Case Western Reserve Social Work Professor Helps Women in Re-entry Program
Donni Wiley's life began to fall apart in 2000. Being sentenced to probation for a felony set in motion a chain of events that landed her jobless and living in a homeless shelter. Today, her life is different and her record has been expunged. Through a community-based organization that assists local women in getting their lives back together, Wiley had the opportunity to tell Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Ronald B. Adrine over lunch about those positive changes.
Kathleen Farkas, associate professor of social work at Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and consultant for Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry's Women Re-Entry Network (WREN), recently brought several women together with judges from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas and the Cleveland Municipal Court to give them the opportunity to discuss how they have made progress since their encounters with the criminal justice system. This is the second time that Farkas has assisted WREN in putting on the "Lunch with the Judges" program. Read more.
IT Services Restored in Full, Ahead of Schedule
The first phase of Case Western Reserve University's data center renovations project went off without major incident—and with all information technology applications up and running again ahead of schedule.
In order to accommodate construction and upgrade power and heating and cooling systems in the Data Center area of the Kelvin Smith Library, electricity to the entire building, including all servers, had to be turned off beginning at 5 p.m. on May 30. Within 24 hours, Information Technology Services staff, who worked around the clock over the weekend, started to restore power to some applications. All servers were back online and operational early June 1, and application testing was conducted throughout the day.
In addition to services such as Blackboard, the Student Information System (SIS) and the main university Web site being down, the university's mail servers also were offline for about 24 hours. As of the end of day on May 31, all incoming and outgoing e-mail received and sent over the weekend was being processed and delivered.
The next phase of the Data Center project involves electricians, plumbers and other construction crews working throughout the library. The only minor inconvenience expected for library staff and patrons will be shared use of elevators and some work in hallways.
Additional information about the renovation project is available online.
Campus News
The Judaic Studies (JDST) program, in conjunction with the Samuel Rosenthal Center for Jewish Studies, has launched the free online JDST e-Journal. The illustrated journal features student awards and honors, a student essay, a faculty member profile and other items of interest to students, faculty and friends of the JDST program. The premier issue can be accessed from the Judaic Studies Web site.
Just in time for spring and summer activities, Greater Clevelanders can now take advantage of discounts to movies, area restaurants and more by signing up for Case Western Reserve University's Case Community Card. The community card, which was introduced a few years ago as a pilot program for people living near the university in Cleveland wards 6-9, has recently expanded to include residents of other Cuyahoga County communities.
For Faculty and Staff
The Department of Human Resources is currently planning the 2008 Staff Awards Brunch to be held June 11 in the Thwing Center ballroom. The Staff Award event is held each year to recognize and honor employees with 10 and 25 years of service to the university, along with the recipients of the President's Award for Distinguished Service. Each President's Award recipient will receive a $1,000 cash gift and a certificate of recognition. Service award recipients will receive a gift of their choice and a certificate of recognition.
For Students
Beginning with the 2008-2009 academic year, Aetna Student Health will serve as the new administrator of the university's Student Medical Plan. Service will not be interrupted nor will the policy noticeably change. The student fee for the plan will increase slightly, to $660 per semester, due to rising healthcare costs in general. The university will continue to offer the Optional Dependent Medical to students who wish to purchase coverage for their dependent spouse, domestic partner and children. Details are forthcoming. Contact Louise Matchett at 368-3050 with questions.
Events
Parade the Circle, an interactive community arts event featuring a one-of-a-kind parade, entertainment, food and activities will take place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 14.
The 62nd Annual Book Sale continues through June 3 in Adelbert Gym. Books are housed in categories such as fiction, rare and unusual collectibles, humor, literature and more.
Refer to the Web event calendar for a list of events and activities on campus and in the community today and in the days ahead.
The views and opinions of those invited to speak on campus do not necessarily reflect the views of the university administration or any other segment of the university community.
