FAU has debuted a new multimedia website -- The Race and Change Initiative Youth Outreach Project. The new site, sponsored by the School of Communication and Multimedia Studies in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, includes a groundbreaking series of audio and video programs produced by and featuring college and high school students from Palm Beach County. The website offers free downloads of 46 audio podcasts and videos on race relations produced by and featuring FAU students and teenagers who represent a range of cultures not usually invited into the discussion of race. This includes some newer immigrant communities such as Guatemalans, Salvadorans, Brazilians, and Colombians. The stories, as well as transcripts and instructional activities, can be viewed and accessed on the site found at proteus.fau.edu/raceandchange/yop_comm forums.html and downloaded on FAU's University iTunes and on YouTube.

Parking permits are now available. Students, staff and faculty can obtain their permits online. Adjuncts will need to come to the office to obtain the permit. Red permits, which expire on Aug. 15, 2012, will be valid in Red permit lots until Sept 4. Anyone parking in Red permit lots with no permit will be cited. Blue permit and Green permit lots have until Sept. 4. All other violations are enforced. Visit www.fau.edu/parking. Questions? E-mail FAUPark@fau.edu.

The FAU Bookstore now has the NOOK at this special pricing:
- 16 GB NOOK Tablet: $199 (from $249)
- 8 GB NOOK Tablet: $179 (from $199)
- NOOK Color: $149 (from $169)
Now is the time to buy and all are available at the FAU Bookstore on the Boca Raton campus.

Community Blood Centers and FAU's Weppner Center for Civic Engagement & Service invite you to donate blood and save 3 lives. Community Blood Centers will be on campus for a blood drive on Aug. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (blood mobile outside of the Student Union) and Monday, Aug. 20 - Tuesday, Aug. 21 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Majestic Palm Room of the Student Union. Donors will receive a free t-shirt, pizza, fruit, iron and cholesterol screenings and one hour of community service. Picture ID required. Please stop by to donate! Questions? Contact the Weppner Center for Civic Engagement & Service at 561-297-3607.

Let the college of business help you find your path to success through mentoring! The Executive Leadership Program (ELP) offers College of Business undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni an opportunity to be matched with mentors who are experienced professionals in the local community.

Program Benefits:
- Mentors can increase awareness in specific industries. Students learn current issues and strategies to assist launching their career.
- Mentors can provide perspective. Students will receive encouragement, insights, and advice based on real experiences of seasoned executives successes and failures.
- Mentor access. Students will have an opportunity to meet mentors in person at scheduled events, participate in work shadowing or networking and communicate in one-on-one meetings throughout the semester.

Get connected and register today to take advantage of the College of Business mentorship program. Registration for the 2012-13 program closes on Aug. 30. Click here to learn more and to register for this program: http://business.fau.edu/elp.

President Saunders will deliver the 2012 State of the University Address on Thursday, Sept. 6, in the Lifelong Learning Auditorium on the Boca Raton campus. Titled "FAU 2012: Celebrating a Year of Firsts, Building Community," it will begin at 10 a.m. This hour-long event will also include a performance by students from the Department of Music. Faculty, staff and students are cordially invited to attend both the address and the reception that will follow in the Grand Palm Room of the Student Union. RSVPs are not necessary. The address will be webcast via a link posted on the FAU homepage.

Do you have experience using SearchWiSE, the single search box on the FAU Libraries home page? We invite you to take the SearchWiSE survey, which will take less than 5 minutes to complete. SearchWiSE searches and locates information in all formats from withinthe FAU Libraries' collections, including full-text articles. If you would like to learn more about SearchWiSE, click here. If you have any questions or would like to provide additional information, contact Jane Strudwick at 561-297-0492.

Momentum is building for FAU's participation in the 2012 Heart Walk, which will take place on Saturday, Sept. 29, in downtown West Palm Beach. So far 14 FAU teams have been registered, and more are needed. If you would like to head up a team from your area, join a team that's already been created, make a donation or volunteer at the event, click here.

This 5k walk/run is a family-friendly event that's always lots of fun. The FAU community has a long, proud history of participating in the annual Heart Walk, and we're hoping for an excellent turnout this year. If you need help registering or have questions, please contact Jennifer Mora at Jennifer.Mora@heart.org or Lynn Laurenti at laurenti@fau.edu.

The Blackboard Mobile Learn application is now available allowing faculty to manage Blackboard features and students to access information -- all from mobile devices. The app features announcements, discussions, media, roster, grades, tasks, journals, blogs and mobile tests and is available for the following devices: Android, BlackBerry, HP webOS, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. More information at www.fau.edu/oit/blackboard-mobile.php

Some common phishing scam emails include:
- Emails informing the recipient they have won an "Olympic lottery" for which they have not entered.
- Emails saying that you're "Mail Quota" is exceeded or about to be reached and to click on a link in the email for more space.
- Emails informing recipients that they have a package from FedEx, UPS, etc. that they are not expecting and to click on the link or attachment.

Finally, watch out for suspicious websites. Please make sure that the website URL begins with "https://" or "shttp://". Also look for the padlock symbol in the browser window. Do not enter any personal, credit card or banking information on sites that don't contain the "https://" or "shttp://". Finally keep your web browser up to date with the latest release, which will include the latest security patches. "Be Cyber Wiser: Stay Smart and Safe Online." Visit www.fau.edu/security for more tips and information.

The Office of International Programs (OIP) at FAU invites applications from FAU faculty and instructional staff for new or recurring Study Abroad Programs (SAP) for Academic Year 2012-13 including intersessions, Spring Break 2013 and Summer 2013. Completed proposals should be sent to OIP by email or hard copy by the close of business Friday, Sept. 14. Approval process for programs will take 1-3 weeks typically. All approved programs will be advertised at the Fall Study Abroad Fair on Oct. 9.

SAP development is initiated by a member of the FAU faculty and instructional staff. Faculty are encouraged to work closely with OIP as early as possible in the process, to take advantage of OIP expertise and experience in SAP development and management. Complete guidelines and up-to-date forms for program formation can be found at www.fau.edu/goabroad/SAP_Guidelines.php.

Faculty planning to develop a new SAP or to repeat a SAP should also notify his/her department chair and college dean of their plans, to get their input and advice. Department chair and college dean approval of the final SAP proposal is required by the stated deadline noted above. (Anyone anticipating difficulty meeting the Sept. 14 deadline should contact Dr. Cathy Meschievitz at cmeschie@fau.edu or 561-297-1039.)

The U.S. Student Fulbright Program for 2013-14 is now open. An information session will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 22, from 2 to 3:30 pm in General Classroom South (GS) 214B, Boca Raton campus --and a Jupiter video conference of the session will be held in room SR 268. FAU students who will graduate with a bachelor's degree by summer 2013 or are a recent FAU graduate may apply for a year's funding (up to $20,000) to study overseas or teach English overseas. The mandatory FAU campus deadline is Monday, Sept. 17, and the final Fulbright deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 1,800 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in more than 155 countries worldwide. Fulbright U.S. Student alumni populate an entire range of professions and include ambassadors, members of Congress, judges, heads of corporations, university presidents, journalists, artists, professors, and teachers. Bose Corporation founder Amar Bose, actor John Lithgow, composer Philip Glass, opera singer Renee Fleming and economist Joseph Stiglitz are among notable former grantees. FAU has had a Fulbright winner in each of the last two years (for 2011-12 and for 2012-13).

Interested FAU students (especially seniors for the fall 2012 semester) are encouraged to read about the program and apply using the online submission process at http://us.fulbrightonline.org

FAU's student advisor for this Fulbright competiton is Dr. Catherine Meschievitz, who can be reached at 561-297-1039 or email at cmeschie@fau.edu.

Nearly every classroom at FAU now has instructional technology available: DVD/VCR, Smart Sympodium, document camera, Blu-Ray and, of course, a computer and projector. On Aug. 14 to 17, the Office of Instructional Technology will host open house sessions where you can see the classroom technology and how to use and control it -- and ask questions.

Here are the topics of each day and date/location:

Standard Classroom Orientation
Time/date: 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Aug. 14
Locations: GS 109
This is for faculty that need a tutorial on the use of basic classroom technology such as plugging in a laptop or showing a DVD to your class.

Teaching Auditorium Orientation
Time/date: 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Aug. 15
Location: NU 113
This is for faculty that will be teaching in a large capacity venue. Emphasis will be on use of the sound system.

Video Conference Orientation
Time/date: 10 a.m. to noon, Thursday, Aug. 16
Boca Location: NU 202
Davie: DW 108
Jupiter: SR 268
Harbor Branch: MC 209
This for faculty teaching a video conference course. Strongly recommended to maximize effective teaching in the VC medium.

Lecture Capture Orientation
Time/date: 10 a.m. to noon, Friday, Aug. 17
Location: CM 128
This for faculty teaching any kind of course using video or recorded lectures. Strongly recommended to maximize effective teaching in the Echo 360/online medium.

Email Matt Hagood at mhagood@fau.edu if you plan to attend a session.

Saturday, Aug. 18, marks the first day of the Fall 2012 Semester. Most classes being on Monday, Aug. 20.

The annual FAU Fanfest will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18 at FAU Stadium. It is the last scrimmage before the Owl football team's home opener on Friday, Aug. 31. Come take a tour of the stadium and meet the players. There will be special appearances by the Marching Owls and the dance and cheer teams. More at www.fausports.com.

On Saturday, Aug. 18, take a bioluminescent kayak tour at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Dinner at Dixie Crossroads (on your own). Depart Cracker Barrel near junction of Route #60 and I-95 (the outlet mall of Vero Beach) at 4:30 p.m. Return around midnight. During the warm summer months the waters of the Indian River Lagoon come alive with bioluminescence. Tiny dinoflagellates make the water light up and speeding fish become underwater fireworks. Then, huge schools of flying mullet make your evening one you will never forget! $35 pp for kayak trip. Call 772-242-2559 for information and reservations.

On Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, from 1 to 1:45 p.m., FAU will host its sixth annual Freshman Convocation in the Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium on the Boca Raton campus. The keynote speaker will be FAU's 2012 Distinguished Teacher of the Year, Dr. Deborah Louda. This is an especially important occasion, because research shows that first-time-in-college students who are formally welcomed to the university community have an increased likelihood of staying on track in their studies and graduating on time. The opening processional establishes the serious tone of the Convocation as faculty in academic regalia and staff in academic regalia or business attire march into the auditorium. The Convocation will begin promptly at 1 p.m. For more information please contact Diane Aragon at daragon@fau.edu or visit www.fau.edu/deanugstudies/freshmanconvocation/index.php.

On Monday, Aug. 20, from 5 - 7 p.m. the LGBTQA Resource Center (In the Office of Multicultural Affairs) offers a Welcome (Back) Reception for new freshmen and transfer students. Food, fun and activities! For more info, visit www.fau.edu/lgbtqa/events.

Come meet the staff at the Career Development Center and tour the facility on Thursday, Aug. 23, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Student Support Services Building, room 220, Boca Raton campus. Free food and prizes! Info at www.fau.edu/cdc/flyers/luau.pdf.

FAU's Fifth Annual Fall Bonfire will take place on Thursday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m., adjacent to the northeast end of the Track and Field Complex near the intersection of West University and North University drives. Festivities will include a live performance by The Misfits! Food and beverages will be available for purchase at various food carts provided by Chartwells. This is an alcohol-free event, co-sponsored by Student Government and the Student Alumni Association.

ROAD CLOSURES: Starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 23 roadways will be closed from North University Drive to the Dade Terrace Entrance of Lot 9. Traffic will be directed to the south side of University Drive until approximately 8:15 p.m. During the bonfire, there will be permanent road closure from the corner of North University Drive near the athletic fields at Lot 9 until approximately 10:30 p.m. There will be high student traffic in these areas, so please drive cautiously.

FAU's Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and other local organizations will hold a Women's Equality Day Celebration to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of women's voting rights. The celebration will be held on Friday, Aug. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Engineering Building on FAU’s Boca Raton campus. There will be a reception with elected officials and exhibitors at 8:30 a.m. and a panel discussion at 9:15 a.m. The keynote speaker for the panel is Susan Bucher, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, and other panelists include Pam Goodman, former vice president of the League of Women Voters; Josephine Beoku-Betts, director of FAU Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Candace Britt, FAU Honors Student in the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and Thomas Burns of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in white and purple as did the suffragists. For more information about the event, contact Meredith Ockman at Meredith.Ockman@gmail.com. For more information about the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies in FAU's Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters or the master's degree in women's studies, email wsc@fau.edu or call 561-297-3865.

President Saunders will deliver the 2012 State of the University Address on Thursday, Sept. 6, in the Lifelong Learning Auditorium on the Boca Raton campus. Titled "FAU 2012: Celebrating a Year of Firsts, Building Community," it will begin at 10 a.m. This hour-long event will also include a performance by students from the Department of Music. Faculty, staff and students are cordially invited to attend both the address and the reception that will follow in the Grand Palm Room of the Student Union. RSVPs are not necessary. The address will be webcast via a link posted on the FAU homepage.

Join FAU National Alumni Association when the Owls play Navy in football on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 3:30 p.m. at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. Tailgate begins two hours before kickoff.

- Package #1 includes a two-night accommodation at the Loews Annapolis Hotel, FAU tailgate party, commemorative souvenir, gameday ticket (seating section TBA), taxes and fees with fees starting at $200 per person. Note: This package does not include airfare or transportation. Guests will be required to provide their own transportation. The stadium is a 10-minute walk (5 blocks) from the hotel. Transportation options to the game include taxis or the hotel's shuttle.
- Package #2 includes FAU tailgate party and a gameday ticket (seating section TBA) for $85. This package does not include transportation.

Space is limited so reserve your package today! Register online for either package through the Alumni Relations office at fauf.fau.edu/navy. Contact Mary Beth Albritton at 561.297.6162 or malbrit1@fau.edu with any questions.

The four digital Living Room Theaters are located in the Culture and Society Building on the Boca Raton campus. Patrons can enjoy the European style cafe after 5 p.m. Show dates, times and ticket information can be found at http://fau.livingroomtheaters.com.

FAU's Adams Center for Entrepreneurship is empowering promising entrepreneurs and ambitious small business owners with an innovative, fast-paced course that includes creating a business plan, tips on finding money, and tips on designing the right operation for success. The goals of this course are to understand why a business plan is necessary, learning from experts what they expect to see in a plan, practice some of the skills required, learn what the experts want to know to fund a business, write the plan and prepare to enter the prestigious FAU Business Plan Competition (FAU BPC).

The Entrepreneurship Boot Camp begins on Sept. 28 and registration will close on Aug. 30.

Click here to learn more and to register: http://business.fau.edu/centers/adams-center/entrepreneurship-education/entrepreneur-boot-camp/index.aspx#.UBvkM0JgP8s

The OIT computer training schedule for August is now available online at www.fau.edu/oit/training/files/aug_12.pdf. We added some exciting new tools to Blackboard this summer and we're adding more just in time for fall! Come learn more about Course Themes, Automatic Regrading, Negative Marking, the new Text Editor, Banner Grade Submission, Bboogle, Blackboard Mobile, and updates to Collaborate. We also invite you to come to a session on Google Apps (known as "Owl Apps"), an easy way to collaborate in a secure online environment -- featuring tools for word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, forms, websites and more!

To register for classes, go to https://swise.fau.edu/training.

Get healthy with FAU YOGA! The first class is FREE and join any time. Fall semester classes will run through Dec. 7. Yoga exercises every muscle, nerve and gland in the body and releases stress and tension. Benefits include strength, flexibility, balance, increased energy and stress reduction. This class is appropriate for every body type and fitness level. Classes are sponsored by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:10 to 1 p.m., in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Building, Room 115. The cost for faculty and staff is $70 for 8 classes, or $10 for 1 class. For full-time students, the cost is $40 for 8 classes, or $5 for 1 class. For community members, the cost is $80 for 8 classes, or $12 for 1 class.

Contact Kristine Lee at 561-297-0159 or klee26@fau.edu for additional information.

The Financial and Estate Planning in Retirement Program, offered by the College of Business Executive Education has the answers you need to actively take control of your financial future. A three-day educational seminar, the Financial and Estate Planning in Retirement Program will not only educate you in all areas of personal finance but also provide you with a personalized financial plan to organize your resources and help you understand the decisions you need to make to meet your financial objectives. You will also have the opportunity to invite a guest or your spouse, FREE of charge, to attend with you!

Sessions are offered through November on the Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses. Learn more and register at www.business.fau.edu/retirementplan.

Clinical Research Studies at FAU's College of Medicine is conducting a clinical research trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an investigational medication for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. There is no cost to participate and eligible participants will receive payment for time and travel. If you or someone you know is suffering from Alzheimer's, call 561-297-0164 to learn more.

The Language Development Lab, under the direction of Professor Erika Hoff, is conducting a federally funded study of early monolingual and bilingual development. We are looking for 24- to 30-month-old children who are learning Spanish at home and at least one parent was born in a Spanish-speaking country. For participating, you will receive $150 in gift cards and your child will get a gift and a t-shirt. With your permission, we will contact you again every 6 months until your child is 5 years old. We will pay for your time at each visit. If you complete this study through the age of 5 years, you will receive a total of $1,000 in gift cards.

We are also looking for 24- to 30-month-old children who are learning only English at home. For participating, you will receive $50 in gift cards and your child will get a gift and a t-shirt. With your permission, we will contact you again every 6 months until your child is 5 years old. We will pay you for your time at each visit. If you complete the study through the age of 5 years you will receive a total of $400 in gift cards. We plan to study children's language development from 2 years and 6 months to 5 years.

The purpose of these studies is to gain a better understanding of how language develops during this period. We will come to your home or you can come to our playroom on the Davie campus of Florida Atlantic University or to our office on the Boca Raton campus -- whichever is easier for you. If you are interested in this study, email langdevlab@fau.edu. You may also call 954-236-1142 or check out psy.fau.edu/~hoff/LangDevLab/index.htm for more information.

The Communication Disorders Clinic is located on the 4th floor of the College of Education building on the Boca Raton campus and provides speech, language and hearing diagnostic and therapy services -- including accent reduction therapy -- to children and adults. Services are available Monday through Friday during every semester on a space-available basis. Appointments for diagnostic or treatment services may be made by calling Maria at 561-297-2258. Payment can now be made by VISA or MasterCard.

The clinic offers Stroke Support and a Stuttering Support groups, each meeting once a month. Interested parties should contact the clinic for details. FAU faculty and staff members and their families receive a 50 percent discount for all services. Full-time FAU students receive a 50 percent discount for evaluations and then are charged $10 per treatment session.

The Communication Disorders Clinic is operated by FAU's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. For more information on clinic services, visit www.coe.fau.edu/csd/clinic.htm.