The holidays are here again, and SMU Catering is baking a selection of pies, cakes, cookies and breads for your Thanksgiving feast. Choose from the 2009 menu and order form (PDF format), and follow the directions for placing your order in person or by mail, phone or fax. The order deadline is Nov. 20. All prices include tax.

The baked goods are for pick-up only and will be available Nov. 23-24 until 3 p.m. in Umphrey Lee Center. Visa, MasterCard and checks (payable to SMU Catering) are accepted.

There's no time like the present to change your health care options for the coming year: SMU's 2010 Open Enrollment period ends at 5 p.m. Oct. 30, 2009.

This year's benefits changes require many faculty and staff members to make an active election during open enrollment. For 2010 open enrollment, you must take action for the following conditions:

• You want to make changes to your current coverage.
• You want to add or drop dependents from coverage.
• You are currently enrolled in the Aetna HMO, which will not be offered for 2010.
• You are currently enrolled for Employee + One medical coverage.
• You want to adjust your premium payments.
• You want to participate in one or both of the Flexible Spending Accounts in 2010.
• You want to make a contribution to the Health Savings Account (HSA) in 2010.

• Enter your Access.SMU user ID and password as you normally would to review your pay statement.
• Click Benefits in the Employee Self-Service navigation on the right, then choose Benefits Enrollment to access your personalized Open Enrollment record.
• Be sure to read all instructions carefully before making elections for 2010.

• More about key changes for 2010 Open Enrollment
• Find the 2010 Benefits Guide on the web (PDF format)

Nominations for the 2010 Piper Professor awards are due Oct. 28, 2009. SMU will nominate one individual to compete for the are, presented by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. The Piper Professor Program honors superior teaching in Texas colleges and universities. Nominations are requested annually from all accredited institutions of higher learning in the state, and 15 awards are given each year.

The selection committee "seek(s) out the well-rounded, outgoing teacher, devoted to the profession, who has made special impact on...students and the community." Piper Professors receive a $5,000 award and public recognition.

Recent SMU Piper Professors have included Rick Halperin (2009), director of SMU's Human Rights Education Program, and Ellen Pryor (2005), Homer R. Mitchell Professor of Law in Dedman School of Law and University associate provost.

Faculty members may nominate colleagues, tenure-track or non-tenure-track, who have shown outstanding teaching effectiveness and academic achievement. Nomination letters should include:

• The rationale for nomination
• The list of courses being taught by the nominee during the 2009-10 academic year
• A list of four additional references for the nominee
• An endorsement signature from the nominee's department chair (chairs may endorse more than one nominee)

Sleep in after the Halloween holiday: You'll gain an hour on Sunday, Nov. 1, when Standard Time returns for fall 2009.

Don't forget to set your clocks one hour earlier, and check your home and office computers and other electronic devices to be sure they're displaying the correct time.

Programs, providers and preparedness - as well as a dose of prevention - will be features of SMU's 2009 Health and Wellness Day Oct. 22. Faculty and staff members can visit with vendors, learn more about Access.SMU Open Enrollment, get a seasonal flu shot and more during the benefits fair, scheduled for 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center's lower level.

Keynote speaker Marsha Upsom, founder of the Naturally Slim Healthy Weight Loss Program, will discuss "Simple Steps for Losing Weight, Gaining Health and Reducing the Sugar in Your Diet." Other information sessions will include:

• A comprehensive look at choosing a medical plan with Director of Total Compensation and Associate Director of Human Resources Sheri Starkey
• An introduction to SMU's new vision care provider, Vision Services Program (VSP)
• A panel discussion on flu preparedness

• Blood pressure
• Blood sugar testing
• Body fat testing
• Body mass index
• Breast cancer information
• Diabetes information
• Skin cancer screenings

The SMU Staff Association celebrates a decade of peace, love and music with its 2009 Talent Show Oct. 8.

An exhibition of staff-created art, photography and crafts begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom foyer. A live show with staff members sharing their talents as singers, musicians, dancers and comics begins at noon inside the Ballroom.

The event is free and open to the University community. The preceding luncheon is $12, and advance payment is required. Send your lunch RSVP to SMUSA by Sept. 30; send checks payable to "SMU Staff Association" to Gretchen Voight at SMU Box 181.

It's not too late to participate - contact SMUSA by Sept. 30 if you'd like to perform or exhibit at the event.

• Visit the SMU Staff Association website

September is National Preparedness Month, and SMU has joined in its observation by scheduling Emergency Preparedness Day for Sept. 16. The details were shared in the following e-mail sent to students, faculty and staff members on Sept. 14-15:

As a part of the Department of Homeland Security's National Preparedness Month, SMU has designated September 16, 2009 as Emergency Preparedness Day.

We encourage SMU students, faculty and staff to do the following:

• Orient yourself to Lockdown procedures by viewing the video, "Shots Fired on Campus."
• Update your personal contact information, especially your cell phone number, in Access.SMU so you can be notified in the event of an emergency.*
• Know What to Do in emergencies on campus by reviewing the safety actions: evacuation, shelter-in-place and lockdown. Look for posters in classrooms or review them online.

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* Please Note: A test of the SMU Emergency Notification System will be conducted on September 16. The test will consist of cell phone messages, text messages and e-mails that read: "This is a test of the SMU Emergency Notification System." No action on your part will be necessary.

The Faculty Senate is seeking nominations for SMU's honorary degree class of 2010. Nominees should be individuals "whose uncommon personal accomplishments at home or abroad have served society and the public good, or who enlarge human understanding and enrich human life, in any field of endeavor." The deadline for nominations is Sept. 25.

Nominations should include a cover note identifying your membership in the University community, an unsigned letter of nomination, and supporting materials. Send via e-mail or regular mail to Faculty Senate Secretary Kenneth Springer, SMU Box 750241. Find a list of previous recipients at the Registrar's homepage.

(Above, Arthur Mitchell, 2009 recipient of an SMU Doctor of Arts honoris causa, with President R. Gerald Turner.)

The installation of new University Chaplain Stephen Rankin takes place at 4 p.m. Sept. 14 in Perkins Chapel. A reception will follow the ceremony in Jones Hall, Meadows Museum.

Rankin joined SMU in July 2009 as chaplain, minister to the University and adjunct professor of church history and ministry in Perkins School of Theology. Previously, he was campus minister and Kirk Chair Professor of Religious Studies at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.

• Read more about Chaplain Rankin
• Visit the SMU Chaplain's Office online

The SMU community is invited to celebrate the dedication of Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall and the expanded, renovated Perkins School of Theology quad at 12:15 p.m. Sept. 11 near Perkins Chapel at 5901 Bishop Boulevard.

The Perkins-Prothro family of Wichita Falls, whose financial support of the seminary spans three generations, gave $6 million to the school in January 2007 - about half of the funds required to renovate Kirby Hall and Selecman Hall, both of which were originally built in the early '50s, and to construct a commons building to be named in honor of the late Elizabeth Perkins Prothro.

A lunch and open house will follow the dedication. In addition, SMU will honor Mrs. Prothro's contributions to the University with a celebration of her life.

• Read more about the theology quad expansion
• See and RSVP President Turner's invitation online

The entire SMU community is invited to the dedication of the new Mustang Plaza and Mall at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 4 in front of Moody Coliseum.

The mall opens the area in front of the coliseum to pedestrian traffic and is designed to be the main thoroughfare to and from proposed new sophomore housing as laid out in the University's Centennial Master Plan.

• See the Centennial Master Plan map
• See President Turner's invitation at SMU News

Faculty and staff participation in SMU's Second Century Campaign will receive a major boost Sept. 3, when the University's faculty and staff campaign kicks off with campuswide events culminating in an all-University celebration at 4 p.m. hosted by SMU President R. Gerald Turner.

Harold Stanley and Julie Wiksten, co-chairs for the Campaign Steering Committee for Faculty and Staff, will send letters and pledge forms to each faculty and staff member in the next few days. Gifts received or pledged by Sept. 3, 2009, will be counted in the faculty and staff participation competition. At the 4 p.m. kickoff, the school or administrative unit with the highest annual participation percentage to date for FY10 will be announced.

Campaign organizers are seeking the same levels of participation for faculty and staff as for alumni: 25 percent annual participation and 50 percent cumulative participation over the life of the campaign.

Giving is voluntary, and gifts to any area on campus - endowment, operating funds or the President's Partners program - are counted toward the campaign. Donors may also select any one of the campaign priorities: Student Scholarships, Faculty and Academic Excellence or Campus Experience.

The Second Century Campaign officially launched Sept. 12, 2008, with the goal of raising $750 million by 2013 to support student quality, faculty and academic excellence and the campus experience.

Watch your e-mail for the latest information, and visit smu.edu/fs for more information about the campaign, the Campaign Steering Committee for Faculty and Staff, and the kickoff events schedule.

Ready to dig up some divots with your fellow University community members? SMU Recreational Sports will hold its second Faculty/Staff Golf Tournament of 2009 at 12:45 p.m. June 12 at Firewheel Golf of Garland, 600 W. Campbell Road.

The cost per player is $36. To RSVP, e-mail Jack Harper or Chris Coleman in SMU Recreational Sports by Thursday, June 11. Please include your average 18-hole score in your message.

For more information, contact Chris Coleman, assistant manager of intramurals and sports clubs, 214-768-3362. (Right, a view of The Bridges, Firewheel's newest course.)

• Find directions to the greens at the Firewheel website
• Visit SMU Recreational Sports online

Nominations are being accepted for 2009 Presidential Staff Recognition Awards through 5 p.m. Friday, May 8. The awards "recognize the contribution and excellence of staff employees to SMU," and the nomination and selection process is managed by the Department of Human Resources.

Four of the $1,000 awards will be presented, each with unique criteria:

• New Employee Excellence Award
• Continuing Excellence Award
• Outstanding Leadership Award
• Innovation Award

Award winners will be announced at the 2009 Staff Appreciation Day and President's Picnic on May 21. For more information, contact Rebecca Sampson, 214-768-3311.

Three outstanding SMU faculty authors will be honored for books published in 2008 at the 29th annual Godbey Lecture Series Authors' Award Luncheon. The 2009 ceremony takes place 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 29 in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom.

The price for the luncheon is $17 per person, and the reservation deadline is Friday, April 24. For more information or to reserve a place, contact Deborah Martin in the Godbey Lecture Series office, 214-768-2532.

The Godbey Authors' Awards are presented by the Godbey Lecture Series in SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. Honorees are chosen for their outstanding scholarly research, publications and teaching ability. Each receives a prize of $1,000.

The 2009 honorees are:

• Eric Barnes, professor of philosophy in Dedman College, for The Paradox of Predictivism (Cambridge University Press)

• Seyom Brown, John Goodwin Tower Distinguished Chair in International Politics and National Security in the Department of Political Science, Dedman College, for Higher Realism: A New Foreign Policy for the United States (Paradigm Publishers)

• Benjamin Heber Johnson, associate professor in the William P. Clements Department of History, Dedman College, for Bordertown: The Odyssey of an American Place (Yale University Press)

SMU faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in a town hall meeting on the University's General Education Curriculum, to take place at 4 p.m. April 22 in McCord Auditorium, 3rd floor, Dallas Hall.

The General Education Review Committee will present draft recommendations for a new University curriculum for discussion. The committee is co-chaired by Dedman College Associate Dean for General Education Dennis Cordell and Associate Provost Tom Tunks.

As the 2008-09 academic year draws to a close, SMU celebrates by honoring some of its most distinguished faculty, staff and students. The 2009 Honors Day Convocation and Awards Extravaganza take place on the afternoon and evening of April 20.

Geoffrey Orsak, dean of SMU's Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering, will deliver the address at the 12th annual Honors Day Convocation at 5:30 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium. The ceremony celebrates academic achievement at the University and department levels. Retired and current faculty will assemble in academic dress no later than 5:10 p.m. in the Perkins Administration Building lobby and will process together to McFarlin Auditorium. A reception follows the Convocation in the Dallas Hall Quadrangle.

Later, the University presents several awards for excellence - including its highest honor, the "M" Award - during the Awards Extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater. Winners will be listed in SMU Forum the day after the ceremony.

(Photo from Honors Convocation 2008 by Kim Ritzenthaler.)

Electronic voting for SMU's 2010-11 Faculty Senate president-elect and 4 at-large senators will close March 20 at 5 p.m. Faculty members may cast their votes at the SMU Election Systems website. Sign in with your 8-digit SMU ID number and e-mail password.

The president-elect chosen in this election will serve as 2011-12 Faculty Senate president. The at-large senators will serve from 2009 through 2012. For more information, contact Faculty Senate Secretary Julie Maynard.

• Visit the Faculty Senate website

SMU's Rotunda yearbook is seeking nominees for the 2009 Rotunda Outstanding Professor Award. All SMU faculty, staff and students may submit nominations. The deadline is Friday, March 27, 2009.

The Rotunda awards recognize faculty members whose commitment to teaching excellence is reflected in their classroom instruction and in their interaction with students.

Nomination forms are available by e-mail from Jay Miller, executive director and editorial adviser, Student Media Company. Forms may also be found in 314 Hughes-Trigg Student Center and in The Daily Campus on select days. Return the form to SMU Box 750456 or to the Rotunda office in 314 Hughes-Trigg Student Center.

Entries should be accompanied by information demonstrating the quality and excellence of the nominee's performance inside and outside the classroom. All nominations will be reviewed by a faculty committee.

The winners will be announced at the 2009 SMU Awards Extravaganza on April 20 and will be featured in Rotunda 2009.

U.S. Daylight Saving Time for 2009 begins this Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m. Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour, and check your computer to be sure it's displaying the correct time.

SMU staff members can explore how to keep things in balance when finances are tight at the 2009 Staff Development Day March 11. This year's topic, "Maintaining a Balance in Today's Economy," will focus on planning for (and dealing with) retirement, vacation, tuition expenses, investments and stress. For more information, watch the SMU Staff Association website.

SMU community members still have time to nominate students, faculty and staff members who deserve recognition for 2008-09 All-University awards. The deadline for nomination is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.

Criteria and nomination forms are available online for the following honors:

• "M" Award
• Umphrey Lee Award
• Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Leader
• Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Volunteer
• Avella Winn Hay Award
• John L. Freehafer Award

Individuals may be nominated or may nominate themselves for one or more awards. Recipients will be announced during the Spring 2009 Awards Extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. April 20 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.

For more information, including contact information for each award, visit the Dean of Student Life website.

Glinda Bridgforth, financial expert and author of Girl, Make Your Money Grow! A Sister's Guide to Protecting Your Future and Enriching Your Life, is the keynote speaker in SMU's 44th Annual Women's Symposium Feb. 25, 2009.

Bridgforth, renowned as a featured coach in the "Oprah's Debt Diet" series on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," has written 4 books on money and credit management. She speaks on a variety of personal financial issues, including building wealth, clearing debt, setting financial goals, dealing with money insecurities, cultural aspects of money habits and the emotional issues behind spending. She is the founder of Bridgforth Financial & Associates LLC, a consulting firm that offers "a holistic approach to financial management."

The 2009 Symposium further explores its theme, "Women and the Monetary Truth," with 3 interest sessions that will examine women's roles in money management on a personal and global scale.

"When we set out - in March 2008 - to find a theme for our 44th Symposium, we had no idea how relevant this would become," says Karen Click, director of SMU's Women's Center for Gender and Pride Initiatives. "From our keynote speaker to our workshops and topical tables, we will be looking at many different aspects of women and money. What do women need to know about money? What haven't we learned, and what can we share with each other?"

"I look forward to having that intimate space to ask of other women around me, how are you managing this? What should I be doing?" Click adds.

Created in 1966 as part of SMU's 50th anniversary celebration, the Women's Symposium is the longest continuously running program of its type in the nation. The annual event brings together women and men of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to explore topics of national interest.

SMU faculty, staff and students may attend the Symposium free of charge. Register online or find more information at the Women's Symposium website.

A reminder of upcoming deadlines for fellowship and grant applications:

• SMU's Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility is accepting applications for the 2009-10 Maguire Teaching Fellow Award, which provides cash awards of $3,000 to professors who design an ethics-related course or curricular unit in their field of study. Deadline to apply is Feb. 12, 2009; the recipient will be announced March 5. For details, instructions and a list of past Fellows' courses, visit the Maguire Center website.

• SMU's Office of Leadership and Community Involvement provides Faculty Development Grants of up to $500 each for up to 18 faculty members who seek to develop courses with a service-learning component. Applicants must attend a service-learning workshop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. either on Feb. 18 or Feb. 19, 2009, where grant materials will be be distributed. The deadline to RSVP for either workshop is Feb. 13, 2009. For more information, visit the Leadership and Community Involvement website, or contact Geoff Whitcomb, 214-768-4406.

• The Aspen Institute and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) will cosponsor a Wye Faculty Seminar July 18-24, 2009 in Queenstown, Maryland. The seminar is a one-week roundtable on the role of the arts and sciences in developing citizens for participation in American society. SMU may nominate up to two faculty members for consideration. Interested faculty members should submit a CV and a one-page rationale of interest in participation to Kathleen Hugley-Cook, Office of National Fellowships, before March 1, 2009. A campus committee will be convened to determine nominees.

SMU students will share their love for the University's Education Abroad program at the SMU Staff Association's annual Valentine Luncheon. The event is scheduled for noon Feb. 12, 2009 in Room 100, Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building.

The menu includes sesame grilled pork chops and pistachio cheesecake; vegetarian options are available by request. Cost is $12 per person, and the deadline to reserve a place is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6.

To RSVP or to reserve a table for 8, e-mail the Staff Association. Send checks payable to SMU Staff Association to SMUSA VP for Programming Denton Bricker, Box 152, Campus.

(Originally published Jan. 30, 2009.)

About 31 million U.S. residents age 5 and older speak Spanish at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. SMU community members can reap the benefits of speaking and understanding the language through the University's award-winning Spanish for the Workplace program, offered by Continuing and Professional Education (CAPE).

The class is designed as a refresher for those who have studied Spanish or for beginners who have never had any Spanish-language training, says Amy Heitzman, CAPE executive director in SMU's Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. It also includes components on Latin American and Hispanic cultural norms, business customs and etiquette.

The 10-session course teaches not only grammar and vocabulary but a conversational approach, Heitzman says. Instructors focus on oral proficiency by getting students to speak Spanish in the classroom early and often.

"Students are often held back in learning a foreign language by their fear of making mistakes," Heitzman says. "Speaking it is the best way to help them overcome that fear."

Additionally, course materials including audio CDs and Internet tutorials allow for self-study at home or the office.

In creating the course, CAPE was responding to feedback as well as filling a need. "We have heard again and again that a class like this should be mandatory for everyone on campus," Heitzman says.

"Spanish classes in general are some of our highest enrollments, and our students were looking for more and different class experiences," she adds. "We want to make others welcome, and we want to be able to speak to each other as well as prospective students in their own language."

The class has also become an effective resource for business and nonprofit organizations throughout the Metroplex. A Spanish for the Workplace onsite program created in partnership with international law firm Thompson & Knight, LLP, won a 2007 "Your Honor Award" from the Legal Marketing Association. The honor recognizes "creativity, execution, achievement and overall excellence in legal marketing" and is the only award of its kind in the industry.

The next Spanish for the Workplace session begins Mar. 16, 2009 on SMU's main campus. All materials are included in the $215 course fee. Register online or contact Continuing and Professional Education at 214-768-2273 (214-SMU-CAPE).

Photographer and environmental activist Chris Jordan will discuss his experiences documenting the hidden costs of consumerism and the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina in SMU's 2008-09 Tate Distinguished Lecture Series Jan. 27. The lecture takes place at 8 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium.

Jordan rose to fame through his large-scale photographs that explore the impact of disposable mass culture. His most recent series, Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait, depicts statistics such as the number of cell phones retired each day (420,000) and the number of trees cut yearly to make paper for junk mail (100 million).

The photographer donated 100 percent of his profits from the sold-out book In Katrina's Wake: Portraits of Loss From an Unnatural Disaster to Gulf Coast relief charities. He also served as spokesperson for National Geographic's Earth Day 2008.

Jordan will participate in the Turner Construction/Wachovia Student Forum at 4:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the entire SMU community is invited.

Learn more about this season's Tate lecturers and the Student Forum series for the community at smu.edu/tate.

Don't forget to get stickered before the holidays begin. New Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) pass stickers - good through Dec. 31, 2009 - are free to current faculty and staff members and available now in the Park 'N Pony office's temporary location in the Commuter Lounge of Hughes-Trigg Student Center through Friday, January 23, 2009.

Show your SMU transit pass to get your renewal sticker, or get a new transit pass with your SMU ID. (New passes and replacements for lost ones carry a one-time $5 set-up fee.)

The SMU/DART transit passes allow unlimited free rides on DART buses and trains, as well as on the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) between Dallas and Fort Worth and on The T, operated by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. For more information, contact Park 'N Pony, 8-7275 (8-PARK).

Mark your calendars now: The next General Faculty Meeting is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2009, in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center (the day after Spring 2009 classes begin). A reception will take place before the meeting. Additional details will be posted in January in the SMU Forum.

The SMU community will celebrate the graduation of more than 900 students Dec. 13 in Moody Coliseum.

Ceremonies will begin at 7 p.m. with a student and faculty procession and are expected to last about two hours. Speakers will include the following:

• President R. Gerald Turner
• Carl Sewell ('66), chair of the SMU Board of Trustees
• Darrell Lafitte ('54), former SMU All-America football player and a recipient of the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award
• Dennis Foster, Faculty Senate president and D.D. Frensley Professor of English
• Student Body President Rob Hayden

Faculty members will assemble for procession no later than 6:30 p.m. in Classroom One of the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. Prior to the ceremony, a faculty reception will begin at 5:45 p.m. in Classroom One of the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. Faculty members may RSVP online for the reception and Processional.

Find information for students, faculty and guests at the University Registrar's December Graduation home page.

Just in time for holiday gift-giving, SMU faculty and staff get an extra 10 percent off (a 20 percent total discount) on regular-price items during the SMU Bookstore's 2008 Faculty/Staff Appreciation Days. Present your SMU ID to receive faculty and staff discounts; the last day for the double discount is Dec. 7. For more information, contact Mary Mebus at 8-2435.

SMU welcomes December with some of its most beloved annual traditions. Save the dates for these events:

• On Dec. 4, SMU's Perkins School of Theology offers its traditional Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in Perkins Chapel at two different times: 4 p.m and 8 p.m. Originating in 1888 at the cathedral of Truro in Cornwall, England, the service is the retelling through scripture and song of the story of redemption through Jesus Christ. Three compositions within this year's service were written by Suzanne Byrd, a Perkins Master of Sacred Music student, and Perkins alumni John Thornburg and Paul Caldwell.

• The Student Foundation's 2008 Celebration of Lights begins at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 on the University's main quad. More than 100,000 decorative lights will fill the trees, luminarias will line the sidewalks, and SMU President R. Gerald Turner will follow a decades-old tradition of reading the Christmas story from the New Testament. A reception in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom will follow the lighting of the SMU Christmas tree.

• The University presents its 2008 December Graduation Ceremony at 7 p.m. Dec. 13 in Moody Coliseum. Faculty members will assemble for procession no later than 6:30 p.m. in Classroom One of the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. Prior to the ceremony, a faculty reception will begin at 5:45 p.m. in Classroom One of the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. RSVP online.

As the Fall 2008 finals period approaches, SMU Provost Paul Ludden reminds faculty and administrators of the importance of keeping to the official final exam schedule. Adherence to the schedule was one of 36 initiatives recommended by SMU's Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention and approved by SMU President R. Gerald Turner.

"All six academic recommendations put forward by the Task Force were accepted by President Turner last April," notes Ludden. "One important feature was the recommendation that faculty give final exams during the appropriate week for every lower-division course. The Fall 2008 finals are scheduled from Dec. 8 through Dec. 13. My office and the deans are working with academic departments to implement this recommendation in courses where an exam is appropriate."

Faculty and staff questions may be addressed to Provost Ludden at 214-768-3219.

Holiday time is fast approaching, and SMU Catering once again is baking a full selection of pies, cakes, cookies and breads for your Thanksgiving dinner. Make your choices from the 2008 menu and order form (PDF format), and follow the directions for placing your order in person or by mail, phone or fax. The ordering deadline is Nov. 21. All prices include tax.

The baked goods are for pick-up only and will be available Nov. 24-25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Umphrey Lee Center. Visa, MasterCard and checks (payable to SMU Catering) are accepted.

SMU's Meadows School of the Arts, in conjunction with SMU-in-Legacy and the new Dallas-based choir Resounding Harmony, is launching a 3-week campaign to raise funds and food supplies for the North Texas Food Bank. The campaign is in partnership with the Food Bank's 3-year "Close the Gap" initiative, which hopes to eliminate the 29-million-meal-a-year shortfall in food available for needy families below the poverty line.

Meadows is spearheading two simultaneous initiatives: a virtual food drive and a traditional canned food drive. The virtual food drive, which will take place Nov. 8-24, allows students, faculty, staff and friends to donate online. The North Texas Food Bank is able to purchase 5 meals for every $1 donated.

In addition, Meadows students will collect canned food from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day Nov. 15-24 in the Bob Hope Theatre lobby, Owen Arts Center.

Two benefit concerts will feature the 160-voice Resounding Harmony choir, directed by Timothy Seelig. Their inaugural concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano. The second concert will be held at 8 p.m. Nov. 24 in Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center, and will co-star the Meadows Chorale and Meadows Concert Choir. Tickets to each concert are $25 per person and are available at www.resoundingharmony.org or through Sandy Huneke at 817-913-9978. Resounding Harmony will donate at least 50 percent of the proceeds from each concert directly to the North Texas Food Bank and Crossroads Community Services.

The food drive unites the Meadows School with partners such as Clear Channel Radio, Art for Peace & Justice, and Hotel Lumen. The goal is to raise at least $5,000 in monetary contributions and 1,000 pounds of food.

In response to 2008's turbulent markets and ensuing concerns over retirement security, SMU's Department of Human Resources will host "Market Volatility and Its Impact on You: Reassessing vs. Reacting in Response to Your Finances" 3-4:30 p.m. Nov. 11 in the Collins Executive Education Center.

In addition, SMU faculty and staff members are encouraged to speak with representatives from their investment companies for detailed information about how their individual plans have been affected:

TIAA CREF: 1-800-842-2776
Fidelity: 1-800-343-0860
Vanguard: 1-800-523-1188

Volatile markets and the destabilization of several large financial institutions have created concern over retirement savings, credit availability and other money issues. In response, SMU's Department of Human Resources will host "Market Volatility and Its Impact on You: Reassessing vs. Reacting in Response to Your Finances" 3-4:30 p.m. Nov. 11 in the Collins Executive Education Center.

In addition, SMU faculty and staff members are encouraged to speak with representatives from their investment companies for detailed information about how their individual plans have been affected:

TIAA CREF: 1-800-842-2776
Fidelity: 1-800-343-0860
Vanguard: 1-800-523-1188

However, he added, "we are committed to a diversified, long-term investment strategy that has served the University well over many years. The endowment's assets are invested in several asset classes, diverse markets, and multiple strategies that help to protect its value and enhance its return in various financial environments and economic conditions.

"This approach has allowed SMU to maintain stable operations in the past, and we anticipate that being the case in the future."

>> Read the full text of President Turner's memo

Time is running out to change your health care options for the coming year: SMU's Open Enrollment period for 2009 ends at 5 p.m. Oct. 31, 2008.

No action is required for faculty and staff members who don't want to make any changes for 2009. Those who wish to have a Health Care or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), or a Health Savings Account (if enrolled in the $2,500-deductible Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas PPO), must make a new election for 2009 through Access.SMU Benefits Open Enrollment - even those who want to contribute the same amount they elected for 2008.

Last-minute changes will be easier to make this year thanks to online open enrollment through Access.SMU. To change your options on the web, enter your Access.SMU user ID and password as you would to review your pay statement. Under Benefits on the right, click Benefits Open Enrollment to find your personalized Open Enrollment record.

Important: Faculty and staff members who wish to enroll a spouse or dependent child who has never been enrolled in an SMU benefits plan must make all elections on the 2009 Open Enrollment paper form. Find more information on how to proceed.

Human Resources also offers guidance through face-to-face meetings with Benefits Department representatives. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact the Department of Human Resources, 8-3311.

• SMU's 2009 Benefits Guide on the web (PDF format)

Nominations are now open for SMU's 6th annual Common Reading. The Common Reading Committee plans to announce the 2009-10 selection by the end of the fall semester. An expanded committee will begin work in spring 2009 on recommendations for implementation, says Associate Provost Tom Tunks.

The committee will consider works of fiction and nonfiction as well as plays and monographs. Recommendations may be sent to any committee member:

Diana Grumbles, English/First-Year Writing (committee chair)
Missy Bryant, New Student Programs
Cori Cusker, Residence Life and Student Housing
Evelyn Day, Central University Libraries
David Doyle, University Honors Program
Charley Helfert, Theater
Joe Kobylka, Political Science
Pam Lange, English/First-Year Writing
Jessica Parr, student member
John Wise, Biological Sciences

Say hello to early sunsets: Standard Time arrives this Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008. Don't forget to set your clocks one hour earlier, and check your home and office computers and other electronic devices to be sure they're displaying the correct time.

The 2008-09 SMU Student Senate seeks proposals for revisions to the Student Code of Conduct. The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, Nov. 7 at 5 p.m.

Proposed changes must be submitted using the online form at the SMU Student Senate website. Hand-written submissions, e-mails or phone calls will not be considered official submissions. Late submissions will not be accepted.

The Student Senate is responsible for annually amending the Student Code of Conduct, the document that governs student life at the University. SMU students, faculty, staff and administrators may propose changes to the Code.

For more information, contact Student Body Secretary Erika Briceno, 8-4449.

• Read the current Student Code of Conduct online
• Submit a proposed change at the Student Senate website

SMU's Open Enrollment period for 2009 ends at 5 p.m. Oct. 31, 2008. And to add to the new convenience of online updates through Access.SMU, Human Resources has put the 2009 Benefits Guide on the web as well. Visit HR's Benefits U site to find this year's information.

To make your choices online, enter your Access.SMU user ID and password as you would to review your pay statement. Under Benefits on the right, click Benefits Open Enrollment to find your personalized Open Enrollment record.

Human Resources also offers guidance through face-to-face meetings with Benefits Department representatives. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact the Department of Human Resources, 8-3311.

Originally published Oct. 21, 2008.

In observance of Security Awareness Month, SMU Information Technology Services (ITS) is offering brown-bag information sessions and online training concerning security topics and new services.

The next lunchtime session is scheduled for 12:30-1:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in Room 108, Blanton Student Services Building. ITS personnel will discuss spam, phishing and e-mail security, as well as introduce 4 online services:

• locker.smu.edu, a Web-based file storage system
• wiki.smu.edu, an editable Web content management tool
• blog.smu.edu, a journaling system available for official, department and academic uses
• resource.smu.edu, an online scheduling tool for resources such as conference, meeting and class rooms

• Learn more about computer security and Security Awareness Month
• Test your security IQ at the ITS Help site

The University Research Council is now seeking proposals for its 2009 Research and Travel Grant Program, as announced by Associate Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies James E. Quick in an e-mail to faculty members. The program awards about 40 grants per year according to SMU's Office of Research and Graduate Studies.

Funding will be available in two categories: Research Grants and Travel Grants. Full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members are eligible to apply. Faculty members who are up for contract renewal may receive an award contingent on outcome.

The proposal deadlines:

• December 5, 2008: Research and Travel Grants (award decision by January 31, 2009)
• April 1, 2009: Travel Grants only - Research Grant proposals will not be accepted (award decision by April 30, 2009)

All proposals must follow the guidelines set out by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. Find forms and application instructions at SMU's Graduate Studies website. For more information, contact the Office of Research and Graduate Studies at 8-4336.

Pictures last - so SMU's Rotunda yearbook staff encourages all faculty and staff members to have their portraits taken for the 2009 edition.

Yearbook photos will be taken from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every weekday through Oct. 31 on the main level of Hughes-Trigg Student Center, near Park 'N Pony.

No appointment is necessary for faculty and staff members or underclassmen. For more information, call the Student Media Company at 8-4549.

Got talent? The SMU Staff Association is looking for actors, artists, singers, dancers, comedians, magicians, poets, photographers and more for the 9th annual Staff Association talent show, "Spotlight on Talent."

The show will go on from noon to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom; lunch will be provided for all performers. Rehearsal is scheduled for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Hughes-Trigg Theater.

The entry deadline is Oct. 24. To enter, contact Gretchen Voight, 8-2037.

(Above, Tiffany Khim, JoAnn Gonzales and Cchea Nugent - also known as The Replacement Band - accept a standing ovation for their musical clowning to Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Wizards in Winter in the Staff Association's 2007 show.)

SMU's 2008 Health and Wellness Week will feature an enhanced emphasis on education about benefits and wellness choices, while keeping fun in the mix with prizes, giveaways and healthy food offerings.

Health and Wellness Week runs Oct. 13-17, with most educational sessions and other events taking place in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Oct. 15-16. Read more.

SMU welcomes Lisa Webb, the University's new associate vice president for student affairs and dean of student life, with a reception 4-6 p.m. Sept. 23 in the Umphrey Lee Center Ballroom. Webb, the former associate dean of students and director of multicultural affairs at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, began her SMU duties Sept. 1.

The entire SMU community is invited to meet at the Moody Coliseum Mustangs for a celebration launching the University's Second Century Campaign. The festivities begin at 11:45 a.m. Sept. 12, followed by lunch in Moody Coliseum Plaza.

SMU President R. Gerald Turner, the Board of Trustees and the Campaign Executive Committee will announce the campaign goal at the event.

RSVP online and learn more at the Second Century Campaign home page.

The Faculty Senate is seeking nominations for SMU's honorary degree class of 2009. Nominees should be individuals "whose uncommon personal accomplishments at home or abroad have served society and the public good, or who enlarge human understanding and enrich human life, in any field of endeavor." The deadline for nominations is Sept. 26.

Nominations should include a cover note identifying your membership in the University community, an unsigned letter of nomination, and supporting materials. Send via e-mail or regular mail to Faculty Senate Secretary Kenneth Springer, SMU Box 750241. Find a brief history of honorary degrees and lists of previous SMU recipients at the Registrar's home page. (Left, Bill Cosby, 1995 recipient of an SMU Doctor of Arts, honoris causa.)

SMU President R. Gerald Turner will address the University faculty at the Fall General Faculty Meeting Aug. 27 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center. The 4 p.m. meeting in the Hughes-Trigg Theater will be preceded by a reception beginning at 3 p.m. in the Theater foyer.

Newly tenured faculty will receive their regalia, and Provost Paul Ludden will announce the recipient of the 2007-08 University Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award.

SMU welcomes new Dedman College Dean Cordelia Chávez Candelaria with a reception 4-5 p.m. Aug. 13 in the Umphrey Lee Center Ballroom. Candelaria (left), a former Regents Professor and associate dean at Arizona State University, became Dedman College dean July 1 after being appointed to the position in March.

RSVP to Rennie Chun in University Events.

• Learn more about Cordelia Candelaria.

May 30 marks the last full issue of SMU Forum for the 2007-08 academic year. The newsletter will return from summer vacation in August.

Meanwhile, we'll continue to post updates throughout the next few months. Keep up all summer long - subscribe to our RSS feed through your web browser or a news reader such as FeedDemon for Windows or NetNewsWire for Mac.

See you soon!

Memorial Day weekend will be more than just a work holiday: Texas shoppers will also get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of some energy-saving products. The 2008 Energy Star sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 24, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day).

Qualifying products will display the Energy Star logo (left), which may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy Guide label. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. A product that earns the Energy Star has met strict energy efficiency guidelines set by these two federal agencies.

There is no limit on the number of qualifying items one can purchase during the sales tax holiday, and an exemption certificate is not required, says Michael Vangeli, P.E., SMU's associate director of energy management. Planning new purchases around the tax holiday "will help save people money and energy," he adds.

Find more information at the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website.

SMU observes its 93rd Commencement May 16-17 with events for students, faculty, alumni and the entire community.

Dr. Allen Weinstein, the noted historian who oversees the nation's presidential libraries, will speak at the all-University ceremony at 9:30 a.m. May 17 in Moody Coliseum. The University expects to award nearly 2,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees.

Some major events at a glance:

• May 16-17 - Class of 1958 golden reunion
• May 16 - Baccalaureate and Rotunda Recessional
• May 17 - Faculty Breakfast and Distinguished University Citizen Awards presentation
• May 17 - All-University Commencement
• May 17 - School diploma presentations

Find more information at the Registrar's Commencement 2008 website.

• Read more about the 2008 Commencement speaker.

Put your budget on notice: The U.S. Postal Service will increase its first-class stamp price for letters weighing 1 ounce or less from 41 cents to 42 cents on May 12, 2008. A list of new prices:

• First-class mail letter (1 oz.) - 42 cents
• First-class mail letter (2 oz.) - 59 cents
• Postcard - 27 cents
• First-class mail large envelope (2 oz.) - $1
• Certified mail - $2.70

Forever Stamps purchased at the 41-cent rate can be used with no additional postage even after the rate hike. For more information, visit SMU's Postal Services website.

The SMU Staff Association is seeking nominations for several positions on its 2008-09 Executive Board. Staff members are encouraged to recommend colleagues or themselves for the open positions.

The organization seeks nominees for the following:

• President-Elect
• Vice President, Programming
• Vice President, Service and Activities
• Vice President, Marketing and Communications
• Director of Administration
• Treasurer

The following staff members hold continuing positions on the 2008-09 board:

• President - John Hall, Enrollment Services
• Past-President - Bill Dworaczyk, Central University Libraries
• Vice President, Staff Development - Lisa Morris, Risk Management

Send your recommendations by May 6 to John Hall, chair of the Nominations Committee, or Bill Dworaczyk, member of the Nominations Committee.

President R. Gerald Turner has accepted 36 of the 38 recommendations recently made by the University's Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention on programs, policies and issues related to alcohol and drug use. Some recommendations have been accepted partially or with modifications, limitations or reservations; or will be considered with more study. Two recommendations have not been accepted.

"As the Task Force has wisely stated, no one policy or program alone can guarantee wise decision-making on the part of students encountering new freedoms at college or those entering with existing drug and alcohol problems," Turner said in his report. "It is our hope, however, that the many recommendations we will implement will strengthen a culture of personal responsibility and academic achievement, a community in which students make the best use of resources, programs and assistance."

SMU students, faculty and staff members are invited to attend a briefing and discussion on the Task Force's recommendations with Turner, Provost Paul Ludden and Vice President for Student Affairs Lori White at 2 p.m. today (April 29) in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater. Read more from the announcement.

• President Turner's decision
• Executive summary of the decision
• The Task Force's recommendations

SMU students, faculty and staff members are invited to attend a briefing and discussion with President R. Gerald Turner, Provost Paul Ludden and Vice President for Student Affairs Lori White on decisions regarding the recommendations of the University's Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention. The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 29 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.

Watch SMU Forum for highlights from the meeting.

SMU faculty, staff and students who live off campus can receive a permanent and practical souvenir of Earth Week 2008. Stop by the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Mane Desk 8:30 a.m.-8 pm. April 21-25 to pick up one free low-flow showerhead, while supplies last. Each showerhead can save more than 3,600 gallons of water per year.

Installation demonstrations will take place 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Earth Day, April 22, in the Hughes-Trigg Commons. The giveaway is sponsored by SMU Campus Planning and Plant Operations. For more information, contact Michael Paul, CPPO's director of energy management and engineering, 8-2122.

SMU celebrates the coming end of the 2007-08 academic year by honoring some of its most distinguished faculty, staff and student citizens. The University's Honors Day Convocation and Awards Extravaganza take place on the afternoon and evening of April 21.

Willard Spiegelman, SMU's Duwain E. Hughes Jr. Distinguished Professor of English, will speak on "Success and Obedience: A List of Suggestions and Advice" at the 11th annual Honors Day Convocation at 5:30 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium. The ceremony celebrates academic achievement at the University and department levels. A reception follows the Convocation in the Grand Ballroom, Umphrey Lee Center.

The University presents several awards for excellence - including its highest honor, the "M" Award - at the Awards Extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater. Winners will be listed in SMU Forum after they are announced at the ceremony.

Information Technology Services wants to know if your technology needs are being met - and you can tell them what's working (and what isn't) through the department's 2008 Customer Satisfaction Survey. The feedback ITS gathers now will inform its planning and project schedule for 2008-09.

Past ITS improvements that resulted from survey feedback included larger mailbox quotas and more network drive space, expansion of the University's wireless capabilities, and implementation of new blogging software - which has made possible redesigns of SMU Forum and the University's popular Student Adventures site, among others.

The survey takes about 10 minutes and will remain open until April 27. Participants can also register for a chance to win one of ten iTunes gift certificates. For more information, visit the survey site.

In December 2007, SMU's Teaching Technology Group (TTG) funded the development of a University "island" in the popular virtual world Second Life. With the SMU presence now partially developed (above), the TTG is seeking input from students, staff and faculty to complete the island's development and bring it to life with social and educational activities.

Learn more about this project and the opportunities it presents in one of two introductory sessions April 16-17. The meetings will provide an overview of SMU in Second Life and show examples of teaching opportunities in disciplines including biology, art, theatre, history and business. Both sessions will take place in the Crow Building, Room 190, Cox School of Business - choose the date and time that best fit your schedule, and invite students to attend:

Session A: April 16, 3:30-5 p.m.
Session B: April 17, 9:30-11 a.m.

For more information, contact Ulrike Schultze.

• See more preliminary images from SMU in Second Life.

Faculty members who seek additional funding for Spring 2009 research projects should plan to apply now for a 2008-09 Sam Taylor Fellowship. The Fellowships award up to $2,000 for full-time faculty members at Methodist-related colleges in Texas. Last year SMU faculty in Chemistry, Theology, Political Science, and Religious Studies received awards.

Any full-time faculty member is eligible to apply for the Fellowships, which support research "advancing the intellectual, social, or religious life of Texas and the nation." The program does not award for instructional materials or equipment, nor for travel not associated with the Fellowship project.

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• significance of the project
• clarity of the proposal
• professional development of the applicant
• value of the project to the community or nation
• the project's sensitivity to value questions confronting higher education and society.

The deadline for application is Sept. 1, 2008; applications may be submitted beginning in early summer. Notification of awards is in late October. For more information, contact Kathleen Hugley-Cook in the Office of National Fellowships, 8-3325.

The SMU community has the chance to recognize indispensable staffers in its libraries and throughout the campus with two spring awards.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2007-08 SMU Libraries Staff Recognition Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to the Libraries and/or to the information professions, as well as service to library users. The five awards carry a monetary prize of $500 each. General considerations and criteria for these awards can be found at the SMU Libraries website. Any member of the campus community may nominate a Libraries staff member has not won the award within the past 5 years (consult the list of previous winners). The directors of Bridwell Library, Business Information Center, Central University Libraries and Underwood Law Library are not eligible for the awards.

The deadline for consideration is April 18. Submit a nomination online or e-mail Cindy Ruppi for more information or a paper form.

Meanwhile, the Faculty Senate will present citations and gifts to three outstanding University staff members at its final meeting of 2007-08 on May 7. Nominations for the 2008 Faculty Senate Outstanding Staff Awards will be accepted until noon April 14. Faculty members should e-mail Julie Maynard with:

• your full name, department and position;
• the full name, department and position of the SMU staff member being nominated; and
• an explanation of why you believe the individual deserves the award.

The Office of the Provost seeks nominations of outstanding teaching faculty, tenured and tenure-track, for several prestigious state and national awards recognizing teaching excellence. These honors include the Piper Professor Award, the Cherry Award, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Professor of the Year and carry prizes ranging from $5,000 to $200,000.

Those submitting a candidate's name should include a letter giving the rationale and indicating willingness to be a formal nominator if the person becomes the SMU nominee for an award. Please include names of three additional references for the nominee.

Each nomination should be endorsed by the nominee's department chair; chairs may endorse more than one nominee. Send nominations to the Office of National Fellowships, Office of the Provost, by April 20, 2008. Watch the SMU Forum for additional information.

Faculty and staff members can get a closer look at a major new Meadows Museum exhibition at a wine-and-cheese reception celebrating "Fernando Gallego and His Workshop: The Altarpiece From Ciudad Rodrigo," on display through July 27, 2008. Festivities take place 4:30-6:30 p.m. April 1 in the Museum's Gene and Jerry Jones Great Hall.

For the first time in the United States, researchers have undertaken an extensive study of a 15th-century Spanish cathedral altarpiece - and in the process unlocked 500 years of secrets. Their findings, along with the entire group of paintings that comprise the altarpiece, are now on view at the Museum.

Also appearing is "Apocalypse: Images from the Book of Revelation," an exhibition featuring biblical images from SMU's Bridwell Library Special Collections. "Apocalypse" runs through June 22. Read more.

(Right, an excerpt from the altarpiece's St. John the Evangelist panel, as painted and as revealed by infrared reflectography.)

Stand up and be counted: Central University Libraries is requesting copies of 2007 faculty publications for its 9th Annual Faculty Recognition Day exhibition, to open April 29. The deadline for submissions has been extended to March 28; the exhibition will run through Commencement Week 2008. For a submission form and more information, contact Cynthia Ruppi, 8-2401.

Louise Raggio ('52), the Dallas attorney for whom SMU's Louise Ballerstedt Raggio Endowed Lecture Series in Women's Studies is named, will be the focus of a television documentary airing on public television. Texas Trailblazer: Louise Raggio is scheduled to air on KERA at 9:30 p.m. Mar. 19, 5:30 a.m. Mar. 23, and 11 p.m. Mar. 24.

Raggio has done more to ensure the protection of women's legal rights in Texas than any other person in history. The only woman in her SMU law school class in 1952, she went on to become the first woman prosecutor in the Dallas County district attorney's office. As a direct result of Mrs. Raggio's efforts in drafting the Texas Marital Property Act of 1967, women gained the legal right to own property, secure a bank loan and start a business without their husband's consent. Following this historical accomplishment, Mrs. Raggio established a law practice and was soon named one of the top 10 attorneys in the country.

The Raggio Lecture brings nationally renowned leaders to the University to speak on gender and women's issues. Launched in 1998, the program has featured such speakers as author and feminist Gloria Steinem, U.S. Representative Patricia Schroeder, feminist author Susan Faludi, former Texas governor Ann Richards, and Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp.

SMU's Rotunda yearbook has extended the deadline to nominate faculty members for the 2008 Rotunda Outstanding Professor Award. Nominations must be received by Mar. 21.

The award recognizes faculty members whose commitment to teaching excellence is reflected in their classroom instruction and in their interaction with students. All students, faculty and staff may submit nominations. To submit a nomination, complete the downloadable nomination form available at the Rotunda website and return it to SMU Box 750456 or the Rotunda office in 314 Hughes-Trigg Student Center. Please include information demonstrating the quality and excellence of the candidate's performance inside and outside the classroom.

All nominations will be reviewed by a faculty committee, which may request additional supporting information from the head of nominee's academic department, academic colleagues, Student Affairs, staff members and others. The 2008 recipients will be announced at the SMU Awards Extravaganza Apr. 21, and be featured in Rotunda 2008.

U.S. Daylight Saving Time for 2008 begins this Sunday, Mar. 9, at 2 a.m. Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour, and check your computer to be sure it's displaying the correct time.

A limited number of faculty and staff tickets are still available to hear former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's address to the Hart Global Leaders Forum at 11 a.m. Mar. 6 in McFarlin Auditorium. Present your SMU ID at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Mane Desk - one ticket per ID, while they last.

The Hart Global Leaders Forum offers area high school students the opportunity to interact with national and international leaders in government, business, science and the media.

SMU employees can learn more about the University's Master of Liberal Studies degree program at an information session to take place 6-7:30 p.m. Mar. 6 in the Fondren Science Building, Room 127. The Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development offers the degree, in which students design their own program of study. Degree candidates must successfully complete 36 credit hours of graduate study within 6 years.

SMU tuition benefits will cover the cost of the Master of Liberal Studies degree for most University staff members; the program offers tuition discounts to all others. To attend the information session, RSVP by e-mail or call 8-4273.

SMU faculty and staff members will have the opportunity to see former British Prime Minister Tony Blair during his visit to SMU Mar. 5-6. Free tickets are available for Blair's address in the Hart Global Leaders Forum at 11 a.m. Mar. 6 in McFarlin Auditorium. Present your SMU ID at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Mane Desk (one ticket per ID, limited availability).

The Hart Global Leaders Forum offers area high school students the opportunity to interact with national and international leaders in government, business, science and the media.

Blair will be at SMU to accept the Medal of Freedom from SMU's John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies during formal ceremonies at 8:30 p.m. Mar. 5 in McFarlin Auditorium. The Center, which educates undergraduates in international relations, comparative politics and political institutions, presents the Medal of Freedom every two years to an individual "who has furthered the cause of freedom throughout the world."

The Medal of Freedom presentation is sold out; SMU students may have access to limited seating. Students should come to the McFarlin Auditorium basement at 7:30 p.m. with SMU ID (no backpacks, please). Seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Find more information at the Tate Distinguished Lecture Series home page.

The remaining two finalists for the position of dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences will meet with the campus community today and next week:

• Feb. 28-29: Cordelia Candelaria, associate dean of strategic initiatives, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University (staff open meeting 3-3:45 p.m., faculty open meeting 4-5 p.m. Feb. 29 in McCord Auditorium)
• Mar. 3-4: Mark Welker, associate provost for research, Wake Forest University (staff open meeting 2:30-3:15 p.m., faculty open meeting 3:30-4:30 p.m. Mar. 4 in McCord Auditorium)

Originally published Feb. 27, 2008.

SMU is offering all benefit-eligible staff and faculty members access to a new program designed to measure overall health and provide individualized information for prevention and wellness, at no cost - not even from your $500 preventive healthcare allowance. Read more.

Upcoming screening dates, times and locations:

Mar. 5: Karcher Auditorium, Storey Hall, 7:45-11:30 a.m.
Mar. 6: Hall of Champions, Loyd All-Sports Center, 7:45-11:30 a.m.

• Make a screening appointment.

(Updated Feb. 26, 2008, to show new times for Dr. Candelaria's campus meetings.)

Two finalists for the position of dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences will meet with the campus community this week. Watch the SMU Forum for more updates.

• Feb. 25-26: William Reisinger, associate provost and dean of international programs, University of Iowa (staff open meeting 2-2:45 p.m., faculty open meeting 3-4 p.m. Feb. 26 in McCord Auditorium)
• Feb. 28-29: Cordelia Candelaria, associate dean of strategic initiatives, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University (staff open meeting 3-3:45 p.m., faculty open meeting 4-5 p.m. Feb. 29 in McCord Auditorium)

Mark Welker, associate provost for research, Wake Forest University, will be the fifth candidate to visit. He will be on campus Mar. 3-4; details are to be announced.

As U.S. citizens contemplate the possibility of electing their first woman president in 2008, SMU's 43rd Women's Symposium will explore the new status of women as leaders on campus and in society with its Feb. 28 event, "The Time Is Now."

"The time is now to talk about all the ways in which women are advancing, in every arena," says Women's Symposium Coordinator Karen Click.

Eleanor Clift (right), contributing editor for Newsweek and co-author of Madam President: Shattering the Last Glass Ceiling, will deliver the Emmie V. Baine Lecture during lunch, which begins at 12:25 p.m. A 3 p.m. interest session, "Madam President: An SMU Model," brings together the University's past and present women student body leaders to discuss their experiences.

With Senator Hillary Clinton continuing a historic run for the White House, Symposium planners brought a heightened sense of the political climate to this year's event, Click says. "We were well aware of this turning point when we put together this year's event - in fact, that's how we came up with our theme," she says. "The unprecedented success of her campaign gives us a platform to speak broadly about women who are shattering glass ceilings everywhere."

Created in 1966 as part of the University's 50th anniversary celebration, the Women's Symposium is the longest continuously running program of its kind in the nation. It features nationally recognized speakers as well as seminars on topics of national interest and workshops conducted by students, community leaders, and SMU faculty and staff.

Symposium registration is free for SMU faculty, staff and students; the deadline is Feb. 22. Register online at the Women's Symposium website.

The entire SMU community is invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony that will officially open the new Crum Basketball Center. The ceremony begins at 11:45 a.m. on the Center's east practice court; afterward, lunch will be served on the west practice court. The Center is located at Binkley Avenue and Dublin Street, just east of Moody Coliseum.

The University broke ground for the Crum Basketball Center in December 2006 to create a dedicated, state-of-the art space where SMU men's and women's basketball programs can practice and train. It includes separate full-size practice courts for each program, locker rooms and lounges, training and rehabilitation areas, coaches' offices, meeting areas and film editing rooms. The teams began practicing in the new facilities in December 2007.

Learn more about the Center and find construction photos and other artwork at the SMU Athletics website.

A popular new program for SMU students has become an innovative professional development opportunity for SMU employees. The Office of Human Resources will offer an introduction to StrengthsQuest among its Spring 2008 Professional Development Workshops. Read more.

This week, SMU faculty and staff will participate in a conference on creating mentoring environments for students. Sharon Daloz Parks, director of leadership for the New Commons of the Whidbey Institute, is keynote speaker for "Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young People in Their Search for Meaning, Purpose and Faith." The two-day conference features faculty sessions Feb. 14 (faculty may choose to attend a morning or afternoon session) and a staff session 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Feb. 15 (lunch included). This free event is sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life; registration is required. For more information, contact Judy Henneberger, 8-4502.

Updated Feb. 12, 2008, with available meeting places and times.

Five finalists for the position of dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences will meet with the campus community over the next several weeks, says Provost Paul Ludden. The search committee has set the following dates for candidate visits. Watch the SMU Forum for more updates.

• Feb. 11-12: William Dunne, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tennessee (faculty open meeting at 2 p.m., staff open meeting at 3 p.m. Feb. 12 in McCord Auditorium)
• Feb. 14-15: Caroline Brettell, interim dean of Dedman College, SMU (staff open meeting at 2 p.m., faculty open meeting at 4 p.m. Feb. 15 in McCord Auditorium)
• Feb. 25-26: William Reisinger, associate provost and dean of international programs, University of Iowa
• Feb. 28-29: Cordelia Candelaria, associate dean of strategic initiatives, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
• Mar. 3-4: Mark Welker, associate provost for research, Wake Forest University

SMU's Office of Leadership and Community Involvement has teamed with the White House to become an Official Certifying Organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award, a national program recognizing Americans who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service. Established in 2003, the award was created by President George W. Bush to give Presidential recognition for volunteer service. Campus community members may nominate individuals, families and groups for the award; the deadline is Mar. 6, 2008. Read more.

Eleanor Clift, contributing editor for Newsweek and co-author of Madam President: Shattering the Last Glass Ceiling, will deliver the Emmie V. Baine Lecture in SMU's 43rd annual Women's Symposium Feb. 28.

Created in 1966 as part of the University's 50th anniversary celebration, the Women's Symposium is the longest continuously running program of its kind in the nation. The program features nationally recognized speakers as well as seminars on topics of national interest and workshops conducted by students, community leaders, and SMU faculty and staff.

Symposium registration is free for SMU faculty, staff and students; the deadline is Feb. 22. Register online at the Women's Symposium website.

High school teachers and community college professors will explore new ways to teach history when SMU's William P. Clements Department of History hosts the 2008 Stanton Sharp Teaching Symposium Feb. 9 in Dallas Hall. The symposium offers discussions with some of SMU's most distinguished history professors, who will talk about new scholarship and research materials in their areas of expertise and ways of presenting them to students.

Topics will include the American and Russian Revolutions, the Vietnam War, Native Americans in the 20th century, Mexicans in American history, Americans from Africa, Egypt in the age of Tutankhamen, approaches to teaching Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, and using the World Wide Web to teach U.S. cultural history.

The $15 registration fee ($7.50 for graduate students) includes lunch. Teachers may earn continuing education credit if enrolled in each of the three sessions. Find more information and an online registration form at the History Department website.

SMU's Spring 2008 Career Fair takes place Feb. 13 - and students who want to make the most of it can start preparing this week. Career Fair Prep Day is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 31 in the lower level of Hughes-Trigg Student Center. Students can get their résumés reviewed by employers, learn how to polish their professional images, participate in an employer Q&A, and get tips on how to make the most of their career fair experience.

Students also may participate in a Speed Networking session 4-6 p.m. Advance registration is required only for this event; students may RSVP online.

Career Fair Prep Day is presented by SMU's Hegi Family Career Development Center and the Cox School of Business' B.B.A. Career Services. For more information, visit the Career Center website.

SMU's Godbey Lecture Series (GLS) of Dedman College is now accepting nominations for its 28th annual Authors' Awards. This year's awards will be presented to three SMU faculty members who had outstanding books published during 2007.

Nominations are open to all SMU faculty members. The faculty member nominated must have authored or co-authored an outstanding book published during the previous year (Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2007). Nominations will be considered for authored (not edited) books only and will not be accepted or considered if published by vanity presses or paid to be published by the author.

Each winning author will receive a cash prize of $1,000, with co-authors receiving $500 each. The Authors' Award luncheon will honor the winners Apr. 28 in the Umphrey Lee Grand Ballroom. Nominations must be received by Feb. 15. For more information or to make a nomination, contact Dorothy Friedlander, 8-3399.

Reminder: SMU observes the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Monday, Jan. 21. University offices will be closed, and no classes will be held. Monday class hours will be observed Tuesday, Jan. 22. (Photo courtesy Library of Congress, New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection.)

Reminder: The Emeriti Health Accounts Program for faculty and staff members takes effect Jan. 1, 2008. Faculty and staff members should have received Emeriti enrollment kits at their homes in September. Eligible individuals age 40 and older will be enrolled automatically beginning Jan. 1 and must contact Emeriti to select investment options and provide the names of any individuals to be named dependents on their accounts.

For more information, visit the Emeriti Web site at www.emeritihealth.org or call toll-free at 1-866-EMERITI (1-866-363-7484). Read more about the program from the Sept. 7 SMU Forum.

Mark your calendars now: The next General Faculty Meeting is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2008, in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center (the day after Spring 2008 classes begin). A reception will take place at 3 p.m. in the lower level; the meeting begins at 4 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.

Winter Break is upon us, and the Spring Term will be here before you know it. A few important dates at a glance:

• Dec. 15: Last day of final exams and December Graduation Ceremony


• Dec. 19: President R. Gerald Turner's All-University Party, 3:30-5 p.m. in the Umphrey Lee Center Ballroom


• Dec. 24-28: Winter Break (University closed)


• Jan. 1: New Year's Day (University closed)


• Jan. 15: First day of Spring Term 2008


• Jan. 16: Spring 2008 General Faculty Meeting


• Jan. 21: Martin Luther King Day (University closed)

Fall finals and the holiday break are almost here - important end-of-term dates at a glance:

• Dec. 6: Last day of instruction


• Dec. 7-8: Reading days (no classes)


• Dec. 10-15: Final exams (no exams scheduled for Sunday)


• Dec. 15: December Graduation Ceremony, 7 p.m., Moody Coliseum


• Dec. 19: President R. Gerald Turner's All-University Holiday Party, 3:30-5 p.m. in the Umphrey Lee Center Ballroom

Just in time for holiday gift-giving, SMU faculty and staff can get an extra 10 percent off (for a 20 percent total discount) on select merchandise during the SMU Bookstore's Faculty/Staff Appreciation Days. Double-discount days are Dec. 7-9. For more information, contact the store at 8-2435.

As SMU prepares for fall finals and the holiday break, keep these important end-of-term dates in mind:

• Dec. 6: Last day of instruction


• Dec. 7-8: Reading days (no classes)


• Dec. 10-15: Final exams (no exams scheduled for Sunday)


• Dec. 15: December Graduation Ceremony, 7 p.m., Moody Coliseum


• Dec. 19: President R. Gerald Turner's All-University Holiday Party, 3:30-5 p.m. in the Umphrey Lee Center Ballroom

Planning to work off those holiday goodies at the gym? Don't forget to schedule your workouts around the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports' hours for Fall Break and Thanksgiving:

• Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 19-20 - 6 a.m.-9 p.m.


• Wednesday, Nov. 21 - 6 a.m.-8 p.m.


• Thursday, Nov. 22 - Closed for Thanksgiving


• Friday, Nov. 23 - 10 a.m.-6 p.m.


• Saturday, Nov. 24 - 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Speaking of holiday goodies, if you plan to order Thanksgiving desserts from SMU Catering, don't forget that orders must be placed by Nov. 16. Orders are for pick-up only and will be available Nov. 19-20 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in Umphrey Lee Center. Visa, MasterCard and checks are accepted. Find a complete list of this year's pies, cakes and cookies on the downloadable order form (PDF format), or visit smudining.com.

Free up more time for enjoying the Thanksgiving break by ordering your Turkey Day desserts from SMU Catering. This year's offerings include longtime favorites such as apple, cherry, pecan, pumpkin and sweet potato pies and iced pumpkin cookies. In addition, the bakery is whipping up almond citrus cake, white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake, vanilla sour cream cake, and Heaven & Hell Cake (a combination of angel's and devil's food with chocolate ganache and peanut butter mousse).

Orders are for pick-up only and must be placed by Nov. 16. Pick-up will be available Nov. 19-20 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in Umphrey Lee Center. Visa, MasterCard and checks are accepted. Download your order form (PDF format) from smudining.com.

Just a reminder: SMU's Fall Break takes place during Thanksgiving week. In addition, there will be no classes the day before the holiday. T-Day week at a glance:

• Nov. 19-20: Fall Break (no classes, staff remains on duty)


• Nov. 21: No classes (staff remains on duty)


• Nov. 22-23: Thanksgiving Holiday (SMU closed)

Find a complete 2007-08 academic calendar at the Registrar's Web site.

SMU's official holiday card is now on sale - but quantities are limited, so place your order by Nov. 2. The card features an image of Dallas Hall and the Main Quad decorated for the University's annual Celebration of Lights, surrounded by a gold metallic border. Cards can be ordered with a blank signature line or with "Southern Methodist University" preprinted. Find all the details plus an online order form at smu.edu/holidaycard.

Standard Time came late in 2007, but it finally arrives this Sunday, Nov. 4. Don't forget to set your clocks one hour earlier, and check your computer to be sure it's displaying the correct time.

Full-time faculty members who plan to apply for 2007-08 Instructional Technology Grants must submit their proposals by the drop-dead date: Halloween, Oct. 31.

If you aim to try something new in the classroom that technology can facilitate, the Teaching Technology Group and the Office of the Provost may award you a grant of up to $5,000 to "explore meaningful and innovative uses of instructional technology." In addition, the Provost and TTG will award mini-grants of up to $500 to fund the purchase of less expensive equipment or software (such as an iPod nano and microphone for coursecasting). For more information, visit the Academic Computing Services Web site.

Can't get enough of the Halloween season? Get your freak on with some frightfully fun campus activities:

• Scary fashions and slamming dance moves prevail at the Group X Blast From the Past aerobics party, 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 30 on Basketball Court 1, Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. All Dedman Center members and guests are invited to the '80s-themed festivities; no Group X pass is required. Put on your L.A. Gear and punk-rock hair to learn the choreography from Michael Jackson's Thriller video, participate in a Madonna tribute workout and MC Hammer hip-hop class, and compete for costume prizes including a first-place award of an unlimited Group X workout pass for Spring 2008.
• Get creative at The Great Pumpkin Search of SMU. The entire community is invited to bring a carved pumpkin (or to carve one on-site) from 3-6 p.m. Oct. 31 at The Falls, Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. Judging takes place at 6 p.m., and prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Pumpkins will be on display beginning Oct. 28.
• The SMU Preschool holds its annual Halloween Parade beginning at 10 a.m. Oct. 31. Come out to Bishop Boulevard to smile and wave, and feel free to bring treats for SMU's littlest tricksters.

SMU's open enrollment season is Oct. 17-Nov. 2. Learn more about some of the changes and new options available; changes to your 2008 benefit elections must be received in the Benefits Department by 5 p.m. Nov. 2, 2007.

Meanwhile, faculty and staff members have the opportunity to learn more about SMU coverage providers at the 2007 Human Resources Fair. "Where in the World is HR?" takes place 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom. Free flu shots also will be available for benefit-eligible faculty and staff; please bring your SMU ID. For information on this year's vendors, services, games and prizes, visit the HR Fair Web site.

The SMU Student Senate will host a Town Hall Forum to discuss issues related to campus drug and alcohol use and the work of the University's Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention. Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.

"If community members have a concern or a change they want to propose to the Task Force, the Town Hall Forum will be the best place to do so," says Student Body President and Task Force member Katherine Tullos. "Members of the Task Force will be present, and the entire SMU community is invited to attend and express opinions."

If you cannot attend but would like to make a comment or suggestion, visit smu.edu/liveresponsibly to send a comment directly to the Task Force.

Major changes mark SMU's 2007 December Graduation Convocation with a move to Moody Coliseum and - for the first time - a faculty processional. The ceremonies take place Dec. 15. Read more.

The SMU Staff Association presents the 2007 Loretta O'Reilly Hawkins Award and Presidential Awards at its 7th annual Staff Recognition Ceremony Oct. 23 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater. A reception will be held at 10 a.m., with the ceremony starting at 10:30 a.m.

The event also honors the following staff members who celebrated their 25th SMU anniversaries this year:

• Lisa Barnes, Public Affairs/Integrated Marketing


• Kathleen Hugley-Cook, Dedman College Advising Center


• Jane Morris, Underwood Law Library


• Tito Munoz, Campus Planning and Plant Operations


• Tammy Sherwood, Engineering Management and Information Systems

SMU community members can earn one Wellpower Point for attending. Visit the Staff Association online.

Author Kim Edwards - whose debut novel, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, became the biggest selling book of 2006 - will participate in a lecture and booksigning sponsored by Friends of the SMU Libraries at noon Oct. 25 in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom.

Edwards will discuss her bestselling novel as well as her recently reissued short story collection, The Secrets of a Fire King. The Memory Keeper's Daughter simultaneously reached the No. 1 spot on The New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly and Book Sense bestseller lists. Thirty-five weeks after its debut, the book is still on top of the New York Times list, with 3.5 million copies currently in print. The Secrets of a Fire King, originally published in 1997, was an alternate for the PEN/Hemingway Award and was reissued in May 2007 by the Penguin Group.

A noon reception will precede the 12:30 p.m. lecture. The booksigning will immediately follow the lecture. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Amy Carver, 8-1939.

The 2007 SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge will be here before you know it - and organizers encourage University faculty and staff to participate. Register a team or volunteer to help on race day at www.RunTheRock.com. The race takes place Dec. 9.

The Challenge features competition between five-person teams collectively running 26.2 miles (about 5 miles each). Corporate teams compete not only for the title of fastest team, but in categories including youngest corporate team, oldest corporate team, corporation with most teams involved, and best corporate uniforms (costumes). All proceeds benefit the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.

SMU faculty and staff members can do their part to help keep the flu off campus - and now they have a chance to do it for free. The Department of Human Resources will provide free flu shots to all benefit-eligible faculty and staff members during the 2007 Human Resources Fair Oct. 24. Benefit-eligible retirees and their benefit-eligible spouses also will receive free inoculations. Spouses, adult children (18 and over), students and other community members can receive shots for $25.

In addition, free flu shots will be available for all benefit-eligible faculty and staff members at the Memorial Health Center's flu shot clinics beginning Oct. 17. All shots are administered by the Health Center. Please bring your SMU ID.

Check your benefits eligibility at the Human Resources Web site. For a flu shot schedule and more information about flu prevention on campus, visit smu.edu/flu.

The SMU Staff Association will hold its annual Fall Fest Talent Show Nov. 1. Show off your creativity in music, dance, comedy, poetry, photography, art or crafts and sign up by Oct. 15 to participate. For more information and to volunteer, contact Cathy Heckman at 8-2174.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences will induct David Weber, SMU's Robert and Nancy Dedman Professor of History and director of the University's Clements Center for Southwest Studies, as a 2007 Fellow Oct. 6 at the Academy's headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Weber, who specializes in the American Southwest and Mexico, is author or editor of more than 22 books and 60 scholarly articles. He has been a member of the History Department faculty in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences for more than 30 years.

Fellows are elected by Academy members based on the quality of their work and contributions to their field throughout their career. This year's class includes former Vice President Al Gore, actor and film producer Robert Redford, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, New York Mayor and businessman Michael Bloomberg, Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt, New York Times investigative correspondent James Risen, filmmaker Spike Lee, economists Gregory Mankiw and Murray Weidenbaum, astronomer Donald Brownlee, robotics pioneer Rodney Brooks, Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, supercomputer expert David Shaw, and pianist Emanuel Ax. Visit the Academy's Web site for a complete list.

Don't forget to nominate candidates for 2008 honorary degrees by Sept. 28. Nominees should be individuals "whose uncommon personal accomplishments at home or abroad have served society and the public good, or who enlarge human understanding and enrich human life, in any field of endeavor." Submissions should include a cover note identifying your membership in the University community, an unsigned letter of nomination, and supporting materials. Send via e-mail or regular mail to Faculty Senate Secretary Kenneth Springer, SMU Box 750241. Find a brief history of honorary degrees and lists of previous SMU recipients at the Registrar's home page.

SMU will host a welcome reception for new Vice President for Business and Finance Christine Casey from 4-5 p.m. Sept. 25 in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom. She began her University duties Sept. 1. Read more about Casey.

Ned Blackhawk, an author and historian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is this year's recipient of the William P. Clements Prize for the Best Non-Fiction Book on Southwestern America. Published in 2006, Blackhawk's Violence Over the Land: Indians and Empires in the Early American West describes the violence and its consequences experienced by the Ute, Paiute and Shoshone residing in what is now Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and California. Blackhawk will receive the award during formal ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7 in DeGolyer Library. The presentation will be preceded by a reception at 6 p.m. Read more from SMU News.

SMU's Perkins School of Theology celebrates the new academic year by breaking ground for a project to improve its existing facilities as well as create new ones. The festivities begin at 11:45 a.m. Sept. 7 in the theology quad.

The Perkins-Prothro family of Wichita Falls, whose financial support of the seminary spans three generations, gave $6 million to the school in January -- about half of the funds required to renovate Kirby Hall and Selecman Hall, both of which were originally built in the early '50s, and to construct a 28,000-square-foot commons building to be named in honor of Elizabeth Perkins Prothro. (Above, an artist's rendering of the revamped quad.) Read more.

The new academic year is upon us, which means campuswide celebrations to welcome new administrators and kick off new initiatives. Mark your calendar for these events that are open to the entire University community:

• Welcome reception for new Provost Paul Ludden from 4-5 p.m. Aug. 21 in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom.
• Welcome reception for new Vice President for Student Affairs Lori White from 4-5 p.m. Aug. 27 in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom.
• Groundbreaking for the Perkins School of Theology expansion, including the new Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 7 in the Theology Quad.
• Welcome reception for new Vice President for Business and Finance Christine Casey from 4-5 p.m. Sept. 25 in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom.

Take part in one of SMU's oldest traditions at the University's 93rd Opening Convocation at 5 p.m. Aug. 22 in McFarlin Auditorium. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Ludden will give the address.

The ceremony will be preceded by a community welcome for the University's incoming class from 4:15-4:45 p.m. Come to the Main Quad and pick up an SMU pennant to wave in welcome to the class of 2011.

For more information, contact Gretchen Voight in the Office of the Registrar, 8-2037.