Vol. XXXV, No. 20

May 30, 2006

This Week at Valencia.

Thursday, June 1

College Learning Council, 2:30 p.m., East Campus,
3-113

Friday, June 2

Student Development Group, 9:30 a.m., West Campus, SSB-110E


A Note from Dr. Stan Stone

I am sure everyone remembers the payroll realignment issue that we dealt with during this past year (see the payroll realignment document at http://valenciacc.edu/hr/payrollchange.asp). As we discussed last year, we needed to develop a solution that would prevent this situation from happening in the future.

A representative committee was formed to study the issue and develop a plan for future years. This plan was presented to the executive council and approved. It was decided that the college will continue to process payroll on a bi-weekly basis. While there are some technical changes required to prevent the situation we faced last year, you will continue to receive you paycheck every other Friday.

The payroll schedule for the coming year can be found at http://valenciacc.edu/hr/PayrollSchedule20062007.asp

Important News About Upcoming Insurance Changes

Healthcare is a serious subject. After all, what’s more important than your health and the health of your family? Yet maintaining quality healthcare has become a challenge, as costs have been steadily on the rise – here in Florida and across the country.

That’s where the partnership between our college and the Florida Community Colleges Risk Management Consortium (FCCRMC) has been able to make a difference – as group purchasing power and working together with BlueCross BlueShield of Florida (BCBSF) have resulted in cost increases that are lower than the national average. Most recently, FCCRMC member colleges have worked together to develop a long-term approach designed to support the availability of quality healthcare resources at a cost you and the college can afford. That approach requires smart healthcare buying and a focus on good health – and includes tools and resources to help make that happen.

In making these changes, our goal is to support you and your families in managing your health and your healthcare expenses. We are excited about what our partnership can do. As another added measure of assurance, the college will hire a consultant to conduct a review of the insurance programs to ensure that we provide our employees with the best quality coverage. In addition, the existing PPO, BlueChoice, will be maintained for one year to allow a transition period prior to the new plans.

For 2007, you will see some changes as part of this evolving long-term strategy. One is a new BCBSF PPO network and plan: The BlueOptions PPO offers broad access to quality NetworkBlue doctors, hospitals and providers who provide services at a lower cost than the PPO network in place today. Overall, FCCRMC expects a 10-15% reduction in costs by implementing this new plan. You are likely to see those savings reflected in your out-of-pocket cost when you receive care, and in what you are asked to pay for dependent medical coverage. With the new PPO, you still will have freedom to choose any provider. And, you benefit from direct claim filing, some savings on the cost of care, and freedom from “balance billing” (requiring you to pay amounts over BCBSF’s approved charges) when you use the traditional BCBSF network.

In addition to the BlueOptions PPO (and the HMO offered in some areas), you will have a new, customized BlueOptions HRA (available to full-time employees and COBRA participants only—not available to retirees) plan to consider. The HRA plan also uses NetworkBlue. With the HRA plan, you’ll have:

• a higher deductible – $1,000 per person or $3,000 per family – and you will pay a percentage of the cost for the care you receive instead of set dollar copayments.

• a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) funded through FCCRMC by the college. The HRA is a personal account you can use to pay healthcare expenses tax-free in 2007 or the future.

• an even lower cost to buy dependent coverage than you will with the BlueOptions PPO.

Our partnership with FCCRMC and BCBSF already includes great tools to help you manage your health – including health risk assessments to help you identify potential health issues, and myBlueService, an online resource with a wealth of medical information. Between now and 2007, that information will be expanded to help you manage what you spend on healthcare with tools to help you compare medical options, select a hospital or doctor, and understand the cost of the care your doctor recommends.

We will provide many more educational opportunities and a detailed look at your choices from August through mid-October – with enrollment meetings, materials and an expanded myBlueService Web site to support your choice of plans for 2007. Enrollment will take place September through November.

Please contact Laurie Youngman at x8116, Linda Marcia at x8038, or Barbara Luse at x8045 for more information.

The MP3 Experiment - Why attend? This session is a presentation and demonstration of emerging technology. If you own an iPod, portable MP3 player, or any portable CD player, please join the show. Your feedback is valuable for planning new initiatives through Learning Technology and Alternative Delivery. Think: Gather ideas for using podcasting, digital media and emerging pedagogy. Value: Encourage collaboration and teamwork among students by assigning different pods to groups. Communicate: Orient students with an audio preview, highlights of the syllabus; provide backup copies of lecture materials or consider podcast review sessions. Act: Advance teaching, learning, and research through innovation. Wednesday, May 31, 10-11 a.m., West Campus, Room HSB-120, registration code TMP31; or Thursday, June 1, 10–11 a.m., East Campus, Rooms, 5-111-112, registration code TMP32; or Friday, June 2, 10–11 a.m., Osceola Campus, Auditorium, registration code TMP33.

Distracted Driving: Expect the Unexpected - Driving is a common activity, one that we often take for granted. However, it is a serious responsibility and deserves your full and undivided attention. Attend this informative workshop and learn how to become a defensive driver. Thursday, June 1, 2–3 p.m., West Campus, room 6-202, registration code GDRIVE2.
Paris, je me souviens! - Come and experience a moment into the very cosmopolitan city of Paris through a guided tour of the streets of Paris. Learn about the French history, Parisian architectural design and their integration into the Parisians daily modern life. Thursday, June 1, 3–4 p.m. East Campus, Building 3, Atrium, registration code: LPJMS.

Atlas For Staff Training - Many of the college's services, forms, and announcements are now occurring in Atlas. If you forgot how to use Atlas, forgot your PIN and how to log on or just need a refresher, attend one of these refresher sessions. Tuesday, June 6, 9-11 a.m., registration code: TAFS1 or 1-3 p.m., registration code TAFS2, Winter Park Campus, Room 134.

Successful Living: Five Simple Steps to Achieving Everything You Want in Life - Learn how to create amazing changes in your life through a simple 5-step process. Professional Life Coach Jeanne Hennings will provide you with the tools you need to transform your life, beyond which you thought was possible. During this 3-hour workshop, you will: clearly define what is important to you and write down specifically what you want to achieve, design an action plan customized to your situation and unique needs, divide the action plan into workable pieces that are realistic, and set you up for success. Learn how to defeat the dream stealers and make a conscious decision to commit to your goal, follow-through with your action plan and learn effective techniques to help you remain focused despite competing priorities. Wednesday, June 7, 9 a.m.-12 noon, Winter Park Campus, Room 224-225, registration code PSL.

Home Fire Safety - This workshop is designed to help identify and eliminate common household fire hazards. Some of the topics that will be covered are preparation and training for household fires and emergencies, using the EDITH program, identifying different types of fires, and proper use of fire extinguishers. Friday, June 9, 9 a.m.–12 noon, East Campus, Room 3-113, registration code: GSAFE1.

Human Resources and Diversity Question and Answer Session - The purpose of this workshop is to host a conversation of Human Resources and Diversity related topics. Questions need to be submitted via e-mail to Dannette Johnson, dajohnson@valenciacc.edu. The questions submitted will be answered during the session. Participants must arrive 30 minutes prior to the session to allow enough time for registration. The session will start on time, and will be presented by Dr. Stanley Stone, vice president, Human Resources and Diversity; Joe Livingston, assistant vice president, Human Resources; Jennifer Page, director, Employment and Development; Dr. Martha Williams, director, Employee Relations, Diversity and Compliance; Laurie Youngman, manager, Benefits and Retirement; Vicki Nelson, coordinator, Records Processing; Ann Shepherd, manager, Compensation and Classification; Vicki Pipkin, fiscal assistant and Mary Beth Elkins, executive assistant, Human Resources. Monday, June 12, 10–11:30 a.m. Criminal Justice Institute Auditorium, registration code: PHR1.

To register for any Leadership Valencia classes and for more information go to http://valencia.cc.fl.us/leadership.

News From Procurement

Preferred Suppliers -There are a lot of vendors (a.k.a. pesky salespersons) that are calling individual departments attempting to sell toner cartridges and other consumable items. They are not from our preferred supplier list and are not the best value or in the best interest of the college. Please refer all such calls to the Procurement Office at x5532.

The end is coming - year-end that is. Since purchase orders will NOT be automatically closed this year, it is up to each department to run their VCC Encumbrance Detail Report and notify Procurement of all purchase orders that need to be canceled. If PO’s are NOT closed, your encumbrance will roll over to your next year’s budget, thus decreasing your funds available. It is very important to run this report and clear up any unresolved purchases within the past fiscal year. The 06/07 budget will be available on July 3.

Effective July 1, 2006 ‘Open Purchase Orders’ (defined as an up-front encumbrance to a particular supplier with a declining balance) will NO longer be available. Exceptions are: Fund 2 (Grant) money or if a supplier does NOT accept credit cards.

The Procurement Card (Master Card, P-Card) is the preferred method of purchasing small dollar items and recurring purchases such as office supplies. To apply for a college credit card, please complete and sign the application found at: http://valenciacc.edu/procurement/ProcurementCard.asp.

Important Year-End Reminder From Financial Services

As we approach the end of the 2005/06 fiscal year, the Financial Services department would like to assist you to best utilize your remaining budget funds. While financial processes cannot stop because of fiscal year end, there are some required cut-off dates that must be enforced due to Florida Department of Education (DOE) requirements and audit guidelines. In order to have a smooth transition between the closing of the 2005/06 fiscal year, and the opening of the 2006/07 fiscal year, it is important that we adhere to the following timeline:

Cash Receipts - All money received that should be credited to the 2005/06 fiscal year must be turned into any Business Office location by 12:30 p.m., Friday, June 30.

Vendor Invoices - Goods and services must be received by June 30 and invoices must be received by the Accounts Payable department no later then July 7 for the expenditure to be charged to your 2005/06 budget. Please forward all invoices immediately to Accounts Payable, mail code DTC-3, for processing. When ordering goods or services, please allow sufficient time for goods and services to be received and invoiced by June 30. This is especially critical for grants with a June 30 closing date.

Budget Amendments - Submit completed budget amendment forms to the Budget Office at mail code DTC-3. Please address related questions to Pedro Rivera at extension 3350 or Sherri Dixon at extension 3306.

Purchase Orders - Financial Services recommends that you run the Oracle VCC Encumbrance Detail Report for your department to determine the status of all purchase orders showing an encumbered amount and cancel any outstanding items not needed. Contact the Procurement Office, extension 5532, should you have any questions in reference to general operating fund 1 purchase orders and Sherri Dixon, extension 3306, for grant-related purchase orders.
You may begin entering Oracle requisitions for fiscal year 2006/07 on Monday, July 3.

Petty Cash - The last day to request reimbursement from the Business Office is Friday, June 23. Please do not accumulate numerous petty cash receipts, since reimbursements are limited to $75 per day. Petty cash processing for fiscal year 2006/07 will resume on Monday, July 3.

Travel Reimbursement - Requests for travel reimbursement must be received in Accounts Payable, mail code DTC-3, by Friday, June 23. Requests received after this date will be charged to the 2006/07 fiscal year budgets. Travel occurring June 26-30 will be handled on an exception-only basis.

Personnel Pay Forms - Time sheets for part-time hourly and student employees for hours worked the period of June 25-30 are due in Payroll Services no later than Monday, July 3. Time sheets received after this date will be charged to the 2006/07 fiscal year budgets.

Procurement Cards - Funds that have been encumbered for procurement card expenditures will be released on June 29. The July 5 procurement card download will include all transactions that have posted by June 30 and will be charged to your 2005/06 fiscal year budget. Procurement card transactions not posted until July 1 will be charged to the 2006/07 budget year.

Kudos

The Radiography Program, directed by Julie McCaughtry, is proud to announce that once again Valencia Radiography students are the major winners of the Florida Society of Radiologic Technologists Annual Student Essay Contest. Winners were announced on May 13 during the FSRT annual meeting. In the first-year student category, first place went to Patrick Razo for “ProstaScint: Using Nuclear Medicine to Save Lives;” second place went to Tracy Christie for “Radiation as a Carcinogen;” and third place went to Roger Yap for “Food Irradiation: The Benefits and Concerns.” In the second-year student category first place went to Annette Barclay for “On the Path to 256-Slice Computed Tomography” and third place went to Amber Vaughan for “Augmented Reality.”

Dr. Patricia P. Smith, registered dietitian and professor of nutrition at Valencia Community College, was one of 40 distinguished professionals invited to attend The Oxford Round Table Conference at the University of Oxford, Lincoln College in the United Kingdom the first of April. This first time, auspicious occasion focused on “World Health and Nutrition Issues.” Dr. Smith was among those who presented research papers. The topic of Dr. Smith’s research paper was: “The Grain Chain: Consumption of Whole Grain Foods and their Links to Disease Prevention.” Dr. Smith’s research paper is currently being edited and will be published later this year. She facilitated and participated in discussions on ways and means to improve world health and nutrition.

A Valencia customized training program was highlighted in a recent issue of Laser Lines, an employee newsletter for Northrop Grumman Laser Systems. Here is an excerpt from the newsletter:: “After several meetings to define and review training requirements and the course curriculum it was clear that of all the area institutions of higher learning, that Valencia Community College (VCC) offered a program in electronics and telecommunication technologies that afforded a close match to fit the company needs. Through a series of meetings, the VCC academic staff, lead by Dr. Ali Notash and Nasser Hedayat, met with the laser training committee and were able to structure a course outline that met all major learning objectives and remained compliant with strict academic standards that VCC must abide by in order to maintain their accreditation with the state board. The result of this effort was a fully college accredited 10-week learning program in which students could earn 6 college credit hours.”

Submissions to the Bulletin are encouraged, so please e-mail your achievements, awards, recognitions, and relevant information for the college community to Mary Jane Jones in the Marketing and Media Relations office. Deadline for submission is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding each Friday’s distribution. Mary Jane can be reached at ext.1017,mc 4-34 or mjjones@valenciacc.edu.