The deadline for public comment on the Robinson-Edley draft report regarding campus protests has been extended from May 25 to June 8 to encourage additional input.

All members of the UC community — faculty, staff, students, alumni, retirees — and members of the general public with an interest in this subject are strongly encouraged to share their views and ideas about the report, and its recommendations about how the university should handle campus protests.

All comments will be shared with the report's authors, and will help inform the final report submitted to President Mark G. Yudof in the coming weeks.

'Be Smart About Your Smartphone' — and here's why

Why put a password on your smartphone? A few real-life reasons from your colleagues at UC Davis offer some answers:

• "My phone fell out of my pocket on the train. When I got home, I called it, and some guy answered, 'Yeah, I just found your phone. What will you pay me to give it back?' I immediately changed all my passwords. It convinced me from then on to always lock my phone."

• "At a party, some friends picked up my phone, put a PIN on it and wouldn't tell me what it was. I couldn't use my phone until they told me. They thought it was hilarious. I have my own PIN on my phone now."

Messages like these are coming from the "Be Smart About Your Smartphone" campaign, a project of Information and Educational Technology. The campaign website includes links to instructions on how to set passwords, timeouts and other basic safety measures on iPhone, Android and BlackBerry devices. Also available: posters you can download.

Need more incentive? How about a nifty highlight pen with an eraser? See it in action! Your next opportunity to get one is Wednesday (May 23), from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Farmers Market at the Silo.

Read more.

Europe Research Funding Workshop June 4

Sign-ups are being taken for a Europe Research Funding Workshop scheduled for Monday, June 4.

The organizers said the workshop will provide an introduction to the major research funding programs available from the European Union, as well as an overview of opportunities with Germany through the DAAD program, the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation and the German Research Foundation.

The workshop is a brown bag event, noon to 1:30 p.m. in 360 Shields Library.

People who plan to attend are asked to register by Wednesday, May 30, with Jennie Konsella-Norene, jknorene@ucdavis.edu.

We Are Aggie Pride: Donor Appreciation Day

We Are Aggie Pride, a student-run aid organization for students, announced its second Donor Appreciation Day, to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday (May 22) on the Quad. The program includes free food, entertainment and donor T-shirts.

In a letter this week, We Are Aggie Pride reported that it had surpassed its $25,000 fundraising goal, as established at the time of the organization’s launch in February.

Rajiv, Narayan, director of communications, said in the letter that We Are Aggie Pride had received nearly 30 applications for emergency aid and granted more than $11,000 to assist students in staying in school, graduating on time and making ends meet during these difficult economic times.

Other applications are pending, said Narayan, adding that “the need is greater than we anticipated.”

More information is available online. The website includes a “Give Now” button and a “Get Help” button for students in need of emergency aid.

We Are Aggie Pride actually has two events scheduled for May 22. The second is an information night for students interested in serving on the board of directors in 2012-13 — acknowledging that most of the founding leaders are graduating. The meeting, with a free dinner, is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. in the DeCarli Room in the Memorial Union.

Help our engineers turn 'Water Into Wine'

UC Davis Engineers Without Borders is asking for the public’s help to turn “Wine Into Water.” That is theme for a wine tasting benefit scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday (May 20) at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

EWB member Katheryn Kolesar, chair of the Graduate Student Association, said proceeds will help defray students’ travel expenses this summer to Nkokonjeru, Uganda (where the UC Davis chapter is working on a latrine project) and Quincucirca, Bolivia (water pipeline).

Engineers Without Borders is a nonprofit organization that helps developing areas worldwide with their engineering needs, while involving and training internationally responsible engineering students.

“Students in EWB-Davis are able to gain valuable, hands-on engineering experience in an international forum,” Kolesar said.

The wine tasting price is $20, including a souvenir glass and 10 tastes. The event also includes a silent auction, plus music and complementary hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are available online and at the Davis Farmers Market, and also will be sold at the door.

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