Berkeleyan

News Briefs

14 February 2007

Harvard's Scanlon will deliver Howison Lecture on Feb. 21

Thomas Scanlon, distinguished philosopher in moral and political theory, will deliver the annual Howison Lecture in Philosophy on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 4:10 p.m. in the Toll Room of Alumni House. His lecture will be titled "The Ethics of Blame."

Since 1988 the Alford Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy, and Civil Polity at Harvard, Scanlon is best-known for his explorations of rights, freedom of expression, and contractualist moral theory. His teaching at Harvard has included courses on justice, equality, and recent ethical theory.

Scanlon, who received a Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard in 1968, taught at Princeton from 1966 to 1984 before joining the philosophy department at Harvard. His honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. A former president (2002-03) of the American Philosophical Association (Eastern Division), he was one of the founders of the leading journal Philosophy and Public Affairs.

Eight choral groups to present AIDS benefit concert Feb. 23

UC Choral Ensembles will present their 13th annual A Cappella Against AIDS Benefit Concert at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23, in 155 Dwinelle Hall. The evening includes performances by Perfect Fifth, UC Women's Chorale, the California Golden Overtones, UC Men's Chorale, the UC Men's Octet, BareStage, Artists in Resonance, and DeCadence. Proceeds benefit the AIDS Project East Bay. Tickets ($10 for non-students) may be purchased, weekdays until noon on the day of the concert, at 72 César Chávez; they are also available online at tickets.berkeley.edu and at the door starting an hour before the show. For information, call 642-3880.

Robert Reich to speak Feb. 21

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, professor of public policy, will give a talk on "The Four Narratives of American Public Life" on Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler.

According to Reich, American politics - as practiced by politicians, narrated by the media, and understood by the public - has reflected four basic stories, two of them hopeful and two of them fearful. Reich will discuss these narratives and how, in his view, they often distort public understanding. For information, call 643-9670.

Sign up for ASUC Art Studio classes

Enrollment is now open for ASUC Art Studio's second session of courses for spring 2007, most of which begin in early April. Instruction is offered in knitting, redesigning vintage clothes, bead stringing, earring construction, Mexican paper sculpture, writing (erotic fiction, evocative nonfiction, poetry), animation, as well as a variety of photography, ceramics, digital-video, and digital-design subjects. For details and to enroll online, visit www.asucartstudio.org.

Applications due Feb. 28 for first-ever staff advisers to UC regents

Applications are being accepted to become the 2007-08 staff adviser to the UC Board of Regents, a new position designed to improve direct communication between UC employees and the board and to help facilitate staff input to the regents' deliberations and decisions. Eligible UC staff and non-Senate academic employees may apply until 5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 28.

Under the new program, two staff members will serve as non-voting advisers to designated regental committees. The staff adviser-designate for 2007-08 will be selected by UC President Robert Dynes in consultation with the chair of the regents, for a term of two years, beginning July 1, 2007. Details and an application form are found under "How to Apply" at www.ucop.edu/staffadvisorpgm. Those without computer or Web access may obtain hard copies of the application form and all relevant information from Human Resources' Employment Services unit, 7G University Hall. Direct questions to Bill Neff, special assistant to UC Associate Vice President Judy Boyette, at (510) 987-9996.

UC publishes first 2007 edition of 'Our University' newsletter

The January edition of "Our University" is available online. The UC systemwide newsletter includes university-related news items; a "video letter" from UC Presi- dent Robert Dynes (with a Q&A section); a faculty profile; links to employee benefits, union negotiations, and the UC budget; and more. "Our University" is found at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/ouruniversity/01_07. For the text-only version, add ouruniversity 0107.pdf to the above Web address.