The Daily Bruin

The new training, self-evaluation, and assessment tool for staff and administrators became available March 1. We trust you are enjoying the improvements! Employee Empowerment gives a big thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and testing. Your feedback was used in our decisions to simplify the tool and process.

Employee Empowerment welcomes your questions by phone, email, or in person. Please contact Darby Thiessen at 503-554-2188 or dthiessen@georgefox.edu if you encounter any issues or have questions.

The Finance Department would like to follow-up on last month’s announcement that a drop box is now available by clarifying that the drop box is for AFTER HOURS ITEMS ONLY. As a reminder, we have renamed the drop box; it is now called the “After Hours Drop Box.”

Please do not drop items in the box during our regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please call or email Michelle Conrad at ext. 2160 or mconrad@georgefox.edu with any questions.

We sure appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

– The Finance Department

This month’s all-employee meeting, originally scheduled for Thursday, March 22, has been moved up to meet on Monday, March 19, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Canyon Commons (with live streaming in PDS 160 at the Portland Center). Please make a note of this change.

To manage existing maintenance needs and projects, Plant Services is requiring all office relocation requests for the summer months to be made according to the following deadlines:

• By March 30 for May and June moves
• By April 27 for July and August moves

Any requests made after these dates for moves in those respective months will be considered and approved based on current schedules and staff availability.

Relocation Forms are located here.

Questions? Contact Dwayne Astleford (dastlefo@georgefox.edu).

The William Penn Honors Program regrets to inform the university community that tonight’s (Thursday’s) lecture featuring guest Donald Drakeman has been canceled. Unfortunately, Drakeman had to cancel to tend to his wife, who is ill. The lecture has not been rescheduled at this time.

If you have questions, please contact Jocelyn Stein at jstein@georgefox.edu.

To manage existing maintenance needs and projects, Plant Services is requiring all office relocation requests for the summer months to be made according to the following deadlines:

• By March 30 for May and June moves
• By April 27 for July and August moves

Any requests made after these dates for moves in those respective months will be considered and approved based on current schedules and staff availability.

Relocation Forms are located here.

Questions? Contact Dwayne Astleford (dastlefo@georgefox.edu).

The William Penn Honors Program regrets to inform the university community that the Thursday, March 8, lecture featuring guest Donald Drakeman has been canceled. Unfortunately, Drakeman had to cancel to tend to his wife, who is ill. The lecture has not been rescheduled at this time.

If you have questions, please contact Jocelyn Stein at jstein@georgefox.edu.

The importance of being ethical in the business world will be discussed at a special George Fox-hosted lecture presented by Jeff Grubb, a former vice president at Wells Fargo, on Thursday, March 15. Grubb’s free presentation, “A Christian in the Business World: Ethical Decisions in Challenging Times,” begins at 7 p.m. in Hoover 105.

Grubb has been a trustee at the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust since 2010. He retired from corporate life in 2017 after 35 years in financial services working for Progressive Insurance, U.S. Bank, U.S. Trust and Wells Fargo. He has also served on the advisory board of several private companies.

The lecture is being presented by George Fox’s Office of the President and College of Business. It is the latest installment of the university’s Reiten Lecture Executive in Residence Series.

Questions? Contact Missy Terry at terrym@georgefox.edu.

To manage existing maintenance needs and projects, Plant Services is requiring all office relocation requests for the summer months to be made according to the following deadlines:

• By March 30 for May and June moves
• By April 27 for July and August moves

Any requests made after these dates for moves in those respective months will be considered and approved based on current schedules and staff availability.

Relocation Forms are located here.

Questions? Contact Dwayne Astleford (dastlefo@georgefox.edu).

All are invited to the 2018 Spring Faculty Lecture tonight (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. in Hoover 105. Our featured speaker, and recipient of the 2016-17 Faculty Achievement Award for Graduate Research and Scholarship, is Jason Brumitt, assistant professor of physical therapy.

Brumitt’s lecture, “Can Preseason Performance and Fitness Testing Identify Athletes at Risk for Injury?,” will focus on a recent trend in sports science research to identify athletes at risk for injury based on measures of preseason fitness. His research has entailed collecting measures of preseason fitness and functional performance in collegiate athletes to identify associations between sport readiness and future injury.

Come early, between 5 and 6 p.m., and check out the work of our Richter Student Scholars and Steinfeldt Peace Scholars at a symposium in the Hoover lobby. George Fox students will present their research and peace projects in a conversational poster format.

Both events are sponsored by the Faculty Development Committee. Refreshments will be served.

Contact Laurie Fair (lfair@georgefox.edu) for more information.

The William Penn Honors Program invites you to come hear Donald L. Drakeman, a distinguished research professor in the Constitutional Studies Program at Notre Dame, a fellow in health management at Cambridge University, and a venture partner with Advent Venture Partners.

He will be speaking on the Newberg campus at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, in the Edwards-Holman Science Center. The topic of his presentation is “Death Sentence for the Life Sciences? The Humanities and the Future of Medicine.”

Drakeman is the cofounder of two biotechnology companies that have created new treatments for cancer. His most recent book is Why We Need the Humanities: Life Science, Law and the Common Good.

For more information, contact Jocelyn Stein at jstein@georgefox.edu.

The William Penn Honors Program invites you to hear biotech entrepreneur Donald Drakeman this Thursday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Edwards-Holman Science Center. The lecture is free and open to all.

Drakeman is a distinguished research professor in the Constitutional Studies Program at Princeton University and a venture partner with Advent Venture Partners. He has cofounded two highly successful biotechnology companies that have created new treatments for cancer.

He will be speaking on the intersection between the sometimes polarizing fields of the humanities and the life sciences in a lecture entitled, “Death Sentence for the Life Sciences? The Humanities and the Future of Medicine.”

If you have questions, please contact Jocelyn Stein at jstein@georgefox.edu.

Looking for an ideal networking opportunity? Join us for a free special event, Speed Networking, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, in the Chehalem Cultural Center ballroom (415 E. Sheridan St., in Newberg). Although admission is free, you still need to register.

Bring your business cards! Students, alumni and professionals will have opportunities to create connections and learn about a variety of fields at this speed and social networking event. Business-appropriate attire is recommended. Appetizers and water will be served.

The event is sponsored by the university’s MBA programs and the Business Leadership Society. Faculty, please tell your students about this!

To register, and for more information on networking tips and business attire, visit this link.

Questions? Contact Allie Duncan at aduncan@georgefox.edu.

All are invited to the 2018 Spring Faculty Lecture tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. in Hoover 105. Our featured speaker, and recipient of the 2016-17 Faculty Achievement Award for Graduate Research and Scholarship, is Jason Brumitt, assistant professor of physical therapy.

Brumitt’s lecture, “Can Preseason Performance and Fitness Testing Identify Athletes at Risk for Injury?,” will focus on a recent trend in sports science research to identify athletes at risk for injury based on measures of preseason fitness. His research has entailed collecting measures of preseason fitness and functional performance in collegiate athletes to identify associations between sport readiness and future injury.

Come early, between 5 and 6 p.m., and check out the work of our Richter Student Scholars and Steinfeldt Peace Scholars at a symposium in the Hoover lobby. George Fox students will present their research and peace projects in a conversational poster format.

Both events are sponsored by the Faculty Development Committee. Refreshments will be served.

Contact Laurie Fair (lfair@georgefox.edu) for more information.

During open enrollment, benefit-eligible employees may make changes in benefit plans without a “change in status” reason. Any other time of the year you may only make changes for reasons such as adding or removing a dependent child, marriage, divorce, loss of other coverage, etc. Changes made during open enrollment will take effect April 1, 2018.

How to Get More Information
The Open Enrollment Guide is available online

What You Need To Do
Whether or not you make any changes to your benefit plans, all benefit-eligible employees must complete the Open Enrollment Election form. You must be logged into your George Fox University email to complete this electronic form (for authentication purposes).

If you decide to add coverage or make any changes to your current coverage, you must complete the appropriate enrollment form(s) (available on the EE website and in the links below) and return them to Employee Empowerment on or before Friday, March 2.

• Kaiser Medical and Dental Insurance Enrollment Form
• Pioneer Health Trust Medical and Dental Enrollment Form
• Allegiance Flexible Spending Account Enrollment Form (Medical and/or Dependent Care)
• TIAA Retirement Plan Tax-Deferred Annuity: You may change your TIAA Tax-Deferred Annuity plan anytime by submitting the payroll deduction authorization form.

Your Online Connection: You may access the benefits web page to download forms and get more information.

If you are not sure what your current benefit election is, please see your pay statement in MyGFU.

We welcome your questions by phone, e-mail, or in-person. Let us know how we can help as you consider changes in your benefits. Contact Darby Thiessen: 503-554-2188 or dthiessen@georgefox.edu.

All are invited to the 2018 Spring Faculty Lecture this Tuesday, March 6, at 6 p.m. in Hoover 105. Our featured speaker, and recipient of the 2016-17 Faculty Achievement Award for Graduate Research and Scholarship, is Jason Brumitt, assistant professor of physical therapy.

Brumitt’s lecture, “Can Preseason Performance and Fitness Testing Identify Athletes at Risk for Injury?,” will focus on a recent trend in sports science research to identify athletes at risk for injury based on measures of preseason fitness. His research has entailed collecting measures of preseason fitness and functional performance in collegiate athletes to identify associations between sport readiness and future injury.

Come early, between 5 and 6 p.m., and check out the work of our Richter Student Scholars and Steinfeldt Peace Scholars at a symposium in the Hoover lobby. George Fox students will present their research and peace projects in a conversational poster format.

Both events are sponsored by the Faculty Development Committee. Refreshments will be served.

Contact Laurie Fair (lfair@georgefox.edu) for more information.

During open enrollment, benefit-eligible employees may make changes in benefit plans without a “change in status” reason. Any other time of the year you may only make changes for reasons such as adding or removing a dependent child, marriage, divorce, loss of other coverage, etc. Changes made during open enrollment will take effect April 1, 2018.

How to Get More Information
The Open Enrollment Guide is available online

What You Need To Do
Whether or not you make any changes to your benefit plans, all benefit-eligible employees must complete the Open Enrollment Election form. You must be logged into your George Fox University email to complete this electronic form (for authentication purposes).

If you decide to add coverage or make any changes to your current coverage, you must complete the appropriate enrollment form(s) (available on the EE website and in the links below) and return them to Employee Empowerment on or before Friday, March 2.

• Kaiser Medical and Dental Insurance Enrollment Form
• Pioneer Health Trust Medical and Dental Enrollment Form
• Allegiance Flexible Spending Account Enrollment Form (Medical and/or Dependent Care)
• TIAA Retirement Plan Tax-Deferred Annuity: You may change your TIAA Tax-Deferred Annuity plan anytime by submitting the payroll deduction authorization form.

Your Online Connection: You may access the benefits web page to download forms and get more information.

If you are not sure what your current benefit election is, please see your pay statement in MyGFU.

We welcome your questions by phone, email, or in person. Let us know how we can help as you consider changes in your benefits. Contact Darby Thiessen: 503-554-2188 or dthiessen@georgefox.edu.

The new training, self-evaluation, and assessment tool for staff and administrators is available beginning today, March 1.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and testing. Your feedback was used in our decisions to simplify the tool and process. We trust you’ll love the improvements as much as we do!

Watch your email for instructions and links.

Employee Empowerment welcomes your questions by phone, email, or in-person. Please contact Darby Thiessen at 503-554-2188 or dthiessen@georgefox.edu if you encounter any issues or have questions.

University Housing has a temporary rental available for graduate students or staff members looking for a short-term housing solution. It’s a two-bedroom, two-bath house near the Newberg campus available immediately through the end of July.

Please contact University Housing for more details: housing@georgefox.edu.

On March 1, a new parental leave policy will go into effect for eligible George Fox University employees. The new parental leave policy provides paid leave for both the primary and secondary caregiver for a newborn or newly placed adopted child.

Here is a brief overview:

Primary Caregiver

• Eight weeks 100 percent paid leave
• Four-week phase back (upon return)

Secondary Caregiver

• Two weeks 100 percent paid
• Two-week phase back (upon return)

The policy and procedure for requesting paid leave will be published to our Employee Handbook on March 1, 2018.

Please review the full policy carefully for detailed information about eligibility and procedures. Please contact Nichole Drew (ndrew@georgefox.edu) or Darby Thiessen (dthiessen@georgefox.edu) with any questions.