Important information for the fall

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

SOP III participants

Freshmen and transfers are scheduled for check in Tuesday, August 25, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Freshman move-in.

Freshmen who participated in SOP I and II should arrive Wednesday, August 26, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The "Focus on First Year" program begins Wednesday, August 26, with convocation. All freshmen and new students are highly encouraged to participate.

Upperclass student move-in.

Upperclass students will not be allowed to return to campus housing before Friday, August 28, without special advance approval from Residential Life. Requests should be based on the guidelines listed below. Special living conditions (temporary space) and a $35-a-day, early-rent charge will be in effect in exchange for early move-in privileges. Students who do not qualify for early move-in will have to secure other housing (hotel, motel, etc.) until University housing opens. All requests should be made by August 7 to be given strongest consideration, although guarantees are not possible. Priority will be given as follows:

1. Students who the University deems necessary to perform specific, essential duties for University move-in, orientation, and pre-opening functions;

2. Students enrolled in formally organized University programs that start before the open move-in date--athletic teams, for example;

3. Students enrolled or employed in formal University activities or programs that are not directly related to the academic year opening program but that require participation in training programs or performance of specific duties before the regularly scheduled move-in date for their housing group;

4. In years when the halls open in September, students with private housing leases that expire on the last day of August, leaving them without a suitable housing alternative until their scheduled move-in date. Students with leases expiring earlier generally must secure alternate housing elsewhere. Requests must be accompanied by a photocopy of the lease agreement; or

5. Lowest priority for early move-in will be given to applications based on personal inconvenience that results from the opening schedule.

To receive an early move-in application, contact the Office of Residential Life, Room 20, Gates, Susan B. Anthony Hall, University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y. 14627; (716) 275-3166; fax (716) 442-7941; e-mail housing@reslife.rochester.edu.

Upperclass student check-in dates and times are Friday, August 28, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, August 30, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Monday, August 31, 2-5 p.m.; and Tuesday, September 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

For check-in after September 1, contact your area office.

Check-in locations for all: Quad--Zornow, Faculty Road entrance; Anthony--service desk, first-floor lobby; Towers--service desk, basement; Hill Court--Multipurpose Room (Kendrick basement).

The Office of Residential Life will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day during opening weekend, August 29 and 30.

OFF-CAMPUS LIVING

Students who plan to live off campus should begin their search for housing at least three to four weeks before they would like to move in. If possible, plan a special housing trip to Rochester and include a visit to the University's Community Living Program (CLP) located in Gates 20, Susan B. Anthony Hall. CLP maintains rental listings, maps, general information on leases and apartment mates, and telephones for making housing inquiries.

For more information, call (716) 275-1081, or e-mail offcampus@reslife.rochester.edu.

COMPUTER SALES

University of Rochester Computer Sales is having a back-to-school sale until October 24. Featured this year are Compaq Presario, Dell Optiplex and Toshiba Equium desktop and laptop computers for Windows customers.

If you purchase any Apple Macintosh G3 desktop or laptop computer, you can choose one of the following items: 32Mb additional memory, Connectix Virtual PC or $100 display rebates if you purchase a 17" or 20" Apple monitor at the same time as your computer purchase. You also get a bonus offer of an additional year of AppleCare Service coverage. Products are redeemable directly from Apple Computer. Price lists are available at both store locations and on our web site.

RESNET

ResNet is the campus network and Internet service for the residence halls, provided by Residential Life and the University Computing Center. In addition to managing the wiring behind the scenes, we provide support services to get you up and running, and to keep you connected throughout the year.

ResNet is not a piece of Internet software. Although we do have some Internet software available for your use while at the University, you can use any Internet software once your computer is configured properly for the University network.

ResNet also is not a standard Internet Service Provider service that uses a modem connection and a telephone line. It is a faster and more direct campus network connection for which you need an Ethernet card and cable for your computer. Undergraduates have appreciated the speed with which web and e-mail service is provided through this technology. A modem will not work with ResNet, nor will it work in the residence halls because the phone lines are not modem-capable.

ResNet is people. Your ResNet consultants (RNCs) are available to help configure your computer to work properly with your Ethernet card and to access the campus network and the Internet. RNCs work from a help desk located in CLARC and provide phone, walk-up, and in-room support for connectivity problems in the residence halls.

In addition, for the week before classes start, our Launch program connects as many ResNet computers as possible. This year's Launch schedule is:

Residential Quad: Mon. 8/24, Wed. 8/26 and Sat. 8/29

Susan B. Anthony: Tues. 8/25, Fri. 8/28 and Mon. 8/31

Towers: Thur. 8/27 and Sun. 8/30

For more information, check our web site, www.resnet.rochester.edu, or call (716) 275-3166.

COMPUTER LABS

University Computing Center (UCC) provides computing facilities and support services to the University community. Students, faculty, and staff can use standard or specialized software to do homework, check e-mail, surf the web, and print. Specialized computer classrooms allow professors and students to participate in a variety of interactive classes. UCC employs both students and full-time staff.

COMPUTING

Located in the back of Rush Rhees Library, the Computing Library and Resources Center (CLARC) is the largest computing lab on campus and has both PCs and Macs. The CLARC consulting desk has several consultants on duty to answer questions and assist patrons in the lab or over the phone during all hours of operation. CLARC is open 24 hours a day, Sunday through Friday. CLARC closes at 9 p.m. on Friday and is open from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday. Extended hours during reading and finals are posted in the lab. Classes have priority use in the two auxiliary classrooms, which are available for general use at other times.

Taylor Hall, the administrative center of the UCC, is located between Wilmot and Gavett Halls on Hutchison Road. Two computer classrooms are available: Room 41 has 36 G3/233 Macintosh computers with internal Zip drives, and Room 31 contains eight Power Macintosh computers and two scanning stations. The consulting desk and public printer are also located in Room 31. Taylor Hall is open from 8 a.m. until midnight Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and noon to midnight Sunday. (Taylor is closed on Saturday.) Classes have priority use in these classrooms, which are available for general use at other times.

Located on the first floor of Harkness Hall, Room 114 is a Pentium PC computing facility specializing in statistical and mathematics programs. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon to 1 a.m. Classes have priority use.

Remote Labs: Carlson Library and the College Writing Center in Morey Hall 100 host several Macintosh and PC computers. Susan B. Anthony Residence Hall, as well as Tiernan and Hoeing dorms, also have computers.

DINING SERVICES

Dining Services offers resident students two types of dining plans with three cost levels for a total of five choices. Depending on individual spending and eating habits, students can select a plan that is right for their needs.

The first type of plan is a block plan. From the first day of class to the last exam, block dining plans carry through for the entire semester. Block plans budget meals automatically by guaranteeing a maximum number of meals each week. Within the week, participants can use up to four meals per day during designated periods for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night. A meal is deducted each time the student enters the Danforth or Eastman School Dining Center or when a single transaction purchase for up to $5 is made in a retail dining outlet. The latter is termed meal equivalency.

Declining balance is another plan available to resident students. It works like a bank debit card. Every time a purchase is made, the dollar amount is subtracted from the individual's total existing account dollars, gradually lowering the balance. In retail dining locations, this plan offers a 25 percent discount on a la carte purchases. While this plan gives flexibility and allows control of daily spending, the student is responsible for budgeting food dollars through the whole semester.

Both plan types offer two guest passes per semester and are securely tied in with the University photo identification card. For more information about which plan type and spending level might be best for you, contact the Customer Service Center at (716) 275-8756.

Flexible spending open to all students

With recent changes to the dining plans, all students now can open a flexible spending account, known as a flex account. This is a declining balance account accessed by your student ID. The funds may be spent at any of the locations where you see the "Flex It" sticker, including all University dining outlets, the bookstores, C-Stores, Computer Sales, Common Market, copiers, and many laundry and vending locations. Flex accounts are activated by making a deposit at any of the deposit locations, including the value transfer stations located in the libraries the Customer Service Center on the first floor of the Susan B. Anthony Residence Hall.

Have a question about the flex account? Call the Customer Service Center at (716) 275-3975.

UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICE

The hours for the University Health Service offices will remain the same for the 1998-99 academic year. The UHS office in the Medical Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays throughout the year (except Tuesdays when the office opens at 9 a.m.).

The UHS offices on the River Campus and at the Eastman School will be open for the academic year, except during school vacations. The River Campus office, located in Susan B. Anthony Residence Hall, will reopen Saturday, August 29 at 2 p.m. After that time, the River Campus office will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, except for school vacations. UHS' Eastman School office in Eastman Commons 106 will reopen Monday, August 31 and will be open weekdays during the school year.

Insurance coverage

All full-time students must complete the Health Insurance Options Form each year. It is on this form that students indicate their insurance coverage. For questions about health insurance and completion of the form, call the UHS insurance adviser at (716) 275-2637.

Health history

Reminder to new students: All new full-time students must complete the Health History Form, which asks for the student's immunization history. This information is required by New York state and must be completed by all newly matriculated students. For questions about the form, call (716) 275-0697 or send an e-mail message to dleombrone@uhs.rochester.edu.

Immunization Clinic

Students who are unable to complete the immunization requirement before coming to campus can come to the UHS Immunization Clinic to receive the immunizations required to complete the health history form. The clinic will be held Thursday, August 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the UHS River Campus Office in Susan B. Anthony Residence Hall. There will be a $25 fee for the visit, in addition to the cost of the immunizations. If you have questions, call the health history form office at (716) 275-0697.

Introducing a new physician

Lisa Schwartz M.D. joined the UHS physician staff August 1. She replaces Glenn Egelman, who recently moved from the Rochester area. Schwartz received her medical degree from the University's School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed her residency training in the Primary Care Program in Internal Medicine. Students, employees, and other members of the University community are welcome to choose Schwartz or any other physician at UHS as their primary care physician. For more information, call UHS at (716) 275-2638.

LIBRARIES

New and returning students will find many changes and improvements in the libraries. Here are a few of the good things to expect:

Expanded databases

ISI Citation Databases--includes Science Citation Index, Expanded Social Sciences Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index.

Coverage for this group of three related databases has been expanded backward in time, so it now covers from 1983 to the latest week. Search forward and backward through indexes to more than 8,000 scholarly publications. Use the extensive online "help" to refine your search, or ask for assistance at any library reference desk.

To reach the ISI group, point your browser to http://webofscience.com from any computer on the campus network. You can also use the "ISI Citation" tab under the "Databases" section of Voyager, or start from the library home pages. From off campus, use an ACC account (ACC ICAN.NET). At the end of your session, please log off from the ISI home page to permit another connection.

Expanded access: Lexis/Nexis

Now you can reach one version of Lexis/Nexis, the popular full-text news-and-case-law database, without having to come into the library. Our new Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe account, open to any University of Rochester student, faculty member, or staff member, can be reached on any campus terminal or from home computers for ACC account holders via the One Stop Electronic Resources web site (www.lib.rochester.edu/database/). Search tips for the Universe version are available at the Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe Search Guide (http://hplus.harvard.edu/help/universe.html).

For a more extensive version of Lexis/Nexis, you can come to the Rush Rhees reference department and use the "Academic Access" version. This version is somewhat different from the Lexis/Nexis students may remember from last year. Inquire at the reference desk for more details.

Newly available databases

Two databases have recently been made available to the entire University community through the Edward G. Miner Medical Library network (www.searchbank.com/searchbank/uroc_miner).

• Health Reference Center, 1994 - current
  Consumer health resources containing abstracts and some complete articles from over 150 journals, five reference books, and more than 500 pamphlets. Use this database to find articles on fitness, pregnancy, medicine, nutrition, diseases, public health, occupational health and safety, alcohol and drug abuse, HMOs, prescription drugs, and the like.

• Computer Database ASAP, 1995 - current
  Use this database to find computer-related product introductions, news, and reviews in areas such as hardware, software, electronics, engineering, communications, and the application of technology.

Full-text electronic journals? Follow the blue link!

Over the last several months, we've acquired access to many more full-text journals, and our catalogers have linked them to Voyager, so you can discover them more easily. When you type in a journal title and one of your results says [computer file] at the end of the title, choose that listing, then watch for On-line access in blue on the record. Click on the blue for a direct link to the full-text, online version of the journal.

New map collection at Carlson

Carlson Library now houses a major collection of maps for the University. Formerly located in the Multimedia Center, the map collection in Carlson includes approximately 100,000 maps, including U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps for all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. There are also thousands of other maps (geologic, political, hydrologic, etc.) of all parts of the world, bathymetric maps, maps of national parks, and satellite images.

Carlson Library has digital mapping resources, too. TopoScout is a set of five CDs of 7.5-minute, color topographic maps of New York State. Other digital mapping resources include Digital Elevation Model data, Digital Linegraph data, ArvView mapping software for GIS (Geographical Information Systems), and U.S. Census TIGER files. So when you want to take a hike--or just explore the world from the indoors--come to Carlson Library for a map to guide you.

Invest your time; one hour will pay big rewards

After school gets going, both Rush Rhees (humanities, social sciences) and Carlson Library (sciences, engineering) will offer one-hour tours to all interested students. Get to know the people who can answer your questions, help you plan your term paper and library research, and provide one-on-one consultation. On the tours, we'll show you how to get to the stacks, where to find each library department or service, and how to use the libraries more effectively. We'll also demonstrate Voyager, our on-line system for our own catalog and connecting point to a host of off-site databases like the Encyclopedia Britannica, full-text electronic journals, and other Internet links.

Exact dates and times for the tours are not yet set, so watch for announcements on the Libraries' home page and in Campus Times. Or just stop in at the Rush Rhees or Carlson reference desks for details.

Help is always available!

Again this year, both Rush Rhees and Carlson will offer one-on-one sessions to help you launch your research project or term paper.

At Rush Rhees, term paper research assistance helps you plan your humanities or social sciences paper with maximum effectiveness, aided by a librarian's undivided attention in a quiet place, right at the start. The librarian will help plan a research strategy, suggest appropriate subject headings and databases for your topic, and demonstrate some print and electronic sources that may be new to you. Call Rush Rhees reference at x5-4437 for details.

At Carlson's Library Research and Writing Assistance Program, you will meet individually with a science librarian to plan your library research, develop a strategy, identify key terms, select relevant print or electronic resources, evaluate and organize the information you find, use style and citation guides, and prepare bibliographies. Follow-up sessions are available as needed. Contact Carlson reference at x5-4465.

SECURITY SERVICES

For 1998 University Security Services is pleased to present Think Safe for your ongoing use as an information resource. The title has been changed (formerly Safety Matters) and the format has been redesigned based on ideas submitted by students, staff, and faculty.

Think Safe has three parts. The main booklet contains information on security programs, practices and procedures, with key areas highlighted for easy reference. The map includes sites for blue light emergency phones, a summary of safety tips, and a list of emergency numbers.

The third part contains information on the number and general location of certain crimes reported to the University. Besides serving as a tally, the narrative section will be updated by Security to address questions raised by members of our community and as required by regulatory changes.

A new logo was created and will be used widely on publications that address personal safety issues. Developed under the auspices of the Committee on Campus Safety, the three wavy lines represent intellect in action. The words "Think Safe" in the logo are to remind us of our role, as individuals, in remaining aware of personal safety issues.

Please take a moment to read your copy of Think Safe when you receive it, and hang onto it for use during the coming years. You may call Security Services at (716) 275-3340 for more information.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Let's talk trash!

As you can imagine, activities at the University result in a tremendous amount of solid waste. Efforts to minimize this waste and its impact on the environment are ongoing. Each of us has a role to play to achieve success in recycling and waste minimization.

The best way to manage waste is to never generate it in the first place. Simple, you say. Planning ahead, not wasting supplies, proofreading documents prior to printing, using e-mail rather than memos, not taking more napkins than you need at lunch, and other simple waste avoidance actions taken by each of us can add up to a huge reduction in waste.

Recycling

Buying recyclable items is the first step. However, this will do no good unless recyclable materials are placed in the proper receptacle for recycling. Again, each person's effort is essential. This involves placing the material in the proper container as well as not contaminating the recyclables with non-recyclable items.

Recycling containers are located at many points on River Campus. Please take time to find the one that is located near you. If you have questions about recycling, you can call the following: River Campus, x3-4567; Medical Center, x5-6253;Eastman School, x4-1170; and Memorial Art Gallery, 473-7720, x3041.

Waste Minimization Committee

This group meets periodically to evaluate current waste disposal practices and to discuss ways to decrease overall waste generation. Students count among our members. Great success and improvements have been realized in paper recycling, regulated medical waste reduction, hazardous waste minimization, and making recycling facilities more readily available for students.

Help and good ideas are always welcome. If you would like to learn more, call Mark Schwartz, x5-2026, or Marvin Stillman, x5-2056.