Famed author Salman Rushdie
to speak on November 14
Salman Rushdie, winner of several international literary prizes and awards, will speak to the University of Miami community on “At What Cost Safety? Today’s Moral Compass” on Monday, November 14 at 6 p.m. in the College of Business Administration’s Storer Auditorium on the Coral Gables campus. The event is part of the Jane S. Roberts Lecture Series in collaboration with the University of Miami School of Communication.

Rushdie will discuss the threat of modern terrorism, something the author experienced firsthand. By simply exercising his right to freedom of thought and speech, he came to live under the constant threat of death from the same kind of religious extremism that today is driving much of the violence and terror in the world. His book The Satanic Verses was deemed sacrilegious by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeni, who issued a fatwa against the author in 1989. Despite this death sentence, Rushdie went on to write about his unique upbringing and personal history, upon which he makes bold statements about modern life. His most recent novel, Shalimar the Clown, was released in September.

An astute observer of events in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and other hotspots, Rushdie argues that America and her allies must do a better job of evaluating the gains being made by the current war on terror, versus its costs—in lives, international cooperation, and the goodwill of the very people we are trying to liberate.

Honoring Hausler’s leadership Jeannette F. Hausler, dean of students at the School of Law, received the Lawyers in Leadership Award last Wednesday from the school’s Center for Ethics and Public Service. Hausler, a native of Cuba who received her law degree from UM in 1953, has served the law school for more than 30 years as an associate dean and dean of students. Looking on are Professor Anthony V. Alfieri (right), founder and director of the Center for Ethics and Public Service, and School of Law Dean Dennis O. Lynch.

Open Enrollment is here; Benefits Fairs to provide information, flu shots
The 2006 Open Enrollment period runs through Friday, November 18, and employees should visit myUM at https://myum.miami.edu to enroll in benefits. All faculty and staff who want health care coverage for themselves and their family through the University in 2006 are required to enroll via myUM. Below are some helpful tools to assist you in making the right choice for health care coverage.

University employees can attend a series of Benefits Fairs for updated information on benefits and provider companies; to receive assistance using the MyUM system to select a health care plan; and to get free flu shots. The Open Enrollment Benefits Fair schedule is below. The Benefits Fairs will have extended flu shot hours in order to accommodate all faculty and staff who wish to receive one. You must present your UM ID ('Cane Card) to receive a flu shot.

It's that season: flu shots available at Daystar
Flu immunizations are now being offered at the Coral Gables Practice (Daystar) to its patients and University employees with Humana coverage between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Flu shots are also available at many physicians' offices and clinics. Priority will be given to patients being seen for scheduled appointments, and wait times will vary. More information is available at www.cdc.gov/flu.

Political activist Ralph Reed to speak as part of President’s Lecture Series
Ralph Reed, who chaired the Georgia Republican Party in 2002, has worked on seven presidential campaigns, and served as chairman of the Southeast Region for Bush-Cheney ’04, will lecture on “Values and Politics in America” as part of the University’s President’s Lecture Series on Thursday, November 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the School of Business Administration’s Storer Auditorium. Reed, named by Newsweek magazine as one of the top ten political newsmakers in the nation, is founder of Century Strategies, a public affairs firm with offices in Washington, D.C., and Duluth, Georgia. The event is for the University community only.

Deadline for ordering commencement regalia is today
Commencement exercises will be held on Thursday and Sunday, December 15 and 18 at the University of Miami Convocation Center on the Coral Gables campus.

Faculty are encouraged to join their graduating students in the academic procession and to sit with them in the audience. Regalia are free for faculty, and the deadline to place your order is today Monday, November 7. Go to the commencement Web site, www.miami.edu/capandgown, to place your order.

Also, it is extremely important that you RSVP to ensure adequate seating in the faculty section. To RSVP, please e-mail your school/college and contact telephone number to commencement@miami.edu.

For further information regarding commencement, please call Allison Gillespie in the Office of Commencement at 305-284-1821 or via email at agillespie@miami.edu.

Bidding is open for silent auction Business Services announces the launch of the annual Silent Auction Web site, featuring iPod nanos, digital cameras, a custom UM football package, a Circle K shopping spree, a generator, and much, much more. Please visit the Web site at www.miami.edu/business-services-silent-auction and bid on your favorite items. Winners will be announced Monday, December 12. All proceeds benefit the University of Miami’s United Way campaign. Book sale will support United Way Looking for a good textbook on English to brush up on your writing skills? How about a good children’s tale, or science fiction story. The University of Miami’s Counseling Center will feature all types of books—from fiction and nonfiction to textbooks and reference works—at its book sale on Tuesday, November 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University Center Breezeway. Funds raised will benefit the United Way. Editor's Note: e-Veritas will include submissions for United Way fundraising events or sales in the Monday editions only and no more than eight days prior to the actual date of the event.

Do your children need help with reading?
The School of Education is offering individual and small-group reading instruction for children of University employees. This program is available free of charge to approximately 20 children in kindergarten through third grade who are experiencing difficulties with reading. Children will work with graduate students in education who are earning a master's or doctorate in reading and learning disabilities and who are enrolled in the course Assessment and Intervention for Reading and Related Learning Disabilities. To obtain an application form, send an e-mail to Maria Carlo. Applications will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Nomination deadline extended for Faculty Senate's Faculty Scholar Award
Due to the closure of the University caused by Hurricane Wilma, the deadline for nominations for the Faculty Senate's Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award has been extended to Wednesday, November 16. If you have a colleague who is an extraordinary scholar, let the Faculty Senate know and help them be recognized. This award is given to acknowledge either a single outstanding scholarly achievement or a lifetime of distinguished accomplishment in any area of research or creative activity. Nomination materials are due to the Faculty Senate office by Wednesday, November 16. For complete details and instructions, visit the Web site.

Vote for Sebastian as mascot of the year
The University's lovable mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, is among the members of the fourth annual Capital One All-America Mascot Team, made up of 12 characters deemed the best of the mascots. And the fuzz and fur are flying as the 12 vie for the coveted title of Capital One Mascot of the Year. Fans can vote every day for Sebastian online at www.capitalonebowl.com until Tuesday, November 15. The winner will be announced on January 2, 2006, during the Capital One Bowl.

Get your financial questions answered
A representative from TIAA-CREF will be on the Coral Gables campus on today and Tuesday, November 7 and 8, and the medical campus on Wednesday and Thursday, November 9 and 10, to conduct individual counseling sessions. To schedule an appointment, visit
http://www.tiaa-cref.org/moc or call 1-800-842-2003 ext. 3522.

Insuring the bottom line "The bottom line is that if a business loses operational capability there is loss of potential customers, reputations at stake and the potential of letting the competition gain ground which all translates into lost revenue." M. Lewis Temares, vice president of Information Technology and dean of the College of Engineering, on a business continuity and disaster recovery service launched by the University's Information Technology Institute (UM/ITEx) and the U.S. subsidiary of global telecommunications leader Telefonica. University Business (November 3) Captain of the ship "I like to describe myself as a tugboat captain, because it’s not easy to lead these institutions. Cabinet agencies are hierarchical. They have a lot of fat and resources. Though the policy issues may be complex, government agencies are much easier to run than universities." President Donna E. Shalala, the subject of a cover story, on leading the University. The Greentree Gazette (November 2005) An eye-opener "The setting is jarring. It's an eye-opener. Every one of these people should probably raise a red flag. If these human subject recruitment mills are the norm around the country, then our system is in deep trouble." Ken Goodman, director of the University’s Bioethics Program, on the pharmaceutical industry’s use of poor, desperate people to test experimental drugs. Bloomberg (November 2)

Learn about long-term care insurance
A representative from the University’s long-term care insurance plan, UNUM, will conduct informational seminars to help employees better understand the benefits of long-term care insurance. If you don’t know about long-term care insurance or why you need it, this seminar is for you. Three seminars will be held on Monday, November 14: on the Rosenstiel campus, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., in the Library Map and Chart Room; on the Coral Gables campus, from 12 to 1 p.m., in room 139 of the Max Orovitz Building; and on the medical campus, from 3 to 4 p.m., in room 1301 of UM/Sylvester. To register, go to www.miami.edu/netlearning. For questions about registration, call 305-284-5110 (Gables/Rosenstiel) or 305-243-3090 (Medical). For more information, click here and scroll down or call the Employee Assistance Program at 305-284-6604.

Take your candles and incense home
As a reminder to all employees, the burning of candles, incense, and other incendiary items for decorative, aromatherapy, or aesthetic purposes is prohibited in University buildings (unless in accordance with other University policies and procedures, and or authorized by the authority having jurisdiction). Help keep the University a safe place to work.

Through Sunday, November 27 Free screenings of classic films mark rededication of Cosford Cinema In honor of the rededication of the Bill Cosford Cinema, which recently had a new projection and sound system installed, the University of Miami School of Communication will present free screenings of classic films throughout the month of November. The cinema will present the screenings, which are open to the public, on Sundays at 3 p.m.: November 13, Schindler’s List; November 20, The Sting; and November 27, Singin’ in the Rain. The Cosford Cinema is located on the second floor of the Memorial Building. To reserve a seat, please call 305-284-8476.

Tuesday, November 8 Musical Colors of Autumn. The Civic Chorale of Greater Miami and the Alhambra Orchestra present this concert at 8 p.m. at the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall. Works to be performed include Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. IV and folk song adaptations by Aaron Copland. The concert will culminate as both the orchestra and the chorale present Randall Thompson's Last Words of David and the Kyrie from Beethoven's Mass in C. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors. For further information, call 305-238-1611 or send an e-mail to civicchorale.music@miami.edu.

Wednesday, November 9 Russell Sherman Piano Recital. The Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music will present a piano recital by Russell Sherman at 8 p.m. at the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall as part of the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation Distinguished Visitors Series. Sherman has a reputation as a virtuoso and interpreter of remarkable intelligence and has performed with the country’s leading orchestras. Tickets are general admission, $15; seniors, $10; and students, $5. On Friday, November 11 from 12:15 to 2:15 p.m., Russell will give a master class at the Victor E. Clarke Recital Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

(New) Thursday, November 10 through Saturday, November 19 Bat Boy: The Musical. The Department of Theatre Arts presents a classic love story and a modern-day musical comedy with a tabloid twist. Ripped from the headlines of The Weekly World News, Bat Boy: The Musical tells the amazing story of a half-boy/half-bat creature who is discovered in a cave near Hope Falls, West Virginia. The musical-horror-comedy follows Bat Boy’s struggle to find his pointy-eared place in a world that shuns him and the love that can create both miracles and madness. Admission to the musical is $18 for weeknights and matinees, $20 for Friday and Saturday nights. Discount admission for seniors, students, faculty, staff, and alumni is $16 for weeknights and matinees and $18 for Friday and Saturday nights. For more information, contact the box office Monday through Friday between 12 and 5:00 p.m. at 305-284-3355, or log on to www.miami.edu/ring.

Saturday, November 12 Beat Down 2005. South Florida hip-hop radio station 103.5 FM The Beat will host a concert at 7 p.m. at the UM Convocation Center. Artists scheduled to appear include Bow Wow, Mike Jones, Marques Houston, 3-6 Mafia, Omarion, Youngbloodz, Dem Franchize Boyz, Jahiem, and more to be announced. Tickets, on sale now for $15, $20, $35 and $50 plus service charges, are available through the UM Convocation Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone at 305-358-5885, or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

(New) Tuesday, November 8 The Mort Silverblatt Head and Neck Cancer Support Group Meeting. The group will meet from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach (1192 East Newport Center Drive, Suite 100, Deerfield Beach), where Rosa Caiseda, an oncology social worker at UM/Sylvester, will present “Caregiver Support.” The support group is free of charge and open to all head and neck cancer survivors, their families, and friends. Participants need not be patients of UM/Sylvester. The group meets the second Tuesday of every month. For additional information, including directions to UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach, call 1-800-545-2292 or 305-243-1000.

Tuesday, November 8 Communication Skills for Emerging Leaders Workshop. This course was developed by the Employee Assistance Program and is part of the Leadership Academy offered through the Professional Development and Training Office. Participants will learn to avoid acting as if they take accusations personally, to listen reflectively, to focus on the speaker's problem, and how to involve the other person in finding a solution. The workshop will be held in the Library Map and Chart Room on the Rosenstiel campus from 12 to 2 p.m. For more information about content, contact Bonita Cales at 305-284-6604. To register, visit http://netlearning.miami.edu. For questions about registration, call 305-243-3090.

(New) Tuesday and Wednesday, November 8 and 9 Introduction to Assertiveness. This workshop, conducted by the Employee Assistance Program and open to all UM employees, will explore how assertiveness is different from, and often more effective, than other communication styles. The workshop will be held Tuesday, November 8, from 9 to 11 a.m. on the medical campus, room 155 in the Dominion Garage, and Friday, November 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. on the Coral Gables campus, room 139 in the Max Orovitz Buidling. For more information, call Sally Philips at 305-284-6604. To enroll, go to http://netlearning.miami.edu.

(New) Wednesday, November 9 "Breast Awareness: What Every Woman Should Know." Eli Avisar, M.D., assistant professor of surgical oncology at the Miller School of Medicine and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Site Disease Group at UM/Sylvester, will present this topic from noon to 1 p.m. at UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach (1192 East Newport Center Drive, Suite 100, Deerfield Beach). A light lunch will be served. The presentation, part of the Conversations about Cancer series, is free of charge. Seating is limited. To register, call 1-800-545-2292.

(New) Wednesday, November 9 "Making Money in America: The Cuban-American Experience." George Feldenkreis, chairman and CEO of Perry Ellis International and a University of Miami trustee, will lecture on this topic at 7 p.m., at Casa Bacardi at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, 1531 Brescia Avenue, on the Coral Gables campus. This is the third of four lectures in the Lehman Brothers Select Lecture Series, which features four Cuban-Americans sharing their business success stories. The lecture is free to UM faculty, staff, and students with ID, $15 for others. For more information and reservations, call 305-284-CUBA (2822).

Wednesday, November 9 Maternal Child Health Training Web Cast. Sponsored by the National Center on Cultural Competence at Georgetown University and the Pediatric Pulmonary Centers training programs, this session is at 2 p.m. in the eighth-floor auditorium of the Mailman Center for Child Development. To R.S.V.P., call Wanda Castro at 305-243-6123.

Wednesday, November 9 Tribal Arts Society slide lecture. F. Kent Reilly III of the Department of Anthropology at Texas State University in San Marcos presents "Visions from Another Realm: Mississippian Art and Symbolism" at 7:30 p.m. at the Lowe Art Museum. The lecture is free to members of the Tribal Arts Society, $10 for others. For more information, contact Linda Chapin at 305-284-4246.

Thursday through Saturday, November 10 to 12 The Seventh Biennial Conference of the Society for Renaissance and Baroque Hispanic Poetry. The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures is sponsoring this event featuring keynote speeches by Amanda Powell, poet, translator, and professor at the University of Oregon, and Antonio Carreño, the W. Duncan MacMillan Family Professor in the Humanities at Brown University. For more information, send an e-mail to a.merideth@miami.edu or call 305-284-5585.

Thursday, November 10 "An Empire of Law? Interracial Violence and the 'Rule of Law' in the British Empire." The Department of History Speaker Series hosts Martin Wiener, the Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of History at Rice University, for this lecture from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the third-floor conference room of the Otto G. Richter Library. For more information, contact Mary Lindemann at mlindemann@miami.edu.

(New) Friday, November 11 "One Thing at a Place: Problems with Co-Location." The Department of Philosophy presents John Biro, professor of philosophy at the University of Florida. Biro is co-editor of Spinoza: Metaphysical Themes (2001); Frege: Sense and Reference One Hundred Years Later (1995); Mind, Brain, and Function (1982); and Spinoza: New Perspectives (1978). His lecture will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Building, room 110. For more information, visit the Department of Philosophy, or call 305-284-4757.

(New) Saturday, November 12 Community and Family Forum on Sickle Cell Disease: Beyond the Basics. This educational session is for patients, families, and other individuals interested in learning more about sickle cell disease. It will be held at the medical campus’s Diagnostic Treatment Center, Room 259, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is free of charge, and breakfast and lunch will be provided. The main speakers will be Ofelia Alvarez, M.D., pediatric hematologist at UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, who will discuss research in sickle cell disease; Russell Ware, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric hematologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, who will be speaking about stroke in sickle cell disease and the new SWiTCH trial; and Shirley Miller, manager, community relations at Advocacy, Southwestern Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, in Dallas, Texas, who will address advocacy for sickle cell disease. Please RSVP by November 7 with number of people attending to oalvarez2@med.miami.edu.

Saturday, November 12 How to Become a Town Architect. This course is an intensive introduction to the subject and part of a series of executive education courses offered by the Knight Program in Community Building at the School of Architecture. The course fee is $250.Visit www.arc.miami.edu/knight or contact Julia Pizarro at jpizarro@miami.edu or 305-284-3731 for more information.

(New) Various dates The Leadership Academy courses. The Leadership Academy offers a competency-based approach to leadership development that focuses on skills required to meet current and future performance challenges of University managers, supervisors, and other leaders. Courses that will be offered through the rest of the semester include Performance Improvement Management, Change Management Skills for Supervisors, Delegation Skills for Supervisors, Setting Personal Goals, Teambuilding Skills for Supervisors, Decision Making Skills for Supervisors, and Meeting Facilitation Skills for Supervisors. To learn more about the Leadership Academy, visit www.miami.edu/development-training/la or call 305-243-3090 or 305-284-5110. To register for sessions, go to NetLearning at http://netlearning.miami.edu.