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February 5, 1999
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Parking Group Hears of Garage PlansHampered by a lack of quorum, the Parking Advisory Committee conducted little business at its meeting Feb. 1. But the group did learn that a new parking garage is proposed for the 17th and R streets area. Tad McDowell, parking manager, said the campus master plan calls for an additional three garages on the city campus and one on east campus. A program statement was developed to build the next garage near 14th Street and Avery Avenue. However, opinions have shifted and the southeast site has taken priority. The southeast site is preferred by student government, McDowell said. However, because of the location change, a new program statement must be drawn. The garage would hold approximately 1,100 cars and be a mix of reserved and commuter spaces (meters). Alfred Arth, professor of curriculum and instruction, asked what safety precautions are being developed. McDowell said 24-hour video surveillance and cadet monitors are planned. He noted that the University of Washington, which has several multi-level garages has no video or live surveillance. Nebraska is being "very proactive" in this area, he said. The Stadium Drive Parking Garage has been running at capacity nearly every day this semester, McDowell said. He did not estimate when the new garage would be ready for use. Black History Month Activities Celebrate Cultural LegacyBy Gabi Volgyes, Public Relations This year, as in years past, the University of NebraskaLincoln will celebrate Black History Month by sponsoring a variety of events for students, faculty and staff, and by remembering a rich cultural history. But organizers hope this this year will be different and the celebrations won't end at the end of February. Venetria Patton, associate professor of English and African American and African Studies, notes that this year's schedule is a little different. "We wanted to make sure we had programming all month long," she said. The result is a very full month. Patton hopes that instead of just cramming events into this one month of the year, people will continue to show their support for African contributions to the world. She said, "our hope is that programming will not stop at the end of the month, but will continue throughout the year to promote diversity." The following is a preliminary list of activities sponsored and co-sponsored by the African American and African Studies program. o 7 p.m. Feb. 8, Media Images of People of Color Video and Discussion, Nebraska Union, Regency Suite. o 3 p.m. Feb. 9, "The Walking Wounded: African Americans and the Assault on Equal Educational Opportunities" Lecture by Dr. M. Christopher Smith, Andrews Hall, Bailey Library. o 7 p.m. Feb. 9, "The Night Cometh: Positioning Ourselves for Success" Lecture by Dr. M. Christopher Smith, Culture Center, 333 N. 14th St. o 7 p.m. Feb. 10, Seniors: Four Years in Retrospect Video and Discussion, Nebraska Union, room to be posted. o 3 p.m. Feb. 15, Shattering the Silence: The Case for Minority Faculty Video and Discussion, Andrews Hall, Bailey Library. o 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16, "Thomas Jefferson: Fathering Our Country" Lecture and Discussion, Nebraska Union, room to be posted. o 7 p.m. Feb. 18, Skin Deep Video and Discussion, Hewitt Center. o 7 p.m. Feb. 22, A Race Against Prime Time Video and Discussion, Malone Center. o 2 p.m. Feb. 26, "The Black Experience in Nebraska: The Making of Visions of Freedom" Lecture by Dr. Alonzo Smith, Andrews Hall, Bailey Library. o 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27, A Place Called Hope Black History Month Dinner Theatre, directed by Laura Partridge, Malone Center. 'VOP' Series Goal to Stimulate ConversationBy Gabi Volgyes, Public Relations They wanted people to start talking about race. When the committee for the Voices of the People series decided to hold a series of dialogues, they wanted people to start talking. And it looks like they're going to succeed. Several months ago, the group held focus groups, composed of students, faculty and staff. Their comments were crucial in the committee's planning of the Voices of the People series. The collaborative effort started there. And although no one knows where it will end, some participants are already looking at solutions. William Olubodun, acting assistant director for Student Involvement, said committee members are "not expecting magic, but we'd like people to come together to create potential solutions." Two dialogues have already occurred. On Jan. 27, Student Involvement downlinked to a national satellite conference called "Racial Legacies and Learning: How to Talk About Race." The conference panelists included scholars and community leaders from around the country, and was attended by about 50 students, faculty and staff. Later that same day, about 30 members of the UNL community gathered to discuss "The Impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Academic Environment" via a roundtable of panelists. The next dialogue, part of the University's Black History Month celebration, looks like it will generate even more interest. The panel discussion will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Nebraska Union's Regency Suite. The focus of "Media Images of People of Color" will be more than just what the media portrays; panelists are being asked to consider what they see in their professional and personal lives and how the media's portrayal of people of color influences relationships on campus. The committee has one more event scheduled for Black History Month: the film Skin Deep, which will be shown at 7 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Hewitt Center. In the film, students at the University of Massachusetts, California-Berkeley, Texas A&M and several other colleges discuss the experiences of minority students at predominantly white institutions. Other events and dialogues are scheduled throughout the semester. The schedule is as follows: o 7 p.m. March 3, Institutional Racism (Guest: Dr. Mary Frances Berry), Nebraska Union Regency Suite. o 7 p.m. March 30, Crossing Cultural Boundaries and Global Communication Issues, East Union. o April 13, time TBA, Global Citizenship and Diversity Day, location TBA. The VOTP is a collaborative, scholarly and grassroots dialogue approach to the issue of race, culture and ethnic relations in our learning environment. Each roundtable session is a facilitated dialogue that provides opportunities for genuine inquiries about divergent traditions, cultures and beliefs. The series is partially supported by a grant from the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the faculty Liaison Task force on Diversity; and the Student Alumni Association Student Enhancement Fund. Committee members include Olubodun, Jamie Grayson, Sandra Kinoshita, Shawn Burron, Reshell Ray, Callie Crawford, Linda Schwartzkopf, Lesley Owusu, Nikki Faulkner and Gabrielle Volgyes. Catch Husker Spirit By Taking Kids to BB GamesWith the "Take a Kid to the Game" program you can purchase two basketball tickets, two medium sodas, two hot dogs, one popcorn and one program for $10. This offer applies to the 3 p.m. NU Men vs. Missouri game on Feb. 6; the 7 p.m. NU Women vs. Baylor game on Feb. 10 and the 6:30 p.m. NU Men vs. Iowa State game on Feb. 13. Tickets can be purchased at the gate at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Doors open 90 minutes prior to tip-off. This offer is limited to the first 500 at the game. Husker Spirit Clinic for Kids K-6 Is Feb. 27A cheerleading clinic for children in grades K-6 will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. For $10, kids will receive admission to the clinic, two tickets to the NU Men vs. Texas A&M basketball game at 12:45 p.m. (one child, one guardian), two sodas, two hot dogs, one popcorn and one program. The child and adult will also receive admission to the "Masters Classic" women's gymnastics meet on Feb. 28 (upon presentation of their ticket stub). They will perform the cheers that they learn at the basketball game for intermission at the gymnastics meet. Pre-registration is required for the Spirit Clinic. Call Beth Riddle at 472-4886 for more information. This clinic is limited to the first 500 kids. Volunteer Management Skills Focus of Feb. 11 ConferenceIndividuals can learn quality training on how to manage volunteers Feb. 11 at the Eastern Nebraska Volunteer Management Conference. The 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. conference is at the Lancaster County Extension Office, 444 Cherrycreek Rd. Janet Fox, University of Nebraska 4-H youth specialist and conference coordinator, said the program is designed to provide quality training on volunteer management. "The conference has dynamic speakers touching on the issues faced by agencies dealing with volunteers," Fox said. "It's a don't-miss opportunity for information from experienced professionals." The conference will help individuals bolster relationships between staff and volunteers, discover new strategies to solve time crunches in managing volunteers, learn how to recruit volunteers more effectively and improve odds at retaining volunteers. Presentation titles are "Managing Volunteers in Record Time," "Using Real Colors to Build Better Relationships with Volunteers" and "The 2 Magic R's: Recruiting and Retention." The volunteer management training conference is targeted at professionals from nonprofit organizations, human resource development specialists, teachers, extension staff and anyone else working with volunteers. Registration is due Feb. 8 and is $10 for Nebraska Organization of Volunteer Leaders members or United Way Agency members; $20 for non-NOVL or United Way Agency members; and $15 for NOVL membership. NOVL volunteer resource packets are $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Make checks payable to NOVL. Registration includes the workshop materials, lunch and snack. Registration forms can be obtained from a local Cooperative Extension office or from Fox at (402)472-3674. Discount rates are available for groups of three or more that send in registrations together. The conference is sponsored by Lancaster County Extension Office, NOVL, Volunteer Connection Lincoln/Lancaster County United Way; and 4-H and Cooperative Extension in NU's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Husker Hire Link Celebrates Virtural Grand OpeningAn Internet-based service linking employers and prospective employees hosted a virtual grand opening Jan. 7, complete with virtual cookies and punch. Husker Hire Link allows approved employers to search and access online resumes of students and alumni registered with University of Nebraska-Lincoln Career Services. With the system, an employer can enter and update job listings, view resumes, select suitable candidates, and monitor on-campus interview schedules-all electronically from the place of business. The link provides streamlined, 24-hour service. "The web interface allows routine things to be done easily, and ultimately, the quality of the personal interaction improves," said Chris Timm, assistant director of career services. "Employers like the freedom to access resumes on their own timeline," said Geri Cotter, acting director of career services, "It's responsive to the concept of just-in-time hiring. An employer who has to fill a position can literally be interviewing tomorrow." Even with just a handful of employers participating in an initial testing in the fall, at least 200 resumes were accessed weekly. When the system is officially unveiled, up to 7,300 employers will have access to 2,700 resumes of students and recent graduates. Husker Hire Link can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.unl.edu/careers/w ebemp.htm. Mixed Blood Theater to 'EnterTrain' StaffA free diversity workshop will be presented by Mixed Blood Theater Company from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Feb. 12 in the Great Plains Room of the Nebraska East Union. The Mixed Blood Theater Company from Minneapolis will perform, using a process called EnterTraining that includes comedy, song, satire and dance to introduce and clarify issues of diversity in the workplace. Their performance will be followed by small group discussion, facilitated by Eureka Daye, director, Organizational Development, and an opportunity to socialize with colleagues. To register, e-mail Linda Kerner at lkerner1@unl.edu or call 472-8031 by Feb. 10. This will be an exciting and stimulating event performed especially for managerial/professional and non-academic administrators. Support provided by Organizational Development/Human Resources Department. Stress-Free Zone Declared Feb. 16 on 16th StreetTurn off your cellular, silence your pagers, unplug your computer, stop the chaos and enter the 16th Street Stress-Free Zone, a non-tech afternoon dedicated to relaxation, stress-free environments, human connection and celebration from 3 to 6 p.m. Feb. 16. Events will take place at the Employee Assistance Program, 700 N. 16th St.; Cornerstone/UMHE Church, 640 N. 16th St. and the Neihardt Residence Center, 540 N. 16th St. Events will include free five-minute massages provided by Campus Rec massage therapists at the Neihardt Residence Center. The Counseling and Psychological Services therapists will offer biofeedback/body relaxation, to teach you how to quiet your body, reduce anxiety and muscle tension, sleep better and improve concentration. Stress reduction/relaxation tips will also be offered by Environmental Health and Safety. The Cornerstone/UMHE Church will hold a Mardi Gras party with jambalaya, King cake and music by a student jazz band. The Cornerstone celebration will continue until 7 p.m. For information about ways to make your office/living space relaxing and stress-free, the Employee Assistance Program will offer information on Music-scapes, relaxing musical environments; Aromatherapy, scents that can enhance relaxation; Visual Relaxation, using pictures, objects and literature to create a relaxing environment and Fen Shui, how the positioning of objects in your environment affect your energy flow. These events are sponsored by the Employee Assistance Program, Cornerstone/UMHE Church, Campus Recreation, Counseling and Psychological Services/UHC, Environmental Health and Safety, Chancellor's Wellness Committee and the Neihardt Residence Center. For more information, call the Employee Assistance Program, 472-3107. Burns Retirement Reception Feb. 10A retirement reception to honor Bob Burns, manager of the University of Nebraska Computing Services Network Omaha Data Center, will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Chancellor's room at the Milo Bail Student Center at UNO. After serving more than 37 years with the University of Nebraska, Burns is retiring effective Feb. 15. Burns spent most of his career working in the computer areas at the UNL, UNMC and UNO campuses and Central Administration. He has worked at the Omaha Data Center since July 1976. Union Space Allocation Applications Due Feb. 12Applications are available for student organizations to apply for space in the Nebraska Unions (City Campus, East Campus and the Culture Center) for the 1999-2000 academic year. The deadline for application has been moved up this year to Feb. 12. This change has been made to help facilitate contacting organizations regarding the final decision of the Union Board on their applications and allows the student organizations an opportunity to meet with the Union Board Space Allocation Committee when they meet in late February. The old timeline frequently led to the Union Board's final decisions being made at a late April board meeting. This did not allow sufficient time to contact organizations and inform them of their space allocation or their need to vacate a space that was not re-allocated to them. The new timeline allows for final decisions by the Union Board to be made by the first of April, allowing staff in Student Involvement several weeks to contact organizations and inform them of the final decision of the Union Board. Applications are due in Student Involvement offices (City Campus or East Campus) by Feb. 12. Applications are available in Student Involvement and as an insert in the February issue of the Channels newsletter. For additional information contact Tom Dake in Student Involvement at 472-2454 or Melissa Snodgrass of the Union Board at 436-9860. Summer Programs Offered at Campus RecThe Campus Recreation Center will again offer summer activities for children. "Husker Kids" (2nd to 5th grade) and "Husker Adventures" (6th to 8th grade) will be offered from June 7 to Aug. 6. Program hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended hours offered at an additional charge. "Husker Kids" activities include field trips, basketball, bowling, volleyball, badminton, softball, relays, racquetball, tennis, soccer, track, scavenger hunts, hikes, movies, crafts, swimming and more. "Husker Adventures" is a day camp with different themes each week. They are: individual sports adventure, team sports adventure, lifetime and water adventure, NU and Lincoln Adventure, Performing Arts Adventure and Outdoor Adventure. For more information, call the Campus Recreation Center at 472-3467 or visit the Campus Recreation Web page at http://www.unl.edu/crec/. Plant Breeding Seminar Is Feb. 8Plant breeder and former plant pathologist Raoul Robinson will present a seminar on "Horizontal Resistance to Crop Pests and Diseases" Feb. 8. Robinson, who worked for 20 years in Africa and did plant work with 50 other countries, now lives in Canada. The 11 a.m. to noon seminar will be at the East Campus Union. Robinson will discuss new concepts suggesting the beginning of a scientific revolution in plant breeding, and will describe the role universities will play in this revolution in coming years. Robinson's lecture will include information on horizontal resistance and vertical resistance, which are different kinds of genetic resistance to pests and diseases found in crop plants. Because vertical resistance involves a single gene of a plant, it usually provides a temporary resistance that fails in the face of new strains of pests and pathogens. Horizontal resistance, on the other hand, involves many genes and is a much more durable form of plant protection. The popularity of plant breeding efforts based on vertical resistance during the past century has caused horizontal resistance breeding to be largely overlooked. Robinson's book, "Return to Resistance," features a how-to guide for plant breeders interested in creating plant varieties that are naturally resistant to pests and disease. A brown-bag discussion will be held immediately following the seminar. For additional information, contact the Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems in NU's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at (402) 472-2056. Eating Disorders Week Activities ToldThe Campus Recreation Center is offering three educational sessions during Eating Disorders Awareness Week on Feb. 22 to 26. "Dance Naked in Your Living Room: Handling Stress and Finding Joy," is from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Centennial Room of the Nebraska Union. "Making an Impact: Helping Students Come to Terms with Their Bodies, Eating and Weight," is from 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Nebraska Union. "Body Bazaar: Uniting Body, Mind and Spirit," will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 24 in the main floor lounge of the Nebraska Union. These sessions are free and open to the campus community. For more information on these activities, contact Campus Recreation at 472-3467. Emeriti Association Meeting Feb. 18The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti Association will meet at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Great Plains Room of the East Union. Speaking will be Peter Bleed on "An Archeologist Looks at the Modern Antiques Trade." Members and their guests may go through the cafeteria line prior to the start of the meeting and bring their trays to the meeting room. Holiday Policy Revised to Reflect RealityEffective Jan. 1, 1999, the approach to giving holidays to university employees has a slightly different look, according to Bruce Currin, assistant vice chancellor for Human Resources. "The change is related more to record-keeping than anything else," Currin said. The university continues to recognize the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after, and Christmas Day. Normal university operations are closed on those days. In addition, the university recognizes four additional holidays: Presidents Day (third Monday in February), Arbor Day (last Friday in April), Columbus Day (second Monday in October), and Veterans Day (Nov. 11). These are "working holidays." Because university classes and offices are operational and staffed on these days, employees will continue to work on these days and will normally take alternate holiday time off during the December campus closedown period as established by the academic calendar. "The total number of holidays is the same as it has always been," Currin said. "Most employees who were with us on Jan. 1, 1999, will not notice any change from what they've experienced in the past regarding holidays and the December closedown," Currin said. Currin said that two groups of people will be affected by the change. First, employees who separate from the university prior to using any alternative holiday time will be compensated for unused holidays at their regular rate of pay at the time of their separation. Second, employees who are hired after the occurrence of one or more of these working holidays (i.e. Presidents Day, Arbor Day, Columbus Day, and/or Veterans Day) will not have sufficient alternate holiday time accrued to cover the closedown period. These employees may use vacation leave or leave without pay during the December campus closedown. In addition, Currin said university policy provides that at department discretion employees may be advanced up to five days of vacation leave. "Some departments will want to use this policy to keep the new employee in pay status during the closedown time," he said. Currin said the change was made to align policy for the four campuses to facilitate transition into the new SAP system on July 1. Questions about the change in holiday policy may be directed to Faye Moulton fmoulton@unl.edu or 472-3101. University Sick Policy Does Not ComputeAccrual Sick Leave Policy Unchanged Question: I'm confused about an issue in connection with computerizing leave accrual and balances for managerial/professional employees. Recent information distributed on the campus says that managerial/professional employees have 1,040 hours of sick leave per year and that the balance will decrease as leave is used throughout the year. My understanding of the policy is that managerial/professional employees have six months of sick leave, and the balance of six months is restored each time they return to work.
Answer: Your understanding of the policy is correct, and it has not changed. This policy is printed in Section 108.0 of the Human Resources Policies and Procedures, Balancing of Sick Leave, Managerial/Professional Employees: "After two years of service, sick leave records for managerial/professional employees are balanced to a total of six months at the end of each use of sick leave," http://www.unl.edu/unlhr/ho mepage.html. In the process of computerizing leave accrual and balances for this group of employees, we have discovered that the system is unable to reflect actual university policy as it applies to sick leave. Thus there is a conflict between policy and what the computerized records will show. While the system will automatically decrease sick leave balance as leave is used throughout the year, the policy states that each time a managerial/professional employee returns after using leave the balance will be restored to reflect the full six months. In reality the sick leave balance shown will not accurately reflect sick leave available. This is purely a record-keeping issue, however, and on the rare occasions when a managerial/professional employee exhausts the beginning balance of 1,040 hours, we will work with the system to ensure that the person receives leave as provided in the policy. Until the computer learns a better way, we will decrease sick leave
balances
for managerial/professional employees throughout the year and restore the
full 1,040 hours at the beginning of each new year. The university sick
leave policy for managerial/professional employees remains unchanged. |
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