November 14, 2013

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God.
II Corinthians 3:4-5 (NRSV)

News

Messiah College was recognized in the November issue of the Clery Center’s newsletter for its active shooter training. Provided by the department of campus safety and the office of human resources, the training has been provided to more than 90 percent of faculty and staff and a majority of students. The program provides options to consider if ever faced with an intruder or shooter on campus as well as information about the campus crisis team and what resources are available to those who are in need of reporting a situation. The Clery Center for Security on Campus is a nonprofit dedicated to preventing violence, substance abuse and other crimes on college and university campuses across the U.S. and to compassionately assist the victims of these crimes.

The payroll office welcomes Missy Huntington to the role of assistant payroll manager and finance assistant. In this new role, Huntington will be responsible to provide leadership and assistance in managing the payroll process and the associated tasks of tax research, tax filings and reporting to ensure compliance. This position will also assist the finance team with various reconciliations. Through Dec. 15 Missy will provide assistance to both the payroll office and the Falcon Exchange before moving full-time to her new assignment on Dec. 16.

Messiah 411

Student honors presentation set for Nov. 18

Senior PK-4/Special Education Major Kelly Stief will give her honors presentation on “Teaching Fractions to Students with Disabilities” on Monday, Nov. 18. In her presentation, Kelly will discuss the various challenges and opportunities inherent in teaching complex concepts to this unique population using current research based strategies and iPad apps. Kelly presented this information at PAC-TE to a welcoming audience of higher education professionals. The event will be held in Boyer 131, from 4-5 p.m. An assortment of refreshments will be served.

Finance office annual soup sale set for Nov. 20

Please join us for soups and sweets on Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.! Follow the aroma of homemade soups to the payroll office lobby in Old Main where you can purchase soup ($3 per bowl) and sweet desserts ($2 each). These delicacies are donated by business office employees and all proceeds are used to provide a bountiful Christmas to a local needy family. Last year your generosity allowed the business office to provide an abundance of gifts, clothing and groceries to two families. This year we are also collecting non-perishable canned goods to benefit the Silence of Mary home in Harrisburg. Please come for a satisfying lunch and help us reach out to the community again this Christmas!

Mark the beginning of Advent with the annual Celebration of the Light

All students and employees are invited to attend and celebrate the traditional start to the Christmas season Tuesday, December 3 at 4:45 p.m. Carol-singing, prayer, scripture reading and the lighting of the campus Christmas tree will all be a part of this year’s advent celebration. Hot chocolate, cider, pumpkin cookies and other seasonal treats will be served. Supervisors are asked to provide release time as able to those non-essential employees who would like to attend.

Rain Date: Thursday, Dec. 5 at 4:45 p.m. in the Eisenhower Campus Center Circle. In case of inclement weather on Dec. 5, the event will be held indoors in the Larsen Student Union.

Annual Authors’ Exhibit submissions accepted

All educators are asked to submit hard copies of their publications, exhibits, performance materials, etc. from Jan. 2013 to Dec. 2013 to Carol Hostetter in the Boyer Center, suite 3008. The annual Authors’ Exhibit is held in conjunction with the New Doctorate’s Tea on Dec. 12.

UPS CampusShip training available

From time to time, Messiah employees find the need to ship UPS packages, whether for themselves or for their department. Did you know that Messiah has a UPS shipping program employees can manage right from your computer? Why wait until you need to ship something to be trained? Please take this opportunity to let us show you how to ship packages and save money at the same time. Please send an email to Bill Althoff at balthoff@messiah.edu to be notified of the next training session. The sessions are only about 45 minutes long and can be scheduled at a time that is convenient for you.

Important reminder to faculty

Learning Technology Services would like to remind the faculty that it’s not too early to begin planning ahead. The J-term and spring 2014 semester work submission deadlines have been set. Please coordinate your needs for your courses with the deadline dates listed on the attached document. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Diane Hunsinger, copyright and educational support specialist, at ext. 3895. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Reminders from accounts payable

The department of accounts payable would like to remind you there will not be a check run Thanksgiving week (week of Nov. 25) and Christmas week (week of Dec. 23). Please mark your calendars for planning purposes. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Workplace Safety Committee members announced

The Messiah College Workplace Safety Committee is concerned about the safety and well-being of our employees and students, our campus and the environment. We have representation from many different areas across campus. For more information and complete list of members, please see attachment.

Human resources seeking your Christmas traditions

Were you born in a country outside of the United States? We would love to hear about the Christmas traditions from your country of origin Please send your traditions to Victoria Johnson at vjohnson@messiah.edu or Kathy  Castonguay at kcastong@messiah.edu and then stop by the human resources office for a free cookie!

Human Resources and Compliance – did you know?

Meal breaks for staff and temporary hourly employees are only unpaid breaks if an employee is fully relieved of all work responsibilities and the employee does NOT perform any work function during the meal break period. Meal breaks are required when a staff or temporary employee works six or more consecutive hours in a work day. For minors aged 14 through 17, meal breaks are required when the employee works five or more consecutive hours in a work day. For more information, please review section 1.38.11 of the Messiah College online policy and procedure manual here.

Campus Ministries connection

Changing Shape of Community

The definition of community is being redefined. Few would have imagined a few decades ago that a Kenyan would be the CEO of a North American mission agency. Nelson Okanye is exactly that. He is also on the pastoral staff of a vibrant multicultural church in Washington, D.C. To understand mission in today’s world, we must, as Bernardo Michael stated, hear the voices from the margins and learn to relate to them with respect. This shift in vision is essential to experience community in the diversity of our world. Homogenous isolation will not serve us well nor will it provide adequate education for the future of students. Community requires us to hear and respect voices that may not have been a part of our past but are essential for the future. It is a spiritual tension to appreciate what has been while embracing what is the future of community.

Classifieds

Position available:

The department of Human Resources and Compliance currently has an opening for the following position: Human Resources Administrative Assistant. For additional information, please see: http://jobs.messiah.edu/postings/2869. Job-related questions may be directed to Inger Blount, assistant director of human resources, at iblount@messiah.edu.

For sale:

Three-bedroom immaculately-maintained home — Nestled between farm and nursery gardens, this lovely almost 1.25 acre country hideaway offers Northern York Schools and is just minutes from Dillsburg. Sip coffee in the mornings from your 12 ft. × 20 ft. deck and watch the leaves change in your mountain view. Stay toasty this winter by the propane fireplace in the family room. Lots of storage in the oversized one-car garage and the generously-sized barn in the backyard. Asking $209,900. See more details about 1270 Old Mountain Road, Wellsville here. http://www.remax.com For questions or additional information, contact Aleisha Wildon at awildon@messiah.edu or Ann Wright at 717-649-0751 or at awrighter4@comcast.net.