Thursday, February 10

SOCIAL CONTRACT DAY:  Another memo has come out from UW's provost, Jim
Kalbfleisch, explaining how staff and faculty are affected by the "Rae
day" on Monday, February 21.  Here's the text:

	My memorandum of February 7th prompted a number of questions
	about the status of February 21st for inviduals who are not
	required to take unpaid days.

	Under the Social Contract agreements and plan, UW employees with
	annual salaries over $30,000 are required to take unpaid days,
	and have had their salaries reduced accordingly.  For these
	individuals, February 21st will be an unpaid day off.

	Employees with annual salaries below $30,000 have not had their
	salaries reduced for unpaid days.  These individuals do not get
	an extra day off, and must use one of their paid vacation days
	on February 21st.

	Although the University will be closed on February 21st, this is
	not a "paid holiday."  Therefore, employees whose work demands
	or schedules require them to work on that day will not be paid
	on an overtime basis.  Instead, another day off will be scheduled
	with their managers.

I trust that makes everything clear.

MASTERCARD AVAILABLE: The office of alumni affairs is promoting the Bank 
of Montreal UW MasterCard this week in South Campus Hall. "Everyone who 
fills out an application at the booth during this promotion will be given 
a complimentary gift in appreciation of their support," says Judy Mann, 
coordinator of the program. The revenue generated from the program supports 
the distribution of the Alumni Magazine to alumni, faculty and staff four 
times a year. "Without the support of the more than 5,600 cardholders this 
wouldn't be possible," says Mann. Staff are available to answer any questions 
or to help interested people fill out an application today and Friday, from 
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the main floor in SCH. If you have any questions about 
the program you can call Mann in the alumni office at ext. 5310.

WILDLIFE NOTES:  Phil Eastman of the physics department caught this morning
morning's minion, to borrow a poetic phrase.  That is, he reports seeing a
large bird with a hooked bill atop one of the engineering buildings this
morning, and wonders whether it might have been one of the falcons that
were released on campus some time ago (details elude both him and me this
morning).  At about the same time, a physics colleague who shall remain
nameless also met a creature of the wild, and retreated as loser of the
encounter: a skunk menaced him in the lobby of the Physics building. The
plant operations department is taking action, we're advised.

HAPPENING TODAY:  The senate long-range planning committee meets at 3:00
in Needles Hall room 3001.  And the WPIRG film festival continues, with
films in Davis Centre 1302 at 12 noon on health issues ("Women and Aids"
and "Self-Determination and Health Care").  At 6:30, also in DC 1302,
there's an Overseas Volunteer Forum, at which several organizations that
send Canadian volunteers to third-world countries will be represented.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to those who live part of their lives by the Chinese
lunar calendar.  

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs
credmond@watserv1    ext. 3004