U.Va. President John T. Casteen III will lead the second employee briefing in the third round of briefings to explain the Commonwealth Charter Initiative and what it means to U.Va. and its employees. The briefing will be held tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m. in the auditorium of the new Small Special Collections Library. For those unable to attend, the Office of University Relations has a video tape available for individuals or departments. Call 924-7116 for details. Audio of the talks is available online. Full story.

Inside UVA

U.Va. surgical technician Steve Funkhouser (foreground) demonstrates endoscopic surgery, where the surgeon places probes inside the body and follows the progress on display screens, as part of a tour of 14 new, state-of-the art operating rooms that are opening at U.Va.’s Medical Center. This marks the midpoint of a four-year expansion effort that will significantly increase surgical capabilities and keep U.Va. in the forefront of advanced surgical technologies. Tours were conducted Nov. 10 for employees, media and the public. Full story.