How to Report Time During a University Closing or Delayed Start
The impact of Hurricane Sandy resulted in a delayed start for the Kent Campus and the closing of the College of Podiatric Medicine on Oct. 30. As a reminder, guidelines on how to report time for classified, hourly and student employees in the event of a university delay or closing are available at www.kent.edu/hr/records/upload/emergencyclosing-2.pdf. Please review the guidelines and share them with your staff. You may also want to bookmark the page for future reference.
A special note to supervisors and managers on the Kent Campus: The official time for the beginning of the Oct. 30 delay start was 7 a.m.; offices opened at noon on the same day.
Institute for Excellence Seeking Candidates for the 2013 Class
The Institute for Excellence is seeking applications for its third class. Submissions will be accepted through Nov. 30 for the university leadership program that gives eligible faculty and staff a unique opportunity to develop their leadership skills.
A 10-month program designed to create and promote a culture of excellence, the Institute for Excellence is coordinated by the Training and Development unit in the Division of Human Resources. There are two tracks: the Administrator, for faculty or staff who manage or chair a department or unit, and/or supervise others; and the Individual Contributor, for employees not currently in a managerial role, but who have the desire to improve their capacity to lead change.
The Institute for Excellence will begin in January, with the both tracks meeting monthly for either full- or half-day sessions. The two tracks will meet separately, with some opportunities for joint sessions. There are eligibility requirements and an application process for each track. The Institute for Excellence website includes a complete list of criteria, program dates, curricula, video testimonials and the online application.
For more information, contact Bob Hall at 330-672-0894 or rhall4@kent.edu.
A Salute to Service
A Salute to Service is the theme for Kent State University’s annual Veterans Day observance. This year’s program will take place Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. on Risman Plaza.
Eric Mansfield, a Kent State employee and former Cleveland journalist, will give brief remarks. Mansfield is a retired major with the Ohio Army National Guard and served in Iraq and Kuwait. The outdoor program will also include a flag-raising ceremony conducted by a joint color guard from the Army and Air Force ROTC programs and remarks from President Lester A. Lefton. A reception in the Kiva lobby will follow the brief program.
All are invited to come and salute 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.
Managers are asked to arrange departmental coverage so employees who wish to attend the program may do so. You can print a copy of the flier here and post it in your area. Reservations are requested and can be made by contacting Joshua Rider at 330-672-0510 or jrider@kent.edu by Nov. 5. The rain location is Room 204 in the Kent Student Center.
Postal Changes Coming in 2013
Several changes will take effect in January 2013 related to the United States Postal Service. Please see the information below and contact Steve Finley, mail services manager, at sfinley7@kent.edu with any questions.
- On Jan. 27, the price for first class and most other postage will increase. After that date a first class stamp will cost 46 cents. Other classes of mail, such as Nonprofit, Priority and Express Mail, will increase an average of 2.5 – 3 percent. Plan your mailings accordingly and let Mail Services assist you in obtaining the best postage rates available.
- Also on Jan. 27, the Post Net barcode will be replaced by the Intelligent Mail barcode. Please check your Business Reply envelopes and stop using any with the old barcode, or you may get charged a non-automated return rate. You can email Finley to verify your barcode; be sure and include a copy of your current Business Reply envelope in the email. Mail Services can provide departments with the appropriate artwork for ordering new envelopes.
- Effective immediately, customs forms for international packages must be completed online and attached to the package or taken to a post office and presented at the window for mailing. In order to send an international package through Mail Services at Kent State, you must complete and print out the proper form at http://webapps.usps.com/customsforms/ and attach it to the package. PS Form 2976 Customs Declaration is intended for packages weighing under 4 lbs., and Form 2976A is for packages weighing over 4 lbs.
- Future changes deal with mail piece size, tabbing regulations and postage specifics and will be posted on the Mail Service website at www.kent.edu/mailservices as they become available.
Minimum Wage Going Up in January
Ohio’s minimum wage will increase from $7.70 to $7.85 per hour Jan. 1, 2013. More information on Ohio’s 2013 minimum wage is available on the Department of Commerce website.
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 minimum for each of the three pay levels beginning Jan. 1. However, the hourly wage for students who are at or above the new minimums will not be adjusted. If you wish to increase the hourly wage for a student employee who is currently at or above the new minimums, please submit a Pay Raise Request form.
You can contact Ami Hollis at 330-672-8380 or ahollis@kent.edu for more information.
Plan Ahead for the Holiday Schedule
Don’t forget that Kent State University will operate on a holiday schedule from Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, through Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. During that time, all nonessential operations will be closed at all Kent State campuses. Normal business operations will resume with the first shift on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013.
Classified and unclassified employees who accrue vacation will receive paid leave for four days, Dec. 26, 27, 28 and 31. This is in addition to the paid holidays of Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1. This also applies to 12-month faculty who accrue vacation.
Employees not eligible for the paid leave include student employees, classified temporary staff, temporary agency staff, unclassified nine and 10-month term appointments, short-term unclassified assignments and employees in a lay-off status.
Early next month, Human Resources will publish a list of departments that will be open during the holiday schedule. The list will be published in e-Inside and will also be available on the holiday schedule website.
Payroll Requests Early Time Card Approval for Thanksgiving Week
Kent State University will be closed on Nov. 22 and 23 for the Thanksgiving holiday (offices are open normal hours on Nov. 21 even though classes end at noon). Because many employees may be taking additional leave time that week, and in anticipation of the shortened payroll processing period, the Payroll Office is asking managers to approve timecards early for the week ending Saturday, Nov. 17. Managers may approve timecards as early as Friday, Nov. 16, after the employee(s) has clocked out at the end of his/her shift.
The only exception to the early approval is for employees who work on the last day of the pay period (Nov. 17). In those instances, the timecards cannot be approved until after their Saturday shift has ended.
All timecards for the week ending Nov. 17 must be approved by 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20. If you have questions, contact the Payroll Office at 330-672-8640 or payroll@kent.edu.
Dates to Remember:
American Indian Heritage Month
Nov. 4 Daylight Savings Time Ends (turn clocks back one hour)
Nov. 6 General Election Day
Nov. 7 Kent State Veterans Day Observance, 11 a.m., Risman Plaza
Nov. 11 Veterans Day (Kent State closed on Monday, Nov. 12)
Nov. 13 Diwali – Hindu Observance
Nov. 22 Thanksgiving (classes end at noon on Nov. 21; offices are open normal hours. University closed Nov. 22 and 23)
Nov. 30 Fall classes end for first- and second-year students at the College of Podiatric Medicine
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 at managersfeedback@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.