May 3rd, 2012

From Fanny Kelley, Student Financial Services:

When Keene State College transitioned from a three credit course model to a four credit course model, a temporary change was made to the number of credits that a student could take at the full-time tuition rate. The college allowed students to take up to 20 credits at the full-time tuition rate; anything over 20 credits was considered an overload of credits and was billed on a per-credit basis based on residency. This temporary maximum credit load (within the full-time tuition price) of 20 credits will change to 18 credits beginning in the spring 2013 semester. Students enrolled in 19 or more credits will be charged for those overload credits at the in-state tuition rate per credit, regardless of where the student resides.

This change to an 18-credit maximum will help to ensure that resources are being paid for by students who use them, and it will help to balance student workloads, encouraging students to get the most benefit from their academic experience at Keene State.

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From the PrintSmart team:

A huge thank-you goes out to the campus community for their help and cooperation in implementing Phase 1 of the PrintSmart initiative. Purchasing (Renee Harlow) met with over 70 offices and departments, and IT (Allen Morrison) and Conway Office Products installed 50 new Xerox multifunction printers on campus in six weeks.

The new printers benefit the College in several important ways: they improve the overall quality of our printed work; they save money on printing, copying, and energy use; and they support our on-going commitment to efficiency and sustainability.

The PrintSmart team worked hard to understand each office’s needs, and campus staff and faculty worked hard to adapt to the new situation. Thank you to everyone.

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From Jay Kahn and Ockle Johnson:

The Planning Council would like to update the campus on the progress of Fall 2011 strategic initiative pre-proposals. Pre-proposals need not seek new money; they more often are seeking priority for assistance from other departments.

In November, 27 pre-proposals were received by Principal Administrators. All but five of these were authorized for further consideration: 10 were authorized for further development as strategic initiative proposals; and 11 were authorized for further development as operational requests. Operational proposals get routed to the Cabinet through the Principal Administrators. For guidelines, see www.keene.edu/policy/pdf/OperationalNeedsProcess.pdf.

Strategic proposals contribute to advancing the College’s strategic goals and priorities, which can be viewed at http://www.keene.edu/planning/Strategic_Plan_Framework_Final_2011.pdf. These are reviewed by campus planning committees.

Of the ten pre-proposals that were deemed strategic, eight have been developed to full proposals for review this spring. The eight full proposals and their primary author are listed below.

• Structured Success Persistence and Retention Initiatives, Anne Miller
• Enhancing Undergraduate Research Mason Library, Irene Herold
• Faculty Support Resources Co-location – CELT, OSPR and OIA, Sue Castriotta
• Installation of Electric and Steam Sub-Meters, Diana Duffy
• 2012 Study Project to Improve Federal Work Study Program at KSC, Karen House
• Acquisition of Advancement Data Base, Maryann Lindberg
• Advancement Personnel, Maryann Lindberg
• Department Strategic Plan Award, Cathy Turrentine

If you or your department want to contribute to these proposals, please contact the primary proposal author listed above.

The next opportunity to submit strategic initiative pre-proposals is the end of the Spring 2012 semester. Pre-proposals are due to your Principal Administrator by April 27. Authorized pre-proposals would be developed as full-proposals over the summer and need to be submitted to the Planning Council by September 17, 2012. You can download a preproposal form at www.keene.edu/planning/doc/Strategic_Initiatives_Preproposal.doc.

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From Laurie Alden, Advancement:

We are very happy to announce that you can now reserve Centennial Hall in the Alumni Center by using the KSC Online Scheduling Request Form. Paper reservation forms used before for Centennial Hall are no longer required.

For questions prior to scheduling or inquiries on availability, contact Will Howell at the scheduling office at 8-2323.

Use the KSC Online Scheduling Request Form to submit your reservation request.

Once submitted, final confirmations and room set-up arrangements will still be handled by Laurie Alden at 8-2372.

Please note that Centennial Hall is open to reservations by faculty, staff & students during regular working hours for campus meetings and events at no cost. Evening and weekend use may incur fees for set-up and staffing.

Requests must be submitted at least 5 business days prior to the event. Please note that the paper scheduling form is no longer an acceptable reservation method for these purposes.

Information on all of the current scheduling practices can be found online.

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From Jim Tuttle:

Receive your 2011 W-2 electronically via self-service at WISE.UNH.EDU by providing consent before Jan 13. If no consent is given, paper W-2 will be sent via U.S. Mail. 2011 W-2 forms will be available on or before Jan 31, 2012.

Below are the steps an employee must take to provide their consent:

• Log into WISE.UNH.EDU using the nine digit USNH I.D. Number
• Access the Employee tab, then select “Tax Forms,” followed by selecting “Electronic W-2 Consent”
• Review the text and consent by selecting the check box
• Select the “Submit” button at the bottom of the page

Note: there is no confirmation message when the electronic consent process is completed

For additional information regarding the Electronic Form W-2, please go to the Business Office’s “Current Announcements” link at www.keene.edu/business/ and click on “Employees can receive their W-2 electronically” link.

Please call, e-mail, or stop by the Fiske Annex Payroll Office at 603-358-2482 or jtuttle@keene.edu if you have any questions regarding the E-W2.

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From John Lorette, Physical Plant:

Did you know that the Physical Plant Department completed over 14,000 work requests last year? In order to accomplish such a large volume of work, we rely on Maintenance Connection, our online software for submitting work requests.

If you notice a light out, a ripped window screen, a leaky faucet, or any other maintenance concern, please submit a request through Maintenance Connection. We also use this system to track all heating, cooling, and ventilation issues on campus.

Our technicians get their work orders directly from the software, so we are asking you to use the simple online interface instead of calling us on the phone or sending your requests through e-mail. Phone messages and e-mails ultimately create more work for our staff because, in addition to time spent fixing the problem, they also have to spend time writing the request in Maintenance Connection.

We understand that there are times when you will call us to let us know the urgency of your request, especially with heating and cooling concerns, and you are always welcome to do so, but we ask that you submit an online request first so our technicians can be dispatched as soon as possible.

Any current faculty or staff member can submit a work request and the link to Maintenance Connection can be found at the Physical Plant web page. If you have any difficulty connecting to Maintenance Connection or have any questions please contact John Lorette (ext. 2202; jlorette@keene.edu). We appreciate your help in this matter so we can keep our operation running smoothly and so our students and you can enjoy the benefit of our wonderful facilities.

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From the IT Group:

Welcome back to a new academic year. While some were away for the summer, the IT Group worked hard on campus technology to make improvements, new enhancements and refresh  existing technologies to help ensure a successful academic year for you. Here are a few things you may want to know.

The IT Group is pleased to announce that Microsoft Windows 7 and Office 2010 have come to KSC! Keene State has decided to begin the move to Windows 7 because it is the fastest and most reliable version of Windows. All Windows computers on campus will be upgraded to Windows 7 and Office 2010 gradually. This summer, most classrooms and computer labs were upgraded to Windows 7 and Office 2010. When logging into these computers, faculty/staff must include @keene.edu as part of the NetID. If you are not familiar with this software, please feel free to take a look ahead of time. There are online tutorials and training resources available to you on the HelpDesk Training website.  Feel free to poke around and take a tutorial or two.

All faculty and staff workstation upgrades will be deployed with Windows 7 and Office 2010. In addition to workstation upgrades, any computer requiring a reimage will also be upgraded to Windows 7 and Office 2010 by a HelpDesk technician at that time.  If your computer won’t be replaced in the near future, but is capable of running Windows 7 or Office 2010, you will have the opportunity to upgrade at your convenience. Look for a Windows 7 and Office 2010 upgrade request form coming soon on our website.

Keene State College has also moved from McAfee anti-virus software to Microsoft Forefront for faculty and staff. All new replacement cycle computers or computers that require a reimage will be deployed with Forefront anti-virus. It will continue to be updated and managed by the IT Group in an effort to eliminate security and performance risks to the KSC network.

What can you do to help eliminate security risks to the KSC network?  It is important to remain vigilant and aware about phishing.  As phishers become more savvy, it is important to remember that no legitimate institution, including the IT Group and Keene State College, will ever ask for your personal, login or password information. There are no exceptions to this rule! If you provide your credentials, your personal information and KSC data have both been compromised. Before you click on any link, think twice and contact the HelpDesk to verify your suspicion.

We are also excited to announce that the wireless network has expanded. This summer, the IT Group expanded the wireless network to include all classrooms and all of Carle, Randall and the Owl’s Nest residence halls for students. This is part of the continued expansion of wireless at KSC. To see a complete list of wireless zones available to you, please feel free to take a look at the campus wireless map.

To see where we have been and where we are going, visit our FY 11 projects and FY 12 projects pages. As always, the HelpDesk is dedicated to the distribution and support of standard technologies used by employees of Keene State College – including desktop computers, classroom technology, major applications, telecommunications equipment, and access to the campus network. We are open Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you have any questions regarding this information or have any other technology questions, please feel free to contact the HelpDesk at 358-2532, email helpdesk@keene.edu, visit our website at www.keene.edu/helpdesk or stop by our office on the 2nd floor of Elliot Hall.

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From Tim Garland, Operating Staff Chair:

It is my pleasure to announce the members of the Operating Staff Council for 2011-2012:

• Chair – Tim Garland
• Vice Chair – Susie Ericson-West
• Treasurer – Sheila Kirby
• Recorder – Dee Denehy
• Senate Rep. – Lynne Rust
• Doug Adler
• Deb Barrett
• Chris Flanagan
• Deb Ford
• Jackie Hooper
• Tamara Lique-Naitove
• Cecil Maxfield

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From Stacy Evans, Student Center:

This summer, the Scheduling Office is introducing changes to the scheduling process that makes reserving rooms for meetings and events easier for you. Starting Monday, June 20, we ask for your cooperation in submitting all your requests via the Online Scheduling Request Form.

The On-Line Scheduling Request Form is intended for use in scheduling meetings and events in the Student Center, at the College Camp, and for non-class use of classrooms (anything that Agnes Anderson in the Scheduling Office would normally schedule).

The sooner you get your request to us via this online form the sooner we can enter them into our scheduling system. You can expect to receive a request receipt when you properly complete the online form. Then you will receive an e-mail within 72 hours or less with a confirmation that your meeting or event has been scheduled. Requests for Spaulding Gym, Redfern Arts Center, the Dining Commons and the Alumni Center/Centennial Hall will continue to use the hard copy Scheduling Form and need to be submitted directly to the schedulers of those facilities.

Please bookmark the link to the Online Scheduling Request Form. If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact Mark Gempler at mgempler@keene.edu.

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From the IT Group:

To maintain a high level of security and accessibility for KSC systems and services, a series of planned maintenance windows have been defined that allow for routine maintenance work to be completed on KSC servers, systems, and networks. Maintenance windows streamline service disruptions for the campus by having an established time for routine ITG maintenance work during off-hours.

Weekly maintenance windows are:

• Thursday, 5 – 7 a.m.
• Saturday, 8 a.m. – noon

During the IT Group planned maintenance windows, you may experience intermittent access while KSC systems are being serviced. When IT Group work will impact critical systems beyond intermittent access, ITG will coordinate work to minimize the service disruption to the campus.

Reminders of the ITG maintenance windows times will be communicated to campus on a routine basis throughout the year in Campus News and on our website.

If you have any questions regarding this or any other technology issue, please feel free to contact the HelpDesk at 358-2532, e-mail helpdesk@keene.edu or stop by our office on the 2nd floor of Elliot Hall.

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From Laura Seraichick, Chief Information Officer:

The President and her cabinet recently endorsed the FY12 Campus IT Projects.

The full list, which can be found in pdf form at FY12 IT Projects, incorporates both USNH Long Range Technology Plans and KSC Technology Plans and is tightly aligned with the college strategic framework. This is a great list of projects that provide ‘broad campus value’ and will require full-campus commitment to ensure their success.

Technology project updates are reviewed by the cabinet three times a year to ensure that priorities are still aligned with institutional needs.  Project priorities and resources will be adjusted if needed.

I look forward to your continued support in moving these projects forward.

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From the IT Group:

Summer hours for the IT Group HelpDesk beginning Monday, May 9 are as follows:

Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Regular hours will resume on Wednesday, August 24.

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From Laura Seraichick, IT Group:

Years ago, KSC committed to a workstation refresh cycles in support of the college business needs and incorporated this cycle into our technology planning process. This commitment continues to serve KSC well. However, in light of the current financial situation, it is prudent to examine our policies and identify areas where we can potentially save dollars.

A proposal to change our workstation refresh cycle was submitted and the cabinet approved it. We are currently working on a phased implementation approach whereby it will take us a few years to totally migrate all workstations to the new cycle. If you received notice that you will be getting an upgrade, you will. While we are in transition, some will be upgraded at 4 years so we avoid having 6-year-old machines on the network.

This change brings risks and challenges along with the savings. Exceptions will need to occur and will be based on programmatic changes (software), technology changes, and hardware failures. We anticipate an increase in support calls and money for repairs and parts, along with reduced processing power and reliability. However, the IT Group is committed to minimizing the impact through proactive measures such as reimaging, additional memory, etc.

If you have any questions and/or concerns please feel free to contact Laura Seraichick lseraich@keene.edu directly.

 

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KSC has announced its mutual agreement to renew an Alliance between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor Region 1, and Keene State College OSHA Training Institute Education Center March 29, 2011 at Keene State.

The Alliance validates the work of Keene State’s OSHA Training Institute Education Center with regional OSHA entities including OSHA’s State Plan, On-site Consultation Project partners, and OSHA’s cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, Voluntary Protection Program, SHARP (Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program for smaller, high hazard employers) — all as part of the OSHA national effort.

As a result of these programs, businesses and their employees throughout New England benefit by reducing workplace hazards, processes, related human and financial costs associated with workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities. KSC OTIEC is one of 25 OSHA Education Centers throughout the United States.

For more information, see the full release at the keene.edu news site.

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From the Business Office:

Did you know that in 2009 there were over 11 million cases of identity theft in the United States? It is very important to treat your Social Security Number as confidential information. For your own protection, please do not write your SSN on Payroll time sheets, Petty Cash Vouchers, or Travel Expense Vouchers. Instead, you should use your 9-digit USNH identification number. If you have forgotten or lost this ID#, you may contact Valerie Hodge, Human Resources (358-2877).

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