‘Responsible’ research workshops slated

The Office of Research's brown-bag sessions on the responsible conduct of research continues in December and January with sessions on research misconduct, publication and authorship issues. The sessions are geared to three different tracks: basic sciences; humanities, social sciences and arts; and medical sciences. However, researchers from any discipline are welcome to attend any of the sessions.

Debbi Gilad, research compliance officer for the Office of Research, will talk about "Research Misconduct: What is it and how to stay out of trouble," from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 in 912 Sproul Hall (humanities, social sciences and arts track) and again from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 in 1003 Kemper Hall (basic sciences track).

Dr. Richard Kravitz, professor and director of the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care and Dr. Michael Wilks, vice dean, Office of Medical Education will address "Publication and Authorship Issues" from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 19 in the Cancer Center Auditorium at the UC Davis Medical Center (medical center track).

Ann Bonham, professor of medical pharmacology and toxicology and executive associate dean, School of Medicine, will talk about "Authorship and Publication: It is more delicate than it looks," from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Jan. 10, 250 Briggs Hall (basic sciences track).

Patrick Romano, professor of general medicine and pediatrics, will discuss Publication and Authorship Issues, from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 in the Anderson Conference Room, 2203 Social Sciences and Humanities Building (humanities, social sciences and arts track).

Attendees are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch. Refreshments will be served. For more information, see http://research.ucdavis.edu/rcr.

Student fees increase in 2006 budget proposal

The UC Board of Regents on Nov. 16 adopted a 2006-07 budget proposal that includes funding for student enrollment growth, expanded support for graduate education, improvements in the student-faculty ratio, additional aid for low- and middle-income families, and permanent state support for academic preparation programs, among other things.

The budget proposal is consistent with the May 2004 compact between UC and the governor. That document spells out anticipated state funding levels and university accountability measures over a multi-year period, along with projected fee increases to provide predictability for students. To help preserve the quality of the instructional program and help the university rebuild after years of state budget cuts, the regents approved fee increases of 8 percent ($492) for resident undergraduates, 10 percent ($690) for resident graduate academic students, and 5 percent (dollar amounts varying by school) for most professional school students in 2006-07. UC will devote an equivalent of 33 percent of new mandatory systemwide fee revenue from undergraduates and professional students to financial aid, and 45 percent of new graduate academic fee revenue.

Regents increase top administrators pay

On Nov. 17, the UC Board of Regents approved regular annual merit increases averaging 2.5 percent for senior UC management, including President Robert Dynes, chancellors and other UC officers. On Oct. 1, UC staff employees not covered by union contracts received general salary increases based on a 3.5 percent funding pool (increases for union-represented employees are governed by collective bargaining agreements). The 2.5 percent merit increases for senior officers were effective Oct.1.

As part of the university's ongoing efforts to promote transparency about compensation matters, UCOP will continue to post summaries of all salary items that were approved by regents, including the annual systemwide merits for senior UC personnel. The summaries are available at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/aar/aar.html.

Plan to hike employee salaries approved

A proposal aimed at ensuring competitive compensation and benefits for all UC faculty and staff was approved by the UC Board of Regents on Nov. 16. Under the proposal, UC will establish specific goals in order to achieve market-competitive salaries for all employees over the next 10 years.

A recent study by Mercer Consulting of a range of UC employee groups found an average market salary lag of 15 percent among the groups studied. However, because of the favorable health and retirement benefits offered at UC, overall employee compensation is currently at market level.

Staff Assembly meeting

The annual Fall Meeting for Staff Assembly is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5 at Memorial Union II. The meeting will feature two guest speakers: Bob Biggs, head coach for UC Davis football coach, and John Meyer, the vice chancellor of Resource Management and Planning. The event will cover issues pertaining to staff and short presentations from their two guest speakers.

Distinguished Teaching Awards nominations

The Davis Division of the Academic Senate invites nominations of candidates for the 2006 Distinguished Teaching Awards. Information on the nomination procedure is available online at www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/senate/committee_dta.cfm. All nomination letters/forms must be received in the Academic Senate Office before 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12.

For additional details, contact Kathy von Rummelhoff at 752-3920 or ksvonrummelhoff@ucdavis.edu.

Cancer Center research fund-raiser set

Help raise money for cancer research — and add unusual designer ornaments to your tree at the same time — at the annual Joan Giboney Tree of Hope "untrimming" party and ornament sale in the UC Davis Cancer Center lobby, 4501 X St., Sacramento, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 15.

Holiday cookies and punch will be served. Choral groups from Sacramento and Davis will perform holiday songs.

All proceeds from the ornament sale go to breast cancer research at the Cancer Center, the region's only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.

The professionally decorated 15-foot tree, trimmed with more than 700 ornaments and 2,000 lights, is the legacy of the late Joan Giboney, a Lodi interior designer who wanted to raise the spirits of her fellow cancer patients during the holidays. Her family and friends have carried on the tradition in her memory.

"Hope" is the theme for this year's tree. Tree and ornaments can be viewed in the Cancer Center lobby from now through the end of the sale.

For more information, call the UC Davis Cancer Center at (916) 734-5800. Visit the Cancer Center's web site at www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer.

To mark the centennial of Albert Einstein's breakthrough year of 1905, during which he published his theories of special relativity, the photoelectric effect and molecular motion, the UC Davis Department of Physics will hold a series of public lectures on modern physics. Two lectures already took place Nov. 21 and 28, and two more are coming.

On Dec. 5, UC Davis astrophysicist J. Anthony Tyson will talk about "The Dark Side of the Universe," beginning at 8 p.m. in Room 194 of the Chemistry Building. Our universe is dominated by unseen forms of dark matter and dark energy that are not described by today's physics. The gravity exerted by this dark matter and dark energy controls the evolution and the fate of the universe. In this lecture, Tyson will share some images of dark matter and the excitement of our exploration of the dark side.

Campus is holding lectures on modern physics

On Dec. 12, Nobel laureate Douglas Osheroff, professor of physics at Stanford University, will talk about "How Advances in Science Are Made." His talk will begin at 8 p.m. in the AGR Room of the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

It is hard to anticipate where great breakthroughs in science will occur, and even harder to predict how these breakthroughs will benefit mankind. Osheroff will discuss how such breakthroughs are made, and how science can be supported to provide the greatest benefit to humanity.

He will suggest both personal and national strategies to push forward the frontiers of knowledge while helping to meet the many challenges facing the world.

Osheroff is the G. Jackson and C.J. Wood Professor of Physics at Stanford. He received the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics with David Lee and Robert Richardson, both of Cornell University, for discovering that the helium isotope helium-3 can become super--fluid at temperatures close to absolute zero.

Holiday office closures

This year, the seasonal administrative holidays fall on Friday and Monday, Dec. 23 and 26, and Thursday and Friday, Dec. 29 and 30. Winter quarter begins on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

As in previous years, unit heads who wish to close their offices or reduce office hours on days surrounding the holiday dates may do so, with the approval of their dean or vice chancellor. Departments that are approved to close for the holidays are encouraged to provide alternative means to address urgent business matters that may arise during the holiday closures.

Examples of measures may include signs and voice-mail greetings describing contact information for those with urgent business needs.

If a unit is closed, employees may use accrued vacation and compensatory time off, or leave without pay. Personnel policy and collective bargaining agreements also provide that a unit head may grant an exception to permit employees (including probationary employees) to use vacation leave prior to the time it is accrued. If an employee does not want to use vacation, compensatory time off, or leave without pay, units may permit the employee to work during the closure.

Human Resources has issued a call to campus units seeking information on planned temporary holiday business closures for the purpose of noticing the labor unions. Further union notice is necessary to provide the unions with a list of those departments that will be closed to the general public and campus population in situations when department employees are not allowed the option to work.

Business closure means that no one will be allowed to work and all employees will be required to use vacation, compensatory time off, or leave without pay.

If you have not already done so, please contact Christine Wolle, collective bargaining coordinator, with information as to your department's temporary holiday curtailment schedule and restrictions of staffing/scheduling.

Contact Christine Wolle at (530) 752-6664 or cewolle@ucdavis.edu with your concerns or for further clarification.

If your office does not want mail delivery on any of the working days during the holiday season, please notify the Mail Division: Denise Woolcott, dlwoolcott@ucdavis.edu (Davis campus), or Tom Casebeer, stcasebeer@ucdavis.edu (UCDHS).

Public service award

Nominations are being sought for the 2005-06 Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award. This award will be presented by the Davis Division of the Academic Senate to up to four faculty members who have made significant contributions to the world, nation, state and community through distinguished scholarly public service.

In addition to the extraordinarily long term of service, the committee is interested in reviewing what a newer faculty member may have done in a relatively short period of time. The recipients will receive a stipend.

One may also find information about the Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award at www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/senate/committee_ps.htm. The deadline for receipt of nominations is Jan. 9.

If you have questions or need additional information, contact Kathy von Rummelhoff at (530) 752-3920.

Humanities events set

The UC Davis Humanities Institute will hold the following events:

• Today — Early Modern Research Cluster: Susan Amussen (History and Womens Studies, Union Institute), "'If her son is living with you she sends her love': The Caribbean in England, 1650-1700." 4 p.m., 126 Voorhies.
• Dec. 7 — Consortium for Women and Research: Pam Houston (English), "Landscape as Metaphor." noon, 3201 Hart Hall.
• Dec. 8 — Cultural Studies: Siobhan Somerville (English and Women and Gender Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), "Naturalization Law and the Queer Production of U.S. Citizenship." 4 p.m., 3201 Hart Hall.
• Dec. 8 — Art Department's Visiting Artist Lecture Series: Photographer Marco Breuer. 4:30 p.m., Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

For more information about the Human-ities Institute, see http://dhi.ucdavis.edu.