Human Resources

Mindfulness program on March 7th

The results of last fall’s PHA program found that many of us are interested in finding ways to better manage stress. Consider attending a presentation on mindfulness on Tuesday, March 7. Offered at both 10 a.m. and noon at the Cinema in the Warch Campus Center, this 30-minute program will cover the topic of mindfulness, address how it helps to relieve stress and include a short exercise that you can immediately start using in your daily life. Presented by Laurie Ehlers, RN CDE.

Each day we see students’ lives enriched thanks to the role you play here at Lawrence. We value learning at Lawrence and we value you. We are excited to introduce a new informational series for staff and faculty called Learning at Lawrence. This series will offer sessions throughout the year on a variety of topics to help each of you learn more about what you need to more effectively do your job, resources available on campus, what various departments do to support our overall mission, tours and more! The average session will last 40 minutes, allowing travel time to and from to keep your time away to one hour. Optional Q&A and/or tours may be offered beyond this timeframe.

Please mark your calendars for the following sessions, and watch LU Insider for additional learning opportunities!

Session one: Introduction to the Annual Budget Process, presented by Jenna Stone, executive director of budget and planning
Wednesday, Feb. 15
1:10–1:50 p.m.
Warch, Cinema

This session is an introduction to the annual budgeting process, from initial department requests to a complete institutional budget. Appropriate for budget managers as well as assistants who enter budget request data in Banner. Whether you’re new to Lawrence and going through the budget process for the first time or a veteran budget manager looking for a refresher and update on what’s new this year, this session will have something useful.

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Session two: Privacy and Information Sharing, presented by Julia Messitte, university counsel

Tuesday, Feb. 28
11:10–11:50 a.m. OR 1:10–1:50 p.m.
Warch, Cinema 

This session is highly encouraged for all staff and faculty to attend. It will address how members of the Lawrence community should respond to requests for student and employee information in a manner that respects individual privacy as well as legal requirements. Suitable for any Lawrence employee with questions on whether, how and with whom to share information regarding students or employees. We will discuss how the answers depend on who is seeking information, why and under what authority; what information they are seeking and in what form; and whether we have discretion to share the information.

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Session three: Understanding Financial Aid, presented by Sara Holman, director of financial aid

Thursday, March 23
10:10–10:50 a.m. OR 1:10–1:50 p.m.
Warch, Esch Hurvis Room 225

This session will provide an overview of the financial aid process, including Lawrence University’s three dependent tuition benefit programs: Lawrence University Tuition Remission, ACM Tuition Remission and National Tuition  Exchange. In addition to highlighting the specifics of each program, Sara will explain how they fit into the admissions and financial aid process, as well as when and how to apply for each program.

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We look forward to learning with you. Please contact your HR team member if you have any questions and watch LU Insider for additional sessions.

Have a great day!

The President’s Award of Excellence Committee and President Burstein are pleased to announce the 2016 President’s Award of Excellence. We had a lot of great nominations again this year, and it was a hard decision. The awards are based on the following criteria: support, stewardship, innovation and teamwork. The winners this year excel in all areas. Please congratulate Cynthia Patterson from Mudd Library and Larry Darling from the Conservatory of Music!

Cindy is responsible for the circulation desk at the library. Cindy showcases all of the criteria for the award. She demonstrates support by going above and beyond. Her nomination reads, “Cindy will do anything she can to ensure students, faculty and staff can find the materials they need in the library.” She demonstrates a high level of care for university resources and drives innovation and leadership in the workplace through creative ideas that impact the university and community. “All of Cindy’s student employees love her, as do her colleagues,” her nomination adds. “She is meticulous in training her students. Several of her students have gone on to be librarians, and every year her students hold a ‘Cindy Appreciation Day.'” Congrats, Cindy, on this achievement!

Larry is responsible for recording every concert and event at Lawrence. Larry exemplifies all of the criteria listed for the award. Larry supports the university by doing all it takes to get the job done. According to Larry’s nomination, “He is here at the crack of dawn or into the wee hours of the night. He goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service no matter how challenging or inconvenient the situation.” Larry is an excellent steward of the university resources. “He is responsible for maintaining recording and video equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars,” his nomination continues. “Larry finds ways to prevent major expensive repairs through attentive care and vigilance.” Everyone enjoys working with Larry, and he does his job very well. Congratulations on this achievement, Larry!

Please take a minute to congratulate Cindy and Larry. The awards will be presented Feb. 9 at the Service Award Luncheon, and the winners will also be recognized during the next all-staff meetings. A big thank you to everyone who nominated a colleague. We appreciate the considerable effort that went into each nomination and look forward to reviewing the nominations again next year. Thank you!

—President Burstein & the President’s Award of Excellence Committee