Greetings,
One of the things I've enjoyed most about my time as president is the many opportunities I have to spend time with students, faculty, and staff. I've enjoyed connecting with students over the years through the Cabinet's quarterly fireside chat coordinated by KCWU, the 'Burg. I also host a dinner for the ASCWU officers each year. The Employee Council coordinates my annual presidential address to staff, and my office arranges a State of the University address and reception each fall. The provost and I sit as ex-officio non-voting members of the Faculty Senate. I regularly attend the Fall Faculty Meeting, meet annually with new faculty, host a reception each spring for the Faculty Senate, and host an annual reception for grant recipients. In addition, my office holds some time on my calendar each week for "drop-ins," when those who want to chat with me can come by for brief appointments. All of these opportunities provide me with different perspectives on campus life.
One of the best ways for me to hear from individual units on campus is through my "Getting to Know You Visits." Each year since I have been at CWU, I have asked divisions, colleges, academic departments, and units to invite me to one of their regularly scheduled meetings. Many of you have taken advantage of this opportunity. Last year, for example, I was invited to meet with Student Affairs and Enrollment Management directors and with faculty in the Departments of Science Education, Sociology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Industrial and Engineering Technology, and Geological Sciences.
I extend this invitation once again. As Central gets more deeply involved in its comprehensive campaign and I am called off campus more and more frequently to spend time with potential donors, the "Getting to Know You Visits" are one way we can stay in touch with each other. I look forward especially to hearing from departments and units that I haven't heard from in the past. Kim Dawson (2111, dawsonk@cwu.edu) can work with you to arrange a time.
Sincerely,
Jerilyn S. McIntyre
President
CWU TOP STORIES
CWU HOLIDAY GIFT PROJECT NEEDS YOUR HELP
A recent count indicated nearly 100 children still are without sponsors for this year's sixth annual CWU holiday giving program.
Through the program, gifts are purchased and wrapped by sponsoring CWU employees, collected in the Office of the President and then distributed through Head Start/ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) the state Department of Social and Health Services' Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and CWU's Early Childhood Learning Center, in Brooklane Village, and Rainbow Center, in Michaelsen Hall.
Members of the CWU community may provide a gift for a girl or boy. Lists of children, including age, sex, and gift suggestions are available now. However, the deadline for sponsorship is today, Friday, November 30, by 5 p.m., with gifts needing to be delivered to the President's Office in Barge Hall on Monday, December 3.
To sponsor a child, or more information, call ext. 2111.
CWU TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS EARN ACCREDITATION
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has determined that CWU's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) merits continuing "accreditation with conditions." The CTL comprises all teacher education endorsements, educational administration, school counseling, and school psychology.
The conditions pertain to unit assessment of the undergraduate and graduate levels, and greater knowledge of diversity at the graduate level. To address those conditions, CWU may require diversity coursework for graduate students, and has already begun to refine the system for assessing student performance and unit operations.
NCATE accreditation is the process by which university professional education units are recognized for meeting national standards.
In May 2007, officials from NCATE and from the state Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) conducted a three-and-one-half day review of the CWU professional education programs. While the NCATE team concluded that CWU's residency teacher preparation program deserved continuing approval, the PESB has not, to date, reached that same conclusion. That decision is now under appeal from CWU.
CWU has the ninth largest teacher preparation program in the U.S., producing 20 percent of all prekindergarten through high school teachers in Washington.
NEW CWU HOME PAGE MAKES ITS DEBUT
After months of input from groups across campus, CWU's Public Relations and Marketing (PRM) unit has designed, and Information Technology Services has developed, a new Internet homepage for the university. It was created with several primary goals, as identified by senior administration. These were:
- to better communicate through the site to prospective and current students;
- to reduce the clutter and improve the layout and aesthetics of the homepage;
- to improve navigation; and
- to further enhance the university's commitment to a Web site that addresses Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) needs and standards.
"The new version is far more ADA compliant that the previous one," Jesse Days, CWU Web developer, points out.
The new homepage, designed with a recommended screen resolution of 1024 x 768, was launched at the end of October and corresponded with documentation, brochures, and additional information distributed through the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
Technical concerns should be directed to Days at ext. 2810. For issues regarding design, navigation, or aesthetics, contact Becky Watson, PRM director, at ext. 1117. Any and all design and layout changes are subject to PRM approval.
SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO STAY HEALTHY
With the cold and flu season upon us, the Central Health Center wants to remind faculty, staff, and students of that awareness, good hygiene, and simple precautions can help prevent the transmission of viruses and bacterial infections.
The best precaution involves frequent hand washing using hot water and soap, followed by using paper towels to shut off faucets and open and close bathroom doors.
"When hand washing is unavailable, the use of hand sanitizers can be considered a substitute," says Dr. Jack Horsley, CWU medical director, who further encourages everyone to cover their noses and mouths when sneezing or coughing to prevent droplet infection.
For additional information about the CWU Student Health and Counseling Center, visit www.cwu.edu~hcws/health/index.html.
Identity theft generally increases during the holiday season and there are a number of new "phishing" scams and other attempts to acquire your personal information now underway. Recently ones coming to campus have included e-mails from the "Navy Federal Credit Union" and "PayPal." Legitimate financial institutions do not contact their customers this way, nor do they ask for personal information or request that you log into your account to check security. These are bogus sites that are attempting to acquire your account number, PIN, or other personal information.
Anyone receiving an e-mail that appears to be a scam should simply delete it; there is no need to contact Information Technology Services (ITS). Those who feel they may have fallen prey to such a scam through sharing personal information, should contact their financial institutions immediately and report what has happened.
While ITS attempts to block all scam e-mails, it is impossible to do so without the risk of blocking legitimate e-mails. Last month, CWU received nearly nine-and-a-half million e-mails from off campus, which is almost double what is normally received during a month. The university's screening software removed nearly eight million of these as obvious scams, spam, and other unwanted mail.
A new "e-mail gateway/engine" will launch next year, which will provide users with additional control of their e-mail filtering.
For additional information on identity protection during the holidays, visit the CWU Cyber Security Awareness Web site at www.cwu.edu/~its/cybersecurity/.
"EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH" FOR OCTOBER RECOGNIZED
James "Tony" Wippel, Truck Driver 3, has been named the university's civil service "Employee of the Month" for October. During a recent surprise ceremony, he received a certificate and $125 from the president's discretionary fund, through the CWU civil service employee recognition program.
Those nominating Wippel noted:
- Tony pays special attention to loading and delivery of goods by superb organization and thinking ahead, regarding class breaks, and congruent stops for efficiency;
- Tony has implemented and improved the handling of medical waste in the Health Center, saving the university thousands of dollars and cutting medical waste by 75 percent;
- Tony has shown maintenance custodians that a bicycle is an easy and efficient way to navigate campus to check and clean building entries. The maintenance staff now has a fleet of bicycles that are in use daily; and
- Tony has been quoted saying: "It is part of my job to make your job a little easier."
University students, faculty and staff, and members of the Ellensburg community, are encouraged to make nominations for the Employee of the Month award. Nomination forms are available at the CWU human resources office, employee council representatives, and online at: www.cwu.edu/~hr/ec/.
2006 EXTRA SPECIAL, OVER-THE-TOP, TEAM-OF-THE-YEAR AWARD PRESENTED
Campus Activities has been awarded the 2006 "Extra Special, Over-the-Top, Team-of-the-Year" award from university's civil service employee council.
The annual award is presented to a university group or unit that has helped improve the campus climate. Campus Activities, which is primarily focused on the development of social activities, programs, and opportunities for Central students and the university community, is responsible for maintaining several of the university's hallmark programs, such as Homecoming and Family Weekend, while also developing new programs, such as the Wildcat Welcome Weekend and Wellington's Wildfire.
Students, colleagues, and community members alike credit Campus Activities for support and insight towards the development of such successful programs.
At the award ceremony, it was noted that, "the words 'I didn't have time' are not a part of their vocabulary, as the team is always willing to help."
DEADLINE TODAY FOR CCC "CELEBRATION OF ACCOMPLISHMENT"
On Wednesday, December 12, the Campus-Community Coalition (CCC) will host its fourth annual "Celebration of Accomplishments" luncheon. Brad Owen, Washington's lieutenant governor, will make the keynote address at the two-hour meeting, scheduled for noon in the Student Union and Recreation Center Ballroom.
Owen has dedicated himself to providing leadership in the field of public health and safety, with an emphasis on substance abuse and prevention. He has called for a balanced approach to substance abuse in the state and helped develop a plan he compares to a three-legged stool, with the legs representing prevention, treatment, and law enforcement.
This approach parallels the work of the CCC, where the university, school districts, prevention agencies, community members, and government officials represent the prevention piece, while local treatment providers and law enforcement agencies comprise the other two legs.
To reserve space to hear Owen's address, call ext. 3240 or e-mail CCC Coordinator Lynne Harrison at lynneh@cwu.edu by 5 p.m. today (Friday, November 30).
DEADLINE TODAY TO ENROLL IN FSA OR DCAP FOR 2008
CWU employees have until the end of business today (Friday, November 30) to enroll or re-enroll in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) for 2008. The FSA and DCAP can save employees money by allowing them to set aside pre-tax money from their paychecks to pay for eligible health-related or dependent-care costs.
The enrollment form is available online at pebb.asiflex.com/enrollment/FSA/Form.pdf. The completed form must be submitted to the Human Resources Office.
For more information about how the program works, how much can be set aside, and how reimbursements are made for eligible expenses works, visit http://www.asiflex.com/pebb, or call 1-800-659-3035.
FAREWELL TO DRS. SOLTZ AND MILLER
A campuswide reception to bid farewell to Drs. David Soltz and Meghan Miller has been slated for Monday, December 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Lombard Room.
Soltz, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, has accepted the presidency of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, biology professor Dr. Robbie Soltz, will be leaving CWU at the end of December.
Miller, dean of the College of the Sciences, has accepted a three-year term as president of UNAVCO, Inc., a nonprofit research support corporation in Boulder, Colorado. She will begin her new responsibilities in January.
COMBINED FUND DRIVE WINDING DOWN
The 2007 CWU Combined Fund Drive (CFD) will conclude on Friday, December 7. The CFD is the name of the campaign and of the state agency whose mission is "to enable Washington State employees to improve their world, their state, and their communities by making it easier for them to support charitable organizations."
The CFD supports a wide range of charitable agencies dealing with everything from animals and environment, to the arts and humanities, disaster and recovery relief, along with health and social concerns, such as hunger relief and human services.
If you have not had time to review the program, please take some time and note all of the worthwhile projects and available charities to which you may contribute at www.cfd.wa.gov. This is your opportunity to truly make a difference on one or more important endeavors.
In addition, CWU's Human Resources office has created a cookbook as a CFD fundraiser. For more information about it, visit www.cwu.edu/~hr/donate/index.html.
FINANCIAL AFFAIRS CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY POSTED
In an attempt to help us provide better services to the campus community, a short "Financial Affairs Customer Service Survey" has been developed to collect feedback on customer service and the services provided within the departments of accounting, accounts payable/travel, business services and contracts, cashiers, environmental health & safety, grant accounting, payroll, purchasing, and student financial services.
Feedback is being sought to help identify areas where customer service improvement may be needed or new services provided. All responses are anonymous and confidential.
To complete the survey, go to the Financial Affairs home page at www.cwu.edu/~bfa/financialaffairs.html and select "Customer Service Survey."
NOMINEES SOUGHT FOR JACK KENT COOKE GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
CWU is eligible to nominate two students for the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship program. Recipients of each of the 40 available scholarships may receive up to $50,000 per year for up to six years to cover tuition, living expenses, books and other required fees.
Eligible nominees must be seniors or recent alumni with grade point averages of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Current students must have attained senior status by this coming December 31, while alumni must have graduated since spring quarter 2003 or later. In addition, nominees must plan to start their first full-time graduate or professional degree program in fall of 2008.
Students already enrolled in a graduate program, those who already have a graduate degree and students who have been previously nominated for the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship Program are not eligible.
The selection criterion includes academic achievement and intelligence, unmet financial need, the will to succeed, leadership and public service, critical-thinking ability, and a strong appreciation for or participation in the arts and humanities.
Applications forms and guidelines are available in the scholarship section at www.jackkentcookefoundation.org.
Central faculty members are encouraged to contact qualified students and have them submit their applications to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research by February 15, 2008 to be considered for nomination by CWU.
McNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICANTS
Nominations are now being accepted for students interested in becoming part of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, also known as the McNair Scholars Program.
Named in honor of astronaut Ronald E. McNair, who was killed in the 1984 explosion of the space shuttle Challenge, it is one of the federally funded TRIO programs.
Those eligible include first generation college students with limited incomes (as determined by TRIO guidelines) along with students from underrepresented groups in graduate education--Black or African-American, Hispanic or Latino, and American Indian or Alaska Native--who have 3.0 grade point averages, stated goals of obtaining PhD degrees, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and are now enrolled at CWU.
Students accepted in the McNair program will be eligible to receive:
- Advanced preparation for graduate education through participating in undergraduate research or teaching internships guided by faculty mentors;
- Experience making formal research presentations;
- Attendance at local, regional and national conferences; and
- Assistance in choosing and applying to graduate schools (including free GRE workshops, test fee waivers, and aid with travel to visit graduate schools).
Students who participate in mentored undergraduate research projects receive a $2,400 summer research stipend and up to $1,700 for room and board. Funds are also available for travel to conferences, to visit graduate schools, and for teaching internships.
Nominations must be made by December 10 in order to meet the application deadline of January 10, 2008. For complete details, call ext. 3101.
NEW MACINTOSH "LEOPARD" OS AVAILABLE AT A SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNT
As part of the large order currently being placed with Apple, Information Technology Services is making the newest version of the Macintosh OSX operating system (10.5), known as Leopard, available to the campus for only $25 per license. The Academic Software Assistance Program is matching funds to purchase the new operating system at a $91 discount from the suggested, single license price. For more information, call ext. 2991.
SHARED LEAVE DONATIONS ARE NEEDED
The following individuals are in need of shared leave: Lynda di Caro, University Housing and New Student Programs; and Nancy Jo Tutino, accounting.
CWU employees may donate leave to a fellow employee: 1) who is suffering from or has a relative or household member who is suffering from an extraordinary or severe illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition; or, 2) who has been called to service in the uniformed services; and, where the fact of either 1) or 2) has caused or is likely to cause the employee to take leave without pay or terminate his or her employment.
You may donate annual (vacation) and sick leave in eight-hour blocks. A minimum balance of eighty hours of annual leave must be maintained. Excess annual leave (that over 240 hours) that will otherwise be lost may not be donated. A minimum balance of 176 hours of sick leave must be maintained. All or a portion of your personal holiday may also be donated.
Shared leave donation forms can be downloaded from the forms section of the Human Resources home page at www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms/shared_leave_donation_form.doc. Forms may also be requested from the HR office at ext. 1202. Requests to donate leave must be approved by your supervisor before forwarding to HR and are subject to approval by your department head and Human Resources.
Patrick GARMONG is Central's new catering chef. A university alumnus, Garmong worked for the CWU catering department while attending classes at Central. He is also a graduate of the prestigious Institute of Culinary Education in New York. Chef Garmong is interested in using more local/regional products, seeking continuous education to keep up with trends, and using sustainable resources.
Bruce PALMQUIST, physics and science education, and the CWU astronomy club hosted eight planetarium shows for the "Nature of Night" event cosponsored by the Kittitas Environmental Education Network and the CWU Don and Verna Duncan Civic Engagement center. A total of 187 children and adult community members attended the shows, which took place in the Grupe Center on November 17.
An essay by Joseph POWELL, English, "Honesty, Elegance, & the Ragged Edge," won the Victor Emmett Award from the Midwest Quarterly as the best essay it published during 2006-2007. In addition, his essay "If Courtiers Were Shepherds" was also accepted for publication by Midwest Quarterly. Powell also had several poems selected for publication: "On Discovering Dinosaurs" was accepted for publication in Cascade magazine; "An Adolescent Deermouse," by Freshwater; "Blue Monkeys," by Slant; and "My Father's House," by Switched-on Gutenberg. Powell's most recent collection of short stories, Fish Grooming & Other Stories, is due out soon from March Street Press.
Connie LAMBERT has been named interim dean for the College of Education and Professional Studies. Lambert has served as the associate dean for professional education in the College of Education and Professional Studies since 2001. Lambert's appointment will continue until a new dean is selected through a national search process.
On November 3, CWU hosted the Inland Empire District of the National Association of Teachers of Singing annual meeting and student competition. Linda MARRA, music, who coordinated the event, was elected district president during the meeting. The competition involved college and university students from Washington and Idaho. MARRA's students Tiffany LAWRENCE and Brittney KLOUSE were among the first place winners, while her fellow students Kim STRAKA, Paul WALK, Allison SUTTON, and Michael CONNOLLY placed second, and Andrea HANSEN received honorable mention recognition. In addition, Rose TURK, a student of Mia SPENCER, placed second; while Chad Opitz, a student of Sid NESSELROAD, music, and Mark Seidl, a student of Vijay SINGH, music, were also honorable mention honorees. In addition, high school competition was featured this year. Ellensburg High School student Sasha Rawlinson placed first in that division. She is also Singh's student.
The Center for Excellence in Leadership received the Student Affairs and Enrollment Management "Celebrating Connection" award for November. Along with his staff, new Director Jesse NELSON was acknowledged for his willingness to make connections and to work collaboratively.
Sharon ROSELL, physics, and physics majors Christopher PARKER, Travis PETERSEN, and Travis WILLIAMS presented four hands-on physics-related workshops, titled "Making Waves," at an Expanding Your Horizons Conference for middle school girls held at Yakima Valley Community College on November 3.
Christopher SCHEDLER, English, presented a paper titled "Immigrants at the Gates: Social Borders and Global Suburbs in The Tortilla Curtain" at the American Studies Association conference in Philadelphia, October 11-14.
Again this past summer, Christian SCHNEIDER, emeritus professor, foreign languages, presented organ recitals in Germany. The performances among others in the Cathedral of Naumburg, in the Frauenkirche, Dresden and, for the fifth time, at the historic Trost-Orgel in the Castle Church of Altenburg near Leipzig. He has been invited to return next year.
Dale WILSON, aviation, has received renewed professional accreditation as a Master CFI (Certificated Flight Instructor) from the National Association of Flight Instructors. He has held this professional accreditation continuously since 1999. While there are approximately 91,000 CFIs in the U.S., Wilson is among fewer than 600 who have earned the master instructor distinction.
CWU EMPLOYEES
Civil Service new hires: Donald Davis, Information Technology Specialist 2, Chemistry Department; Michael Perry, Plumber/Pipefitter/Steamfitter, Facilities Management; Darlene Massey, Bookstore Supervisor, Wildcat Shop; Shannon Martin, Office Assistant 2, Campus Life;
Sandra Crain, Secretary Senior, Business Services and Contacts; Sara Taylor, Secretary, College of the Sciences.
Civil Service job changes: Trish Swanson, Program Support Supervisor 1, Public Safety and Police Services.
Exempt new hires: Luz Alvarez, Retention Counselor/Recruiter, College Assistance Migrant Program; Ian Miller, Residence Hall Coordinator, University Housing and New Student Programs; Nancy Kunst, Event Planning Coordinator, University Relations.
To view current job openings at CWU, go to www.cwu.edu/~hr/jobs/index.html.