A new guide to students' rights and responsibilities will make it easier for students, faculty and staff to locate information about the policies and regulations that govern student life.

The Campus Advisory Board on Student Development (CABSD) created the guide in response to concerns from students that the information was published in a number of different documents, and sometimes difficult to find.

The guide, prepared by Sarah Dench from the Women Students' Office, covers such topics as academic freedom, discrimination and harassment, and appeals on academic standing, admissions, and student discipline. It also provides a comprehensive list of resources for further information.

Copies of the guide can be picked up in Brock Hall or in the Student Union Building. It is also available on the World Wide Web at www.ubc.ca under "UBC Students."

The UBC Botanical Garden is holding its 20th Annual Indoor Plant Sale Sept. 11-13.

A wide variety of indoor plants and dried flowers are available with profits to benefit the garden.

The sale, known city-wide for its great prices, takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Botanical Garden, 6804 Southwest Marine Dr.

The Botanical Garden covers 21 hectares of land on UBC's south campus and is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until Oct. 13 when winter hours take effect.

For a lucky UBC student, the pen could prove mightier than the cheque book next term.

The UBC Alumni Association is sponsoring an essay competition and will pay the winner's second-term tuition to a maximum of $2,000.

Students are challenged to submit essays of 750 words or less outlining their UBC experience.

The association wants to read about more than just late nights studying and exams, such as the joys and disappointments, the cinnamon buns, residence life, cheering for the Thunderbirds or the thrill of intramural competition.

The contest is open to all UBC students registered for 1997/98 and submissions must be received by the Alumni Association, at 6251 Cecil Green Park Rd., by 4:30 p.m. Sept. 26. The winner will be announced by Oct. 15.

For more information call 822-8643 or check out www.alumni.ubc.ca on the World Wide Web.

The name of the UBC Real Estate Corporation has been changed to UBC Properties Inc.

A wholly owned subsidiary of UBC, UBC Properties helps the university manage its land holdings by servicing and leasing market-oriented sites, managing or selling off-campus real estate properties, and planning and developing projects.

The Faculty of Medicine has established a new Division of Palliative Care to better co-ordinate education and research in the field.

Located within the Dept. of Family Practice, the division will focus on undergraduate training but will also establish post graduate fellowships in palliative care says acting head, Dr. Romayne Gallagher. The division intends to start teaching students next spring and will also hold a conference where practicing doctors can improve their knowledge of palliative care.

Student Services has won an award for excellence and innovation for the way it serves students.

The American Productivity and Quality Centre (APQC) and The State Higher Education Executive Offices recently named UBC one of six "best practice partners" in a study that focused on serving students as customers and compared student services at educational institutes with customer service standards in the business world.

UBC was cited for its innovative delivery of student services on the Web as well as for its customer service practices, which compared favorably to Hilton Hotels Corporation and New Brunswick Telephone -- the two business winners of the award.

Services offered to UBC students on the Web include admission application, registration, statement of grades, transcript requests, award and financial aid status, financial account information, and career placement.

The three other winners of the APQC award were Oregon State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Pennsylvania.

UBC is playing a leading role in two studies looking at the identification and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Howard Feldman, clinical associate professor of neurology, is heading a national $5-million study to determine if a new drug, Donepezil, can improve symptoms in moderately to severely afflicted Alzheimer's disease patients.

UBC is one of eight centres across Canada participating in a second Alzheimer's study which will track the cognitive symptoms of participating patients closely over a period of three years. The information gained from the $1.5-million project will aid researchers and doctors in identifying the disease earlier.

The project is funded by the Medical Research Council and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada.