Announcements

CU System reorganizes to reduce costs, improve effectiveness. President Bruce Benson announced plans today to cut $6.2 million from the CU System budget including eliminating or not filling 54 positions. Benson also announced he and System vice presidents, as well as campus chancellors, will take 5 percent salary reductions. (More)

Campus budget is forum focus. Forums to review budget plans for 2009-2010 and beyond are scheduled throughout early May. Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend one of the forums. The forum times and locations are:

• 3 p.m. May 4, Columbine 317,
• 8 a.m. May 5, Engineering 103,
• 2 p.m. May 5, University Hall 109,
• 9 a.m. May 6, Dwire Hall 204 and
• 3:30 p.m. May 7, Science 192.

An all-campus forum is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 12 in the University Center Theater.

Common sense, calm urged. For now, campus community members should treat the so-called swine flu (H1N1) as they would any other flu virus, according to Stephanie Hanenberg, director, Student Health Center. Precautions such as hand-washing are encouraged and the campus also instituted twice-daily restroom cleanings this week. For more tips, visit the health center's website here.

Annual award ceremony scheduled. The annual campus award ceremony recognizing winners of campus-wide and CU System award recipients is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. May 5 in the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater at University Hall. The award recipients will be profiled in a future edition of Communique.

Mayor urges cooperation between industry and education. Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera urged citizens this week to look for ways to form partnerships to increase the number of people qualified to work in science, technology, engineering and math fields. (More)

Benefits open enrollment. Open enrollment for CU benefit plans begin May 7 with faculty and staff members receiving information at home addresses. Those with questions are encouraged to attend information sessions scheduled for May 11 in the University Center Theater. Faculty and professional exempt staff are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., classified staff at noon. Retired faculty and staff, and surviving spouses, are scheduled for 9 a.m. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., representatives of the various health insurance carriers will be available to answer questions on the University Center’s third floor lounge area. (More - Payroll & Benefit Services Website)

Building successful futures. Venkat Reddy, dean, College of Business, explained the College of Business mantra, as well as details about current and future plans for the college, this week during a presentation designed to increase understanding of the university’s six academic colleges. (More [links to a PDF])

BluePrints connects science with art. The results of a project to connect children with both art and science will be displayed May 8-June 5 at the Fine Arts Center Modern, 121 South Tejon. The project was co-coordinated by Helen Eberhardie Dunn, the 2009 UCCS Heller Center for Arts and Humanities fellow. (More)

Latin Legends in Concert to air on UCCS channel. An award-winning live concert video of three well-known salsa bands will air on the UCCS television station, Comcast 20, on May 5. (More)

Vice chancellor search on hold. A search for the vice chancellor for student success and enrollment management will be suspended, Provost Peg Bacon announced this week. (More)

Kudos

Abby Ferber, professor, Women’s and Ethnic Studies, was recently awarded the 2009 Chase Faculty Community Service Award. (More)

Who’s New/Changes

Lisa Callaway, benefits coordinator, effective May 4. The appointment was announced by Cindy Corwin, director, Human Resources. Callaway will initially spend 2-3 days weekly in Boulder learning CU programs before becoming full-time at UCCS.

In the News

• The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about campus activities in UCCS film festival features art, dinner, awards ceremony
• The Colorado Springs Gazette editorialized about UCCS student body elections in Real discrimination
• The Denver Post wrote about the UCCS student body election in Gay students take university leadership posts
• KRDO aired a story about a UCCS event in UCCS Women Rally for Equal Pay
• The Denver Post wrote about national security studies in Students offer national security ideas in Colo. Springs
• The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about the budget for higher education in Budget heads to governor’s desk
• The Colorado Springs Gazette wrote about UCCS programs in 2 UCCS graduate programs ranked

For more UCCS news mentions, visit www.uccs.edu/ur