Newbriefs Recent books by faculty are now featured on The Graduate Center's website at www.gc.cuny.edu/miscellaneous/bookshelf.htm. The page displays books from the current year, with a link to the Virtual Bookshop for convenient online ordering, as well as a link the previous year's books. The Office of Public Affairs and Publications, room 8302, welcomes submissions of new books to be included on this page. The Graduate Center's 2002 CUNY Campaign kicks off on October 16. Nancy Saieh, campaign coordinator, would like to thank all of those who have participated in previous years and hopes that they will give again this year. "Without your help, the charitable agencies that we help to fund will be unable to provide the services they offer," she says. "Your participation is not only important for The Graduate Center but for those less fortunate than us." This year the goal is to increase participation and raise $25,000. Contribution books and forms will be distributed and can be returned to Nancy Saieh in room 8105.06. At the Employee Recognition Awards in the spring, President Horowitz will present two plaques‹one to the department or discipline with the highest percentage of participation, and another to the department or discipline with the most revenue raised. Your support is appreciated in these difficult times. A limited number of Holocaust-related research grants for the 2002-2003 academic year are available through the J. & O. Winter Holocaust Research Fund of the Rosenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies. For further information and application forms, please contact Randolph L. Braham, director of the Rosenthal Institute, Room 5301, 1-212-817-1949. Faculty members are reminded that the deadline for proposals for spring 2003 programs in the CUNY Faculty Development Program is Friday, October 18, at 5 p.m. Requests for proposals have been sent to all college presidents and chief academic and grants officers. For more information about the CUNY Faculty Development Program, including copies of the current request for proposals, visit http://web.gc.cuny.edu/cfd/rfp.html. The Medieval Festival in New York: Rethinking the Middle Ages, October 10 through November 10, includes several events held at The Graduate Center including a weekly series of Medieval-themed films on video (visit http://math.gc.cuny.edu/medieval_film_festival.html for informaion), a concert of Medieval music (October 21), and two colloquia: "Medieval Frames and Margins" (October 25), and "Black Pearl: Blackness in the Middle Ages" (November 8). (See Events for details.) The Medieval Festival is organized in partnership with Lire En Fête (October 18-20)‹a literary festival sponsored by the French Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, among other France-related organizations‹and features events throughout the city such as a "Medieval Garden Day" at the Cloisters, film showings at Lincoln Center, and an exhibit of Medieval manuscripts at the Morgan Library. Festival sponsors from The Graduate Center include the Ph.D. Programs in Comparative Literature, French, Hispanic & Luso-Brazilian Literatures, and Mathematics, the Center for the Humanities, and Continuing Education & Public Programs. For more information, please contact the French program at 1-212-817-8365. HR News During the Fall 2002 Transfer Period, October 15-November 15, employees may change health plans, add or drop dependents, or add or drop the optional rider. The effective date of changes will be January 9, 2003. (The New York City Health Benefits Program is currently evaluating health plan proposals, and this process may result in some changes in the future‹employees will be notified.) The Open Enrollment Period for Flexible Account Programs is from September 23-November 22: * Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) and Dependent Care Program (DeCap): Employees may elect to have payroll deductions taken, up to $5,000, on a pre-tax basis for health care and/or dependent care expenses. The plan year covers January 1-December 31, and re-enrollment is required each year. * Health Benefits Buy-Out Waiver Program: Employees can waive coverage if insured under a spouse's or domestic partner's employer-provided non-City group health plan. Effective date for participation in the program is January 1, 2003. Faculty members are reminded that completed Multiple Position Report Forms are due in the Office of Human Resources no later that October 18, 2002. The New York State Ethics Commission requires colleges to submit the names of faculty who fail to submit reports by November 15, 2002. Additional information and forms are available from the Office of Human Resources, 1-212-817-7700.