“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

News:

Congratulations to Micah Christensen, Daniel Haas, Van Nguyen, Emily Reale, Brianne Roper, Trevor Shenk and Sung Bo Yoon for their selection as Steinbrecher research students for Summer 2016. With the generous support of the Steinbrecher family, these students were competitively chosen to conduct science lab and field research with faculty mentors throughout the summer in campus facilities.

Messiah 411:

Join our seniors in “Baker’s Last Run” event

Late night runs with friends to Baker’s Diner is a nostalgic tradition Messiah students have enjoyed through the years. To give seniors that final visit with classmates before walking across the platform on Commencement, the Senior Class Gift Committee is holding an all-day event on Monday, May 9 and you’re invited! Join in the tradition and support the senior class gift (lighting the Swinging Bridge) as Baker’s will donate a percentage of all profits that day!

Fiscal year end 2016 – financial close checklist and calendar

Messiah College’s fiscal year ends June 30. The attached end of fiscal year processing checklist and financial close calendar are provided to support departments initiating end of year financial transactions and department efforts to record charges in the appropriate fiscal year. Additionally, fiscal year end information sessions will be held in May. Select a session by using the “Employee Training” sign up function within MC Square. Departments are requested to begin review of FY16 financial activity now and submit journal voucher/transfer requests to accounting@messiah.edu. Purchase requests for FY2016 will be accepted through Wednesday, June 15. FY16 will be closed for yearend processing and audit on Friday, July 15. The period of delivery generally determines the fiscal year to which a purchase is to be charged.

• Goods and services received on or before June 30 represent FY16 charges.
• Goods and services received on or after July 1 represent FY17 charges.

Questions regarding the College’s fiscal year end close can be emailed to accounting@messiah.edu. The above, coupled with ongoing efforts by each department, maintain the accuracy in recording the College’s financial transactions. Thank you! 

Financial Services FYE information sessions

The Accounting Office invites you to attend one of two fiscal year end information sessions. Messiah College’s fiscal year ends June 30. To assist departments in record keeping between FY16 and FY17, information sessions will include a review of items included in the financial close check list. In addition to addressing frequently asked questions about the fiscal year end process, we will offer updates on newly released and upcoming tools and reference resources to support financial processing.

The following sessions will be held in Larsen Student Union Conference Room (237):

• Monday, May 9, 1 p.m.
• Thursday, May 19, 11 a.m.

Select a session by using the “Employee Training” sign up function within MC Square (Sessions are listed under “Business Office” category). For advance awareness, the Financial Close Checklist and Processing Calendar is available from the finance channel within MC Square, by selecting the Policy and Procedures drop-down category. General accounting and financial processing inquiries from session participants will be welcomed and encouraged.

Move-in Day volunteers needed

The Office of Student Involvement & Leadership Programs is in need of employee volunteers to serve during move-in day 2016. Volunteers are needed in 3-hour time slots to help move new students into their residence halls on Thursday, August 25. You can choose a shift of 8-11 a.m., 10 a.m.-1p.m. or noon- 3 p.m. You will also receive a boxed lunch and free t-shirt. Please know that lifting and walking stairs is required. If you are interested and available to serve in this capacity, please contact Sheryl Ezbiansky at silp@messiah.edu with your availability for that day and t-shirt size by May 31. We look forward to serving with you and thank you in advance.

Safety in work zones

Summer is coming. That means more vehicles on the roads due to holidays and vacations, and more road construction. And that means the potential for more accidents. In 2014, a total of 669 work zone fatalities and over 31,000 work zone injuries occurred. Did you know that almost 85% of work zone fatalities were motorists, not workers? Here are some safety tips to keep you and your passengers’ safe in work zone areas:

• Keep your headlights on in a work zone. It’s the law.
• Always wear your seatbelt. It’s the law.
• Slow down. Reduce your speed – obey the work zone speed limits.
• Don’t tailgate. Keep a safe following distance. The largest number of traffic accidents in work zones are rear-end collisions. Always maintain a safe stopping distance between you and the car in front of you.
• Obey road signs and be alert for flaggers. Traffic patterns can change daily; frequent starts and stops can occur. Road signs and construction zone flaggers will help you safely navigate these changes.
• Stay focused and watchful. Distracted driving is never good, but it is even more dangerous in work zones. Watch for brake lights of vehicles in front of you and be prepared to react. Expect the unexpected. Use extreme caution when driving through a work zone at night – even if work is not being conducted.
• Give yourself enough travel time so you are prepared for the unexpected delays and be patient. Check news and traffic reports. The PennDOT website www.511pa.com offers a traffic map, travel conditions and delays, and construction information. It’s also available as a mobile app.
• Avoid work zones. Whenever possible, travel alternate routes.

Source: Federal Highway Administration

Commencement 2016 schedule and parking for employees

Commencement schedule and details

The Commencement Committee is pleased to announce the 2016 Commencement weekend schedule of events for Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14, on the Commencement website at www.messiah.edu/commencement, including helpful details on Baccalaureate, reception plans, event tickets, and inclement weather plans. Members of the Community of Educators should have already received information from the Provost’s Office regarding their participation in Commencement weekend. Faculty, staff and administrators who are participating in the Commencement ceremony itself should have already received a memo regarding their role in the ceremony from the President’s Office.

If you have any questions regarding Commencement, please contact Carla Gross, co-chair of the Commencement Committee, at ext. 6940 or cgross@messiah.edu . Thank you to all campus employees who have been planning and working for the past several months to make Commencement a wonderful experience for graduates and their families.

Baccalaureate service/reception parking

Prior to the Baccalaureate service and reception, traffic personnel will direct guests to designated parking areas on campus. College employees do not receive reserved parking for Baccalaureate. Please note that Baccalaureate is a ticketed event; see the Commencement web site for details. The Department of Safety asks that all guests walk from where traffic control personnel direct you to park. (Shuttle service will not be provided Friday evening.) To avoid safety hazards, please do not stop in the middle of the roadway to drop off your party. If you have questions regarding parking or drop-off locations for guests with a disability, please contact parking officer Liz Williams at ext. 3984.

Graduate programs reception parking

Graduate programs faculty attending the reception for master’s program graduates on Friday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Hostetter Chapel, are requested to enter by the campus’ South Entrance (Creekside Drive) and park in Lot XX behind Hostetter Chapel and Boyer Hall. No parking pass is required.

Commencement day parking

For Commencement day, members of the Community of Educators and other employees who are marching in the processional or participating in the Commencement ceremony will receive a reserved parking pass via campus mail. Employees MUST show their parking pass to traffic control personnel upon entering campus in order to be directed to their designated reserved parking areas. All other employees who will be working the Commencement ceremony should ask their supervisor where their designated parking area will be that day. A shuttle service will transport all other guests between their parking areas and the athletic complex both before and after the Commencement ceremony. Read additional details on guest and disability parking.

Due to the significantly increased volume of traffic on campus for Commencement, the Department of Safety strong encourages all employees to arrive on campus early (i.e., no later than 8:15 a.m.) in order to alleviate being stuck in traffic and to help ensure they are directed to their reserved parking areas on campus.

Any questions regarding parking for Commencement weekend may be directed to parking officer Liz Williams at ext. 3984.

Classifieds:

For rent:

Mechanicsburg room for rent.  Room for rent with private bathroom available June 1, in a two year old townhouse. Looking for a female renter that will share townhome with 2008 and 2011 Messiah College graduates. Rent includes:  use of a beautiful spacious kitchen, parking and all utilities, including second floor laundry. The home is conveniently located off the Cumberland Parkway, four miles from Messiah College and across the street from Giant Foods. No pets. Please contact Joanna Barnhouse at jbarnhouse@messiah.edu or 484-620-4034 for monthly rent details and other information.

Job Opportunities:

Program Overview and Job Description for VISTA at Messiah College

Urban early childhood education and community engagement with a purpose! Work to develop parent connections and programs with the purpose of improving students’ academic achievement. The purpose of this project is to improve early childhood school readiness by building the capacity of community partners to deliver educational programs that effectively reach parents and caregivers. Over a three-year period, this project will resource and equip parents with the knowledge and skills needed to support their student’s academic efforts through the establishment of an early childhood education program and curriculum for school readiness.

Research demonstrates that as barriers to school readiness are broken down, the likelihood increases for students to escape poverty through improved academic achievement, which better positions students on a pathway to higher education. This project will build the capacity of community organizations (e.g. Salvation Army) to effectively reach parents and caregivers of K-4 children at Downey Elementary School located in Harrisburg, Pa. In 2014-15, Downey served 405 K-4 students, of which 99.5% were from economically, disadvantaged families. By directing educational programming to parents and caregivers, new opportunities will be created for parents to meet around shared values (e.g. improving opportunities for their children to succeed). When these shared values are celebrated, and access to new knowledge and resources are created, it can inspire and empower parents to work together, which in turn can result in a collective social power that can bond the community together changing the community climate around the school.

What will the VISTA do? The VISTA will familiarize themselves with the community and community partners to gain a better understanding of the current landscape of parental engagement. Following this, the VISTA will identify parental needs that are connected to the child’s academic achievement in order to develop the appropriate parental programming. The VISTA will work with community partners and Messiah College to deliver a series of school readiness workshops for Downey parents during the first half of 2017 and begin developing an orientation program for the 2017-18 school year. The VISTA will create a plan for the sustainability of the programming by developing the framework for future workshops/orientation programs and preparing parent leaders and community partners to assume programming responsibilities. Finally, the VISTA will celebrate shared values among parents to improve student achievement and inspire parents to become more involved in the school readiness of their children.

For more information contact Donald A. Murk – dmurk@messiah.edu or 717-796-5076 or log onto https://my.americorps.gov