In Brief

Olson to Speak in Faculty Lecture Series
Scripps Research Professor Art Olson will speak on "The Science and Art of Biomolecular Interaction" as part of the ongoing Faculty Lecture Series on Wednesday, November 10 (changed from October 27). The lecture will be held at 5 PM in the Timken Amphitheater, Scripps Clinic, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road.

Help with Holiday Baskets
The Scripps Research volunteer organization ScrippsAssists will be working with a seniors group to prepare holiday baskets. Employees can help by:

• Collecting items in your work area. If interested, please contact Helen Plutner, plutnerh@scripps.edu or x4-8257.
  
  
• Donating items to the collection baskets. The following items are needed: holiday gifts, stationery, magnifying glasses, hats, gloves, scarves, calendars, flashlights, small denomination food gift certificates, socks, slippers, and other items listed on the holiday basket flyer. This year, ScrippsAssists is collecting some food items, such as individual packs of hot chocolate, tea, apple sauce cups, instant soups, canned juices/ juices packs, pop top vegetables or fruit, and dried fruit. Please note that baskets and many toiletry items—soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, and razors—are ALREADY PURCHASED. Only a few kinds of toiletry items, such as lotions, chapstick, mouthwash, and cologne, are needed.
  
  
• Making cash donations to cover the cost of baskets, cellophane wrapping, and toiletries. All donations should be sent to Plutner, mail drop MB6. Please make checks payable to "ScrippsAssists."
  
  
• Preparing the baskets. Volunteers will meet on Tuesday, December 7 and Thursday, December 9 from 5 to 7 PM to assemble the baskets. Kids and friends are welcome and refreshments will be provided. Baskets will be delivered to the van on Friday, December 10 around lunchtime. To sign up, please contact Plutner, plutnerh@scripps.edu or x4-8257.
  
  
• Buying raffle tickets at the Scripps Research Fall Craft Fair on Friday, December 10. Proceeds will support the holiday basket project.

Don’t Forget to Use Floating Holidays
Employees who are eligible for holiday pay accrue one or two floating holidays each year as designated in the annual holiday schedule. Two floating holidays will be given for 2005.  Human Resources would like to remind employees that they may only accrue a maximum of 16 floating holiday hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) at any given time. If you currently have 16 floating holiday hours accrued, you will not earn the first floating holiday in 2005 unless you use at least one floating holiday between now and the end of 2004. Similarly, you will not earn next year’s second floating holiday, which will post on July 1, 2005, if you have 16 floating holiday hours accrued at that time. To find out how many floating holiday hours you currently have, refer to the top left corner of your pay stub under "FL Hol Bal." Scheduling floating holidays is at the discretion of your supervisor and may not be used in increments of less than one day. You can review the complete holiday policy at http://www.scripps.edu/adminguide/hr/hrguide1_59.html. Please contact Benefits at x4-8487 or benefits@scripps.edu if you have any questions about the holiday policy.

New English-as-a-Second-Language Classes Begin
A new series of English-as-a-Second-Language classes will begin on Tuesday, November 16. Instructor Cassandra Wadkin's class meets from 6:30 to 8:30 PM every Tuesday evening in the Immunology Building West Conference Room. The price for three months (12 classes) is $60.

Each intermediate-level English class is divided into speaking and listening, idioms and vocabulary, and reading and writing. If you would like to improve your English and your understanding of your friends and colleagues, movies, television shows, and the news, this class is for you. The class uses movies, games, television shows, grammar books, songs, drawing and novels to teach standard American English. Have fun and learn English at the same time!

For more information, please leave a message at x4-2176.

Open Enrollment Continues
Open Enrollment runs through Friday, November 12, at 5 PM Pacific time. This is the annual opportunity for participants to make changes to their Scripps Research benefit selections and, if eligible, enroll (or re-enroll) in the healthcare and/or dependent care spending accounts for the 2005 Plan Year. Instructions on how to access the online system are being mailed to participant homes and should be received by Tuesday, October 26.

While most changes or updates can be done through the online system, certain enrollments such as for Supplemental Life or Long Term Care require a paper application be completed and sent. Therefore, we urge all participants to plan accordingly and log on early to allow time to complete all paper applications if necessary.

Kiosks are available in Human Resources for employees who DO NOT have computer access. Participants with questions regarding Open Enrollment should contact Human Resources at the Benefits Line, x4-8487 or benefits@scripps.edu. For more information regarding Open Enrollment including a link to the online enrollment site, visit: https://hr.scripps.edu/

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu