Holiday Safety -- The Department of Health, Safety and Environment asks the Hopkins community to follow these guidelines in decorating university offices for the Christmas season:

Cut trees, wreaths, greens and holly are not permitted.

Lit candles are prohibited for decorative purposes.

Extension cords are prohibited.

Electrical cords should not pass through doorways, or create tripping hazards.

Holiday decorations must not obstruct room numbers, egress routes, fire alarm pull boxes, exit signs, sprinkler heads or emergency equipment.

Intersession Courses -- Registration has begun for Intersession 1999 courses in dance, art, health and wellness, music and more. Sign up for courses in the Office of Student Activities, Levering Union, on the Homewood campus.

The deadline for registration is Wednesday, Dec. 16. For more information, call 410-516-8209.

English Language Courses -- The English Language Program for Graduate Students of the Language Teaching Center will offer two courses for spring 1999. Communication Strategies in the American Classroom (370-601), which is designed to assist international graduate students with English and teaching, will meet Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10 to 10:50 a.m. Academic Writing for International Graduate Students, a course that will offer students in the sciences, social sciences, engineering and mathematics instruction in the language skills and conventions required for effective scholarly writing, will meet Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11 to 11:50 a.m.

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

New Dependent Care Programs -- In January 1999, WORKlife Programs will launch a voucher program and a sick, emergency and backup care program to help families with eligible dependents pay for child and elder care expenses.

To receive an application or information on these programs, call WORKlife Programs at 410-516-6605.

Pilot Project Applications -- The Johns Hopkins NIEHS Center in Urban Environmental Health is now accepting pilot project applications. Projects will be funded for up to $12,500 for the period from April 1999 to March 31, 2000. The deadline for submission is Dec. 18.

For information and application guidelines, call 410-955-3720, email ctucker@jhsph.edu or stop by W1102 Hygiene.

Health Foundation President -- Howard County Community Health Foundation is seeking applications and nominations for its first president and CEO. The foundation will receive approximately $50 million in early 1999 as a result of the merger between the Johns Hopkins Health System and Howard County General Hospital.

The foundation, which is independent of both hospitals, will use these funds to promote and enhance the health and wellness of the Howard County community through grants to new and existing programs and initiatives. The president will have overall management, program, financial and public relations responsibilities. Experience in a health-related field is preferred.

Deadline is Dec. 21. Send resume and cover letter to Jane Phillips Donaldson, The Phillips Oppenheim Group, 521 Fifth Ave., Suite 1802, New York, NY 10175 or fax to 212-953-1775. For details, call 212-953-1770.