history department, Latin American studies, CCP and the Project on
Women and Social Change.
- 5-6 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*
-
- Informational meeting: Oxford Summer Seminar. David Paroissien, director
of the UMass/Amherst Oxford Summer Seminar, will describe the six-week
seminar at Trinity College, Oxford, July 2August 12, 1998. It will
include tutorial courses in English literature, history, law and debate
and enable participants to earn up to seven credits toward their degrees.
Applications considered from all majors.
- 5-6 p.m., Seelye 201
-
- Film screening and discussion: Japanese animation. Sponsored by SSFFS.
- 7 p.m., Bass 210*
-
- SGA Senate meeting, including a student open forum at 7:15 p.m.
- 7 p.m., Seelye 201
-
- Crash course: Beginning Hebrew. (Hillel, ext. 2754)
- 7 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
-
- Model session. One of a free weekly series sponsored by the Art Resource
Committee.
- 7-10 p.m., Hillyer 18
-
- Theater audition: (Under)Belly by Aaron Petrovitch MFA '97, directed
by John Hellweg.
- 7-10 p.m., TV Studio, Mendenhall CPA
-
- CDO workshop: "How to Write an Effective Résumé."
- 7:15 p.m., CDO
-
- Lecture/Workshop: "Mental Toughness: Creating the Mind of a Champion."
With Allan Goldberg, a nationally known expert in sport and performance
psychology who helps performers overcome fears and blocks, snap out of
slumps and perform to full potential. Students should plan on participating
in the workshop activities.
- 7:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room
-
- Film: The Producers (1968). Mel Brooks' hilarious spoof of musicals,
money and the American fascination with the Third Reich. Starring Zero
Mostel and Gene Wilder. Screening introduced by Hans Vaget. Sponsored by
the Department of German Studies and the German Club.
- 7:30 p.m., Seelye 106*
-
- CDO informational meeting: Net Daemons Associates (Web developer).
- 7:30 p.m., Seelye 105
-
- CDO workshop: "How to Find a January Internship."
- 8:15 p.m., CDO
-
- CDO workshop: "CDO Orientation and Tour for Seniors."
- 8:15 p.m., CDO
-
- Film: Men in Black. Sponsored by Rec Council.
- 9 p.m., Wright auditorium
-
Wednesday, November 19
- Computer expo. Vendors demonstrate and display current technology being
sold at the computer store.
- 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room
-
- Religious activity: Discussion and reflection for Catholic Adas. Lunch
served. All welcome.
- Noon1 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
-
- Language lunch tables.
- Chinese
- Spanish and Portuguese
- 12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room
-
- Meeting of the faculty. Tea served at 3:45 p.m.
- 4:10 p.m., Alumnae House conference room
-
- Religious activity: Buddhist service and discussion.
- 7:15 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
-
- MassPIRG weekly meeting. All welcome.
- 7:30 p.m., Seelye 107
-
- Reading: Muriel Rukeyser's Irish memoir The Orgy, presented by Peggy
O'Brian, Maddy Blais and others. Sponsored by Readers and Writers Live,
Paris Press and the English department.
- 7:30-9:30 p.m., Neilson Browsing Room*
-
- Film: Warrior Marks, about the practice of female genital mutilation
and the sexual blinding of women. Includes interviews with circum-scribers,
their victims, and activists fighting this practice. Sponsored by Feminists
of Smith Unite.
- 7:30-9:30 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*
-
- Concert: "An Evening of Songs and Romances by Clara and Robert
Schumann." With baritone Richard Lalli and pianist Monica Jakuc.
- 8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*
-
Thursday, November 20
- CDO extended hours.
- 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., CDO
-
- Lecture: "The Fourth of July, 1954: Joe McCarthy, Jane Rule, Citizenship
and Sexuality." Marilyn Schuster, professor of women's studies and
French language and literature. One of the Liberal Arts Luncheon Series.
Open to faculty, emeriti and staff.
- Noon, College Club lower level
-
- Language lunch tables.
- Japanese
- Russian
- 12:15 p.m., Duckett House Special Dining Room
-
- Student-led CAD workshop: "Reading Retention." Sign up at
CAD.
- 12:05-12:50 p.m., Seelye 307A
-
- CDO workshop: "Job Search for Seniors."
- 1 p.m., CDO
-
- Community forum: "Future Directions for the College." An
evaluation of self-study proposals.
- 1:30-2:30 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall
-
- Résumé critique. Have a peer adviser look over your résumé.
- 2:30-4 p.m., CDO
|
- Thursday, November 20 - continued
-
- Institutional diversity open hour. For students, with Carmen Santana-Melgoza,
director of institutional diversity. Schedule meetings for other times
by calling extension 2141.
- 4-5 p.m., College Hall 31
-
- Student open hour in the president's office.
- 4:15 p.m., College Hall 20
-
- Global Issues Forum: "Military Prostitution in U.S.-Korea Relations."
Kathy Moon '86, professor of political science, Wellesley College. Sponsored
by the International Relations Program and the government department.
- 4:30 p.m. Neilson Browsing Room*
-
- Informational meeting: Paris and Geneva Junior Year Abroad Programs.
Returning seniors will share their stories and experiences. Bring your
questions. Refreshments served.
- 4:30-6 p.m., Dewey House living room
-
- Lecture: "Environmental Activism in the Foothills of the Himalayas."
Ruchika Mandhyan '99J reports on her summer internship at an NGO that helps
conserve biodiversity and traditional agriculture in India.
- 5 p.m., Dewey common room
-
- Meeting and training session: Smith Debate Society. All welcome.
- 5-6 p.m., Seelye 110
-
- Lecture: "Mozart Scholarship and Mozart Performance: Life Along
the Border Between the Music Library and the Practice Room." Neal
Zaslaw, professor of music, Cornell University.
- 5-6 p.m., Sage Recital Hall*
-
- Meeting: Newman Association meeting for Catholic students. Come for
a home-cooked meal and conversation.
- 6 p.m., Bodman Lounge, Chapel
-
- Religious activity: Beit Midrash. Study of Jewish texts and ideas with
Rabbi Edward Feld. Pizza served. Smith students welcome.
- 6 p.m., Amherst College, Appleton 106
-
- CDO workshop: "Using the Internet to Find Internships and Jobs."
- 6:30 p.m., Seelye B03
-
- Slide lecture: "Giulio Cesare Procaccini's Apollo and Minerva."
Craig Felton, professor of art. Part of the Museum of Art's New Acquisitions
Series. A gallery viewing in the museum will follow.
- 7 p.m., Hillyer 117*
-
- Coffee house with President Simmons. Chat with her about the residence-life
proposals made in the self-study.
- 7-8:30 p.m., Gamut
-
- Film: A Midwife's Tale. Prerelease screening of a documentary based
on the diary of an 18th-century midwife and the work of historian Laurel
Ulrich. Followed by discussion with independant filmmaker and screenwriter
Laurie Kahn-Leavitt.
- 79 p.m., Seelye 201*
-
- Film: Life or Death. A drama set in 1956 Cairo. In Arabic, with English
subtitles.
- 7:30 p.m., Seelye 101*
-
- Film: Out at Work. Kelly Anderson and Tami Gold chronicle the struggles
of gay, lesbian and transgendered workers for legal protection and pride
at work and within unions. Sponsored by the Student Labor Action Coalition.
- 7:30 p.m., Stoddard auditorium*
-
- Slide lecture: "The Biology of Strangler Figs." Irwin P.
Ting, professor of botany, University of California at Riverside, and Smith
College William Allan Neilson Professor. Reception to follow in Wright
common room.
- 8 p.m., Wright auditorium*
-
- Dance performance: "Various and Sundry." Smith's own Celebrations
Dance Company presents its annual visual extravaganza. Tickets: $4 students,
$6 general public. (585-ARTS)
- 8 p.m., Scott Dance Studio*
-
- Performance: The Strong Breed by Wole Soyinka, directed by Heather
McClure '98. A visually dynamic exploration of the significance of cleansing
ritual in society. Tradition and fate merge in a world completely liberated
from the constraint of linear time. All tickets $1 for this performance
only. (Ext. 2787)
- 8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*
-
- Lecture: "The Sculpture of Spaces: The Works of Isamu Noguchi."
Bruce Altshuler, director of the Noguchi Garden Museum. Sponsored by the
Museum of Art, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the religion department's
Ada Howe Kent Program.
- 8:15 p.m., Seelye 106*
-
- Film: Men in Black. Sponsored by Rec Council.
- 9 p.m., McConnell auditorium
-
Friday, November 21
- Gallery talk: Art professor Gary Niswonger on the exhibition "Kinships:
Alice Neel Looks at the Family." (Ext. 2760)
- 12:30 p.m., Smith College Museum of Art*
-
- CDO workshop: "How to Write an Effective Résumé."
- 12:30 p.m., CDO
-
- CDO workshop: "How to Prepare for a Successful Interview."
- 3:15 p.m., CDO
-
- Meeting: Smith Science Fiction and Fantasy Society.
- 4:30 p.m., Seelye 208
-
- Religious service: Shabbat eve service.
- 5:30 p.m., Dewey common room
-
- Religious activity: Shabbat eve dinner.
- 7 p.m., Dawes House Kosher Kitchen
-
- Performance: The Strong Breed by Wole Soyinka, directed by Heather
McClure '98. Tickets: $5 general, $3 students and seniors. See Thursday
listing for description. (Ext. 2787)
- 8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*
-
- Dance performance: "Various and Sundry." Smith's own Celebrations
Dance Company presents its annual visual extravaganza. Tickets: $4 students,
$6 general public. (585-ARTS)
- 8 p.m., Scott Dance Studio*
-
- Special event: The Siren Open-Mike Event, to raise money for Siren
magazine. Admission: $1. (Ext. 4079)
- 8:30 p.m., Field House*
-
Saturday, November 22
- Special event: "Animals." Part of the Storytelling Series
for Children at the Museum of Art. In addition to hearing stories, the
children will get to view selected works at the museum and create their
own artwork. All children must be accompanied by an adult. (Ext. 2779)
- 10:30 a.m.-noon, Museum of Art*
-
- Swimming vs. Wheaton
- 1 p.m., Dalton pool, Ainsworth gym*
-
- Religious activity: Keystone Connections. Christian song, prayer and
learning. Everyone welcome.
- 9:30-11:30 a.m., Wright common room
-
- Performance: The Strong Breed by Wole Soyinka, directed by Heather
McClure '98. Tickets: $5 general, $3 students and seniors. See Thursday
listing for description. (Ext. 2787)
- 8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Mendenhall CPA*
-
- Concert: The Pioneer Valley Gay Men's Chorus, the Smiffenpoofs and
the Smithereens present an evening of choral and a capella music designed
to enhance the cultural richness of the Pioneer Valley and raise money
for the Hampshire County Friends of AIDS Care. Admission: $5. Sponsored
by the Smith AIDS Education Committee. A reception will follow in the Green
Room.
- 8 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*
-
- Dance performance: "Various and Sundry." Smith's own Celebrations
Dance Company presents its annual visual extravaganza. Tickets: $4 students,
$6 general public. (585-ARTS)
- 8 p.m., Scott Dance Studio*
-
Sunday, November 23
- Religious activity: Quaker (Friends) discussion group. Child care available.
Meeting for worship at 11 a.m.
- 9:30 a.m., Bass 210*
-
- Religious service: Morning worship with the Rev. Richard Unsworth.
All welcome.
- 10:30 a.m., Chapel
-
- CDO open hours.
- 1-4 p.m., CDO
-
- Concert: "Can't Stop Singing." Join the Smith College All
Peoples Gospel Choir for some ecstatically good music. Tickets: Smith students,
$3; general public, $7 in advance and $8 at the door.
- 2 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall*
-
- Concert: "Music for Thanksgiving." Vocal and instrumental
chamber music performed by Philipp Naegele, John van Buskirk, and friends
and relations. Works by J.S. Bach, Brahms and Beethoven.
- 2-3:30 p.m., Museum of Art*
-
- CDO workshop: "How to Find a January Internship."
- 2:15 p.m., CDO
-
- CDO workshop: "CDO Orientation and Tour for Second-Years."
- 3 p.m., CDO
-
- Meeting: Association of Smith Pagans, for those who practice nature-based
religions. All seekers welcome.
- 4-5:15 p.m., Women's Resource Center (Davis third floor)
-
- Religious service: Roman Catholic Mass with Fr. Warren Savage and Elizabeth
Carr, Catholic Chaplain. Supper will follow.
- 4:30 p.m., Chapel*
-
- Religious activity: Smith Christian Fellowship, a chapter of InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship USA. All welcome.
- 7-8:30 p.m., Dewey common room*
-
- Meeting: Feminists of Smith Unite.
- 7 p.m., Women's Resource Center (Davis third floor)
Ongoing Events
- Art exhibition: "Cigoli's Dream of Jacob and Drawing in Late 16th-Century
Florence." TuesdaySaturday, 9:30 a.m.4 p.m.; Sunday, noon4
p.m. (Ext. 2770)
- Museum of Art, through December 14*
-
- Photography exhibition: "Edward Weston." TuesdaySaturday,
14 p.m. (Ext. 2770)
- Museum of Art Print Room, through December 14*
-
- Book exhibition: "Colorful Tales: Artists' Books from the Purgatory
Pie Press of New York." Vibrant and unusual examples of contemporary
book art. Sponsored by the Mortimer Rare Book Room.
- Neilson Library front hall, through December 15*
-
- Exhibition: "'Amazonian Activity': The Life and Work of Noel Phyllis
Birkby (1932-94)." Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Ext. 2970)
- Sophia Smith Collection reading room, through January 31*
-
- Exhibition: "Kinships: Alice Neel Looks at the Family." Tuesday-Saturday,
9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m. (Ext. 2770)
- Museum of Art, through January 11*
-
- Exhibition: "Family Images." Drawn from the permanent collection
and designed to supplement "Kinships: Alice Neel Looks at the Family."
Organized by Stefne Lynch, undergraduate intern, and Sarah Powers, graduate
intern. Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon4 p.m. (Ext.
2770)
- Museum of Art, through January 4*
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Getting Your Word Out in AcaMedia
- AcaMedia is the official vehicle for making announcements within the
Smith College community. We urge all of our readers to let us know of any
Smith-related stories in need of telling, any members of the Smith community
in need of recognition or any college events or notices in need of publicity.
-
- Where to Send Copy
- - Submit copy or ideas for news stories to Sally Rubenstone at Garrison
Hall (srstone@javanet.com or srubenstone@colrel.smith.edu).
- - Submit calendar items to Mary Stanton at Garrison Hall (mstanton@colrel.smith.edu,
or fax to extension 2174).
- - Submit notices to John Sippel at Garrison Hall (jsippel@colrel.smith.edu,
or fax to extension 2178). Text for notices should not exceed 125 words.
If its intended audience is not obvious, please indicate whether your notice
applies to the entire Smith community, to faculty and staff only, or to
students only.
-
- Deadlines
- Copy is due by 4 p.m., Wednesday, November 26, for issue 13 (which
will include December 8-January 4 calendar listings) and by 4 p.m., Wednesday,
December 3, for issue 14 (January 5-24 calendar listings). Late information
cannot be accepted.
Smith-Wide
Mid-December Scheduling
- All members of the Smith community should remember not to schedule
events during the preexamination study period (Friday-Monday, December
12-15) or the formal examination period (Tuesday-Friday, December 16-19).
Crocheters Needed
- S.O.S. has boxes of knitted squares that need to be crocheted together
to make baby blankets for local shelters. If you're willing to help, please
stop by the S.O.S. office in the Chapel to pick up some squares. Needles
and hooks are also available. Information: Sara, extension 5631; Cindy,
extension 6187.
Web Job Board
- The Web and Graphics Center, in the back of the Jahnige Center in the
basement of Wright Hall, maintains a Web-design job board where designers
and those in need of their services can find one another.
Crew Team 'Ergathon'
- The Smith crew team will hold a rowing "ergathon" November
21 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of Neilson Library. The team is raising
funds for a new boat, a spring training trip and local charity. Donations
or sponsorships would be appreciated, as would encouragement of any kind.
Information: extension 2717.
-
Faculty & Staff
United Way Leadership Circle
- Smith College United Way has created the Leadership Circle, a new category
for donors who contribute between $500 and $999 to this year's drive. If
you would like to make such a contribution, please notify Cheryl Donaldson
at Information Systems, Stoddard Hall Annex. Elliot Offner of the art department
has generously offered to provide an original print to each circle member,
as well as to any Key Club members (donors of $1,000 or more) who request
them.
Winter Party
- Smith faculty, staff and emeriti are invited to a Winter Party to be
held Saturday, December 20, from 8 p.m. to midnight in Scott gym. Each
invitee may bring a guest. Dance music will be provided by Doc Bastarache's
Big Band, and hors d'oeuvres, desserts and an assortment of beverages will
be served. Admittance will be by invitation only, so don't forget to RSVP
by December 1.
-
Smoking-Cessation Workshop
- The Office of Human Resources is sponsoring "Smoking Cessation:
Gear Up to Quit," a workshop to be held Wednesday, November 19, in
the Dewey common room. Space is limited, so call extension 2297 soon to
reserve a spot. And visit 30 Belmont Avenue on Thursday, November 20, when
a respiratory therapist will be on hand to explain the benefits of becoming
tobacco-free. Stop by between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a free lung-capacity
test and food, fun and freebies.
-
Students
Spring '98 Registration
- Students taking spring courses should make note of their assigned days
for submitting registration forms to the registrar's office. Anyone needing
to register at some other time may do so until Friday, November 21, which
is also the final deadline for Five College spring registration. If you
did not receive a spring registration packet and need one, call the registrar's
office at extension 2550.
Interterm Registration
- Students taking interterm courses for credit should make note of their
assigned days for submitting registration forms to the registrar's office.
Anyone needing to register at some other time may do so until Friday, November
21. Instructions are included in the registration packets.
Exam Workers
- Students interested in being exam workers should sign up in the financial
aid office. Exam supervisor aspirants should sign up in the registrar's
office.
Faculty Teaching Evaluations
- Faculty teaching evaluations will be collected Monday-Thursday, December
1-4, in the Wright auditorium foyer. Evaluation forms will be distributed
in student campus mailboxes during the week of November 17. Students are
required to complete these forms and will be fined $25 by the SGA for unexcused
noncompliance. Completed forms should be submitted between 9 a.m. and 9
p.m. on the following days: classes of 2001J and '01: Monday, December
1; Ada Comstock Scholars and the classes of 2000J and '00: Tuesday, December
2; classes of 1999J and '99: Wednesday, December 3; class of '98: Thursday,
December 4. Students who cannot submit forms at their appointed times may
do so on one of the other scheduled days. No evaluations will be accepted
after December 4.
-
Final Examinations
- Information on scheduled and self-scheduled examinations is posted
at the registrar's office, in the houses, and on official bulletin boards
in academic buildings. Examinations will be given during three periods
each day Tuesday-Thursday, December 16-18, and during two periods on Friday,
December 19 (there will be no examination period that evening). Students
should check the schedule carefully and report any conflicts to the registrar's
office immediately. Examinations cannot be repeated. Students who miss
them through carelessness will be failed.
|
Smokeout Table
- Visit the Great Smithie Smokeout Table in the student mail center foyer,
Wednesday and Thursday, November 19 and 20. It will offer free quit kits,
information and a smokeout contest with lots of prizes and surprises. (And
check out the "Women and Smoking" bulletin board your house health
peer has put up. The house with the best board will win $100.)
Student Recruiters Needed
- The Office of Admission encourages students who have been on campus
- for at least one year to participate in the Take Smith Home Program,
under which student recruiters return to their high schools or community
colleges to tell interested students about college life in general and
the Smith experience in particular. Mandatory training sessions for recruiters
will be held in Seelye 201 on December 2, 3 and 4 at 5:15 p.m. Information:
Nicole Danks, extension 6731 or 2523; ndanks@sophia.smith.edu.
Health Services Hiatus
- Health Services will be closed between noon on Wednesday, November
26, and 8:30 a.m. on Monday, December 1. Students needing emergency medical
care during that period should go to Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
Foreign Service Exam
- Applications for the Foreign Service Office exam are now available
in the CDO. The registration deadline is January 30, 1998. The exam will
be held Febraury 28 in locations throughout the U.S.
Job for a January Graduate
- The Office of Financial Aid has a training position for a January graduate
interested in a career in financial aid: a temporary job working on the
office's toll-free telephone line explaining financial aid application
forms and procedures to prospective students and their families. Qualifications
include general knowledge of the subject, excellent communication ability,
detail-mindedness and strong data-entry and word-processing skills. Training
will take place the week of January 5. The job itself will last from January
15 through June 15. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 2-9 p.m.; Friday, 2-4:30 p.m.
Send résumés to Ann Playe in College Hall.
Senior Physical
- Students graduating in January must have their senior physicals before
December 17. To schedule one, call extension 2823.
AIDS Education
- The AIDS Education Committee is again soliciting creative efforts in
HIV/AIDS education for the Smith community, either for World AIDS Day (December
1) or any other time during the academic year. Projects might include but
are not limited to educational programs, workshops, plays or vignettes,
as well as posters, exhibits, displays and pamphlets. Accuracy of information,
creativity and "do-ability" are important. Projects must enhance
knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS. Applications or information may be
obtained from your house health peer or Connie Peterson at
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