THE
BLUE &GRAY
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Student employees concerned during 10-day gap in payroll
February 11, 2016
VOLUME 89 | ISSUE 15
PRESS
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE
1922
Seacobeck Hall may receive planning funds, future role under discussion
DIVEST RETURNS WITH REINFORCEMENTS
NOELLE PAOLICELLI Staff Writer
EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor
Student employees at the University of Mary Washington may be wondering why they did not get paid until 10 days after the pay period ended. There have been reports that since classes began on Monday, Jan.11, student employees have not been paid until Thursday, Feb. 5. As this is almost one month after the students started their work, a 10-day gap between the end of the pay period and the day student employees are paid has concerned student employees who work to pay for tuition or other expenses. According to Lynda Worthy, the university’s payroll manager, this may not be an uncommon occurrence, as the payday-processing period typically takes about two weeks, which is the time required to complete all steps in the payroll process. “The pay date is two weeks (10 business days barring any closures) following the pay period’s end to ensure enough time to thoroughly complete all steps in the payroll process,” Worthy said. “We must consider the standard amount of time it takes for each part of the payroll process, and then include additional time to minimize the risk of not meeting a scheduled pay date due to state holidays, inclement weather, system problems, personnel absences or other unforeseen hindrances.” The University has approximately 600 student employees that need to be paid during the academic year. The payroll staff reviews all student MyTime time cards and identifies missed punches, missing approvals or other potential errors. MyTime reports are printed for the pay period and electronically exported to the state payroll system. This part of the process cannot be done until all time cards are signed off and approved by the payroll staff. The next day, the payroll staff receives a report from the state payroll system that includes details for each student employee’s pay and must merge the payroll report and the MyTime reports. The payroll staff must confirm the accuracy of the changes that were made, finalize all appeasements and prepare the payroll for review by the Associate Payroll Manager. The Virginia Department of Payroll Operations processes the certified payroll overnight. Two business days are required to process direct deposits to
Daniel Arango
University of Mary Washington groups DivestUMW and UMW Students United met at the steps of Lee Hall on Monday, Feb. 8 to take action regarding decisions made by the Board of Visitors regarding divestment and student tuition. DivestUMW addressed the BOV not committing to making an informed vote about divestment following a report created by the UMW’s President’s Council on Sustainability. UMW Students United, a student group fighting for affordable education, is speaking out in opposition to proposed tuition hikes. During the meeting, DivestUMW and UMW Students United asked students to attend the upcoming Board meeting on February 18 and 19 to raise a collective voice against these issues.
ISSUE
•SEACOBECK | 2
Daniel Arango
•EMPLOYEES | 11
IN THIS
Seacobeck Hall served its last meals over the summer of 2015. The Office of Student Activities and Engagement have since been moved out of the basement and the Copy Center is expected to follow. It is not known how the building will be used now. There are rumors that Seacobeck Hall is going to be renovated, but for what, no one seems to know. According to Richard Pearce, the vice president for Administration and Finance for the University of Mary Washington and treasurer of the UMW Foundation, President Hurley met with the Virginia General Assembly on Feb. 5 to ask for UMW to be provided with planning funds. The first order of business if UMW gets the funds, according to Pearce, would be to stabilize Seacobeck Hall and prevent it from deteriorating. Once that is accomplished, there will be meetings to discuss future plans for the building. According to an article published by UMW’s website prior to Seacobeck’s closing, several suggestions, such as classrooms, studios, a small auditorium, display space for the arts and museums and storage space have been explored about possible uses for Seacobeck Hall. According to the article, a decision is likely to be made in the 2015-2016 year. Seacobeck Hall was built in 1930 to serve as UMW’s dining facility. As of now, the hall’s historic Faculty Dining Room is used as a possible location for wedding receptions or other events, according to UMW Catering’s website, and to serve patrons at the UMW Theatre before a show, according to the University’s calendar of events. Students also offered suggestions and shared their experiences regarding Seacobeck Hall. Claire Good, sophomore history and English double major has good memories of Seacobeck when it was the former dining hall. “It was a beautiful place to be,” Good said. “You could always find a seat.” Good believes the University Center’s dining hall has become more crowded than Seacobeck. Other students echoed this idea, including senior business major Marissa Tarzier believed the University Center became crowded especially during popular times of the day, such as lunch hours. “This one is a lot newer, but there’s
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