2019 Holiday Schedule

View the schedule.

What's on your holiday wish list?

The greatest gift you could give to someone, including yourself, is the opportunity to learn and grow. This year, add learning to your holiday wish list! From the Office of Training and Organizational Development, we’d like to wish you a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, opportunity, and the gift of learning! Take advantage of our December offerings to develop yourself in an area of your choice.

This month, learn how to de-stress the holidays, gain optimal business writing skills, become a better conversationalist (in your personal and professional life), develop good judgement techniques, utilize productivity hacks that will make you more efficient AND effective, organize and customize your space (and keep it that way), and more.

Also, be sure to check out our 2019 My One Word program for an opportunity to meet colleagues and get creative as you paint your one word to live by in 2019 and gain strategies to live it out each day.

If you would like to suggest ideas for future programs, or are a subject matter expertise and would like to share your knowledge with others, please contact Lindsay Bishop, Learning & Development Manager.

My One Word 2019

What would happen if you chose to focus on one word that could make a substantial impact in your life both personally and professionally? Your word can have the power to increase your job satisfaction, sustain a healthy work environment, create a sense of purpose, and contribute to your overall happiness and well-being.

In two hours, you will be given the opportunity to paint a canvas that displays the word you choose. Don’t have a word yet? Activities will be provided to help you think about what you want/need to focus on most in the coming year. You’ll also gain strategies on how to best live out your one word each and every day.

The program will be held on Friday, January 18th from 11am-1pm in EO Bull room 172.

Register today to reserve your seat!

5 Things We Learn About Ourselves During Uncertain Times

Uncertainty at work, in the business world and in our personal lives has made us all think differently about the decisions we make and risks we take. When faced with unknowns, we’re forced to think more critically about how to manage change, deal with adversity and prepare for the unexpected. Uncertainty is more constant than we think and how we deal with it defines our path towards happiness and success.  

Uncertain times represent a test of resilience, will and character. They measure our mental toughness and our capacity to grow and accept non-traditional ways of doing things. There’s a new level of awareness and appreciation of how we must become more entrepreneurial in how we think, act and innovate in our daily lives. This article, written by Forbes.com contributor Glenn Llopis, helps us understand how to best manage today’s “new normal” and embrace the five most important lessons we can learn about ourselves (and others) during uncertain times at work.

Read "5 Things We Learn About Ourselves During Uncertain Times."

Important Holiday Payroll Information

Please note the Payroll Office will be closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s (December 25th-January 1st)

1. All Staff /Federal Work Study timesheets for the pay period ending December 21,2018 are due in the Payroll Office by 12 noon on Monday, December 17th
2. STUDENT E-TIME:  The last inbound file for 2018 will be on Monday December 10th.  ALL HOURS ON THE WEB SHOULD BE APPROVED OR DELETED No Later than Noon 12/10/18 so that the last inbound file for 2018 contains the correct data for 2018 W2’s.
3. Checks for the Pay Date of 12/21/2018 will again be mailed from PASSHE to the employee’s home address. There will be no check pick up on 12/21/2018. Please review your home address in Employee Self Service (ESS) to ensure the most up to date address is on file.
4. Student payroll checks for the pay of December 21st and January 4th will be mailed to the student’s home address (There will be no holding of student payroll checks for pick up).
5. For departments closing the full week between Christmas and New Year’s (December 25th-January 1st), employees must submit paid leave time Monday, December 31st.  The Payroll Office will apply Deferred Holiday time earned on December 26th, 27th and 28th.  The Payroll Office will be sending leave notifications out to any employee that falls short of Deferred Holiday time. Additional leave time may need to be submitted if Deferred Holidays were used in advanced or not yet earned.

W2 Electronic Delivery for Faculty Staff and Students is Still Available!

Sign up now to receive your 2018 W2 electronically!  Enrollment can be found under the Employee Self Service / Payroll / Update W-2 Election. Employees are required to attest that they have read the disclosure notice and agree to electronic delivery before they will be allowed to continue with enrollment. Once you have completed enrollment, ESS will show your status on the W-2 election page.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have previously elected electronic delivery and wish to continue with that method, you do NOT need to take any action this year.  Any new election made this year, will continue to be in force unless you revert to a paper W2 via Employee Self Service (ESS) or terminate your employment.

**The electronic W2 option is NOT available for recent retirees or separated employees. Paper copies will be sent via US mail to employees no longer employed by WCU.

Do not delay! Sign up today!

UPCOMING FACULTY PAY DATES

Last 2018 Fall Pay for 20 Pay Faculty:  January 18, 2019
First 2019 Spring Pay 20 Pay Faculty:  February 1, 2019

Last 2018 Fall Pay for 26 Pay Faculty:  March 1, 2019
First 2019 Spring Pay for 26 Pay Faculty:  March 15, 2019

Spring Independent Study/Individualized Instruction: 1/4/19
Winter Pay Date: 2/15/19

UPCOMING STUDENT PAY DATES

First Student Pay Date 2/15/19    
Last Fall 2018 GA Stipend Payment: 12/21/2018
First GA Stipend Payment for Spring: 2/15/2019 (Pending all new hire paperwork is received)

Holiday Season Fire Safety Policy

During the holiday season, many individuals lose their lives due to senseless fires that could have been easily prevented. In order to minimize the potential life safety and fire hazards associated with the holiday season, the following fire safety policy has been put into effect to safeguard lives and prevent fires in our campus community. Please review the approved uses and specific prohibitions regarding holiday decorations in University owned structures.

Read WCU's Holiday Season Fire Safety Policy.

It's On Us: Building Allies

At WCU, it’s on all of us to engage in violence prevention programming to change our campus culture. Not sure where to start or how to get involved?  Join the Center for Women & Gender Equity, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and Alteristic for It’s On Us: Building Allies in Violence Prevention.

Alteristic, the organization responsible for Green Dot, will guide us through paradigm shifts in violence prevention, assist in building an inclusive prevention brand, and help us build a shared vision across campus. To accomplish these things, we need you to join us in changing our campus culture.

Building Allies: Violence Prevention Capacity Building
Monday, December 17
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Building Allies: Violence Prevention Strategic Planning
Tuesday, December 18
8:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Register for one or both of the sessions here.

Spotlight of the Month - Julie Martin

 Julie Martin was recently promoted to the Assistant Purchasing Manager within the Purchasing Department.  Over the last 3 and half years, Julie quickly adapted to the riggers of working in a fast paced Procurement Department serving students, faculty, and staff. She brings with her 20 years of procurement experience and using that experience to integrate into the daily routine of issuing purchase orders, bids, and contracts. Julie is a quick learner and she demonstrated that early on. She quickly learned the in’s and out’s of SAP and began working with end users when they needed assistance in completing e-requisitions. She learned all procurement policies, procedures, and ACT 57, the Procurement Law, and how to apply them to different types of procurement requests. She learned how to write and issue Request for Proposals (RFP’s) and as a result issued more complicated contracts. PASSHE moved to a new e-bidding platform known as Procureware. It was more complicated and had a steeper learning curve than the previous e-bidding platform. Julie took the initiative and learned everything about the new system that she quickly became the go to person that the entire Purchasing and Construction staff would rely on for assistance. She showed great leadership and patience in working with everyone to make sure they understood how to use the system.  She also recently updated Purchasing’s “Procurement 101” slide presentation.

“In her new role I am counting on Julie to run the day-to-day activities in Purchasing and to continue to build and develop good working relationships with all constituencies campus wide.”  Robert Malone – Purchasing Manager

Want to nominate an employee or team to be featured for our next "Spotlight of the Month?" Teams can include, but are not limited to departments, offices, committees, special project coordinators, volunteer groups, etc. Contact Lindsay Bishop, Learning & Development Manager, to nominate a team.

What's Happening at WCU?

See the latest Happenings at WCU!

Have a photo or annoucement you want to feature? Photos and annoucements can include, but are not limited to department/group achievements or events, engagement/marriage/commitment ceremony/civil union/other, birth/adoption of a child, degree/certificate/award earned, published information, recognize or thank an employee, highlight employee achievements/projects/milestone anniversary, participation in community service/fundraising/volunteer activity, opportunities to get involved, etc. Send your employee happenings to Lindsay Bishop, Learning & Development Manager.