Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Another cool video



From Michael Wesch at Kansas State University, best known for his earlier piece, The Machine is Us/ing Us.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Voices from Darfur

Miriam Lipman-Hopkins '09 sent this along; Miriam interned in DC last summer at the Save Darfur Coalition.

University of Puget Sound Hosts Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide

Tacoma, WASH. – Two Darfuri refugees will share stories of the devastation in their homeland when the University of Puget Sound hosts Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide at 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 2, in Kilworth Memorial Chapel.

The program, part of the Save Darfur Coalition tour, features a short documentary film and talks by two refugees:

Daoud Hari is a former sheep and camel farmer who fled his village in Darfur after months of bombings by his own government. When he reached a refugee camp in Chad, he risked his life by re-entering Darfur to translate for the New York Times, BBC News and National Geographic. He has since been granted refugee status in the United States. He has testified before Congress three times and is writing a book about his experiences as a translator in Darfur.

Ibrahim Mousa Adam was a farmer and volunteer teacher in northern Darfur. In 2003 his hometown was destroyed by the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed; 20 members of Adam’s family were killed in the attack and his remaining relatives live in six different refugee camps. He currently lives and works in Rockford, Ill., but aspires to move back to Darfur to help rebuild the country.

A question-and-answer session with Hari and Adam will conclude the program.

Voices from Darfur is sponsored by the University of Puget Sound’s Spirituality, Service & Social Justice office and Jewish Student Organization. The event is free and open to the public.

Directions to the University of Puget Sound’s Kilworth Memorial Chapel are available on the Web site at www.ups.edu/directions.xml.

The Boys' Hootenannies

From Professor Share:

Friends of the Downtown Mountain Boys,

We hope you can join us for one of our upcoming fall shows:

Saturday, November 3, The House on Dibble Street Concert Series. We'll play unplugged at this unique concert series in indescribably beautiful Ballard (6546 Dibble Avenue N.W., Seattle, 98117). Seating is limited, and reservations are suggested. Contact Clark at cyoumany@hotmail.com or 206-297-8945 for more information and the starting time.

Saturday, November 10, 9 p.m. to Midnight. Brewgrass. in Anacortes, WA. For those of you up north (including you Canadians, who can now take advantage of our weak dollar) this festival combines good beer, great food and great music. We'll play at the Rockfish Grill, 320 Commerical Avenue, Anacortes, WA, 98221. See http://www.anacortesrockfish.com/brewgrass.cfm or call 360-588-1720 for more information and a full lineup.

In anticipation of the holiday season, we'll have our new CD, Big Darlin' available for purchase at those venues. You can purchase it, read reviews, and find out more information at www.downtownmountainboys.com .

The Downtown Mountain Boys,

Paul Elliott
Terrence Enyeart
Dave Keenan
Tom Moran
Don Share

Monday, October 29, 2007

Air Force Academy Student Conference, February

As I often note, if you are accepted, let me know and the department will do what it can to cover your costs. This looks good. Find out more here.

Convened annually since 1959, the United States Air Force Academy’s Academy Assembly is an undergraduate student conference sponsored jointly by the Air Force Academy and Columbia University's American Assembly. Held on the Academy grounds at the base of the Rampart Range, this student-planned and executed conference provides a unique opportunity for over 200 highly qualified undergraduates to discuss a topic of contemporary significance. Delegates to the 50th Academy Assembly are focused on addressing the topic: "Dismantling Terrorism: Developing Actionable Solutions for Today’s Plague of Violence.”

This year’s topic tackles the ongoing threat of terrorism around the world. Participants will engage in thorough discussions on the complex threat of terrorism and the comprehensive strategies developed against it. Discussions will be gauged and directed to generate fresh perspectives and solutions to strengthen security in the world against current and ensuing threats of terrorism. Prominent academics, government officials, and businesspeople serve as speakers and roundtable leaders at the event. Students cap the week of hard work with a written consensus report reflecting the dominant views and policy recommendations. This highly acclaimed report is widely distributed to both academic and government institutions including US strategic policy makers. This year’s report will be sent to the desks of members of the United States Congress, Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, and Rand Corporation among other agencies capable of enacting meaningful change as a result of the Assembly’s suggestions.

Ned Culhane '06: Campus Talk Friday

This Friday Ned Culhane '06 will be on campus and talking at noon at a psychology colloquium in Howarth 011. Ned was a double major in PG and Psych, and since graduating has been working with the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in DC (www.nccam.nih.gov) as a Scientific Program Analyst.

This is a good opportunity to hear from an alum and also think about bit more about how your major and minor, or double major, make shake out in providing unexpected and interesting job opportunities down the road.

Thanks to Psychology for setting this up, and to Ned for coming back onto campus.

Hope you can make it!

UPS, Tacoma, Solar Energy--in the NYT?

From the New York Times, "For a Devotee of Solar Energy, a Shot at Earning Respect" on Tacoma resident and solar proponent Richard Thompson. And there's even a UPS connection:

"Not that many years ago, Solar Richard was simply Richard Thompson, a working stiff trying to make a buck. But since he began powering his home completely with solar power in 2001, he has been transformed into a certified character in this port city just south of Seattle. He is recognized on the street. He gives talks on solar energy to grade schools, and last February he traveled to Nigeria to address a conference on solar matters. His message is always the same: solar energy will save the planet, but the planet needs to get going...At Mr. Thompson’s urging, the new mile-long Tacoma Narrows Bridge is on its way to being lighted with solar power, a project toward which the state has contributed $1.5 million. And if all goes as planned, there will be electricity left over to feed back into the city’s power supply.

...His work brought him to the attention of David Gilmour, a retired professor at the University of Puget Sound who was planning to build a home in Idaho.

With some trepidation, Mr. Gilmour said, he hired Mr. Thompson to equip the house for solar energy. After spending $70,000 for parts and labor, Mr. Gilmour’s home also has reverse meter readings, along with plenty of hot water and a heated floor.

“It works very well,” he said, adding that he had learned Mr. Thompson’s strengths and weaknesses, including a generous nature, a short fuse and terrible business acumen.

“He’s an old hippie,” Mr. Gilmour said. “He’s irascible and can get angry quickly at people’s lack of information.

“It’s because of so many years of frustration,” he added. “But he’s only concerned about the world finally getting savvy.”

Isn't his house just off of Sixth Avenue? I think I've driven past his place with all of its solar arrays.

Hat Tip: Derek at the ever-excellent Exit133.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Your Friday Roundup of Opportunities

Don't forget that there are lots of internships in DC and elsewhere at Hillzoo, and Idealist, and Conservativeinternships.com

In this post:
  • Internship (stipend), Washington Restaurant Association, Olympia
  • Internship, Terrorism Research Center, VA
  • Internship, International Crisis Group, DC, NYC, Brussels, London
  • Internship, Center for Strategic and International Studies, DC
Internship, Washington Restaurant Association
Josh McDonald '02 brought this internship to our attention at WRA, where he currently works in government affairs. The primary purpose of the the internship is to allow the student to experience first hand the legislative process from an organizational lobbying perspective. Interns are expected to being their term with the Association one week prior to the start of hte legislative session, and will conclude at the end of the session. Interns will be assigned three bills of interest to the WRA will track them, attend hearings, and write a review of the legislation at the end of session.

For further info, contact Julia Clark at 800.225.7166 or Julia@wrahome.com
(Contact first, and I'll have you speak with Josh McDonald in advance of your application--Professor O'Neil)

Internship, Terrorism Research Center, VA
Note: If you are interested in this, contact Professor Weinberger first.
The Terrorism Research Center Inc., in Arlington, Virginia, is actively seeking participants for an internship program. Full-time and Part-time positions are available. The selected candidate(s) will be responsible for conducting research and support to Terrorism Research Center (TRC) analytical activities. Duties include:

* Serves as an intern within the TRC Intelligence and Analysis Division.
* Assigned to specific regions to monitor ongoing events.
* Monitor countries, trends, groups, issues, and economic activities within the region of assignment.
* Conduct research on terrorist attacks and produce analysis when assigned for TRC.s Premium Content product lines
* Engage in other analytic tasks as assigned.
* Ensure all databases, repositories, knowledge bases, intelligence tools and analytic tradecraft are all current, accurate and productive.
* Seek training, refine existing verbal and written skills, and acquire new skills that apply to your tradecraft.
* Produce written and verbal all-source analysis and fusion using all available resources at a professional level of performance.

Interested applicants should send a current resume to:

Melinda Redman
Senior Director of Intelligence and Analysis
Terrorism Research Center
5765-F Burke Ctr. Parkway PMB 331
Burke, VA 22015
mredman -at- terrorism -dot- com

Internships, International Crisis Group DC

Note: other internships in NYC and elsewhere can be found here.

Crisis Group Washington internships are aimed at current undergraduates and recent graduates/post graduates and last approximately 3-6 months. The Washington office attempts to cater its internship program to the particular interests of the applicants. We therefore ask all applicants to specify in the subject of their email/cover letter which of the following internships they are interested in and the season of their availability (Fall, Winter/Spring, Summer):

There is of course some overlap and duties combine research and administrative tasks. We expect interns to possess flexibility and an ability to assist with a variety of tasks based on the needs of the organisation at the time of the internship.

Please note that applicants should be U.S. citizens or have the appropriate visa to work in the U.S. Crisis Group does not sponsor visas; you must already have a visa or be able to obtain one on your own. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please include your visa status in your cover letter.


Internship, Center for Strategic and International Studies, DC

Founded in 1962 by David M. Abshire and Admiral Arleigh Burke, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. With more than 200 full-time staff and a large network of affiliated experts, CSIS seeks to advance global security and prosperity in an era of economic and political transformation by providing strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers. CSIS serves as a strategic planning partner for the government by conducting research and analysis and developing policy initiatives that look into the future and anticipate change.

INTERNSHIPS CSIS offers full and part-time internships in the fall, spring and summer for undergraduates, graduate students, and recent g! raduates. Internships are unpaid and extend for a three month period with the possibility of continuing into the next term. Interns participate in a variety of activities that support individual programs, including research, writing, and project development. Interns are also encouraged to attend CSIS sponsored events and leadership building activities.

Qualification:

QUALIFICATIONS: The applicant must be at least a third year undergraduate student, and demonstrate a keen interest in the dynamics of international policy issues. Strong communication skills and excellent attention to detail are a requisite. The applicant should be familiar with internet research databases. Interested applicants should create a profile and submit an internship application online by October 25, 2007: http://www.csisopportunities.org/internships/application/

Thursday, October 25, 2007

News Flash: College is Spendy

From USA Today comes something I know our students know far too well: That college costs a ton of money, they have to borrow more than ever, and costs continue to outpace inflation. Here's their graphic:


Find the entire article here.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Hail to the Chief Technology Officer

From Sherry Mondou, Vice President for Finance and Administration. As I've mentioned earlier, I've been on this committee and I'm excited about the candidates. Students, please meet the candidates and give your input--it matters! Alums and others off campus, we'll keep you posted...

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) position for which we are recruiting is one of strategic importance to Puget Sound. After extensive conversation with campus members about the qualities we seek in our CTO, I have been working with a search firm and a campus search advisory group to identify highly qualified CTO candidates best positioned to help Puget Sound deliver its mission and achieve strategic goals. After interviewing and evaluating a number of semi-finalists recommended by search consultants Gary Kaplan & Associates, the search advisory group recommended two finalists to bring to campus. I write to invite you to meet the CTO finalists at open forums in Schneebeck Concert Hall on Monday, October 29, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., and on Thursday, November 8, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. In each open forum, the candidate will make a brief statement and then invite your questions. During their visits, the candidates will also meet with the President, Cabinet members, Information Services staff, and small groups of faculty, staff, and students, including three campus technology groups.

To learn about the candidates, visit https://cascade.ups.edu/cascade/pres.main. In addition to information on each of the finalists, you will find a CTO position specification, which will be beneficial to you as you assess each candidate’s fit with Puget Sound. To continue to provide some level of confidentiality, which is important to our candidates, these pages will be accessible only from campus computers or when logged into Cascade. Please do not distribute or convey information about the finalists beyond our campus community.

This same site will also be used to solicit your feedback once you have met the candidates. The feedback links will be activated the morning of each visit.

After considering feedback from those who meet the finalists and considering information gained through extensive reference checks, I will appoint and announce our Chief Technology Officer.

I want to thank those who contributed early on in this process as we developed the CTO position specification and I also want to acknowledge the excellent work of our search consultants and the CTO Search Advisory Group. They worked with great focus and energy and offered important insights.

Beyond UPS but in the US: Taking classes, doing internships, and getting credit

One thing I deal with from time to time are students who want to do internships in DC or even take classes there and get some credit for that time and effort. In order to provide a better (and consistent answer), I asked Kathleen Campbell at the Registrar's Office, and got the following thorough and excellent summary of what's out there and what this all involves. Students, file this away--

Transfer credit from other U.S. Colleges

Some PG students would like the opportunity to take classes at another college in the U.S. to take advantage of classes they cannot find at UPS, or which provide a unique opportunity for field study because of the location (e.g., Washington, D.C.).

UPS students are able to transfer credits to the UPS degree provided they are taking classes from an accredited college or university and the classes are from liberal arts and sciences disciplines. The class does not have to equivalent to a class at UPS, but should be something in the discipline of politics and government (or another discipline that we have at UPS).

One of the most common destinations for PG majors is to study at American University’s Washington Semester program. Credits are generally transferable from this program.

To make arrangements, a student should research the program and what classes are offered. Once they have a college and/or program identified, they should complete the Transfer Evaluation Request form (available at the Registrar’s Office in Jones 13). The Transfer Evaluator (Kathleen Campbell) will make a determination whether and how the specific classes requested will transfer to the UPS degree. In cases where major or minor credit is desired, the Evaluator will work with the department chair to make the transfer determination. Students may also be able to earn elective, core, or upper-division units from other colleges.

If the student is taking a semester (or longer) away from UPS, the student should also apply for a leave of absence in the Office of Academic Advising. With an approved leave of absence, a student will be eligible for a registration appointment for the semester they plan to return to UPS (at the same time as they would have received if on campus). With the leave of absence, a student does not need to reapply for admission to UPS. Keep in mind that the last 8 units of the UPS degree must be completed in residence.

If you are transferring credits from another college, you will also need to investigate the admission criteria and submit application forms and materials required by the other institution.

Transfer of Internships from other U.S. Colleges:

Transfer of internships from other colleges must meet the same criteria required of internships completed through UPS. For example, only 1 unit of credit is awarded per internship, and up to 2 units in the degree. For the PG major, internships do not meet major requirements, but can be valuable experiences for long-range vocational or career goals and can transfer as elective credit in the UPS degree.

Transfer of credit for an internship is possible first by completing the Transfer Evaluation Request form and submitting the form to the Transfer Evaluator (Kathleen Campbell) in the Registrar’s Office. The form will indicate the college which offers the internship course and experience.

Internships must be offered by another accredited college or university to receive transfer credit, and must include a weekly seminar or weekly meeting with a supervising faculty member.

This is because internships include both a work experience and an academic component in which a student integrates prior or current academic theories, research or historical background to the world of work.

The Transfer Evaluator will give a general indication if the internship is transferable, based on information available with the Transfer Evaluation Request form. (If you find an internship that is pertinent to the PG major, but is not taught by another college, it may be possible to register for an internship at UPS and work with a PG faculty member on campus to develop, supervise, and evaluate the academic component of the internship. Alana Jardis in Career & Employment Services will explain the procedures and policies for a UPS-sponsored internship.)

To finalize the transfer determination, the student must also submit a Transfer Credit Internship Agreement form and the completed academic assignments to the Transfer Evaluator. The form will indicate the student’s work location, duties, hours worked, the name of the work supervisor and contact information, and the student’s objectives in doing an internship. The student will also explain how the internship pertains to prior coursework at UPS. Thus, final determination of transfer credit is made after the internship is completed and these documents are reviewed. The criteria for transfer of internship credit is the same as criteria used at UPS and found in the UPS academic handbook, pp. 31-32.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals is a scholarship program with a strong focus on cultural exchange. It is designed to give participants understanding for everyday life, education, and professional training in Germany and the United States. In the US the program is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961. In Germany the program is funded through the Administration of the Bundestag and administered in Germany by InWEnt: Capacity Building International.

The CBYX for Young Professionals program is intended primarily for young adults in business, technical, vocational, and agricultural fields, though applicants from all fields are encouraged to apply. 75 Americans and 75 Germans participate in the program each year. For American participants, the 12-month program begins in late July, and consists of 2 months of intensive German language training in Germany, 4 months classroom instruction at a German University or College of Applied Sciences, and a 5-month internship in their career field.

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals application is available in three forms: as an online application, a fill-in PDF file accessible on our website, or in printed form. The online application and PDF version are available in June of each year for the December 1st deadline, and the printed application is available in late August. The application requires the following supporting materials: essay question answers, two letters of recommendation, a resume, a copy of applicant's high school diploma (or equivalent), and transcripts of the most recent 4 semesters of school. Applicants should select a target internship field based on past coursework and professional experience in that area of interest. If accepted to the program, the target internship field will determine placement in a specific German university or professional school.

Please read our frequently asked questions for more information pertaining to the program.

The deadline for applying is December 1st for the program beginning the following July. Applications are read by a selection committee and pre-selection announcements are made in late January. Interviews take place at several sites around the United States in February, and selection announcements are made in March. To insure timely and accurate processing of application information, the application and all supporting documents should be submitted as indicated in the application instructions.

Monday, October 22, 2007

The Ethics of Technology

From the Chronicle of Higher Education, a lengthy piece on the ethics of using office technology--email, computers, software--for non-work activities. I think the author might be a bit hard nosed about some of this; for example, many of us customize our PCs with software that we do use for work, and this kind of effort is often what drives technology forward at the workplace. It can't always be IT that is setting technology standards (and for bureaucratic reasons it is often not in their interest to move things forward). Still, one good point is using work email for non-work correspondence, another reason why I like that Gmail allows me to switch back and forth between my UPS and Gmail accounts while having all of it come to one place. Worth reading the whole piece, and I'd welcome any thoughts from alums and their own experiences in these areas. The article is here.

Hat tip: Professor Weinberger

Wiki the Vote!

This came in. Congressopedia? Blog grants of up to five grand for blogging their local member of Congress? Has the whole world gone mad? To be serious, having a student blog their congressman or woman would be pretty interesting and might make for an unique entry on their resume--

"Wiki the Vote" Project on 2008 Congressional Elections Launched - Blogroll Featured

The Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Media and Democracy launched the "Wiki the Vote" project on Congresspedia. The goal: to build profiles on every candidate running for Congress in 2008 (primary and general elections) to complement the existing profiles on every member of Congress. Bloggers, citizens and even candidates are invited to post information on the candidates and their opponents.

The project is based in state-by-state election portals that include a blogroll of all the local blogs we could find that at least occasionally cover Congress. If you're getting this email, your blog should be in there. Here is the portal for Washington State:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Washington_State_and_the_U.S._Congress

We welcome you to come in and edit the listing (just click the "edit" in the red bar at the top of the box" to give a short (10 words or so - be frugal!) description of your blog. Something like "Local and national politics from a right-of-center view" would be good. Also, know any of the candidates for Congress in your area? Please let them know about this resource (this should be one of the top Google results for their name within a few weeks) and encourage them to add information. Or, if you know something, add it yourself! We are also open to suggestions and any questions you might have about this new project.

New Mini-Grants Available for Local Bloggers

The Sunlight Foundation/Network is offering grants of $1,000 to $5,000 for local bloggers that dedicate some of their blogging time to covering their member of Congress. Applications will be judged on how your blog tries to keep your readers informed about your member of Congress. The focus should be on shedding more light on what Congress does and how to improve the communication between citizens and Congress. As a rule we do not award money for salaries but do for technology upgrades. If you are interested in applying, please fill out the provided application, it is available on the Sunlight Foundation grants page (http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/grants). Please describe your project with a detailed description of how it fits in with Sunlight’s mission and your goals for your project, an itemized budget (including the amount requested from Sunlight) and contact information. Mini grant applications are due by January 1st 2008.

New Tool for Researching Congress: Investigate Earmarks with EarmarkWatch.org

Help Sunlight and Taxpayers for Common Sense bring real citizen oversight to the very murky realm of congressional earmarks - the measures inserted by members of Congress into the various appropriations bills that direct funds to a specific project or recipient – at http://EarmarkWatch.org. You don’t have to be an expert on earmarks to see if they’re addressing pressing needs, favoring political contributions or are simply pure pork. With a few clicks of the mouse, this user-friendly, online investigative tool guides you through a series of steps that an investigative reporter would follow, associating different kinds of political information with each earmark, and also shows you how to use online resources on campaign finance, lobbying and federal spending for their research. You can also comment on and fact-check one another’s work, or send messages - including tips and suggestions - to others.


Richard Abott
Intern, Sunlight Foundation/ Congresspedia.org
sunlightuser2@sunlightfoundation.com

Friday, October 19, 2007

Your Friday Roundup of Opportunities

Don't forget that there are lots of internships in DC and elsewhere at Hillzoo, and Idealist, and Conservativeinternships.com

In this post:
  • Employment, CNA, Alexandria VA
  • Internships, Senator Patty Murray, Seattle and DC
Employment, CNA, Alexandria VA
CNA is seeking an individual interested in energy to support and lead the development of the Energy Conversation monthly seminar series in conjunction with the Department of Defense and 17 of our co sponsoring Government Agencies/Departments.

The main responsibility of this position will be to manage and develop the monthly Energy Seminar with program directors. This includes managing all meeting details, interaction and coordination with stakeholders, outreach to grow the program and more. Other responsibilities include budgeting, writing, and acting as a liaison with subcontractors and consultants.

It is preferred that the candidate have a BA or BS in an applicable field, a strong interest in energy and the environment, a solid understanding of systems dynamics and be open and willing to learn. Experience with group organizing and website/database maintenance is strongly preferred. The ability to work well with a team is essential.

CNA is a non-profit organization devoted to in depth, independent research and analysis to inform decision makers in their policies and program management.

To apply, please email with a cover letter, resume, and three references to minczes@cna.org, by October 29, 2007


Internships, Senator Patty Murray, Seattle and DC
U.S. Senator Patty Murray is looking for interns who want to learn more about the federal government and want to be part of a hardworking team, dedicated to serving the citizens of Washington state.

Qualifications Applicants must be graduate or undergraduate college students who have completed at least one year of college and whose permanent residence is the state of Washington or are attending a Washington state college or university.

Program Outline Internship sessions are scheduled on the academic quarter: fall, winter, spring, summer. Internships are unpaid and are available for school credit if approved by your college or university. D.C. interns typically work full time (40 hours per week), however part-time schedules can be accommodated. All state internships are part-time. Senator Murray’s D.C. office offers legislative and press internships. Outreach and constituent casework internships are available in the state offices.

Job Description Interns work in all areas of the office. Responsibilities include: research, written and verbal communication with constituents and federal agencies, assisting at press conferences, attending briefings, and performing a variety of administrative tasks including fielding calls from constituents and greeting visitors.

D.C. internships:

Office of Senator Patty Murray
Attn: Ms. Grace Rooney
173 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2621
dcinternship@murray.senate.gov

Washington state internships:
Office of Senator Patty Murray
Attn: Ms. Sheila Babb
2988 Jackson Federal Building
Seattle, WA 98174-1003
(206) 553-5545
interncoordinator@murray.senate.gov

Information and Application: http://murray.senate.gov/internship

Thursday, October 18, 2007

College of Puget Sound, 1931

Log Book001crop


Some time back Elaine Bolton '64 sent along a copy of her mother's Log Book from 1931. Yes, her mother also went to CPS, as it was called at that time. I've had it sitting on my desk and finally had our Administrative Wizard Irene Lim scan some of the opening pages (thanks, Irene!). Find them below (click on them for a larger size). A window into a different era--the Frosh Rules in particular...

Log Book002

Log Book003

Log Book004

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Obvious and not so obvious tech things

So here are some completely random tech things I like right now.

I am really, really liking Gmail. I am a very late adopter, due to a dark secret. Yes, I am the last American who doesn't have a cellphone. I know that sounds completely inconsistent with my technophilia, but I just don't want to be that reachable. Anyway, the absence of a cellphone means that I could not tinker with Gmail when they required that you receive a text message from them in order to activate your account.

That's been done away with, however, and so I set up an account. What do I like about it? A few things:
  • I can use my UPS email account with no trouble, with my email replies coming from Gmail showing my UPS address.
  • I can switch back and forth between my Gmail email address and my UPS email address, meaning I can send email unrelated to school on a separate address and still have it all arrive to and be archived in a single place.
  • I can integrate Gmail into my customized Google homepage, so that I have a small window showing my outbox.
  • I can search my emails rather easily using the built in Google search tools.
  • I can tag emails rather than putting them in cumbersome folders, then search by tag if I want to find something (this also works really well in Google Docs).
  • Emails that are part of a longer chain of communication are "tabbed" together in the inbox so that I can see all of the related correspondence on a single line.
  • The spam filter appears to work better than the one we have on campus; so far I've had only a couple of pieces of spam reach my inbox in the week or so I've been using it.
  • I was able to import my old email without much trouble.
It's a nice system, and I find better than Outlook or Thunderbird.

The other thing I'm interested in is Zotero. This is something I and one of my students both came across in the last few days. I tinkered with it a bit, but was unhappy with it until the student pointed out that I was not using it correctly (thanks, Liz!). Zotero is an extension to Firefox that allows you to easily gather up research on the web or in databases and drop it into various folders or tag it. It's more complex than that, and also much simpler than many other options. A great resource for anyone who does research. Check it out--it's free!

And what about TokBox? Is video email and video chatting finally here, and if so, do we want it?

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Professor Weinberger, Chonicle of Higher Education

The Chronicle of Higher Education notes a recent post by Professor Weinberger on his blog, Security Dilemmas:

Seth Weinberger, at Security Dilemmas, tries to puzzle out the diplomatic ramifications of last month’s airstrike against what was reportedly a nascent nuclear reactor in Syria, perhaps supplied by North Korea.

The U.S. diplomatic response has been divided, Weinberger summarizes (off reporting in The New York Times), because of how the incident might shake and possibly destroy nonproliferation talks with North Korea.

Weinberger, an assistant professor of international relations and political philosophy at the University of Puget Sound, hopes the Bush administration’s factions will find a balance. Hawks, he says, “oppose the North Korea deal in and of itself and very well might like to use the strike as a pretense for scuttling the deal. ... But ignoring the reactor entirely may have been even worse.”

Read the article here, and his original post here.

Monday, October 15, 2007

The Conspiracy Deepens

A few days back we unmasked the vast and nefarious conspiracy against Tacoma directed by certain parties to our north. Now, a new and shocking installment of that ongoing struggle can be found on YouTube here.

Hat Tip: Exit133. Thanks, Derek!

Attend Career Fair...or you're a very bad person.

This came in, and I obey orders from above! Attend! Always a good idea to think about careers, and it can't get any easier than when they come to you. Check out the website below for the list of firms attending.

The Fall Career Fair http://www.ups.edu/x12576.xml is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, October 16 and 17, from 4 to 7 pm in WSC Marshall Hall. Some employers will be represented by Puget Sound alumni! Students can explore career options, inquire about internships or jobs, practice networking skills, and make face-to-face contacts with employers. Please urge students to attend.

Intern After College?

It may seem strange to some, but we've had a number of graduates who have taken on an internship after graduation, rather than (or in addition to) before. There could be several reasons for this; they never were able to squeeze one in as an undergraduate, they want to intern in a new city as part of a move after college, or perhaps with a degree under their belt they hope an internship might offer greater responsibility. Whatever the case, the old belief that you should never take a job if you're not getting paid has fallen by the wayside. In the Sunday Wall Street Journal, a good overview of post-graduation internships and temporary placements and what consider. Read the article here.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Your (Saturday) Roundup of Opportunities

Fell behind on the roundup--so here it is, a day late and a dollar short.

In this post:

  • Port of Tacoma, Paid, Full Time Summer Internships
  • Intern (stipend), Center For Advanced Defense Studies, DC
  • Intern, Government Accountability Project, DC and Seattle
Don't forget that there are lots of internships in DC and elsewhere at Hillzoo, and Idealist, and Conservativeinternships.com

Port of Tacoma, Full Time Paid Summer Internships
I spoke with a representative from the Port this week and found out more about their internship opportunities. What kinds of openings are available depends on the individual budget requests within the port, and so they range across a number of areas. That said, they are available summer only, full time, and pay well. This is a good opportunity to work and learn at the intersection of trade and politics. If you are interested, there's no specific information on the Port's website; come by and see me.

Center for Advanced Defense Studies, DC
Stipends of up to $1,000 per semester are available for full-time interns. Contact the Center to learn more.
Program Purpose

The Center for Advanced Defense Studies offers an internship program for promising students to contribute to its mission of identifying and implementing peaceful ways to secure, protect and defend individuals, communities, societies and nations.

This stimulating program features an opportunity for growth and applied learning in the nation’s capital. Interns gain key experience for building their future careers. The program also encourages participation in peace- and security-building projects of national and international significance. Interns join a team of dedicated professionals working to advance defense and security issues through innovative and strategic thinking.

The Center's program offers opportunities in four areas:

* Operations interns provide office support through outreach and effective resource management. This position is also responsible for event coordination, website management, logistics and staff activities.
* Public Relations interns raise awareness of the Center and its mission through marketing and fundraising. This internship position involves multimedia work, including video.
* Technical interns help improve computer security, educational tools, network administration, technical troubleshooting, website management and other related activities.
* Research interns undertake academic research in an array of topics, including defense and security studies, international affairs, international development, cognitive studies, information retrieval, computing systems and design. The Center gives preference to candidates with prior rese

Government Accountability Project, DC and Seattle
The Government Accountability Project (GAP) is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, GAP is a non-profit organization with offices in Washington, D.C., and Seattle, WA. GAP’s areas of focus include Nuclear Oversight, Food and Drug Safety, Environmental Oversight, International Reform, and Corporate Accountability.

Are you interested in completing an internship or doing volunteer work for GAP? We continually rely on members of the public to help us forward our cause.
Internships: Being a small non-profit, GAP continually relies on interns from accredited universities around the world to assist staff in both our Washington, D.C. and Seattle offices. We are currently offering full-time internships. Please note that for the Washington D.C. office, students who possess their own laptops are strongly preferred.

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Thursday, October 11, 2007

Virtual Child

No, this isn't about creating your own alternative family in Second Life (which has become a kind of running gag in the department about how we'll teach our classes in virtual classrooms in the not-too-distant future). In the New York Times, writer Michelle Slatalla wonders if a webcam can help connect to her daughter at college. Read the piece here.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Undergraduate Conference in BC (Updated--Funded?)

Just as there are undergraduate journals to showcase your work, there are undergraduate conferences as well:

Thompson Rivers Undergraduate Conference in History, Philosophy, and Politics
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
January 18-20 2008
Deadline: November 5, 2007

We invites submissions of individual research essays and proposals of panels dealing with all historical periods and all regions. Send proposals to phpconf@mytru.ca An abstract (max. 300 words) should be sent for research essays and panel proposals should provide panel’s title, the names of each presenter on the panel [up to 3 people] and the abstracts for their individual papers. Graduate students in history are invited to submit their names, affiliation and contact information if they wish to serve as panel moderators. Please contact Dr. Annie St. John-Stark, (astjohn@tru.ca) for more details. Specific conference details and registration information will be on the Thompson Rivers website (www.tru.ca)

Update from Professor Ferrari:

UPS' Canadian Studies program has some funds from the Canadian government to support student research and travel. We would encourage students whose work is accepted to this conference to apply to me or Professor Doug Sackman for funding. I don't know that we can pick up the whole tab, but we certainly can defray the cost of attending!

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Student Journal: Global Topics

The department encourages undergraduates to submit their good papers for publication; there are a number of online political science journals out there, and here's yet another that has come to my attention;

Global Topics is a peer-reviewed undergraduate electronic journal featuring writing on international, transnational, global, and comparative topics from a variety of disciplines. It is produced by the Center for International Affairs at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. Articles are written by undergraduates or are the product of collaborative undergraduate/faculty research.

Read more about the journal here; and we've got a whole list of undergraduate journals on Del.icio.us here.

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Law, Order and Wikis

Ok, so if you've paid attention to this blog you might have noticed that I've ruminated about wikis from time to time. It depends on the context, of course; Wikipedia has its share of problems (though I have to confess that I've worked on the entry on UPS), but in more closed groups they are a great way to share and develop materials collectively. We've used them a bit in the department and I'm using them this semester in one course as a place for students to work on draft papers.

But you can push those boundaries. New Zealand, first country to give women the right to vote, created a wiki where the public could help draft their new policing act:

Police Superintendent Hamish McCardle, the officer in charge of developing the new act, said the initiative had already been described as a "new frontier of democracy". "People are calling it 'extreme democracy' and perhaps it is," he said. It's a novel move but when it comes to the principles that go into policing, the person on the street has a good idea ... as they are a customer," he said."They've got the best idea about how they want to be policed."

New paths for democracy? Nutty cart-before-horse technophilia? Read the article here; and the wiki itself is here. It's closed down now, but you can see the record of contributions and changes.

Hat tip: Andrew Bourdon '08

Julia Becker '05: State Department Update

In working on the student-alum FAQ I heard from Julia Becker '05 who this summer started an internship at the State Department as part of her MPA at Cornell's Institute of Public Affairs. She writes that she's taking classes, writing her master's thesis and working over thirty hours a week at the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom in a paid position. Her research looks at "how the variation in government regulation of religion impacts the emergence of extremist groups and the prevalence of terrorist attacks." As she notes, if her hypothesis is backed up by her data, then it will be useful in persuading foreign governments that restricting religious freedom is more likely to breed extremism.

In addition, the office's annual report to Congress on religious freedom was published in September. Julia is mentioned in the the preface "and my handiwork can be seen in the Central Asian reports (Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)." http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/

Way to go, Julia!

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Monday, October 08, 2007

Bias?

Two bits of info on faculty bias:
First, from Inside Higher Ed, an article on a recent study of where faculty fall on the ideological divide. The answers are complex depend on generation and the type of school. One interesting excerpt:

Political Orientation of Faculty Members, by Sector

Sector

Liberal

Moderate

Conservative

Community colleges

37.1%

43.9%

19.0%

Bachelor’s, non-liberal arts

38.8%

48.5%

12.7%

Liberal arts colleges

61.0%

35.1%

3.9%

Ph.D.-granting, non-elite

44.3%

51.9%

3.8%

Ph.D.-granting, elite

56.6%

33.1%

10.2%


Read the article here. Hat Tip: Office of Communications.

Second, From the Chronicle of Higher Education:
"University of Missouri students who feel professors have discriminated against them based on their political or religious views will soon be able to file online complaints against the instructors, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported today.
New Web sites under construction at the university’s four campuses will track and record academic-diversity grievances against faculty members for compilation in an annual report..." Read the short article here.

Hat tip: Professor Weinberger.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Atlas Burned

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Today as I was looking out my window I noticed a fire in Nalley Valley that looked as if a giant had dropped a blowtorch. Shortly thereafter an explosion that shook the house. Atlas Foundry suffered an explosion and fire in their propane tanks, tanks that must have been quite huge given the size of the fire and blast. The picture above is out my front door; some video from the News Tribune below. Three injured, no deaths, which seems hard to believe--watch the video and you'll agree.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Thank you, Professor Sousa!

I've cut and pasted a letter that came in today from President Thomas. Professor David Sousa was one of four faculty who helped craft a successful grant application that will allow our school to offer more sabbaticals to junior faculty. This is important not only because it gives younger faculty a chance to work on research projects early in their careers, but it also makes Puget Sound more competitive in attracting the best teachers possible. So thanks to Professor Sousa and all those who worked hard to make this happen.

Dear Members of the Campus Community:

I am very pleased to announce that we have received notice of the Mellon Foundation’s approval of a $747,000 grant to Puget Sound for a three-year period to support additional junior sabbatical awards. This grant is a tremendous early commitment to our comprehensive campaign, a strong encouragement and enrichment to the teaching and research lives of our junior faculty in particular, and an impressive platform from which to seek $2.5 million in new endowment for junior faculty sabbaticals in the campaign. Enhanced funding for faculty development is a priority for us that will make the university an even more vital and intellectually challenging liberal arts institution.

All of us at Puget Sound constantly seek ways to strengthen the academic program, create a richer educational environment for students, and develop an institution that continues to attract and retain the most accomplished faculty and outstanding students. Appreciation is due to Professors Suzanne Holland, David Sousa, Alexa Tullis, and Harry Velez-Quinones for their work in preparing a document in support of junior faculty leaves that provided the foundation for the grant proposal crafted this summer by Kris Bartanen and Jane Kenyon...

With my congratulations and thanks to all,

- Ron

Friday Roundup of Opportunities

In this post:
  • Intern, National Democratic Institute, DC
  • Intern (stipend), Center for Health and Gender Equity, Maryland
  • Intern (stipend), Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, DC
Don't forget that there are lots of internships in DC and elsewhere at Hillzoo, and Idealist, and Conservativeinternships.com


Intern, National Democratic Institute, DC
INTERN: CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
Summary
The Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) team of NDI invites all qualified candidates to apply for a full-time paid internship in a dynamic, fast-paced organization that promotes democracy worldwide. The position offers a window into the field of international development work, with challenging opportunities for those wishing to explore a career in the expanding realm of international relations
The intern for Central and Eastern Europe will provide programmatic and administrative support to the regional CEE team by performing the following duties:

Primary Responsibilities
. Gathering reports from various news sources on the countries of the CEE region.
. Preparing program briefing materials for NDI trainers and Field Representatives.
. Assisting with such administrative tasks as faxing, photocopying, and preparing for seminars.
. Drafting cover memos and editing regular field reports, proposals, and other documents as needed.
. Research on subjects such as civic education/organizing, NGO development and political party building.
. Attending workshops, lectures and other events within and outside of NDI.
Qualifications
. Currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in international affairs, political science or a related field; recent graduates are also welcome to apply.
. Available full-time (40hrs/week).
. Interest in/knowledge of political issues and/or of Central and Eastern Europe.
. Strong written and oral communication skills.
. Efficiency and organization skills.
. Able to work independently and as part of a group.
. Able to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
. Computer knowledge skills, including MS Word, Excel, and the Internet.
All applicants for internships and regular full-time employment in the U.S. must possess work authorization which does not require employer sponsorship.
Comments
This is a paid internship. The CEE team will hire interns in trimester cycles: spring, summer, and fall. Applications are now being accepted for the fall 2007 intern cycle. The internship will start in the beginning of October and will last into December. Interns are encouraged to attend workshops, lectures and other staff development events at NDI. All applications for the fall internship period must be received by NDI by October 12.

Application Instructions
Interested applicants can apply now using our on-line resume tool www.ndi.org. Please reference the internship for which you are applying and include cover letter with resume.
No phone calls, please.


Center for Health and Gender Equity- Intern- Maryland
ORGANIZATION:
The Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) is a U.S.-based non-
governmental organization committed to promoting the health and
rights of women, girls, and other vulnerable populations in Africa,
Asia, and Latin America. CHANGE strives to hold the U.S. accountable
for its foreign policies affecting the health and wellbeing of women
and promote positive policy changes.

INTERNSHIP SUMMARY:
The Program Intern position will provide the right individual with an
opportunity to gain significant hands-on experience in grassroots
outreach, communications and website development, legislative and
policy analysis and administrative support.
The Program Intern will gain unique insight into the strategic and
programmatic components necessary for a small organization to effect
positive political change as well as develop a critical understanding
of how the policies of the United States and other donor governments
and agencies affect the health and lives of women and girls
worldwide. We provide a stipend; no benefits.

DURATION: This is a part-time position (15-20 hours/week). The ideal
candidate will be available from January, 2008 through April, 2008.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
-- Assist staff with monitoring, collecting, analyzing and
organizing news and media relevant to the work of the organization.
-- Work with CHANGE's outreach coordinator to implement outreach
activities.
-- Build and maintain organization's database.
-- Regularly update CHANGE's three websites.
-- Attend and report on community and Hill meetings and briefings.
-- Provide administrative support for the organization.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
-- Pursuing or possess a BA or BS.
-- Excellent written and oral communications skills.
-- Strong critical thinking and analysis abilities.
-- Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel.
-- Ability to multitask and organize various projects.
-- Background or demonstrated interest in women's rights,
reproductive and sexual health and rights, human rights and/or public health.
-- Commitment to CHANGE's mission and high standards of performance.

TO APPLY:
Please send a cover letter including a summary of relevant past
experience and qualifications for and interest in this position and
current resume, to:
(lsisson@genderhealth.org). No phone calls please!
Website: http://www.genderhealth.org/InternSpring07.php

Intern, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, DC
The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, based in Washington, D.C., provides internships throughout the year. The internships bring diverse and challenging responsibilities, including:
1) Assisting with the Foundation's numerous education-related programs, nationally and in Dayton, Ohio. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation is devoted exclusively to the reform of K-12 education. A few examples of projects currently under development:
-weekly publication of the e-bulletin, The Education Gadfly, for an influential national readership;
-a lively, interactive web site;
-appraisals of state standards, textbooks, and teaching;
-support for school choice reforms, including charter schools and a private scholarship program, for Dayton, Ohio low-income students.
2) General research. Primary topics of interest to the Fordham Foundation are: high standards, assessments and accountability systems; charter schools and school choice; curriculum and pedagogy; teacher quality; and the federal role in education. We are seeking interns with experience and interest in the education field who can perform high-quality research and write clearly and convincingly.
3) Clerical duties. The Fordham office is a busy one, and, in addition to substantive responsibilities, an intern will be expected to help out by answering phones, opening mail, making copies, faxing documents, answering e-mail queries, helping with the web site, and other daily office duties.
We seek resourceful, intelligent, hard-working individuals who are capable of excelling in an intellectually stimulating, and often intense work environment. Internet experience is greatly welcome. Please browse our website (http://www.edexcellence.net) for more information about our organization. A modest stipend will be available.
The deadline for internships is rolling. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.

Application instructions:
Individuals interested in a fall, winter, spring or summer internship should send a cover letter, resume and 3-5 page writing sample to:
Liam Julian
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
1701 K Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20006
ljulian@edexcellence.net

Deanna Oppenheimer '80: Powerful Banker

PG grad Deanna Oppenheimer '80 has been listed as one of the 25 "Most Powerful Women in Banking" by American Banking magazine. Unfortunately, the online version of the article is cut off in mid-discussion of her successes; perhaps that will get fixed soon. Find the article here. Many of you may also recall that Ms. Oppenheimer current serves as Chair of the Executive Committee of the university's Board of Trustees.

Hat tip: Mary Boone, Office of Communication.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Brush with Python

Even as I type, this person is apparently here on a parent student campus tour. Cue all bits of remembered monologue.

South 5

The conspiracy is unmasked. A few inside jokes here if you're not local.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Arid Lands

MVC-009S

If you're in town and don't have any other pressing engagements, this Saturday you might want to take in the documentary below. I've not seen it, but some years ago I was fortunate enough to tour Hanford and see the B Reactor (see pic above) among other sites. A pretty amazing place. Anyone who is a history buff should make the effort to get into one of their public tours. You can find out more about that here.

EASTERN WASHINGTON DOCUMENTARY
"ARID LANDS" @ TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL
Saturday, October 6, 2:15 pm
Tacoma School of the Arts Theater
1118 Commerce
Filmmaker Josh Wallaert will be present for Q&A
Tickets $6 at the door

ABOUT THE FILM

Arid Lands is a documentary feature about the land and people of the Mid-Columbia Basin and the Hanford nuclear site in southeastern Washington. Sixty years ago, Hanford produced plutonium for the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Today, it is the focus of the largest environmental cleanup in history. Arid Lands takes us into a world of sports fishermen, tattoo artists, housing developers, ecologists, and radiation scientists living and working in the area. It tells the story of how people changed the landscape over time, and how the landscape affected their lives.

Arid Lands premiered at the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival in January, where it was named the "People's Choice." Since then, it has played at film festivals across the country and won awards including "Best of Fest," Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival; "Best Environmental Film," Seattle True Independent film Festival; and "Best Environmental Film," Plymouth Independent Film Festival. It is now on DVD from Bullfrog Films.

Check out the trailer, read reviews, and more at www.sidelongfilms.com

Employment: Green Corps

Green Corps
Applications due Oct. 26, 2007 - apply online today at http://www.greencorps.org

Green Corps is the non-profit Field School for Environmental Organizing, founded by leading environmentalists in 1992 to train environmental organizers. Our program includes intensive classroom training, hands-on experience running urgent environmental campaigns, and placement in permanent positions with leading environmental and social change groups.

Classroom Training. Our intensive classroom training combines issue briefings, workshops and skills trainings to prepare you to run a grassroots campaign. Issue briefings include Clean Cars, Renewable Energy, Forests and Endangered Species. Strategy workshops include The Legislative Process, Social Change Methodology and Effective Media: Messaging and Framing. Finally, hands-on skills trainings include Leadership Development, Training Volunteers and Running Effective Meetings. Training is run by the Green Corps Central Staff, as well as environmental and social change experts such as John Passacantando, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA, Bill McKibben, author and climate change expert, and Wendy Wendlandt, Political Director, U.S. PIRG.

Field Training. Our field training puts you on the front lines of today's most urgent environmental campaigns. With Green Corps, you will work in multiple cities nationwide, chosen for their ability to make an impact on critical environmental problems. Potential locations include, but are not limited to, San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL; Washington, DC and Boston, MA.

You must be willing to relocate during your year with Green Corps.

Dates. The program begins in August 2008 and concludes with graduation in August 2009.

Responsibilities. Plan and implement a series of critical environmental campaigns with groups like Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club and Greenpeace. You will secure media coverage, recruit and manage volunteers, train new leaders, and mobilize grassroots activists.

Career Development. Upon completion of the training program, Green Corps will connect you to organizations that are seeking full-time professional staff. Green Corps graduates hold positions with MoveOn.org, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Global Exchange, Endangered Species Coalition, Global Trade Watch, Corporate Accountability International, ForestEthics, and many other environmental and progressive groups.

Qualifications. Each year we select 35 recent college graduates to join Green Corps. We are looking for people who are serious about saving the planet, have demonstrated leadership experience, and want to work for change over the long haul at the grassroots level.

Salary & Benefits. Salary of $23,750. Optional group health care coverage,paid sick days and holidays, two weeks paid vacation, and a student loan repayment program for qualifying staff.

To Apply. To apply to Green Corps, fill out our online application by the Early Application Deadline of Oct. 26, 2007. Deadlines, 2nd round interview locations and our online application are at http://www.greencorps.org.

Contact. Jesse Littlewood, Recruitment Director, at jobs@greencorps.org, 617-426-8506, x1.

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Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Chief Technology Officer

I'm currently serving on a university committee charged with helping us to find a new Chief Technology Officer. It's a big charge--the CTO will be instrumental in keeping us up to date in technology and making certain that our various constituents are served, including students and alums. So far a private search firm has identified a number of strong candidates and we're moving on from there with extensive phone interviews that will consume much of my time this week. I hope that we can attract someone who will embrace and support technology on campus with an understanding of how it can help us reach a wide array of audiences.

One thing that I am happy to see is how good many of the applicants are, and that, according to the search firm, candidates are telling them that they are interested in the job because UPS is an institution moving in the right direction. I'll keep you posted on how the search goes, in as much as time and confidentiality allow.

FAQ is AOK

We're up! Thanks to the feedback of many of our alums, we're pleased to roll out our Politics and Government Student-Alum FAQ. Find it here:

http://pgalums.pbwiki.com/

Yes, it's a wiki, which I've been known to speak of disparagingly, but when it's used by a specific group I think this technology is great for collaborative work. Our wiki makes it possible for alums to add on to it easily in future. I think we got a lot a great comments and words of wisdom, and we look forward to sharing it with our students now and in the future. Thanks to everyone who has helped out, and let me know if you want to add your own two cents' worth on one or more questions.

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Monday, October 01, 2007

The college issue about the issue of college

Sunday the New York Times devoted its entire magazine to articles about college, colleges and the future of higher education. You can find the whole collection here. The articles I found most interesting:

Don't Worry, Be Students: "To an astonishing degree, recent graduates surveyed by The New York Times Poll said that they are satisfied with the choices they made about where to go to college and with the educations they received. That seems to hold true whether they went to big schools or small schools, costly private colleges or somewhat more affordable public universities, their first-choice school or their fourth."

No Graduate Left Behind
: "The self-accountability of our system of higher education is grounded in the optional nature of college attendance. But college isn’t really optional any longer. The economic value of higher education, on both the individual and the national levels, has given the public a stake in outcomes not so different from the stake it has in the public schools."