Multicultural Services is hosting a repeat showing of the film Grandma Zula’s Legacy from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, in Stevens 209. The workshop is open to all faculty and staff. Please R.S.V.P. to Joel Perez (Student Life) at jperez@georgefox.edu or ext. 2305 by Friday, Oct. 31, if you plan to attend.
The university is again hosting an Exodus Grad Fair for seniors graduating in December. Faculty members, please encourage your senior students to attend.
The fair is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in the Cap and Gown Room. There, students will be able to:
In short, all the departments students need to see before they graduate will be gathered in one location. This makes the exit process more efficient for both students and various departments. For more information, contact Andy Dunn (University Store) at ext. 2543 or at adunn@georgefox.edu.
Come hear two current George Fox students who interned with the U.S. State Department and the FBI share about their experiences. In addition, Mark Hall (Political Science) will briefly discuss the secret to getting a good political internship.
The meeting is from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in the Executive Dining Room. Feel free to bring your lunch.
The university is seeking a full-time admissions counselor to do recruiting for the seminary from now until the end of June. This position may not continue into next fiscal year. It does include benefits. This job currently is open only to internal (employees) applicants.
Please e-mail hr@georgefox.edu to obtain a copy of the position announcement and transfer request if you are interested in this opening. To apply, you will need to submit the completed transfer request, cover letter and resume to Human Resources no later than Tuesday, Nov. 4.
With Bruin Preview on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 30-31, be sure to:
Thank you,
Admissions
This is a reminder that a faculty teaching forum, “FoxTALE 1.9: Upgrade and Grade Book Changes,” will be presented from 3:40 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, in the Hoover 211 computer lab.
FoxTALE will be upgraded to version 1.9 between the fall and spring semesters. Come to this session for a peek at the new features and especially the new grade book. The grade book has been completely rewritten in version 1.9, and you’ll want to know how to prepare for spring semester, especially if you use a complex grading scheme with weighted categories. Leading the discussion will be presenters Russ DeVore, Gloria Doherty and Sheila Abercrombie (IT).
The session is open to all faculty; however, it will be geared toward those who are already using the grade book. A separate Portland Center session will be scheduled in November. IT will provide additional training sessions in January; however, if you use a more complex grade book, you are encouraged to attend now so that you can prepare.
The Center for Peace and Justice is hosting “Peacemaking in Kenya” from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in Cap and Gown Room A. Getry Agizah, program coordinator for Friends in Peace and Community Development, and David Zarembka, coordinator of the African Great Lakes Initiative Project of the Friends Peace Teams, will share about their experience in peacemaking in Kenya. Both of them live and work in western Kenya.
Bring your lunch (or not) to hear about responding to violent conflict in Kenya after this year’s presidential elections.
The university community is invited to this month’s Students in Recital at 12:40 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in Bauman Auditorium. The event will showcase a small group of music students and what they have been preparing. Please take this opportunity to support our students.
The International Club is selling cookies as a fund-raiser for the club during the cultural fair Wednesday, Oct. 29, in EHS. Swing by the fair between 3 and 5 p.m. and buy a cookie for $1 to support a good cause. The fair is a part of the university’s Cultural Celebration Week.
Multicultural Services is organizing a trip to hear author Peggy McIntosh at Lewis & Clark College in Portland Thursday, Oct. 30. McIntosh will speak on the dimension of privilege with gender, race and sexuality in the United States. Her presentation begins at 7 p.m. in the Templeton Student Center, Council Chamber.
If you are interested in attending this free event, contact Shelley Yonemura (Multicultural Services) at syonemur@georgefox.edu or ext. 2318. Transportation for students and employees will be provided by Multicultural Services. R.S.V.P. by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 29.
As the turbulence in the stock market continues, you may want to take advantage of helpful information available from TIAA-CREF about strategies for market volatility.
On the TIAA-CREF website (tiaa-cref.org), you will find video and audio commentaries about retirement planning and investing in volatile times, along with messages from TIAA-CREF’s investment strategists and executives, and facts about TIAA-CREF’s financial strength.
Some of TIAA-CREF’s more recent additions to provide guidance for investing during tumultuous times include:
You also can hear Roger Ferguson, TIAA-CREF’s president and CEO, discuss this current period in the markets on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” The interview is available on NPR’s website.
“Staying on Track in a Volatile Market” and “A History of Strength and Stability” are two new financial education seminars also available. In addition to these materials, you can call TIAA-CREF to talk to a representative about your retirement portfolio. Hold times are longer these days, but once you reach a representative you should be able to have your questions answered. The number is 1-800-842-2776.
Don’t forget to participate in the university’s mock election that runs through Friday, Oct. 31. Stop by the voting booth in the Bruin Den between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and cast your mock presidential vote. You can also cast your web ballot online.
Polls will close at 5 p.m. Friday. Results will be compiled in an Electoral College style, then announced to the campus starting Nov. 3. Remember to cast your official vote by Nov. 4.
The University Store is hosting a costume contest at noon this Friday, Oct. 31. First prize will be a George Fox sweatshirt, second prize is a CamelBak bottle, and third prize is a T-shirt. Coupons will be given to those who dress up and participate.
Mail Services is an unofficial drop site for all Oregon county ballots. Arrangements have been made with the Yamhill County elections office for us to offer this service. We accept any Oregon county ballot and there is no postage necessary. The deadline for this drop-off site is at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov.4. All out-of-state ballots must be mailed.
Thank you,
Mail Services
The courier to George Fox’s Salem Center will be changing days starting this Thursday, Oct. 30. Mail Services will deliver mail to Salem on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There will be no Salem courier service on Fridays starting this week.
The university community is invited to discuss how you can tie in your faith and your political beliefs at a discussion, “Jesus for President,” set for 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the Cap and Gown Room. Facilitating will be Steve Sherwood (Religious Studies) and Sarah Baldwin (Office of Spiritual Life).
Multicultural Services is hosting a repeat showing of the film Grandma Zula’s Legacy from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, in Stevens 209. The workshop is open to all faculty and staff. Please R.S.V.P. to Joel Perez (Student Life) at jperez@georgefox.edu or ext. 2305 by Friday, Oct. 31, if you plan to attend.
The Performing Arts Department will present its fall Chamber Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in Bauman Auditorium. The concert will feature a few of the university’s many chamber ensembles, including the Clarinet Quartet, Early Music Ensemble and Handbell Ringers.
At the community held on the Newberg campus Friday afternoon, President Robin Baker announced that the four-day work week policy will be reinstated beginning Nov 1. In addition, a telecommuting option is also included as an alternative to the four-day work week.
Similar to the trial policy from this summer, the following guidelines apply:
1.   This policy applies only to full-time staff and administrators.
2.   All offices need to be covered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
3.   Supervisor approval is required for employees to work four 10-hour days. The supervisor’s decision to allow or disallow an employee to work a four-day work week should not be based simply on personal preference. Instead, the following factors should be taken into consideration: nature of the person’s duties, potential service disruption to customers during their absences, employee’s performance, other(s) as determined by the supervisor
4.   If approved, employees may choose to take off either Monday or Friday, coordinating with others in the department who are also working four days.
5.   Departmental and cross departmental meetings should be scheduled Tuesday through Thursday.
6.   Overtime is only paid for hours worked over 40 in a week, not over eight in a day.
7.   Weeks that include a holiday will be a standard, five-day work week for all employees.
8.   Employees may be required to work a standard five-day work week to provide adequate coverage when coworker(s) are on vacation or ill, or to cover special events (such as Genesis) that will necessitate more complete coverage for particular areas within the university.
Not every department or regional site will be able to participate. Participation will be decided by the department head in consultation with the VP, taking into consideration the factors outlined in No. 2 above. If a supervisor determines that a four-day work week arrangement or fifth day of telecommuting is not working out satisfactorily, he or she may require an employee or employees to resume the five-day work week schedule.
Telecommuting as an alternative to a four-day work week:
Some employees’ job duties and/or workload may not make it practical to work a four-day work week. These employees may choose to work four days on site and telecommute the fifth day via computer and telephone with their supervisor’s approval. The same guidelines that apply to the four-day work week will apply to telecommuting the fifth day with the exception of No. 7 above. Additionally, it is the university’s expectation that telecommuting will not occur with children in the home with the parent/employee.
George Fox University is excited to announce a tour of alpine Europe to see the Passion Play at Oberammergau, Germany, in early-summer 2010.
Open to all employees, students, alumni, parents and friends of George Fox, our 11-day tour, departing May 31, will include visits to the beautiful alpine European cities of Frankfurt and Munich, Germany; Salzburg, Austria; and Lucerne and Interlaken, Switzerland. Among many other highlights, the tour will include travel through the Rhine Valley, Black Forest, as well as the Swiss, Austrian and Bavarian Alps. Additionally, visits are planned to Neuschwanstein and Heidelberg castles, and Rothenburg, Germany’s best-preserved medieval town.
The highlight of the trip will be the Passion Play, an inspiring one-day play, dating back nearly 375 years, which is performed for sold-out audiences every 10 years in a magnificent outdoor covered amphitheater with the Bavarian Alps as a backdrop.
To read the full itinerary, request more information, and register for the trip, click here.
