Cornerstone MIAMI UNIVERSITY FINANCE AND BUSINESS SERVICES
Omnilert is Now RedHawk Alert Bridget Maney Miami University’s emergency text messaging system, formerly known as Omnilert, has been renamed RedHawk Alert. The system provides emergency notifications to the university community via cell phone text messages and email and is available to students, faculty, and staff on Miami’s Butler County campuses. RedHawk Alert will advise users on situations that pose immediate danger or if a campus is closed. Users who have already enrolled with Omnilert will not need to register again since it is still powered by Omnilert's mass notification services. According to an article in Miami Matters, "The rebranding is a way to bring awareness to the service for a better understanding of its purpose, said Chief Stephen VanWinkle of the Miami University Police Department (MUPD)."
An assortment of stickers were designed in the rebranding — RedHawk Alert QR codes stickers can be found on each building in Oxford's campus at entry doors. Coffee cup sleeve stickers are available at Café Lux, Dividends, King Café, and Panera. And an additional three laptop and water bottle stickers were designed with RedHawk characters that are available for students and faculty/staff through MUPD. Guests and visitors to Miami University may choose to opt-in to receive emergency notifications during their time on campus. MUPD also utilizes Rave Guardian with additional safety features. University Safety procedures and contacts are also accessible in the case of emergencies.
MIAMIOH.EDU/FBS
EMBRACING A CULTURE OF CHANGE Brenda Curry To keep pace in a constantly evolving world, organizations often need to implement changes affecting their people and processes. Change is inevitable and can be difficult. Staff Development is working to equip employees at all levels with the tools and skills to accept and embrace a culture of change. Successfully transfer skills from the classroom to the workplace in one of Staff Development’s newest courses, Driving Change.
Scan the code to register today for Driving Change.
Participants will learn how to: • Accelerate the process of making change happen. • Clearly communicate the business rationale for the change and the benefits it can bring to team members and the organization. • Create an environment that is conducive to change in which team members are more readily prepared for change initiatives. • Minimize the potential negative effects change can have on productivity, morale, and collaboration. • Turn resistance into commitment and inspire team members to take ownership of the change. Courses offered at the Staff Development Center are filling up! Check Miami Learn to explore learning opportunities and to register!
OPEN ENROLLMENT Karen Wilson Now is the time to review your current health insurance plan and prepare for open enrollment in October for the plan year beginning January 1, 2024. The open enrollment period is October 9-31, 2023. If you do not make benefit changes during the 2023 open enrollment period, your current benefits (medical, dental, vision, and voluntary selections) will continue in 2024. Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions must be elected during open enrollment, the 2023 contributions cannot be automatically rolled over for 2024.
Outside of a Qualified Life Event (QLE), open enrollment is the only opportunity employees have to make those changes during the year. Anthem’s formulary drug list, which lays out the coverage tiers for different medications, is updated semi-annually and is one of the tools employees should utilize to help make their decisions for open enrollment. If a medication changes tiers, or is no longer covered all together, that could mark a significant change in an employee’s healthcare spending. By using the tools available and then completing open enrollment, employees are able to make better informed decisions on how they will be spending their money on benefits and receive the best amount of coverage for themselves and their families. Check MiamiOH.edu/hr/oe for more information.
Cornerstone | F B S N E W S L E T T E R
WORKDAY LEARNING CONFIGURATION Jeff Shaver Workday teams are designing new processes and configuring the platform to meet the needs of the Miami community. Learning partners across the university are collaborating to design best practices to expand its capabilities making it easier for learners and administrators to find and manage content. Several key benefits will include: • Maintain a single place to discover, consume, and track learning content. • Target specific learners and groups to assign relevant learning. • Onboard employees with learning that helps them get up to speed quickly. • Help employees track certifications to maintain knowledge around critical subject matter. • Provide automatic transcriptions and closed captioning of videos. • Utilize easy-to-use tools to engage learners with video interactions (e.g., the ability to add quiz questions in the form of multiple-choice questions, open responses, and text notes within video content.)
FA L L 2 0 2 3
Welcome to the Team, Jason! Jason Spraggins joined Finance and Business Services Marketing in May as the Website Content Specialist. He manages all FBS content and is looking forward to improving the user experience for all the pages he manages. Jason has been doing website content for multiple companies for the past four years. In his free time, he enjoys watching sports, exercising, and listening to music. Jason also loves taking his giant mastiff, Bella, to the dog park.
If you offer learning content to Miami staff and faculty, email Jeff Shaver at shaverj1@MiamiOH.edu to ensure your content is included in the comprehensive Workday Learn environment. The goal is to have learning content loaded into Workday for testing by 11/20/23.
Daylight Savings Time Reminder Sunday, November 5!
MIAMIOH.EDU/FBS
CAMPUS SHINES BRIGHT: A RECAP OF A SUCCESSFUL SUMMER CONFERENCE SEASON Paula Green What does a 16-year-old hockey star, a 9-year-old math genius, and a 65-year-old piano aficionado have in common? All, as well as approximately 13,000 others, called Miami University home for a short while during the 2023 summer conference season. Organized through the Conference and Event Services office and executed by many teams across Miami University, it was a successful season on many fronts. It was The Summer of New on several levels though new is generally an overriding theme for conference season. “With each conference season, at least half of our staff are new to the work of summer conferences,” said Paula Green, Senior Director for Conferences. The seasonal staff for conferences is a blend of student and professional employees from the Dining Services team. Together they provide 24-hour service, seven days a week when conferences and camps are in session. New dining staff, including Jamie Boggs, Danielle Hokanson, and Tiki Digby, added fresh eyes and excellent customer service when joining Diane Hoeffer in her third season with conferences. A significant addition to the team, on a more permanent basis than the seasonal team, was Lexie Withrow in the role of Conference and Event Planner. Lexie learned through trial and error and many long hours the high degree of focus and attention that is needed to execute a successful summer. Her efforts, as well as the entire staff, kept the guests safe and satisfied May through August. The New continued with the client list for the summer. Miami was pleased to welcome the USA Hockey Girls Development Camp, Epsilon Math Camp, Camp Abilities, and the Alan Fraser Piano Institute to experience their diverse events within the facilities normally used by Miami’s students. The quality of Miami facilities, the beauty and safety of the campus, and the one-stop approach were all quoted as factors that brought these new clients to the doors of Miami. The biggest challenge of the summer of 2023 came in the form of new technology. Miami’s conference software, Iris, historically retrieved door and meal plan data from CSGold through our own MyCard system. With hours of collaboration between Miami’s and Seattle Tech’s IT teams, a direct integration between CSGold and Iris was created. Doing so made the future of conference business more secure, but with the change came several business processes changes in the heat of a busy conference season. Paula Green credits Alicia Rizzo with her strong analytical skills for guiding the transition and avoiding any customer service failures in the process. Lessons learned from the level of newness in 2023 will prepare the conference team and campus partners for a busy 2024 already on the books. It will again be summer before we know it. Various artists from the Summer Conference team, including Jamie Boggs, kept the entire team energized and motivated with a daily message and artwork on the team message board. The overnight hours, while crucial to customer service, can be quiet and leave time for creativity! The artwork was the highlight of many days.
Cornerstone | F B S N E W S L E T T E R
FA L L 2 0 2 3
JUST KEEP SWIMMING Caitlin Gagnon As a member of the FBS Marketing team, our Content Manager Caitlin Gagnon takes full advantage of her discounted employee membership to the Miami Rec Center. Caitlin trains in Miami's Corwin M. Nixon Natatorium as a masters swimmer. Caitlin has been swimming competitively since she was six and most recently Caitlin flew to Fukuoka, Japan to represent US Masters Swimming at World Aquatics Masters World Championships. She qualified and swam in the 200 Backstroke, 200 and 400 IM, 200 Butterfly, and 400 Freestyle. Her best finish was in the 400 Freestyle, where she dropped five seconds from her seed time to finish 10th and be awarded a diploma from World Aquatics. Wave hello if you see her in the water! She will wave back as long as her goggles aren't foggy.
PUBLIC SKATING AT GOGGIN ICE CENTER Rhett Butler Public Ice Skating is officially open! Starting October 13, Goggin will be hosting a variety of Public Skating sessions. Most notably, Friday Noon Skates are totally free of cost for benefit-eligible Miami employees. General public admission is $5 with a free skate rental. Make sure to bring your Miami ID for FREE admission! Skate aids are available for $4 if you are a less experienced skater. Lockers are also available for $0.50 if you need to store any belongings such as cell phones, wallets, keys, purses and jackets. Friday Noon Skates are open to students, faculty, staff, as well as the community. Visit Goggin's website for more information. We hope to see you on the ice!
MIAMIOH.EDU/FBS
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: ELIZABETH KEITH Rhett Butler Elizabeth (Beth) Keith has been a very familiar face at Miami Recreation for the last six years. Beth came to Miami University in 2017 after previously working for her alma mater, Eastern Kentucky. She has had a variety of responsibilities at the Rec Center during her time at Miami in Membership and Customer Service. If you've met Beth, you know that she is one of the friendliest staff members you'll run into on campus, and she also has a very close relationship with the Golden Members at the Rec. Golden Members are insurance-based members over the age of 65. She also helps teach a Golden Member fitness class once per week. Recently, Beth was elected as the President of ORSA (Ohio Recreational Sports Association). It is an organization composed of hundreds of professionals and students who work within the university recreation field around the state of Ohio. This leadership position is a three year commitment, and it's an incredibly prestigious honor to be nominated. The leadership role includes responsibilities such as overseeing numerous committees, budget oversight and planning the summer outreach conference and annual fall conference. When asked what she enjoys most about working in recreation, Beth said, "Recreation encompasses so many different activities, abilities, and interests. I enjoy trying to make our students, members, and guests time here, in whatever recreation activity they are doing, as fun and as welcoming as possible. Whether it is lifting weights, swimming, walking the track, climbing the rock wall, or just getting to spend time and socialize with their peers, we try to offer something for everyone. I am a firm believer that you have to truly enjoy an activity to make it a lifelong habit and a part of your lifestyle, so I love connecting with people and trying to help them on their wellness journey." Beth also mentioned that she encourages anyone who is interested in working in recreation to "Go for it," and that "Collegiate recreation is such an active and ever-changing field that forces us to be flexible with new trends and interests." Outside of work, Beth enjoys spending time with her two amazing children and wonderful husband outdoors, riding four-wheelers, swimming in the pool, and working on their farm. Between working full-time and being the ORSA President, she is also a real estate agent, a mom and a farmer on the side. Beth summed up her life outside of work by saying, "I love to stay active and connect with those around me."
Cornerstone | F B S N E W S L E T T E R
FA L L 2 0 2 3
CLIMBING WALL RESURFACING Samantha Drenski Over this past summer, the Miami Rec Center completed a refresh of the climbing wall. The project was completed by Eldorado Climbing Walls and included improvements in the surface patching, installing new hardware, and painting. In addition to the work done on the climbing surfaces, all of the landing surfaces were replaced with bouldering pads. This increases bouldering availability by 20%. Now you may be wondering, "What in the world is bouldering?" It is essentially climbing without all of the ropes and straps done at lower heights, usually maxing out at 12 feet. It covers the bare necessities of climbing, which require lots of technique, strength, and skill.
If you want to learn more about bouldering and climbing, be sure to come check out the climbing wall and all of its new updates. The Bouldering Cave is available for drop-in bouldering any time the Rec Center is open. The roped climbing wall area is open Monday-Thursday from 4-9 p.m., Friday from 2-7 p.m., and Saturday/Sunday from 2-5 p.m. Faculty and staff are welcome to stop by any time the wall is open and our staff can help get you started with rock climbing. Learn more on the Climbing Center website.
Winter Special at The Marcum 50% off meeting spaces from December 16 to January 26! Close out one semester and open the next with discounted meeting space rates at The Marcum Hotel and Conference Center. Call Event Services at 513-529-3591 today.
MIAMIOH.EDU/FBS
A SUCCESSFUL MEET THE CHEFS SHOWCASE Christian Wallace In the first full week of September, Miami Dining hosted a culinary extravaganza with our "Meet The Chef" events. This week-long celebration showcased the talent and creativity of our culinary team and left a positive mark on our dining experience. Each day brought a different chef into the spotlight, where they expertly curated tastings that allowed students to delve into their culinary passions. Chefs Kathy, Scott, Ed, Wade, and Steve poured their heart and soul into these culinary experiences. The feedback has been resoundingly positive, and we couldn't be more proud of our team. We extend our heartfelt kudos to these exceptional chefs for their dedication and the delectable dishes they shared, making this event an unforgettable culinary experience for our students. The week was a testament to the extraordinary talent within our culinary team and a delightful treat for all who had the pleasure of participating.
Cornerstone | F B S N E W S L E T T E R
FA L L 2 0 2 3
BELL TOWER NOW OPEN COME TRY IT OUT TODAY! Christian Wallace Bell Tower has been a hotspot since its recent opening this fall with an impressive daily average of nearly 2,000 orders. Students have enthusiastically embraced our offerings of Grill 1809, Halcón Rojo, and Umami. Halcón Rojo, the Southwest concept, stands out as the most popular in Bell Tower. In terms of business volume, Bell Tower ranks as the second busiest dining venue, following Maplestreet Dining Commons. If you haven't had the chance to order from Bell Tower, be sure to download the Grubhub app and order ahead to experience the excitement for yourself! If you'd prefer to have it delivered to your building on campus, select delivery within the app and have a robot bring it right to you. Faculty and staff receive an extra 10% discount when you order using your Miami ID payroll deduction.
MIAMIOH.EDU/FBS
WORKDAY TEAM ENGAGES WITH MIAMI EMPLOYEES AT BENEFITS FAIRS Randy Hollowell The annual Miami Benefits Fairs took place on September 26-27 on the Oxford, Hamilton, and Middletown campuses, and members of the Workday project team were on hand to share Workday information with the Miami community. Representatives from both the Miami and the Avaap project teams took part in staffing an information table at all three benefits sessions where attendees had the opportunity to ask questions of the team, sign up for the Workday project updates e-newsletter, and spin the Wheel-of-Workday to learn more about the project and the application itself. Approximately 125 faculty and staff members visited the table over the two days, including over 100 in Oxford alone. Those that stopped by not only received knowledge about the Workday implementation at Miami, but also had the opportunity to pick up some Workday swag, including a handsome canvas tote, notepads, and laptop clings.
Some of the most common questions dealt with the other programs besides Banner that will also be impacted by the switch to Workday. This list can also be found on the FAQ page of the Workday project worksite. Stay Informed If you know of a group that would benefit from learning more about the Workday implementation project, please visit MiamiOH.edu/WorkdayInfo and click on the Make an Appointment for Us to Be at Your Next Team Meeting link at the bottom of the page to schedule a visit from the Workday Change Management Team. If you have any questions about the project, or suggestions for the implementation team, please send them to workdayinfo@MiamiOH.edu.
Cornerstone | F B S N E W S L E T T E R
FA L L 2 0 2 3
CHANGE CHAMPIONS ENHANCE WORKDAY IMPLEMENTATION Randy Hollowell The Change Champion program for the Workday implementation project got underway this week with a goal of enhancing the rollout of the new system to the university. Change Champions are a group of around 40 individuals from across the university that are willing to engage the community to increase awareness and help facilitate the change from Banner to Workday from now through the go-live date in July of 2024. These engagements are all about sharing information, collaborating with the rest of the university, and maybe most importantly, gathering feedback that can be shared with the project team. The members of the program all bring some important characteristics to the table. They are: • • • • • •
Key Influencers within their areas Credible Opinion Leaders Willing to learn and excited about new opportunities Good communicators and are able to deliver pertinent information back to their divisions Able to challenge the status-quo and continually look for system efficiencies Able to participate in activities crucial to project success, including training sessions, providing communications, and using the learning approaches that will be provided to the rest of the university employees
You may be wondering how you can also help the transition to Workday, even if you were not chosen to be part of the main Change Champion program? That is actually pretty easy. You can be part of the Change Champion Ambassador Network. Members of this group can also assist with change advocacy and be part of the early training opportunities as they become available. Look for more information on this program in the coming weeks on the Workday website.
Diana Weneck
Denny Sundermeier
Amity Noltemeyer
Joan Walker
Carolyn DeWitt
Joy Seick
Jessica Williamson
Laura Driscoll
Candace Taylor
Lori Osterberger
Kris Zomchek
Andrew Mascari
Jess Bathe
Brett Couch
Glenn Platt
Cody Pergram
Aaron Shrimplin
Sarah Mayer
Nkosi Shanga
Nicole Hansman
Cheryl Young
Amy Newsom
Pete Ferris
Drew Davis
Elizabeth Parsons
Katie Wilson
Emma Lester
John Ward
Karen O'Hara
Tresa Barlage Zianno
Stephanie Heitz
Liz Walsh
Brandon Melling
Liz Bath
Brandon Burke Rosanne Gulley John Buchholz Laurie Sampson Sherri Bowling Brent Leishman
MIAMIOH.EDU/FBS
HOLIDAY SEASON IS SOONER THAN YOU THINK Megan McCardwell The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner, and Brick and Ivy wants to help you make it even more special! The holiday season is a time for giving, sharing, and creating cherished memories with your loved ones. And what better way to kick-start your holiday shopping than with 15% off your purchase at Brick and Ivy, your one-stop destination for all things Miami! Whether you're shopping for Miami apparel or unique gifts like ornaments and cozy blankets, we've got you covered. Our special gift for all faculty and staff is 15% off your purchase (some exclusions may apply). Simply show your Miami Employee ID at checkout in store. This offer is our way of expressing gratitude for your commitment to Miami University and for being an integral part of our extended family. Add that extra touch of RedHawk magic to your holiday. Visit Brick and Ivy in the Shriver Center or shop online at campusstore.MiamiOH.edu.
REC MEMBERSHIP WINTER SPECIAL Rhett Butler Mark your calendars! Miami Recreation is offering a special membership rate during Miami's winter break. Purchase a Winter Membership to receive access to the Rec Center from December 16 through January 28. This is a great time to take advantage of all of the amenities of the Rec Center with limited student traffic. Individual faculty/staff memberships are $50 and faculty/staff family memberships are $100. Registration can be done by stopping in at the Pro Shop or online at MiamiOH.edu/JoinTheRec. No extra sign up or cancellation fees. For any other questions, contact Beth Keith, keithb@MiamiOH.edu.
Cornerstone | F B S N E W S L E T T E R
FA L L 2 0 2 3
COME ENJOY MYAAMIA MENU ITEMS Miami Dining is excited to partner with the Myaamia Center to host a lunch with Myaamia menu items in celebration of November being National American Indian Heritage Month. wiihsinitaawi let’s eat Thursday, November 9 11 a.m. Maplestreet Dining Commons
MIAMIOH.EDU/FBS
Jeff Clark Grounds Jeff Clark has done a fantastic job this summer with the Grounds Department. Jeff has been thrown into many different roles. His attitude is always positive and the quality of work is very high. Thank you Jeff! - Brandon Pitman The PFD Housing Team PFD To the entire PFD Housing Management Team for executing summer service with a smile to our thousands of guests. Dave, Joe, Jeremy, Chris, Chris, Sherry, and Betsy (though you've left us) - you are a great team to work with! Our heartfelt thanks! - Paula Green, Alicia Rizzo, and Lexie Withrow Summer Conference Team Miami Dining Diane, Danielle, Tiki and Jamie - thank you for wholeheartedly tackling the work of summer conferences and taking such great care of our guests. Service with the smiles and laughter was greatly appreciated by guests and us! We hope to call you teammates next summer! Thanks! - Paula Green, Alicia Rizzo, and Lexie Withrow Bryan Powell Information Technology Services Bryan Powell is doing a fantastic job with the not so small task of wrangling the myriad of Workday Integrations, from scheduling and attending innumerable meetings to coordinating the resulting tasks, documentation, and follow-up. We need at least two more Bryan’s to assist. - Chris Weitzel Allen Sizemore Strategic Procurement Allen provided an example of an unsolicited email he sent to his Procurement teammates about various training options available to them for a specific project. It was just beautifully written and very informative! Huge kudos to Allen and I've already let him know I'm going to be repurposing some of his messaging for my emails about Workday Training and support options as we get further into the Workday implementation project! - Sarah Persinger
Shout Out!!! Loraine Sheley Miami Recreation Loraine always offers a warm welcome to any visitor at the Rec Center. She is always very kind and will help you with anything you need. She helps keep the Rec employees organized and has been with the university for over 30 years! Thanks Loraine! - Rhett Butler Jeremy Botts PFD Thanks to Jeremy and his team for their work at McKee Hall, and making sure the rooms have been quickly cleaned and ready for use! - Brian Woodruff Tina Rotundo and Amy Wentzel Miami Catering Thanks to Tina, Amy, and the Catering Team for coordinating and delivering meals to isolation students earlier this semester! - Brian Woodruff Darris King PFD Darris is always such a pleasure to see around the office and we appreciate his help with keeping the space clean. He is always willing to help in any way he can. Thanks Darris, we appreciate you! - FBS Marketing Team Rachel Gentry Goggin Ice Center Rachel is always helpful to anyone who visits Goggin Ice Center. She assists with a variety of different administrative duties at Goggin and is very kind to anyone she interacts with. She helps keep everyone organized and is an exemplary Miami employee! Thanks Rachel. - Rhett Butler
Cornerstone | F B S N E W S L E T T E R
FA L L 2 0 2 3
Enhance your financial wellness with CAPTRUST • How do I budget towards my financial goals? • How do I manage debt I have accumulated? • How do I save for my child’s education? • Am I on track for retirement?
Personalized, objective financial guidance is at your fingertips Visit captrustadvice.com to make an appointment Call CAPTRUST at 800.967.9948 The CAPTRUST Participant Advice and Wellness team is available to provide you with financial guidance for your goals, including your retirement plan decisions.
Scan here to learn more about financial guidance services.
Call
800.967.9948 or visit
www.captrustadvice.com
Scan here to schedule an appointment.
FA L L 2 0 2 3
MIAMIOH.EDU/FBS
Miami PUZZ LE Click the image to play!
Do you have a story idea or shoutout for the next Cornerstone? Click Here.