Volume 3, Issue 2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OFFICE OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS
AT AURARIA LIBRARY ANNOUNCES
‘A New Year. A New Challenge. A New Library.’

DENVER, CO ­— January 25, 2010 — With the campus’ record high enrollment, the tri-institutional Auraria Library is challenged to accommodate growing demands in the current 33 year-old building. It was not designed to meet the 21st century needs of nearly 50,000 students and faculty. Therefore, the current library interior needs to be redesigned to best utilize space and provide services for its constituents.

The process has begun. This spring semester begins the New Auraria Library Project – a planned redesign of the space and services on the Library’s first floor with input by administrators, students, faculty, staff, public and even UC Denver architecture students. The advantages of the first floor redesign are to create community, collaboration, and connectivity through enhanced-integrated service and improved space utilization.

Community is achieved by creating space that will take advantage of the building’s distinctive urban architecture, natural lighting, and sunny, green courtyards. Because collaboration is the key to successful work and social interactions, comfortable furniture designed for both individual and group study will enhance experiential learning.

In an ever changing virtual world, connectivity is vital for research and online access. By upgrading electrical capacity, WiFi access and computer stations, the Auraria Library can offer opportunities to increase productivity. New service desks will allow staff to meet constituents’ needs in a more streamlined manner. The Library looks forward to partnerships in order to redesign the academic library to meet the needs of Denver’s urban campus community.

For further details on how to participate in this visionary process, call 303-556-6381.

Catherine Ostrander
Head of Community Relations
P 303-556-6381 F 303-556-3528
catherine.ostrander@ucdenver.edu

Counseling Center Offers Help in Haiti Aftermath
The following information is also online at http://www.ucdenver.edu/faculty_staff/alert/Pages/HaitiQuake.aspx.

The UC Denver Counseling Center and the Office of Student Life want to remind members of the UC Denver community that help and support are available for those impacted by the recent earthquake in Haiti. If you or your family has suffered loss, or if awareness of the anguish going on in Haiti has shaken you emotionally, please know that there is help available to you both on and off campus if you need it. The Counseling Center is located on the Auraria Campus, downtown Denver, North Classroom 4036. Students may drop in or call for an appointment.

Additional information about our services is available on the Counseling Center web site: http://www.ucdenver.edu/life/services/counseling. Faculty and staff are reminded of the Colorado State Employee’s Assistance Program’s counseling services as well: 303-866-4314.


Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Program Accepts Candidates
On January 25, 2010, ALA-APA will accept applications from potential candidates interested in achieving the Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC). The LSSC Program is the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff. This new certification program will help library support staff achieve recognition for current and new skills and abilities, and increase access to continuing education opportunities.
ALA and ALA-APA President Camila Alire affirms, “This certification program was much needed for support staff in multi-type libraries across the country. Along with support staff, I am excited that it has finally come to fruition. I encourage library administrators and support staff to take advantage of this program.”
ALA-APA will award the LSSC to candidates who demonstrate achievement in six sets of competencies by completing approved courses or submitting portfolios that demonstrate their achievement. Candidates have four years from acceptance to complete the program.
The LSSC Program is open to any library support staff person with a high-school diploma or its equivalent and the equivalent of at least one year of full-time experience in a library with the last five years. Applicants do not have to be a member of ALA. The application fee is $325 for ALA members and $350 for non-ALA members.
A certification program was sought for many years by library support staff. In 2003, the ALA Congress on Professional Education III asked ALA to study LSS certification, ALA responded by including planning for a certification program in ALA’s strategic plan, ALA2010. Funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, ALA developed the LSSC over the past three years.
More information about the LSSCP is available online at http://www.ala-apa.org/lssc. Direct questions to lssc@ala.org or call 312-280-2424.
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and has as one of its missions supporting salary improvement initiatives for library workers.

H1N1 Vaccine Available - TODAY

When: Monday, January 25th
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Where: Auraria Campus, Plaza Building,
Room 150 In Corridor Just Outside the Health Center at Auraria

Upcoming Diversity Events
Rumor Has It: Real Talk at the Women’s Resource Center – Jan 19
"Rumor Has It " is a program the Women’s Resource Center put together to help provide a connection between students, staff, and faculty and campus resources, as well as to build community while having difficult conversations about issues affecting women on and off campus. "Rumor Has It" meets on Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30pm in the WRC (UMC 416). Join us on Tuesday January 19th for “Being in an Interracial Relationship” with Tanya Greathouse and Ruchi Malhotra. Website: http://www.blogger.com/mail/fetch.html?urlid=g64c1ea6a5506cebdf52cd50df16bc7e03j9p5nljil&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.colorado.edu%2Fwomensresourcecenter%2Fevents%2Fevents.htm%23rumorhasitspring2010

A Night of Poetry with SlamNuba – Jan 19
8pm, Glenn Miller Ballroom
Come see Suzy Q Smith, The Original Women, and other poets from SlamNuba perform on the CU Boulder campus in collaboration with the MLK Day celebration. There will also be a Dj! The event is free and open to the public. Come early and invite all your friends!About SlamNuba:SlamNuba is a program focusing on youth, literacy, and competitive performance-based poetry. Its members perform poetry throughout the nation in colleges and universities, as well as teach workshops locally to at-risk and underprivileged youth in Denver. SlamNuba is also among the highest ranked poetry slams in the nation, winning competitions throughout the US.

Culture Shock Auditions – Jan 19-21
Sigma Psi Zeta, multicultural Asian-interest sorority and Pi Delta Psi, multicultural Asian-interest fraternity are looking for talented students to audition for their 2nd annual "Culture Shock" event occurring on February 26, 2010. The talent may be anything as long as it has a cultural significance, including but not limited to: ethnicity (i.e. Brazilian culture), hip hop culture (i.e. rap/spoken word), pop culture (i.e. skateboarding, rock music), etc. The goal for the event is to educate the campus about various cultures in its various forms to promote awareness and understanding for the greater community in general. The grand prize is $300!Auditions:January 19-20, 2010 at 5pm-9pm in UMC 386January 21, 2010 at 5pm-9pm in UMC 425Walk-in and video auditions welcomed!We hope to see you there. Please contact http://www.blogger.com/persifinysyz@gmail.com if any questions.

International Coffee Hour – Jan 22
All students, staff and faculty are invited to enjoy conversation and free refreshments on Fridays (while classes are in session), from 4 - 5:30 p.m., in the UMC Grill, across from Baby Doe's. Join the crowd for great conversations!
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/cu-international/events.html#ich

Weekly HIV Testing – Jan 25
5-6:30pm, Willard Hall
Testing continues every Monday until April 26th
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/GLBTRC/

Vincent Who Documentary Showing – Jan 26
Q&A With the film's Producer to Follow
January 26th @ 6:00PM
Humanities 150
Website: http://www.culturaleventsboard.org/

Dennis Small Cultural Center Open House – Jan 28
12:00-4:00pm in UMC 457
Celebrate diversity and address social justice issues through traditional foods, music, dancing, arts & crafts, films, forums, and Interactive Theatre Project. Student groups are invited to learn how the DSCC can help support your next event. We hope to see you there!
Website: http://umc.colorado.edu/quicklinks/dscc_programsandevents.html

2010-11 Puksta New Scholar Applications – Due Feb 2
The Puksta Scholars, an exemplary undergraduate civic engagement program, is accepting applications for 2010-11 new scholars. The Puksta Scholars is one of the university’s “Special Enhancement Opportunities Programs.” There will be a limited number of $4,500 annual scholarships. If you have a strong commitment to civic responsibility and high ethical standards and want to bring about positive change within our campus and communities, apply now. Please note that this scholarship is available for incoming freshmen, sophomores and juniors. It is not available for incoming seniors. For an application, overview and more Puksta information go to www.colorado.edu/puksta/ . For questions, contact Peter Simons (peter.simons@colorado.edu, 303-492-1962).

Interested in becoming more involved with the GLBT Resource Center? We are currently recruiting voting members for our Student Advisory Board here at the GLBT Resource Center. The Student Advisory Board is a direct arm to UCSU student government and helps represent LGBTQIA student voices to CU's student government as well as to the staff of the GLBTRC. Time requirement is approximately 3-6 hours a month (Board meetings are currently scheduled for Fridays at 3pm, every other week. These are subject to change.)

Below is a detailed description of the purpose and role of Student Advisory Board members. If you are interested in applying to be on the board, please do the following:
1) Go to http://www-ucsu.colorado.edu/webber/index.cfm
2) Click on UCSU jobs link on the left side menu bar
3) Fill out online application. List GLBTRC Student Advisory Board in the position you are applying for field.
Contact Steph Wilenchek with any questions at wilenche@colorado.edu or 303.492.2966

Volume 3, Issue 1

You've got to know . . .
University asking employees to verify dependents’ benefit eligibility

As health care costs rise, process will help ensure viability of CU’s group benefit plans (Jan. 5, 2010) Like many employers challenged by rising health care costs, the University of Colorado is launching an audit to verify the eligibility of dependents who are covered by employee benefit plans.

As announced by Payroll and Benefit Services (PBS) during spring’s open enrollment for the 2009-10 year, plan participants must review the university’s eligibility requirements and determine whether their dependents meet requirements for coverage by health, dental and life insurance plans.

All benefits-eligible employees will receive a letter later this month explaining the process. In early February, all plan participants with enrolled dependents will receive a verification packet from Secova, an independent third party that the university is partnering with for the confidential review. Participants will be asked for industry-standard documentation – such as birth certificates, marriage licenses and/or tax returns (without financial information) – verifying that dependents meet university eligibility requirements.

“Although we believe the majority of enrolled dependents meet university eligibility requirements, there might be some instances when a plan participant mistakenly includes an ineligible dependent,” said Mark Stanker, assistant vice president of PBS. “When this happens, each of us shares the cost of covering the ineligible dependent in our programs.”

Plan participants who realize they have ineligible dependents are asked to voluntarily drop them from coverage in a timely manner. Penalties may be avoided by removing ineligible dependents from coverage by Feb. 28. After that date, if the university learns that a plan participant has knowingly enrolled an ineligible person as a dependent, the university may act to recover costs for the ineligible person’s health care and/or benefit claims.

Dependent eligibility audits are increasingly common among employers, as they seek to rein in health care costs. Other major universities including Stanford, Ohio State and Michigan recently completed similar dependent verifications. According to a recent Aon Consulting survey of large employers, 46 percent of organizations conducted such verification by 2009, and 20 percent plan to do so in the future.

“The data show that for large employers like CU, about 5 percent to 12 percent of dependents do not meet eligibility requirements, and each ineligible dependent costs an employer approximately $2,000 to $4,000 annually,” Stanker said. “With nearly 18,000 dependents on our plans, assuring the university is paying only for eligible dependents is important, even more so in this economy.”

Note: An Official Announcement was sent via e-mail this morning from Danielle Zieg which contains more information regarding this audit.

Congratulations to Jeffrey Beall for his recent publication:
Beall J. Metadata for Name Disambiguation and Collocation. Future Internet. 2010; 2(1):1-15.
http://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/2/1/1

Outstanding student worker recognized
As one of four members of the UCD Ethics Bowl team, Suraj Chaudhary, one of our Computer Commons student workers, participated in the Rocky Mountain Region Ethics Bowl on Saturday, November 21. The team swept undefeated through all four rounds of competition, qualifying them to compete in the national Bowl, to be held in Cincinnati in February. The team was coached by Prof. Gabriel Zamosc and Prof. Candice Shelby of the Philosophy Department.

In addition, Suraj submitted his paper entitled “Assumptions in Wittgenstein’s Idea of Ethics,” to the 2010 Southwestern Undergraduate Philosophy Conference and was accepted for presentation at the conference on February 13th, 2010 in Edmond Oklahoma.
The competition for both of these events was very intense and we are very proud of Suraj, who has been with us for several years now. Please join me in congratulating him for his impressive demonstration of skills and knowledge.

In case his name looks familiar, Suraj was also one of our 2006 Read, Succeed at Auraria Library Scholarship winners and he is the brother of our own Niraj.


Research Behind the News is Back!
Thanks to Eric Baker and Gayle Bradbeer for working to keep this favored feature, originally started by Davette Zinik and Elaine Jurries, alive. To check out the latest, visit the Auraria Libary homepage or go directly to the blog: http://aurariaresearchnews.blogspot.com/

Submissions for News@1100 Do you have something to share in News@1100? Please, submit items to Marical Farner by 12:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.