The University Senate recently adopted, and President Hitchcock signed, a new smoking policy, effective this Fall. And some definite changes have been made, notes Holly Hawkes, senior personnel associate in the Office of Human Resources Management.

“The old smoking policy allowed for smoking in certain designated areas on the downtown campus, outside, and also in private offices,” she said. “The new smoking policy prohibits smoking in all indoor areas except in designated suites and bedrooms in the residence halls.”

Smoking is also prohibited in certain outdoor areas: within 30 feet of exterior ventilation intakes, within 10 feet of building entrances and open windows, and in all exterior stairwells. In general, exterior ventilation intakes are located at the corners of the academic podium, between academic buildings, behind residence hall towers and outside residence hall low rise buildings.

The University has asked the cooperation of all employees in enforcing the policy. Copies of the full text of the Senate resolution are available from the University Senate office, AD-259. Questions regarding the policy may be addressed to Holly Hawkes on 442-3155.

The Career Development Center has received $1,500 from Enterprise Rent-A-Car corporation to purchase a new computer for the Career Library. Primary emphasis for the gift will be on CD ROM materials for graduate school searches and for identification of potential employers.

“Enterprise Rent-A-Car has had a long-standing relationship with the Center,” said Victor J. DeSantis, the Center’s director. “It has hired many of our graduates, and shown its gratitude through its generous gifts.”

The Patroon Room will be having a Columbus Day Special Luncheon Buffet for $5.95 on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 11:30 - 2 p.m. The menu includes such entrees as chicken marsala, eggplant roll-ups, penne with tomato vodka sauce, vegetarian lentils, and bowties with fresh tomatoes and olives, accompanied by sautéed zucchini, spicy chick pea salad, soup, and desserts. Podium and Quads Plus cards are accepted. For reservations call 442-5985 or 442-5994.

In a cooperative effort among education and business to benefit a non-profit community group, graduate students from the Department of Geography & Planning used software from MapInfo, a Capital Region company, to develop an award-winning project for the Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (TRIP).

The award for outstanding student project was presented on Sept. 31 by the Upstate New York Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) at a ceremony in Syracuse. The project was praised for its quality, originality, thoroughness, and implementation. APA judges called it “a professional-level product deserving of this recognition.”

Fourteen students in Clifford Ellis “Planning Studio” course worked during the Fall 1995 Semester on the project for TRIP, a non-profit local community development agency. They focused on neighborhood revitalization strategies for North Central Troy. Using MapInfo software, the team created a geographic database of the area to track and update information on neighborhood characteristics such as land use, building category and condition, vacant lots, parking and transportation. The computer maps served as the foundation for the students’ research and analysis.

“We are grateful to the students and MapInfo for this exceptional project,” said Patrick Madden, executive director of TRIP. “The mapping software allows us to clearly present recommendations for neighborhood improvement. Those who live and work in the community can see how the plans will develop from start-to-finish. The software also saves time and money — important considerations for a non-profit organization with limited resources.”

The Center for the Arts & Humanities is pleased to announce a new lecture series on Faculty Works in Progress for 1996-97. Judith Baskin of the Department of Judaic Studies will present the first talk, “A Medieval Murder Mystery,” on Tuesday, Oct. 29,, at 4 p.m. in Humanities 354. The program is open to all. For further information, contact the Center at 442-4034.

The Capitol Chamber artists, featuring professor emeritus of music Irvin Gilman, will present works of four greats of classical music who showed their distinct talents even as children. Mendelssohn’s Concerto in d Minor, written when the composer was 12, the U.S. premiere of the Salomon transcription of Haydn’s Symphony no. 64 in A, Mozart’s Symphony no. 39 in E flat, and Strauss’s Blue Danube Waltz will be featured.

The concert is at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the First Congregational Church, 405 Quail St., Albany. Pre-concert recital, featuring works of Haydn, Mozart, Strauss and Anton Zimmerman, is at 7 p.m. $15 gen. admission, $8 for students.