On Sept. 16, in what some hoped would be a restart to stalled budget talks, the budget conference committee comprised of Democratic Senators and Republican Assembly members reconvened without taking official action. A date for the next meeting of the committee has not been set. If and when negotiations move forward, UW System officials continue to seek support for: flexibility to offer new courses to the growing number of non-traditional working professionals and returning adult students; full funding of the UW-Madison initiative to match private dollars; a competitive pay plan; and student financial aid increases.

UW-Green Bay is the site today and tomorrow (Sept. 27 and 28) of public meetings concerning cleanup of PCB-contaminated sediments. The National Research Council and its Committee on Remediation of PCB-Contaminated Sediments have been charged by Congress to recommend a framework for cleanup efforts nationwide. The committee is holding sessions in Green Bay and Albany, N.Y., where the Fox and Hudson rivers are the focus of anti-pollution efforts. Today's session from 7 to 10 p.m. in Phoenix B includes presentations by both the Fox River Group and the Clean Water Action Council. Tuesday's session from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Christie Theatre will include remarks by federal EPA and Fish and Wildlife representatives, among others. Public comment is invited the last half hour of each session.

The victim in what police today have confirmed was a murder-suicide was a 19-year-old Pulaski woman who attended classes at UW-Green Bay. Katherine Majewski was found dead Friday in the garage of an apartment on Western Avenue on Green Bay's west side. Today's Green Bay Press-Gazette contains information on funeral and memorial arrangements. The University's institutional response is coordinated by a team headed by personnel in counseling and the dean of students office; members handle proper notifications, condolences and counseling availability for friends and family if desired.

Jolene Cheslock, who earned her Master of Science in Administrative Science last May, is the recipient of the 1999 Outstanding Thesis Award. Cheslock's thesis, "A Study on the Clinical Trial Policies and Perspectives of Wisconsin Health Maintenance Organizations," explored the influence of HMO reimbursement policies on patients' abilities to participate in clinical medical studies. Cheslock, whose 1974 UW-Green Bay bachelor's degree is in Human Biology, is a clinical research associate in St. Vincent Hospital's Regional Cancer Center. Lora Warner, PEA, was Cheslock's committee chair, and members were Dan Alesch, PEA, and Jim Holly, Administrative Science.

The men's soccer team (now 4-1-2) was ranked tenth in the Great Lakes region last week following a 1-0 overtime win over the University of Louisville. They beat Central Florida and tied Western Illinois at home over the weekend. The regional ranking is the first for Head Coach Simon Boddison, and the first for the program since 1994.

All employees are required by law to report knowledge of sexual assaults on campus. The Wisconsin law states "....any person employed at an institution or center who witnesses a sexual assault on campus or receives a report from a student enrolled in the institution or center that the student has been sexually assaulted shall report to the dean of students of the institution..." This does not mean that you have to violate any confidences or provide names. It does mean that incidents are to be reported to the Dean of Students, ext. 2152.

By this time you've no doubt seen postings for the Cultural Cuisine: Italian Luncheon scheduled for noon this Friday (Oct. 1) in the Phoenix Room. Tickets are $7.50 and on sale at the Union's Info Center/Main Desk. Musical accompaniment and entertainment will be provided by harpist Nancy Blanchard Watts and vocalists including new UW-Green Bay faculty member Jeffrey McGhee and students of Prof. Sarah Meredith; they will perform Italian art songs accompanied by pianist Judy O'Grady.

Wisconsin Public Television's "Teen Connection" returns to the air at 7 p.m. next Wednesday (Oct. 6) with the topic "Middle School Girls Speak Out." The program on self-esteem, peer pressure and today's problems is co-produced by Eileen Littig of NEWIST/CESA 7, whose office is based on the UW-Green Bay.

Andrew Kersten, HUS, will receive the 1998 "Best Essay of the Year" award from the Missouri Historical Society for an essay published that year in the Missouri Historical Review. Kersten's essay was "Stretching the Social Pattern: The President's Fair Employment Practice Committee and St. Louis," and he'll travel to that city in October to receive the award at the Society's annual meeting.

Carol Pollis, Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, participated in two panel presentations at the Wisconsin Women In Higher Education Leadership (WWHEL) 1999 Conference at UW-La Crosse on September 16-17. The panels were titled: "Wisconsin Update on Status of Women in Higher Education" and "What I've Learned Along the Way." WWHEL serves individuals from all institutions of higher education in Wisconsin. Anyone interested in learning about the organization can contact Pollis for information.

Prof. Francine M. Tompkins, Education, had three essays published in Robert Slavin's Educational Psychology: Theory into Practice textbook (6th Edition), 2000. The essays were on the following topics: How to be an intelligent consumer of educational psychology research; Applying the principles of mastery learning; Effectively using tutorial methods to meet individual needs.

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