The Daily Bruin

George Fox will host the Oregon Symphony for its 31st appearance in Bauman Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. The concert is a gift from George Fox honorary board member Ken Austin, cofounder of A-dec, with his late wife Joan Austin.

A limited number of tickets have been provided for George Fox half-time and full-time employees. Tickets are limited to two per employee on a first-come, first-served basis starting tomorrow (Thursday) in the Event Services Office, 1109 E. Hancock. Reservations may be taken for Portland Center employees only.

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, remaining tickets (limited to two per person) will be available to those who sign up on the waitlist. If you find you are not able to attend, please return your tickets for another employee’s use.

Questions? Please contact Michelle Dawson at mdawson@georgefox.edu or ext. 2029.

To manage existing maintenance needs and project requests, Plant Services is implementing a formal project review and approval process beginning Thursday, Feb. 1.

The Plant Services Operating Budget is for maintaining facilities and equipment to their designed state. Any additions or improvements that alter existing space or asset are considered projects and are not funded by the maintenance department.

A Project Review Committee (PRC) has been formed that will review submitted projects to establish adherence to the university’s mission, priority and funding. All projects must be approved by the appropriate dean or department head before being considered by the PRC.

The PRC will meet monthly between September and March, or more frequently as needed. Anything submitted after March 1 will not be considered until the following school year to be budgeted during the capital planning process.

A project request is to be submitted to the dean or department head using the “Project Request Form,” located on the Plant Services webpage under “Quick Links.” This form must be fully completed and include the signatures of the appropriate academic dean or department head, and building monitor. Once the signatures are collected, the Project Request Form is then routed to Plant Services and the PRC.

If the PRC approves the project and funds are available, the requestor will be informed, and the request will be submitted to the Plant Services director for management and scheduling.

The full policy and a summary of maintenance versus project requests is available here.

Please contact Dan vanderWater (dvanderwater@georgefox.edu) with any questions about the project approval process.

George Fox University’s Web Design II class is putting together redesign proposals for iGFU, and we need your help!

Fill out this quick survey on common uses of iGFU.georgefox.edu and MyGFU.georgefox.edu. Even if you have never or rarely use these sites, your input is valuable.

The survey takes less than 15 minutes. One lucky contributor will receive an Amazon gift card worth $25 for participating.

Here is the link: iGFU and MyGFU Survey

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.
– Brandon Waybright (bwaybright@georgefox.edu)

Disclaimer:
These surveys are student generated and are not to be associated with any official research conducted by faculty and staff at George Fox University. Any views or opinions presented in these surveys are solely those of the students and do not represent those of George Fox University. The distribution of these surveys is a service provided to George Fox University students as they prepare their research required by the curriculum. Students are required to have department approval. Any questions about these surveys should be directed to the students associated with the survey in question.

George Fox will host the Oregon Symphony for its 31st appearance in Bauman Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. The concert is a gift from George Fox honorary board member Ken Austin, cofounder of A-dec, with his late wife Joan Austin.

A limited number of tickets have been provided for George Fox half-time and full-time employees. Tickets are limited to two per employee on a first-come, first-served basis starting Thursday, Feb. 1, in the Event Services Office, 1109 E. Hancock. Reservations may be taken for Portland Center employees only.

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, remaining tickets (limited to two per person) will be available to those who sign up on the waitlist. If you find you are not able to attend, please return your tickets for another employee’s use.

Questions? Please contact Michelle Dawson at mdawson@georgefox.edu or ext. 2029.

George Fox will host the Oregon Symphony for its 31st appearance in Bauman Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. The concert is a gift from George Fox honorary board member Ken Austin, cofounder of A-dec, with his late wife Joan Austin.

A limited number of tickets have been provided for George Fox half-time and full-time employees. Tickets are limited to two per employee on a first-come, first-served basis starting Thursday, Feb. 1, in the Event Services Office, 1109 E. Hancock. Reservations may be taken for Portland Center employees only.

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, remaining tickets (limited to two per person) will be available to those who sign up on the waitlist. If you find you are not able to attend, please return your tickets for another employee’s use.

Questions? Please contact Michelle Dawson at mdawson@georgefox.edu or ext. 2029.

To manage existing maintenance needs and project requests, Plant Services is implementing a formal project review and approval process beginning Thursday, Feb. 1.

The Plant Services Operating Budget is for maintaining facilities and equipment to their designed state. Any additions or improvements that alter existing space or asset are considered projects and are not funded by the maintenance department.

A Project Review Committee (PRC) has been formed that will review submitted projects to establish adherence to the university’s mission, priority and funding. All projects must be approved by the appropriate dean or department head before being considered by the PRC.

The PRC will meet monthly between September and March, or more frequently as needed. Anything submitted after March 1 will not be considered until the following school year to be budgeted during the capital planning process.

A project request is to be submitted to the dean or department head using the “Project Request Form,” located on the Plant Services webpage under “Quick Links.” This form must be fully completed and include the signatures of the appropriate academic dean or department head, and building monitor. Once the signatures are collected, the Project Request Form is then routed to Plant Services and the PRC.

If the PRC approves the project and funds are available, the requestor will be informed, and the request will be submitted to the Plant Services director for management and scheduling.

The full policy and a summary of maintenance versus project requests is available here.

Please contact Dan vanderWater (dvanderwater@georgefox.edu) with any questions about the project approval process.

Interested in learning more about technology and how it applies to the educational experience? You are invited to a free conference hosted by the Oregon Technology in Education Network (OTEN) on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Pacific University’s Forest Grove campus. George Fox is a founding member of the OTEN consortium.

The gathering will feature peer-reviewed presentations from university faculty and other educators from across Oregon and the Northwest. We would like to encourage faculty and staff who have been innovating with their teaching to register for the free half-day conference (8 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.).

For more information, please take a look at the conference website here.

During the 2016-17 academic year, the Graduate School of Counseling staff and faculty committed ourselves to a book group, reading through and processing the work of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. Our own Jennifer Lichtenberg was so deeply moved and inspired, she created an art series that you must come see for yourself, as no explanation here can do it justice.

Join us in the Portland Center Library today (Monday) at noon for a reception of Jennifer’s amazing work. As part of the reception, Jennifer will give an artist’s talk where she will discuss her process and answer questions.

We hope to see you there!
The GSC

If you consented to receive your 1098T Tax Benefits for Education Tax forms online, the 2017 tax form is available now for those who qualify. If you still wish to consent, you may do so and your form will be immediately available, again, assuming you qualify. If you do not want this service, your tax form will be printed and mailed on or before Jan. 31.

For 2017, George Fox University is again reporting “CHARGES” in Box 2, not payments, Box 1. Next January, for 2018, we will change to report payments.

Contact Jenny Getsinger (jgetsing@georgefox.edu) if you have any questions.

Medical and Dental Changes
Your team has been preparing for open enrollment for health insurance. Our primary focus has been reviewing our options for a cost-effective solution with the best coverage for our employees for medical and dental.

George Fox will continue to offer both Kaiser and the Regence health plans. There will be some changes, including both deductibles and premiums. We are continuing to fine tune the details with our vendors as we prepare for open enrollment in February for the plan year beginning April 1, 2018. We appreciate those of you who participated in the benefit survey, as this information has been very helpful as we look at our options.

We will be making final decisions in late January and including a Benefit Fair during this year’s open enrollment. Mark your calendar to join us Wednesday, Feb. 21, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Canyon Commons.

Elective Employee Deferral Limits for 2018
Effective April 1, 2018, the Allegiance Flexible Spending Accounts limits will be:

• Health Flexible Spending Account: $2,650
• Dependent Care FSA: $5,000 (no change)

Effective Jan. 1, 2018, you can increase your TIAA Supplemental Annuity Account contribution at any time by completing the TIAA election form, up to the maximum annual limit:

• Annual contribution limit: $18,500
• Annual catch-up contribution: $6,000 (no change)
• Annual additional amount for 15-plus years at George Fox: $3,000 (no change)

Tax Withholding Table Updates
The IRS has issued new 2018 federal income tax withholding tables. Notice 1036 provides information about the changes and can be found at this link. If you’d like to change your tax withholding, visit the George Fox payroll website for the W-4 form.

Please contact Darby Thiessen at dthiessen@georgefox.edu or 503-554-2188 for assistance with these or any of your George Fox University benefits.

Join the Staff Development Committee for the Wellness Challenge (through Feb. 16)! Submit this form with your activities for points by Saturday each week! Check the Wellness Challenge each Monday for new activities to enhance your wellness. Monthly winners will receive a free staff lunch!

Questions? Contact Adina McConaughey (amcconaughey@georgefox.edu).

During the 2016-17 academic year, the Graduate School of Counseling staff and faculty committed ourselves to a book group, reading through and processing the work of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. Our own Jennifer Lichtenberg was so deeply moved and inspired, she created an art series that you must come see for yourself, as no explanation here can do it justice.

Join us in the Portland Center Library on Monday, Jan. 29, at noon for a reception of Jennifer’s amazing work. As part of the reception, Jennifer will give an artist’s talk where she will discuss her process and answer questions.

We look forward to celebrating while also being deeply moved ourselves by the powerful words of Mr. Coates.

We hope to see you there!
The GSC

Save the date for the eighth annual Dalton Lecture at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, in Bauman Auditorium.

Plan on attending the lecture of Dr. Simon Conway Morris, professor of evolutionary palaeobiology from the University of Cambridge. He will speak on the topic “Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe?”

Visit the Dalton Lecture webpage or contact Vetta Berokoff (vberokof@georgefox.edu) for more information.

In recognition of Black History Month, the university is hosting a special presentation, “Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Inner Life and Global Vision,” featuring Clayborne Carson, one of the nation’s most renowned scholars of King. The free lecture runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, in Room 101 of the Canyon Commons dining hall.

Carson is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor of History and the Ronnie Lott Founding Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. He has devoted most of his professional life to the study of King and the movements King inspired. Carson’s scholarly publications have focused on African-American protest movements and political thought of the period after World War II.

In 1985, the late Coretta Scott King invited Carson to edit and publish the papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Under Carson’s direction, the King Papers Project has produced seven volumes of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Carson’s visit is being arranged through the Organization of American Historians. It is being cohosted by the Center for Peace and Justice and the Department of History, Sociology and Politics.

Refreshments will be provided. For more information, call or email Laurie Fair at lfair@georgefox.edu or 503-554-2140.

During the 2016-17 academic year, the Graduate School of Counseling staff and faculty committed ourselves to a book group, reading through and processing the work of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. Our own Jennifer Lichtenberg was so deeply moved and inspired, she created an art series that you must come see for yourself, as no explanation here can do it justice.

Join us in the Portland Center Library on Monday, Jan. 29, at noon for a reception of Jennifer’s amazing work. As part of the reception, Jennifer will give an artist’s talk where she will discuss her process and answer questions.

We look forward to celebrating while also being deeply moved ourselves by the powerful words of Mr. Coates.

We hope to see you there!
The GSC

We have complimentary tickets available to the 2018 Build, Remodel & Landscape Show coming up Feb. 2-4 at the Oregon Convention Center.

Employees can pick up two tickets each ($12 total value) at the Information Services desk in the Stevens Center. Portland and Salem employees can request tickets by calling the information desk at ext. 0.

We have a limited supply, so please request/pick them up only if you are reasonably certain you will attend.

During the 2016-17 academic year, the Graduate School of Counseling staff and faculty committed ourselves to a book group, reading through and processing the work of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. Our own Jennifer Lichtenberg was so deeply moved and inspired, she created an art series that you must come see for yourself, as no explanation here can do it justice.

Join us in the Portland Center Library on Monday, Jan. 29, at noon for a reception of Jennifer’s amazing work. As part of the reception, Jennifer will give an artist’s talk where she will discuss her process and answer questions.

We look forward to celebrating while also being deeply moved ourselves by the powerful words of Mr. Coates.

We hope to see you there!
The GSC

You are invited to view a series of artwork pieces on display in the Portland Center library based on the book Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Between the World and Me is a personal, searing and visceral account addressing what it means to inhabit an African American body in today’s America.

The art display includes an altered book, a tiny altered book and collaged and painted panels. The display will be available for viewing until Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Contact Jennifer Lichtenberg (jlichtenberg@georgefox.edu) with questions.

You are invited to view a series of artwork pieces on display in the Portland Center library based on the book Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Between the World and Me is a personal, searing and visceral account addressing what it means to inhabit an African American body in today’s America.

The art display includes an altered book, a tiny altered book and collaged and painted panels. The display will be available for viewing until Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Contact Jennifer Lichtenberg (jlichtenberg@georgefox.edu) with questions.

Interested in learning more about technology and how it applies to the educational experience? You are invited to a free conference hosted by the Oregon Technology in Education Network (OTEN) on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Pacific University’s Forest Grove campus. George Fox is a founding member of the OTEN consortium.

The gathering will feature peer-reviewed presentations from university faculty and other educators from across Oregon and the Northwest. We would like to encourage faculty and staff who have been innovating with their teaching to register for the free half-day conference (8 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.).

For more information, please take a look at the conference website here.