October 2008
Was there ever a summer that flew by as quickly as this past summer? It’s hard to believe we are well into the 2008-2009 academic year. Welcome back to all, whether it is from a few days vacation or a summer away from campus. And a special welcome to those among us who are new to the campus community.
HR sponsored a "Hawaiian Shirt and Flip Flop Day" in July where some fifty or so employees showed up in their interpretations of festive island wear. Prizes were awarded at the random discretion of HR staff. Watermelon and an opportunity to gather were enjoyed by all. Could be a new summer tradition!
In August, the College community gathered for our ninth annual "Summer Survivors Luncheon." One hundred and forty employees enjoyed a delectable lunch prepared by our own Sodexo food services. There was an outer space theme and the program was about inclusion as an aspect of diversity and team building. Participants enjoyed an activity aimed at creating self awareness of the lens through which each of us views the world by examining the deeply entrenched stereotypes we all seem to have. The message we took with was, that if we are to keep the promise to our students, we must work together using our differences as strengths. As Mr. Spock from Star Trek said, "Greetings! I am pleased to see that we are different. May we together become greater than the sum of both of us."
Our new six volume policy manual is available on line through the faculty and staff link. Employees who attended the All Campus Meeting on September 10th received a customized flash drive containing the manual. Those who were unable to attend should contact HR to sign for their copies.
Please visit the HR website to view photographs of recent events. We will be posting them regularly. Also available on the site are regularly used forms for your convenience. We would welcome your comments and suggestions as to how we could improve our site for your convenience.
The Benefits Committee will be meeting shortly to review what appears to be a favorable medical plan renewal again this year. There was no rate increase in the dental plan renewal in July; in fact we will not have a dental increase for the next two years based upon favorable experience by our participants. This past July, the final adjustment was made to the 75% employer / 25% employee cost sharing agreement for premiums in both plans.
Join us for an Open Enrollment Benefits Fair on October 31st from 8:30 to noon. Representatives from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental, The Standard, and others will be there to answer your questions. Oh, and it’s no coincidence that it is Halloween again this year! Come in costume for breakfast between 8:30 and 9:30. Judging from last year, there will be some pretty stiff competition for prizes.
It’s not too soon to start tallying up uncovered medical expenses for the 2008 year to date to inform your decision about whether to participate in the flexible spending account plan in 2009. Costs not covered by insurance such as co-pays, over the counter medications and much more, can be paid with pre-tax dollars resulting in considerable savings for the individual. Learn more at the Benefits Fair.
HR will present a third year of the Brown Bag lunch series, "A day in the life of…" various departments on campus. Over the course of the three years, we will have heard from the majority of departments. Attendees will have gained a broad knowledge of and an appreciation for the work that is done in other offices. Look for the flyers and mark your calendars.
Our Keep the Promise email address continues to receive mail from grateful employees wishing to acknowledge colleagues for their assistance. Following are some excerpts:
"Thanks so much for all the help you provided me last week. I know it was a very busy week for you, but you handled everything beautifully! It’s really a good feeling to know that you can be depended on to get the job done. Thanks again."
"Could you please send a thank you to let her know that we couldn’t have done it without her; her help and thoughtfulness was wonderful!"
"That you generously responded to a call for help is a classic example of the great spirit of cooperation among the folks at Caldwell College. Thanks so much for helping the team out!"
"Kudos for taking the initiative and for understanding the value of integrating our brand promise into our daily routine here at Caldwell College."