Bookstore sale
Thursday-Friday, Oct. 2-3, the bookstore is having a sale. Get 20 percent off all clothing and gift items. Additional sale items are on tables.
Luther Tailgater Oct. 4
Alumni, parents, friends and Dutch fans are invited to a tailgater before the Central vs. Luther football game Saturday, Oct. 4, in Decorah. The tailgater, located in the tent north of the Regents Center parking lot, features pizza and chicken from Mabe’s Pizza from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Coach Jeff McMartin (athletics) will speak to the crowd. Cost is $7 for adults and students, $4 for kids 5-12 and is free for children under 5. Payment in advance is preferred. RSVP to the alumni office by Monday, Sept. 29, at ext. 5154 or e-mail alumni@central.edu.
Organ recital Oct. 5
Mark Babcock (music) will give an organ recital Sunday, Oct. 5, at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 1115 Grand Ave., in West Des Moines. The concert starts at 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Central alumni employee luncheon Oct. 7
Central College alumni who also work for the college are invited to an alumni employee luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 7, in Graham Conference Center from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. President David Roe will speak to the group at noon. A photo for the alumni Bulletin will be taken at 12:15 p.m. Lunch for Central College alumni faculty and staff is free and includes wraps, pasta primavera, salad, bars, cookies and beverages. RSVP to the alumni office by Friday, Oct. 3. Call ext. 5154 or e-mail alumni@central.edu.
Being green at work Oct. 9
Russ Benedict (biology) is the guest speaker for the Pella Professional and Business Women’s Forum (PPBWF) Thursday, Oct. 9, from noon-1 p.m. in Graham Conference Center, room 1. He will speak on “The Earth-Friendly Workplace: Why is it Important?”
PPBWF is a networking and professional development organization for career-oriented women in the community interested in enhancing different aspects of our work world. If you plan to attend, e-mail Diane Massick at diane@ewingdevelopment.com by noon, Monday, Oct. 6. For membership information, contact Connie Cross (marketing and media relations) at ext. 5153.
Parents’ council on campus Oct. 11
The Central College parents’ council will meet Saturday, Oct. 11, to discuss relevant issues with professors and staff on campus. President David Roe, Pat Joachim Kitzman (Career Center) and a student panel will speak at the fall meeting.
A Hot Ghetto Mess or A Visionary Global Leader
Lasana Hotep will give an address titled “A Hot Ghetto Mess or A Visionary Global Leader” Monday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in van Emmerik studio in Maytag Student Center. All are invited to attend free of charge.
This multimedia presentation challenges the notions of popular media toward people of color by outlining economic, social and political factors that contribute to some of the challenges our communities face. Ultimately, the workshop outlines strategies, attitudes and behaviors needed to transform one from a “hot, ghetto, mess” into a visionary global leader.
Upcoming wellness events
2008 Flu Vaccine Program
Central’s health services on the first floor of Hoffman Hall will give flu vaccines to faculty, staff and spouses starting Tuesday, Oct. 21, between 7-9 a.m. A 10-minute wait is required after receiving the vaccine. Cost is $16, payable by check only. Dates for vaccination are Tuesdays Oct. 21, 28 and Nov. 4; Thursdays Oct. 23, 30; and Friday, Nov. 7. Call ext. 5227 with questions.
Annual wellness blood screening
Central’s health services will conduct wellness blood screenings Tuesday, Nov. 11, and Thursday, Nov. 20. More details to come.
Two alumni events in Wisconsin
Alumni, parents, friends and guests are welcome to attend an alumni event at The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls, Wis., Tuesday, Oct. 21. A dinner buffet with cash bar begins at 6 p.m. Cost is $15 and payment in advance is preferred. RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 15, by e-mailing alumni@central.edu.
Steve ’72 and Jane Louden will host an event for alumni, parents, friends and guests at their home in Eau Claire, Wis., Saturday, Oct. 25. A social reception with hors d’oeuvres will be from 3-5 p.m. There is no cost for the event. RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 22, by e-mailing alumni@central.edu. For more information, go to www.central.edu/alumni/events.
A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers mini-fall tour Oct. 25-26
The A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers will sing at Zion Lutheran Church in Iowa City for its Saturday evening service Oct. 25 at 5:15 p.m.
The Central College A Cappella Choir and Chambers Singers will sing a full concert at the Historic First Congregation Church in Iowa City Sunday, Oct. 26, at 4p.m. As part of its Fine Arts Series, this concert will serve to help dedicate the new Casavant Pipe Organ that was recently installed. The concert will be followed by a reception.
Both Iowa City events are free and open to the public.
The Chamber Singers will sing as part of the Bluegrass Conference High School Vocal Festival at Melcher-Dallas High School Monday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m.
The Chamber Singers will sing as part of the Eddyville-Blakesburg Conference High School Vocal Festival Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m.
Mark Babcock (music) will be the guest honor choir director/clinician for both conference festivals involving over 500 area high school students.
The Central College Chamber Singers Day Tour Wednesday, Nov. 12, will include singing on the Noontime Recital Series at St. John’s Lutheran Church in downtown Des Moines. This event is free and open to the public.
A Taste of Iowa in Central Market
The Central Market presented A Taste of Iowa Wednesday, Sept. 3. Students and staff enjoyed a variety of food manufactured in Iowa. This special event is presented to bring awareness to dining services customers of all the items produced in our great state. Jack Suiter of Landmark Farms in Sully promoted his fresh produce.
BioTour bus on campus
BioTour, a public-awareness campaign traveling the country in a biodiesel bus to promote sustainability, stopped at Central College Sept. 17. The group gave demonstrations and discussed alternative fuel sources in the Central Market parking lot.
The tour travels in a 1989 International Blue Bird school bus powered by 100-percent renewable energy, stemming from vegetable oil, biodiesel fuel and solar electricity. The gas tanks, consisting of three storage barrels and the main fuel tank, are filled with hand-processed vegetable oil from restaurants. The group demonstrated this fuel system, which can hold approximately 180 gallons of fuel, allowing the bus to run about 1,800 miles before needing to refuel.
Upgraded U-CAN
An upgraded U-CAN (University and College Accountability Network) college consumer information Web site – www.ucan-network.org – advances a growing national movement toward greater college transparency and accountability for prospective students and their families.
This is the first major upgrade to the U-CAN site, which was originally unveiled in September 2007. It will enhance the Web site which already is recognized for providing free, objective, comparable data on the factors that matter most to consumers: student costs broken out by category, tuition trends, admission and graduation rates, average student aid packages, average debt at graduation, and much more.
U-CAN “2.0” offers consumers:
· A greatly enhanced search function that increases the number of searchable variables from three to 17. Institutions can now be searched by tuition and fees, graduation rates, and average debt at graduation, among other categories.
· A new consumer guide to resources for planning for college, searching for the best college fit, and navigating the financial aid maze.
Since NAICU first unveiled U-CAN Sept. 26, 2007, with 600 nonprofit, private colleges and universities on board including Central College, the number of participating institutions has grown by 21 percent. The roster of private colleges and universities signed up to participate has grown to 728 institutions. The association has 953 member schools, which enroll 85 percent of all students attending private colleges and universities in America.
U-CAN's new features are the result of consumer focus group conversations conducted across the nation in spring 2008, and feedback collected from site users over the past year. The findings show that consumers value the type of transparency, guidance, and user-friendly access to information that U-CAN provides – and want even more.
NAICU serves as the unified national voice of independent higher education. With more than 1,000 member institutions and associations nationwide, NAICU reflects the diversity of private, nonprofit higher education in the United States.
Employee Spotlight - Sandy Verhoef
Name: Sandy Verhoef
Department: IT services
Title: Software training and support specialist
About me: Bachelor's degree from William Penn University in accounting with a minor in applied computer science; Microsoft Certified Application Specialist in Microsoft Excel 2007, Microsoft Word 2007, PowerPoint 2003 and Outlook 2003; has two children: son Dylan, who lives at home, and duaghter Blair, who graduated from Iowa State University in May, and now lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C.; enjoys following the kids' activities, reading and biking.
Nominations for promotion of tenured faculty
The Faculty Personnel Committee is soliciting nominations for promotion of tenured faculty. Description of the faculty ranks can be found in Chapter 5, page 1, of the faculty handbook. The performance criteria and post-tenure promotion review process are stated in Chapter 7.
The nominations are due to either Kevin Den Adel (economics/accounting/management) or Marilyn Vrban (academic affairs) by Monday, Oct. 13. The nominated person’s review materials must be submitted to her/his department chair by Monday, Jan. 12, 2009.
Wilkinson elected to Screen Actors Guild
Ann Wilkinson (theatre) was elected to the Council of the Chicago Branch of the Screen Actors Guild of America.
Iowa Communication Association annual meeting
Dennis Doyle (communication studies) attended the annual meeting of the Iowa Communication Association at the Five Sullivan Brothers Center in Waterloo, Iowa, Sept. 19-20. Doyle served as respondent to a panel of undergraduate research papers. Senior communication studies major Jessica Palmer also attended the conference and presented her research titled “A Family Affair: A Study of a Family Owned and Operated Business,” as part of the undergraduate panel. Her paper was selected as the top student paper at the conference, which means she was recognized at the conference banquet and will be invited to have her study published in an upcoming issue of the Iowa Journal of Communication.
During the conference, Linda Laine (communication studies) was elected to a three-year term on the executive board of the Iowa Communication Association.
Koza at peace and justice conference
Kim Koza (English) attended the 2008 Peace and Justice Studies Association Conference Sept. 11-13 at Portland State University in Portland, Ore. The conference theme was “Building Cultures of Peace.” The conference featured a wide variety of panels on topics such as nonviolence and conflict resolution, peace education in colleges and universities, environmental sustainability and alternative futures, responding to genocide and war, and women, gender and sexuality.
Stark published
Mary Stark (English) and Stephen Johnson, who received a doctorate in plant ecology from Kansas State, have an article titled “Reading the Landscape: Prairie Education through American Literature” in the Interdisciplinary Approaches section of Modern Language Association’s 2008 book Teaching North American Environmental Literature.
Kellar presents at eating disorder awareness conference
Michelle Kellar (student counseling services) attended the National Eating Disorder Awareness (NEDA) Conference in Austin, Texas, Sept. 18-20. She co-presented a session titled “No More Denial About Exercise — Using a Comprehensive Treatment Team Approach to Address Overexercise in ED clients.” This presentation emerged from the efforts in the past year of the NEDA Exercise Special Interest Group of which Kellar is a member.
Strategic Planning Initiatives
Emergency Action Plan — an AQIP initiative
There have been many emergencies within Iowa over the summer and communities have rallied to recover. It is important for all communities to prepare for disasters in advance, identify resources that will help when in the middle of a crisis, and how to address recovery. The Emergency Action Plan at Central attempts to do just that. As one of the current AQIP projects, the Emergency Action Plan team is in the process of updating the document and planning training programs. Several reminders are noteworthy:
- Tornadoes do strike Iowa. Know where you would go to the designated safer place in each building. You will find signs in every classroom. A good rule of thumb is to seek shelter in the middle or basement of the building, away from any glass.
- Practice fire drills in October will teach all of us how to exit quickly and meet in a green space away from the building. There we need to account for our neighbors and co-workers. Did everyone make it out safely? Speed and safety and accountability are important.
- Contact Dean Thompson (security) or other security staff at 780-2847 any time you are concerned about a safety issue. Gas smells, a possible bomb threat, a potential violent confrontation, a bomb threat, tornado, or fire can be called it and will trigger a safety process.
- Remember that President David Roe and marketing and media relations are the only official spokespersons for any emergency that generates questions from the media. In the best interest of the college, refer any reporters to the official spokespersons.
- During any emergency the college needs responsible followers, following the leadership and command center requests, complying with the approved safety policies and helpful dispositions. Assisting those who cannot evacuate on their own is important, following the plan and protocols for safe accounting of all the residence is important, too. Leaving the scene to do personal things or hindering rescue squads in their work is not helpful to the community.
Take some time to read the brightly colored abbreviated Emergency Action Plan in your area. If you would like to have someone come to talk to your team or workers regarding emergencies, please notify Vivian Rippentrop (institutional planning). Arrangements for a training session can be made. Let’s prepare for the worst, but expect the best.
2007-08 outcomes/results of strategic plan
During the spring semester 2008, the second-year plan and initiatives related to advancing the plan were reviewed. During those planning meetings, various representatives of the Enrollment and Financial Support Council and the Student Learning and Development Council met to discuss the outcomes and successes of the strategic plan goals through their operating plans. Many strategies were accomplished this past year and will continue to evolve and be a part of the work of the college, but will not be a key focus of the strategic plan in the third year.
Accomplishments include:
1. Enhance academic quality
- Passed a new core in concept and an implementation processes are planned.
- Integrated cultural affairs programming into Intersections and other classes.
- Central College Abroad piloted three assessments to determine study abroad outcomes.
- Institutional Assessment Coordinating Council planned and implemented assessments of student learning outcomes.
- Revised classes to meet the needs of the students: example — Exploring Experience.
- Maintained an average academic profile of ACT 24 in the first year class of 2008.
2. Advance a purposeful co-curricular residential community
- Promoted healthy choices brochure and panel discussions to increase healthy personal decision making and well-being, including drug, alcohol use and sexual decision making.
- Trained college personnel in ally development, safe zone program to provide consistent campus recognized program that results in behaviors that are more inclusive.
- Report of the Wellness Task Force was received.
- Scholte Hall renovation.
3. Encourage a welcoming, fiscally responsive learning environment
- Accountability and collaboration between the athletics department and student life regarding student conduct and personal development issues.
- Advancement’s solicitation plan for the education and psychology building is well underway and boosted by receiving the coveted Kresge grant.
- Central College Abroad designed and implemented strategies by territory including target schools and strategies for each.
- Revised the Central College Abroad brochures and Web site.
- Increased the coop base by three new institutions to enlarge the potential for more coop students studying abroad on Central’s programs.
- On-campus enrollment of nearly even gender split with 200 males and 205 females.
- Increased transfer populations by 6 percent through increased inquiry base, publications, and personal attention.
- Departmental operating plans have been reviewed by the councils and by the Faculty Assessment Committee.
- Transfer students, readmits and first-year students combined for an enrollment figure for new students higher than fall of 2007.
- Wireless network installed.
- Implemented a 360 degree feedback process for managers.
4. Create a culture of shared values
- Enrolled five RCA Classis Scholarship students this fall.
- Made over 45 visits to RCA pastors and congregations.
- Sustain, an environmental group, was recognized within the core.
- The education and psychology building is under construction and pursuing a LEED-platinum rating.
- Improve marketing and integration of cultural events with curriculum.
- Community Partnerships build on common values: Campus ministries, Sustain, Office of Community- Based Learning, Department of Education and Exercise Science, and others partner with the community.
- A culture of assessment has been developed through the use of National Survey of Student Engagement, Need for Cognition, Global Perspectives Inventory, Collegiate Learning Assessment, CIRP, Noel Levitz research and others.
- Ongoing evaluations and discussions of effectiveness of Central College leadership as a continuous improvement process for councils.
In addition to continuing to work on strategies within the three year plan, several new or altered initiatives/strategies will be the focus of our work in the third year:
- Implement the new core curriculum along with an assessment plan for key outcomes and competencies.
- Assess the outcomes of international education and infuse what is learned into program planning.
- Maintain fiscal responsibility and sound infrastructure.
- Revitalize academic advising at Central.
The current strategic plan is available on Content Collection. It is important that employees and the board of trustees strategically move Central College into the next chapter with impeccable planning, energetic implementation, and continuous evaluation.
Respectfully submitted,
Vivian Rippentrop (institutional planning)
Students Doing Interesting Things
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Gina Tucker, custodian with facilities planning and management
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Beary Good Supervisor Award 
September’s Beary Good Supervisor is Tim Bosch (facilities planning and management) with the grounds department. Bosch has done a great job making sure each student completed his/her I9’s, W4’s and direct deposits before they started working (100 percent compliance). He successfully approved all his student workers and did a great job in the first month managing his budget, using roughly 10 percent. Thanks for your hard work.
Deadline and information on Tuition Exchange for new and returning dependents
The Tuition Exchange (TE) program provides the opportunity for eligible dependents of faculty and staff to receive undergraduate scholarships at one of the participating member institutions. A list of over 500 colleges and universities that participate in the TE program can be found on the TE Web page www.tuitionexchange.org. Applications for new and returning dependents for the TE program must be submitted to human resources by Monday, Nov. 3, for the 2009-10 school year. In addition to the application form, you will also need to submit a copy of your most recent tax return showing verification of dependent status. Once you get your 2008 tax return completed, you will need to submit the dependent status information from that. TE eligibility is limited to full-time employees and may be limited based on point criteria established by the college.
Deadline information on tuition reduction for new and returning employees and dependents
Tuition reduction benefits are available for spouses and dependent children commencing in the academic period following two years of continuous employment for a full-time employee (or 3,328 accumulated hours for less than full-time employment). As an employee of the college, you receive this benefit immediately upon employment. Tuition reduction does not apply to any off-campus programs (i.e. internships, study abroad). The form to submit for tuition reduction can be found on the HR Web site at https://my.central.edu. After logging in, click on the “For Employees” tab and look for forms in the human resources area. Please submit this form for new and returning students to human resources by Monday, Nov. 3, for the 2009-10 school year. In addition to the application form, you will also need to submit a copy of your most recent tax return showing verification of dependent status. Once you get your 2008 tax return completed, you will need to submit the dependent status information from that.
Upcoming holidays
Thanksgiving
Thursday-Friday, Nov. 27-28
Christmas
Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 24-26
Half day Wednesday, Dec. 31
New Year’s
Thursday-Friday, Jan. 1-2
Access both 2008 and 2009 pay and holiday schedules via the Web at https://my.central.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-53216_4.
Upcoming events
Professional development annual presentations are Thursday, Oct. 16, from 10-11:30 a.m. Topics include: social networking — Explaining the groundswell: harnessing social technologies for productivity, led by Jacob Oyen (marketing and media relations); Cordova Project — Cordova/Lake Red Rock Project, led by Cheri Doane (community-based learning) and Mary Jo Sodd (theatre); Central and the RCA — Update on Central College’s relationship with the Reformed Church in America, led by Kristin Sullivan (RCA relations). You will receive a brochure in campus mail within the next couple of days. Please return your completed registration form to the HR office, Campus Box 6000 by Monday, Oct. 13. Additional copies will be available in the HR office.
Open Positions
To review general open positions and download an application click here or visit the college Web site at www.central.edu and select job seekers on the home page drop-down menu for more information.
Central College is strongly committed to creating a diverse community. In furtherance of that commitment, the college encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds, under represented groups and/or those who have had experience working with and/or interacting with individuals from diverse populations to apply. Central College is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates.
News items should be submitted to Abby Gonzales by noon Friday, Oct. 10.