AggieCards for staff, faculty

They are called "recarding" events, for staff and faculty who wish to trade in their photo ID cards for new AggieCards. But you can also get one of the new cards even if you do not have one now.

The next "recarding" event is scheduled from 2:30 to 4 p.m. today (Oct. 22) in the lobby of the Activities and Recreation Center.

Three more "recarding" events are set for next week:

• Monday, Oct. 25 — conference room, first floor, Shields Library, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

• Tuesday, Oct. 26 — conference room, South Silo, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

• Friday, Oct. 29 — second floor, Plant and Environmental Sciences Building, 9-11 a.m.

In addition, at the request of individual departments and units, the AggieCard staff will make field trips to distribute 25 or more cards per visit. To schedule an AggieCard event for your department or unit, send an e-mail to employeeid@ucdavis.edu; be sure to include the possible dates and times as well as approximate number of employees for your department’s event.

Cards are also available at the new AggieCard office across from the information counter in the Memorial Union’s east wing. Office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Employees need not have new pictures taken for their AggieCards — so long as the university has your ID photo on file. However, the AggieCard staff will be more than happy to take a new photo.

'Is America Islamophobic?'

A public lecture set for next week addresses the question: “Is America Islamophobic?”

Reza Aslan’s talk, with the following subtitle, “The Causes and Consequences of Rising Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the United States,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 27 in Freeborn Hall.

A flier from the Department of Middle East-South Asia Studies, which is sponsoring the lecture and book signing, describes Aslan as an internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions.

He is the author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam, translated into 13 languages and named one of the 100 most important books of the last decade; and Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism.

Aslan is an associate professor of creative writing at UC Riverside, and he is a contributing editor for The Daily Beast.

He was named the Truman Capote Fellow in Fiction at the University of Iowa. He serves on the board of directors of the Ploughshares Fund, Abraham's Vision and PEN USA, which focus on peace and security issues, and freedom of expression.

Tickets are available online. General admission is $20, or $5 for students.

Diversity achievement awards

Nominations are due by Nov. 9 for the Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community.

These awards are given annually in recognition of substantial contributions “to the development and well-being of our diverse and evolving community,” according to an announcement from the Office of Campus Community Relations.

Six awards are available, one in each of these categories: Academic Senate, Academic Federation, staff, undergraduate students, graduate students and the community. The awards, which come with a monetary prize, are due to be given out in January, during a reception at the Chancellor’s Residence.

Recognition can be given for any of the following:

• Exemplary service that embodies the Principles of Community through outstanding leadership in areas of social and-or cultural understanding, local or regional community involvement, and-or collaborations leading to increased knowledge or expertise in areas of special interest to the
campus.

• Outstanding efforts toward achieving and-or advancing a diverse and principled academic community, including exemplary service in the areas of student, staff and faculty recruitment and development.

• Exemplary scholarship having a major impact on community and diversity.

• Exemplary contributions to the success of campus-based outreach efforts.

• Exemplary service to the campus and-or community through active leadership, involvement in precollege partnership initiatives, etc.

The nomination form is available here. Completed forms and any optional supporting documents should be submitted to Chancellor’s Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community, in care of Vickie Gomez, Program Coordinator, Office of Campus Community Relations, 412 Mrak Hall. Gomez’s e-mail address is vlgomez@ucdavis.edu.

Business Officer Institute

Nominations are due by Oct. 26 for the next session of the UC system's Business Officer Institute, scheduled from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 in San Francisco.

The Office of the President established the institute in recognition of the critical role that business officers play in a rapidly changing business environment characterized by localized decision-making authority, increased regulatory interest and oversight, emphasis on risk-taking and innovation, and increased complexity.

Candidates are those who have broad decision-making and-or supervisory responsibility or accountability for academic or administrative department budgets, finance, internal controls, human resources, systems or sponsored projects.

Candidates must be classified at the Professional and Support Staff (PSS) or Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP) levels to be eligible for nomination.

The Office of the President covers all program costs and some meal costs (breakfast and lunch), as well as the opening dinner. UCOP will not cover the cost of travel, hotel expenses of $139 per night, parking or dinners on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

More information, including the nomination form for UC Davis candidates.