Bruin Den will be open on Friday, July 2

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

The Bruin Den will be open Friday, July 2, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. An announcement made previously stated we would be closed. Please feel free to join us for breakfast and/or lunch.

Serve Day team leaders still needed

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Attention employees: We are still in need of team leaders for Serve Day. If you are interested in leading, please take a moment a fill out this quick survey regarding Serve Day if you have not yet done so:

surveymonkey.com/s/DBD9RCC

Thank you!

– Serve Day Committee

HR seeking nominees for July Employee of the Month

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

With June now behind us, please think about a colleague who would be deserving of the July Employee of the Month award. As always, your nomination should include the person’s name, job title, a concise but specific summary of this person’s recent contributions (past 30 days or so) – 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, July 16, via e-mail to Peggy Kilburg. The President’s Executive Leadership Team will then select the recipient from the nominations submitted. The winner will be announced at our all-employee meeting (date not yet set) and will receive a $100 gift card to The Allison.

Villa Road will be closed for repaving July 1-9

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Villa Road will be closed for repaving July 1-9 and access will be very limited. In order to allow access to the east side of campus, security will be dropping the chains on the south side of the canyon so you can access the east side from Carlton Way. Access to Coffin and Le Shana residence halls will be available from Fulton Street.

If we have any updates from the city of Newberg we will pass them on, so keep watching your e-nnouncements.

– Security Services

June student employee time sheets due in HR

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Student supervisors: Payday is Thursday, July 15, so please submit your students’ June time sheets to HR right away — by Friday, July 2, at 5 p.m. Meeting this deadline is crucial since the following Monday is a holiday.

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. Please do not send students to HR to sign their time sheets.

Thanks very much.
HR

Parking for Danya Ochsner’s retirement party available at church

Monday, June 28th, 2010

For anyone attending Danya Ochsner’s retirement party at the Edwards House on Tuesday, June 29, please feel free to park in the Newberg Friends Church parking lot. The event runs from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Bruin Den announces lunch specials for the week

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Following are the lunch specials this week in the Bruin Den.

Monday: Cuban-style burger (natural beef patty, grilled onions, Menorca cheese, sliced pickles and Chorizo sausage) served with garlic chili fries and small bottled water or medium soda. $5

Tuesday: Cajun mac and cheese bar (cheddar and pepperjack cheeses), assorted sausages and other toppings served with corn muffins and sliced melon and choice of medium soda or small bottled water. $5.50

Wednesday: Cheeseburger pizza with ground beef, onions, American cheese, bacon and tomatoes or roasted chicken-veggie pizza with artichokes, spinach and chicken served with Caesar salad and medium soda or small bottled water. $5

Thursday: Teriyaki bento chicken and noodle toss: Hand-tossed soba noodles, marinated chicken, fresh veggies served with a spring roll and medium soda or small bottled water. $5.50

Friday: Closed for Independence Day weekend.

Retirement celebration for Danya Ochsner scheduled Tuesday at Edwards House

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

The university community is invited to an open house reception to honor Danya Ochsner (University Relations) on Tuesday, June 29, at the Edwards House, 402 S. College St. Join us between 4 and 5:30 p.m. as we wish Dayna well in retirement. She is leaving George Fox after 22 years of service.

University will outsource bookstore services beginning in October

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

As part of the Strategic Plan, the board of trustees requested that the university look into the possibility of outsourcing bookstore services as it did with dining services years ago. There were two primary reasons given for the request. First, the textbook market has been going through rapid changes in recent years with the emergence of digital texts, online purchasing, textbook rentals and the increasing demand for used textbooks. Keeping up with these changes can be costly to both students and the university. Second, more students are choosing to buy their textbooks and supplies through businesses other than our bookstore, thus putting the university at financial risk as it deals with inventory that goes unsold.

After a lengthy review process of four companies (including our own bookstore), the board’s Finance Committee unanimously voted to outsource the university’s bookstore services to Validis, a company that currently manages 277 bookstores (125 of which are colleges, many similar to George Fox), beginning Oct. 1, 2010. A Bookstore Review Committee of 10 people, including faculty, staff and a student representative, which conducted several interviews with universities using Validis, unanimously agreed that, if the university were to outsource, Validis would be their choice.

Validis comes to this agreement with an outstanding reputation for student service and employee satisfaction. They have the highest employee retention rate in the bookstore management industry and have agreed to employ all of our current bookstore staff with comparable salaries and benefits. And the university will continue to provide tuition-remission benefits to those bookstore employees currently using them.

The Validis administrators overseeing the agreement with the university were also Christians and have agreed to encourage bookstore staff to continue to function as Christian mentors. It is the university’s hope and expectation that the Validis relationship will be similar to our work with Bon Appetit, and our reference checks on the company seem to confirm that this will be the case.

Validis has also agreed to commit funding for bookstore renovations, as well as funding toward a new student center, which is the next major building project planned for the university.

The board and President Baker are grateful for the service of the bookstore staff and believe the new partnership will help to serve the growing needs of the university community.

Executive assistant position open in academic affairs office

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

The university is seeking an executive assistant I to work 30 hours per week for 10 months (August-May). The individual will assist the dean of instruction and others in the academic affairs office beginning Aug. 1. This .62FTE position is currently open only to internal applicants (employees). Please e-mail hr@georgefox.edu to obtain a copy of the job description 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, June 29.

Please fill out Serve Day survey if you have not yet done so

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Attention all employees: Please take a moment a fill out this quick survey regarding Serve Day if you have not yet done so.

surveymonkey.com/s/5F3DHGN

The more information we have from you the easier our jobs become.

Thank you!
– Serve Day Committee

Reminder: All-employee meeting is Thursday afternoon

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

An all-employee meeting is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 24, in Hoover 105.

For those at the university’s regional sites, the meeting will be available for viewing at stream.georgefox.edu/live/commmtg.sdp. For best results, use Mozilla Firefox for your web browser, and your computer must have QuickTime Player installed. Simply copy the link into the address bar of your browser. If you have any problems, contact the Service Desk at ext. 2569.

In addition, a chat room has been set up to allow for interaction. A video recording of the meeting will be available for viewing the following day at itunesu.georgefox.edu.

Bookstore closes for year-end inventory

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

The Bruin Bookstore and its online store will close down business to conduct its annual year-end inventory process starting at noon next Monday, June 28. To strive for accuracy, we are not able to conduct any business during this closure. Phone calls, voice mail messages and e-mails will not be responded to until this procedure is completed. There also will not be any money on hand to make change. Please plan ahead to get all your Bruin necessities before June 28. We truly appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

The bookstore will reopen starting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 6, after the July 4 holiday weekend. Thank you for supporting your Bruin Bookstore!

HR announces opening for executive assistant I in Office of Academic Affairs

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

The university is seeking to fill this 30-hour-per week/10-month (August-May) position to assist the dean of instruction and others in the academic affairs office beginning Aug. 1. This .62FTE position is currently open only to internal applicants (employees). Please e-mail hr@georgefox.edu to obtain a copy of the job description 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, June 29.

Bruin Den announces lunch specials for week of June 21-25

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

Bruin Den lunch specials for the week of June 21-25 …

Monday: Two barbecue beef sliders served with fresh fruit salad and cole slaw with small bottled water or medium soda. $5

Tuesday Expo: Stir-fried Cantonese reddened pork and fresh veggies served with fried rice with small bottled water or medium soda. $5

Wednesday: Artisan-style woodstone pizza featuring “pizza explosion” with mushrooms, olives and Italian sausage, or BLT pizza served with tossed Caesar salad and medium soda or small bottled water. $5

Thursday Expo: Penne and chicken fresco pasta saute with fresh grape tomatoes, basil, lemon butter sauce and seasoned chicken served with focaccia and small bottled water or medium soda. $5

Friday: Iron-grilled smoked chicken panini sandwich with mozzarella cheese, smoked bacon and sundried tomato pesto mayo on a rosemary cibatta roll served with choice of Caesar salad or small fries and small bottled water or medium soda. $5.50

FoxFiles upgrade scheduled for Tuesday, June 22

Friday, June 18th, 2010

IT will be upgrading the FoxFiles software on Tuesday, June 22, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., PDT. There will be no impact to any of your documents since this is a software upgrade; however, documents will not be available during the upgrade. FoxTALE course documents and media located in FoxFiles will be temporarily unavailable during this window of time as well.

Contact the IT service desk if you have any questions.

All-employee meeting scheduled Thursday, June 24

Friday, June 18th, 2010

An all-employee meeting is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. this Thursday, June 24, in Hoover 105.

For those at the university’s regional sites, the meeting will be available for viewing at stream.georgefox.edu/live/commmtg.sdp. For best results, use Mozilla Firefox for your web browser, and your computer must have QuickTime Player installed. Simply copy the link into the address bar of your browser. If you have any problems, contact the Service Desk at ext. 2569.

In addition, a chat room has been set up to allow for interaction. A video recording of the meeting will be available for viewing the following day at itunesu.georgefox.edu.

E-mail training sessions scheduled June through September

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Interested in learning more about the new e-mail system? Used to the basics but want to know more? IT has scheduled several training sessions from June through September. Check out the schedule and sign up on the R.S.V.P. form.

Basic training

  • Monday, June 21, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PDT, Portland Center Room 210
  • Monday, Aug. 16, 2-3:30 p.m. PDT, Hoover 105

Groups Training

  • Monday, July 12, 10-11 a.m. PDT, Webinar
  • Monday, Sept. 20, 2-3:30 p.m. PDT, VAC 117
  • Tuesday, Sept. 21, 10-11:30 a.m. PDT, Portland Center 210

Calendar Training

  • Tuesday, July 13, 10-11:30 a.m. PDT, Hoover 105

For more information about the transition, including FAQ and Quick Guides, visit the website at georgefox.edu/email-conversion.

Austin Sports Complex update: $250,000 match deadline met

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Thanks to 131 donors who gave gifts to the Austin Sports Complex ranging from $5 to $25,000 since Oct. 16, 2009, we have raised the $250,000 needed by June 30 to match the gift by an anonymous donor. Among those who gave were graduating seniors, George Fox employees, alumni, board members and other friends of the university.

To date, we have raised nearly $2.1 million toward our $6.5 million fundraising goal for Phase I of the Austin Sports Complex. This is a three-year effort, and we hope to raise another third of our goal (approximately $2.5 million) in 2010-11.

Phase I calls for the development of 11 of the 23 acres of land through construction of a synthetic turf soccer field, a multi-use synthetic turf field, and a multi-use field building. Progress on the project is well underway. The general contractor, The Saunders Co., is overseeing the installation of the first synthetic Astro Turf GameDay Grass MT45 field this week, so it will be ready for soccer this fall.

For more information or to participate in the campaign, visit the Austin Sports Complex page.

Villa Cafe reopens for the summer

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Back by popular demand, we are pleased to announce that the Villa Cafe has reopened for the summer. Please join us for a steaming cup of Starbucks coffee, freshly baked pastries, fresh fruit smoothies, hand-crafted deli and panini sandwiches and our popular homemade soups. We also feature a full array of delicious grab-and-go sandwiches and salads made fresh daily.

Summer hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Convenient payment options include cash (always), credit and debit as well as our popular Bruin Bucks. If you have a university ID card, just ask our cashier how you can get an additional 10 percent in buying power.

Questions? Call our office at ext. 2500.

– Denny Lawrence,
Bon Appetit