Open office hours -- Herbert Kessler, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, will hold open office hours for students every Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m. in 224 Mergenthaler.

Blood drives -- Both the Homewood and East Baltimore campuses will hold American Red Cross blood drives this month. At JHMI, the drive will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 8 and 9, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the Turner Concourse. At Homewood, the blood drive will be on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 16 and 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Glass Pavilion.

To donate blood or volunteer your time, call Wanda Cartwright (East Baltimore), 410-614-3050, or Daria Bollinger (Homewood), 410-516-0138.

Oncology Center volunteers -- Volunteer opportunities are available at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center for individuals willing to engage and support cancer patients and their families. For more information, contact the Oncology Center Volunteer Services Office at 410-614-4670.

Instruction in English -- The English Language Program for International Teaching Assistants has scheduled two sections of Communication Strategies in the American Classroom (307-601). The course, offered by the Language Teaching Center, is designed to assist international graduate students with their English and teaching. Classes will meet Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 to 10:50 a.m. or 11 to 11:50 a.m.

For more information, including classroom locations, contact Doris Yaffe Shiffman at dshiffman@jhu.edu, call the Language Teaching Center at 410-516-4466 or visit the Web site at http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~dshiffma/.

English instruction volunteers -- The Johns Hopkins International Society is looking for English as a Second Language instructors to volunteer for the fall semester.

The International Society program is informal, with most classes meeting one or two times a week for two hours at a time. Class schedules can be arranged according to each instructor's availability. The commitment may involve as little as two hours a week.

Emphasis is placed primarily on improving conversational skills at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. Volunteers with the International Society will work with people from around the world and have the opportunity to acquire letters of recommendation for future positions in teaching English as a Second Language.

Individuals who have tutored or taught English or any foreign language to non-native speakers, or are interested in gaining valuable teaching experience, should contact the International Society at 410-955-3370 or brathgeb@jhmi.edu.

Elder care series -- These workshops are designed for caregivers as well as for those interested in the topics that will be discussed.

The first of three workshops, "Legal Issues" with Jason Frank, is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, at noon, in Conference Room A, Levering. Frank, an elder law attorney, will cover such topics as medical advance directives, durable power of attorney and estate planning.

Abusive relationships -- A group for people in emotionally abusive relationships is available one evening a month in the Mt. Washington area.

The group will be directed by an experienced clinician who will provide information, resources and counseling about the emotional/physical connection. For more information, call 410-254-5615.