Dr. Sura Rath, Central Washington University English professor and director of the William O. Douglas Honors College, has been selected for a Fulbright Scholar grant to present American literature lectures in India during fall quarter 2004.

Announced by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, award recipients are chosen based on academic or professional achievement and their demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields of study.

Rath will teach graduate and undergraduate seminars at his undergraduate alma mater, the 170-year-old Ravenshaw College. Supporting an enrollment of 4,000 students, the school's English curriculum, like that at most universities and colleges in India, is based on the British pattern, according to Rath.

"But, in recent years, English departments across India are introducing American literature options for English majors at the master's and doctoral level," he says. "Part of my task will be to help develop curricula and faculty support there."

While in India, Rath will also offer faculty seminars on American literature and literary theory at a dozen universities.

He is one of about 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad to some 140 countries during the next academic year through the Fulbright Scholar Program, established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright. The program helps build mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and those of other countries.

The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sponsors the Fulbright Program. During its 57 years of existence, thousands of U.S. faculty and professionals have studied, taught or conducted research abroad, and thousands of their peers from other countries have engaged in similar activities within the U.S.

This year, another Central professor, Dr. Tim Melbourne, geological sciences, also received a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and conduct research in Costa Rica during the 2004-2005 academic year.

In order to develop a strategic, long-range plan for all sports activities at Central Washington University, CWU President Jerilyn S. McIntyre has announced the formation of the university's "Blue Ribbon Commission on Athletics." It's charged with developing a plan that will encompass intercollegiate competition, intramural activities and club sports.

"I'm particularly encouraged by the breadth and talent represented on this commission," McIntyre says, "and I am confident that it will bring forward a proposal that can take us into the next decade and beyond."

At present more than 400 student-athletes participate on 14 intercollegiate athletic squads, not to mention 11 additional club sports teams. In excess of 3,000 Central students also take part in intramurals.

Dr. Ethan Bergman, associate dean of the CWU College of Education and Professional Studies and the university's faculty athletic representative, will chair the commission, consisting of representatives from the university and central Washington communities.

"We want to get input from people associated with CWU in helping us to answer, 'What is the role of athletics and activities on campus?'" Bergman says.

Bergman, a professor of food science and nutrition, says he was interested in chairing the committee since it also will make some recommendations that could help battle the country's obesity epidemic.

"My concern is to try to get as many people as possible involved in athletics and activities," he says. "We want to get a plan in place that would help us determine whether our current offerings of intercollegiate sports, club sports and intramurals are adequate to meet the needs for our students to develop skills and interests, so they remain active in their adult lives."

The commission's is work expected to take at least a year. When completed, the commission's recommendations will also help guide university administrators in making strategic funding decisions when the need arises, Bergman adds.

Shery FORREST assumed the post of assistant athletic director for academics and compliance and senior woman administrator at CWU on Aug. 2. Prior to coming to Central, Forrest served as the Arkansas Tech University tennis coach for four years. She was also the compliance officer and senior woman administrator for the past three years.

Dr. Daniel MASDEN is the new CWU director of testing and assessment. Masden came to Central from the Educational Testing Service in San Antonio, Texas. He has also been director of assessment for the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. He assumed the CWU post on July 19.

CWU NAMES COB/LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Lauren S. Pitz Fortune has been appointed as Central Washington University's new development officer for the College of Business and Library.

For the past year, Fortune has served as director of donor relations at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where she was responsible for establishing a new donor recognition and stewardship program, and managing scholarship compliance.

Fortune also worked as manager of donor recognition, from 1990 to '94, and director of donor relations, from 1994 to 2002, in the University of Washington office of development. Her responsibilities there included publications, marketing, special events and premiums and clubs, including the university's $1 million "Donor Wall."

While at UW, her 2001 "UW Report to Contributors" won a 2002 CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Higher Education) National Bronze Award and her "VISTAS" newsletters received a 2001 CASE National Gold Award and 1998 CASE National Silver Award. In addition, she received the 1999 CASE National Circle of Excellence Award for Communications Programs.

She will begin her CWU responsibilities on Aug. 9.

2004-05 CWU STUDENT TRUSTEE NAMED

Gov. Gary Locke has appointed Central Washington University senior Crystal J. Manring, from Bremerton, to a position on the university's board of trustees for the 2004-05 academic year. She becomes the seventh student selected to represent university students on Central's governing board.

Manring, 21, is majoring in communication studies and political science at CWU. During the 2003-04 school year, she was the associated students of CWU (ASCWU) legislative liaison and spent winter quarter in Olympia lobbying for the interests of Central students. After interacting with other student trustees there, she decided to apply for the Central student trustee post.

Manring, who will attend law school after graduating from CWU, replaces student trustee Matthew Schmitt, whose 2003-04 term officially ended May 31.

The Washington state Legislature authorized a student seat on the governing bodies of the state's six public universities and college. Each student trustee serves a one-year term on the board. They are considered full-voting members on all issues, with the exception of personnel matters.

SHARED LEAVE DONATIONS

If you have leave you can't use, consider donating your leave to a fellow employee. Leave can be donated to those out because of serious accident or illness. Without significantly increasing the cost to the state for leave, the purpose of the Washington State leave-sharing program is to permit state employees to come to the aid of another state employee:

1. who is suffering from or has a relative or household member suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition; or,
2. who has been called to service in the uniformed services; and,
3. where the fact of either 1) or 2) has caused or is likely to cause the employee to take leave without pay or terminate his or her employment.

You may donate annual leave, accrued sick leave, or personal holiday.

• Donations are normally processed in blocks of eight hours, with a minimum total donation of eight hours required;
• Do not contribute annual leave hours which would reduce your balance to less than 10 days (80 hours), or the prorated equivalent if you are less than full time, or contribute any excess annual leave hours that you would otherwise be unable to use because of an approaching anniversary date;
• Do not contribute accrued sick leave hours that would reduce your balance to less than 167 hours. (Exempt employees on the sick leave accrual plan are the only exempt employees who are eligible to contribute sick leave. Disability Leave Bank hours may not be counted toward the minimum balance or donated for Shared Leave use.); and,
• All or part of your personal holiday may be donated.

To donate, download the form available at: www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms and return it to human resources.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5
Retreat: CWU Board of Trustees, through Aug. 6

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5
Summer six-week session closes

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15
Completion of Nicholson Pavilion floor refinishing project.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19
Summer second and full sessions close