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The Standing Committee on Research Misconduct at the University of Colorado at Boulder met Tuesday, March 29, to begin its work in reviewing the allegations of research misconduct related to Professor Ward Churchill. The agenda of the group's initial meeting focused on procedural matters. The formal allegations, outlined March 24 in a report by CU-Boulder Interim Chancellor Phil DiStefano, will be forwarded to the committee this week.

The occupants of five University of Colorado at Boulder buildings saved the university about $72,000 in energy costs for the 2003-04 fiscal year and will be honored with the 2004 Buff Energy Star Award.

The Crosman Lecture presented by the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Journalism and Mass Communication on April 1 will feature Cees J. Hamelink, professor of international communication at the University of Amsterdam. Hamelink will speak on "Communication and Global Democracy" at 4 p.m. in Old Main Chapel. The event is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the Keller First Amendment Center. A reception will follow in the Heritage Center.

The Endangered Species Act and the many flora and fauna it has helped to protect will be the topic of an April 1 slide show and discussion at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Michael J. Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity based in Tucson, Ariz., will host the program beginning at 7 p.m. in University Memorial Center room 235. The presentation is free and open to the public.

University of Colorado at Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano today announced the findings of a preliminary review of allegations concerning the conduct and scholarship of Professor Ward Churchill. The review team, led by DiStefano, found that ChurchillÂ’s controversial essay on 9/11 and other public comments are protected by the First Amendment, but that other allegations of plagiarism, misuse of othersÂ’ work and fabrication may constitute research misconduct. Research misconduct, if proven, is subject to university sanctions.

A five-student team from the University of Colorado will travel to Salt Lake City to compete for a $50,000 prize in a national urban design competition against three other schools on April 1. The four finalists were selected from 81 submissions to the Urban Land Institute Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition, which is open to graduate students in real estate-related areas of study at universities throughout North America. The CU team has already won $10,000 in the competition for advancing to the final four.

Segments of a new documentary, "The History of Black Achievement in America," featuring African American faculty and students at the University of Colorado at Boulder will be filmed in Boulder March 29-30. Prominent Hollywood actors serve as hosts for the documentary, including James Avery, who will appear in the Boulder segment. Avery, a classically trained actor and scholar, is best known for his role as the uncle, patriarch and attorney "Philip Banks" on the popular sitcom "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" starring Will Smith.

Nobel laureate and Stanford physicist Robert Laughlin will give a free talk at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Fiske Planetarium on Monday, April 4, at 7 p.m. Laughlin, whose writing has been compared to that of the popular physicist Richard Feynman, will discuss his new book "A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics From the Bottom Down." The talk is free and open to the public.

The University of Colorado at Boulder has finalized a new Registered Fraternal Organization Agreement that spells out campus expectations for Greek organizations, including deferring rush activities until the spring semester, according to Ron Stump, vice chancellor for student affairs. Starting the week of April 14, Stump and Greek Adviser Laura Strohminger will begin meeting with individual fraternal organizations to discuss the final document and ask for signatures. The agreement incorporates suggestions by many Greek leaders provided over the last several weeks.

The Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business has appointed George Deriso and Tim Connor as new members of its board of advisers. Deriso is a consultant to small and mid-sized companies on business and technology strategy. He has held executive positions in both large corporations and technology startups including AT&T, Apple Computer, Requisite Technology, Insession Inc., Intermezzo Systems, Solista Global LLC and Gartner Inc.