Kent State Staff Invited to Presidential Listening Tour Events
Â鶹´«Ã½ President Beverly Warren invites all staff members of the university to participate in one of the All Staff Listening Tour events. The events are open to Kent State staff members who have not had the opportunity to participate in a Presidential Listening Tour.
Warren initiated a Presidential Listening Tour to bring her face-to-face with Kent State constituents across the university, Ohio and the nation. Her goal for the tour is to hear the thoughts of Kent State’s many internal and external stakeholders about everything from what makes them most proud of Kent State to how the university can become even better in the months and years ahead.
The following are the remaining All Staff Listening Tour event dates:
Nov. 5
3 - 4 p.m.
Kent Student Center Kiva
Dec. 4
9 - 10 a.m.
Kent Student Center Kiva
Managers are asked to arrange departmental coverage so employees who wish to attend the All Staff Listening Tour may do so. Staff members should RSVP their attendance to Shilpi Tiwari at stiwari1@kent.edu or 330-672-3147.
Wellness Ambassador Opportunities
Do you see yourself or any of your employees as a role model for health and wellness within your department? If so, then consider the prospect of being a Wellness Ambassador!
Wellness ambassadors promote university-sponsored wellness programs and activities that encourage good health and improve the quality of life, while serving as a liaison among departments, Regional Campuses, the Wellness Advisory Committee and the wellness coordinator.
The ultimate goal of a wellness ambassador is to engage fellow employees to participate in wellness programs and activities. Increasing engagement can be done by expressing wellness opportunities to fellow employees, sharing ideas for new opportunities and being available to field questions employees have concerning participation in programs.
Employees who are interested in becoming a wellness ambassador will be required to discuss the possibility with their manager or supervisor to ensure that it is feasible for them to serve in this role. The commitment will require possibly no more than one hour per month. View the for more information regarding the roles and responsibilities of a wellness ambassador, as well as an application for the position.
Honoring All Who Serve on Nov. 6
Come join this year’s Veterans Day program, Honoring All Who Serve, which takes place Thursday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m. on the Student Green at Risman Plaza.
The outdoor program will include a flag-raising ceremony conducted by a joint color guard from the Army and Air Force ROTC programs and remarks from Â鶹´«Ã½ President Beverly Warren. Chief Petty Officer Timothy S. Flannery will be the guest speaker for this event. Flannery will be introduced by his daughter and Kent State seniorSavannah Flannery. A reception in the Kent Student Center Kiva lobby will follow the brief program.
All are invited to come and honor America’s veterans. A special invitation is extended to Kent State faculty, staff, students and community members who are veterans, active service members or who have family members in the military.
In the event of inclement weather, the rain location will be the Kent Student Center Kiva.
Managers are asked to arrange departmental coverage so employees who wish to attend the program may do so.
Time Card Approval Reminder from Payroll
It is always important that managers approve time cards by midnight each Tuesday. With the approaching holiday season, the approval process becomes even more time sensitive, and the Payroll Office finds it necessary to adjust processing deadlines due to several upcoming holidays.
The following approval dates have been changed to accommodate the holiday schedule:
- Midnight on Monday, Nov. 10, for Veterans Day (campus closed Nov. 11). If this is not possible, approve at the beginning of your shift on Wednesday, Nov. 12. All approvals need to be completed by noon on Nov. 12.
- Midnight on Monday, Nov. 17, to facilitate processing of the Wednesday, Nov. 26, pay for the Thanksgiving holiday.
- Midnight on Monday, Dec. 15, to facilitate processing of the Dec. 26 payday.
All offices closed during the holiday shutdown need to complete and approve their time cards for the week ending Dec. 27 prior to leaving on Dec. 23. Supervisors can approve in advance as long as there are no anticipated changes. The Payroll Office will be processing the payroll for the week of Dec. 27 when the Payroll Office staff returns to work on Jan. 2, 2015. All time cards must be approved no later than noon on Friday, Jan. 2.
For questions, please contact the Payroll Office at payroll@kent.edu or 330-672-8640.
Minimum Wage Going Up in January
The Ohio Department of Commerce has announced that Ohio’s minimum wage will increase on Jan. 1, 2015, from $7.95 to $8.10 per hour. With this increase, the Student Employment Pay Plan will be adjusted accordingly.
Please keep in mind that departments do not need to take action on the minimum wage increase. Career Services will adjust the hourly wage for all students who are below the new minimum pay rate effective Jan. 1, 2015. Student employees who are already at or above the new minimums will not have their pay rates adjusted. If you wish to increase the hourly wage for your student employees who are above the new minimums (i.e., to keep a pay differential), please submit a Pay Raise Request form.
Feel free to contact Ami Hollis at 330-672-8380 or ahollis@kent.edu for more information.
Changes to Customs Forms for International Shipments
New U.S. Postal Service (USPS) regulations went into effect recently that impact items being shipped internationally that require customs forms. In the past, manually prepared customs forms (hand-written or typed) could be used to mail the package from Â鶹´«Ã½ Mail Services. With the new regulations, Mail Services can no longer accept the manual forms. Packages with the manual forms must be taken to a USPS Post Office by the person who is shipping them.
Mail Services will continue to mail international packages with the use of an electronic customs form, which can be created online at www.usps.com/send/customs-forms.htm. When completing the online form, estimate the weight of the package; Mail Services will affix postage based on actual weight and charge your department accordingly. Once you have completed the online form, print four to five copies. Four copies must be sent to Mail Services along with the item to be shipped, and you may want to print a copy for yourself.
As a reminder, customs forms are not required for either First-Class Mail International® items or Priority Mail International Flat Rate™ Envelopes if they weigh less than 16 oz., are no more than 3/4" thick, and contain only documents.
Please contact Steve Finley at sfinley7@kent.edu or Brett Edwards at bedward3@kent.edu or call 330-672-2164 if you have any questions.
Dates to Remember:
National American-Indian Heritage Month
Nov. 4 Election Day
Nov. 6 Kent State Veterans Day Observance, 11 a.m., Student Green, Risman Plaza
Nov. 11 Veterans Day (Kent State closed on Tuesday, Nov. 11)
Nov. 16 International Day for Tolerance
Nov. 26 Fall classes end for first- and second-year students at the College of Podiatric Medicine
Nov. 27 Thanksgiving (classes end at noon on Nov. 26; offices are open normal hours). University closed Nov. 27 and 28
Tell Us What You Think
This e-newsletter is designed to keep you, the managers and supervisors, informed. Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think of it, along with any comments or suggestions. You may contact us atmanagersfeedback@kent.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.
For information about events and programs for university employees, please check out the Faculty and Staff calendar and share the information with your staff.