Campus Announcements

Reaccreditation process invites comments from campus

Faculty, staff and students are invited to send their comments to the WASC visit team by e-mail. Comments will remain confidential and only accessible by the WASC visit team. The WASC visit team is on campus March 12-14 and the e-mail address is wasc_csus@yahoo.com. For more information on the reaccreditation process and forums visit www.csus.edu/bulletin/bulletin030507/bulletin030507Reaccreditation.stm
Submitted by Academic Affairs

Staff Employee Recognition recipients announced
The recipients for the Staff Employee Recognition Program are Ardene (Auggie) Johnson, Facilities Services project supervisor; Rosita Takach, Financial Aid counseling unit coordinator; and Michael Ybarra, University Union supervising building services engineer.

Johnson is the project supervisor for Facilities Services. Johnson’s nominators indicated that he is a “role model, motivating others to excellence,” and “under his leadership, the Renovation and Project crew has completed quality projects in limited time frames with limited funding.”

Takach is the counseling unit coordinator for the Financial Aid Office. Takach’s nominator noted that she “volunteers to go with outreach staff to area high schools to give financial aid presentations,” and that “she has helped Sen. Deborah Ortiz give her yearly orientations to help students apply for financial aid by the March 2 deadline.”

Ybarra is the supervising building services engineer for the University Union. During the time Ybarra has been on campus, he has encouraged growth and development of the University Union especially the “implementation of new services.” His nominator indicated, “Under his leadership, the expansion and remodel projects were finished on schedule and under budget.”

Employees are encouraged to nominate any staff member who is deserving of the award.
Submitted by the President’s Office

University Factbook updated and available online
The Office of Institutional Research has updated the University Factbook, which is available at www.oir.csus.edu/Reports/FactBook/Default.cfm. The Factbook provides spring 2007 enrollment information, student profiles and applied, admitted and enrolled student information. There is also five-year historical information on each of the University’s programs and colleges. For more information, contact the Office of Institutional Research at 278-6566 or visit www.oir.csus.edu.
Submitted by the Office of Institutional Research

Governor’s Employee Safety Awards
The State of California is accepting nominations for the 25th annual Governor’s Employee Safety Awards. The award program recognizes outstanding performance by individual state employees and groups for improving job health and safety or responding to life-threatening situations when those tasks are accomplished outside of their normal scope of work. The governor is committed to the program and will sign the award certificates which will be presented to selected employees and groups during the August awards ceremony in the University Union. For forms and complete information regarding nomination and eligibility, go to www.orim.dgs.ca.gov/Events/default.htm.
Submitted by Environmental Health & Safety

CMS campus forums
The CMS project office will be hosting campus forums on the following dates:

• Tuesday, March 20, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., University Union Summit Room

• Wednesday, March 21, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., University Union Forest Suite

Employees can attend either forum to obtain the latest information about the student administration implementation. For more information, call 278-3701.
Submitted by the CMS Project Office

Hornet Lounge open late
The Hornet Lounge is now open. The lounge is located on the second floor of the AIRC building and provides 24-hour computer lab access, printing and studying areas. The Hornet Lounge hours are 11:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday-Thursday. On-site security is available, and students are recommended to park their vehicles as close as possible to the AIRC building. The Hornet Express is available from dusk to 11 p.m. for a safe trip to students’ vehicles. The Hornet Lounge is sponsored by Associated Students and Campus Communications and Media Services. For more information contact Guillermo Torres at 278-2772.
Submitted by Associated Students, Inc.

Deadlines

Funding assistance available for advanced degrees
Applications are now available for the Graduate Equity Fellowship and the California Pre-Doctoral Program. The programs are sponsored by the CSU Chancellor’s Office and are designed to help students complete their master’s degrees and increase the pool of potential faculty.

The California Pre-Doctoral Program for undergraduate and graduate students provides $3,000 for students who have experienced economic and educational disadvantages and wish to work closely with a CSU faculty sponsor to develop a plan ultimately leading to enrollment in a doctoral program. The application deadline is March 23.

The Graduate Equity Fellowship is a $1,500 grant for students who have experienced economic and educational disadvantages. Students must meet financial and academic requirements and must be classified or conditionally classified as a graduate student in a master’s degree program at Sacramento State. The application deadline is April 13.

For more information or an application, contact the Office of Graduate Diversity in River Front Center 203, call 278-3834 or e-mail jose.l.martinez@csus.edu.
Submitted by McNair Scholars Program

Human Resources

Investment Faire offers financial planning information
The Benefits Office is sponsoring the 2007 Investment Faire from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 22 in the University Union Redwood Room. The event will feature representatives from various companies on the CSU Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) company approved list, representatives from the Department of Administration Savings Plus Program (457/401 (k)) and other programs that offer investment/financial planning options. Attendance is on a drop-in basis.

Throughout the day there will also be special educational presentations designed to further assist employees in financial planning. Presentations include:

• Financial Finesse: Unbiased information on Taxation/Tax Basics, (i.e, new rates, additional deductions, exemptions, credits payment options, filing status, etc.) from 9:30 a.m. – noon in the Orchard Suite. This workshop can assist employees in becoming more aware of simple tax filing strategies.
• CalPERS Member Home Loan Program from 12:30 – 2 p.m. in the Orchard Suite. This program offers low to no down payment options, interest-only loans, down payment assistance, 100 percent financing, discount closing costs, discounted mortgage insurance rates and many more features.
  
  CalPERS retains CitiMortgage, Inc. as the program manager for the CalPERS Member Home Loan Program. However, CitiMortgage does not originate CalPERS Mortgage Loans. Their primary goal is to educate employees about the Home Loan Program. Handouts regarding CalPERS Home Loan vendors are available at the presentation.

Spouses/domestic partners are welcomed to attend the fair and presentations. Employees may schedule their attendance for the special presentations only by calling the Benefits Office at 278-6213 or registering at www.csus.edu/fas/traindev/train.htm.
Submitted by Human Resources

Catastrophic Leave Donation Program
Sacramento State employees may voluntarily donate to other employees up to a maximum of 16 hours of sick or vacation leave credits each fiscal year in one-hour increments. CSUEU, MPP, Unit 4, Unit 6 and Confidential employees may donate up to a maximum of 40 hours per fiscal year.

If employees are interested in donating time, a donation form can be obtained by going to www.csus.edu/hr/forms.stm#Disability, or by visiting the Human Resources, Disability Leaves Office in Sacramento Hall 162, or by calling extension 278-3522.

The following employees have been approved for the Catastrophic Leave Donation Program:

Gary Davis, Facilities Services
Kaylene Ekeh, Criminal Justice
Rose Marie Fisher, Graduate Studies
Jenny Yang, Financial Aid

Submitted by Human Resources