December 27, 2010
At dawn’s early light
Soft light fills the lobby of Moeller Hall in this picture taken near dawn on the new Delaware Campus last month. Professional photographer Larry Hamill arrived very early for a photo shoot at the campus and snapped this glowing scene as the sun streamed into the east windows of the building, creating a colorful palette.
PERFORMs Mid-Year Discussions have been initiated by the COOL system.
Please be aware of the following:
No smoking in
doorways!
Now that the weather has gotten very cold, employees and students
are reminded of the city law prohibiting smokers from gathering at
entry ways of buildings. Proximity to an entrance or exit can cause
smoke to drift into the building, or cause non-smokers to walk
through secondhand smoke to enter or exit. The Columbus Dept. of
Health and the Columbus State Department of Public Safety is tasked
with enforcement of this law and your cooperation is very much
appreciated!
“What the Best College Teachers Do” conversations to continue in 2011
Mark your calendars for two more faculty-led discussions about fostering student success, based on the book by Ken Bain.
How the Best Teachers Prepare - Best Practices in Course Structure and Design
Wednesday, January 26, 1:30-3:00 p.m. Location TBA
This discussion will be an interactive conversation about designing our courses and assessing students—with current technology—to maximize student success. (Chapter 3) Ann Palazzo, English, and Jack Popovich, Financial Management, will lead the discussion.
How Do They Learn Best? Student feedback on how they learn and how we teach
Friday, February 18, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Location TBA
This discussion focuses on the journal articles that abound about the learning styles of "today's students." With a panel of students, we’ll explore what works, what doesn't, and how we can improve our methods to engage more students. (Chapter 2). This discussion will be led by Traci Haynes and Heather Johnston from the Psychology department.
Learn more by visiting the discussion web page at http://cscc.edu/faculty/Best/index.shtml.
New Hire Mentor program recruits new members
The revised New Hire Mentor program began its new six-month pairings in November. The group will work together through Spring Quarter. The New Hire Mentor program is for new full-time staff members as a part of their participation in the Employee Orientation program.
Mentors are selected from full-time employees who have two or more years of service to the college.
If you are interested in being a mentor in the New Hire Mentor program, there are three easy steps you need to take:
1-Complete the New Hire Mentor application
2-Obtain Supervisor’s signature on the Supervisor Approval Form
3-Submit both documents to Susan Thompson, Rhodes Hall 115 by February 15, 2011.
All documents can be accessed from the Human Resources website here.
The applications will be reviewed and decisions communicated to applicants by March 1, 2011.
Mark your calendars for the 2011 MLK Day celebration
Columbus State is pleased to announce that we will be welcoming Dr. Cornel West as the keynote speaker for the 2011 MLK Celebration on Monday, January 10. The time and location will be announced later, so circle your calendar now. West, 57, is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is a professor at Princeton University, where he teaches in the Center for African American Studies and in the Department of Religion. West is known for his combination of political and moral insight and criticism, and his contribution to the post-1960s civil rights movement. The bulk of his work focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society. Also appearing will be the Cornel West Theory band, a hip-hop band with which West has recorded two hip-hop/soul/spoken-word albums. For more information about the event, contact the Diversity Programs office at ext. 2426 or email diversity@cscc.edu.
Health plan changes start January 1
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 has created new limits on some workplace health
plans. These plans include tax-free flexible spending arrangements and health
savings accounts. Typically, you are given the option to reduce your pay by a specified dollar amount and then use the amount to reimburse yourself for medical expenses. But you may want to prepare now for a change that goes into effect starting in 2011.
Here’s what you should know:
Getting reimbursed for medicine
Starting January 1, 2011, the cost of over-the-counter medicine will no longer be reimbursed through these plans unless prescribed by your doctor. If you or someone in your family has a medical need to use over-the-counter medicine, then you must get a prescription from your doctor.
Setting aside dollar amounts
When planning how much money to set aside for your 2011 health spending, you should take this change into account. If you don’t spend the entire amount because you didn’t get a prescription for over-the-counter medicine you figured into your reimbursements, then you’ll most likely lose the money left at the end of the plan year, or pay a penalty depending on the type of account.
Find out more about changes to workplace health plans at www.IRS.gov.


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Susan has been a teaching assistant in the Biological Sciences department for 2 years. 
