A message on behalf of the Communications Committee –
A professional photographer will be here to take individual staff photos for website and professional use. Photographs are optional except for ERI and Technology Strategy staff. No need for appointment – just show up. It will only take a few minutes of your time.
Wednesday, July 21st 1:00-2:00 PM
Tuesday, July 27th 9:00-10:00 AM
Admin. Conference Room
Thanks.
Catherine
Nikki McCaslin has authored the book Finding our Place: 100 Memorable Adoptees, Fostered Persons, and Orphanage Alumni, from Greenwood Press. McCaslin is the Literature/Modern Languages bibliographer at the Auraria Library and supplies research and instructional assistance in the humanities. An adoptee and parent of two adopted children herself, McCaslin is active in adoption and orphanage issues, serving as a board member for Adoptees in Search, Colorado's Triad Connection.
Congratulations to Ignacio Ferrer for having an article published in the peer-reviewed journal, The Reference Librarian. The citation is here:
Ferrer-Vinent, Ignacio J. 2010. For English, Press 1: International Students' Language Preference at the Reference Desk. The Reference Librarian. 51(3):189-201. < http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/02763871003800429 >. (accessed 16 July 2010).
--Jeffrey Beall
Shuttle Services Between Campuses Available
Effective Monday, July 12, 2010 the University is offering a bus service to the Faculty, Staff and Students!
The bus runs between the Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC) and the Lawrence Street Center Building downtown (LSC).
There are two designated BUS STOPS for pick up and drop off:
· In front of Building 500 on the Anschutz Medical Campus (south side)
· In front of the main entrance to the Lawrence Street Center Building downtown
This continuous bus service replaces the current “Van on Demand” service effective July 12, 2010.
This service is free to UC Denver faculty, staff and students with University ID.
For hours of operation please see: http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/departments/FacilitiesManagement/ParkingMaps/Pages/UCDShuttleService.aspx
About the Shuttle Service
In order to maximize service efficiency the buses must keep to the posted schedule and will not be able to hold upon request.
The buses will pick up and drop off only at the designated stops as listed above.
All buses are equipped and accessible with lifts and secure systems.
The shuttle service is provided for University business related transportation only.
For any questions about the shuttle service, please call the Manager of Parking and Transportation at 303-724-0049.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Volume 3, Issue 8
Great Work Nina!
In the “Hot on the Web” section of June 2010 issue of C&RL News there is mention that Nina McHale's March 2010 C&RL News article, “Steal this Code! Please!: Creating HTML widget generators for libraries” is listed as #5 among the top 10 most read articles in C&R News online during April 2010.
Here’s the original article:http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/3/136.full.pdf+html...and here’s the “Hot on the Web” mention from the June issue:http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/6/282.full.pdf+html
The Future of Libraries Webinar
On June 8, a webinar took place called The Future of Libraries. Although the Health Sciences Library did not subscribe to the live webinar, they have purchased the archived recordings of the webinar. They will be setting up viewings for library staff for four of the six sessions (only two mentioned below as the others were prior to News@1100 release). If you cannot make a session, or you want to see one of the two sessions that we are not showing, contact Melissa DeSantis and she can send you the username and password to view on your own.
All sessions are an hour long and will take place from 12 – 1 pm on the following dates at HSL:
June 29 – Videoconference room – Check in at the Future of Libraries (Joe Murphy)
July 1 – Tower Room – You are the Future (David Lankes)
Here are descriptions of the sessions:
Check In at the Future of Libraries –Foursquare has been called the next Twitter, location based social networks are all the rage this year, and even our interaction with places, people, and information is being affected by the emerging ‘check in’ culture. Learn about Foursquare and the other major geo-based social networks and games including Gowalla, MyTown, and Loopt. Explore how they may impact the future of libraries and discover how libraries stand to gain from this new trend of engaging and leveraging the power of place.
You are the Future – The future is bright for libraries, but not if we continue chasing trends and focusing on artifacts over knowledge and learning. This presentation looks at the future of librarians and their role in libraries and beyond into the future. We must shape the future starting today, and that future is about you, not your buildings or collections or institutions. You are part of an ongoing conversation.
(Ask for username/password to view) The present moment of the future – We are always in the present and never in the future, so what is the future to us in the present? How does one connect with the new, the innovative, the changing and the evolving just as they sit? Where do we take people who are our communities of influence when we implement and innovate the present to resemble a vision, a future? How do we connect people to the future?
(Ask for username/password to view) Pecha Kucha – Pecha Kucha is based on the 20x20 concept where each speaker will use 20 slides/images of their choosing that will be advanced every 20 seconds, giving exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds to address the topic from their unique perspective. The topic will be future ready – what new pressures will libraries face and what adaptations will libraries need to make to continue thriving in the near future?
(Ask for username/password to view) Future Ready – What is the new normal and what are customer expectations? These expectations are not driven by what libraries want to provide or tradition. They are driven by the new ecology of the web and big players like Facebook, Bing, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon, Google and more. Is your library ready? Are you offering both ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ information delivery? Are you paying as much attention to the experience of the library as you do the transactions? Are you meeting your users’ expectations? Will your library thrive in the 3.0 world? What adaptations will you make to thrive in future scenarios? How can we afford these changes?
(Ask for username/password to view) The Future of Libraries and Technology – After two decades of continuous library technology increases and a budget crisis that has affected nearly every library in the world, we are left with the question: what will the library of the future look like? We have seen huge cuts in expensive brick and mortar spaces and collections, in-person services and programming, and other face-to-face library services. At the same time, we are finally realizing the high return on investment for library web, mobile, hardware and software services. The budget crisis may force us to face our inefficiencies and drastically re-engineer our services and the way we provide them.
In the “Hot on the Web” section of June 2010 issue of C&RL News there is mention that Nina McHale's March 2010 C&RL News article, “Steal this Code! Please!: Creating HTML widget generators for libraries” is listed as #5 among the top 10 most read articles in C&R News online during April 2010.
Here’s the original article:http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/3/136.full.pdf+html...and here’s the “Hot on the Web” mention from the June issue:http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/6/282.full.pdf+html
The Future of Libraries Webinar
On June 8, a webinar took place called The Future of Libraries. Although the Health Sciences Library did not subscribe to the live webinar, they have purchased the archived recordings of the webinar. They will be setting up viewings for library staff for four of the six sessions (only two mentioned below as the others were prior to News@1100 release). If you cannot make a session, or you want to see one of the two sessions that we are not showing, contact Melissa DeSantis and she can send you the username and password to view on your own.
All sessions are an hour long and will take place from 12 – 1 pm on the following dates at HSL:
June 29 – Videoconference room – Check in at the Future of Libraries (Joe Murphy)
July 1 – Tower Room – You are the Future (David Lankes)
Here are descriptions of the sessions:
Check In at the Future of Libraries –Foursquare has been called the next Twitter, location based social networks are all the rage this year, and even our interaction with places, people, and information is being affected by the emerging ‘check in’ culture. Learn about Foursquare and the other major geo-based social networks and games including Gowalla, MyTown, and Loopt. Explore how they may impact the future of libraries and discover how libraries stand to gain from this new trend of engaging and leveraging the power of place.
You are the Future – The future is bright for libraries, but not if we continue chasing trends and focusing on artifacts over knowledge and learning. This presentation looks at the future of librarians and their role in libraries and beyond into the future. We must shape the future starting today, and that future is about you, not your buildings or collections or institutions. You are part of an ongoing conversation.
(Ask for username/password to view) The present moment of the future – We are always in the present and never in the future, so what is the future to us in the present? How does one connect with the new, the innovative, the changing and the evolving just as they sit? Where do we take people who are our communities of influence when we implement and innovate the present to resemble a vision, a future? How do we connect people to the future?
(Ask for username/password to view) Pecha Kucha – Pecha Kucha is based on the 20x20 concept where each speaker will use 20 slides/images of their choosing that will be advanced every 20 seconds, giving exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds to address the topic from their unique perspective. The topic will be future ready – what new pressures will libraries face and what adaptations will libraries need to make to continue thriving in the near future?
(Ask for username/password to view) Future Ready – What is the new normal and what are customer expectations? These expectations are not driven by what libraries want to provide or tradition. They are driven by the new ecology of the web and big players like Facebook, Bing, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon, Google and more. Is your library ready? Are you offering both ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ information delivery? Are you paying as much attention to the experience of the library as you do the transactions? Are you meeting your users’ expectations? Will your library thrive in the 3.0 world? What adaptations will you make to thrive in future scenarios? How can we afford these changes?
(Ask for username/password to view) The Future of Libraries and Technology – After two decades of continuous library technology increases and a budget crisis that has affected nearly every library in the world, we are left with the question: what will the library of the future look like? We have seen huge cuts in expensive brick and mortar spaces and collections, in-person services and programming, and other face-to-face library services. At the same time, we are finally realizing the high return on investment for library web, mobile, hardware and software services. The budget crisis may force us to face our inefficiencies and drastically re-engineer our services and the way we provide them.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Volume 3, Issue 7
Brown Bag Conference Reporting Session Thursday, June 10th
Several people have attended conferences in the last few months and will report out on June 10, 2010 from 12-1 p.m. in ELC-B. Please, feel free to bring lunch and hear all of the interesting highlights.
REMINDER: June Monthly Payroll Paid on July 1, 2010
Per State of Colorado directive to all state agencies, the June end-of-month pay date this year will be Thursday, July 1, 2010. Employees should plan ahead for this shift in pay date, especially if any automatic bill payments will be affected. The university is not responsible for any financial hardship, including potential overdraft charges, created by this pay shift.
Faculty Publications -
Congratulations on the latest publications written by our Faculty.
1) Jeffrey Beall. Let's Review Everything. American Libraries, May 2010, page 23.
2) The following book by Lori Mestre references a Camila Alire/Orlando Archibeque title in the bibliography:
Mestre, Lori. Librarians serving diverse populations : challenges and opportunities / by Lori Mestre. Chicago : Association of College and Research Libraries, 2010.
http://132.194.32.30/record=b2527068~S0
Here’s a link to the book that Orlando Archibeque co-authored:Alire, Camila A. Title Serving Latino communities : a how-to-do-it manual for librarians / Camila Alire, Orlando Archibeque. New York : Neal-Schuman Publishers, c1998.
Several people have attended conferences in the last few months and will report out on June 10, 2010 from 12-1 p.m. in ELC-B. Please, feel free to bring lunch and hear all of the interesting highlights.
REMINDER: June Monthly Payroll Paid on July 1, 2010
Per State of Colorado directive to all state agencies, the June end-of-month pay date this year will be Thursday, July 1, 2010. Employees should plan ahead for this shift in pay date, especially if any automatic bill payments will be affected. The university is not responsible for any financial hardship, including potential overdraft charges, created by this pay shift.
Faculty Publications -
Congratulations on the latest publications written by our Faculty.
1) Jeffrey Beall. Let's Review Everything. American Libraries, May 2010, page 23.
2) The following book by Lori Mestre references a Camila Alire/Orlando Archibeque title in the bibliography:
Mestre, Lori. Librarians serving diverse populations : challenges and opportunities / by Lori Mestre. Chicago : Association of College and Research Libraries, 2010.
http://132.194.32.30/record=b2527068~S0
Here’s a link to the book that Orlando Archibeque co-authored:Alire, Camila A. Title Serving Latino communities : a how-to-do-it manual for librarians / Camila Alire, Orlando Archibeque. New York : Neal-Schuman Publishers, c1998.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Volume 3, Issue 6
OPEN ENROLLMENT REMINDERS
A reminder that Open Enrollment began April 26th and will continue until May 21st at 5:00p.m. (MST). Rates and web application are available now.
MANDATORY ENROLLMENT - IF YOU ARE CLASSIFIED STAFF CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN A STATE MEDICAL OR DENTAL PLAN, YOU MUST TAKE ACTION DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT. IF YOU DO NOT, YOU WILL NOT HAVE COVERAGE JULY 1, 2010.
For all of the latest news and information on how to participate in open enrollment please follow this link: https://www.cu.edu/pbs/openenrollment/
FY10 Procurement Cutoff Dates
As you begin preparing to close out the current fiscal year, you may
need to obtain large-dollar goods or services with this year’s
money. Here’s what you need to do, and when you need to do it, to
assure delivery by June 30.
What – Your requisitions must be approved, and all necessary
documentation provided to the PSC. Your requisition comments
must state that the procurement needs to be received by June 30,
2010.
When – The deadline varies according to the dollar amount of the
procurement:
Friday, April 30: Last day to submit PO/SPO Requisitions for
purchases requiring formal bids. (These are purchases of
goods or services in excess of $150,000.)
Friday, May 14: Last day to submit PO/SPO Requisitions for
purchases requiring documented quotes. (These are purchases
of goods $5,000.01-$150,000 using federal funds or $10,001-
$150,000 using nonfederal funds; and purchases of services
$5,000.01-$150,000 using federal funds or $25,001-$150,000
using non-federal funds).
Friday, May 28: Last day to submit any additional PO Requisitions
that will use FY10 funds
Questions? Contact the appropriate purchasing agent for the
specific commodity.
Beall, Jeffrey. “Predatory” Open-Access Scholarly Publishers. The Charleston Advisor, Volume 11, Number 4, April 2010 , pp. 10-17(8)
A reminder that Open Enrollment began April 26th and will continue until May 21st at 5:00p.m. (MST). Rates and web application are available now.
MANDATORY ENROLLMENT - IF YOU ARE CLASSIFIED STAFF CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN A STATE MEDICAL OR DENTAL PLAN, YOU MUST TAKE ACTION DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT. IF YOU DO NOT, YOU WILL NOT HAVE COVERAGE JULY 1, 2010.
For all of the latest news and information on how to participate in open enrollment please follow this link: https://www.cu.edu/pbs/openenrollment/
FY10 Procurement Cutoff Dates
As you begin preparing to close out the current fiscal year, you may
need to obtain large-dollar goods or services with this year’s
money. Here’s what you need to do, and when you need to do it, to
assure delivery by June 30.
What – Your requisitions must be approved, and all necessary
documentation provided to the PSC. Your requisition comments
must state that the procurement needs to be received by June 30,
2010.
When – The deadline varies according to the dollar amount of the
procurement:
Friday, April 30: Last day to submit PO/SPO Requisitions for
purchases requiring formal bids. (These are purchases of
goods or services in excess of $150,000.)
Friday, May 14: Last day to submit PO/SPO Requisitions for
purchases requiring documented quotes. (These are purchases
of goods $5,000.01-$150,000 using federal funds or $10,001-
$150,000 using nonfederal funds; and purchases of services
$5,000.01-$150,000 using federal funds or $25,001-$150,000
using non-federal funds).
Friday, May 28: Last day to submit any additional PO Requisitions
that will use FY10 funds
Questions? Contact the appropriate purchasing agent for the
specific commodity.
PERA CHANGES
Colleagues,
A number of you have asked questions about a forthcoming increase in employees’ PERA contributions. The matter can be both confusing and troubling in this economy. The purpose of this communication, primarily directed to those of you who are PERA participants, is to clarify elements of the change.
What is driving this change?
On March 31, 2010, Governor Ritter signed into law SB 10-146, which his office sponsored to address a number of budget challenges for FY 2011 (beginning July 1, 2010) within state government. One aspect of the law was to shift a portion of the employer cost for PERA for one year to employees of state government, thus, requiring them to make an extra contribution of 2.5% of salary to PERA.
Who will be affected by the 2.5% PERA shift?
Approximately 5,700 CU employees are in PERA and will be affected: 4,237 classified, 789 exempt professionals (41% of all exempt professionals) and 707 faculty (11% of all faculty).
What is the difference between PERA and Optional Retirement Plans?
PERA and the optional retirement plan (ORP) at CU are very different structures. PERA is a defined benefit plan, which means the retirement benefit is set by a formula that includes age, length of service and contribution. The benefit does not change as a result of a good or bad economy. Even during these difficult times, the benefit upon retirement for an employee enrolled in PERA is assured. It may not rise as much without pay increases, but the benefit is guaranteed. CU employees in PERA do not have deductions for Social Security; PERA is an all-inclusive pension. PERA participants, with the new 2.5%, will contribute 10.5% to their retirement accounts.
The ORP is a defined contribution plan, requiring both employer and employee participation; the plan is largely self-directed by the employee through various investment choices and ORP fund sponsors. CU employees in the ORP must have Social Security deductions taken from their pay. ORP employees contribute 11.2% into their retirement plans (5% to ORP and 6.2% into Social Security). Future ORP benefits to employees are not guaranteed, because account valuation changes according to world financial markets and employees’ individual investment choices. Since 2007, when the stock market started falling, many employees in the ORP have experienced substantial losses. If these employees had invested in Dow Jones funds or Standard & Poors funds (and many of our ORP employees did), the overall loss over the three-year period has been more than twenty per cent of their retirement savings.
What is the effect of the new law if you are a PERA participant?
For one year beginning in July 2010, your pay will be reduced before taxes; the 2.5% that you will pay to PERA through payroll deduction will go directly into your personal account, so your monthly retirement savings will not be cut. PERA will continue to invest these contributions for you.
Your take-home pay, however, will be diminished each month for a year, but the effect will be less than the full 2.5% of your salary, because the PERA deduction will be taken before federal and state taxes are calculated. Here’s an example of how the calculation will work (assuming married, claiming two exemptions, but ignoring other pre-tax deductions and showing only the effect of the new PERA deduction with the additional 2.5%):
Today:
Present base monthly salary based on $40,000 = $3,333;
Less Present PERA deduction (8%) = $267;
Less Federal and state taxes on $3,333 = $285;
Take-home pay = $2,781
July 2010:
Base monthly salary of $3,333;
Less Present PERA + 2.5% (10.5%) = $350;
Less Federal and state taxes = $268;
Take-home pay = $2,715
For this example, the 2.5% increase to PERA ($83) results in a $66 decrease in monthly take-home pay.
I realize, however, that any action reducing the amount of take-home pay will require you to adjust your personal budget. Given the state of the economy, we generally are not receiving increases to our pay, while health care and other costs of living continue to rise. Conditions should improve. The State of Colorado and CU have experienced financial difficulties before and persevered.
I trust this memo has been helpful to you regarding the PERA contribution change effective this July. Should you have questions, please contact your human resources office or Payroll & Benefit Services at 303.735.6500.
Regards,
E. Jill Pollock
Senior Associate Vice President
And Chief Human Resources Officer
University of Colorado
Newly Published Articles
Congratulations to Dr. Mary Somerville whose article, "From information to learning commons: campus planning highlights," was just published in the journal New Library World. Here's the citation: Somerville, Mary M. and Naviit Brar (2010). From information to learning commons: campus planning highlights. New Library World 111 (5/6), 179-188.
www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/03074801011044052
Beall, Jeffrey. “Predatory” Open-Access Scholarly Publishers. The Charleston Advisor, Volume 11, Number 4, April 2010 , pp. 10-17(8)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Volume 3, Issue 5
Please join us for a Reporting Out & Grants Brown Bag lunch on Thursday, April 15th from 12:00 to 1:00p.m. in the Friends Conference Room.
Reporting Out: several people from the library attended the 2010 WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. It was held March 3-5 at the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center. This year’s theme was “Imagining the Digital Future.” Conference programs addressed the successes and innovations of the past as well as the opportunities and challenges that can help drive museum and library sciences into the future. WebWise is an initiative of the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the primary source of federal grants and support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
More information is on the wiki: http://intranet.auraria.edu/wiki/index.php/IMLS_Initiatives:_WebWise
Grants: During this brown bag we may also want to discuss whether we will submit another LSTA grant next year, and if so, who will write it. All grant proposals must address the following: Colorado libraries will provide services to support educational achievement and lifelong learning of Colorado residents, people with disabilities, ethnic populations, institutional residents, and those underserved by libraries. http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/lsta/index.htm
Auraria Library Annual Award Winners
Congratulations to this year's deserving 2009 faculty award winners!
Excellence in Librarianship - Ignacio Ferrer-Vinent
Researcher/Creative Artist of the Year - Denise Pan
Service Person of the Year - Karen Sobel
Open Enrollment Begins April 26th
For more information including the enrollment calendar, how the Health Care Reform Law will affect you and to locate scheduled forums, follow this link: https://www.cusys.edu/pbs/openenrollment/
Ebooks & Audiobooks presentation in the Library. Please consider attending the digital books presentation on Friday April 16th, 2010, 11:30 - 1:00 in the Library’s Jackson Enhanced Learning Center. The presentation will cover accessing scholarly and popular ebooks through Auraria Library, other libraries, free sites, and subscription services. There will also be some digital book aficionados there to talk about their experiences and audience input will be welcome. Thanks for registering here: http://guides.auraria.edu/registration. Though this is part of the Connections faculty series, all Library employees are welcome to attend. (And if you own a cool ebook reader you’d like to show off – let Ellen M. know. We’ve got a Kindle….)
You are invited:
What: Family, Community, and Empowerment Speaker Series
Dates: Thursday April 8th and Thursday April 22nd
Time: 1:00-3:00 (1:00 Presentation; 2:00 Reception)
Where: Auraria Library Jackson Enhanced Learning Center (ELC-B)
From Pueblo Projects to Media Mogul -- Thursday April 8th
Jeff Valdez made history when he launched Si TV, America’s first English Language Latino themed cable network, in 2003. Si TV currently broadcasts to over 20 million households and boasts a lineup of award winning original programming. Valdez oversaw all operations for the critical first two years of the network and continues to serve on the board of Si TV. In addition, he is Co-Chairman of Maya Entertainment, a bi-lingual film distribution company focused on the 12-24 Latino youth market; and Chairman of Quepasa Corp./Quepasa.com (NASDAQ-QPSA), a bi-lingual social network aimed at the US and Latin American markets. Valdez relates the importance of family and community in advancing his journey from the projects to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Please join us for this free presentation and reception.
A Neo-Chicano in a Post-Chicano World – Thursday April 22nd
Daniel Salazar is CEO and founder of RAZALAS Studio, providing media arts production and education, publishing, distribution, promotion and marketing. His films, videos and photography have been distributed throughout the U.S., Mexico, Latin America and Europe since 1979. Salazar regularly exhibits photography and other published materials in galleries, art centers and museums across the U.S. His work in film, photography and public art is described as "puncturing pretension" often eliciting controversy and surprise. He will discuss past and present projects from the perspective of a Chicano artist in the new millennium. Please join us for this free presentation and reception.
Sponsored by Auraria Library & University of Colorado Faculty Council Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee.
For more information, please email: Denise.Pan@ucdenver.edu.
Link to flyer:
http://www.ucdenver.edu/faculty_staff/faculty/assembly/downtown/committees/diversity/Documents/Speakers_ThurApril822.pdf
Reporting Out: several people from the library attended the 2010 WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. It was held March 3-5 at the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center. This year’s theme was “Imagining the Digital Future.” Conference programs addressed the successes and innovations of the past as well as the opportunities and challenges that can help drive museum and library sciences into the future. WebWise is an initiative of the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the primary source of federal grants and support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
More information is on the wiki: http://intranet.auraria.edu/wiki/index.php/IMLS_Initiatives:_WebWise
Grants: During this brown bag we may also want to discuss whether we will submit another LSTA grant next year, and if so, who will write it. All grant proposals must address the following: Colorado libraries will provide services to support educational achievement and lifelong learning of Colorado residents, people with disabilities, ethnic populations, institutional residents, and those underserved by libraries. http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/lsta/index.htm
Auraria Library Annual Award Winners
Congratulations to this year's deserving 2009 faculty award winners!
Excellence in Librarianship - Ignacio Ferrer-Vinent
Researcher/Creative Artist of the Year - Denise Pan
Service Person of the Year - Karen Sobel
Open Enrollment Begins April 26th
For more information including the enrollment calendar, how the Health Care Reform Law will affect you and to locate scheduled forums, follow this link: https://www.cusys.edu/pbs/openenrollment/
Ebooks & Audiobooks presentation in the Library. Please consider attending the digital books presentation on Friday April 16th, 2010, 11:30 - 1:00 in the Library’s Jackson Enhanced Learning Center. The presentation will cover accessing scholarly and popular ebooks through Auraria Library, other libraries, free sites, and subscription services. There will also be some digital book aficionados there to talk about their experiences and audience input will be welcome. Thanks for registering here: http://guides.auraria.edu/registration. Though this is part of the Connections faculty series, all Library employees are welcome to attend. (And if you own a cool ebook reader you’d like to show off – let Ellen M. know. We’ve got a Kindle….)
You are invited:
What: Family, Community, and Empowerment Speaker Series
Dates: Thursday April 8th and Thursday April 22nd
Time: 1:00-3:00 (1:00 Presentation; 2:00 Reception)
Where: Auraria Library Jackson Enhanced Learning Center (ELC-B)
From Pueblo Projects to Media Mogul -- Thursday April 8th
Jeff Valdez made history when he launched Si TV, America’s first English Language Latino themed cable network, in 2003. Si TV currently broadcasts to over 20 million households and boasts a lineup of award winning original programming. Valdez oversaw all operations for the critical first two years of the network and continues to serve on the board of Si TV. In addition, he is Co-Chairman of Maya Entertainment, a bi-lingual film distribution company focused on the 12-24 Latino youth market; and Chairman of Quepasa Corp./Quepasa.com (NASDAQ-QPSA), a bi-lingual social network aimed at the US and Latin American markets. Valdez relates the importance of family and community in advancing his journey from the projects to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Please join us for this free presentation and reception.
A Neo-Chicano in a Post-Chicano World – Thursday April 22nd
Daniel Salazar is CEO and founder of RAZALAS Studio, providing media arts production and education, publishing, distribution, promotion and marketing. His films, videos and photography have been distributed throughout the U.S., Mexico, Latin America and Europe since 1979. Salazar regularly exhibits photography and other published materials in galleries, art centers and museums across the U.S. His work in film, photography and public art is described as "puncturing pretension" often eliciting controversy and surprise. He will discuss past and present projects from the perspective of a Chicano artist in the new millennium. Please join us for this free presentation and reception.
Sponsored by Auraria Library & University of Colorado Faculty Council Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee.
For more information, please email: Denise.Pan@ucdenver.edu.
Link to flyer:
http://www.ucdenver.edu/faculty_staff/faculty/assembly/downtown/committees/diversity/Documents/Speakers_ThurApril822.pdf
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Volume 3, Issue 4
Open enrollment for the 2010–11 Benefits Plan Year will start on April 26 at 8 a.m. and end on May 21 at 5 p.m. mountain daylight time.
Learn more about university benefits programs for the 2010–11 Plan Year and beyond at a Benefits Forum on your campus. Payroll & Benefit Services and representatives from the university health plan team will be conducting employee forums on each campus to discuss what's new, plans for prevention and wellness initiatives and to seek employee input for future plan features.
Forum Schedule:
System Offices
2-3:30 p.m. March 30
1800 Grant St., First Floor Conference Room
UC Denver
2:30-4 p.m. March 31
1250 14th St., Room 480
UCCS
12:30-2:00 p.m. April 1
University Center, Theater, Room 302
CU-Boulder
2:30-4 p.m. April 2
Eaton Humanities Building, Room 250
Anschutz Medical Campus
2-3:30 p.m. April 6
Research 2 Building, Room 3109
For more information go to: https://www.cu.edu/pbs/openenrollment/
“The March 2010 issue of C&RL News is now available online and in the mail. The rise of widgets, gadgets, and apps has moved academic and research libraries into a customized, mobile world. But commercial tools can often be pricey and platform-specific. In this issue, Nina McHale encourages you to “Steal this code! Please!” to create and share your own HTML widgets to provide customized access to library resources.”http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/3/136.full
Learn more about university benefits programs for the 2010–11 Plan Year and beyond at a Benefits Forum on your campus. Payroll & Benefit Services and representatives from the university health plan team will be conducting employee forums on each campus to discuss what's new, plans for prevention and wellness initiatives and to seek employee input for future plan features.
Forum Schedule:
System Offices
2-3:30 p.m. March 30
1800 Grant St., First Floor Conference Room
UC Denver
2:30-4 p.m. March 31
1250 14th St., Room 480
UCCS
12:30-2:00 p.m. April 1
University Center, Theater, Room 302
CU-Boulder
2:30-4 p.m. April 2
Eaton Humanities Building, Room 250
Anschutz Medical Campus
2-3:30 p.m. April 6
Research 2 Building, Room 3109
For more information go to: https://www.cu.edu/pbs/openenrollment/
Classified Staff Performance Evaluations
All supervisors of classified staff are reminded that the current performance evaluation cycle for classified staff ends March 31, 2010.
Performance plans and evaluations are mandatory for all permanent classified staff, including retirees hired as permanent classified staff.
Please note: the reviewer (the second level supervisor or appointing authority) must review and sign the evaluation of an employee’s performance before it is formally presented to the employee. This does not preclude the preliminary discussion of the proposed rating between the supervisor and the employee, but it must be emphasized that any discussion about ratings are preliminary and not final.
Reviewers and employees each need to be given five (5) business days to review the ratings and sign the evaluations. Because of the proximity of the cycle’s end date to the evaluations’ due date, it is advised that supervisors begin planning now how they will manage and schedule the evaluations they need to perform. This includes scheduling access to the appropriate reviewers and evaluation sessions with employees. Please plan accordingly so the appropriate review and signatures can be obtained.
RECOMMENDED EVALUATION TIMELINE FOR SUPERVISORS
Begin consultation with employee and draft evaluation: March 25, 2010
Submit to Reviewer for review/signature and allow 5 days for review: by April 7th, 2010 at noon
Reviewers should return to supervisors by noon on April 12, 2010. Supervisors should then meet with employees to review the evaluation no later than April 19, 2010.
Completed evaluations are due to Mike Furuli no later than April 26th
Please review to make sure that all pertinent fields/sections of the evaluation form are complete and accurate before sending to Human Resources. Please be informed that under no circumstances can the supervisor and the reviewer be the same person. You may use decimals for the goal ratings or numeric scores. If the overall rating contains a decimal please round up before submitting to Human Resources.
In addition to rating each goal or objective, a narrative under the "Results achieved" section is required. We strongly recommend completing the Evaluation Narrative section to sum up the overall performance. This is required for "Below Expectations" (level 1) and "Exceeding Expectations" (level 3) ratings. Any "Below Expectations" rating must be followed by a performance improvement plan or a Corrective Action as part of the progressive discipline process. Please contact the Human Resources Department to discuss "Below Expectations" ratings and for proper steps to follow.
Supervisors must also provide their employees with a copy of the dispute resolution process (included as part of the of the planning and evaluation form) at the time of the final evaluation.
If an employee has extenuating circumstances such as extended absences during the rating period (health or otherwise), please contact the Human Resources Department for proper guidance.
Performance Management Documents
The CU Performance Management Program plan can be found at: http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/departments/HR/FormsTemplatesProcesses/Documents/Word/PerformanceManagementProgram-Final7-2009.pdf.
Training Requirement for Supervisors
As a reminder, if you are a supervisor of classified staff you are required to attend a training session on performance management. Please visit our website for a schedule of up-coming training: http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/departments/HR/training/Pages/ManagersToolbox.aspx.
Sanctions for Supervisor Non-Compliance
Per Regent policy, the following sanctions will apply to supervisors who do not comply with the requirement to complete classified staff evaluations in the proscribed timeframe:
Classified Supervisors: corrective action, five-day unpaid suspension, and ineligibility for a performance pay award.
Faculty, Officers, and Exempt Staff supervisors: Disciplinary action, five-day unpaid suspension, and potential impact on salary merit increases.
Please contact Mike Furuli at 6-6021 with any questions.
Thank you.
Web Training - User Centered Design
All are welcome to the second session of web training on user-centered design, which will be held in the ELC from 10:00 – 11:00 am on Tuesday, March 30th. (This is a make-up of the session originally scheduled on the 16th.) Please drop Nina McHale an email to let her know if you would like to attend so that she knows how many handouts, etc. to prepare.
User-centered design is the approach to web design that puts the end user’s needs first. How do we get inside student and faculty heads to present our resources in a way that is intuitive and user-friendly to them, but still satisfies our needs? Nina will give a bit of background about the concept of user-centered design at first, and then everyone will break into small groups for a more hands-on activity.
“The March 2010 issue of C&RL News is now available online and in the mail. The rise of widgets, gadgets, and apps has moved academic and research libraries into a customized, mobile world. But commercial tools can often be pricey and platform-specific. In this issue, Nina McHale encourages you to “Steal this code! Please!” to create and share your own HTML widgets to provide customized access to library resources.”http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/3/136.full
Friday, February 5, 2010
Volume 3, Issue 3
February Birthday party on Thursday, February 11th
10:30 am in the Staff Lounge
Bagels, Juice, Coffee/tea will be served.
Join in on the festivities
PBS HAS MAILED 2009 W-2s
W-2s (wage and tax statements) for the 2009 tax year have been mailed to all employees using the mailing address from the Human Resources Management System (HRMS). Incorrect mailing addresses in HRMS may cause W-2 delivery problems. Employees who do not receive their W-2 should check their address and correct it if necessary. Employees can use the campus portal Employee Profile section under the My.CU, My.Pay tab to verify their address and the My.CU, My.Self Service tab to correct it. Alternatively, employees can complete and submit to their department payroll liaison (Mike Furuli) an Address/Phone/E-mail Change form
https://www.cu.edu/pbs/forms/.
Author Anne Finger Reading in ELC
Anne Finger, author of Call Me Ahab, winner of the prairie schooner book prize in fiction,
will be reading on Thursday February 25 at the Auraria Library • Enhanced Learning Center
at 5:30pm
Sponsored by the Disability as Diversity Initiative, Copper Nickel, College of Liberal Arts and SciencesOffice of Diversity and Inclusion, and the UCD Disabilities Committee. Access is a goal of this event, please contact Amy Vidali for accommodation requests and concerns: 303.556.4765 or amy.vidali@ucdenver.edu.
10:30 am in the Staff Lounge
Bagels, Juice, Coffee/tea will be served.
Join in on the festivities
PBS HAS MAILED 2009 W-2s
W-2s (wage and tax statements) for the 2009 tax year have been mailed to all employees using the mailing address from the Human Resources Management System (HRMS). Incorrect mailing addresses in HRMS may cause W-2 delivery problems. Employees who do not receive their W-2 should check their address and correct it if necessary. Employees can use the campus portal Employee Profile section under the My.CU, My.Pay tab to verify their address and the My.CU, My.Self Service tab to correct it. Alternatively, employees can complete and submit to their department payroll liaison (Mike Furuli) an Address/Phone/E-mail Change form
https://www.cu.edu/pbs/forms/.
Author Anne Finger Reading in ELC
Anne Finger, author of Call Me Ahab, winner of the prairie schooner book prize in fiction,
will be reading on Thursday February 25 at the Auraria Library • Enhanced Learning Center
at 5:30pm
Sponsored by the Disability as Diversity Initiative, Copper Nickel, College of Liberal Arts and SciencesOffice of Diversity and Inclusion, and the UCD Disabilities Committee. Access is a goal of this event, please contact Amy Vidali for accommodation requests and concerns: 303.556.4765 or amy.vidali@ucdenver.edu.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Volume 3, Issue 2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OFFICE OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS
AT AURARIA LIBRARY ANNOUNCES
‘A New Year. A New Challenge. A New Library.’
DENVER, CO — January 25, 2010 — With the campus’ record high enrollment, the tri-institutional Auraria Library is challenged to accommodate growing demands in the current 33 year-old building. It was not designed to meet the 21st century needs of nearly 50,000 students and faculty. Therefore, the current library interior needs to be redesigned to best utilize space and provide services for its constituents.
The process has begun. This spring semester begins the New Auraria Library Project – a planned redesign of the space and services on the Library’s first floor with input by administrators, students, faculty, staff, public and even UC Denver architecture students. The advantages of the first floor redesign are to create community, collaboration, and connectivity through enhanced-integrated service and improved space utilization.
Community is achieved by creating space that will take advantage of the building’s distinctive urban architecture, natural lighting, and sunny, green courtyards. Because collaboration is the key to successful work and social interactions, comfortable furniture designed for both individual and group study will enhance experiential learning.
In an ever changing virtual world, connectivity is vital for research and online access. By upgrading electrical capacity, WiFi access and computer stations, the Auraria Library can offer opportunities to increase productivity. New service desks will allow staff to meet constituents’ needs in a more streamlined manner. The Library looks forward to partnerships in order to redesign the academic library to meet the needs of Denver’s urban campus community.
For further details on how to participate in this visionary process, call 303-556-6381.
Catherine Ostrander
Head of Community Relations
P 303-556-6381 F 303-556-3528
catherine.ostrander@ucdenver.edu
Counseling Center Offers Help in Haiti Aftermath
The following information is also online at http://www.ucdenver.edu/faculty_staff/alert/Pages/HaitiQuake.aspx.
The UC Denver Counseling Center and the Office of Student Life want to remind members of the UC Denver community that help and support are available for those impacted by the recent earthquake in Haiti. If you or your family has suffered loss, or if awareness of the anguish going on in Haiti has shaken you emotionally, please know that there is help available to you both on and off campus if you need it. The Counseling Center is located on the Auraria Campus, downtown Denver, North Classroom 4036. Students may drop in or call for an appointment.
Additional information about our services is available on the Counseling Center web site: http://www.ucdenver.edu/life/services/counseling. Faculty and staff are reminded of the Colorado State Employee’s Assistance Program’s counseling services as well: 303-866-4314.
Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Program Accepts Candidates
On January 25, 2010, ALA-APA will accept applications from potential candidates interested in achieving the Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC). The LSSC Program is the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff. This new certification program will help library support staff achieve recognition for current and new skills and abilities, and increase access to continuing education opportunities.
ALA and ALA-APA President Camila Alire affirms, “This certification program was much needed for support staff in multi-type libraries across the country. Along with support staff, I am excited that it has finally come to fruition. I encourage library administrators and support staff to take advantage of this program.”
ALA-APA will award the LSSC to candidates who demonstrate achievement in six sets of competencies by completing approved courses or submitting portfolios that demonstrate their achievement. Candidates have four years from acceptance to complete the program.
The LSSC Program is open to any library support staff person with a high-school diploma or its equivalent and the equivalent of at least one year of full-time experience in a library with the last five years. Applicants do not have to be a member of ALA. The application fee is $325 for ALA members and $350 for non-ALA members.
A certification program was sought for many years by library support staff. In 2003, the ALA Congress on Professional Education III asked ALA to study LSS certification, ALA responded by including planning for a certification program in ALA’s strategic plan, ALA2010. Funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, ALA developed the LSSC over the past three years.
More information about the LSSCP is available online at http://www.ala-apa.org/lssc. Direct questions to lssc@ala.org or call 312-280-2424.
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and has as one of its missions supporting salary improvement initiatives for library workers.
Upcoming Diversity Events
Rumor Has It: Real Talk at the Women’s Resource Center – Jan 19
"Rumor Has It " is a program the Women’s Resource Center put together to help provide a connection between students, staff, and faculty and campus resources, as well as to build community while having difficult conversations about issues affecting women on and off campus. "Rumor Has It" meets on Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30pm in the WRC (UMC 416). Join us on Tuesday January 19th for “Being in an Interracial Relationship” with Tanya Greathouse and Ruchi Malhotra. Website: http://www.blogger.com/mail/fetch.html?urlid=g64c1ea6a5506cebdf52cd50df16bc7e03j9p5nljil&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.colorado.edu%2Fwomensresourcecenter%2Fevents%2Fevents.htm%23rumorhasitspring2010
A Night of Poetry with SlamNuba – Jan 19
8pm, Glenn Miller Ballroom
Come see Suzy Q Smith, The Original Women, and other poets from SlamNuba perform on the CU Boulder campus in collaboration with the MLK Day celebration. There will also be a Dj! The event is free and open to the public. Come early and invite all your friends!About SlamNuba:SlamNuba is a program focusing on youth, literacy, and competitive performance-based poetry. Its members perform poetry throughout the nation in colleges and universities, as well as teach workshops locally to at-risk and underprivileged youth in Denver. SlamNuba is also among the highest ranked poetry slams in the nation, winning competitions throughout the US.
Culture Shock Auditions – Jan 19-21
Sigma Psi Zeta, multicultural Asian-interest sorority and Pi Delta Psi, multicultural Asian-interest fraternity are looking for talented students to audition for their 2nd annual "Culture Shock" event occurring on February 26, 2010. The talent may be anything as long as it has a cultural significance, including but not limited to: ethnicity (i.e. Brazilian culture), hip hop culture (i.e. rap/spoken word), pop culture (i.e. skateboarding, rock music), etc. The goal for the event is to educate the campus about various cultures in its various forms to promote awareness and understanding for the greater community in general. The grand prize is $300!Auditions:January 19-20, 2010 at 5pm-9pm in UMC 386January 21, 2010 at 5pm-9pm in UMC 425Walk-in and video auditions welcomed!We hope to see you there. Please contact http://www.blogger.com/persifinysyz@gmail.com if any questions.
International Coffee Hour – Jan 22
All students, staff and faculty are invited to enjoy conversation and free refreshments on Fridays (while classes are in session), from 4 - 5:30 p.m., in the UMC Grill, across from Baby Doe's. Join the crowd for great conversations!
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/cu-international/events.html#ich
Weekly HIV Testing – Jan 25
5-6:30pm, Willard Hall
Testing continues every Monday until April 26th
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/GLBTRC/
Vincent Who Documentary Showing – Jan 26
Q&A With the film's Producer to Follow
January 26th @ 6:00PM
Humanities 150
Website: http://www.culturaleventsboard.org/
Dennis Small Cultural Center Open House – Jan 28
12:00-4:00pm in UMC 457
Celebrate diversity and address social justice issues through traditional foods, music, dancing, arts & crafts, films, forums, and Interactive Theatre Project. Student groups are invited to learn how the DSCC can help support your next event. We hope to see you there!
Website: http://umc.colorado.edu/quicklinks/dscc_programsandevents.html
2010-11 Puksta New Scholar Applications – Due Feb 2
The Puksta Scholars, an exemplary undergraduate civic engagement program, is accepting applications for 2010-11 new scholars. The Puksta Scholars is one of the university’s “Special Enhancement Opportunities Programs.” There will be a limited number of $4,500 annual scholarships. If you have a strong commitment to civic responsibility and high ethical standards and want to bring about positive change within our campus and communities, apply now. Please note that this scholarship is available for incoming freshmen, sophomores and juniors. It is not available for incoming seniors. For an application, overview and more Puksta information go to www.colorado.edu/puksta/ . For questions, contact Peter Simons (peter.simons@colorado.edu, 303-492-1962).
Interested in becoming more involved with the GLBT Resource Center? We are currently recruiting voting members for our Student Advisory Board here at the GLBT Resource Center. The Student Advisory Board is a direct arm to UCSU student government and helps represent LGBTQIA student voices to CU's student government as well as to the staff of the GLBTRC. Time requirement is approximately 3-6 hours a month (Board meetings are currently scheduled for Fridays at 3pm, every other week. These are subject to change.)
Below is a detailed description of the purpose and role of Student Advisory Board members. If you are interested in applying to be on the board, please do the following:
1) Go to http://www-ucsu.colorado.edu/webber/index.cfm
2) Click on UCSU jobs link on the left side menu bar
3) Fill out online application. List GLBTRC Student Advisory Board in the position you are applying for field.
Contact Steph Wilenchek with any questions at wilenche@colorado.edu or 303.492.2966
OFFICE OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS
AT AURARIA LIBRARY ANNOUNCES
‘A New Year. A New Challenge. A New Library.’
DENVER, CO — January 25, 2010 — With the campus’ record high enrollment, the tri-institutional Auraria Library is challenged to accommodate growing demands in the current 33 year-old building. It was not designed to meet the 21st century needs of nearly 50,000 students and faculty. Therefore, the current library interior needs to be redesigned to best utilize space and provide services for its constituents.
The process has begun. This spring semester begins the New Auraria Library Project – a planned redesign of the space and services on the Library’s first floor with input by administrators, students, faculty, staff, public and even UC Denver architecture students. The advantages of the first floor redesign are to create community, collaboration, and connectivity through enhanced-integrated service and improved space utilization.
Community is achieved by creating space that will take advantage of the building’s distinctive urban architecture, natural lighting, and sunny, green courtyards. Because collaboration is the key to successful work and social interactions, comfortable furniture designed for both individual and group study will enhance experiential learning.
In an ever changing virtual world, connectivity is vital for research and online access. By upgrading electrical capacity, WiFi access and computer stations, the Auraria Library can offer opportunities to increase productivity. New service desks will allow staff to meet constituents’ needs in a more streamlined manner. The Library looks forward to partnerships in order to redesign the academic library to meet the needs of Denver’s urban campus community.
For further details on how to participate in this visionary process, call 303-556-6381.
Catherine Ostrander
Head of Community Relations
P 303-556-6381 F 303-556-3528
catherine.ostrander@ucdenver.edu
Counseling Center Offers Help in Haiti Aftermath
The following information is also online at http://www.ucdenver.edu/faculty_staff/alert/Pages/HaitiQuake.aspx.
The UC Denver Counseling Center and the Office of Student Life want to remind members of the UC Denver community that help and support are available for those impacted by the recent earthquake in Haiti. If you or your family has suffered loss, or if awareness of the anguish going on in Haiti has shaken you emotionally, please know that there is help available to you both on and off campus if you need it. The Counseling Center is located on the Auraria Campus, downtown Denver, North Classroom 4036. Students may drop in or call for an appointment.
Additional information about our services is available on the Counseling Center web site: http://www.ucdenver.edu/life/services/counseling. Faculty and staff are reminded of the Colorado State Employee’s Assistance Program’s counseling services as well: 303-866-4314.
Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Program Accepts Candidates
On January 25, 2010, ALA-APA will accept applications from potential candidates interested in achieving the Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC). The LSSC Program is the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff. This new certification program will help library support staff achieve recognition for current and new skills and abilities, and increase access to continuing education opportunities.
ALA and ALA-APA President Camila Alire affirms, “This certification program was much needed for support staff in multi-type libraries across the country. Along with support staff, I am excited that it has finally come to fruition. I encourage library administrators and support staff to take advantage of this program.”
ALA-APA will award the LSSC to candidates who demonstrate achievement in six sets of competencies by completing approved courses or submitting portfolios that demonstrate their achievement. Candidates have four years from acceptance to complete the program.
The LSSC Program is open to any library support staff person with a high-school diploma or its equivalent and the equivalent of at least one year of full-time experience in a library with the last five years. Applicants do not have to be a member of ALA. The application fee is $325 for ALA members and $350 for non-ALA members.
A certification program was sought for many years by library support staff. In 2003, the ALA Congress on Professional Education III asked ALA to study LSS certification, ALA responded by including planning for a certification program in ALA’s strategic plan, ALA2010. Funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, ALA developed the LSSC over the past three years.
More information about the LSSCP is available online at http://www.ala-apa.org/lssc. Direct questions to lssc@ala.org or call 312-280-2424.
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and has as one of its missions supporting salary improvement initiatives for library workers.
H1N1 Vaccine Available - TODAY
When: Monday, January 25th
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Where: Auraria Campus, Plaza Building,
Room 150 In Corridor Just Outside the Health Center at Auraria
Upcoming Diversity Events
Rumor Has It: Real Talk at the Women’s Resource Center – Jan 19
"Rumor Has It " is a program the Women’s Resource Center put together to help provide a connection between students, staff, and faculty and campus resources, as well as to build community while having difficult conversations about issues affecting women on and off campus. "Rumor Has It" meets on Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30pm in the WRC (UMC 416). Join us on Tuesday January 19th for “Being in an Interracial Relationship” with Tanya Greathouse and Ruchi Malhotra. Website: http://www.blogger.com/mail/fetch.html?urlid=g64c1ea6a5506cebdf52cd50df16bc7e03j9p5nljil&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.colorado.edu%2Fwomensresourcecenter%2Fevents%2Fevents.htm%23rumorhasitspring2010
A Night of Poetry with SlamNuba – Jan 19
8pm, Glenn Miller Ballroom
Come see Suzy Q Smith, The Original Women, and other poets from SlamNuba perform on the CU Boulder campus in collaboration with the MLK Day celebration. There will also be a Dj! The event is free and open to the public. Come early and invite all your friends!About SlamNuba:SlamNuba is a program focusing on youth, literacy, and competitive performance-based poetry. Its members perform poetry throughout the nation in colleges and universities, as well as teach workshops locally to at-risk and underprivileged youth in Denver. SlamNuba is also among the highest ranked poetry slams in the nation, winning competitions throughout the US.
Culture Shock Auditions – Jan 19-21
Sigma Psi Zeta, multicultural Asian-interest sorority and Pi Delta Psi, multicultural Asian-interest fraternity are looking for talented students to audition for their 2nd annual "Culture Shock" event occurring on February 26, 2010. The talent may be anything as long as it has a cultural significance, including but not limited to: ethnicity (i.e. Brazilian culture), hip hop culture (i.e. rap/spoken word), pop culture (i.e. skateboarding, rock music), etc. The goal for the event is to educate the campus about various cultures in its various forms to promote awareness and understanding for the greater community in general. The grand prize is $300!Auditions:January 19-20, 2010 at 5pm-9pm in UMC 386January 21, 2010 at 5pm-9pm in UMC 425Walk-in and video auditions welcomed!We hope to see you there. Please contact http://www.blogger.com/persifinysyz@gmail.com if any questions.
International Coffee Hour – Jan 22
All students, staff and faculty are invited to enjoy conversation and free refreshments on Fridays (while classes are in session), from 4 - 5:30 p.m., in the UMC Grill, across from Baby Doe's. Join the crowd for great conversations!
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/cu-international/events.html#ich
Weekly HIV Testing – Jan 25
5-6:30pm, Willard Hall
Testing continues every Monday until April 26th
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/GLBTRC/
Vincent Who Documentary Showing – Jan 26
Q&A With the film's Producer to Follow
January 26th @ 6:00PM
Humanities 150
Website: http://www.culturaleventsboard.org/
Dennis Small Cultural Center Open House – Jan 28
12:00-4:00pm in UMC 457
Celebrate diversity and address social justice issues through traditional foods, music, dancing, arts & crafts, films, forums, and Interactive Theatre Project. Student groups are invited to learn how the DSCC can help support your next event. We hope to see you there!
Website: http://umc.colorado.edu/quicklinks/dscc_programsandevents.html
2010-11 Puksta New Scholar Applications – Due Feb 2
The Puksta Scholars, an exemplary undergraduate civic engagement program, is accepting applications for 2010-11 new scholars. The Puksta Scholars is one of the university’s “Special Enhancement Opportunities Programs.” There will be a limited number of $4,500 annual scholarships. If you have a strong commitment to civic responsibility and high ethical standards and want to bring about positive change within our campus and communities, apply now. Please note that this scholarship is available for incoming freshmen, sophomores and juniors. It is not available for incoming seniors. For an application, overview and more Puksta information go to www.colorado.edu/puksta/ . For questions, contact Peter Simons (peter.simons@colorado.edu, 303-492-1962).
Interested in becoming more involved with the GLBT Resource Center? We are currently recruiting voting members for our Student Advisory Board here at the GLBT Resource Center. The Student Advisory Board is a direct arm to UCSU student government and helps represent LGBTQIA student voices to CU's student government as well as to the staff of the GLBTRC. Time requirement is approximately 3-6 hours a month (Board meetings are currently scheduled for Fridays at 3pm, every other week. These are subject to change.)
Below is a detailed description of the purpose and role of Student Advisory Board members. If you are interested in applying to be on the board, please do the following:
1) Go to http://www-ucsu.colorado.edu/webber/index.cfm
2) Click on UCSU jobs link on the left side menu bar
3) Fill out online application. List GLBTRC Student Advisory Board in the position you are applying for field.
Contact Steph Wilenchek with any questions at wilenche@colorado.edu or 303.492.2966
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Volume 3, Issue 1
You've got to know . . .
University asking employees to verify dependents’ benefit eligibility
As health care costs rise, process will help ensure viability of CU’s group benefit plans (Jan. 5, 2010) Like many employers challenged by rising health care costs, the University of Colorado is launching an audit to verify the eligibility of dependents who are covered by employee benefit plans.
As announced by Payroll and Benefit Services (PBS) during spring’s open enrollment for the 2009-10 year, plan participants must review the university’s eligibility requirements and determine whether their dependents meet requirements for coverage by health, dental and life insurance plans.
All benefits-eligible employees will receive a letter later this month explaining the process. In early February, all plan participants with enrolled dependents will receive a verification packet from Secova, an independent third party that the university is partnering with for the confidential review. Participants will be asked for industry-standard documentation – such as birth certificates, marriage licenses and/or tax returns (without financial information) – verifying that dependents meet university eligibility requirements.
“Although we believe the majority of enrolled dependents meet university eligibility requirements, there might be some instances when a plan participant mistakenly includes an ineligible dependent,” said Mark Stanker, assistant vice president of PBS. “When this happens, each of us shares the cost of covering the ineligible dependent in our programs.”
Plan participants who realize they have ineligible dependents are asked to voluntarily drop them from coverage in a timely manner. Penalties may be avoided by removing ineligible dependents from coverage by Feb. 28. After that date, if the university learns that a plan participant has knowingly enrolled an ineligible person as a dependent, the university may act to recover costs for the ineligible person’s health care and/or benefit claims.
Dependent eligibility audits are increasingly common among employers, as they seek to rein in health care costs. Other major universities including Stanford, Ohio State and Michigan recently completed similar dependent verifications. According to a recent Aon Consulting survey of large employers, 46 percent of organizations conducted such verification by 2009, and 20 percent plan to do so in the future.
“The data show that for large employers like CU, about 5 percent to 12 percent of dependents do not meet eligibility requirements, and each ineligible dependent costs an employer approximately $2,000 to $4,000 annually,” Stanker said. “With nearly 18,000 dependents on our plans, assuring the university is paying only for eligible dependents is important, even more so in this economy.”
Congratulations to Jeffrey Beall for his recent publication:
Beall J. Metadata for Name Disambiguation and Collocation. Future Internet. 2010; 2(1):1-15.
http://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/2/1/1
Outstanding student worker recognized
As one of four members of the UCD Ethics Bowl team, Suraj Chaudhary, one of our Computer Commons student workers, participated in the Rocky Mountain Region Ethics Bowl on Saturday, November 21. The team swept undefeated through all four rounds of competition, qualifying them to compete in the national Bowl, to be held in Cincinnati in February. The team was coached by Prof. Gabriel Zamosc and Prof. Candice Shelby of the Philosophy Department.
In addition, Suraj submitted his paper entitled “Assumptions in Wittgenstein’s Idea of Ethics,” to the 2010 Southwestern Undergraduate Philosophy Conference and was accepted for presentation at the conference on February 13th, 2010 in Edmond Oklahoma.
The competition for both of these events was very intense and we are very proud of Suraj, who has been with us for several years now. Please join me in congratulating him for his impressive demonstration of skills and knowledge.
In case his name looks familiar, Suraj was also one of our 2006 Read, Succeed at Auraria Library Scholarship winners and he is the brother of our own Niraj.
Research Behind the News is Back!
Thanks to Eric Baker and Gayle Bradbeer for working to keep this favored feature, originally started by Davette Zinik and Elaine Jurries, alive. To check out the latest, visit the Auraria Libary homepage or go directly to the blog: http://aurariaresearchnews.blogspot.com/
Submissions for News@1100 Do you have something to share in News@1100? Please, submit items to Marical Farner by 12:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.
University asking employees to verify dependents’ benefit eligibility
As health care costs rise, process will help ensure viability of CU’s group benefit plans (Jan. 5, 2010) Like many employers challenged by rising health care costs, the University of Colorado is launching an audit to verify the eligibility of dependents who are covered by employee benefit plans.
As announced by Payroll and Benefit Services (PBS) during spring’s open enrollment for the 2009-10 year, plan participants must review the university’s eligibility requirements and determine whether their dependents meet requirements for coverage by health, dental and life insurance plans.
All benefits-eligible employees will receive a letter later this month explaining the process. In early February, all plan participants with enrolled dependents will receive a verification packet from Secova, an independent third party that the university is partnering with for the confidential review. Participants will be asked for industry-standard documentation – such as birth certificates, marriage licenses and/or tax returns (without financial information) – verifying that dependents meet university eligibility requirements.
“Although we believe the majority of enrolled dependents meet university eligibility requirements, there might be some instances when a plan participant mistakenly includes an ineligible dependent,” said Mark Stanker, assistant vice president of PBS. “When this happens, each of us shares the cost of covering the ineligible dependent in our programs.”
Plan participants who realize they have ineligible dependents are asked to voluntarily drop them from coverage in a timely manner. Penalties may be avoided by removing ineligible dependents from coverage by Feb. 28. After that date, if the university learns that a plan participant has knowingly enrolled an ineligible person as a dependent, the university may act to recover costs for the ineligible person’s health care and/or benefit claims.
Dependent eligibility audits are increasingly common among employers, as they seek to rein in health care costs. Other major universities including Stanford, Ohio State and Michigan recently completed similar dependent verifications. According to a recent Aon Consulting survey of large employers, 46 percent of organizations conducted such verification by 2009, and 20 percent plan to do so in the future.
“The data show that for large employers like CU, about 5 percent to 12 percent of dependents do not meet eligibility requirements, and each ineligible dependent costs an employer approximately $2,000 to $4,000 annually,” Stanker said. “With nearly 18,000 dependents on our plans, assuring the university is paying only for eligible dependents is important, even more so in this economy.”
Note: An Official Announcement was sent via e-mail this morning from Danielle Zieg which contains more information regarding this audit.
Congratulations to Jeffrey Beall for his recent publication:
Beall J. Metadata for Name Disambiguation and Collocation. Future Internet. 2010; 2(1):1-15.
http://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/2/1/1
Outstanding student worker recognized
As one of four members of the UCD Ethics Bowl team, Suraj Chaudhary, one of our Computer Commons student workers, participated in the Rocky Mountain Region Ethics Bowl on Saturday, November 21. The team swept undefeated through all four rounds of competition, qualifying them to compete in the national Bowl, to be held in Cincinnati in February. The team was coached by Prof. Gabriel Zamosc and Prof. Candice Shelby of the Philosophy Department.
In addition, Suraj submitted his paper entitled “Assumptions in Wittgenstein’s Idea of Ethics,” to the 2010 Southwestern Undergraduate Philosophy Conference and was accepted for presentation at the conference on February 13th, 2010 in Edmond Oklahoma.
The competition for both of these events was very intense and we are very proud of Suraj, who has been with us for several years now. Please join me in congratulating him for his impressive demonstration of skills and knowledge.
In case his name looks familiar, Suraj was also one of our 2006 Read, Succeed at Auraria Library Scholarship winners and he is the brother of our own Niraj.
Research Behind the News is Back!
Thanks to Eric Baker and Gayle Bradbeer for working to keep this favored feature, originally started by Davette Zinik and Elaine Jurries, alive. To check out the latest, visit the Auraria Libary homepage or go directly to the blog: http://aurariaresearchnews.blogspot.com/
Submissions for News@1100 Do you have something to share in News@1100? Please, submit items to Marical Farner by 12:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.
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