News Digest

New team at Regional Research Institute
Two economists from Sacramento State’s Department of Economics have joined the Sacramento Regional Research Institute, a joint venture of Sacramento State and SACTO, the region’s leading economic development organization.

Stephen J. Perez is currently the chair of the Economics Department which he joined in 2001. He has published research on topics such as macroeconomics and monetary policy as well as econometrics, causality, and sports economics.

Suzanne O'Keefe is a professor of economics. She conducts research in the fields of public finance and labor economics.

Perez and Dr. O’Keefe will provide the institute with overall strategic direction and guidance, research expertise and staff training, and serve as media experts on the regional economy. They will also be responsible for assisting the institute’s marketing and new business development.

Robert Fountain is leaving the institute to pursue a venture to support faculty research at Sacramento State.

Administrative vacancies
The office of the Vice President for Administration is seeking applications for three campus vacancies: Associate Vice President for Facilities Services, Director of Strategic Planning and Quality Improvement, and Director of Facilities Planning and Construction Services.

The Associate Vice President for Facilities Services is the key university officer responsible for University facilities services and a critical member of senior administration working in support of the overall academic mission of the University. A complete vacancy announcement listing qualifications is available at http://www.csus.edu/fas/vacancies/AVPFS.doc.

A vacancy announcement listing qualifications for the Director of Strategic Planning and Quality Improvement is available at http://www.csus.edu/fas/vacancies/StrategicPlan.doc. Qualifications for the Director of Facilities Planning and Construction Services is available at http://www.csus.edu/fas/vacancies/DirecFPCS.doc.

Details: 278-5733.

Talk: Surviving academia
The Serna Center will host a panel discussion on “The Politics of Survival in Academia” from 1:30 to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27 in the Hinde Auditorium.

It will feature Sacramento State professors Lila Jacobs, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies; Jose Cintron, Bilingual/ Multicultural Education; and Cecil E. Canton, Criminal Justice; relating personal accounts by African American, Asian American and Latino faculty describing the challenges they faced in becoming bona fide members of the U.S. academy.

Details: 278-4512

Physics talk
The first physics colloquium of the fall semester will be from 4 to 5:20 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 29 in Mendocino Hall 1015. The speaker is Shirley Chiang of the UC Davis physics department who will speak on "High Resolution Surface Microscopy of Chemical Reactions and Phase Transitions." For more on her talk visit www.csus.edu/physics and click on "Colloquium Flyer." A tentative colloquium schedule is also on the web page under "Colloquium Schedule." The colloquia are free and open to the public.

Details: 278-6518.

Service learning forum
The Office of Community Collaboration is holding the first in a series of forums on "Building University Community Partnerships" from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14 at the Alumni Center. It will describe opportunities for faculty to work with five diverse community agencies/organizations. Community Collaboration has already developed several successful service learning projects with each of these partners, and hopes to generate faculty interest in responding to additional areas of need.

The agencies and their current faculty partners will present accomplishments to date, and inform participants about possibilities for expanding the partnership with Sacramento State to new areas. A brainstorming session will follow.

RSVP to occ@csus.edu by Sept. 30.

Conference looks at state of labor
A free labor conference, “Democracy and Divisions in the House of Labor,” will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an additional session at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, Sept. 28 in the University Union. There have been some scheduling changes and speakers added since the event was first announced. For the updated schedule visit www.democracyandlabor.blogspot.com.

The evening session will feature Harold Meyerson of L.A. Weekly and American Prospect on “The Crisis and the Future of the Labor Movement" and former Secretary of Health and Human Services for California Grantland Johnson on “After the Split: Now What?.”

The conference is sponsored by the Sacramento State Labor Studies Program, the Sacramento Central Labor Council, Progressive Democrats of America and the California Faculty Association.

Details: campd@csus.edu

Parking benefit for teaching associates
The Unit 11 Collective Bargaining Agreement contains the following provision in the benefits article: “Eligible bargaining unit employees shall be entitled to participate in the CSU Pre-tax Parking Fee Deduction Plan. The implementation and terms of this plan shall be determined by the CSU.”

Sacramento State has determined that on this campus teaching associates will be eligible for this benefit. To participate, interested teaching associates must pay their semester parking fees through the payroll deduction process. Arrangements for payroll deduction must be made through the Student Financial Services Center located in Lassen Hall 1001. Participants need to bring a copy of their appointment letter. A one-time lump sum deduction will be made from the paychecks of teaching associates who sign up for the program. Those who have already paid their parking fees for the Fall 2005 semester are still eligible.

Details: Student Financial Services Center at 278-7806.