February 11, 2016

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

NEWS

Dr. Jan Dormer recently visited Chongshin University, a Christian university in Seoul, South Korea, to provide a seminar on Teaching English in Missions. Her visit was a precursor to a Messiah College graduate program intensive TESOL course that Jan will be teaching there the last week of June. After the seminar, Jan met with university leaders in the English Education department and library to discuss additional ways that the Messiah College Graduate Program in Education can partner with their university to further the goal of providing appropriate education for the teaching of English in ministry.

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MESSIAH 411

Sollenberger Sports Center locker rooms closing March 4

On March 4, the pool locker rooms and the two staff locker rooms in the Sollenberger Sports Center will be closing until further notice due to construction. If you have items in any of these locker rooms, please make sure they are gone by March 4. We will be cutting locks and throwing away anything left in the lockers. Thank you!

Paper Tigers film to be shown February 17

The Messiah College Teacher Education Program and the Messiah College Education Association invite you to join us for a limited-engagement screening of Paper Tigers, a powerful documentary film about trauma-informed education. The film will be shown Feb. 17 from 7-9:30 p.m. in Parmer Cinema. We will host a short time of discussion immediately following the film. Paper Tigers explores the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and toxic stress on struggling teens. The film follows a year in the life of Lincoln High Alternative School in Walla Walla, Washington. After radically changing its approach to disciplining students, Lincoln High School saw a dramatic turnaround in everything from the number of fights to test scores to graduation rates. The school has become a promising model of how to break the cycles of poverty, violence and disease that affect families through the practice of trauma-informed educational strategies and is a testament to what the latest research on childhood adversity is proving: that one caring adult can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.

“Open Door” day set for March 3

President Kim Phipps will host an “Open Door” day on Thursday, March 3 from 1-4 p.m. (note: date changed from Feb. 29) to meet individually with students and employees on topics that are important to them. “Open Door” is an opportunity for you to speak with the President in her office on the second floor of Old Main. A sign-in sheet will be located in Old Main Room 206 on “Open Door” day. Please call the President’s Office if you have any questions.

Employees asked to submit nominations for Pride in Performance award

Have you been impressed or inspired by the contributions made by a fellow employee during the last year? Do any of the statements below describe a colleague? If so, please consider nominating that colleague for a Pride in Performance award. The Pride in Performance award is used to recognize an employee based on the following criteria:

  • The employee has consistently demonstrated exceptional performance and remarkable proficiency in his/her assigned duties
  • The employee has demonstrated hospitality, customer focus, and has been active in promoting a pleasant working environment
  • The employee has demonstrated dependability and innovative ways to manage work and effective problem-solving
  • The employee has been committed to professional development and enhancing his/her skill set

Your recommendation will be confidential; only the employees selected as award recipients will know that their names were offered for consideration. Prior recipients are not eligible to receive a subsequent award for three years. See the list of prior recipients here. Nominations must be submitted, using the Pride in Performance nomination form found at http://www.messiah.edu/info/20588/employees/972/employee_forms by Wednesday, March 2. Further information on performance awards can be viewed at http://www.messiah.edu/info/20733/employee_recognition. The recipients will be announced at the Employee Recognition Reception in May. All questions regarding nominations should be directed to Kathy Castonguay in Human Resources.

Safety date sheet labels for phones

If you received a new telephone recently and it doesn’t display a sticker with the emergency phone number for obtaining safety data sheets (in the event our online system would be down), please contact Donna Fink at ext. 5038 or dfink@messiah.edu. Also, if there are phones in your area that are not assigned to specific individuals, please check these to insure that they display the appropriate sticker.

The “Best of Texas” bus tour is May 12-18 – It’s not too late to join us!

The Heritage Society of Messiah College invites you to join us on our 2016 Bus Trip – The “Best of Texas!” We’ll fly out of Baltimore to Dallas/Fort Worth for 7 days/6 nights. Located on Lake Grapevine, we’ll settle into the luxurious Gaylord Texan Resort! We’ll tour AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, experience the Longhorn Cattle Drive at the Fort Worth Stockyards; explore the JFK 6th Floor Museum and Book Depository; tour both Bush Presidential Libraries; visit the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park, which includes the boyhood home of the 36th President of the United States, LBJ Ranch and Texas White House. We’ll finish the trip enjoying sites in San Antonio, including the San Antonio Riverwalk and the Alamo. We hope you will join us for a wonderful time of Christian fellowship and sightseeing! For a detailed itinerary and reservation form, click here!

Changes in the Department of Safety

As the responsibilities of the Department of Safety continue to increase with regulations around Title IX, VAWA and Clery and with the college receiving a grant from the Department of Justice, the leadership responsibilities have shifted. Cindy Burger will become the director of investigations, compliance and training and Lynn Maynard has been promoted to director of safety and administrative services. Cindy will move from the day-to-day operations to work closely on investigations and training. Lynn will provide leadership for the day-to-day operations of the department. The impact of this split will, in most cases, not impact how the campus community works with the Department of Safety.

FAQ

Will reporting incidents or medical emergencies to dispatch change? No, nothing will change. You must still contact dispatch at ext. 6005. A safety officer, accompanied by student EMTs (when available), respond to all reported medical calls and assist with responding to emergency medical services.

Will building security still be handled by the Department of Safety? Yes, nothing will change; the Department of Safety will continue to lock and unlock buildings.

Who do I contact for campus first aid and blood borne pathogen response kits? Officer Bennett at tbennett@messiah.edu or ext. 6022 can restock all first aid and BBP kits on campus.

Will safety still conduct the College fleet driver training? Yes, the Department of Safety approves College fleet drivers, maintains approved drivers list, oversees the mandatory Safety Driving Program, as well as 15 passenger van and wheelchair accessible minivan training and testing.

Who do I call if emergency maintenance is needed after 4 p.m.? Contact dispatch at ext. 6005.

Who cares for the emergency phones? The dispatch office manages the proper functioning of the emergency phones; officers check these phones daily and report back to the dispatcher on duty if operating correctly.

If I need fingerprinting service, who do I call? The Department of Safety provides this service to current employees, current student employees and prospective employees for Messiah College employment. Certain hours are set for this service; for more information, go to the quick links on the Department of Safety website.

Who do I contact with fire and life safety systems/equipment (fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, etc.) issues? You need to contact dispatch at ext. 6005. All work requests, inspections and repairs pertaining to fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, smoke detectors, heat detectors, CO detectors, beam detectors, audible and visual alarms on campus are handled through the Department of Safety, fire safety systems.

Who handles the investigations of campus incidents and crimes? Dennis Stum is the lead investigator and crime prevention specialist; Cindy Burger provides leadership to this area. However, you must call Dispatch at ext. 6005 if you are a victim of a crime or need to report an incident.

Is lost and found still handled by dispatch? Yes, dispatch in ECC manages all items turned in that are found and attempts to return items to their rightful owner; they keep record of items lost so the owner can be contacted if an item is turned in when found.

Who handles faculty and staff parking assignments and enforcement? Department of Safety under the leadership of Lynn Maynard, lmaynard@messiah.edu or ext. 7395, assigns parking for staff and faculty. Student parking is handled by the Falcon Exchange, ext. 6052. See Falcon Exchange website.

Who do I call for a safety escort? Use any phone on campus to call dispatch at ext. 6005. Safety provides this service to the campus community from dusk to dawn.

Who do I contact to provide Safety Training?

  • Cindy Burger (cburger@messiah.edu or ext. 7272) conducts and/or provides leadership to safety training as required or requested. Training includes: active shooter, rape aggression defense (RAD), sexual assault/harassment prevention, and drug and alcohol education. Cindy is also a title IX deputy coordinator and can provide oversight on Title IX incidents.
  • Dave Shafer (dshafer@messiah.edu or ext. 6005) provides 15-passenger van testing/training.

Who do I contact for security access and/or card reader issues? You need to contact dispatch ext. 6005. An officer will be dispatched and will investigate and work with appropriate departments to resolve and correct reader issues. Lynn Maynard provides leadership involving the card readers.

Who do I call if I need a temporary parking pass? You should contact JoAnn Schaeffer at jschaeffer@messiah.edu or ext. 7147. She can assign a temporary parking permit to staff for temporary parking purposes.

Who do I contact if a college-owned vehicle is involved in an accident? Any accident or damage of a College-owned vehicle must be reported immediately to the Department of Safety by contacting dispatch at ext. 6005.

Where do visitors have to report for a visitor badge and temporary parking pass? All visitors must report to the dispatch office in ECC to sign-in and out and obtain a visitor pass and temporary parking permit. 

Free tax preparation

Messiah College is partnering with the United Way of the Capital Region and offering employees, students and the community the following free tax services: VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) and MyFreeTaxes.com.

VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program: IRS certified Messiah students provide free tax preparation services to individual and families with total income of less than $54,000. Students, with supervision, will prepare your federal, state and local income tax returns for free. The Messiah site is open every Tuesday evening, except March 8 and 15h, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. until April 12. No appointment is necessary. Our site is located in Frey 156. You must have your social security card and a photo id.

MyFreeTaxes.com program: You can prepare and e-file your federal and Pennsylvania tax returns online, safely and free! MyFreeTaxes.com is a free tax website sponsored by the United Way. Anyone with income less than $62,000 is eligible to use the MyFreeTaxes.com tax service. A toll-free certified help line volunteer is available to answer questions while you are filing your returns. Please contact Kathleen Johnston at ext. 7300 if you have any questions.

Jadu training sessions for spring semester available

Jadu training sessions for the spring semester are available for employees and work studies to register for online. Please visit messiah.edu/training to learn more and to register. Please contact Ramona Fritschi at rfritschi@messiah.edu for more information.

Student Leadership luncheon set for March 3

Select students have been invited to attend The Celebration of Student Leadership Luncheon on Thursday, March 3. At this distinctive luncheon, we will honor and recognize student leaders and their service to Messiah College. Our luncheon sponsor is Clark Associates, Inc., a Lancaster-based company. In addition to a catered lunch, all attending students will receive a gift. Student leaders will have the opportunity to hear guest speaker, Anne Deeter Gallaher, author and CEO-Owner of Deeter Gallaher Group, and hear from Messiah alumni who are employed by Clark Associates, Inc. Finally, we will recognize two $5,000 scholarship winners for the 2016 Clark Leadership Award. If you received an invitation, remember to RSVP to elint@messiah.edu! For more information, contact Susan Mayernick at ext. 7282. Click here for more information. 

Campus notice: accreditation visit for graduate programs in nursing

The graduate programs in nursing at Messiah College will be undergoing an on-site evaluation April 4-6 by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for the purposes of accreditation. CCNE accreditation is a nongovernmental peer review process that operates in accordance with nationally recognized standards established for the practice of accreditation in the United States. Accreditation by CCNE is intended to accomplish at least five general purposes:

  • To hold nursing programs accountable to the community of interest – the nursing profession, consumers, employers, higher education, students and their families, nurse residents – and to one another by ensuring that these programs have mission statements, goals and outcomes that are appropriate to prepare individuals to fulfill their expected roles.
  • To evaluate the success of a nursing program in achieving its mission, goals and expected outcomes.
  • To assess the extent to which a nursing program meets accreditation standards.
  • To inform the public of the purposes and values of accreditation and to identify nursing programs that meet accreditation standards.
  • To foster continuing improvement in nursing programs – and, thereby in professional practice.

If you would like additional information about CCNE or its standards and procedures, you may visit their web site at www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation.

A very important part of this evaluation is soliciting third-party comment on the nursing program by its communities of interest. I am writing to invite you to submit comments and opinions about the nursing program directly to the CCNE. All comments and opinions submitted to CCNE are held in strict confidence and shared with the on-site evaluation team. All comments must be written, signed and received by CCNE no later than March 14, 2016. Please send your comments directly to:

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

Attn: Third-Party Comments

1 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 530

Washington D.C. 20036

-Or-

ThirdPartyComments@aacn.nche.edu

Thank you for your interest in and support of the graduate programs in nursing at Messiah College.

Employee Recognition Reception scheduled for May 4

Please save the date for the annual gathering to celebrate the commitment of those employees who have reached significant service milestones. The Employee Recognition Reception will be held on Reading Day, May 4, from 10-11:30 a.m. in Brubaker Auditorium. More details will be shared later in the spring.

CLASSIFIEDS

Job Opportunities:

Student Financial Services at Messiah College currently has an opening for the position of student account coordinator and counselor. For additional information and to apply, please see: http://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/8112. Job-related questions may be directed to Cathy Poiesz, director of student financial services, at cpoiesz@messiah.edu.

Campus Events currently has an opening for the position of campus events worker II – residence hall floater. For additional information and to apply, please see: http://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/7675. Job-related questions may be directed to Scott Zeigler, campus events manager, at szeigler@messiah.edu.

Residence Life currently has an opening for the position of residence director. For additional information and to apply, please see: http://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/8134. Job-related questions may be directed to David Downey, director of residence life, at ddowney@messiah.edu.

The Agape Center for Service and Learning has an opening for the position of an assistant director of the Agape Center for Service and Learning. For additional information and to apply, please see: http://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/8136. Job-related questions may be directed to Ashley Sheaffer, director of the Agape Center for cocurricular service and learning, at asheaffer@messiah.edu.

Campus Events is accepting applications for the position of campus events worker I – High Center shift 3C. For additional information and to apply, please see: http://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/8138. Job-related questions may be directed to Scott Zeigler, campus events manager, at szeigler@messiah.edu.

Wanted:

Messiah student (Michaela Ryan, mr1318@messiah.edu, art business major, soon-to-be senior) is looking for a room to rent in the Messiah area this summer from mid-June to mid-August while working off-campus jobs. Any offers or leads, please contact Michaela as soon as possible.