Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the Vice President, and Hilda Solis, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, arrive at Columbus State yesterday morning to kick off a three-day, five-state tour of community colleges. 
The first two Master Plan reports from NBBJ are now online and available for review. 
Is Columbus State a “great college to work for?”
As part of our commitment to continuous quality improvement, Columbus State will participate in the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Great Colleges to Work For survey.
This annual study helps colleges assess workplace quality, culture and employee satisfaction and enables comparison to similar institutions. Should we be outstanding in any area, we will be featured in an honor roll published by the Chronicle.
Part of the study includes a survey of a random sample of 600 from our full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, administrators and exempt professional staff. On March 19, employees in this sample will receive an email and instructions directing them to an online survey. If you receive the invitation, please take a moment to complete the survey. The survey window will be open between March 19 and April 13.
This is a confidential survey that measures the strength of organizational competencies and relationships that most directly influence an institution’s culture. Your participation and honest feedback are critical. You will be representing yourself and your colleagues.
To ensure the confidentiality of your responses, your survey will be processed by ModernThink LLC, a research and consulting firm focusing on workplace excellence. Our institution will not be given any information that would enable us to trace survey data back to an individual.
We encourage your participation. A high response rate helps ensure accurate results and demonstrates our commitment to our institution and the communities we serve. For more information contact Rich James in Human Capacity Development.
Do you know about TRiO?
How much do you know about Columbus State’s three TRiO programs? Would you like to know more about Student Support Services, Upward Bound, or Educational Talent Search and learn how they make college readiness, access, and success a reality for low-income and potential first-generation college students?
Please join TRiO Programs for their Open House on Friday, March 9, from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in Franklin Hall 223. You’ll have the chance to meet TRiO staff, learn about the services we provide to students, hear about recent events, and enjoy some light refreshments.
TRiO’s Student Support Services and Columbus State’s Generation One Trailblazers (GOT) program also invite you to attend a panel discussion on Tuesday, March 6, from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. in DE 116. The discussion features first-generation college students who will share their thoughts and insights about their experience at Columbus State.
Please contact Stephanie Albrecht at ext. 5402 for more information.
Volunteers still needed for Central District Science Day March 17
Columbus State will host the annual Ohio Academy of Sciences Central District Science Day on Saturday, March 17. Approximately 500 students from local area middle and high schools will present their science projects in hopes of advancing to the state competition in May. Volunteers are needed to judge these projects and to assist in the smooth operation of the activities. Thank you to those who have already volunteered!
Judges will be needed from 8:00 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. If you have never judged before, don’t worry. An orientation session will assist you. All judging is done in pairs, and any inexperienced judge will be paired with an experienced judge to help you along.
Additional volunteers are needed to ensure smooth operations during the event. Times of service will vary. Volunteers help students find their display sites, help with registration, tally up the scores, collect score cards, and act as hall monitors to maintain order and security. There is a volunteer job for every person regardless of science training.
This is an excellent community service opportunity, so come and make it a success.
If you would like more information about this event or if you want to volunteer as a judge or in any other capacity, please contact John Blaha at ext. 5930 or email jblaha@cscc.edu.
Note: Ohio Ethics and Conflict of Interest Questionnaires
The annual Conflict of Interest Questionnaire must be completed by all fulltime employees by March 12. Please print the questionnaire, complete it with your original signature and send to: Human Resources, attn: Carmelita Boyer. The document is online here: http://cscc.edu/hr/pdf/EmployeeConflictQuestionnaire.pdf
A brief summary of Ohio Ethics Laws is included in the letter from President Harrison, online here: http://cscc.edu/hr/pdf/Ohio%20Ethics%202012.pdf.
Mid-Year Discussion forms available in COOL and optional to complete
Mid-Year Discussion forms will be available in the COOL system from Friday, March 2, to Friday, March 30. This year conducting a Mid-Year Discussion (MYD) in COOL is optional. Please discuss with your manager whether or not you will be completing these in COOL. Even for employees not completing MYDs in COOL, employees and managers are encouraged to discuss progress toward goals.
On March 2 the COOL system will submit a Mid-Year Discussion for all employees with a completed Planning Guide. Through this document, goals on Planning Guides will be able to be modified by the Reviewing Supervisor, if needed. If the manager chooses not to complete the MYD in COOL this year the system will close the document automatically on March 30.
Directions for completing Mid-Year Discussions are available on the Columbus State webpage at: http://www2.cscc.edu/about/hcd/performs/index.shtml.
If you have any questions, please contact your Human Resources Employment Representative at ext. 2408, or Mary Francis McLaughlin by email at mmclaugh@cscc or at ext. 5220.
Career Development Series:
Win with Your Strengths
Everyone has strengths. Recognizing and tapping into them to reach larger goals can lead to increased job satisfaction, performance, productivity and success.
In this course you will:
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Understand the concept of Vocational Identity.
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Begin to discover your Vocational Identity.
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Understand how Vocational Identity fits into your life plan.
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Take an online Strengths Finder assessment and determine your top five “Signature Strengths.”
To register: http://web.cscc.edu/is/employeetraining/courses.asp
Please note: Completion of the Strengths Finder Online Assessment is required prior to course. You will receive login information after registering for this class.
Contact Susan Thompson at sthomps1@cscc.edu or ext. 2406 for more information.
Event today:
Interested in the issues of Columbus State women?
The Department of Diversity and Study Abroad Programs is working in partnership with Institutional Advancement and Human Resources to reaffirm our commitment to students and to each other as colleagues.
By providing more targeted and in-depth networking opportunities for diverse faculty, staff and administrators, Employee Resource Groups will help employees build relationships as well as a deeper sense of community. The first Women’s Employee Resource Group will meet today, Thursday, March 1.
Employee Resource Groups are designed to create and sustain an environment in which employees can achieve his or her potential and provide an intellectually rich and engaging forum. The groups will share diverse views, perspectives, support and experiences and foster excellence in working, teaching, research, service, and community partnerships.
Join us for the women’s meeting: Thursday, March 1, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
ERC Library Studio
ERG Liaisons: Robyn Lyons-Robinson and Suzanne Schaefer
More information on Employee Resource Groups: Call ext. 2426 or email kbrazwel@cscc.edu.
5k Run and walk to support textbook scholarships
The Cougar Challenge 5K run/walk, to be held Saturday, April 28, will have special appeal to Central Ohio runners because it will take place on a unique venue—the picturesque Columbus State Bridgeview Golf Course located on Agler Road next to Alum Creek.
The rolling 5K (3.1-mile) course will take runners over course fairways on a path that will provide a few climbs, fast grassy downhills and a flat finish around the driving range. The looping course is also spectator friendly.
The race, sponsored by the Staff Advisory Council, supports book scholarships for Columbus State students. The cost of books is a significant and often overlooked cost of attending college. While every effort is made to provide students affordable options, sometimes there is no way around the costs of up to date, high quality textbooks. Your participation will help us endow book scholarships so all students can “cross the finish line” of their education.
Enjoy a spring morning on the green by taking on the Cougar Challenge to run, walk and raise money for book scholarships!
Registration is now open! http://www2.cscc.edu/community/5k.shtml