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The Juice (Faculty/Staff) - Nov. 29

Volunteers for Study Knight Breakfast & more 🍩
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Nov. 29, 2021

Volunteers needed for Study Knight Breakfast

Study Knight Breakfast is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 12, from 10 to 11 p.m. Faculty and staff are invited to help serve breakfast. You would need to report to Mensa by 9:40 p.m. Sign up to be a server by contacting Chris Fosselman via email or at 319-352-8303.

 

This week's MCSP presentation

The next Math, Computer Science & Physics (MCSP) Department Seminar Series will be held Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 11:30 a.m. in room 134 of the Science Center. Students Harvey-Eric Waligo ’22, Kelly Uwanjye ’22, and Oluwafeyisayo (Feyi) Omotehinwa ‘23 will give a presentation, entitled "International Experience Working in Corporate America." They will speak about their journeys applying for internship positions, their experiences in the work from home environment, and the different projects they worked on. All are invited to hear these presentations. Masks are required.

Distance Learning Quality Committee to look at learning management systems

The Distance Learning Quality Committee is an ad hoc institutional committee charged with reviewing the College’s ability to deliver quality online undergraduate and graduate programs to include policy, internal practices, quality models and technology needs. Technology needs such as the LMS impact all modalities and disciplines at the College.

The committee is currently working on a thorough review of learning management systems. An informational area on My.Wartburg has been established to share information about the process and provide transparency to Wartburg faculty, staff, and administrators.

The LMS Review content can be viewed at LMS Review Process | Resources | My Wartburg. You need to be logged into My.Wartburg to access the page.

Notes of gratitude & farewell party for PB

Help us thank Pastor Brian Beckstrom for his service and leadership at Wartburg with notes of gratitude. Handwritten notes can be given to Pastor Rebecca Baird or electronic notes emailed to rebecca.baird@wartburg.edu by Dec. 6.

 

All are invited to a farewell party for Pastor Brian, dean of spiritual life and the Moehlmann Chaplaincy Chair, on Monday, Nov. 29, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Hagemann Castle Room. There will be a short program at 3 p.m.

SPIRITUAL LIFE & CAMPUS MINISTRY

Weekday Chapel services

Weekday Chapel services are from 10:15 to 10:35 a.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in Wartburg Chapel. Chapel time is a brief opportunity to gather with students, staff, and faculty to reflect on God and faith. Mondays will feature faculty and staff faith stories and blessings, Wednesdays will be a morning prayer service, and Fridays will have Senior Chapels. Interfaith chapels will be held during the last week each month.

Upcoming speakers:

Monday, Nov. 29: Advent Chapel with Rebecca Baird, pastoral intern

Wednesday, Dec. 1: Music Visit Day, Olivia Walsh & CWW Blessing

Friday, Dec. 3: Sidney Baumgartner '22, Senior Chapel

UPCOMING EVENTS

Farewell party for Pastor Brian Beckstrom
Nov. 29

MCSP presentation
Nov. 30

Presidential forum (11:30 a.m. in Buckmaster)
Nov. 30

STAS meeting
Dec. 1

Festival of Trees
Dec. 1-14

Christmas with Wartburg performances
Dec. 3-5

Student Senate Diversity Committee peace dialogue
Dec. 7

TEDx speaker application deadline
Dec. 8

Deadline to register for LMS testing
Dec. 10

December Commencement
Dec. 12

Holden Evening Prayer service
Dec. 12

Study Knight Breakfast
Dec. 12

Finals Week
Dec. 13-16

Deadline for Payroll Deduct drawing
Dec. 17

Start of Winter Team
Jan. 10

PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS

It's Christmas with Wartburg week!

Tickets for Christmas with Wartburg performances are still available! To purchase your tickets for the following performances and dinners, go to www.wartburg.edu/christmas:

West Des Moines: Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. ($23)
Waverly: Dec. 4, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 5, 3 p.m. (all remaining tickets now discounted to $16)

 

The Wartburg community also may attend the Christmas with Wartburg dress rehearsal on Wednesday evening, Dec. 1, at 5 p.m. No tickets needed!

 

If you have any questions or wish to order tickets in person, please contact the Wartburg Ticket Office at 319-352-8691 during their operating hours, 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday.

 

The Festival of Trees in the CTC begins Dec. 1, too!

LMS sandbox trial phase — volunteers needed

The Distance Learning Quality Committee will hold learning management system (LMS) vendor demonstrations Jan. 7, 2022, during Faculty Workshop. Vendors invited include Instructure Canvas, Blackboard and D2L Brightspace. After the demonstrations, sandbox evaluations of each system will allow volunteers to navigate the system in greater depth as if you were using it for one of your own courses.

 

The committee is looking for faculty and staff volunteers to review each LMS and provide feedback. Volunteers will agree to evaluate each learning management system and provide feedback using an evaluation form. The sandbox evaluation process is Jan. 10 to Feb. 4. Those interested in participating should register at this link by Dec. 10. Vendors will set up individual sandbox environments for each volunteer. Stakeholder feedback is absolutely critical to helping us select the best system for the institution. The more involvement we have, the better!

Health insurance information

Remember the deadline to secure lower health insurance rates for 2022 is Tuesday, Nov. 30!

Well-being requirements:

1. Employee who is insured with HealthPartners must show proof of COVID vaccine (if you haven’t already done so)
2. Employee who is insured with HealthPartners must complete the online Health Risk Assessment online questionnaire
3. Spouses who are insured with HealthPartners must complete the online Health Risk Assessment online questionnaire

 

The Health Risk Assessment is to be completed through your online HealthPartners account. To create an account, go to this link. Once created, click on the Living Well tab, which will take you to a listing of activities where you can complete the Health Risk Assessment online health questionnaire. Your responses are confidential. If you have questions, please contact Amy Wilson, benefits administrator, at ext. 8278 or amy.wilson@wartburg.edu.

Make a gift using payroll deduction

As the year is coming to an end, it is time to start thinking ahead toward 2022. We are asking employees to consider making a gift to the College through payroll deduction this year. It is a fast and easy way to make a consistent impact throughout the year. Plus, signing up for payroll deduct also could win you 8 hours of PTO! We want to show that your gifts are very much appreciated, along with all the hard work you do.

 

To be entered into a drawing to win 8 hours of PTO:

Sign up for a NEW payroll deduction of ANY amount.
If already enrolled in payroll deduct, increase your deduction by ANY amount.

Also, all of our faculty/staff donors will be invited to join us Jan. 12 from 8 to 10 a.m. in the K-Dit for a free drink on us!

To be entered into the drawing, please set up payroll deduct or make your gift by Dec. 17. To set up payroll deduct, click here or stop by Advancement for a paper form. Contact bethany.brooks@wartburg.edu with questions.

Student Senate to hold peace dialogue

The Student Senate diversity committee will be facilitating a peace dialogue on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 11:30 a.m. in WBC 214, which will cover the topic "Cultural Awareness vs. Cultural Competency."

OSHA testing mandateissing table ban

On Thursday, Nov. 4, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) mandating vaccination or weekly testing for all employees at organizations employing 100 or more individuals. Under the new rule, beginning Sunday, Dec. 5, unvaccinated employees must mask when indoors or when sharing a vehicle with another person. Beginning the week of Jan. 4, 2022, unvaccinated employees must be tested for COVID-19 at least once per week. The rule already faces lawsuits, one of which has prompted a federal judge to stop implementation temporarily while courts can consider matters. Because we do not know what the final decision will be, we will continue to prepare to implement the rule on time.

OSHA’s order requires that we determine each employee’s vaccination status so that we know who must test regularly. Please, if you haven’t already, let us know if you have been vaccinated by:

Presenting your vaccination card in the Human Resources Office,
Presenting your vaccination card in the Student Life Office,
Presenting your vaccination card at Noah Campus Health Clinic, or
Uploading a photo of your vaccination card at this link.

Mail Center update issing table ban

Mail and packages marked for delivery to campus from Nov. 25 through Nov. 28 will be processed by the Mail Center on Monday, Nov. 29. The Mail Center will be open during finals week, and closed from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2, in conjunction with office closures on campus. Please contact mailroom@wartburg.edu with further questions regarding hours and accessibility.

CONDOLENCES

Condolences to friends and former colleagues of Carol Bolton, who worked for over 20 years in the maintenance department at Wartburg College, retiring in 2008. Carol passed away Tuesday, Nov. 16, in Waverly at age 75. Funeral mass was held last week. Please click here to view the obituary.

 

PROFESSIONAL NEWS

Dr. Kuni Terasawa, associate professor of religion, presented his paper, ”Buddhist-Christian Conflicts and Cooperation Against Nationalism in Asia from pre-WWII to the Present,” at the session of Buddhist-Christian Reflection on Nationalism at American Academy of Religions on Nov. 20. He also was a moderator of the panel discussion on ‘Buddhist-Christian Dialogue’ at the Interfaith Coalition for Global Citizens: The Road to New Normal in Post COVID-19 Era: Collective Intelligence for Global Civil Society on Nov. 21.

 

Dr. Amy Nolan, professor of English, presented her paper, “‘Monsters in a Good Sense': Befriending the Chthonic Ones in Bong Joon Ho's The Host and Okja," at the 118th Annual Pacific Ancient and Modern Languages Association Conference (PAMLA). The theme of the conference, held Nov. 11-14, was "City of God, City of Destruction."

 

Dr. Caryn Riswold, professor of religion and the Mike and Marge McCoy Family Distinguished Chair in Lutheran Heritage and Mission, contributed to the newly published Study Guide for the ELCA's 2019 Social Statement on Faith, Sexism, and Justice. She is the featured theologian in the video produced to accompany Session Five, "Lutheran Insights Promote Gender Justice." The Study Guide aims to invite participants in church groups, students in classrooms, and anyone interested in gender justice and the Lutheran tradition to engage with the social statement and begin to put it to work in their communities.

 

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