Vol. XXXVIII, No. 8, February 23, 2009

This Week at Valencia

Monday, February 23

SALT, 10 a.m., West Campus, 6-202

Tuesday, February 24

District Board of Trustees, 8:30 a.m., East Campus, 5-112

Wednesday, February 25

DOT Deans, 9 a.m., West Campus, 7-107A

Thursday, February 26

Academic Affairs Leadership Team, 8:30 a.m., DTC, 106 AB

College Planning Council, 2:30 p.m., Osceola Campus, 2-219B

The February 2009 Issue of HR Notes, Issue #90, is now posted on the HR web site. This month's topic covers the advantages of having Direct Deposit. Please contact Payroll Services at ext. 8100 if you have any questions and to get signed up!

A comprehensive, printable pay stub is now available through Employee Self Service in ATLAS. We will no longer be distributing printed direct deposit statements. To access the online pay stub you must:

1.  Log into ATLAS.
2.  Navigate to the "Employees" tab.
3.  Select “Pay Stub (by payday)" under Employee Services, Pay Information.
4.  Select a pay stub year from the pull-down menu and click "Display."
5.  Click on the pay stub date for the pay stub you wish to view/print.

Please be sure to distribute this information to all of the employees in your department - including your Part-Time, Student and Adjunct employees.  If you have questions or comments, please contact Joe Livingston, ext. 8069, or Bettie Cooper, ext. 8100.

News from Procurement

Vendor Solicitation - It seems in today’s economy, the College is being bombarded with overzealous sales persons who are seeking business opportunities regardless of the need. While the Procurement office is prepared to field the daily vendor calls and requests, we understand that departments are also feeling this pressure. Please direct any vendors to our office. We hold monthly Vendor Meetings to inform companies how Valencia conducts business. It is good, useful information and the vendors are appreciative of our time.

Adding Freight on Banner Requisitions - If you are purchasing an item that has freight associated with it, use the “Additional” field on your requisition to enter the freight amount. Do not create a new line for freight.

Do not create a line with zero dollars for any reason.  If you need more room for your description, use Options>Item Text. 

Procurement Terminology - Ever wonder about some of the language you hear from us? For example, “piggyback” is a term which simply means that we may utilize an existing - competitively solicited - contract from another governmental organization. Many government solicitations contain a clause that requires the vendor to extend the resulting contractual pricing to other governmental agencies. This option often allows the college to take advantage of competitive pricing obtained by larger organizations. There are additional cost savings through reduction in administrative expenses. For example, we often “piggyback” on State of Florida term contracts. This is one of the ways we are able to obtain goods or services quickly at a good price.

Food Services - Catering Information - For any Valencia catering needs, please contact Ms. Ashley Doyle, catering manager for Cabin Creek Foods. Ashley may be reached by calling 407-582-2560. Check out the new catering guide, request form and menu, as well as other food related information at http://valenciacc.edu/procurement/FoodServices.asp

Microsoft Office 2007 Skills Courses Available through Valencia Enterprises

Valencia Enterprises is offering courses in Office 2007 to update your skills as the college moves forward with adopting the newest version of Microsoft Office. These courses are eligible for SPD funds and each is $99, which includes a textbook. All classes are held at Sand Lake and run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Office 2007: New Features
• Access 2007 Basic
• Excel 2007 Basic
• Word 2007 Basic
• PowerPoint 2007 Basic

For more information, visit our website at www.valenciaenterprises.org, call VE’s Client Service Center at x. 6688, or send us an email at ve_info@valenciacc.edu.

42 Annual Osceola Arts Festival

There have been 42 annual Osceola Arts Festivals, but the weekend of February 7-8 was the first time the event was held at the Osceola Campus. The community enjoyed a menu of artistic delights that included live music, dance, and impressive art work from many genres. Students and faculty from East and Osceola Campus, and the Osceola School District did a wonderful job of showcasing their talents.

Ed Moore, a District Board of Trustees member and the CEO of the Center for the Arts, provided the impetus and vision for this new partnership and he was ably assisted by his staff, Jules Davidson and Arin Gullett. Ron Colburn, professor of Speech at the Osceola Campus, worked hard to coordinate the whole event and Dr. Shugart lent his support (and his musicianship) to make sure this event was a success. We owe special thanks to the faculty and staff of the Osceola School for the Arts, particularly the Principal, Dr. Jeannette Paul Rivers.

Wellness News

Did you know that making adjustments in one’s lifestyle to include more physical activity can be just as effective as a traditional or structured exercise program? Getting in 10,000 steps over a course of a day can help individuals improve their physical health. Most people take between 3,000-5,000 steps but getting to 10,000 might not be as difficult as you think.  Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking a walk during your breaks, using a restroom on a different floor, parking your car farther away from your destination, or taking your dog for an extra walk are all examples of how to add those steps.  Be creative – every little bit counts!

The Wellness Program is excited to announce Step by Step to a Better Health, a 12-week walking incentive campaign that kicks off March 16th. Not only will this program improve your physical condition, but you’ll have a chance to be awarded great incentives such as free pedometers, t-shirts, lunch boxes and more! Registration forms are available through the Wellness website, http://www.valenciacc.edu/wellness.

Visions and Voices Series

Barry Lopez, National Book Award winner and author of Arctic Dreams, will be reading at 1:15 p.m. on March 5 in the Osceola Campus Auditorium, Building 2, Room 201. Lopez is best known as the author of Arctic Dreams, for which he received the National Book Award.  Among his other nonfiction books are About This Life, and Of Wolves and Men and several award-winning works of fiction, including Field Notes, Winter Count, and a novella-length fable, Crow and Weasel.  His recent work includes Light Action in the Caribbean, a collection of stories, and Resistance (2004). He is the co-editor with Debra Gwartney of Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape, and he is currently working on a new book, tentatively titled Horizon.

Barry Lopez is a recipient of the Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the John Burroughs Medal, Guggenheim, Lannan and National Science Foundation Fellowships and the John Hay Medal.  He is a regular contributor to Granta, The Paris Review, Orion, Manoa, Outside, The Georgia Review, Harper’s, and other periodicals; he has also just been named as one of four “contributing writers” to National Geographic.

For more information please contact Nichole McPherson at nmcpherson@valenciacc.edu or 407-582-3121.

Leadership Valencia

Banner 8 and Refresh Training - This Banner training session will cover some improved features that come with release 8. We will also do some refresh training on select topics. Improved Features include: Course Section Creation, Course Section Waitlist, Registration Min/Max Credits, and Atlas view of Financial Aid information. Refresh Topics include: Creating a faculty member, Section creation for Dual Enrollment, and AR accounts, TSAAREV, TSASPAY, TSADETL

Please choose from one of the following:

• February 24, 8:30 a.m.-12 noon, East Campus, Room 4-210, Registration Code: TBAN8-1
• February 24, 1-4:30 p.m., East Campus, Room, 4-210, Registration Code: TBAN8-2
• March 3, 8:30 a.m.-12 noon, West Campus, Room SSB-142, Registration Code: TBAN8-4
• March 3, 1-4:30 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-221. Registration Code: TBAN8-5
• March 5, 1-4:30 p.m., Osceola Campus, Room 3-330, Registration Code: TBAN8-6

Outlook 2007 Training Workshop - Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 provides an integrated solution for managing your time and information, connecting across boundaries, and remaining in control of the information that reaches you. Office Outlook 2007 delivers innovations you can use to quickly search your communications, organize your work, and better share your information with others, all from one place. Choose from one of the follow or view the Leadership Valencia online calendar for additional dates

• February 25, 10-11 a.m., Winter Park Campus, Room 225-226, Registration Code: TOL-1
• February 25, 2-3 p.m., Downtown Center, Conference Rooms A/B, Registration Code: TOL-2
• February 26, 10-11 a.m., Osceola Campus, Building 2, Auditorium, Registration Code: TOL-3
• March 3, 10-11 a.m., West Campus, Room 6-118, Registration Code: TOL-4
• March 4, 10-11 a.m., East Campus, Room 4-210, Registration Code: TOL-5

Online Video Orientations - This is a face-to-face introductory practice workshop with additional learning materials and reference documents available online via the Valencia website. For more information, please contact the instructor, Nemir Matos-Cintron. February 26, 1:30-2:30 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-326A, Registration Code: TOVO-1

WebCT Essentials - LTAD 3281- Online Workshop.This project-based course will introduce you to all the new tools inside CE 6 and show you how to develop a new or improved WebCT-component using the new system. Topics covered include learning the interface for CE6; basic course design; presenting content to students; communication and assessment tools. Optional orientations available in the following formats: F2F orientation, March 2, 3-4 p.m. Online orientation, March 2, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Any questions, please contact Eddie Howell at ext. 1996. Registration Code: TWEBE-2

Podcaster's Lab - LTAD 3245 - This is an open lab for podcast creators to develop their work with the help of an instructional designer or multimedia specialist. Prior attendance to LTAD 3241 and 3243 is strongly encouraged. March 6, 2-5 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-326A, Registration Code: TPL-1

To register for all classes go to http://valenciacc.edu/leadership/. Please be sure you have the approval of your direct supervisor prior to registering for a workshop. If a workshop is canceled, only those registered can be sent a cancellation e-mail. To view the status of a particular workshop and to see a full listing of the Spring workshops check the Leadership Valencia calendar located online.

A Warm Welcome to New Full-time Employee -

Carlos Rivera, delivery courier, Mail & Distribution, mc 4-42, ext. 1756

A Fond Farewell and Best Wishes to Retiring Full-time Employees -

Ana Biascoechea, Registrar’s Office, East Campus, retiring 2/27/09
Myrna Griego, Registrar’s Office, Winter Park, retiring 2/27/09
Ellen Hart, Student Disability Services, West Campus, retiring 4/30/09
Margaret Jennings, English, East Campus, retiring 5/5/09
John Centko, Horticulture, West Campus, retiring 3/31/09
Ann Puyana, Academic Affairs, East Campus, retiring 3/31/09
Thomas Reid, History, East Campus, retiring 5/4/09
Shirley Fenton, Testing Center, West Campus, retiring 6/1/09
Daryl Peterson, Faculty Development, East Campus, retiring 6/30/09
Valerie Harris, Medical Services, West Campus, retiring 7/31/09

Submissions to the Bulletin are encouraged, so please e-mail your achievements, awards, recognitions and relevant information for the college community to Mary Jane Jones in the Marketing and Media Relations office. Deadline for submission is 5 p.m. on Tuesday to be included in the following Monday’s publication. Mary Jane can be reached at ext.1017, mc 4-34 or mjones2@valenciacc.edu