Vol. XXXVI, No. 24

July 2, 2007

This Week at Valencia

Monday, July 2

Career Program Advisors, 3 p.m., Osceola Campus, TBA 

Wednesday, July 4

College Closed - Happy Independence Day!

Announcing New Process and Definitions for Research at Valencia

In compliance with Federal regulations and in support of student learning and faculty and staff leadership, Valencia is establishing the Valencia Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB will review research projects to ensure that the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research conducted at Valencia are protected as required by Federal law. The IRB process will take effect on July 1.

Individuals conducting research at Valencia that involves students, faculty, staff or administrators will be required to submit an application summarizing their research and obtain approval from the IRB before data collection can begin. The good news is that for most routine instructional; student service; and administrative processes and activities; either IRB regulations do not apply or the Federal regulations require no changes other than that an application must be filed, to which the IRB will officially declare that the research activity is exempt from IRB review.

There will be some cases in which the regulations will apply, requiring the IRB to review and approve the research in order for it to be conducted in compliance with Federal regulations. In these situations, the research will be subject to either expedited review or full review (we expect this to be a rare occurrence). As it considers each application, the IRB is authorized to review, approve, require modifications in, or disapprove research activities. The IRB is involved only to ensure protection of human subjects in compliance with Federal regulations. It is important to note that the merit of proposed research designs will not be subject to IRB review unless compliance is affected.

Some of you may have had experiences with IRBs at universities, where these Boards have been in place for years. The Federal requirement is now being enforced at community colleges as well, with many community colleges across the nation now setting up their first IRB process. Our IRB will work in a similar manner to those at universities but with an aim to be as unintrusive as possible while complying with Federal regulations.

What is considered "research" under the Federal regulations? In general, based on Federal regulations, the IRB compliance process applies to all types of research involving human subjects at Valencia . This includes grant-funded projects, as well as institutional and individual research, including dissertation and thesis projects. Research methods subject to IRB review are those that involve data and information collected that will contribute to generalized knowledge. Common examples include ocus groups; surveys; questionnaires; and interviews.

The following faculty and staff representatives have been appointed to serve on the charter Valencia IRB: Trish Anderson; Esther Coombes; Jeff Cornett; Liz Gombash (Chair); Dale Husbands; Susan Kelley (Co-Chair); Renee Simpson; and Linda Speranza. Blake Urbach-Buholz from Community Vision in Kissimmee will serve as the IRB Community Representative.

Information and documents will be available the College's Web site in the near future. An IRB Web page is being designed to serve as a user-friendly means of communicating information with the aim of minimizing the time and effort involved in preparing IRB documents. Until the IRB Web page is fully operational, you may obtain detailed documents or ask questions by sending a request for information to irb@valenciacc.edu.

You are also encouraged to attend Leadership Valencia training on human research protection and the new Valencia IRB process, even if you do not have a research project scheduled in the near future.

Many thanks go to representatives from the Faculty Council, Professional Staff Leadership Team, Instructional Affairs Committee, Institutional Research, Teaching and Learning Academy , Staff and Organizational Development, and other individuals who have provided input into the development so far of the Valencia IRB process.

On behalf of the new IRB, we look forward to hearing more about and supporting the exciting research taking place at Valencia . If you have any questions or comments, feel free to submit an email to irb@ valenciacc.edu.

Revised Travel Policy

Please review the revised travel policy at http:// valenciacc.edu/policies/ located under policy number 6HX28:07-25

The Accounts Payable Web site will contain links to the new forms, which include the Authorization for Travel, Per Diem and In-District Travel, after July 1.

Procurement News

Ordering office supplies are done on-line with Office Depot and are for consumable office supplies only. In order to purchase items from Office Depot, a Banner purchase order or use of your P-Card is necessary to place orders.

The GL used for on-line orders is 655010 or 655020, depending on your account. Consumable supplies include items such as pens, pencils, tablet pads, sticky notes, paper clips, folders, hanging folders, etc. Items not to be purchased on-line are any type of equipment or furniture, including digital cameras, fans, typewriters, safes, microwaves, refrigerators, fax machines, printers, file cabinets, desks, etc. Equipment or furniture orders are not permissible for on-line ordering with Office Depot. Please contact Procurement for these needs.

Types of personal or departmental items that the college does not pay for out of operational funds are: coffee, tea, sugar, candy, paper products (cups, bowls, plates), plastic silver ware, over-the-counter medicine, band aids, tissues, clocks, cleaning supplies, bottled water, etc.

Office cleaning is a service provided collegewide by Plant Operations. Any issues regarding office cleaning should be directed to the plant operations office on your campus.

Copier and printer paper orders should be directed to the copy center located on your campus. Special paper can be ordered through the copy centers and will be charged to your budget.

All toner cartridges and name tags are ordered through Procurement at http://www.valenciacc.edu/ procurement/facultystaff. Procurement will create the purchase order and notify you when the order has been placed.

Beginning July 1 the paper general requisition form, which can be found on Atlas under the Valencia Form Generator, will have the new name of "check request." This form will only be used for employee reimbursements, SPD and student stipends.

Consultants will require purchase orders generated by a Banner requisition with a signed consultant agreement for processing. The new consultant agreement form is available on Atlas under the Valencia Forms Generator.

Orlando Police Officers or other security personnel will be processed using a Banner purchase order. Time sheets will be used as invoices and sent to Accounts Payable for a check. Consultant Agreements are not necessary for these types of security personnel. You can utilize the template for requisitions in the Banner Self Service module for easy repetitive access.

Memberships should be paid by P-Card. If the organization does not accept MasterCard, then a purchase order may be generated.

Orders for the Bookstore should go directly to the Bookstore. The P-Card is accepted at all bookstore locations.

All SPD check requests should go to the SPD office at MC 3-33. SPD staff will then forward the paperwork to the accounts payable department for payment.

Check requests for travel or student stipends should be mailed directly to Accounts Payable at DTC-3. The VID number is required on all check requests. The new check request form does NOT require Procurement approval.

Any invoice from a vendor without a purchase order will be directed to Procurement for review. Our terms and conditions require that purchase order numbers be included on all invoices. We will follow up with the supplier and requestor if needed.

Food Services Report - Information about food services can be found on Procurement's Web site at http://www. valenciacc.edu/procurement/FoodServices.Asp. Cabin Creek Food Services is trying hard to maintain pricing, quality and selection in our Cafés and vending. However, due to increases from several of the suppliers, and the price of gasoline, there will be a few price increases on certain items beginning on July 1. The pricing is still very competitive and lower than what you can buy at convenience stores or other retail outlets.

The price of a 20 oz cola from a vending machine at neighboring colleges and universities has risen to $1.25 within the past 18 months. Convenience store pricing ranges from $1.25 to $1.39 plus tax. Our vending price for 20 oz colas will raise from $1.00 to $1.25. Candy bars will increase from .75 to .85 cents, crackers from .60 cents to .70 cents and pastry from .85 cents to $1.00.

Between now and the start of the fall session the menu and operational procedures at the Cafés will be tweaked to reflect more healthier choices; provide speedier service; and introduce some new selections. A great new fish sandwich will be featured in July and new and better breads are now being chosen which will appear within the next few days.

"The bottom line is that food and beverage wholesale costs have risen sharply over the past year and a half. We at Cabin Creek Food Services are planning and striving to maintain a broad menu with quality and generous portions for Valencia while keeping our pricing as reasonable as possible. That is, at or below comparative item prices sold by similar businesses within the marketplace," reports owners Gini and Larry Tackett.

Look for the new menu items to begin trickling in beginning in July and continuing up to the start of the fall session.

The Valencia Wellness Program is offering strength training instruction on East and West Campus. Sign-ups are available for Wednesday, July 18 at the West Campus Fitness Center and Wednesday, July 25 at the East Campus Fitness Center . The purpose of the session will be to receive instruction on the strength training equipment. You can set up an appointment for a 30-45 minute session in the Fitness Center of either campus by emailing Debi Jakubcin at djakubcin@valenciacc.edu. If you have any questions please call Debi at ext. 2281.

Interested in submitting a workshop proposal for Learning Day? Visit online at: www.valenciacc.edu/learningday/planningform.asp

Leadership Valencia

Basic Banner, Banner Finance Self Service, and Banner for Budget Management . Please check online for availability prior to registering.

Choosing the Right Insurance for Every Stage of Your Life - Insurance is a financial tool that shifts the cost of unexpected expenses from the individual to a third party. Learn about proper coverage for your specific needs through an unbiased discussion of the insurance process. Bring your favorite beverage; a free box lunch will be served. Sponsored by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges. July 5, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Winter Park-225/226, registration code: GCRI

Circles of Belonging - Ever wonder what makes a person tick? Individual experiences play a huge part in shaping the way we interact with others and view the world around us. This in-depth interactive workshop will examine how diversity of experience impacts our interpersonal communications and relationships. Through discovery and discussion, learn more about yourself and the people around you. Participants will leave the session with an increased understanding of and appreciation for similarities and differences. July 12, 9a.m.-3:30 p.m., CJI-100, registration code: PCOB3

Office Management, Part 3: Stuff Nobody Ever Told Me - This conversation style session will provide an opportunity for attendees to receive hints and tips for honing office career skills. Topics covered will include the unspoken office protocol; personal responsibility; boomerang effect; professional image; and under estimating water cooler talk. Sponsored by the Career Staff Council. July 12, 2-4:30 p.m., East 3-113, registration code: POM3

New Microsoft Office 2007 Interface -This workshop will introduce attendees to the new Microsoft Office 2007 Ribbon interface, as well as exploring features such as the MS office button, contextual tabs, and SmartArt Graphics. July 16, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Osceola 2-142, registration code: TNMOI-4

Phone Mail Etiquette - This session will focus on utilizing and maximizing your Nortel phone for greater service. Learn tips on phone etiquette with ideas on how phone features can assist you in your everyday job functions! This session is sponsored by Career Staff Council. Wed, July 18, 2-5 p.m. Winter Park-115, registration code: PPE

Reading Circle : Made to Stick - (six seats available) Made to Stick is a book that will transform the way you communicate ideas. Mark Twain once observed, "A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on." His observation rings true: Urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus public-health scares circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas struggle to make their ideas "stick." Join this reading circle, facilitated by Keith Houck to discuss this provocative, eye-opening, and funny book that shows us the principles of successful ideas at work-and how we can apply these rules to making our own messages "stick." This session is sponsored by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges. Attendees will receive a copy of Made to Stick . July 19, 2:30-4:30 p.m., West Campus 6-202, registration code: PREAD

Institutional Review Board Process - A workshop to train faculty and staff in the college's new Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. Dates are tentative. July 19, 1-4 p.m., Osceola 1-173, registration code: PIRBP-5 OR Jul 20, 9 a.m.-12 noon, Winter Park-226, registration code: PIRBP-6

Congratulations to Donna Dudash who now joins the Valencia Foundation as Manager, Donor Stewardship. Donna's passion for all things Valencia, strong technical skills, enthusiastic manner, and warm personality all combine to make her an asset to the Foundation Team. Donna can be reached at ext. 3128, mail code DTC-1 or ddudash@valenciacc.edu