CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:
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Feature Stories

A quiet afternoon — The serene and relatively empty Texas A&M campus will soon be anything but, as the lull between semesters comes to an end Tuesday with the first day of summer classes following the Memorial Day weekend.

Last spring, graduate Texas A&M University landscape architecture students in Nancy Volkman’s LAND 621, Open Space Development II studio, completed a project to redesign the site of Beaumont Housing Authority’s Magnolia Gardens, a public housing property that had been damaged last summer by Hurricane Rita.

The project was the first to be tackled under the Department of Landscape Architecture’s Partnership for Community Outreach initiative. It involved two major components: First, the development of a scheme that looked at complete demolition of the existing public housing site and its replacement with a new, smaller public housing facility, with areas to be sold for single family homes and areas to be sold for commercial development. Secondly, the development of an alternative site plan in which selected residential buildings at Magnolia Gardens were renovated and enlarged, while others were demolished.

Read about LAUP's Partnerhip for Community Outreach:
http://archone.tamu.edu/archcom/
InsideTrack/full_5-25-06_LAUP.htm

Read more about the Magnolia Gardens project:
http://archone.tamu.edu/archcom/
InsideTrack/full_5-25-06_LAUP2.htm

View student sketches of the Magnolia Gardens project:
http://archone.tamu.edu/archcom/archoneUpdate/
MagnoliaGardens/index.html

M.Arch graduate student receives Faculty Senate Aggie Spirit Award

In recognition of his “outstanding courage and determination in the face of adversity while attending Texas A&M University,” John M. Grant IV, a spring 2006 master of architecture graduate, received the 2007 Aggie Spirit Award from the Texas A&M Faculty Senate.

Grant, a former English teacher from California, began his graduate studies in the summer of 2003 in the M.Arch career change program. Shortly thereafter, his wife underwent several treatments for a rare medical condition that led to a permanent physical disability.

Grant worked as a graduate assistant for Professor Kirk Hamilton, who nominated him for the Spirit Award. In his nomination letter, Hamilton noted that in the face of adversity Grant had maintained a cheerful disposition and a level of academic excellence that would be commendable under most normal circumstances. Further, he said the young father of three, with the help of his extended family, continuously developed creative ways of combating the financial hardships and demands resulting from his wife’s illness.

“The respect he has earned from his fellow students and faculty members in the College of Architecture shows that John Grant is truly deserving of this award, Hamilton wrote. “John Grant, is a shining example of the Aggie Spirit of uncomplaining sacrifice for others, balanced with his commitment and focus on a top quality education. I am proud of John and his courage and constantly in awe of his gentle spirit of giving.”

The College of Architecture has joined an online design community sponsored by Autodesk, the software company. Membership includes free downloads of a wide range of select Autodesk software for faculty, staff and students.

Mark Clayton, the college's executive associate dean, urges college faculty to share this information with students and fellow faculty so they can take advantage of free one-year software licenses, which include Autodesk Civil, Mechanical and Construction Engineering software tools.

New versions of these student edition software titles were added to the Web site last week and can be downloaded for free at http://students.autodesk.com. All that is required is a current Texas A&M e-mail account (neo).

For more details, read related story:
http://archone.tamu.edu/archcom/
InsideTrack /full_3-02-06_architectsrule.htm

Ulrich deluged with interview requests resulting from AP story

Roger Ulrich, an architecture professor at Texas A&M University, was quoted in a recent Associated Press story on hospital noise, which was picked up featured on the Cable News Network.

As a result, Ulrich reports, he has been “inundated with inquiries and requests for the research article referred to” in the report.

The article detailed Ulrich's study of cardiac patients at a Swedish hospital. He found that patients in rooms with sound-absorbing ceiling tiles were less likely to be readmitted within 30 to 60 days than those in rooms with the typical hard, sound-reflecting tiles.

Read Associate Press report on CNN Web site:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/05/19/
quiet.hospital.ap/index.html?section=cnn_health

The Department of Architecture is hosting a special reception during the 2006 AIA National Convention at RTKL Associates’ Los Angeles office.

The event is set for 7 p.m. Friday June 9, 2006. RTKL office is located at 333 Hope Street in Los Angeles, Calif.

For former students, faculty and friends of the college are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please RSVP by June 5 to Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or e-mail at t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Circus coming to College Station;
advance ticket sale under way

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's 135th Edition of the "Greatest Show on Earth" is coming to Reed Arena July 11-12. The advance sale of tickets for faculty and staff starts Tuesday (May 23) for the July 12 shows. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.12th
ManFoundation.com or by calling the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Office at 979-845-2311 or 1-888-99-AGGIE.

To take advantage of this offer, one of the following customer codes is required: 3:30 show — Z2632m or 7:30 show — Z2632.

Tickets to the general public go on sale beginning June 2. For more information, visit
http://www.feldinc.com/ebuzz/RD
135.aspx?id=94571&code=Z2632

View promotional video:
Images/circus.mov

Administrative Notes

Staff Development Committee survey to
help identify staff training opportunities

The College of Architecture’s Staff Development Committee is conducting a survey to access staff training needs. College staff members are urged to download and complete the survey form (see PDF link below) and e-mail the completed form to Mashalle Mooring at mmooring@archmail.tamu.edu. Printed surveys may be delivered to Mashalle in the dean’s office, Langford A 202.

Download staff training survey
Staff Development Survey (20K PDF)

Faculty, staff urged to complete surveys
critiquing computer support service

For every ticket resolved in by computer support on http://archhelp.tamu.edu, the client associated with the ticket has the opportunity to take a quick survey regarding how satisfied he or she was with the solution and the technician who solved the problem. Currently, surveys are submitted for only 5.5% of the closed tickets, the college's computer systems manager has not received any survey responses in almost two months.

“We would greatly appreciate everyone’s help in providing additional feedback,” Fischer said.

Any closed ticket is eligible for a survey. To do so, users may log in to the helpdesk at http://archhelp.tamu.edu and click on “History” in the top row of buttons. The log in information for the helpdesk is the same as the login to the server.

For more information about the surveys or about using the helpdesk in general, contact Jason Fischer, fischer@tamu.edu.

Woodshop to be open weekdays beginning May 30

The College of Architecture's Woodshop will be open both summer sessions, May 30 – August 11. Shop hours are unchanged: 8 a.m. – noon and 1 - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The shop is located on the first floor of Langford Building B.

TAMU Employee Services guarantees
paperwork completion for new jobs

Employee Services is offering guaranteed completion of FY 2007 requests for new positions and reclassifications. Based on the high volume of requests that are typically received during the summer, completion of requests can be assured if they are received by Employee Services by the following dates:

If received in Employee Services by Friday, June 9, review completion by August 8 is guaranteed. Note: August 8 is the Phase II deadline for signed electronic Forms 900 and 901 corrections.

If received in Employee Services by Friday, July 7, review completion for a September 1 effective date is guaranteed. Note: If approved after September 1, the request can still be made effective if it is approved within the biweekly or monthly pay period that includes September 1.

Regarding the TAMU Classified Pay Plan, changes effective September 1, 2006 can be viewed at: http://hr.tamu.edu/classification/#plan.  Adjustments to hiring ranges for certain non-classified career ladder positions are at http://hr.tamu.edu/classification/career.

For additional information or questions, contact the Employee Services Classification & Compensation unit at 845-4170.

This Week's Calendar

Monday — May 29

Memorial Day : Faculty and staff holiday.

Tuesday — May 30

First summer session begins: First day of first term and 10-week semester.

Secret Pal Luncheon: Secret Pal participants gather 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in the Langford Gallery. For more information, contact Susie Billings at 847-9357 or sBillings@archmail.tamu.edu.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

Thursday - Saturday — June 8-10

AIA National Convention will be held in Los Angeles, Calif. For details visit:
http://www.aiaconvention.com
/aia_splash/2006/index.html

Friday — June 9

AIA reception in LA: The Department of Architecture is hosting a special reception during the 2006 AIA National Convention at RTKL Associates’ Los Angeles office. The event is set for 7 p.m. Friday June 9, 2006. RTKL office is located at 333 Hope Street in Los Angeles, Calif. For former students, faculty and friends of the college are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please RSVP by June 5 to Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or e-mail
t-pannell@tamu.edu

Monday — June 19

Q-Drop: Last day for all students to drop courses with no penalty for the first term.

Friday — June 30

First summer session ends: Last class day of the first summer term classes.

Monday — July 3

Final exams for first summer term.

Tuesday — July 4

Independence Day: Faculty and staff holiday.

Wednesday — July 5

Second summer session begins: The summer’s second term classes get under way.

Wednesday — July 19

Q-Drop: Last day for all students to drop courses with no penalty for the 10-week summer term.

Tuesday — July 29

Q-Drop: Last day for all students to drop courses with no penalty for second summer term.

Monday — Aug. 7

Second summer sessions end: Last class day of the second summer term and 10-week semester classes.

Tuesday - Wednesday — Aug. 8 - 9

Final exams for second summer term and 10-week classes.

Friday — Aug. 11

Summer commencement and commissioning

Friday — Aug. 25

College faculty/Staff meeting: College of Architecture faculty and staff meet 10 a.m. in the Langford B auditorium,. Lunch will be served in the Langford B Exhibit Hall after the meeting.

Sunday — Aug. 27

Freshman Convocation is a 45-60 minute ceremony that welcomes freshmen to Texas A&M University's community of learners in a manner similar to the community's recognition of students' graduation at commencement. The university president offer some inspiration remarks urging students to make their Texas A&M education a life changing experience. For more details on this event, visit http://www.tamu.edu/freshmanconvocation/about.htm

Monday — Aug. 28

Classes start: First day of fall 2006 semester gets under way.

Sunday — Sept. 3

MSC Open House showcases student groups: The annual Memorial Student Center Fall Open House will be held the first Sunday of the semester in the MSC, Rudder Exhibit Hall and G. Rollie White Coliseum from 1 – 6 p.m. This is Texas A&M's largest recruiting event for recognized campus organizations. An estimated 13,000 people attend every fall. Tables for recognized student groups can be reserved now at the MSC Box Office in the lobby of Rudder Tower. Tables are $35 and can be purchased using cash, a student organization finance check, interdepartmental transfer, Aggie Bucks or credit card. Tables will remain on sale until all the space is taken or Wednesday, August 30, whichever comes first. Students, faculty, staff and the community are invited to attend. Registration forms are available online at http://mscopenhouse.tamu.edu/. For more information, contact Heather Hartman at 979.845.626, e-mail marketing@msc.tamu.edu or visit http://mscopenhouse.tamu.edu/.

Monday-Friday — Sept. 4 - 8

German Study Abroad Exhibit: Students who participated in the spring 2006 study abroad program in Düsseldorf, Germany will exhibit their work in the Langford B Exhibit Hall.

Friday — Sept. 8

Academic Convocation: In academia, the word "convocation" refers to a ceremonial assembly of the members of a college or university. Traditionally, academic convocations celebrate special events such as the beginning of the academic year or the anniversary of an institution. In 1997, Texas A&M re-established the practice of Academic Convocation as a celebration of the university's progress and an opportunity to discuss the university's plans for the future. To learn more about this annual event, visit http://www.tamu.edu/conv/

Monday - Sept. 11

CIAC members recruit at COSC Career Fair: Construction Industry Advisory Council (CIAC) companies will be featured at the first of two Department of Construction Science Career Fairs to be held this fall in the Langford A atrium. Students attending the 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. event will have an opportunity to sign-up for interviews with participating companies on the following day. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood, 845-0289  aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu

Tuesday - Sept. 12

CIAC members interview COSC job seekers: Construction Industry Advisory Council (CIAC) companies will hold job interviews with construction science students 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Kyle Field (2nd floor skyboxes on West side) and the Career Center (209 Koldus). Student may sign-up for the interviews during the Sept. 11 Department of Construction Science Career Fair in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood, 845-0289  aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu

Tuesday - Sept. 19

COSC Career Fair: Construction companies vie the attention of Texas A&M construction science students at the second of two Construction Science Career Fairs to be held this fall in the Langford A atrium. Students attending the 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. event will have an opportunity to sign-up for interviews with participating companies on the following day. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood, 845-0289  aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu

Wednesday - Sept. 20

Companies interview COSC job seekers – Construction companies will hold job interviews with construction science students 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Kyle Field (2nd floor skyboxes on West side) and the Career Center (209 Koldus). Student may sign-up for the interviews during the Sept. 19 Department of Construction Science Career Fair in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood, 845-0289  aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu
Friday — Nov. 3

Fifth Annual HIAC Meeting: The Health Industry Advisory Council for the College of Architecture’s Health Systems & Design will meet 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Langford A Gallery. Lectures and networking opportunities will highlight the daylong event. For more information, contact Judy Pruitt at 845-7009 or e-mail jpruitt@archmail.tamu.edu.

Friday — Nov. 10

Outstanding Alumni Award Banquet: The College of Architecture will honor the 2006 recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Award 6:30 - 10 p.m. at Miramont Country Club. For more information, contact Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or e-mail t-pannell@tamu.edu.

The Eastern fox squirrel (Scirus niger)

Catching some rays, a squirrel enjoys the peace and quiet provided by the greenspace between Langford Building A and Scoates Hall. A few years ago, the squirrel population in this area of campus donned radio collars as part of a yearlong study of campus wildlife. Read more about that study at
http://communications.tamu.edu/newsarchives/02/020702-3.html.
Editor's note: Yeah, it was a slow news week. — PR