Alcalá View 2001 17.9

SEA Backs Faculty Request to Study Benefits Upgrade T he Staff Employees Assoc iation at its May meeting voted to send a memo to President Alice B. Hayes acknowl- edging support of two actions recently taken by the University Senate. not on par with other universities. Employees are concerned in particular that benefits don't cover costs for vision

(Continued from page two) approximately 8~3 square-feet, new appliances and one parking space is for rent in Village Square, agated community at 4000 Mt. Alifan Place in Clairemont. The community, a10- minute drive to USO, features two pools and ajacuzzi, aclubhouse and security. Rent is $950 per month. No pets or smokers. Call Jo Powers at ext. 6919 or e-mail jopowers@ Angie Barkacs, mother of Associate Professor Craig Barkacs, and moth- er-in-law of adjunct Professor Linda Barkacs, both in the School of Business Administration, on April 21 . Stephen Macdonald, father-in-law of Olivia Gil-Guevara, assistant direc- tor of alumni relations, on April 28. Root, root, root for the home team The SEA reserved 300 seats for an employee trip to see the Padres square off against the Dodgers, 7:05 p.m., June 30, at Qualcomm Stadium. Tickets are $8. An order form was sent to all employees. For information, call Nina Sciuto at ext. 8762 or Anna Cain at ext. 4681 . Correction Astory called "Creating aMore Diverse Campus, One Step at a Time," in the May edition of the Alcala View, incorrectly stated that the Rainbow Educators received a peacemakers award from the San Diego Mediation Center. The award was in fact received by the University Colloquium, agroup that conducted ayearlong examination of the USO community's relationship to its sexu- ally diverse members in light of its mission as aRoman Catholic institu- tion. In addition, the University Senate did not discuss the University Plan for Diversity and Inclusion on May 3, but will discuss it at afuture meeting. sandiego.edu. Passages Deaths

The SEA backed a motion passed by the University Senate recommending that the president convene a health benefits task force. The group would look into upgrading USO's medical insurance benefits

duri n g the next three years so they equal or exceed coverage leve ls provided by comparable institutions.

The memo also ou tlined SEA support for a senate recommendation that USO join a consorti um for tuition exchange, which would allow employees to use tuition remis- sion benefits at other universities. "This is an important moment at the uni- vers ity," says Margie Carroll, chair of the SEA's benefits committee. "The facu lty and staff have come together for a common need in light of USO's mission statement and commitment to justice." The president is review ing both issues and plans to report back to the University Senate in the fall. Hayes says she is considering USO mem- bership in a consortium called The Tuition Exchange, which has hundreds of public and private university members nationwide offer- ing undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. She has asked Provost Frank Lazarus to review the terms of membership and recommend what portion of USO tuition remission benefits shou ld be allocated. The health benefits discussion came in the wake of a forum sponsored recently by the SEA and the American Association of University Professors, at which some employees said the USO benefits package is

benefits, and I want to see if that's uni- versa l," Hayes says. "I want to have more conversations with people about how they recommend that the compensation resources be distributed. If we make changes, they will not be distributed evenly, and there has to be that understanding."

Aromas (Continued from page one)

campus will be wireless. "Aromas was the righ t place to st ar t because of its atmosphere," says Loryn Johnson , marketing and development man- ager for dining services. "It looks like a study hall. In the deli students are socializing or getting a bite before class, but in Aromas they're h anging out, studying and carrying around laptops the way we previously car- ried around notebooks."

Wireless techno logy was first tested on campus about a year ago in the student com- puting department and nearby lounge in the University Center. Two more locations wi ll go wire less this summer - the School of Business Administration and Trad itions, which will be renovated and open in the fall as the Torero Gri lle. Eventually the who le