Carnegie Mellon University

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CMU Community News

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July 12, 2012

News Briefs

CMU Initiatives Recognized by NILOA

The cross-campus effort to document learning outcomes and their assessment at Carnegie Mellon has been highlighted as a national model by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). "CMU has come a long way in working out assessment processes," said Provost and Executive Vice President Mark S. Kamlet. "As in all matters of the curriculum, faculty in each department have developed appropriate measures for their own disciplines and courses of study, and there is natural variation between say, Drama and Mechanical Engineering. But at the same time, CMU (through the Eberly Center) has found a way to share good ideas and develop a cross-campus dialogue on assessment. It was this combination of decentralized, discipline-based efforts with a university-wide, shared dialogue that attracted the attention of NILOA and suggested that CMU was a strong national model for other research universities."  The CMU case is available at:  http://learningoutcomesassessment.org/CaseStudyCarnegieMellon.html

NRC Report Says Computing Advances Vital to Sustainability Efforts

Innovation in computing will be essential to finding real-world solutions to sustainability challenges in such areas as electricity production and delivery, global food production, and climate change, according to the report of a National Research Council committee that included Jennifer Mankoff, associate professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute. The immense scale, numerous interconnected effects of actions over time, and diverse scope of sustainability challenges require the ability to collect, structure, and analyze vast amounts of data. The study committee concluded that advances in computing — such as ones that allow us to make trade-offs, understand complex systems and their connections, and account for uncertainty — will be critical to meeting sustainability challenges. Read the full story.

University Health Services Offers Massage Therapy

University Health Services is offering expanded massage therapy appointments to staff and faculty over the summer. Summer massage hours will be offered from 1 - 4 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday from July 17 through Aug. 6. Appointments can be scheduled for 60 minutes for $50 or 30 minutes for $30 (tip not included in price). University Health Services accepts debit/credit cards and personal checks. To schedule your appointment call 412-268-2157.

Athletics To Host Family Days This Fall

The Department of Athletics is hosting two faculty and staff family days this fall. The first is Saturday, Sept. 22, when the football Tartans host DePauw University at 1 p.m. in Gesling Stadium. The second family day features the women’s and men’s soccer teams when they battle Case Western Reserve University on Sunday, Oct. 14. The women’s match begins at 11 a.m., followed by the men at 1:30 p.m. on the soccer field adjacent to Gesling Stadium.  Faculty, staff and their families will receive free admission. Stay tuned for more details.

Access Free Online Software Training

Carnegie Mellon has partnered with lynda.com, an online training company, to provide all staff, faculty and students with access to its online training library. The lynda.com training library provides 24/7 access to training on more than 900 software and design topics, with a library of more than 55,000 video tutorials. You can access the lynda.com training library simply by going to www.cmu.edu/lynda from any computer or mobile device and logging in with your Andrew userID and password. For more information, visit http://www.cmu.edu/lynda/. Direct questions or comments to your DSP consultant or the Computing Services Help Center at 412-268-4357 or advisor@andrew.cmu.edu.

Concrete Repair Work Continues Along East/West Walkway

Concrete repairs along the East/West Walkway from the Purnell Center to West Wing and Resnik Hall will continue through the end of July, weather permitting. Half of the sidewalk will be closed at a time to permit pedestrian traffic through the area. Please pay attention to areas that are closed. If you have any questions, contact Kyle Tomer at 412-268-6332 or kt2n@andrew.cmu.edu.

Join Weight Watchers at CMU

Weight Watchers is offered at Carnegie Mellon for $39.95 per month. Meetings are held at 11:30 a.m. every Wednesday in Cyert Hall B6-A. Membership includes all Weight Watchers material, weekly meetings and e-Tools. Contact Rita Motor at 412-268-8071 or rita@cmu.edu with any questions. You can register online at https://wellness.weightwatchers.com. Use the Carnegie Mellon ID (21025) and pass code (WW21025).