The Daily Bruin

There are still 10 Compassion Children packets available in the Spiritual Life House. Come pick one up and support a child for only $1.20 a day.

Come join us for an all-community Christmas chapel from 10:40 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, in Bauman Auditorium. The chapel will include Christmas carols, a choir performance and a special Christmas message from Robin Baker. All are invited to join!

Would you please take a few minutes to submit your November time sheet (support staff) or time-off report (administrators) to your supervisor right away? As always, please be sure it is complete (including your ID number), accurate and signed by both you and your supervisor before sending it to HR at Box 6108. (If your supervisor is not available to sign it, please send a copy to HR and keep the original until it has been signed.)

The link on the HR website for staff time sheets is located at georgefox.edu/offices/hr/TimesheetNov09.xls; the administrator time-off report form is located at georgefox.edu/offices/hr/Timeoffreport.doc.

A tip to help you remember to do this each month: Set a recurring appointment on your Outlook calendar for the first business day of each month with a brief notation, “Turn in time sheet.” That gives you one less thing to have to remember.

Student supervisors, please submit your students’ November time sheets to HR right away — by Wednesday, Dec. 2, at noon. If you have any “stragglers,” we will take those as late as Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 2, but there should be very few. Please deliver all other time sheets to HR by Wednesday.

Please be sure the student’s name, ID number and cost center number are legible on each one. Also, don’t forget to sign them and be sure the students did as well. (If the student is not available to sign it this week, please send it without the signature, and HR will contact the student.) Please do not send students to HR to sign their time sheets.

Federal Work Study regulations require that students delivering their own time sheets must have them in a sealed envelope. If you happen to still have any paperwork to submit on a newly hired student, please hand-deliver it right away. We need to set up students in the system before the time sheets arrive.

Thanks very much.
HR

Don’t forget: The university’s annual campus Christmas celebration is scheduled for this Saturday, Dec. 5. Christmas carols and a candlelight devotional service will begin at 6:15 p.m. at the Centennial Tower. Various other activities and live entertainment will be held in the Stevens Center (Duke Atrium), Hoover atrium and Ron Gregory Atrium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

In addition, the event will include a live Nativity with a petting arena, plus horse-drawn wagons for scenic rides around campus. Students and employees (along with their families) are encouraged to join in the fun as we kick off the holiday season.

Questions? Contact Danya Ochsner (University Relations) at ext. 2121 or at dochsner@georgefox.edu.

George Fox is investing in Yamhill County by partnering with the Mid-Willamette Valley United Way in a workplace campaign from now through Dec. 31.

Within the next few days, you will receive a letter from President Robin Baker regarding your opportunity for involvement in a community care fund that will directly benefit local nonprofit organizations. Every donor has the opportunity to designate their dollars for an impact area, or for a specific organization.

Please take a moment to read through the brochure and donation form accompanying the letter. Send your gifts or requests for payroll deduction to the Department of Human Resources at Box 6108 by Dec. 31.

Please direct all questions to Sheri Philips, executive director of University Relations.

When traveling on university business, please use the trip calculator on the Financial Affairs Web page (georgefox.edu/offices/fin_affairs/tripcalc.html) to determine whether it is less expensive to rent a vehicle or request mileage reimbursement for use of your personal car. The university travel policy states that you will be reimbursed for the lesser of the two amounts. If you choose to drive your own vehicle, even when it costs less to rent, you will only be reimbursed for the smaller amount.

If you have questions, please contact Karon Bell.

Tickets are selling fast for the university’s Christmas Concert, “All is Calm, All is Bright,” presented by the Department of Performing Arts Friday through Sunday, Dec. 11-13. This year’s concert features more than 150 musicians from five ensembles in the main-stage performance, and preconcert music featuring 10 of the university’s chamber ensembles.

Three presentations are scheduled:

• Two on-campus performances in Bauman Auditorium: Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. (preconcert music begins at 6:30 p.m.), and Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. (preconcert music begins at 6:30 p.m.)
• One off-campus performance at Village Baptist Church in Beaverton on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2:30 p.m. (preconcert music begins at 2 p.m.)

Additional information about the concert program or the performing arts department is available by contacting Debbie Hawblitzel (Performing Arts) at ext. 2620. Questions regarding tickets can be directed to the University Box Office at ext. 3844.

Tickets may be purchased online now at music.georgefox.edu, or (two weeks prior to the event) at the box office by calling ext. 3844. Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and George Fox alumni; and $6 for students and children. All faculty, students and staff receive one free ticket (to the on-campus performances only), available for pick-up in the Bruin Bookstore. The concert on campus features reserved seating. Seating will be open for Sunday’s matinee performance.

On Wednesday, Dec. 2, chapel will be in various locations. We invite all of you to worship with your living community from 10:40 to 11:30 a.m. at the following locations:

PCWB: Hoover 105
Apartments: Lemmons 8
Co-Ed: EHS 102
HMS: Bauman
Houses & commuters: Hoover 102

Attention Newberg staff, administrators and undergraduate faculty: Residence Life, Orientation, and ASC are looking for students who exhibit Christian maturity, humility and leadership skills for the 2010-2011 student leadership teams. We would value your suggestions and recommendations for students to be considered for these leadership positions.

Please refer to the letter sent to your campus mailbox for more information. Return the letter with your recommendations to Megan Marsh (Student Life) at Box 6148 by Friday, Dec. 4. Recommendations can also be sent electronically to mmarsh@georgefox.edu.

The university community is invited to see five short original works written, directed and performed by George Fox students at a New Playwrights Festival this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5, in Wood-Mar Auditorium. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

Take a break from work duties and studying to enjoy grandly eclectic stories about people from all walks of life. Contact Cyndi Kimmel at ckimmel05@georgefox.edu for more information.

Stop by the Ron Gregory Atrium in EHS between 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, and 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, for Nutrition Expo. Want to know what to eat to perform well in sports? Get fact and fiction information about carbohydrates, plus many more engaging topics. Information is provided by students in the FCSC Nutrition 300 class.

What do grades represent? Are they an objective measure of knowledge? Do they show growth in understanding? Do grades give evidence of subject mastery? A recent Chronicle of Higher Education article (tinyurl.com/GFUgrades) challenges professors to reconsider the purpose of grades and the manner in which grades are used.

Join a conversation about accuracy, fairness and effectiveness of grading practices. Should you choose to read ahead of time, look over the comments below the article. You will need your university library card number to access the article from off campus; the link should take you directly to the article if you are on campus.

The session will be held from noon to 1:20 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, in Cap & Gown A (note the different location than on academic calendar).

To reserve a lunch, e-mail Jere Witherspoon (jwithers@georgefox.edu) by 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Everyone is welcome to attend the session, whether bringing a lunch or reserving a lunch. Please have your lunch ready so we can begin the conversation at noon.

All faculty — full time, part time, and adjunct — are invited to attend Faculty Teaching Forums (FTFs). Video podcasts of FTFs will be available on iTunesU.

Tickets are now on sale for the university’s Christmas Concert, “All is Calm, All is Bright,” presented by the Department of Performing Arts Friday through Sunday, Dec. 11-13. This year’s concert features more than 150 musicians from five ensembles in the main-stage performance, and preconcert music featuring 10 of the university’s chamber ensembles.

Three presentations are scheduled:

• Two on-campus performances in Bauman Auditorium: Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. (preconcert music begins at 6:30 p.m.), and Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. (preconcert music begins at 6:30 p.m.)
• One off-campus performance at Village Baptist Church in Beaverton on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2:30 p.m. (preconcert music begins at 2 p.m.)

Additional information about the concert program or the performing arts department is available by contacting Debbie Hawblitzel (Performing Arts) at ext. 2620. Questions regarding tickets can be directed to the University Box Office at ext. 3844.

Tickets may be purchased online now at music.georgefox.edu, or (two weeks prior to the event) at the box office by calling ext. 3844. Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and George Fox alumni; and $6 for students and children. All faculty, students and staff receive one free ticket (to the on-campus performances only), available for pick-up in the Bruin Bookstore. The concert on campus features reserved seating, so if you have a favorite seat, make sure you save it now! Seating will be open for Sunday’s matinee performance.

You are invited to enjoy holiday luncheons presented by the Family and Consumer Sciences Quantity Food Production class on Friday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 11. The menu features a choice of pan-seared chicken breast stuffed with spinach and herb cheese, or roasted garlic-rosemary pork loin with cranberry orange sauce. Meals are served with savory russet and yam mashed potatoes with bacon and sautéed broccoli with red pepper. Beverages, soup or salad, and seasonal desserts are included.

Seating will be from noon to 12:30 p.m., with dining until 1:30 p.m., in Lemmons 5. The cost is $10 per person in advance. Make reservations by e-mailing Helen Morse at hmorse@georgefox. To-go meals and special dietary needs gladly accommodated.

Come wish Kendra Irons well as she finishes her final semester at George Fox and completes her move to Texas. As an associate professor, Kendra has been an important part of our Religious Studies Department for the past six and a half years.

A farewell reception is scheduled from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, in the Hoover Lounge (Hoover 250). Both colleagues and students will miss her.

Please send an e-mail to Peggy Kilburg (HR) if you would like to nominate a support staff member or administrator for Employee of the Month for December. Your e-mail should include the person’s name, job title, a concise but specific summary of this person’s  recent contributions (past 30 days or so) to the university, its students, and/or its employees (what was done, who was impacted, etc.), and any other information that you believe makes this person deserving of this award.

Please submit your nomination by Friday, Dec. 11. The President’s Executive Leadership Team will then select the Employee(s) of the Month from the nominations submitted. The winner(s) will be announced at the all-employee meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 16, and will receive a $100 gift card to The Allison.

The university will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27, for the Thanksgiving holiday. All offices, bookstores and libraries will be closed those two days.

The Baker family invites you and your family to their third annual Christmas Open House from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Edwards House, 402 S. College St., in Newberg. Join us for light appetizers and holiday sweets as we celebrate the Christmas season together!

Thomas Peng (China and East Asia Studies Program) will speak at a George Fox Auxiliary luncheon scheduled for noon Friday, Dec. 4, in the Cap and Gown Room. Reservations are required and tickets are $7.50 per person.

Also appearing will be several international students. To make reservations, contact Margene Haworth at 503-538-0604 by Tuesday, Dec. 1.