IN THIS ISSUE... Vol. XXXV, No. 1 AUGUST 2012 Getting Dropped Off?...................2 RNC Experts ..................................2 Safety Tips ....................................3 Convention Insight.......................3 Keep Calm .....................................4 Closing Time Please note that the Cass Street gate will close at 7:30 p.m. each night during the RNC (Aug. 26-31). It will reopen each morning as usual at 5:30 a.m. Make Your Plans Now W ith the start of the fall semester — and the Republican National Convention — only days away, now is the time to finalize your plans. Go to www.ut.edu/rnc/facultyandstaff for attendance guidelines for faculty and staff during the RNC. Here are some things to consider when making your preparations: • Commuting to and from campus may be a challenge. Plan alternate routes, allow for additional travel time and keep your supervisor apprised should difficulties arise. • Discuss within your department whether to stagger work schedules so offices are functional for scheduled work periods. • Be mindful of scheduling appointments or errands during the RNC. Factor in additional time or reschedule them if possible. • Child care drop-off/pick up can be hampered by traffic patterns and street closures. Make sure you have made alternate arrangements in case your primary plan does not work. • Avoid scheduling deliveries, such as office supplies, during RNC week. If possible, schedule deliveries before or after the convention. • Make contingency plans for home emergencies that might require immediate attention. Ask a family member, neighbor or friend to help out if necessary. As always, each faculty and staff member has the right to decide if they cannot be on campus due to safety or other accessibility issues. The University will inform faculty and staff of any changes in operations through the UT RNC website, global email and other customary means of communication. ROAD CLOSURES — The Selmon Expressway will be closed from Willow Avenue to 50th Street starting 12:30 a.m. Aug. 27, through 5 a.m. Aug. 31. The Selmon’s reversible elevated lanes will remain open and operate as normal during the RNC. Additionally, the Platt Street bridge will be up, diverting traffic onto Kennedy Boulevard and other local roads. For a complete map of road closures and traffic impacts, click the map to the left. Tampa Convention Center Tampa Bay Times Forum Tampa General Hospital Kennedy Blvd. Armenia Ave. Bayshore Blvd. Platt St. Selmon Expwy. (Toll) Swann Ave. N. Boulevard Twiggs St. Adamo Dr. Channelside Dr. Nebraska Ave. Selmon Expwy. (Toll) Selmon Expwy. (Toll) Cleveland St. Howard Ave. S. Boulevard Cass St. Tyler St. Cass St. Selmon Expressway Detours (Reversible Elevated Lanes will operate as normal) Bayshore Blvd./Platt St./Channelside Dr. Detours Temporary One-Way Street Closed Taxi Cab Stand Traffic Impacts & Road Closures During the RNC Channelside Dr. Franklin St. Florida Ave. Old Water St. Morgan St. Beneficial Dr. Meridian Ave. Channelside Dr. 12th St. Brorein St. Nebraska Ave. Whiting St. Washington St. Caesar St. Brorein St. Eunice Ave. Ashley Dr. Kennedy Blvd. Jackson St. Franklin St. Madison St. Twiggs St. Tampa St. Jefferson St. Pierce St. 11th St. Cumberland Ave. Selmon Expwy. (Toll) Selmon Expwy. (Toll) 50th St. EXIT 11 Willow Ave. EXIT 4 South-bound lane open to local traffic only South-bound lane open to local traffic only South-bound lane open to local traffic only Selmon Expressway (Toll) Elevated Lanes (gray) operating as normal Lower Lanes (red) are closed Selmon Expressway (Toll) Elevated Lanes (gray) operating as normal Lower Lanes (red) are closed Lanyards: A Fall Fashion Statement Be on trend this fall by wearing your lanyard and ID holder. From Aug. 24- 31, all UT faculty, staff and students will be required to wear or carry their Spartan Card while on campus. If you haven’t received your lanyard, please contact your college or department office. Faculty and staff lanyards are orange, and student lanyards are green.
Transcript
IN THIS ISSUE...
Vol. XXXV, No. 1 AUGUST 2012
Getting Dropped Off?...................2
RNC Experts ..................................2
Safety Tips ....................................3
Convention Insight.......................3
Keep Calm .....................................4
Closing TimePlease note that the Cass Street gate will close at 7:30 p.m. each night during the RNC (Aug. 26-31). It will reopen each morning as usual at 5:30 a.m.
Make Your Plans NowWith the start of the fall semester — and the Republican National Convention — only days
away, now is the time to finalize your plans. Go to www.ut.edu/rnc/facultyandstaff for attendance guidelines for faculty and staff during the RNC.
Here are some things to consider when making your preparations:
• Commuting to and from campus may be a challenge. Plan alternate routes, allow for additional travel time and keep your supervisor apprised should difficulties arise.
• Discuss within your department whether to stagger work schedules so offices are functional for scheduled work periods.
• Be mindful of scheduling appointments or errands during the RNC. Factor in additional time or reschedule them if possible.
• Child care drop-off/pick up can be hampered by traffic patterns and street closures. Make sure you have made alternate arrangements in case your primary plan does not work.
• Avoid scheduling deliveries, such as office supplies, during RNC week. If possible, schedule deliveries before or after the convention.
• Make contingency plans for home emergencies that might require immediate attention. Ask a family member, neighbor or friend to help out if necessary.
As always, each faculty and staff member has the right to decide if they cannot be on campus due to safety or other accessibility issues. The University will inform faculty and staff of any changes in operations through the UT RNC website, global email and other customary means of communication.
ROAD CLOSURES — The Selmon Expressway will be closed from Willow Avenue to 50th Street starting 12:30 a.m. Aug. 27, through 5 a.m. Aug. 31. The Selmon’s reversible elevated lanes will remain open and operate as normal during the RNC. Additionally, the Platt Street bridge will be up, diverting traffic onto Kennedy Boulevard and other local roads. For a complete map of road closures and traffic impacts, click the map to the left.
TampaConvention
Center
Tampa BayTimesForum
TampaGeneralHospital
Cass St.
TampaConvention
Center
Tampa BayTimesForum
TampaGeneralHospital
Cass St.
Kennedy Blvd.
Arm
enia
Ave
.
Bayshore Blvd.
Platt St.
Selmon Expwy.
(Toll)
Swann Ave.
N. B
oule
vard
Twiggs St.
Adamo Dr.
Chan
nels
ide
Dr.
Neb
rask
a A
ve.
Selmon Expwy. (Toll)
Selmon Expwy. (Toll)
Cleveland St.
How
ard
Ave
.
S. Boulevard
Cass St.
Tyler St.Cass St.
Selmon Expressway Detours(Reversible Elevated Lanes will operate as normal)
Bayshore Blvd./Platt St./Channelside Dr. Detours
Temporary One-Way Street
Closed
Taxi Cab Stand
Traffic Impacts &Road Closures
During the RNCChannelside Dr.
Franklin St.
Florida Ave. Old Water St.
Morgan St.
Bene
ficia
l Dr.
Meridian A
ve.
Chan
nels
ide
Dr.
12th
St.
Brorein St.
Neb
rask
a A
ve.
Whiting St.
Washington St.
Caes
ar S
t.Brorein St.
Eunice Ave.
Ashley Dr.
Kennedy Blvd.
Jackson St.
Franklin St.
Madison St.
Twiggs St.
Tampa St.
Jefferson St.
Pierce St.
11th
St.
Cumberland Ave.
Selmon Expwy. (Toll)
Selm
on E
xpw
y. (To
ll)
50th
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EXIT11
Will
ow A
ve.
EXIT4
South-boundlane open to
local traffic only
South-boundlane open to
local traffic only
South-boundlane open to
local traffic only
Selmon Expressway (Toll)Elevated Lanes (gray) operating as normal
Lower Lanes (red) are closed Selmon Expressway (Toll)Elevated Lanes (gray) operating as normal
Lower Lanes (red) are closed
Lanyards: A Fall Fashion Statement
Be on trend this fall by wearing your lanyard and ID holder. From Aug. 24-31, all UT faculty, staff and students will be required to wear or carry their Spartan Card while on campus. If you haven’t received your lanyard, please contact your college or department office. Faculty and staff lanyards are orange, and student lanyards are green.
The Plant Museum will be closed as usual on Monday, Aug. 27, and plans to be open the remainder of the week.
RNC Events at Vaughn Center
There are a few RNC-related rental events taking place on campus during convention week. These events will not impact parking, as participants will be bused in, dropped off and picked up.
Scarborough to Blog for HuffPost EducationBeginning Aug. 26, Edesa Scarborough, director of the First
Year Experience program, will blog about the RNC for Huffington Post. With campus located less than a mile from the convention site, the UT community is uniquely situated to witness and experience the RNC. Scarborough will solicit first year students enrolled in RNC 101, their peer mentors and faculty for their impressions of the convention, and then create daily posts from their responses. To follow along, go to www.huffingtonpost.com/education.
The Class Must Go OnAug. 27 marks not only the start of the RNC, but also the start of the Fall 2012 semester at UT.
Classes will not be canceled. In case a class cannot physically meet, faculty should notify the impacted students and direct them to online alternative class work. Class content should align as much as possible with the standard course materials for week one, though faculty are encouraged to incorporate convention content where appropriate. Click here for ideas.
Students are expected to be in attendance, though commuter students can be given leeway as needed. All Gateways and Pathways sections have access to the RNC 101 module, which should be completed by Aug. 31. RNC 101 is a non-partisan course module, designed by Scott Paine, associate professor of communication and government and world affairs, to teach about the presidential electoral process.
The only exception will be classes in the ELS Language Center, which will be closed for the duration of the RNC.
UT RNC ExpertsDid you know that a UT faculty member teaches the mathematics of voting? Or that one faculty
member specializes in the impacts of protests on children? Or that another faculty member has written a book on Mitt Romney and Mormonism? If not, you should check out the RNC Expert Sources for Media list on the UT RNC website, www.ut.edu/rnc/. If you have a specialty that you think should be added to this list, contact the Office of Public Information.
Getting Dropped Off?
The circle around the Plant Hall fountain on the east side of Plant Hall has been designated as the official drop-off and pick up location during the RNC for those students, faculty and staff who get a ride to and from campus. This location allows for the easiest access from Kennedy Boulevard.
With tens of thousands of people flooding into downtown Tampa for the RNC, the safety of faculty, staff and students will be a
high priority. Campus Safety has contracted to have additional staff during the convention and will work with outside law enforcement to ensure the security of campus.
Please keep in mind the following safety tips throughout the week:
• Please wear or carry your Spartan Card at all times. Special lanyards and ID holders will be issued to make carrying identification easier.
• Pay extra attention to securing your valuables as there may be unknown visitors on campus. Close and lock your office door when you step out, and keep purses and other valuables secured.
• Ensure that your department contact list is updated and shared within your area.
• Keep a radio or TV on in your office/department to stay informed should any security issues arise.
• Remember that RNC not only coincides with the first week of classes, but it is also occurring in the heart of hurricane and afternoon thunderstorm season. Keep an eye on weather reports, and consider obtaining a NOAA weather radio for your area.
• Sign up for RNC web alerts from the University at www.ut.edu/utwebalerts/, from the city of Tampa at www.tampagov.net and Tampa Downtown Partnership at www.tampasdowntown.com.
• Be aware! If you see something, say something. Call Campus Safety at x7777 or call 911.
Staff Member’s Past Experience Gives Insight into Political ConventionsBelieve it or not, John Gavin, maintenance manager, once caught
a cold from Walter Mondale, the 42nd vice president of the United States.
As a young man, Gavin served as a Broward County delegate to the 1979 Florida Democratic Party straw poll, where as a member of the hospitality committee he escorted the vice president onto the stage. “There was a secret service agent escorting him and the vice president said hello and shook my hand,” said Gavin. “It was a pretty cool moment.”
He noted that Mondale was coughing a bit before he went on stage and asked for a lozenge. He didn’t think much of it until a day or so later when it was his turn to speak as a committee secretary giving a report. His throat was sore, making his voice raspy and he apologized to his fellow delegates, saying, “You’ll have to excuse my voice, I caught a sore throat from Vice President Mondale.”
“That got a big laugh from those attending the convention,” he said.
Though a much smaller event than the upcoming Republican National Convention, Gavin’s experience at the straw poll provides him a bit of insight into what the RNC will be like. “There were a lot of people,” he said. “You’d be invited to a hospitality room, where the host would try to
persuade you to change your vote. Sometimes things got quite heated.”
For the most part, though, he said it was a fun experience, where he got to meet a number of elected officials. Most notable besides Mondale were Bob Graham, then the newly-elected governor of Florida; Claude Pepper, who was then serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida’s 14th district; and Lawton Chiles, a U.S. Senator at the time who would go on to be governor of Florida.
Though not as politically active these days — and no longer a Democrat — Gavin encourages everyone to pay attention to the upcoming elections. “I feel it is extremely important to research the candidates and fully understand all they represent,” he said. “Look at both sides of the media — conservative and liberal. Look at each candidate’s background, their voting history. In a debate, they change their message depending on the audience, so look at what they’ve done.”
Get in the InsighterSend your news, notes and story ideas
to [email protected] and you could be featured in the pages of the Insighter.
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Important WebsitesUT RNC News
www.ut.edu/rnc
RNC Host Committee
2012tampa.com
City of Tampa
www.tampagov.net
Tampa Downtown Partnership
www.tampasdowntown.com
Visit Tampa
www.visittampabay.com
City of Tampa Police Department
www.tampagov.net/dept_police
Sage Advice During her travels in London this summer, Linda Devine, chair of the UT RNC Committee, saw these iconic World War II-era posters and felt the “Keep Calm and Carry On” message applied perfectly to UT during the RNC.
Tippecanoe and Spartans TooA representative from the supervisor of elections office will be in the Vaughn Center lobby on
Aug. 28 and 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. explaining the voter registration process and distributing and collecting voter registration forms. Around campus, the University’s plasma screen system will have directions on the voter registration process posted, starting the first week of classes through Oct. 9. For additional voter registration information, go to www.ut.edu/civic/vote/.
