■ Durfee Conservatory pitches in on the homefront, page 5 Inside ■ Computer Science welcomes three new faculty, page 10 The Campus Chronicle Vol.XVIII, No. 11 November 8, 2002 for the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts News Briefs Trustees Senior with meningitis shows improvement pressed on A 22-year-old senior from Dorchester was in critical pay raises condition, but showing signs of improvement Wednesday after being hospitalized with Board amends bacterial meningitis, accord- ing to campus officials. The alcohol policy male student is under care at Hartford Hospital. Sarah R. Buchholz The student went to Uni- CHRONICLE STAFF versity Health Services on Sometimes working over the Nov. 4, complaining of feeling shouts of protesting faculty, staff ill, and was transferred to and students, the Board of Trust- Cooley Dickinson Hospital. ees moved through the agenda at He was started on antibiot- its Nov. 6 meeting, revising the ics, and was later trans- University’s alcohol policy and ported to Hartford Hospital. Meningitis is an inflamma- approved student fee increases tion of the linings of the brain for fiscal year 2004, among other and spinal cord that can be things. caused by viruses or bacte- Approximately 100 protestors ria. In the current case, the Stan Sherer photo crowded into the Massachusetts diagnosis is of the bacterial Members of campus unions and students protest the lack of state funding for collective bargaining Room of the Mullins Center to type. Some forms of the ill- agreements outside the Board of Trustees meeting in the Mullins Center on Nov. 6. support three union presidents — ness can be fatal, and per- Donna Johnson of University sons who have had close Staff Associates, Tom Coish of contact with a patient in the Service Employees International two weeks before the diagno- External funds up 40% from last year Union, Local 509, and Ron Story sis may be advised to take Sarah R. Buchholz preventive antibiotics. Building, and rehabilitation of the of the Massachusetts Society of CHRONICLE STAFF Lombardi sets The student’s close Student Union, as well as for criti- Professors — as they addressed friends and family have been The Oct. 31 Faculty Senate capital plans at cal safety enhancements, such as the board. Wearing bright yellow contacted and are being meeting was anything but scary. elevators and other accessibility T-shirts that sported the phrase treated with antibiotics. Good news abounded: external $281 million tools for buildings. “broken promises” on the back funding is on the rise, searches This capital plan is a lot of and “UMass unions united” on SGA’s ‘Walk for Light’ ity to work hard and to generate money,” he said. “The whole list the front, union members shook scheduled for Nov. 12 are underway for new faculty and there is money to fill at least external funding, which is going altogether is about $281 million of noisemakers, chanted, and shot The Student Government $1 million in support staff posi- to be an important part of what which about $116 million of it is staccato bursts of requests, Association-sponsored “Walk tions, the campus is forging ahead the chancellor’s trying to do, I ‘new,’ in the sense that we did taunts and slogans during the for Light” will be held Tues- with its capital plan, and the cam- think we can be very, very not already have that on the list early portion of the meeting, in- day, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. pus plans to do away with the pleased at the fact that we have a to be funded. cluding the union leaders’ pre- Interested participants will student computing fee. very strong faculty,” Byron said. “How do you fund this stuff? sentations, student trustee Will- gather on the steps of the Chancellor John Lombardi said Well, you borrow money. You go iam Powers’ report, and chair Student Union and divide into Income from grants and con- tracts jumped significantly during capital projects, such as the des- out and you borrow money and Grace Fey’s welcome to the new- groups to walk predetermined est board members. routes on campus, taking the first quarter of FY03, interim perately needed new heating and then you pay debt service on that Johnson, who said her union note of any safety concerns Vice Chancellor for Research Fred power plant and repairs to the money. along the way. Students, Byron told the senate. The cam- roofs and windows of the Lincoln “Now, we’re gonna take a had lost approximately 200 of its staff and faculty are invited pus saw a 40 percent increase in Campus Center, are sometimes risk,” he said. “How much of this 1,200 members last year, called on to participate. external funding this year over the both expensive and “invisible” we can borrow is not entirely the board to respond to the The “Walk for Light” is first quarter of FY02 — a jump but that the campus needs them clear yet, but a significant hunk of “shrinking workforce and escalat- scheduled once each semes- from $25 million to $35 million. and will continue to press forward this. But we’re gonna take a risk, ing demands” made on her mem- ter, and is organized in col- Byron called the performance to get them done. He noted the and it’s important for everybody bership by getting the ratified but laboration with the UMass “one of the largest and most dra- need for a new Nursing building, to understand what I mean when I unfunded contracts of University Police Department and the a retro-fitted Goessman Labora- say ‘risk.’ employees funded and “backfill- Chancellor’s Committee on matic increases in external funding “That means it isn’t easy. That ing” empty positions that had Campus Safety. in our history.” tory, studio space for Art stu- SENATE, PAGE 3 SEE BOARD, PAGE 3 The “Walk for Light” was “In terms of the faculty’s abil- dents, the Integrated Science SEE started several years ago, and has directly resulted in the installation of additional Sustainability efforts to be explored at five-campus meeting police call boxes, improved The Academic Affairs Office in demic Affairs. “[This] conference are now mandated by [Acting] ability, promoting sustainability in lighting on campus and prun- the President’s Office and the five will be a working meeting in- Governor Swift with the signing research and technology devel- ing of vegetation for safety University campuses are jointly tended to help us learn enough of Executive Order 438,” said opment, building sustainable purposes. producing a conference on com- about each other’s work so that Richard Pease, of Environmental campuses, and supporting social munity, the environment and the we can identify ways to collabo- Health and Safety. and community sustainability, she No Chronicle during interactions between the two rate with each other and with Because the order indicates said. Thanksgiving week Nov. 15 at the Worcester campus. partners from the Executive Office that all state agencies must re- For further information, con- The Campus Chronicle will The forum is designed to bring of Environmental Affairs. view their operations and their im- tact Guy Lanza, director of Envi- not publish on Nov. 29 due to together faculty, staff and stu- “Knowledge of similar work pacts on the environment, and es- ronmental Science (glanza@fnr. the Thanksgiving holiday. dents from the five campuses being carried out on other cam- tablish short-term objectives and umass.edu), Rick Taupier, acting The Nov. 22 issue will in- who are doing innovative teach- puses will help inform environ- a long-range plan for improving director of The Environmental In- clude events and notices for ing, research and outreach in mental researchers, promote col- their relationship with the envi- stitute ([email protected]), the period from Nov. 22 through Dec. 6. Items for that these areas. laboration between disciplines in ronment, the work of this confer- William McComb, head of Natural issue should be submitted by “At present, we have too few integrated approaches to environ- ence and its attendees is highly Resources Conservation Friday, Nov. 15. opportunities to learn what each mental problem-solving, and important, Pease said. ([email protected]), For more information, call other is doing or to hear about strengthen the ability of the Uni- “This conference is explor- or Steven Goodwin, associate 5-4818 or visit the Chronicle the exciting developments on the versity’s capabilities and atory,” Botman said. Participants dean of the College of Natural Re- Web site (www.umass.edu/ individual campuses,” said Selma strengths in this area.” will consider four areas of inquiry: sources and the Environment chronicle). Botman, vice president for Aca- “State sustainability programs enhancing education for sustain- ([email protected]). 2 November 8, 2002 The Campus Chronicle After 50-plus years, University Club tries on some new shades used.” Historic hues replace In addition to historical accuracy, one familiar white paint reason the club is getting new colors is to avoid the problems associated with a white Sarah R. Buchholz building, particularly one that is too large CHRONICLE STAFF for its lot, Smith said. Even longtime members of the campus “One of the best things you can do, vi- community probably haven’t seen the Uni- sually, is to paint it a dark color so it begins versity Club get a fresh paint job before; to recede and not overshadow its site,” she staff in Facilities Planning guess it hasn’t said. Smith also said that a darker building been done for more than half a century. But won’t show as much of the Hadley farm dirt over the last few weeks, scraping, caulking, that blows across campus as the white sid- sill repair, and — yes — painting have ing did and the dark red doors will minimize taken place at the home of the Faculty Club the appearance of fingerprints and wear.