Oneonta Home | Text Only

Bar    

Bulletin for January 17, 2007

MIDYEAR MINGLE - JANUARY 19
All faculty, staff, and guests are cordially invited to join friends and colleagues at the 2007 Midyear Mingle on Friday, January 19, from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. in the Morris Conference Center Otsego Grille. President Donovan and the College Enhancement Committee will serve as hosts. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

INTERNATIONAL COFFEE HOURS
Attached to this issue of the Bulletin is the Spring schedule of the International Coffee Hours, which will take place on Fridays at 4:30 p.m. in Lee Hall.

FACULTY ON THE MOVE
The Sociology Department has two members that have relocated their offices. Marilyn Helterline is moving from Fitzelle Hall 415 to Milne Library 315A, she is going to be the chair of the Women’s & Gender Studies Deptartment, her phone number x3225, will stay the same. Stephanie Bennett is moving from Fitzelle Hall 240 to Fitzelle Hall 415, her phone number, x2834 will also stay the same.

EMPIRE PLAN PREFERRED DRUG LIST
The 2007 Empire Plan Preferred Drug List has been released. This has been mailed to enrollees’ homes along with the January 2007 Empire At A Glance booklet and 2007 co-payment cards. Human Resources has a small supply of the Preferred Drug List. If anyone would like an additional copy of this list or has any questions about this, please contact Human Resources at x2507.

NOTICE TO INSTRUCTORS ABOUT COURSE AUDITORS
There has been an increased interest in course auditing in recent semesters. The decision whether to allow people to audit a class is the professor's, but the College should be notified of any auditor's presence in the classroom. Please be advised that course auditors must fill out a course audit request, obtain the professor’s signature, and pay any applicable audit fees. Parent/Guardian signatures are also required for auditors under the age of 18. Those who wish to audit a course can pick up the necessary form at the Office of Continuing Education in Netzer Administration, Room 135.

RETURNING ITEMS THAT WERE ORDERED FROM THE OFFICE DEPOT
If you need to return items to The Office Depot for any reason, please call their customer service number at 888-777-4044. They will ask you for our Customer Number (#41376769) and then help you with the return. Ask the representative to fax you a copy of the Return Authorization. Attach a copy of this Return Authorization to the outside of the package before returning the package to Central Receiving and fax a copy of the Return Authorization to Purchasing (FAX #3172) so we are aware of the return. This process will help the Purchasing staff track any returned items to the Office Depot and make sure you are getting the necessary credits for your account. Thank you.

APPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYEE TUITION ASSISTANCE
Applications for Employee Tuition Assistance for Spring 2007 will be accepted through Tuesday, January 23. Applications are available at the Human Resources Office, Netzer 208 and after completion, the form should be returned to the Human Resources Office. UUP employees have a one-course tuition waiver as part of their negotiated agreement, so the SUNY waiver should only be submitted if taking two courses. All other employees qualify to apply for up to two courses at any SUNY school if employed on a continuing appointment. If you have any questions, please phone Denise Straut at x2583. (Please note: only employees on a continuing appointment are eligible to apply for this assistance. Part-time employees may apply, but awards will be adjusted to reflect their percent of time.)

UUP COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
UUP College Scholarships are awarded annually to outstanding SUNY undergraduates who exhibit dedication to the goals and ideals of the labor union movement. Recipients of a UUP scholarship receive $2,000. To qualify, a student must display both personal and academic achievement with a minimum grade point average of 3.75, and have a strong record of community service. The process is competitive and is open to fulltime undergraduate students attending a state-operated campus of SUNY. Applicants must have completed at least 16 credit hours at a SUNY campus. One to four applicants will be selected. The application deadline is Thursday, March 1. Faculty are encouraged to inform qualified students of UUP Scholarships. For an application or to learn more, visit www.uupinfo.org/scholarships/sholarship.doc.

Applications can also be obtained by calling the administrative office of statewide UUP at 1-800-342-4206 and requesting the document, or contact UUP Oneonta’s office at x2135 to receive the application.

IMPORTANT TAX FILING INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES MAKING 3% CONTRIBUTIONS TO RETIREMENT PLANS
If 3% of your salary is being deducted from your paycheck and contributed to Employees Retirement System (ERS) or Teachers Retirement System (TRS) or TIAA-CREF, please review the attachment to this issue of the Bulletin entitled, “REMINDER”, from the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance. Your 3% contribution is the “414(h) retirement contribution” mentioned in the attachment to this Bulletin, and this amount must be ADDED to your Federal adjusted gross income on your NYS Personal Income Tax return. Failure to add it may result in additional payments and interest due. Please contact Hope Lambrecht at x3018 with any questions.

ATTENTION EMPIRE PLAN ENROLLEES
Information was recently mailed to enrollees’ homes regarding changes effective January 01, 2007 for Laboratory Services. When an individual is physically present at a hospital or a hospital-based facility that participates with Empire, claims for lab work performed at that facility will most likely be processed by the Blue Cross Blue Shield component of Empire and an outpatient co-payment will apply. PRIOR to any health care visit to a doctor’s office or a hospital or a hospital-based facility that might include lab work that is sent to a separate lab facility, enrollees are STRONGLY encouraged to contact their health care provider, determine what lab facilities will be used and then verify with the United Health Care component of Empire whether or not that facility is a participating lab. If not, inquire about alternative labs that may be utilized. The phone number for Empire is 1-877-769-7447. The website to locate participating labs is http://www.provider.uhc.com/empire. If anyone has any further questions, please contact Human Resources at x2509.

ATTENTION: BENEFITS-ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES DESIGNATED ALESU/C-82, M/C, NYSCOPBA OR PEF
As a reminder, EyeMed now administrates the New York State Vision Plan for ALESU/C-82, M/C, NYSCOPBA and PEF employees. Earlier this month, information and ID cards were mailed to employees’ homes. If you have any questions or need ID cards, call the EyeMed Customer Care Center at 1-877-226-1412, Monday - Saturday, 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. and Sunday, 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Information is also available at www.eyemedvisioncare.com. This site includes a provider locator. In Oneonta, the Catskill Eye Care Center on Oneida Street and the Vision Center in WalMart are participating EyeMed providers. Please note that eligible employees have already been enrolled, but to be able to obtain personal information from the www.eyemedvisioncare.com website, follow the instructions on the website to “register”. (When prompted to enter your member ID or the last 4 digits of your SSN, enter your complete SSN in the member ID box.) If you need further assistance, contact Human Resources at x2509.

BENEFITS UPDATE INFORMATION FOR UUP MEMBERS
Below are a few changes in benefits for 2007 for UUP members to note.
Empire Plan - Increase in Co Payments for the following:

The Vision Benefit has not changed for UUP Members. Our members will remain with Davis Vision.

DECEMBER ELECTION RESULTS
The Business Committee has communicated the results of the elections conducted in December 2006. As Presiding Officer I want to congratulate those elected and those who decided to run. The Senate and its Committees are making slow but steady progress in becoming vibrant institutions with the infusion of new leaders and the experience of those more seasoned. I thank the Business Committee, especially Theresa Russo and Michelle Hendley for all the work that they spearheaded in carrying out the elections. All members of the College Community are welcome to come to the Senate meetings as guests, even if they are not Senators. Our meeting schedule is listed on the webpage: http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/senate/RESULTS: Orlando Legname, Music -- for University Faculty Senator; Christine Edwards, Residence Life and Housing -- for Student Life Committee; Neil Cunningham, Communication Art -- for Committee for Academic Planning/Resource Allocation; and Brian Beitzel, Educational Psychology and Counseling -- for Committee on Instruction.
Rob Compton, Presiding Officer

ONEONTA ID NUMBER POLICY
In response to a New York State law enacted in 2000, all students are assigned an Oneonta ID number or A00 number. These numbers are used as a unique student identifier. They are printed on class rosters and are used by students when asking for services at the College. According to FERPA and campus policy, these numbers are to be treated in the same manner as the social security number. Please take care to provide the maximum security for all student record information. It is incumbent on all of us to protect our students’ privacy. If you would like a refresher on FERPA or if you have any questions regarding privacy of student records, please contact Maureen Artale, Assistant Registrar at x3108 or artalemp@oneonta.edu.

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES & SPECIAL OFFER FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
As part of the SUNY Oneonta Readership Program, The New York Times offers discounted and complimentary subscriptions to faculty and staff, along with an array of educational resources to help engage students. Instructors who adopt The Times as a text on their syllabus for a course with 10 or more students are eligible for a complimentary subscription for the term. Individual subscriptions are also available at 60% off - just $0.40 daily (Monday - Friday) by phoning 888-NYT-COLL (698-2655) and mentioning media code SNYZTX. Students can pick up copies of The Times at no charge in their residence halls through the Readership Program on campus. For additional information about classroom use and resources, please contact David Booth, Education Manager with The New York Times at boothdp@nytimes.com or 866-423-0142.

PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION MUST BE SHREDDED
This is a reminder to all faculty and staff from the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Human Resources. Any printed material that contains either student or employee personally identifiable information must be shredded. It cannot be thrown into the garbage or with the recyclables. Employees who do not have access to departmental shredders can use the shredder that is located in the Print Shop, in the basement of the Administration Building. Questions regarding student information should be referred to Maureen Artale, Assistant Registrar, at x3108. Questions regarding employee information should be referred to the Office of Human Resources at x2509.

CAMPUS CATERING POLICY
If a group is holding an event on campus and would like to have food and/or refreshments, please contact Sodexho Campus Dining Services. Sodexho has exclusive rights for catering on campus and at the College Camp. For more information please contact the Catering Office at x3934.

COLLEGE CAMP WEATHER POLICY
College Camp may be closed due to road conditions during the winter months. As a general rule, the Camp and Observatory will also be closed if classes are cancelled. Closings will be posted at http://collegecamp.oneonta.edu and the Camp Caretaker or an OAS staff member will contact reservation holders. Public inquiries about Camp closures/cancellations may be made at the campus Weather Line at x2000.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT/UUP CHAPTER MEETING - JANUARY 23
The next Food for Thought/UUP Chapter meeting will be held in Le Café, Morris Conference Center, on Tuesday, January 23rd at Noon, and will feature a presentation by Robert W. Compton, Political Scientist and chapter Vice President for Academics. Rob will compare academic and administrative salary trends at SUNY College at Oneonta with that of other SUNY campuses, university and college systems, and nation-wide. He will examine salary compensation within a longitudinal and comparative framework. Rob’s analysis will identify patterns of persistence and change over time. Questions and discussion will follow the formal program. Although Food for Thought has important content, it is also an occasion for respite from the workweek, relaxed collegiality, and fine food. Renew old ties and forge new ones by joining your colleagues in convivial gathering and expression of solidarity. Your union looks forward to greeting you. For additional information or questions, please contact UUP Oneonta President Bill Simons (x3498, SimonsWM@Oneonta.Edu); VP for Professionals Norm Payne (x2021, paynene@oneonta.edu); Secretary and Health & Safety Officer Tom Horvath (x3899, horvattg@oneonta.edu);or Professional Delegate Janie Forrest-Glotzer (x2005, forresjl@oneonta.edu).

FACULTY SEMINAR SERIES - JANUARY 24
Ahmet Ozkul will make the first presentation of the Spring 2007 Economics and Business Division Faculty Seminar Series on Wednesday, January 24 at 4:00 p.m. in Schumacher 209. The title of Dr. Ozkul’s presentation is Use of computer simulation in teaching operations management. The presentation is open to faculty, students, and the public.

ART INSPIRED BY GULF COAST HURRICANES AND LOCAL FLOODS:  JANUARY 24 - MARCH 16
A traveling exhibit entitled "Two dogs; one not found: Nine Louisiana Artists Respond to the Storms of 2005" will premiere at the Fine Arts Gallery on Wednesday, January 24, and remain on display until Friday, March 16. The exhibit features the work of nine artists from Louisiana who created new pieces of art to explore their experiences during hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In conjunction with the exhibit, "The Daily Star" will present "Water, Mud, Despair and Recovery," a show of local photos of the June 2006 floods by "Star" photographers Julie Lewis and Anita Briggs, in the College's New Gallery. Admission to all events in the series is complimentary, and members of the community are invited to attend. The College will offer an opening reception for the exhibits on Wednesday, January 24, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Louisiana artist Nancy Sharon Collins will present the keynote address for the Gulf Coast exhibit, "What Happens when the Grid Goes Down," at 6:00 p.m. that evening in the Hamblin Theater. Michael Wyshock, Art Department, who moved to the Oneonta area from Thibodaux, Louisiana, after the storms that ravaged the region in 2005, curates the Gulf Coast exhibition. In addition to Collins, a graphic designer who also designed the catalog for the exhibition, the work of eight other prominent Louisiana artists will be featured: John T. Scott, whose art includes painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking; Patricia "Muffin" Sills, who works in sculpture, photography, and installation; photographer John Mack Collins; Dennis Sipiorski, who creates ceramics and paintings; Yvonne James, who specializes in sculpture installation; Karin Eberhardt, who creates digital prints; Ron Bechet, whose work includes paintings and drawings; and Wyshock, whose art includes sculpture, drawing, painting, and video installation. Following its premiere at SUNY-Oneonta, "Two dogs" will travel to New Orleans, where it will be featured at Xavier University in March. The exhibition is supported by the College, Xavier University of New Orleans, the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) New Orleans Chapter, and Congressman Charlie Melancon of the Third Congressional District in Louisiana. As a parallel exhibition in conjunction with "Two dogs," "Water, Mud, Despair and Recovery" by photographers Julie Lewis and Anita Briggs will document the devastation in Otsego and Delaware Counties caused by the June 2006 floods.

The galleries are open Monday - Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. when the College is in session. More information is available from Tim Sheesley, Director, Fine Arts Gallery, at x2445.

HOW’S YOUR CHOLESTEROL? ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CARDIAC HEALTH? - FEBRUARY 14
On Wednesday, February 14, the Employee Assistance Program will sponsor a program on holistic approaches to cardiac health. Our presenter will be Dr. Eliot W. Edwards who is a doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Edwards will discuss a variety of means to improve your cardiac health, including reducing cholesterol levels using diet and other holistic interventions. Session 1:  11:00 - 11:50 a.m.; Session 2: Noon - 12:50 p.m., both in Room 144, Human Ecology Building.

FACULTY RESEARCH SHOW: CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS - MARCH 14
Call for participants: The Grants Development Office (GDO) is calling for participants for the seventh annual Faculty Research Show (FRS) to be held on Wednesday, March 14th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Morris Conference Center (reception to follow). The FRS celebrates the excellent and diverse research and related activities conducted by College at Oneonta faculty; it is also a great opportunity to expose students to research methodology and other elements of conducting and presenting academic research. Different formats for presentation will be accommodated, including posters, hands-on exhibits, PowerPoint presentations, and videotaped presentations. (GDO staff will make every effort to accommodate requests, and will help purchase materials and arrange for use of media equipment.) Have you made a recent poster presentation at a conference? Consider modifying it for presentation at the Faculty Research Show. Note: You do not have to be present during the entire FRS to participate; you may send a colleague or student representative, or GDO staff can help facilitate presentations. If you would like to participate, please e-mail the following information to meekerkl@oneonta.edu by Friday, February 16th: Name and department of first author/presenter; Co-authors and affiliations (if applicable); Title of project/presentation; Presentation format (GDO staff will follow up regarding specifics and materials/support required). An abstract of the presentation (500 words or less) is also required, but can be subsequently submitted (no later than Friday, March 2nd). If you have any questions, please contact Kim Muller at x2479 or Kathy Meeker at x2632. Programs from previous Faculty Research Shows are available from the GDO by request.

THANK YOU

CONGRATULATIONS

FACULTY/STAFF ACTIVITIES

BULLETIN INFORMATION
Email your items and attachments to Mona Hughes (x2490) at hughesml@oneonta.edu by the noon deadline on Thursdays, for publication the following Wednesday. Do not send items or attachments in Publisher. Items that come after the noon deadline will be held over for the next available edition. The Bulletin is not published when classes are not in session, but we do adhere to the same deadline before a break, for publication after the break.

Text Only Options

Top of page


Text Only Options

Open the original version of this page.

     

Lift Assistive is a UsableNet product. Lift Assistive Main Page.