The following committee meetings will take place Friday, June 15, in the Batten Arts and Letters Building:

- Academic Affairs and Administration and Finance - 12:45-1:15 p.m., joint meeting for presentation of the operating budget and plan, Room 107.

- Academic Affairs - 1:15-2:45 p.m., Room 105.

- Administration and Finance - 1:15-2:45 p.m., Room 107.

- Institutional Advancement - 3:15-4:30 p.m., Room 107.

- Student Affairs - 3:15-4:30 p.m., Room 105.


Conversation partners needed for foreign visitors
Looking for a little culture this summer?

If so, the English Language Center has a proposition for you. It involves spending two hours a week for five weeks interacting with one or more international students who will be on campus in July and early August.

Forty-four students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia will be here to participate in a program designed to give them an introduction to American culture and education. At the end of the summer, they will go to universities across the United States for graduate-level studies in the fields of law, public health, education, environmental management and public administration.

The conversation partner program is open to faculty, staff and students. "Benefits include increased knowledge of the world, new friendships and a small stipend," said Lydia Gross, an instructor at the English Language Center.

To sign up or for more information contact Gross at lgross@odu.edu.


"Parent Chats" resume June 13 at Child Study Ctr.
The university Parenting Center will continue its series of "Parent Chats" from 7:15-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, at the Kiwanis Parenting Center, located inside the Lions Child Study Center.

The forums, led by Katharine Kersey, professor of early childhood education and chair of the Department of Early Childhood, Speech Pathology and Special Education, will provide an opportunity for parents in Hampton Roads to talk with other parents and seek guidance and suggestions for living more harmoniously with their children.

Other chat sessions are scheduled for 7:15-8:30 p.m. July 11 and Aug. 15. For more information call 683-4121.

Michel elected president of Faculty Emeriti group

The Faculty Emeriti Association elected new officers at its meeting on May 9. The following officers will serve two-year terms:

- President - Robert F. Michel, associate professor emeritus of engineering technology.

- Vice President - Charles E. Bell, professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry.

-Treasurer - J. Hirst Lederle, associate professor emeritus of engineering technology.

- Recording Secretary - Carl N. Helwig, associate professor emeritus of educational leadership and special programs.

- Faculty Senate Representative - D. Alan Harris, associate professor emeritus of history.

- Directors - Nancy T. Bazin, eminent scholar emeritus of English, and Donald K. Marchand, associate professor emeritus of geological sciences.


Swartz named registrar
Mary M. Swartz was appointed university registrar, effective May 10. She has served as associate registrar since 1996 and for the last year as the acting registrar.

"Mary brings to the position a breadth of experience and great leadership and management abilities," said Robert L. Fenning, acting vice president for administration and finance, who announced the appointment.


Old Dominion to host free sports program for kids
Free programs in various sports will be offered to children in Norfolk and Virginia Beach this summer through a National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) hosted by Old Dominion.

Programs in basketball, flag football, golf, soccer, swimming, volleyball, softball and other games will be offered, along with classroom sessions on drug and alcohol awareness, nutrition, computers, career counseling, and math and science.

NYSP participants will meet from 12:30-5 p.m. June 18 through July 21 on campus and at Princess Anne Park near the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center.

Enrollment is free to children ages 10-16 whose parents meet Department of Health and Human Services income criteria. A daily meal is provided to all participants through the Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Program.

For more information call Robert Case, coordinator of Old Dominion's sport management program, 683-5962 or consult the program's Web site, web.odu.edu/sprtmgt.


Assistive technology conference set for June 14
The Darden College of Education will host the Virginia Assistive Technology System conference Thursday, June 14, in Webb Center.

VATS, a consumer-driven organization, advocates for the rights of the disabled community. One of the primary objectives of this year's conference, "Taking Control: Empowerment Through Self-Advocacy and Advocacy," is to provide practical solutions to the ongoing problem of advocacy.

The conference includes presentations and workshops, as well as a panel discussion on advocacy. The cost is $40.

The keynote speaker is author and lecturer Skip Wilkins. A former high school football and track star with more than 20 scholarship offers, Wilkins suffered a spinal cord injury in a water-skiing accident three days after his high school graduation that left him a quadriplegic.

His message, "Doing Your Best Is a Lifetime Job," has inspired CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, NFL athletes, sales professionals, students and even U.S. presidents. Wilkins has served on numerous presidential committees for the disabled.

State Sen. Yvonne Miller (5th District) will serve as moderator for the VATS conference. Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf will give closing remarks.

To register or for more information call 683-5773.


Correction
A story in the May 11 Courier included an incorrect amount for the TELETECHNET Faculty of the Year Award. The co-recipients, Leigh L. Butler and Joel English, received $2,000 each as this year's winners.

THE COURIER ONLINE