Carnegie Mellon University

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CMU Community News

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November 14, 2013

News Briefs

Open Enrollment for Benefits Ends Monday

Open Enrollment for benefits, the time to review your benefit plans and make new elections — if desired — for the coming calendar year, will end at 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 18.

If you do not actively select your benefits for 2014, you will be enrolled in the same benefit plans at the same level of participation as 2013, with the exception of a flexible spending account. (You must actively enroll in the spending accounts each year to participate.)

Elections made during Open Enrollment will become effective Jan. 1, 2014, and will remain in effect until Dec. 31, 2014. Unless you experience a qualified life or family status change, Open Enrollment is the only time during the year when you may change your benefit elections.
 
To learn about changes for 2014, plan and rate information and to see the 2014 benefits workbooks, visit the Open Enrollment website.

If you have questions, contact the HR Benefits Office at 412-268-2047 or hrhelp@andrew.cmu.edu.

Food Drive Ends Monday

Carnegie Mellon's 20th Annual Food Drive, sponsored by Staff Council, also ends Monday, Nov. 18. All proceeds benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, which helps more than 120,000 needy individuals each year.

Donations of non-perishable food items and cash are greatly appreciated. Look for the Food Drive drop box in a university building near you, or bring your donation to "Cans Across the Cut" Monday. "Cans Across the Cut" is a daylong event in which indviduals and teams bring canned goods to the Cut in an attempt to extend a line of food items all the way across the cut, from the Fence to Forbes Ave.  Read more about "Cans Across the Cut."

Checks should be made payable to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank and given to Carole Panno, chair of the Staff Council Food Drive Committee. Contact Panno at cp1g@andrew.cmu.edu.

Read more about the drive.

Triple Play: Three Teams Advance to NCAA Postseason Play

This year marks the first time CMU's men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and volleyball teams have advanced to the NCAA postseason in the same year. Additionally, Carnegie Mellon is the only University Athletic Association institution with a team representing all three sports.

The volleyball team kicks things off at 5:30 p.m., today (Nov. 14) against the University of Mount Union at Calvin College. The men’s soccer team is hosting first- and second-round regional play beginning at 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 16, when the Tartans take on Virginia Wesleyan College. The women’s team will travel to Johns Hopkins University on Saturday to play York College (Pa.) at 11 a.m.

For more information, go to athletics.cmu.edu.

Toys for Tots Drive Begins Nov. 19

Carnegie Mellon first-year engineering students Trevor Hadick, Wei Mon Lu and Pranjal Bhatia will join the pastry chefs of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association (PAA), who designed a massive gingerbread holiday village, to kick off CMU's ninth annual Toys for Tots drive from noon to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Nov 19 at the PAA. The 2013 kickoff, sponsored by the College of Engineering's First-Year Advisory Board (FAB) and the Carnegie Mellon Police, is designed to encourage the university community and surrounding neighborhoods to donate unwrapped toys to the drive, which ties into the national U.S. Marine Corps program that has been collecting toys for needy children since the early 1950s.

Donations will be accepted at the kickoff event and also through Dec. 9 at collection sites across campus.

Read more about the kickoff event.

Tepper’s Part-Time MBA Program Takes Top Spot

Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked the Tepper School’s part-time MBA program first overall for 2013, up from third in 2011 and seventh in 2009.  This marks the first time that Tepper has held the top spot.

Businessweek says: “The small, close-knit program at Tepper mirrors the school’s full-time MBA curriculum, except that instead of completing it in two years, the part-time program is spread out over three. In addition, this fall Tepper launched a part-time MBA option that is offered online. Eighty-seven percent of Tepper grads reported a salary increase, the highest percentage of any school in the ranking, and the Pittsburgh-based B-school scored in the top 10 of all three ranking measures."

Read more.

New Initiative To Begin at School of Music

The School of Music will kick off a new chamber music initiative, Chamber Music @ CMU, with a recital at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 19, in the College of Fine Arts’ Kresge Theatre. Faculty members David Harding (viola, Trio Verlaine) and Noah Bendix-Balgley (concertmaster, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) will perform along with guests Lorna McGhee (principal flute, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) and renowned cellist Amit Peled.

“Our goal with this concert is to help foster a vibrant chamber music culture within CMU, the Pittsburgh community in general, and to showcase chamber music masterpieces performed to the highest level by faculty members and guest artists. We hope it will be the first of many such concerts,” said Harding, who also serves as associate professor of viola and chamber music at CMU. Read more.

Fall 2013 Quick Facts Online

Institutional Research & Analysis has posted the “Fall 2013 Quick Facts” and the “Student Enrollment” section of the 2013-14 Factbook online at www.cmu.edu/ira. Look in the purple “Frequently Requested Information” box on the right-hand side of the Web page.

Carnegie Mellon Today Honored

Carnegie Mellon Today magazine recently received five 2013 MarCom Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals. The magazine earned platinum awards in the Magazine-Educational Institution and Design/Magazine categories, gold awards in the Writing/Feature Article and Writing/Magazine categories, and an honorable mention in the Writing/Column category. Carnegie Mellon Today has won 99 awards since 2007.

University Store To Renew Reading Series

The University Store is renewing its Faculty and Staff Reading Series. If you have recently published a book and would like to give a reading or short talk, please RSVP to Katie Charles-McGrath at katiec@andrew.cmu.edu. Presentations will be scheduled from 5:30 – 7 p.m on the third Tuesday of each month beginning in January and running through April (Jan. 21, Feb. 18, March 18 and April 15). Please RSVP by Jan. 2. (Overstock books must be returnable to the publisher without penalty after the event.)

Professional Writing Program Offers Info Session for Staff

Do you love to write? Have you thought about earning a master’s degree while you work? The English Department invites staff to an information session about enrolling in the Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW) Program on a part-time basis.
 
When:  Noon – 1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 14 
Where: Baker Hall 154-R
 
David Kaufer, interim director of the MAPW program, will host the session, and several staff members who have earned their master’s degree in professional writing will be on hand to share their experiences. Lunch will be served (pizza and salad). 
 
If you plan to attend, RSVP to kinsky@cmu.edu.

Shop and Support CMU's Children's School

Shop at Ten Thousand Villages in Squirrel Hill on Thursday, Nov. 14 and a percentage of your purchase will be donated to the CMU Children's School Library Enhancement Project. The Children's School is an early childhood laboratory school at CMU. The school is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children to offer morning and afternoon pre-school and full-day kindergarten programs for children between the ages of 3 and 6.

Ten Thousand Villages at 5824 Forbes Avenue is open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Read more about the Children's School at http://www.psy.cmu.edu/cs/.

Purchase Discounted Tickets to Kennywood’s Holiday Lights

Staff Council is offering discounted tickets to Kennywood Park’s Holiday Lights, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 29 to Dec. 22. Tickets for CMU staff are $13 ($16.99 regular price). Children 2 years old and younger are free. The park is open from 5 – 9 p.m. those days, weather permitting. There is a limit of 12 tickets per person. For more information on Kennywood’s Holiday Lights, visit http://www.kennywood.com. For discounted tickets contact Nicole Stenger at nstenger@cs.cmu.edu.

Wanted: Student Applicants for Spring Posner Center Internship

Carnegie Mellon students are encouraged to apply for a unique opportunity to pursue individual study, showcase their research in a public exhibit and earn $3,000 through the Posner Center Internship Program, sponsored by the Posner Fine Arts Foundation.

To apply, compose an essay explaining your interest or proposed research topic, including the materials you would plan to use from the Posner Memorial Collection and a brief bio.

During the spring 2014 semester, the selected intern will research their topic and work with the special collections librarian to prepare an exhibit for display at the Posner Center from summer through fall 2014. The exhibit will be promoted by the University Libraries and accessible to all Posner Center visitors, including the university’s Board of Trustees.

The application deadline is 11:59 p.m., Monday, Nov. 25. Please direct any questions to Special Collections Librarian Mary Kay Johnsen at 412-268-6622 or mj0g@andrew.cmu.edu. Read more about the internship program at http://www.cmu.edu/posner-center/internship/index.html

Alumni Association Board Seeks New Members

The Alumni Association Board (AAB) seeks nominations for its 2014 class. Each year, the board elects five new members to serve four-year terms, beginning July 1. The AAB strives to strike a balance among its members with regard to college affiliation, year of graduation, gender, ethnicity and geographic representation. In addition, the board gives particular weight to the depth and breadth of the nominee’s current and previous volunteer experiences with CMU. To view the AAB Frequently Asked Questions and access the AAB Nomination Form, visit: http://alumni.cmu.edu/s/1410/alumni/index.aspx?sid=1410&gid=1&pgid=375 The nomination deadline is Nov. 30. Questions? Please contact Lynn DeFabio at defabio@cmu.edu.

United Way Needs Your Support

Carnegie Mellon’s 2013 United Way campaign is underway and will run through Dec. 13. According to Campaign Chair Everett Tademy, in the first three weeks of the campaign nearly 100 donors across campus have pledged more than $50,000. To reach the university's goal of 10 percent participation, about 400 more donors are needed. Last year the university community raised more than $175,000 for United Way and the health and human service organizations it supports.

You can help make this year a success by incorporating the theme “Live Generously” through donating, advocating or volunteering for CMU’s campaign. Please check out www.cmu.edu/hr/unitedway to make your pledge and find out how to volunteer with local organizations. Visit this webpage often throughout the campaign for success stories, contests and campaign progress.

Spring Textbook Adoptions Due

Faculty and departmental administrators are reminded to submit Spring course material adoptions as soon as possible via cmu.verbacollect.com or by email to Matt Senvisky at msenvisk@andrew.cmu.edu. Early adoptions mean more rental textbooks, more used books and better textbook pricing for students.

AED/CPR Training Offered

The Environmental Health & Safety Department is offering two upcoming AED/CPR training classes for the university community. Those who have been certified more than two years ago also can attend to renew your certification. All classes begin at 10 a.m. and last about two hours. The schedule is as follows:

  • Nov. 14 - Mellon Institute Social Room
  • Nov. 26 - University Center, Dowd Room

Register for classes at https://ehs-apps.andrew.cmu.edu/secure/ALERT-Online/aed/registration.aspx