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November 14-16 a group of consultants experienced in ABET accreditation will visit Olin for a “mock self study.” This is an informal process designed to simulate an ABET visit, give the Olin community experience with the process, and provide early feedback on how well our programs meet the ABET accreditation criteria.
Dr. Patricia Daniels will be leading the team. The Associate Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Seattle University, she is the 2003-04 chair of the Engineering Accreditation Commission for ABET. Other team members include Dr. Karan Watson, Dean of Faculties, Associate Provost and Regents Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M, and Dr. Russell Dean, Associate Provost and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at West Virginia University.
Please contact Michael Moody, Jon Stolk or Ann Schaffner with questions.
A new committee, the Wellesley Olin WorkingGroup (WOW) is up and running. Committee members include Yevgeniya Zastavker, Caitrin Lynch, Helen Donis-Keller, and Mark Chang. The group's mission is to establish and maintain a meaningful working relationship between Wellesley and Olin faculty. They aim to facilitate the creation of a vibrant and diverse extended intellectual community. This relationship will benefit students and faculty from both institutions by providing academic course offerings as well as collaborative research and teaching opportunities that complement the programs of each institution.
The Babson College Payroll Manager would like the Olin community to know the Social Security Administration announced that the 2005 social security wage base will be $90,000, an increase of $2,100 from the 2004 wage base of $87,900. As in prior years, there is no limit to the wages subject to the Medicare tax; therefore, all covered wages are still subject to the 1.45% tax. The FICA tax rate, which is the combined social security tax rate of 6.2% and the Medicare tax rate of 1.45%, remains at 7.65% for 2005. The maximum social security tax employees and employers will each pay in 2005 is $5,580.00. This is an increase of $130.20 from the 2004 maximum of $5,449.80.
The College is currently seeking qualified candidates for several positions. Employees are reminded that HR is always happy to accept referrals.
• Instructor of Machining, Immediate Opening
• Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty Position for Fall 2005
• Mechanical Engineering, Faculty Position for Fall 2005
• Bioengineering, Faculty Position for Fall 2005
• Campus Services Assistant, Campus Services
• Coordinator of Campus Services, Campus Services
• Access Service Librarian, Library
Babson College announced they will not offer flu shots to Olin/Babson faculty, staff and students this year due to the vaccine shortage. Community members are encouraged to check with their own primary care physicians to inquire about their supply. Below are the new criteria from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health regarding who should receive the flu vaccine.
• All children 6 – 23 months of age
• Everyone 65 years of age and older
• Pregnant women
• Everyone six months of age and older with chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, asthma, diabetes, weakened immune systems, etc.
• People who live in the same house or take care of an infant younger than six months
• Healthcare workers who have direct contact with patients
The Department of Public Health reported that healthy people who are not at risk for complications from the flu should not get flu vaccine this year. This is so the limited amount of flu vaccine goes to those who truly need it most. The Center for Disease Control has recently updated this years "flu season" info.
The Office of Communication has published an updated fact sheet and class of 2008 profile. To obtain copies of the publication contact Krissy Raposa.
A Greater Boston Area Guide listing local restaurants, museums, shopping and other attractions has been published by the Parents' Advisory Board and Family Weekend Committee. There is a copy of the guide and several attraction brochures in Olin's library. An electronic copy is
available
on BlackBoard under the Olin Publications tab. Additional copies for use during events can be obtained by contacting Krissy Raposa.
A reminder that all Olin faculty and staff members are invited to Olin's Family Weekend, October 22-24. Olin community members and their families are invited to participate in all of the weekend's events, including a BBQ, FWOP performance, ice cream social, and family game night. Visit the Family Weekend website for more information. Please wear your Olin name badge if you plan to attend.
On November 3, Olin College will welcome Leslye Arsht, former Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Education in Iraq as the next Big Conversations speaker. For a detailed schedule of the day's events and more information on Ms. Arsht, visit the Big Conversations website. Several activities, discussions, and exercises have been planned throughout the day to help community members reflect on the event's theme -- what's important.
Members of the Babson, Wellesley and Brandeis communities are invited to attend Ms. Arsht's 10 a.m. talk by submitting an on-line RSVP.
FWOP will present a series of seven supremely funny, contemporary one-act plays directed, and produced by Olin students. The performance of All in the Timing, by David Ives will take place on October 22 and 23 at 8:00 p.m. in the Olin auditorium. Standard admission is $5. The cost is $4 for students and seniors and children under the age of 12 are free. Be advised, this show contains profanity and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Katherine Jernberg, dean of admission and student services at Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences will visit Olin College on November 4. Corporate Relations is planning a luncheon with Ms. Jernberg at noon for students interested in discussing graduate school opportunities at Keck. If you would like to join Ms. Jernberg for lunch, please contact Michelle Knight by October 29, 2004.
The Wachovia Securities 529 Information Sessions scheduled for October 22 have been cancelled. The sessions will be rescheduled. Updated information will be sent out to the community when a new date and time has been determined.
Babson's Office of Spiritual Life will host a Grief and Loss Support Group at the Glavin Family Chapel each Wednesday night for the next month, beginning on Wednesday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. on the Garden Level of the chapel. This group is open to anyone from the Babson and Olin community who has experienced the loss of a loved one and is seeking a safe place to share grief with others. The group will be facilitated by the Rev. Carolyn Dittes. Please contact her office at 781-239-5623 if you plan to attend.
Would you like to see more art on campus? Or would you like to make a sculpture that will be part of a larger public art piece? Here's your chance -- Discreet Objects, a public art-making workshop. The workshop will be held October 19 and 26 from 6:00—8:00 p.m. in Trim 215 at Babson College. The workshop covers cement spheres, colored tiles, and mosaic balls. This workshop is free and materials will be provided. Participants are invited to bring items they wish to attach to the sphere they create. Email dkrcmar@babson.edu to register.
Introduction to Black and White Photography, a two-session workshop will be held November 6 (part one: using a camera, exposing and developing film) and November 13 (part two: using enlargers and printing photos). Both session are required and will be held from 1:00-6:00 p.m. at Babson's Sorenson Visual Arts Center, room 222. A lab fee of $50 will cover use of a camera, and all materials, including film, paper, and chemistry. The workshop is open to all Babson and Olin students, staff, and faculty. You must register in advance by paying the fee at the Sorenson Center. Call 781-239-5680 with questions.
Professor Yevgeniya Zastavker received an award from the Spencer Foundation to explore the effectiveness of project-based learning (PJBL) in introductory physics, mathematics and engineering courses. Her research is geared towards recruitment, performance, satisfaction and retention of women and underrepresented ethnic minorities. This will be one of the first systematic studies to examine undergraduate PJBL courses at small engineering school. Findings from this study will inform the current teaching practices and may contribute to a new model of learning-oriented science and engineering education.
Steven Shannon ('06) recently won the store finals of a music competition. He now moves onto the New England district championship on October 26. Winning at the district level will ensure a spot in the national competition.
EXCERPT: Other musically inclined scientists, too, refer to the "analytical ability" necessary to decipher both musical and math/ science notations. "What attracted me to each [field] was a very rich language," says Diana Dabby, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and music at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass. "There was always a mystery about it," says Dabby, who paid her way through engineering school by working as a concert pianist. "You can never fathom all of it, so you can continue to grow. And each has a very rich set of symbols."
EXCERPT (no link available): Such flexibility has fueled the rise of online education, as more professionals turn to the computer screen instead of the classroom. About 81 percent of the nation's higher education institutions offer at least one online course, according to a 2003 study by Babson and Olin colleges for the Sloan Consortium, an association that promotes online programs. Thirty-four percent offer a degree earned entirely online.
Last week we asked
where F.W. Olin was born. Ben Hill was the first to answer correctly that
F.W. was born in Woodford, VT.
Ben will be receiving Olin Gear for his correct response. Olin trivia buffs, do you know...
Q:
What water supply conduit runs under the Olin College campus?
A: First person to correctly respond to Jennifer Thomas receives a prize.
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