While some are predicting dire happenings when Jan. 1, 2000, arrives, the University of Oregon is taking steps to assure its employees and students that all systems under the institutionÕs control will continue functioning as normally as humanly possible on next New YearÕs Day.

The university began evaluating so-called "Y2K" issues in late 1996.

"To the best of our knowledge, all of the administrative computing systems will be ready to go including Banner," says Susan Hilton of the Computing Center, Y2K coordinator for the UO. "The network infrastructure of the university has been reviewed and is believed to be ready."

To be on the safe side, while allowing for possible Y2K glitches affecting transportation, electrical and other systems beyond the universityÕs direct control, officials here and throughout the Oregon University System have agreed to delay the start of Winter Term 2000 by two days. Classes will not begin that term until Wednesday, Jan. 5.

Other aspects of UO campus operations also have been reviewed for potential Y2K problems.

According to Tom Hicks, Public Safety associate director, access control card readers which exist in some of the science buildings and residence halls are expected to be fully Y2K-compliant by the end of the year.

"All of the doors that have card readers also have brass key locks, so if the card reader failed, the building would remain secure. Those people who have keys could then enter the building," he says.

Boilers, chillers and other mission-critical systems on campus either are Y2K-compliant or will be by April 1999. Central boilers provide steam for heating, hot water and other internal power generation, while chillers provide 42-degree water for cooling buildings and computer systems, as well as other process loads around campus.

According to Ron Neet, Facility Services utilities manager, a contingency plan is in place which addresses actions to be taken by campus utilities staff if a failure of one or more of the mission-critical systems were to occur.

As far as departmental and individual desktop computer systems go, responsibility for determining Y2K compliance, and replacing individual desktop systems if necessary, will be delegated to the individual departments.

"We cannot say that UO desktops are Y2K-ready (or that they are not)," Hilton says. "There is no centralized purchasing of computer equipment so we have no way of knowing just what setup people are running on their desks. Even if we did know, we have no control over what software they download off the Web and if it is Y2K-ready."

According to Hilton, the UO has developed a Y2K web site, with links to the most common hardware and software vendors, so that people can check to see if the products they are using are Y2K-ready.

"In addition, we have included general Y2K information that people might find interesting. I encourage people to let me know if there is other information that they would like to see presented," she says.

UPDATED March 17: Higher education Lobby Day will begin at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 31, at the State Capitol in Salem. This date replaces the previously announced April 7 lobby day which has been canceled.

Faculty, staff, students and alumni are urged to attend the event to drum up budgetary support for higher education, as major decisions are expected in early April.

Four charter buses will take UO people to Salem. The buses will load from 8:30-9 a.m. in the yellow zone in front of Mac Court, departing at 9 a.m. They will return to the same location at about 3 p.m.

If you plan to attend or want information, call Legislative Relations, 6-5020.

As crazy as towers of tuna, leg lifts and humming may sound, these creative attention-grabbers succeeded in getting UO employees to donate more than four times as much food to this yearÕs GovernorÕs Food Drive as last year.

Tallies after the drive ended Feb. 26 showed that UO employees gave approximately 22,200 pounds of food, compared to 4,374 last year, a 415 percent increase. Included was $2,400 in cash donations that will purchase 14,800 pounds of food.

While this yearÕs total is short of the 100,000-pound goal set by campus coordinators, it still represents a substantial increase over last yearÕs mark. This year, employees gave an average of 8.25 pounds apiece, compared to last yearÕs 1.99 pounds per employee.

To boost interest in the drive, Human Resources challenged its employees to build the tallest tower of tuna possible, which culminated in a "tower" of 108 cans. A faculty member, who shall remain nameless, drew attention to contributions with loud humming while demonstrating leg lifting prowess. Another staff member brought a can of food to every staff meeting, reminding co-workers to give.

The first department to fill a food barrel was Psychology. Collecting the most food was Facilities Services. Buildings or departments collecting more than $200 each were the ChancellorÕs Office, Computing Center and Johnson Hall.

Food drive coordinators Jackie Carpentier of Legislative Relations and Nita Nickell of Merchandising organized and supervised the nearly 30 volunteers who worked to stimulate interest and collect food.

"WeÕre very proud of all those who donated time, money or food," Carpentier says. "We look forward to the March 15 ceremony at the State Capitol in Salem to recognize the outstanding support."

Volunteers included Fred Babcock, University Housing food services; Jami Barnes, Journalism and Communication; Tracy Bars, Architecture and Allied Arts deanÕs office; Lisa Bellis and Cindi Peterson, Human Resources; Tiffany Fine, ASUO; Rebecca Goodrich, Psychology; Sheila Gray, Knight Library; Gina Hobie, Athletics; Margaret Hyland, Academic Advising and Student Services; Mary Juzeler, University Health Center; Pat Lee, Student Life; Laura Littlejohn, Music; Lara Miyahira, Computing Center; Debbie Otley, Graduate School; Greta Pressman, Larry Ontiveroz and Lew Atkinson, Facilities Services; Marilyn Reid, English; Sandy Ryan, Physics; Judy Sanfilippo, UO Bookstore; Bobbie Smith, Education deanÕs office; Brian Stanley, Admissions; Sandy Vaughn, Club Sports; Linda Wardlow, Portland Center; Margie White, History; Georgette Winther, Economics; and Rhonda Morgan, University Printing.

Teaching faculty and GTFs who use the larger campus classrooms can learn all about the use of audiovisual equipment during two evenings of in-classroom training and equipment troubleshooting instruction on March 29Š30.

Knight Library Media Services staff will be available from 7Š8 p.m. each evening to demonstrate equipment, answer questions and assist instructors who want to try their hands at operating the equipment without fear of embarrassing themselves in front of a classroom of hundreds of students.

"We get frequent requests from these folks for help, but when we talk with them about our beginning-of-the-term training in the classroom, most are unaware of this service and the other types of assistance we offer," says Shirien Stevens, Media Services acting director. "To help spread the word about these services, weÕve put a letter of explanation on the Web this spring."

UO faculty and staff are eligible to apply for two awards offered by the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium (NWACC), a consortium of more than 40 academic institutions from six states.

This yearÕs two-grant program, in accordance with NWACCÕs primary goal, is aimed at stimulating innovative uses of new information tools in education and research. A total of $150,000 is available for awards in two categories: Faculty Incentive Awards for Web Use, and Collaborative Program Development.

Faculty Incentive Awards. This program provides small grants directly to faculty members to promote innovative ways of using the World Wide Web for instruction. Up to 16 $3,000 grants are available for faculty summer stipends, and up to five $10,000 grants will be distributed for larger projects requiring student assistance, travel and similar expenses. Applicants may submit proposals for either the $3,000 or the $10,000 award, but not both.

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. April 15.

Collaborative Program Development. This program supports collaboration between NWACC institutions for using technology resources. It funds travel and other activities, such as workshops, related to formulating joint proposals and significant interinstitutional partnerships. Grants range from $2,000 to $10,000. Preference will be given to proposals that provide maximum leverage through institutional, foundation and other funding matches.

A series of broadcast "Concerts from the Oregon Bach Festival" will debut at 7 p.m. March 15 on KWAX-FM, with the world premiere performance of Krzysztof PendereckiÕs Credo, recorded last July during the 1998 festival.

Credo will be heard in Eugene, Florence, Bend, Corvallis and other Oregon cities on KWAX and its translators. The four-part series will air on consecutive Mondays.

Other works on the Credo program are the overture from MendelssohnÕs Midsummer NightÕs Dream, a Bach Orchestral Suite featuring flutist Carol Wincenc, and BeethovenÕs rousing Choral Fantasy, another work from last yearÕs festival.

• MARCH 22: MozartÕs Requiem and SchubertÕs Mass in A Flat
• MARCH 29: The 1998 recital by bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, which includes SchumannÕs Dichterliebe, his encore of Swing Low Sweet Chariot, and excerpts from HandelÕs Messiah and DvorakÕs Stabat Mater
• APRIL 5: BachÕs Mass in B Minor, scheduled to coincide with Easter

Helmuth Rilling conducts the festival orchestra and chorus in the series.

In its first year, the "Concerts from the Oregon Bach Festival" syndicated series has aired on more than 230 stations in the United States and Canada. The series, underwritten by a grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust, is hosted by Caitriona Bolster of KWAX and is syndicated by WCLV in Cleveland.

In an attempt to maintain a well-lit and safe environment for both faculty and students, the University of Oregon has developed a five-phase process aimed at increasing campus lighting.

The process, which started in the fall of 1997, includes more than doubling the wattage of lights from 70 watts to 150 watts. In addition, new refractors are being installed which throw as well as flood the light out more. Each phase focuses on a specific area of campus.

"These changes are incredible," says Mike Sytsma, Facility Services electrician. "Try walking along the west side of Straub, where the lights have not yet been upgraded. Then walk past the places that have and youÕll notice the difference."

Those places where the lighting has already been upgraded are from Grayson to PLC (Phase One) and the Knight Library, Education and the east side of Music (Phase Two).

Phase Three, which extends from Hendricks to the backside of Robinson Theatre at Villard, has just been completed, according to Sytsma.

"Each phase is funded separately," he explains. "The university estimates how many poles to include in each phase and then submits the paper work."

Depending on funding, Sytsma expects Phase Four, consisting of the area from Friendly to the back of Lawrence to Oregon will begin some time in June.

Originally, each phase was supposed to take one year, but "things are going quicker than expected," Sytsma says. He expects the entire five-phase process to be completed within 18 months after which a possible sixth phase, covering an area of campus not yet determined, may be added.

-- DAVID RICHARDS, COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

NOMINATION FORMS FOR SPRING 1999 ELECTIONS must be returned by 5 p.m. March 17 to faculty secretary Gwen Steigelman at Academic Affairs, 207 Johnson. Forms for the six elected faculty committees and councils were distributed Feb. 23 to all voting faculty. For information, call 6-2981.

In the spotlight

The Oregon Academy of Sciences named LeRoy Klemm, Chemistry, as its Outstanding Scientist of the year during the academyÕs annual meeting Feb. 27 at Willamette University in Salem. On the UO faculty since 1952 and retired since 1990, Klemm was praised for his discovery of the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction which is used to prepare thousands of complex compounds. He also is credited with the development of techniques used in the pharmaceutical industry to prepare and purify optically active drugs, and his research groupÕs work with thienopyridine chemistry could lead to compounds that combat malaria and AlzheimerÕs disease.

Alfred Acres, Art History, received the 1999 Arthur Kingsley Porter Prize for a distinguished article, "The Columbia Altarpiece and the Time of the World," published in The Art Bulletin. Acres, who teaches classes in Renaissance and Baroque art history, received the award during the College Art AssociationÕs annual conference in Los Angeles.

Alice Sundstrom, Lundquist Business publications director, received five awards in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Region VIII Juried Awards Competition. She received a Silver Award in individual design and a Bronze Award in special event publications for the collegeÕs 1998 commencement program; and Bronze awards in special event publications for the collegeÕs commencement invitation and its Visionaries invitation and program.

Vice President Al Gore recently recognized Robin Morris Collin, Law, and Robert Collin, Environmental Studies, for their work on the printing sector subcommittee of the Common Sense Initiative (CSI), a program launched by the Environmental Protection Agency to bring "common sense" reform to environmental protection. Morris Collin and Collin, who are married, helped develop a regulatory framework, the PrintersÕ Simplified Total Environmental Partnership (PrintSTEP), that tests a variety of new approaches for making the regulatory system more effective, flexible and easy to understand. The Federal Register will publish requests for proposals for PrintSTEP pilot projects this month. The couple will continue to oversee the program.

On the move

CLARIFICATION: Donor Relations program assistant Jeff Brown is a new member of the Development Office, not the UO Foundation as erroneously reported in the March 1 issue of News & Views.

Tris O'Shaughnessy joined Student Life March 1 as coordinator of family programs. Formerly assistant director of the International Institute for Sport and Human Performance, she fills the post previously held by Linda Devine.

Theresa Coleman-Kaiser, EMU Food Service director, will leave April 2 to become assistant director of the Michigan Tech Union, responsible for supervising retail food operations and custodial services. Since joining the EMU in December 1994, she played a significant role in creating the renovated food areas and innovative food venues.

In Print/On Display

Raymond Mikesell, Economics emeritus, is co-author, with Richard M. Auty, of Sustainable Development in Mineral Economies (Oxford University Press, New York, 1998).

Troy Franklin, Student Life, co-authored "The Ōism Principle" in the February 1999 issue of the Talking Stick, the magazine of the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International.

On the podium/stage

Paul Frishkoff, Lundquist Business, presented "Role Ambiguity in the Family-Owned Business: Examples from Shakespeare (and from ŌThe GodfatherÕ)" at the Family Firm Institute Study Group on Feb. 12 in Portland. With wife Patricia Frishkoff, OSU, he presented "Advantages and Disadvantages of Marketing as a Family Business" on Feb. 4 at the University of New Haven Center for Family Business.

In memoriam

Miles Romney, OSSHE (now OUS) vice chancellor for academic affairs from 1963Š80 and former Education professor and associate dean, died Feb. 22 of causes related to age. Romney, 85, joined the UO faculty in 1952. Memorial contributions may be made to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple Fund in care of President Gary Stewart, 3825 Monroe St., Eugene.