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Short-Term Hiring Request Form

If you are the individual in your department who makes decisions and completes paperwork for short-term employees, please pay particular attention to this announcement. 

The departments of Human Resources Records and Talent Acquisition have created a new Short-Term Hiring Request form that will significantly improve the short-term hiring process and will ensure ������'s compliance with the Department of Labor's recommendation to afford employment opportunity to all. 

Each year, approximately 500 Personnel Action Forms (PAF) are submitted to Human Resources for short-term assignments. Many times, Human Resources does not have all of the necessary information to process the PAF in an accurate and timely manner. The new Short-Term Hiring Request form will replace the PAF and provide the following advantages:

• Assist with departmental planning needs
• Create a streamlined approach for hiring short-term staff positions (not for use with Faculty or Graduate Assistant short-term positions)
• Work directly with Talent Acquisition to ensure all new hire information is obtained
• Timely entry of the employee record to allow access to the Empower timekeeping system
• To ensure accuracy for timely federal, state and retirement reporting requirements

This form will be used for Part-Time Staff Term and Temporary positions; to fill in for an employee out on medical leave; temporary help while posting for an open position or a special project in need of short-term assistance. 

Definitions of the two types of short-term assignments are as follows:

• Term Employee
  • Hired for four (4) months or fewer with a 28-hour-per-week max (not to be confused with other term employee positions that require a Position Request Authorization-PRA and posting for initial hire)
  • Unclassified title and job duties: (Example: Term Research Assistant, Term Web Designer, etc.)
  • Four-month term employees will be paid an hourly rate
  • A 12-month break is required in between each term employee's four-month term employment period

• Temporary Employee
  • Hired for  four (4) months or fewer with a 28-hour-per-week max
  • Classified title and job duties: (Example: Temporary Secretary, Temporary Custodial Worker, etc.)
  • Four-month temporary employees will be paid an hourly rate
  • A 12-month break is required in between each temporary employee's four-month temporary employment period

The , , along with an updated are now available in the . 

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Student Employee Time Reporting During a University Closing or Delayed Start

Student employees scheduled to work but do not because of a closing should not be paid for scheduled hours. Therefore, supervisors should not record scheduled hours into the university's timekeeping system. Student employees who work during a closing should receive their regular rate of pay. Please share information regarding  with all student employees. For advisories, visit .

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Title IX Training for Faculty and Staff

In fall 2015, the Office of Compliance, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action rolled out a series of customized, facilitator led Title IX* trainings for faculty, staff and students in the Division of Human Resources, Heer Hall, training room 107. Topics include “What is Title IX?,” “Defining sexual harassment/sexual misconduct,” “How and where to report issues related to Title IX,” “Statistics on sexual violence,” “The university’s responsibility,” “What happens after you report a Title IX issue,” and much more. Below are scheduled trainings through April 2016. (Please note dates are subject to change or cancellation based on level of participation.) 

Registration is required. Please choose a session based on audience and date requested.

Date	Audience	Times
Dec. 3, 2015	Faculty & Staff Session Students Only Session	2 p.m.–3 p.m. 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Jan. 21, 2016	Faculty & Staff Session Students Only Session	9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m. 11 a.m.–noon
Feb. 25, 2016	Faculty & Staff Session Students Only Session	2 p.m.–3 p.m. 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Mar. 23, 2016	Faculty & Staff Session Students Only Session	9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m. 11 a.m.–noon
Apr. 28, 2016	Faculty & Staff Session  Students Only Session	2 p.m. – 3 p.m. 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

 
*Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational institutions like ������. Sex discrimination includes sexual harassment and sexual assault, which is not tolerated at Kent State.

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New for 2016:  Minibuses Available for University Use

University Fleet Services has purchased two minibuses that can be used by departments for university travel. The vehicles each seat 15 passengers and will be available for rental beginning in January. The rental rates are $150 daily and $800 weekly. Drivers will be required to undergo a license check and training on how to operate the vehicle. 

More detailed information on the 15-passenger minibuses, including the training schedule and rates, will be available in January on the Fleet Services website at , and in an upcoming issue of e-Inside. You can also contact John Croop, Fleet Services superintendent, at 330-672-0818 or jcroop@kent.edu.

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Things to Know About the Holiday Schedule

All ������ campuses will operate on a holiday schedule from the first shift on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015, through Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. Information below provides details about the schedule, early timecard approval and paychecks.

Details of the Holiday Schedule
During the holiday schedule, all nonessential operations will be closed at all Kent State campuses. Normal business operations will resume with the first shift on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016.

Classified and unclassified employees who accrue vacation will receive paid leave for any regularly scheduled work time on Dec. 28, 29, 30 and 31. This is in addition to the paid holidays of Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1. This also applies to 12-month faculty who accrue vacation.

The holiday schedule applies to classified and unclassified employees who normally accrue vacation throughout the year. Workers not eligible for paid leave include student employees, classified temporary staff, temporary agency staff, unclassified nine- and 10-month term appointments, short-term unclassified appointments, unclassified intermittent appointments and employees in a lay-off status.

Information on recording time and pay guidelines during this period is available at . You will also find the and a list of .

Employees should consult with supervisors on the status of their unit's plans to suspend operations or remain open with partial or regular coverage. If the status of your department has changed from the published schedule, please notify Joe Richardson at jricha13@kent.edu.

Early Timecard Approval

Due to the short processing time prior to the university closing for the holidays the Payroll Office is asking managers to approve timecards early for the week ending Saturday, Dec. 12. Managers may approve timecards as early as Friday, Dec. 11, after employees have clocked out for the day. The only exception to the early approval is for employees who work on Saturday, Dec. 12. Timecards for these employees can be approved after the end of the shift on Saturday.

ALL TIMECARDS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE END OF THE DAY MONDAY, DEC. 14.

Holiday Shutdown

Eligible employees not working during the holiday shutdown will need University Closure added and all time from Dec. 13 to Dec. 26 approved prior to leaving on the break. 

ALL TIMECARDS FOR DEC. 13 THROUGH DEC. 26 MUST BE COMPLETED BY NOON ON JAN. 4 -- NO EXCEPTIONS.  

The first payroll after break has to be completed by Wednesday, Jan. 6 so the processing time will be extremely short. For this reason, we are requesting that all timecards that can be completed and approved prior to leaving on Dec. 23 are done.

December Paychecks

Faculty and salaried employees who are scheduled to receive their second pay of the month on Dec. 31 will be paid on Dec. 23.  All hourly employees and student workers will be paid on Dec. 23 as scheduled.

Employees are strongly urged to sign up for direct deposit. Those who do not have direct deposit will have their paycheck mailed to their permanent address on Dec. 23. Accurate mailing addresses are critical as checks lost in the mail cannot be replaced until Jan. 8 at the earliest. Employees can review or update their permanent address in FlashLine. Look for the Employment Details tab in My HR, and select the Personal Information link.

Questions related to the December paychecks or the early timecard approval may be directed to the Payroll Office at 330-672-8640 or payroll@kent.edu.

How Delays, Cancellations or Closings Are Determined

Please review the following guidelines with your faculty and staff.

The decision to delay or close campuses does not come lightly. Consequently, it is imperative to plan ahead. Below are guidelines and priorities used in determining class delays, cancellations or closing procedures for a severe winter weather advisory. In addition, communication avenues and procedures related to delays, class cancellations or campus closings are as follows:

• In the event of a delayed opening of the Kent Campus, classes will not begin before 10 a.m. (Students in special classes, e.g., clinicals, should consult with their dean in advance about the appropriate procedures for an early morning delay or cancellation.)
• When there is a delayed opening of the Kent Campus, employees report to work when the delay has been lifted, with the exception of staff members deemed essential and must report. If you are not sure of your status, please check with your supervisor.
• When classes are canceled, university services and offices remain open. This means that staff members are expected to report to work as usual or remain at work if the cancellation occurs during the day. If there is an exception to this, it will be communicated with the class cancellation announcement.
• University staff members work very hard to keep campus sidewalks, roads and parking lots clear. Only when the university is "closed" due to weather are offices closed and some services not available. Even then, essential staff members must report to work so operations needing 24-hour attention are maintained.

The above information pertains to the Kent Campus. Each campus's respective dean determines Regional Campus delays, cancellations or closings. When such decisions are made, the advisory information will be communicated via the same vehicles as those used by the Kent Campus. For the complete article, please click .

Kent State's Office of Sustainability Encourages Winter Shutdown

To conserve energy, the Office of Sustainability reminds faculty, staff and building curators to turn off - and, if possible, unplug - all appliances before leaving for winter break.

Before leaving for winter break, everyone is encouraged to:

• Turn off and unplug computers, copiers, appliances, peripherals and other electronics at the outlet to prevent "phantom" or "vampire" load. For instance, even laptop power cords will still draw electricity while plugged in, even if the device is turned off or not attached to the power cord.
• Close all windows and shades. Set thermostats to 68 degrees. Please submit a request for items needing maintenance.
• Be sure all lights are turned off.

University Facilities Management will contribute to the energy conservation effort by adjusting some building systems.

These efforts can reduce costs of heating, ventilation and lighting, and plug loads on campus during winter break.

During the 2014 winter break, the university avoided over $50,000 in energy costs over nine days, and the carbon dioxide emissions reduction equaled the energy use of 49 homes for one year.

For questions about the energy-saving winter shutdown, contact Melanie Knowles, Kent State's sustainability manager, at mknowle1@kent.edu or 330-672-8039.

Dates to Remember:

Universal Human Rights Month

Nov. 30-Dec. 11
Fall finals for first- and second-year College of Podiatric Medicine students

Dec. 6-14
Hanukkah, begins at sunset and runs through the evening of Dec. 14.

Dec. 7
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Fall Semester Classes End

Dec. 10
Human Rights Day

Dec. 14-18
- Fall Semester 2015

Dec. 15
Bill of Rights Day
 
Dec. 18
Kent Campus December Commencement, Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. Baccalaureate Degrees, 9:30 a.m. Advanced Degree Ceremony at 1:30 p.m. For more information, visit 

Dec. 18
������ at Ashtabula December Commencement
������ at Stark December Commencement

Dec. 25 
Christmas*

Dec. 26
Kwanzaa (through Jan. 1.)

Jan. 1
New Year's Day*

Jan. 4
Spring Classes Begin (first- and second-year podiatric medicine students)

Jan. 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (university closed). MLK Day of Service, visit 

Jan. 19
Spring Semester 2015 Classes Begin

Jan. 28
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Kent Student Center, Ballroom, 4 p.m. 

*Please Note: All Kent State campuses will operate on a holiday schedule from Dec. 24, 2015, through Jan. 1, 2016. During that time all nonessential operations will be closed. Normal operations will resume with the first shift on Jan. 4, 2016.

Tell Us What You Think

This e-newsletter is designed to keep you, the managers and supervisors, informed. Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think of it, along with any comments or suggestions. You may contact us at managersfeedback@kent.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.