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December 2017

Volume 15 | Issue 6

A Reminder Regarding Leave Reporting

With many days off typically being planned at this time of the year, it is important that all employees follow rules regarding requesting and accounting for paid vacation or sick time. In particular, it is critical that supervisors follow the required procedures for approving and recording time off. This includes monitoring employees who are reporting any vacation or sick hours through Banner leave reporting in FlashLine and timely confirming approval of such time so that no underreporting occurs.

Note that from time to time, a small number of supervisors have failed to meet their obligations for accounting for time off in FlashLine, resulting in the HR Records department having to override employees' recording of leave time without supervisor approval.

Please ensure that the required policy and procedure (see policy 3342-6-11.1 and 3342-6-11.7) for reporting time off is used by employees and their supervisors. Should you have any questions, please contact Tia Laughlin at tlmcklee@kent.edu or 330-672-8374.

How Delays, Cancellations or Closings Are Determined

Please review the following guidelines with your faculty and staff.
 

The decision to delay or close campuses does not come lightly. Consequently, it is imperative to plan. Below are guidelines and priorities used in determining class delays, cancellations or closing procedures for a severe winter weather advisory. In addition, communication avenues and procedures related to delays, class cancellations or campus closings are as follows:

• In the event of a delayed opening of the Kent Campus, classes will not begin before 10 a.m. (Students in special classes, e.g., clinicals, should consult with their dean in advance about the appropriate procedures for an early morning delay or cancellation).
• When there is a delayed opening of the Kent Campus, employees report to work when the delay has been lifted, with the exception of staff members deemed essential who must report. If you are not sure of your status, please check with your supervisor.
• When classes are canceled, university services and offices remain open. This means that staff members are expected to report to work as usual or remain at work if the cancellation occurs during the day. If there is an exception to this, it will be communicated with the class cancellation announcement.
• University staff members work very hard to keep campus sidewalks, roads and parking lots clear. Only when the university is "closed" due to weather are offices closed and some services not available. Even then, essential staff members must report to work so operations needing 24-hour attention are maintained.

The above information pertains to the Kent Campus. Each campus's respective dean determines Regional Campus delays, cancellations or closings. When such decisions are made, the advisory information will be communicated via the same methods as those used by the Kent Campus.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Office of Sustainability Encourages Winter Shutdown

To conserve energy, the Office of Sustainability reminds faculty, staff and building curators to turn off - and, if possible, unplug - all appliances before leaving for winter break.

Before leaving for winter break, everyone is encouraged to:

• Turn off and unplug computers, copiers, appliances, peripherals and other electronics at the outlet to prevent "phantom" or "vampire" load. For instance, laptop power cords will still draw electricity while plugged in, even if the device is not turned on or attached to the power cord.
• Close all windows and shades. Set thermostats to 68 degrees. Please submit a request for items needing maintenance.
• Turn off all lights.

University Facilities Management will contribute to the energy conservation effort by adjusting some building systems.
 

These efforts can reduce costs of heating, ventilation and lighting, and plug loads on campus during winter break.

Note that during the 2016 winter break, the university avoided $30,000 in electric and steam costs over 11 days. The carbon dioxide emissions reduction was equal to over 80 homes' electricity use for one year.

For questions about the energy-saving winter shutdown, contact Melanie Knowles, Â鶹ÊÓƵ's sustainability manager, at mknowle1@kent.edu or 330-672-8039.

Employee Wellness Program Set to Grow in 2018

Please share with faculty and staff in your area.

As part of Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Healthy Campus Initiative, all full-time, benefits-eligible employees may again earn up to $300 in wellness rewards by participating in healthy lifestyle activities. Examples of qualifying activities include having your annual physical, vision and dental exams; taking advantage of financial wellness or stress management workshops; or taking in a walk-and-talk or yoga session on your campus or at your local gym.  

Employee participation is voluntary in the Wellness Your Way employee wellness program, and the Division of Human Resources, along with health partner Be Well Solutions (BWS), provides a variety of opportunities to assist employees in achieving better health. Employees can easily view which activities qualify under the Wellness Your Way program and their point values by logging in to their personal portal with Be Well Solutions at . Please note that the program is divided into Tier One and Tier Two, just as it was for 2017. 

If employees have not set up their Be Well portal, they should visit and follow the instructions for first-time log in to the Be Well Solutions web portal.

Both tiers are date sensitive. For the 2018 program period, employees were able to begin Tier One activities as early as September 2017, and those who have not yet started Tier One activities will have through April 30, 2018, to complete the necessary steps. Tier Two activities must be completed (including dates of service) between Jan. 1, 2018, and Oct. 15, 2018.

Incentive payouts will occur within two pay cycles AFTER the Employee Wellness Office at Â鶹ÊÓƵ is notified that criteria have been met for the appropriate Tier. Payouts for the 2018 program year will begin in February.

Lastly, for confidentiality purposes, the employee wellness team does not have access to view an employee's wellness portal and cannot verify points. If faculty or staff members have a question related to point tracking or verification, they should consult with Be Well Solutions directly at 1-888-935-7378 or email KSU@bewellsolutions.com.

Other employee wellness questions may be directed to the Human Resource Employee Wellness team at Â鶹ÊÓƵ by calling 330-672-0392 or emailing wellness@kent.edu. To view our calendar of employee wellness activities, please check the .

CVS Minute Clinics Offer Reduced Office Visit Co-pay to Â鶹ÊÓƵ Members

Â鶹ÊÓƵ's members can visit any participating clinic for a $10 co-pay for office visits. That's a savings of $5.
 

Minute Clinic is a division of CVS Health, the largest pharmacy healthcare provider in the United States. They have 1,100 locations and offer convenient, high-quality care for common family illnesses. The practitioners can evaluate, diagnose and treat a variety of minor illnesses and injuries, including bronchitis, flu, strep throat, bladder infections, minor burns and cuts, insect stings and more.

To find a participating clinic in your area, visit and enter your ZIP code.

University Holiday Closure Schedule Now Available

The will begin Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, at 10:30 p.m. Normal business operations will resume with the first shift on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018.

Dates to Remember

December is Universal Human Rights Month.

Nov. 27-Dec. 8

Fall finals for first- and second-year College of Podiatric Medicine students

Dec. 7

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Dec. 10

Human Rights Day

Fall Semester Classes End

Dec. 12-16

Final Exam Schedule - Fall Semester 2017

Dec. 15

Bill of Rights Day

Kent Campus graduate degrees Commencement. For more information, visit . 

Â鶹ÊÓƵ at Ashtabula December Commencement

Â鶹ÊÓƵ at Stark December Commencement

Dec. 16

Kent Campus bachelor's degree Commencements. For more information, visit .

Dec. 24-Jan. 1

Hanukkah begins at sunset and runs through the evening of Jan. 1.

Dec. 25 

Christmas Day

Dec. 26

Kwanzaa (through Jan. 1.)

January 2018

Jan. 1

New Year's Day

Jan. 2

Spring Classes begin (first- and second-year College of Podiatric Medicine students)

Jan. 16

Spring Semester 2018 classes begin

Jan. 15

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (university closed)

Jan. 25

Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

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.