Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Philemon 1:7

NEWS

David Pettegrew, associate professor of history, recently participated in a panel organized by the Leadership Cumberland program on the “Value of Higher Education” as part of a day-long seminar on “Power & Pitfalls of Higher Education.” The Leadership Cumberland program brings together individuals from industry, business and educational institutions in Cumberland County for common conversations and seminars.

Dottie Weigel, assistant professor and director of the graduate program in higher education, presented “Life Beyond the Field: Helping First-Year Student Athletes Succeed” with graduate students Sarah Dillon and Rebecca Sheinfled at the National Conference on The First-Year Experience in Atlanta, Georgia (February 2017).

MESSIAH 411

Fire extinguisher training offered to all employees and students

Fire extinguisher training will be conducted the week of Feb. 26 – March 3. This training consists of a demonstration of the use of the extinguisher and the opportunity for each participant to experience “hands-on” practice in extinguishing a “fire.” Training on the types of fires and extinguishers as well as initial instruction on the P.A.S.S. system for using extinguishers is provided via an online course which must be completed prior to the actual hands-on session. There are several sessions offered each day. To sign up for a time that fits your schedule, go to:

• MCSquare
• Employee tab
• Employee quicklinks
• Employee training (students should go to the Student tab à Student training .)

• Click on the session (date/time) that you wish to attend and follow the instructions for registering.

This year, all employees and students who complete both the Qualtrics and hands-on training will be eligible for a prize drawing. A $25 Amazon gift card will be awarded to two lucky participants. The winners will be announced the week of March 6. If you have any questions regarding this training, please contact Donna Fink at ext. 5038 or Valerian Curd at ext. 6747. Employees, please inform your supervision of the session for which you register.

Nominations now being accepted for performance awards

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 recognizes 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, 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. Nominations must be submitted using the Pride in Performance Nomination Form found at http://www.messiah.edu/info/20588/employees/972/employee_forms by Friday, March 10.  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.

Campus Climate Survey

We will distribute a Campus Climate Survey measuring discrimination within our community during the week of Feb. 20. This initiative is designed to gather data that will inform our evaluation and development of institutional programming and services. Specifically, we encourage all members of our community—faculty, staff, students and administrators—to share their experiences with us. In doing so, we seek to identify the best opportunities to enhance our inter-cultural competence; develop targeted prevention initiatives; and provide educational programming that drives our institution’s commitment to being a wholly hospitable community, embracing diversity and ending inter-personal violence. Surveying is a best practice across institutions of higher education and as we work to better serve our ever-shifting population demographics and community needs, consistently identifying experiences of discrimination on our campus is a critical process. As such, this survey begins a process for Messiah College, in accordance with our own strategic plans, to launch annual surveys measuring community experiences, perceptions and programs. Our goal is to develop a consistent practice of evaluating pieces of the College’s campus climate every February. Please look for upcoming reminders and a link to the survey via your Messiah College email address. The survey will be active for responses until March 10. We are grateful for your participation in this endeavor.

New ID cards

Falcon Exchange is pleased to introduce newly updated ID cards for Messiah College students, employees and alumni. The new ID cards feature additional technological capabilities not present in the current cards. Further announcements regarding these new ID card features will be communicated to you as they are made available. We will begin printing the updated ID cards for the new incoming fall 2017 class starting with those students attending the Accepted Student Preview Day events this spring. Please see sample student version of card attached. Current students, employees and alumni will receive the updated version of the ID cards as they naturally appear in our office due to loss of card, expired card, etc. Your present ID card will continue to function as it always has and you should continue to use it until you need a card replacement or are instructed otherwise. Please contact Falcon Exchange at ext.7213 or falconexchange@messiah.edu with any questions.

Microsoft PowerPoint training

Have you ever watched a presentation and wondered how they created their PowerPoint? Are you looking to more fully utilize this presentation software? Join us this spring as we dig into the many features of Microsoft PowerPoint. A number of sessions will be offered throughout March, ranging from basic usage for newcomers to advanced tips and tricks and best practices for creating presentations. If you are interested in attending any of these sessions, which will be held in the Innovation Zone in Hoffman (Hoffman 106), please sign up through the MCSquare Employee Training Channel. Seating is limited, so sign up today!

Not able to attend any of the scheduled sessions? A self-sign up course is available in Canvas that will cover the same topics and provide additional opportunities for hands-on practice. This course can be completed in conjunction with or in place of the in person sessions. There is no need to sign up through MCSquare if you are planning to only complete the Canvas course. The course can be accessed here: (https://messiah.instructure.com/enroll/F8L99E).

In summary, there are three options for this training:

1. Sign up through MCSquare for the in-person sessions. More details on each session are provided in MCSquare.
2. Enroll in the Canvas course using the following link: (https://messiah.instructure.com/enroll/F8L99E).
3. Sign up to attend the in-person sessions AND enroll in the Canvas course. We hope to see you there!

President’s “Open Door” day

President Phipps will host an “Open Door” day on Thursday, March 2, from 9 a.m.-noon, to meet individually with students and employees on topics that are important to them. It will take place in the president’s office on the second floor of Old Main. A sign-in sheet will be located in Old Main room 206 starting at 9 a.m. on March 2.

Employees invited to submit nominations for Team Falcon award

The Team Falcon award is an opportunity to recognize a group or team that collaborated successfully on a significant project or initiative to advance departmental or college-wide goals.

Eligible Groups

Eligible teams include units, departments, task forces, and committees or other cross-departmental work groups. The team may be comprised of part-time or full-time staff, administrative and/or faculty employees. Team members recognized must have had significant involvement in the accomplishment of the project, process or initiative. Generally, teams will consist of 3 to 10 individuals. One team will be recognized each year.

Criteria

The Team Falcon award is used to recognize a work group based on the following criteria:

• The team made a significant contribution towards achievement of a strategic goal
• The team exhibited innovation, creativity and excellence
• The group fostered a team environment that promoted communication, trust, cooperation and respect for differences.

Award

Each member of the team recognized will receive a distinctive commemorative gift and the division vice president or provost will hold a lunch in their honor

Recommendations for the award

Any employee can nominate a deserving team. The recommendation must be submitted to the division vice president/provost by Wednesday, March 8. Division vice presidents/provost are encouraged to solicit recommendations that cross functional boundaries. Each division vice president/provost will review all submissions for his/her division and select those teams that he/she feels best meet the criteria for the award. President’s Cabinet will vote to select the team to receive the award.

Your recommendation will be confidential; only the employees selected as award recipients will know that their names were offered for consideration. Teams are not eligible to receive a subsequent award for three years. Click this link to see the list of past award recipients. Nominations must be submitted using the Team Falcon award nomination form found at http://www.messiah.edu/info/20588/employees/972/employee_forms. 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.

Student Leadership Luncheon set for March 9

Please note—select students are invited to attend The Celebration of Student Leadership Luncheon on Thursday, March 9. At this distinctive luncheon, the Career and Professional Development Center and Advancement 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 from the President of WebstaurantStore, Dave Groff, and Messiah alumni employed by Clark Associates, Inc. Finally, we will recognize two $5,000 scholarship award winners for the 2017 Clark Leadership Award. For more information, contact Susan Mayernick at ext. 7282.

CLASSIFIEDS

Job opportunities

The Office of Financial Operations is accepting applications for the position of Falcon Exchange representative. For additional information and to apply, please see: http://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/10254. Job-related questions may be directed to Lora Harper, manager of financial services – Falcon Exchange, at lharper@messiah.edu.

For sale

2006 Hyundai Tucson AWD, asking $2,000 or best offer. This is a V-6 silver all-wheel drive 4-door hatch-back, with 184k miles and a roof rack. This vehicle is in nice shape with good tread still on tires and recent inspection (through Nov. 2017). Great vehicle for a college student. Contact Holly Myers if you have interest at hmyers@messiah.edu or 717-309-5753. See attached photo. 2003 Pontiac Bonneville: 6 cylinder, fair condition, inspected in September, new transmission switch, 2 new front wheel bearings. 129,000 miles. $1,500, obo. Contact Beth Aumen at baumen@messiah.edu.