News briefs

16 January 2002 |

New look, hours for art museum
Following several months of retrofitting, the Berkeley Art Museum is celebrating its reopening with an open house Sunday, Jan. 27, and longer “twilight” hours.

The museum will now be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday.

The museum’s open house, from 1 to 7 p.m, features screenings of the 10th International Children’s Film Festival at the Pacific Film Archive; a 4:30 p.m. performance by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir; and free tours of exhibits, including “Ansel Adams in the University of California Collection,” and “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastião Salgado.

For information, call 642-0808 or visit the museum’s website at www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.

Career employees eligible for discount on Extension classes
All UC career employees are eligible for a 25 percent staff discount on course fees at UC Berkeley Extension.

Extension offers day, evening and weekend courses around the Bay Area and online.

UC employees with an appointment of 50 percent or more and at least one year of service are eligible for the fee reduction.
Discount enrollment forms are available online at hrweb.berkeley.edu/learning/edtcatlg/ucbxform.pdf. For Extension’s course catalog, see www.unex.berkeley.edu or call 1-888-UC-SMART, ext. 567.

Childcare for student parents gets a boost
Student parents at Berkeley will have an easier time getting affordable on-campus childcare, at hours that fit their class schedules, thanks to a substantial grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The campus Early Childhood Education Program will receive $653,000 over four years. The funding, which targets low-income parents, will provide expanded child care coverage, including critical summer hours.

For information, contact Early Childhood Education Director Gail Ward at 643-6144 or e-mail gailw@uclink4.berkeley.edu.

Bancroft offers research awards
The Bancroft Library is accepting applications for study awards of up to $9,000 to graduate students on any UC campus to support research using source materials in the Bancroft collections.

The deadline is Monday, Feb. 4. Applications and a description of the awards for summer 2002 and the 2002-03 academic year are available at bancroft.berkeley.edu/info/fellowships.html; from the Bancroft Library administrative office, 642-3781; or from the Graduate Fellowships office, 381 Sproul Hall, 642-0672.

MESA wins national innovations award
The California Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement program has been named one of the five most innovative public programs in the country. MESA won the award following a nationwide competition sponsored by the Ford Foundation, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Council for Excellence in Government.

The Innovations in American Government competition identifies public programs that demonstrate outstanding problem-solving skills and creativity. Award winners were announced Dec. 13 in Washington, D.C. Out of 1,200 programs nominated, five were selected. Each will receive a $100,000 grant.

MESA supports more than 32,000 educationally disadvantaged students at pre-college, community college and university levels to help them excel in math and science and graduate with baccalaureates in math-based fields.

Cal Access transit pilot program ends
There’s no more free ride on AC Transit lines 7, 51, and 64 between the Rockridge BART station and the Berkeley campus. The year-long pilot program, sponsored by the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley and AC Transit ended Dec. 31.

Director of the Office of Parking and Transportation Nad Permaul said the campus is currently evaluating results of the pilot program to see if use was heavy enough to warrant continuation of the program.

Permaul said the campus is also considering other incentives, such as subsidies, “to urge faculty and staff to use public transportation.”

American University of Paris, UC initiate study abroad program
A new initiative between UC and the American University of Paris will expand the opportunities for students to study in France as part of the UC Education Abroad Program.

Starting in the fall of 2002, students with no prior French language background will be able to study for one term in Paris. Education Abroad will also inaugurate a faculty-designed program in French and European studies for students with some knowledge of French.

Approximately 3,000 UC students a year take part in the Education Abroad Program.

EH&S offers health and safety videos
Environment, Health & Safety has a library of videos that campus departments and staff can borrow for up to two weeks at no charge.

For a list of hundreds of videos — covering topics from accident investigation to power-tool safety to x-ray diffraction hazards — see www.ehs.berkeley.edu and go to “publications.” For information, contact Gina Vittori at 642-9177 or gvittori@uclink.berkeley.edu.