PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Benefit open-enrollment meetings — Mark your calendar to attend one of the following benefit open-enrollment meetings, and watch for more detailed information regarding plan design changes and rates in the next few weeks. All meetings will be held in WBC 214 (Buckmaster Room). Contact the Human Resources & Payroll Office if you have questions.
- Tuesday, Nov. 8, 11:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m.
- Friday, Nov. 11, 7:30 a.m.
Department of Labor changes — Several informational meetings regarding Department of Labor changes are planned. We will be discussing pay, accounting for hours worked, overtime, lunches and breaks, PTO, updated policies for travel, electronic devices, how to log in and out of Kronos, and any questions you have. All meetings will be in WBC 217. Contact the Human Resources & Payroll Office if you have questions.
- Tuesday, Oct. 25, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 25, 3-4 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 26, 8-9 a.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 1, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 1, 3-4 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 2, 8-9 a.m.
Free beer and snacks for focus group — The German Institute is conducting focus groups to find more effective ways to inform students and faculty/staff about the significance of a German experience for students’ professional and personal lives. All participants will receive a free beer and unlimited snacks. Let Dan Walther know by Friday, Oct. 14, which session you plan to attend.We need 6-12 faculty/staff members for each of the following sessions:
- Thursday, Oct. 20, 3:50-5:20 p.m., McCoy East
- Monday, Oct. 24, 3:50-5:20 p.m., McCoy East
KNIGHTtime user group meeting — The next KNIGHTtime user group meeting will be Monday, Oct. 17, 9-10 a.m., in McCoy East. All users are invited to attend, but material is geared toward supervisors. We will address any challenges and provide solutions or tips to help you navigate the system more efficiently.
Reception for Peter Nash — Faculty and staff are invited to attend a reception honoring Peter Nash’s years of service to the college Thursday, Oct. 20, 12:30-2 p.m., in Hagemann Castle Room.
Reports available — Graduation, Retention and Enrollment reports for 2015-16 and the executive summaries now are available on the Info Center. Contact Edie Waldstein, vice president for enrollment management, with any questions.
The Castle: Wartburg's Literary and Arts Magazine — Wartburg's English Department joins with a staff of students every year to publish two volumes of Wartburg's own literary and arts magazine, The Castle. We're reaching out to faculty and staff in hopes that you will spread this information to students of all departments, years, majors, etc. We are currently accepting submissions from students of art, photography, poetry, and prose until Nov. 1 for our first volume. Email castle@wartburg.edu for more information.
Leonard and Carol Posekany Literacy Awards — Education Department and Education Unit faculty and students accepted into the Teacher Education Program, as well as Reading Endorsement students not admitted to the TEP, are eligible for special funding to attend the Iowa Reading Association ESEA Title 1 Conference in Ames, June 27-28, 2017. Early-Bird registration fees range from $30-$190, and registration is open thru March 31, 2017. Wartburg registrants may request reimbursement from the Institutional Advancement Office, LH 123 (contact Suzie Kramer at 352-8495 for information). These literacy awards are available through the generosity of Leonard and Carol Posekany, parents of Education Department emeritae faculty Dr. Susan Sherwood and Dr. Peggy Pruisner. For more information on the Iowa Reading Association ESEA Title 1 Conference, click here.
Thalacker appointed chief compliance officer — Karen Thalacker ’88 has been appointed Wartburg’s chief compliance officer, effective Sept. 1. Thalacker, who also is a Bremer County magistrate and practicing attorney, will serve as Title IX coordinator, responsible for overseeing and managing legal compliance for the college. She also will continue her duties as a pre-law adviser. A graduate of Drake University Law School, she began her legal career as a prosecutor in the Black Hawk County Attorney’s Office and has been in private practice in Waverly since 1994. Thalacker reports to the president and is assisted by Jamie Hollaway, deputy coordinator. Other members of the Title IX team include Ashley Lang, Cassie Hales, Dan Kittle, Jenna Haglund, John Myers, Justine Jackovich, Keith Strand, Kristin Teig Torres, Lee Nelson, Tiffany Pins, Tracy Keller, and Zak Montgomery.
Operations and Maintenance cleaning update — Operations and Maintenance has updated cleaning standards with input from O&M staff, other departments, and individuals on campus. Click here to see the updated cleaning standards and expectations. O&M is now seeking feedback from the broader campus community. These are meant to be minimum standards during the academic year (Fall, Winter, and May terms) while classes are in session. Standards for other times (e.g. summer, when students return in August, breaks) will be visited and modified as appropriate. All cleaning standards will be periodically evaluated. If you have feedback, please contact the Operations & Maintenance Office at 352-8318.
Fire safety inspections — Fire safety inspections were conducted at Wartburg May 10-11 and 17, with the intent to increase the fire safety of our campus buildings. We are in the process of addressing the few concerns outlined in the report. There were a few common safety concerns in several buildings, and we want to make sure everyone on campus understands these concerns and will work together to keep our campus safe. Those concerns can be found at this link. In each section, the fire code reference is listed first, followed by the response required from the campus community. If you have any questions, please contact Scott Sharar, director of plant operations. If you would like to view the complete inspection report, along with our compliance responses, please make an appointment at the Physical Plant.
Love Your Melon hats — The Wartburg College chapter of Love Your Melon will be selling hats for $30; for every hat purchased, one is given to a child fighting cancer. Hats can be purchased online and credited to the Wartburg chapter at checkout.
STEM outreach student organization — Are you interested in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) field? Do you want to work with and inspire grade-school kids? A new student organization is being established on campus to further K-12 STEM outreach in Waverly and the surrounding area. Activities will include organizing science activities and events for kids, visiting schools to help with science education, and performing science demos. If you are interested in hearing more, there will be an informational meeting Monday, Oct. 17, 8 p.m., in SC 245. If you have any questions, contact madalynn.mckelvey@wartburg.edu.
The Missouri Approach — Donald Pokorny, principal assistant of the Missouri Division of Youth Services, and his colleague Sonja Williams will be giving a presentation on Missouri’s uniquely successful approach to juvenile justice Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m., in McCaskey Lyceum. Students, faculty, staff, and community members will have the opportunity to learn about trending issues in juvenile justice and the effective components of rehabilitation in the Missouri system. Contact SociologyClub@wartburg.edu with any questions.
Spend May Term in India — Consider travel this May Term to India. The course is a three-week immersion in India around and near the ancient city of Mysore with exploration of India’s history, health sector, women's empowerment, and the economy. Learn more by contacting Dr. Tamrat Gashaw or the Study Abroad Office, 352-8427.
Visit the InfoCenter to see previous editions of The Juice for details on the following:
- New shuttle program for student travel
- Websites to bookmark
- Dean Kittle's "brick" program for students
- Upcoming Presidential Forums and notes
- KnighVision streaming schedule
PERSONNEL
Welcome (new arrivals):
- Nicole Hartwig, security officer, Sept. 26
- Joy Skinner, administrative assistant to the president, Sept. 19
- Paige Stanbrough, Dining Services baker, Sept. 1
- Lisa Trees, Human Resources and payroll assistant, Sept. 8
Farewell (retirements and departures):
- Rita Gerdes, retail coordinator (The Wartburg Store), Sept. 16
- Doug Main, security officer, Oct. 1
PROFESSIONAL NOTES
Dr. Allan Bernard, assistant professor of business administration, presented his Best Paper Award-nominated paper, “The Relationship Between Conceptual Skills and Organizational Strategy Alignment within the Information Technology Context,” at the 2016 Midwest Academy of Management Conference on Oct. 8 in Fargo, N.D.
Dr. Michaeleen Golay, assistant professor of biology, has published a paper titled “Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Storage Across a Growing Season by the Herbaceous Layer in Urban and Preserved Temperate Hardwood Forests” in the international journal Applied Vegetation Science. The work was in collaboration with researchers from Iowa State University and the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station.
Dr. Bill Withers, professor of journalism and communication, presented the closing keynote and workshop to leaders from Iowa’s 15 community colleges at the annual conference of the Iowa Association of Lifelong Learning in Urbandale on Sept. 30. IALL encourages the growth and development of continuing education in the state of Iowa, and this year’s theme was “Power of The Past, Force of The Future.” Withers spoke on servant leadership as a philosophy toward more effective management of others.
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