Colette Tornik and Kevin Freeman, vice chair and member respectively of USAC's Staff Compensation and Benefits Subcommittee, presented the group's annual report to university leadership on May 6, 2013. President E. Gordon Gee, Provost Joe Alutto, Senior Vice President and CFO Geoff Chatas, and Vice President for Talent, Culture and Human Resources Andraea (AJ) Douglass were present to hear the findings and recommendations of thirteen focus groups conducted by USAC.

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Focus group responses were organized into five themes: professional development, work/life balance, communication/transparency, manger/supervisor effectiveness and issues on the smaller campuses. Specific recommendations to leadership were provided for each theme.

This year, in the spirit of fostering a deeper dialogue, the format of the annual presentation was changed. The presentation was significantly shortened, focusing on general themes and highlighting specific recommendations. This allowed the time together to be spent primarily in identifying common points of interest for future collaborations and discussing both short and long-term goals for USAC’s work in the year ahead.

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The discussion period included a wide array of topics, ranging from the class and compensation project and flexible work schedules, to devoting more attention cultural fit during manager selection processes. A significant amount of energy has also been spent this year discussing the need for deeper levels of staff development on campus, with an aim of enhancing staff members’ ability to more effectively serve the university’s mission.

Both the members of university leadership and USAC agreed that they should act aggressively to find solutions to these issues. Moving away from a model of annually only presenting recommendations will allow for the creation of a timeline for solutions that would include meeting more regularly to keep track of progress.

Did you know that the university offers a variety of additional benefits and programs that help you meet both your personal and professional needs?  Go online to learn more about adoption assistance, banking and credit union discounts, and employment verification.

http://hr.osu.edu/benefits/additionalbenefits.aspx

The Ohio State University Office of Outreach and Engagement hosts a one-day professional development workshop for University Outreach and Engagement staff. “Boundary Spanners: A Framework for Capacity Building, Quality Improvement, and Professional Development for Outreach and Engagement Staff,” will be held on May 10, 2013, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4H Center. Registration is now open, and there is no cost to attend.  Capacity is limited to 50. Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2013StaffWorkshop. More information is available at http://outreach.osu.edu/workshops_conferences.php.

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Parking was the topic of conversation at a recent USAC Town Hall with several members of Campus Parc, the organization which now manages parking at the university.  Attendees learned of the organizational structure, scope of services as well as their goals for the future.  For the full presentation, download the attachment below. 

The University Staff Advisory Committee (USAC) opened its new member application period starting on March 1st and ending on March 18th.  USAC is seeking motivated staff to serve as members during the 2013-2016 term. If you would like the opportunity to put your passion to work for the betterment of the university, then you should consider joining USAC. The Ohio State University employs more than 22,000 staff members who provide professional expertise and support in a broad variety of ways to advance the academic, research, and service missions of the university.

Click here to find out more about applying.

ASFW 9th Annual Ballam Women’s Symposium
Wednesday, May 8th, 8:00am – noon
160 Meiling Hall
 
Featuring two keynote presentations:
Women and Wellness
Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, Ohio State’s Chief Wellness Officer, Associate VP for Health Promotion and Dean, College of Nursing
 
Sit Less, Stand More:  Health Risks of Excessive Sitting
Anup Kanodia, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine, Wexner Medical Center
 
Breakfast and Lunch provided
A special thanks to event co-sponsors, Wexner Medical Center and The Women’s Place
 
The early-bird cost is $25 for ASFW members and $35 for guests, and $65 for the conference and to join/renew ASFW membership.
 
All rates increase $5 after April 19th. Registration deadline is May 1st.
 
For more information and to register online, click here.

Did you know that you can support staff career development by giving to the USAC Staff Career Development Grants endowment via campus campaign? (Fund #312628) These grants will be awarded to assist eligible Ohio State staff members with education and training costs associated with the pursuit of professional development. To donate, click here.

To find out more about the Staff Career Development Grant, visit the site at: http://hr.osu.edu/special/specgrants.aspx.

The 2013 Hidden Benefits Fair, hosted by USAC, will be on April 16, 2013. The event will be held in the Archie Griffin Ballroom from 11am - 1pm and is open to all staff on campus. Come and see the many services and benefits available to staff here at Ohio State.

Vendor registration is now available here.

COTA is currently analyzing several bus routes for potential changes that could include the removal of bus stops along High Street in the university district. In partnership with Ohio State’s student government organizations, COTA will attend a Town Hall meeting Wednesday, Feb. 6 from 5 to 6pm at the Ohio Union in the Round Meeting Room on the third floor to gather feedback from the university community. COTA’s open comment period about these proposed changes runs through February 8.

All university community members who utilize COTA service are encouraged to learn more and provide input by attending the Town Hall or visiting COTA’s website: http://www.cota.com/busstopserviceimprovement.aspx.