Monday, April 28, 2008
Spring In-Service ’08 talks “tech” and makes awardsThe annual Spring In-Service Day was all about technology, but it was the personal touch that earned faculty members the Distinguished Teaching Award this year – as noted by their student nominators. This year’s award winners were Susan Rosh, adjunct instructor in Mathematics, Dr. Tom Habegger, professor in Sports and Exercise Studies, Dr. Tom Shanahan, professor in Paralegal Studies, and Mary Lewis, an adjunct instructor in the Social and Behavioral Studies. Chuck Wilson, coordinator of the Ford ASSET program in Automotive Technology, was named Staff Employee of the Year.
Susan Rosh, Thomas Habegger, Ph.D., and, Thomas Shanahan, J.D., accept their Distinguished Teaching Awards at the 2008 Spring In-Service presentation. Not pictured is Mary Lewis.
Dr. David J. Staley makes a point during his keynote presentation at Spring In-Service.
Investigative reporter Sonia Shah gave a special student-oriented speech to kick off the annual Writers Conference, which began later Friday evening April 25 and continued through Saturday. Shah also gave a keynote address to Conference attendees Friday evening. The Writers Conference sessions ran all day Saturday.
Dr. Moeller receives roses from Martin Barry as the crowd sings her happy birthday.
Open enrollment begins for health, vision,
dental and flexible spending accounts
The Human Resources Department reports
that, due to the college’s Wellness
Initiatives, consumerism by employees,
employee demographics and advice
from USI Midwest, the college has been able to negotiate the smallest
increase in eight years, just 6 percent, from United Healthcare.
The Open Enrollment sessions for health, vision, dental and flexible
spending will be available to all full-time employees on Wednesday,
April 30, at 9 a.m., 11a.m. and 2 p.m. in WD Room 409; and
Thursday, May 15, at 9 a.m., 11a.m. and 2 p.m. in WD Room 409.
As announced last year the college will be eliminating the Alternate
2 buy-up plan. The plan designs for the Health Savings Account
option and the Core plan will remain the same. The college will
continue to contribute $1,000 for single and $2,000 for family into employees’ HSAs.
All employees currently enrolled in the Alternate 2 Buy-up plan will need to select the HSA or the Core plan option. Representatives from USI Midwest and United Healthcare also will be available at the upcoming enrollment meetings.
The college will be renewing the current dental insurance plan with Delta Dental. The premiums are increasing by 2.59 percent.
Effective July 1, 2008, Columbus State will be offering voluntary vision insurance with Vision Service Plan (VSP). Due to the savings in healthcare, the college will pay 50 percent of the premium this year. This benefit is very popular with other organizations in our area. Representatives from VSP will make presentations at the enrollment meetings as well.
This is also the Open Enrollment for the Flexible Spending Account. A representative from TASC will be present at these meetings.
If you would like to enroll in the health plan, add or drop dependents or cancel your coverage, now is the time to do so. Please pick up an enrollment form in Human Resources or go to the www.myusi.com Web site, using “CSCC” as the sign-on and “Benefits” as the password and download the forms from there.
If you do not need to make any changes, your plan will automatically renew unless you are currently in the Alternate 2 plan. All forms must be returned to Human Resources by May 23. There will be no exceptions to this deadline.
Cougar Tracks employee orientation program offered May 2The Linkages employee orientation program is open to all employees of the college, new and current. The next session will be May 2 from 8:30–10 a.m. The topic will be professional development, presented by India Ashley and J.D. White, in WD 407. In the Linkages program, departments in the college present information on various topics to help inform new employees and update current employees about their departments. If you would like your department featured in the Linkages program, please contact India Ashley .
Wellness Initiative Body Challenge III under wayIn the third Wellness Challenge, 170 college employees are working to gain wellness points—and maybe lose a couple of inches—over the next few months. Wellness points are given for various types of wellness activities and for the number of steps taken (using pedometers) per day. The Wellness Challenge runs March 31–June 6. Each member of the winning team will receive a $35 Dicks Sporting Goods gift certificate. The teams are (team captains in bold):
HR Knock Outs India Ashley |
HR Terminators Nichole Bowman-Glover |
Information Overloads Susan Auddino |
Brains & Brawn Corey Apling |
Mission Control Stephanie Albrecht |
Darla's Darlings Jean Baker |
Darla's Darlings #2 Wayne Cocchi |
A-Team Kimberly Brazwell |
Discovery Exchange Warriors Tony Belleau |
The Splatters Nancy Cleland |
Eating PI Jonathan Baker |
Physically Pffft Jennifer Barker |
Magnificient 10 Patty Baker |
The Nightingales Susan Accetturro |
The Nightingale #2 Angie Tracy |
Sassy Samurai's Tonya Anderson-Russell |
Advising Services Marilyn Baehr |