September 10, 2012
Senator Sherrod Brown highlights veterans retraining program
At this morning’s press conference, from left are Donald Grove, veteran and Columbus State student; Jay Favuzzi, supervisor of Columbus State’s Veterans Services; Senator Sherrod Brown;, and Marty Maliwesky, dean of Enrollment Services. Grove, a former hospital corpsman, is one of the students accessing VRAP benefits. He is studying Health Information Management Technology.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, was at Columbus State this morning to talk about the new Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP). Under the program, Ohio veterans are eligible to apply for 12 months of retraining at a community college or technical school.
Brown described the program at a press conference this morning in the Columbus State Conference Center (WD). Brown was joined by Marty Maliwesky, dean of Enrollment Services; Jay Favuzzi, supervisor of Veterans Services; and student Donald Grove. VRAP is part of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which Brown cosponsored.
Columbus State is one of several schools where veterans can use the new benefit. Recipients must be enrolled in a program that leads to an associate degree, non-college degree or a certificate, and the program must also train the veteran for a high-demand occupation. To be eligible, veterans must be between 35-60 years old, be unemployed and not be eligible for other VA education benefits.
Columbus State has about 1,600 registered veterans, and 40 have already enrolled in the VRAP program.
Columbus State recently expanded and upgraded its Veterans Services Department. The office can help veterans apply for benefits, obtain transfer credits, find scholarships and access other services including the new Veterans Retraining Assistance Program. See a video of today’s press conference here.
Bookstore coordinator displays grace under pressure
Mike Bateman
Mike Bateman, coordinator in the Columbus State Bookstore, has put in a lot of extra hours in the last five months, according to his supervisor Luke Robson. When the position of Retail Sales Supervisor was vacant, Bateman handled staff scheduling, training and leadership of the sales floor in the Bookstore. Robson nominated Bateman for Staff Employee of the Month due to his “willingness to take on new tasks and react to changes with grace, ensuring the best outcome for the business.” Bateman was awarded the September SEOM in a ceremony held September 5.
“After I stepped in to fill the role of Retail Sales Supervisor, Mike was a tremendous asset to me. He has become a coach, trainer and mentor in the daily functions of the store, and his job knowledge is undeniable,” said Robson. “Mike seamlessly coordinates all daily workflow for up to 50 employees during the rush periods, and is the main support in balancing a large volume of cashier tills and rectifying any discrepancies. Additionally, Mike provides front-line training for the large number of new employees seen during each rush period, ensuring each is customer service focused as well as diligent in their cash handling.”
“He is the go-to member of our team for coaching, positivity and mentoring,” said Robson.
Business careers conference for minority students Sept. 21
Students who are interested in owning a business, earning their CPA, or just becoming successful business leaders, may be interested in the upcoming ASPIRE! conference on September 21 at Columbus State.
ASPIRE! is a free program designed specifically for minority students interested in careers in accounting and business. During the event, they will meet local CPAs, accounting professionals, Columbus State alumni and staff to learn first-hand about career opportunities and what it takes to become a CPA. They can also find out how to make their associate degree the springboard to the next level of their education.
The free program will be held Friday, September 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Columbus State Conference Center Ballroom, (WD 435).
Students interested in attending should RSVP by September 17 to ebice@ohio-cpa.com, or call 1(800)686-2727.
Financial wellness seminar: Ohio Deferred Compensation
Ohio Deferred Compensation representative Linda Jones will be at the Columbus Campus on Thursday, September 13, from 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Delaware Hall in the area just outside the Cafeteria. Deferred Compensation is a voluntary retirement savings plan offered to state and local government employees. Participants invest pre-tax dollars in a tax-deferred account similar to a 401k or 403b retirement plan. Please stop by this seminar if you have questions about deferred compensation, or are interested in finding out more.
Safelite to offer hiring event
Safelite® is a nationwide family of retail auto glass companies. The company is recruiting for part time inbound call center representative for training classes this month and next, and will hold a recruitment event on Friday, September 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Columbus State Conference Center ( Fourth floor WD). If you think any students you know might be interested, invite them to register for the event online here.
Cougar Geeks and TRiO/Student Support Services team up!
The Columbus State “Cougar ”Geeks, made up of students in the PC Tech II class, recently donated 17 computers and keyboards to the TRiO/Student Support Services program. The Cougar Geeks refurbish old PC equipment and donate it to deserving students and organizations. Student Support Services serves 160 low-income and first-generation students at Columbus State. Seven of the computers were raffled off Summer Quarter, and the rest will be awarded to SSS students this semester!
Cougar Geeks are always in need of your unwanted computer equipment and all donations are tax deductible, so if you have something to donate, contact Debra Dyer for more information!
TRiO students are pleased with their donation from the Cougar Geeks, They are, front; Izetta Davis. In the second row from left are: Kenneth Jackson, Tonia Caldwell, Clawdette, and Jasmine Ford. And in the back row are: Anthony Crawford, Shaun Winter, Harry Cox, Karen Davis, Tammy Delgadillo and Jacob Wheeler.
Health Rewards deadline extended to September 30
The deadline for full-time Columbus State employees with United Health Care coverage to complete the eight required points for the Health Rewards Program has been extended to September 30, due to the system outage that occurred in August. Please note that this is a one-time extension due to the myUHC web portal outage. If you have not yet accumulated eight points, you have until September 30 to complete them. Employees covered under UHC plans through Columbus State must earn eight points under the Health Rewards program to maintain a 20% payroll contribution.
This webpage has information on the wellness program and points.
Once you log onto the myuhc.com web portal, you will need to re-register for the Health and Wellness page in order to view the new Health Rewards website. The years are broken down into current period (for July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013) and the prior period which will include points through June 30, 2012. The prior period is available by logging onto myuhc.com, go to the Health and Wellness tab, click on “my rewards,” click on “earn rewards,” at the bottom of the circle is a drop-down box. You can click on it to change it to current or prior periods. You will have to add the two periods together through September 30, 2012 in order to total your points correctly.
If you started Health Coaching prior to the August 24 outage, you will be given the credit based on the start date. All future programs will be based on the completion date of the online health coaching.
For more information, attend a briefing:
Wednesday, September 12, at 12:00 p.m. in CT-107
Thursday, September 20, at 9:00 a.m. in CT-107
Thursday, September 27, at 9:00 a.m. in CT-107
Delaware Campus employees should contact Nichole Bowman-Glover to sign up for a briefing broadcast.
For more information, contact nbowmang@cscc.edu or Deborah Robinson at drobbins5@cscc.edu.
Grade-entry deadlines all new for semesters!
The deadline to enter grades on CougarWeb is before 11:00 p.m. on the Monday after the end of each term. The Grade Entry Deadlines for each term are:
Full Term - Monday, December 17
First 8-week Term - Monday, October 29
Second 8-week Term - Monday, December 17
First 5-week Term - Monday, October 8
Second 5-week Term - Monday, November 12
Third 5-week Term - Monday, December 17
Flex Term - Monday after the end of the term
If you have questions regarding CougarWeb for faculty use, please go online here:
http://www2.cscc.edu/about/faculty-staff/PDF/CougarWeb_for_Faculty_Guide.pdf
Volleyball Cougars ranked 9th in nation, play at home Friday
The Columbus State Women’s Volleyball team began their season in the National Junior College Athletic Conference Division II unranked, but after compiling an impressive 9-4 start have moved up to 9th in the first NJCAA national poll of the season. After defeating Lorain County Community College (Elyria) in three straight games last week, the Lady Cougars are now 10-5. The Cougars’ first home match will be Friday, September 14. at 6:00 p.m. against fifth-ranked Owens Community College (Toledo). Come cheer the lady Cougars on this Friday!