Vol. XXXVIII, No. 16, May 4, 2009

This Week at Valencia

Monday, May 4

Career Program Advisor Meeting, 3 p.m., East Campus, 5-112

Wednesday, May 6

Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 6 p.m., Olympia High School Auditorium

Thursday, May 7

College Learning Council, 2:30 p.m., CJI, Rm. 144

Saturday, May 9

41st Commencement Ceremony, 10 a.m., Silver Spurs Arena

Human Resources News

Employment Verification Requests - If you receive an employment verification request via telephone, fax, or mail, please forward it to Human Resources for response and/or completion. HR is the only authorized source of information regarding verification of current or previous employment. Teacher re-certification letters should also be forwarded to HR. If you choose to write a letter of recommendation for someone, please write it as a personal recommendation and not as an endorsement by the college. If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at ext. 8033 or mail code 3-33. 

Important Information for all 10-Month Faculty - There are 26 pay periods in academic year 2009-2010. All 10-month faculty have the option of having their base salary disbursed in 22 payments over 10 months, based on academic appointment, or in 26 payments over 12 months. Once the first payroll for the academic year is processed, this option may not be changed until the next academic year. 

Human Resources is posting this notice in the Bulletin as a reminder to 10-month faculty that changes to the current salary payment option may be made in June or July for the coming academic year. All 10-month faculty have this annual opportunity to revise their salary payment option. No action is necessary unless a change is being requested. Faculty wishing to make a change, are required to complete a Payment Option Form for 10-Month Faculty. The form is available online through Atlas at Valencia Forms. To make a change, a faculty member must complete the form and submit it with an original signature to Human Resources no later than July 31. Changes are then effective for the first payday in the new academic year. Please contact Vicki Nelson at ext. 8031 if you have any questions. 

Update from the Criminal Justice Institute

To Serve & Protect, an Orange TV weekly show was originally scheduled to show a documentary on Valencia's Criminal Justice Institute starting May 1. Due to a delay in production it will be shown sometime during mid to late May. Orange TV is available to cable subscribers on the following channels: CVI-East Channel 9, CVI-West Channel 9, Hunters Creek Channel 9, Adelphia Channel 9, and Bright House Networks Channel 198. For more information go to http://www.orangecountyfl.net/cms/ORANGEMEDIA/otv/default.htm.

The annual Orange County Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony will take place on May 7th at 7 p.m. at the Orange County courthouse. This annual event, which honors all law enforcement and corrections officers who have died in the line of duty in Orange County, will be broadcast "live" on Orange T.V. that evening. CJI Director Dr. Jeff Goltz was selected to host this event on Orange T.V. along with a member of the Orange Co. Sheriff's Office and a member of the Orlando Police Department.

For the first time many of the current CJI law enforcement recruits will be attending this event to show their respect, and honor the Central Florida Law Enforcement community. 

The documentary, as well as our participation at the Law Enforcement Memorial, will help emphasize CJI's and Valencia's commitment and dedication to our local community.

OIT: Serving Valencia

BANNER 8 Upgrade: As most of you are aware, OIT recently completed a major upgrade of BANNER. The successful completion of this evolution was the result of eight months of planning and a multi-phase series of tests, culminating in a practice 'dry run' that allowed the department to accurately estimate the time and resources required for the actual implementation.

BANNER 8, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Suite developed by Sungard Higher Education, is a leap forward from previous versions because every module and interface within the suite is simultaneously upgraded to version 8.x as part of the migration process.

This upgrade was notable for its smoothness and minimal disruption of critical, collegewide services. Thanks to seamless integration and cooperation by the internal OIT departments, the leadership provided by Administrative Systems, and the enthusiastic work and support of our functional end-user departments; including HR/Payroll, Finance, Financial Aid, IR, Budget, Student and Faculty, Valencia was able to complete the BANNER 8 upgrade 12.5 hours ahead of schedule. OIT would like to thank everyone involved for their assistance, cooperation and understanding during this major event.

Online SGA Elections: The Valencia Student Government Association recently completed it's very first online, collegewide election.

Previously, college elections were held on paper ballots, and students were restricted to voting on only one campus, due to logistical issues. In the latest election, a collaborative project between Student Development and OIT Web Services, all voting was done online, inside ATLAS. This allowed students not only to vote for candidates on multiple campuses, but also gave them the flexibility to vote from home, office, campus lab, etc.

The new online election system not only makes it easier for students to vote; it also makes it easier for candidates to campaign! By allowing candidates to post bios online, via the same interface the voters use to cast their votes, the candidates get more collegewide exposure, and the voters get to make a more informed choice.

This past SGA election was Valencia's first digital election, and SGA and Student Development have made a big step forward by leveraging information technology to create a more convenient, portable, and effective election system.

Commencement Regalia Pickup

The regalia for faculty and staff is available for pick up at these locations:

• West Campus faculty/staff - West Campus Provost office
• East Campus faculty/staff - East Campus Business office
• Osceola Campus faculty/staff - Osceola Campus  Business office
• Winter Park Campus - Winter Park Campus Business office
• Downtown Center - Lisa Yenke will contact you

News from Accounts Payable

Any zero balance 'Authorization for Travel or Absence from Campus' form sent to Accounts Payable that is not restricted fund related will be returned to the signing supervisor to be filed. The signing supervisor will be responsible for collecting confirmation after the event that no expense was incurred. If expense was incurred, a 'Per Diem' form will be submitted with the 'Authorization for Travel or Absence from Campus' form to the Accounts Payable department for reimbursement.

Accounts Payable will distribute any zero balance 'Authorization for Travel or Absence from Campus' forms that indicate Fund 2 or Endowed Chairs to the Grants department.The Grants department will be responsible for collecting confirmation after the event that no expense was incurred. If expense was incurred a 'Per Diem' form will be submitted with the 'Authorization for Travel or Absence from Campus' form to the Accounts Payable department for reimbursement.

Please check our updated travel forms, instructions and checklists available under Valencia Forms in Atlas and our updated Mileage Chart under Valencia/Accounts Payable at http://www.valenciacc.edu/accountspayable/.

The Math Lab Needs Your Scrap Paper!

Help students while reducing costs and waste, by sending the Math Lab any scrap paper you have. Although we do check the paper, be sure to only include paper with a clean side, and with no personal information such as SSN’s, VID’s, transcripts, etc. You can send it inter-office to Carol Thompson at 4-23, or contact us through the extensions or emails listed below, and we’ll be happy to assist.  Please be aware that the blue recycling bins are shipped off to the county, and not actually re-used by Valencia. The truest form of recycling is re-using, so help students and cut costs by saving any scrap paper in a separate box, which we will gladly provide.

Math Lab Team – ext.1780 or ext. 1720; cthompson39@valenciacc.edu; abatra@valenciacc.edu; or jblanton4@ valenciacc.edu

May is American Stroke Month. Could you be the next face of stroke? Stroke can happen to anyone regardless of age or gender. Spouses, children and other family members of survivors are also affected when a stroke occurs. It is important to protect yourself and your loved ones by knowing the stroke risk factors. Having high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and excessive alcohol use are a few risk factors that can be controlled or eliminated. Visit www.americanheart association.com for more details.

Wellness classes for summer will begin the week of May 18th and end the last week in July. Please check out the offerings online at www.valenciacc.edu/wellness.

Don't miss the next brown bag lunch being held May 19th on Women's Health. East Campus, 11 a.m.-12 noon, Room 3-113 and West Campus, 1-2 p.m., Room 1-212.

Procurement News

FedEx Kinko’s - A newly designed website for Valencia by FedEx Kinko’s is up and running! You can place your order online and pick up the completed job at a local store or have it delivered to your campus. A Valencia PCard is needed for online purchases. To take advantage of this service, e-mail Geoff Kirby at Geoff.kirby@fedex.com to be set up with your own user name and password. Take advantage of our contract pricing by using this service.  Discounts cannot be taken when walking into any FedEx Kinko’s location, only with online orders.

Office Supply Companies - The procurement department promotes and recommends the purchasing of consumable office supplies with Office Depot and Valencia's bookstores. Through Office Depot, we have our own website with contract pricing unique to the college. Next day delivery is the norm with a minimum $25 order. This contract is a nationally competitive bid and Valencia is able to reap the awards in tremendous savings. Office Depot also awards us on a quarterly basis with a rebate check back to the college, based on our spending. Valencia's bookstore, located on East, West, Osceola and Winter Park offers competitive pricing for last minute requests. Pick up what you need using your Valencia PCard without leaving the campus.

Many office supply companies are located in our surrounding area. While they may be convenient to use-on the way to or from home-please remember that you are paying retail prices when walking into one of these stores. Our contract pricing is not reflected when shopping at an Office Depot store. Your best pricing will always be online with Office Depot or our bookstore. Should you have any questions regarding office supply companies, please contact Annmarie, ext. 5543 or Janet, ext. 5542.

Interoffice Envelopes - The courier services department kindly requests that all departments send back any unused interoffice envelopes to the mail room. Please put them in your outgoing mail box so the couriers may pick them up during their next mail run. This will help us save precious dollars as we can recycle our used ones back in the system and won't have to buy new ones.

East Campus Career Staff Association

Summer is on the way and it’s time for all East Campus career staff to join us for “Picnic in the Mall” on Wednesday, May 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Bring your favorite picnic dishes to share with your co-workers. Fried chicken, potato salad, chips & dips, vegetables, desserts – whatever is your favorite dish! The East Campus Career Staff Association is hosting this event – so you know there will be lots of fun and exciting things taking place. Encourage your fellow career staff workers to participate! It is going to be lots of FUN!!! Contact Joanna Branham, ext. 2821 or Arlette Guerrero, ext. 2618 for more information.

Leadership Valencia

Data Warehouse Training for Cognos Users - This is a hands-on workshop that will teach you how to access and run Data Warehouse reports. This will be accomplished through the Data Warehouse web portal and directly within Excel using a special add-in. In preparation for the shutdown of Cognos in June, this workshop should be attended by everyone that is currently using Cognos for reporting. Please choose from one of the following:

• May 5, 1-3 p.m., Osceola Campus, Room 2-115, Registration Code: LDWT-17
• May 6, 9-10:30 a.m., CJI Campus, Room 228, Registration Code: LDWT-10
• May 7, 1-2:30 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-326B, Registration Code: LDWT-11
• May 11, 1-2:30 p.m., CJI Campus, Room 228, Registration Code: LDWT-12
• May 19, 10-11:30 a.m., West Campus, Room 6-326B, Registration Code: LDWT-13
• May 20, 1-2:30 p.m., CJI Campus, Room 228, Registration Code: LDWT-14
• May 26, 9-10:30 a.m., CJI Campus, Room 228, Registration Code: LDWT-15
• May 28, 1-2:30 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-326B, Registration Code: LDWT-16

Building Communities of Convergence: Exploring Peace and Justice at Valencia (World Cafe Dialogue) - What does peace and justice mean to you? How would peace and justice impact your life at Valencia? Please join a campuswide conversation on peace and justice. Over the past year, members of the Valencia community have come together to discuss and develop a peace and justice program at Valencia. We invite you to join our dialogue. We want to hear all voices - students, faculty, staff, and administrators. May 8, 1-3 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-202, Registration Code: GEPJ-2

WebCT Essentials Online (CRN1381& LTAD 3281) – This online project-based course will introduce you to all the new tools inside CE6 and show you how to develop a new and/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 are available in the following formats: face-to-face orientation, May 18, 3-4 p.m. and online orientation May 18, 4:30-5:30 p.m. The online workshop begins May 19 and runs through June 29. If you require any additional information, please contact Eddie Howell at ext. 1996. Registration Code:TWEBE-3

Estate Planning Seminar - Estate planning and procrastination often go hand-in-hand. This session will provide tools to help you understand the benefits of estate planning; including maintaining estate control, how this helps your heirs, ways to avoid or minimize probate, and methods that save on estate taxes. We will briefly discuss special needs trust and spendthrift trusts for those special family members. You will be introduced to the four basic estate planning documents: will, health care surrogate, durable power of attorney and living will. In discussion, attendees will weigh the costs and benefits of a will versus revocable trust and explore the multitude of charitable planned giving strategies that establish you an income stream today and benefit your favorite charity tomorrow. Breakfast from Panera Bread will be served with coffee and juice. NOTE: Sponsored by American Association for Women in Community Colleges. May 21, 9-10:30 a.m., East Campus, Room 5-112, Registration Code: GEP-1

Online Video Orientations (CRN 1383 & LTAD 3287) - This is a face-to-face introductory practice workshop with additional learning materials and reference documents available online via the Valencia web. For more information, please contact Nemir Matos Cintron at ext. 1956. May 28, 1-2:30 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-326A, Registration Code:TOVO-1

Podcaster's Lab (CRN1385& 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 LTAD 3243 is strongly encouraged. June 5, 9 a.m.-12 Noon, West Campus, Room 6-326A, Registration Code: TPL-2

To register for all classes go to http://valenciacc. edu/leadership/regstr.cfm. 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 workshops check the Leadership Valencia calendar located online.

Kudos

Bill and Liz Gombash recently co-presented at the 30th annual training conference of the National Grants Management Association held in Rockville, Maryland. NGMA is a nonprofit organization that serves as an information resource for grants and program management professionals who are collectively responsible for the management of billions of dollars in grants. Bill and Liz's session, entitled "Supporting Grant Success Using Effective Communication," focused on strategies for applying basic communication concepts throughout the grant lifecycle to maximize smooth grants management and project success. The audience included grant administrators from federal, state, local, tribal, U.S. territory, higher education, school district, faith-based, and nonprofit organizations. At the same conference, Liz was elected to serve as Vice President of NGMA.

Anthony D'Alesssandro, professor of Reading, Osceola Campus, is a prolific author with a long string of publications to his credit. The most recent ones include:

1. ESSAY:"Conquered by Croagh Patrick", Christian Science Monitor, 3/17/08
2. ESSAY:"Where Have You Gone, Jackie Robinson?", Mature Living Magazine, September, 2008
3. ESSAY:"Press One For Education," Riversedge Literary Journal, U of Texas (Pan-American, Fall, 2008)
4. POEM:"Angelica's Articulations and Gabriella's Dependable Dock," Riversedge Literary Journal, U of Texas (Pan-American, Fall, 2008)
5. POEM: "Picture Frame, Frozen in Time", Free Verse Poetry Journal, Issue 100, 2009
6. POEM: "The Face of Courage", Goose River Anthology, 2008

Valencia's student culinary competition team recently represented the state of Florida at the Southeast Regional Conference of the American Culinary Federation. After three grueling days of cold/hot food competition, the students walked away with a silver medal for Valencia. Student members included Nick Walker, captain, Bryan Butler, Alan Dodes, Diana Saulibio, and Brian Moll. Coaches included Russell Scott, certified master chef of Isleworth Country Club;and Pierre Pilloud program director and Ken Bourgoin chef instructor of Valencia's Culinary Management program. This is the first culinary team to win and represent the state of Florida and the first team at Valencia to ever compete at a regional level.

Conversational English and Spanish

Valencia Enterprises offers Conversational English and Spanish classes at a variety of Valencia campuses, including Criminal Justice Institute, Osceola Campus, Sand Lake Center, West Campus, and Winter Park Campus. Students can select from daytime, evening, and Saturday schedules. If you are eligible for SPD funds you can use them for these classes. For more information, visit our website at www.valencia enterprises.org, call Valencia Enterprises' Client Service Center at ext. 6688 or send us an email at ve_info@ valenciacc.edu.

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