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LOST & FOUND Lost or found property? Check out Duke’s collection areas and DukeList, an online database similar to craigslist.
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STEAM PLANT MAKEOVER Duke’s 83-year-old steam plant is renovated and will burn natural gas, providing for high efficiency and low emissions.
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VETERANS DAY Nov. 11 is a day to thank and honor veterans, including faculty and staff who have served or are serving in the military.
November 2009
Working Smaller and Smarter AS PART OF ITS STRATEGY TO REDUCE COMPENSATION-RELATED EXPENSES, THE UNIVERSITY HAS SHED 425 POSITIONS early 8,000 people called Human Hof Milam, vice president for finance and Resources in September with questions treasurer, said that despite recent improvement These are about jobs and benefits. The individuals in stock market indices, Duke expects to see needing information probably noticed nothing declines in distributions from the endowment difficult different. But for the team fielding the calls and investments. Because endowment processes to go and processing paperwork, the month marked distributions are based on a three-year average, through. The a new beginning. “we see the endowment distribution declining Two team members had taken the early through fiscal year 2012 and possibly fiscal collaboration across retirement offer in August, and the Human the entire campus has year 2013,” Milam said. “What we are dealing Resources Information Center had fewer with is a moving target.” been outstanding. employees to handle about 400 calls a day and Across Duke, people are retooling for a hundreds of benefits transactions. shrinking budget and workforce. Call center I believe everyone understands we are in “September is always an incredibly busy staff members are cross-training to process this together, and maintaining the esprit time for us, and the team definitely felt the benefits changes. New imaging technology in de corps is essential.” strain of being smaller,” said Jen Mathot, who Accounts Payable is saving staff time – and — Kyle Cavanaugh leads Employee Services in the Human positions. And facilities crews are changing Vice President, Duke Human Resources Resources Information Center. “But teamwork, how often they cut grass and perform noncollaboration and lots of planning made the critical maintenance. transition mostly invisible to others.” The smaller team in the Human Resources MANAGING VOLUME MORE EFFICIENTLY Information Center is illustrative of a smaller Duke: the university has shed 425 positions since February 2009 when a vacancy management initiative There is seldom down-time for the Human Resources Information started as part of a university-wide effort to close an estimated $125 million Center. In an average month, the staff answers nearly 8,000 calls; responds budget shortfall by 2011. The smaller workforce, partly due to 239 to requests from nearly 1,000 walk-ins; and processes nearly 600 benefit positions left vacant by the early retirement incentive, reverses a four-year changes, not including the paperwork for new hires. trend of increasing positions by more than 500 each year. In anticipation of the vacant positions created by early retirements, the Since the market meltdown of 2008, the university’s administrative call center spent the summer examining processes to enhance efficiency. reform effort has covered a range of cost-cutting to avoid large-scale layoffs The team eliminated areas of duplication with other departments, and ranging from limiting salary increases and curtailing external hiring to members cross-trained so they could more easily shift from fielding phone reducing overtime expenses equivalent to 45 positions and adjusting calls to processing forms and data. campus services. In addition, academic schools have worked to maintain The team in the Human Resources Information Center decided how balanced budgets. much time each person needed away from the phones to process Reductions in compensation-related expenses have saved about $25 paperwork, and they experimented to find the best fit and balance of tasks million in the current fiscal budget, which runs through June 2010. More for each team member. savings are expected from the latest cost-saving strategy, a second voluntary “We wanted to ensure we covered the gaps in service, but at the same retirement incentive for select salaried (monthly-paid) staff positions. time, offer staff members opportunities to learn new responsibilities as part “We are making progress,” said Tallman Trask III, executive vice president, “but we still have a long way to go.” >> See SMALLER AND SMARTER, PAGE 7
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2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing 2009, 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters
This paper consists of 30% recycled post-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.
Editor’s Note LEANORA MINAI Leanora.Minai@duke.edu
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’m writing with an update about the Working@Duke Facebook fan page. Since the online page launched in August, 689 people have become fans – and hopefully more will join the ranks. The page provides a dynamic way to share useful information about Duke benefits and resources with employees, while providing real-time news: updates, photos, videos and discussion topics related to stories in the publication or in the works. A few examples of workplace social-networking:
• Soon after posting the seasonal flu shot schedule, staff members responded. “I’ll be there!” wrote Kathy Peterson, an administrative assistant. We followed up and featured Peterson and others in a video to raise awareness about protection against the seasonal flu with the free seasonal vaccine.
• Nine people commented after we asked for employees who love and use Duke Libraries. The query is for an upcoming Working@Duke story about resources available in our libraries.
Newsbriefs Moving from Microsoft 2003 to Microsoft 2007 Duke’s Learning & Organization Development is offering transition classes for faculty and staff who want to learn the ins and outs of Microsoft 2007. The classes range from two-hours for people who already know the 2003 version and need a show-and-tell demonstration of the new interface ($49) to a full day for those who want to learn all of the new features of Microsoft 2007 ($149). For a full list of classes, visit hr.duke.edu/train.
Keep off extra holiday pounds LIVE FOR LIFE, the health and wellness program for Duke faculty and staff, offers a helping hand over the holidays to keep seasonal pounds away: Maintain Don’t Gain. During the eight week initiative, which runs Nov. 16 to Jan. 8, the LIVE FOR LIFE staff sends a weekly e-mail with tips and strategies for adopting or maintaining healthy behaviors and recipes. Stress management tools, physical activity suggestions and encouraging messages are also provided. Most Americans gain one to three pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. Over the years, those pounds add up. Register for Maintain Don’t Gain at hr.duke.edu/eohs/livelife/ maintain.
Learn to be tobacco free
• After asking for favorite employee discounts, we learned from an employee about the Orchid Trail, which offers a 10 percent discount on longlasting blooms. Read all about the discount on the back page of this publication. In addition to these examples, employees sometimes can’t help but show their pride. “I love working for Duke!!” wrote April Harper, a patient service associate. “Wouldn’t be no where else!!!!” To join the fan page, visit facebook.com/workingatduke
Duke community members who need help kicking the tobacco habit can get it during the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. In the week leading up to the 33rd Great American Smokeout on Nov. 19, LIVE FOR LIFE staff will be at information tables to speak with employees about quitting and helping others quit. The tables will be in or near the cafeterias at Duke South Clinics and at all three Duke Medicine hospitals. Employees who visit the tables can sign up for a “cold turkey” drawing to win a frozen Thanksgiving turkey. “This is a fantastic opportunity to find out about free researchtested programs and enhanced treatments provided by Duke to help
you or a loved one quit for good,” said Julie Joyner, director of LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. For more information about tobacco cessation options at Duke, visit hr.duke.edu/tobaccofree or call (919) 684-3136, option 1.
Duke Urgent Care South extends hours Duke Urgent Care South on Fayetteville Road in Durham has extended its hours and will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, including holidays. Urgent care facilities focus on providing immediate, non- life threatening care when a patient’s primary care physician is unavailable. An urgent care visit costs $35 to $50 for anyone covered by a Duke medical insurance plan, compared to $250 for an emergency room visit. Appropriate use of primary care, urgent care and emergency care can help control rising health care costs. “We think the expansion of the urgent care hours will help tremendously in getting people to choose the right level of care at the right time,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Human Resources. Other Duke Urgent Care locations at Brier Creek, Hillandale, Knightdale and Morrisville are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit dukehealth.org/Services/UrgentCare
Navigate research administration Employees who manage research funding have an opportunity for free professional development when Duke begins recruiting this month for the next class of the Research Administration Academy. The academy, a three-month course taught by internal Duke experts, is for employees with less than two years experience in grant management who spend at least half of their time on grant management responsibilities. Supervisors must nominate employees Nov. 16–Dec. 11. Classes start in January 2010. “This series of classes has been incredibly successful in helping employees who have responsibility for grant management gain handson experience and a greater understanding of the regulations surrounding research,” said Angela Rice-Warren, assistant director of Research Costing Compliance. For more information, visit http://rcc.compliance.duke.edu/training/raa
Letters to the Editor must include name and contact information. E-mail letters to working@duke.edu or mail them to Working@Duke Editor, Box 90496, Durham, NC 27708. Fax letters to (919) 681-7926. Please keep length to no more than 200 words.
Think globally, act locally International skills program enhances cultural awareness ating a 3 Musketeers bar isn’t a typical remedy for the common cold, but it’s what Linda Martinez does every time she feels under the weather. Others may prefer chicken soup or vitamin C, but Martinez unwraps a chocolate bar because it works for her. This behavior was used as an example during a recent session of the Intercultural Skills Development Program to show how cultures and beliefs can vary. Organized through Duke’s International House, the program is open to faculty and staff and teaches awareness and acceptance of beliefs and cultures. “Everybody believes their own cold remedy is the best because it’s what their parents or grandparents used to do,” said Seun Bello Olamosu, assistant director for training and outreach at the International House. “This is a good example of how our values are important to us and how different we all can be on something simple like how to treat a cold.” Olamosu, who is from Nigeria, said the program is a valuable way for people to enhance their knowledge about the more than 6,000 Duke community members who comprise Duke’s international community. Of that number, more than 400 students come from China, more than 400 from India and about 300 from South Korea. The program is free and voluntary and consists of five, three-to-four hour meetings over a semester. Participants take part in exercises, lectures and one-on-one activities to break down barriers. There are also two cultural lunch sessions when participants enjoy international food while listening to international students or employees talk about their background. Departments can also request tailored mini-workshops. Over the course of the semester program, topics span intercultural awareness, dealing with culture shock and resolving potential conflicts with intercultural communication. As a final project, participants organize a focus group to assess cultural programs and policies that could be used at Duke.
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David Frankel, an assistant dean of students with the Office of Student Conduct, took the class and is more acquainted with how international students transition to Duke. He said he’s enhanced his communication skills with international students by understanding more Participants of the Intercultural Skills Development Program gather for a “cultural lunch,” where they eat international food and hear stories from about body language members of Duke’s international community. and cultural barriers. “It’s valuable because we have such vast and diverse members of our community, but we don’t always understand how other countries and cultures can be different from ours,” Frankel said. “The class helped to remind me just how much Duke is a global university.” — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
Want to sign up? The International House is recruiting through Dec. 15 for its spring class. Employees must receive permission from supervisors to participate and attend all sessions. For an application, visit ihouse.studentaffairs.duke.edu or call (919) 684-3585.
Help lost property get found esse Meadows was worried. He had recently finished up a housekeeping shift in the Bryan Center and couldn’t find his cell phone. Lucky for him, karma was on his side: someone found it by the West Campus bus stop. In his almost 10 years at Duke, Meadows has been the one turning in property left behind to a lost-and-found collection in the Bryan Center. An eyeglasses case and checkbook, above, are among items in the lost “I know that nine times and found collection at the Duke out of 10, when you lose University Police Department. something, you won’t get it back,” Meadows said. “But someone turned my phone over to Duke Police, and I went directly over there, and had no problems getting it back.” Cell phones, keys and wallets are among the common items that get dropped off at lost and found collections across Duke, including at the Duke University Police Department on Oregon Street and the Office of Student Activities and Facilities (OSAF) in the Bryan Center. There’s also a new tool for getting property back to owners: DukeList, an online database similar to craigslist. Duke Police and OSAF use DukeList to post property in their lost and found collections. DukeList (dukelist.duke.edu) is open to all Duke community members who find property or are looking for something. For instance, in late September, among the several dozen items, someone posted: “Lost my daily planner today... probably on the bus or bus stop between West and
East Campus. It’s a small black Moleskine notebook. I’d be eternally grateful to get it back if you find it.” Lt. Greg Stotsenberg, Duke Police investigations supervisor, said valuables like wallets, jewelry, keys and DukeCards should be turned into the police department. If police can identify the owner
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Using Lost and Founds 䡵 If you’ve lost something, call the Duke Police Records office, (919) 684-4026, and provide a detailed description of the item. If it’s in the police lost and found, you can pick it up. 䡵 If you’ve found an item, call Duke Police at (919) 6842444.
Lost and Found Locations 䡵 Duke University Police Department – 502 Oregon St. 䡵 Office of Student Activities and Facilities – Bryan Center 䡵 Baker House – Duke South
through an ID, serial number or engraving, officers will contact the owner. Other items like backpacks, notebooks or eyeglasses can be dropped off at collection points closer to where the lost object is found. “When we turn in valuables, we’re preventing thefts at Duke,” Stotsenberg said. “It’s about doing our part to keep our belongings and campus safe.”
䡵 Doris Duke Visitor Center – Duke Gardens 䡵 Circulation Desk – Perkins Library
— By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
Lost or found property? Check out DukeList at dukelist.duke.edu
Eat healthy on a tight budget K
elly Velotta has two main ingredients for healthy eating on a tight budget: shop wisely and learn to cook. “The backbone to eating healthy is to cook it yourself,” said Velotta, nutrition manager for LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. “Your meals will also be much cheaper.” The average American spends about 5.6 percent of his or her income on home-cooked meals, down from more than 10 percent in 1940. Most people underestimate how often they eat out and how much it costs, said Velotta, who offered tips on low-cost, healthy eating during a recent Duke Credit Union workshop. Lunchtime trips or late afternoon stops for a fast food dinner add up in cost and calories, she said. Velotta offered these tips for preparing cheap, wholesome meals:
u Look high, low and on the perimeter. Stores generally stock the most expensive items at eye level and place fresh foods on the perimeter of the store.
u Experiment with new foods. “When I mention whole grains, people usually think of rice or
oatmeal,” Velotta said. “But other grains such as amaranth, millet and quinoa are becoming easier to find, and they are very healthy and quite cheap per serving.”
u Go meatless. At least once a week, experiment with vegetarian dishes such as bean burritos, lentil stew or Indian Dal. A simple meal of rice and beans can cost as little as 20 cents per serving, Velotta said.
u Waste not, want not. Prepare only what you are going to eat, brownbag leftovers for lunch the next day or cook twice the amount you need and freeze the rest for a “fast food” night.
u Buy in bulk when possible. Some stores sell whole grains, dried beans, nuts and seeds in bulk, Velotta said. “You can also buy whole grain pretzels, whole grain cereals, and dried fruit in bulk and make your own snack packs.” She also recommends purchasing spices from bulk bins. “You can get exactly the amount you need at a much cheaper price.”
Rose Porges, a program coordinator for Duke Children’s Development, came away from the credit union workshop ready to try some new tips. “I would have never thought to check out bulk item prices at a place like Whole Foods,” she said, “I just assumed those types of stores were too expensive.”
“The backbone to eating healthy is to cook it yourself,” said Kelly Velotta, nutrition manager for LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. “Your meals will be much cheaper.”
— By Marsha A. Green Writer, Office of Communication Services
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Watch a video about eating healthy on a budget at hr.duke.edu/liveforlife
New Era for Steam
Historic plant burns natural gas after renova
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hen Duke’s steam plant was built 100 yards off the rail tracks near East Campus in 1926, it was heralded as one of the best in its class: Georgian architecture with decorative brickwork, two-story tall window arches and interior oak finishes. For about 50 years, the plant’s coal-fired boilers supplied steam through underground pipes and tunnels to heat campus buildings until the plant closed in 1978. The plant is scheduled to reopen in January after a $25 million renovation that marks another era at Duke: natural gas – not coal – will fuel the new boilers. The system will provide 35 percent more steam to heat academic and medical buildings, sterilize surgical equipment and maintain proper humidity for art and lab research. “It really is a historic restoration,” said Floyd Williams, who managed the project for Facilities Management. “We’re taking a building and adding state-of-the-art technology to produce steam at high efficiency and ultra-low emissions.” The plant, which sits off West Pettigrew Street, will become Duke’s base system, supplying the equivalent of enough steam each hour to heat 2,500 houses. Duke’s other steam plant, built in 1929 on West Campus near Research Drive, will be a “peaking plant” with the capacity to burn coal, oil, recycled oil and natural gas when demand is high during the coldest days of the year. “With this conversion, Duke is expected to cut its coal consumption by approximately 70 percent,” said John Noonan, associate vice president for Facilities Management. The effort is part of Duke’s overall goal to become a climate-neutral campus, a commitment by President Richard Brodhead in 2007, as part of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. Converting the plant on East Campus to natural gas isn’t the only sustainable feature of the system. In hopes of earning a silver rating in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council, Duke is reusing 87 percent of the original building and making use of recycled water, including rainwater from the new roof to operate the plant’s only toilet. “The reuse of this existing building, and its re-commissioning as a steam plant, represents a major commitment to sustainability,” Noonan said. Architects in the firm of Horace Trumbauer, the architect of Duke University, designed the original plant on East Campus. The firm’s work also included a collection of 11 buildings on East Campus that the plant served. A newspaper headline on April 22, 1926, announced a “…New Heating Plant of Size at Duke University.” “The plant will supply heat for the present campus community, including the large new unit of eleven buildings …” the article said. “Land has been purchased by the university bordering the tracks of Southern railway siding, where coal will be loaded directly from the railway tracks to the plant via trestle and chute, and a tunnel, to be built under the tracks, will allow the main steam pipe line to enter the campus …” At a cost of $440,000 during the unsteady financial times of the late 1920s, the steam plant included architectural features and touches uncommon for an industrial building. Cornices, decorative brickwork and recessed brick medallions with brick around inset square concrete panels resembled details of tobacco factories and warehouses.
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Up until 1978, rail cars delivered coal along a trestle to a corrugated tin shed on the plant’s roof. From there, the coal dropped through floor gates to three furnaces below. After the steam plant closed, the generation of steam to heat and dehumidify hundreds of campus buildings and sterilize surgical and other health system equipment was completely provided by the plant on West Campus. But because the renovated plant on East Campus will carry the system’s load and burn only natural gas, much less coal will be used to fuel the West Campus steam plant boilers. Coal now arrives at the plant on West by truck, instead of rail, ending an 80-year tradition. Duke is investigating how to convert the remaining coal-fired boilers in the West Campus plant to alternative fuels.
The project included removing three coal burners and installing 15 natural-gas powered Miura boilers, considered the largest installation of its kind in the United States.
At the East Campus plant, dozens of crew members have worked more than a year to renovate the 7,500-square-foot space. Site work involved a range of tasks like restoring the tin rooftop shed for new mechanical equipment; grinding out and refilling most of the old brick mortar on the building and smokestack; gutting the interior and installing the 15 natural-gas powered Miura boilers, considered the largest installation of its kind in the United States. The new gas boilers require less water and time to produce steam – and at lower emissions and greenhouse gases than coal. Instead of using lots of energy to fire up one to three large coal boilers, the plant can calibrate among 15 smaller gas boilers based on demand. “This creates a significant reduction in the energy losses associated with a typical start-up, purge and warm-up cycle of a boiler,” said Russell Thompson, director of utilities and engineering for Facilities Management. The plant’s accompanying 175 feet tall brick smokestack remains but only as an architectural relic. “The smokestack is imposing once at the site, yet successfully inconspicuous upon leaving it,” a student wrote in a 1996 art history paper kept in the University Archives. Duke also salvaged one of the plant’s original black, cast iron coal boilers. It will be on display in the lobby. By Leanora Minai Editor, Working@Duke
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Top: Duke’s steam plant was built 100 yards off the rail tracks near East campus in 1926. Right: About 83 years later, the plant receives a $25-million renovation that retains its historical value but includes state-of-the art technology and natural gas boilers.
Top: The lobby of the steam plant, seen here in its gutted stage, will feature one of the plant’s original black, cast iron coal boilers. The plant was recognized for its Georgian architecture with two-story tall window arches and decorative brickwork, including its 175 foot tall smokestack.
See a video of the steam plant during renovation at duke.edu/sustainability
Veterans Day is Nov. 11 Honoring faculty and staff military service in wartime, peace atching Michael Zollo run the Diagnostic Division in the Radiology Department, colleagues might get the sense that the highly organized manager is a tad – well – militaristic. He manages the division by the book and when he speaks, he gets right to the point, he says. But the man can’t help it. It’s in his blood. Zollo, 41, is a thirdgeneration soldier. His grandfather, an Italian immigrant, served in the U.S. Army in World War I and II, retiring as a colonel. His father served during the Vietnam era. Zollo is a longtime drill sergeant, and some of that training, he finds, might just trickle into his day job managing 35 employees at Durham Regional Hospital. “He emphasizes teamwork and earns respect by treating us like equals,” said Alma Lynch, a radiology supervisor who works with Zollo. Like other military veterans at Duke, Zollo will spend Veterans Day (Nov. 11) meditating on the impact his
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service has had on his life and the lives of others. Zollo, who spent most of his childhood in Florida, joined the Army in his early twenties because he needed money for college. He had found his calling. “I was born to be a soldier,” he said. He spent his first enlistment gaining experience as an X-ray technician, which helped build his professional career. But it was in later enlistments that Zollo discovered a more fulfilling role: serving as drill sergeant. Zollo soon was teaching 250 or more young men and women, in grueling eight-week stints, how to survive life-and-death situations, like what to do after contact with a nuclear or biological agent and how to engage in combat in complete darkness. He thinks often about the soldiers he prepared for missions overseas. “I like to think I taught them everything they need to know to be able to come back home,” he said. To be effective, Zollo modeled his manner after Dan Williams, the drill sergeant who pushed him through boot camp years ago. “He never had to raise his voice,” Zollo said. “Without him, I don’t know that I would have known what to do.” Zollo spent nearly nine years working as a drill sergeant, but recently took time off to start a family. Now with a 19-month-old son, Zollo is considering returning to the Army for another round as a reservist. “You can take me out of the Army,” he said. “But you can’t take the Army out of me.” — By Samiha Khanna, Working@Duke Correspondent
Michael Zollo, right, with his father, Douglas A. Zollo, at Zollo’s graduation from Drill Sergeants School in South Carolina in 1998. Zollo, who now runs the Diagnostic Radiology Department at Durham Regional Hospital, is a third-generation soldier.
Connecting Duke and Capitol Hill Department: Office of Federal Relations. HIGHLIGHTING DEPARTMENTS ACROSS DUKE
Years at Duke: Nine; prior to 1999, the office was under the umbrella of Government Relations and Community Affairs.
Who they are: The Office of Federal Relations works as a liaison between Duke University and the federal government. Chris Simmons, associate vice president of Federal Relations, travels to Washington, D.C. two to three times a month to meet with government officials on matters concerning Duke, which range from funding for scientific research to student aid. Keeping track of such matters can be a considerable task, as all but two federal agencies directly affect the university: Consumer Product Safety and the Federal Trade Commission. What they’re known for: Each year, the university receives over $1 billion from the federal government, which means there is a lot of back and forth between the school and Capitol Hill. “Most anytime there is interaction between Duke University and federally elected or appointed officials, it goes through this office,” Simmons said.
Duke President Richard H. Brodhead meets with Sonal Shah, left, director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, to discuss civic engagement issues and how Duke faculty and students might serve as a resource for her work. Chris Simmons, associate vice president of Duke’s Office of Federal Relations, center, accompanies Brodhead on the trip.
What they can do for you: The office provides two weekly e-mails that keep the Duke community in touch with what’s happening in Washington. “Duke Digest” informs policymakers, federal officials and friends of Duke about what’s happening at the university. “DC Digest” informs the Duke community of federal and regulatory issues. To sign up, e-mail Public Affairs Specialist Landy Elliott at landy.elliott@duke.edu. Number of employees: Four. Hidden department fact: Of the more than $1 billion the university receives from the federal government, more than $500 million goes toward research. Also, the Duke office works closely with UNC-Chapel Hill. “We have very similar agendas in Washington,” Simmons said. Significant achievement: The office has worked hard to position faculty as resources for policy makers. Recently, when U.S. Representative David Price visited campus, the office facilitated a meeting between the congressman, the Duke Islamic Studies Center and George McLendon, dean of Arts and Sciences. As chairman of the House Democracy Assistance Commission, Price was interested in speaking with Duke experts on Islam and about his efforts to help emerging democracies around the world. Big goal: The main goal is a steady, sustained increase in federal research funding and student aid from the federal government and enhancing and amplifying Duke’s presence in the nation’s capitol. How they make a difference: The office gets Duke’s voice heard on funding matters like scientific research and student aid. Faculty and staff interested in speaking to members of Congress about research and work they’ve done can also count on this office to make those connections. For students interested in internships or jobs on Capitol Hill, the office can help make connections with officials as well as alumni in Washington.
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— Interview by Elizabeth Shestak, Working@Duke Correspondent
Learn more about Federal Relations at www.duke.edu/federalrelations
Working Smaller and Smarter
A Smaller Duke
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of their professional development,” said Mathot, who has led the information center for two years. “It’s a time of big transition, and the team has been incredibly flexible in handling it.”
ADJUSTING SERVICES The university is targeting several hundred thousand dollars in savings this fiscal year by reducing energy consumption, a cost-cutting idea submitted by many Duke community members through Duke’s “Enduring A Troubled Economy” website. Where possible, temperatures in university buildings that are on the central control system will be set at approximately 68 degrees in the winter and 76 degrees in the summer. The actual room temperatures can be within two degrees (plus or minus) of those set points. “Since departments pay for what they use, this is an opportunity for everyone at Duke to help cut costs and contribute to a sustainable goal,” said Kemel Dawkins, vice president for Campus Services. In addition, some services departments are changing how they meet basic, non-urgent service demands with reduced budgets and fewer staff. Less frequently mowed grass, less weeding and slightly longer waits for maintenance requests in non-critical areas are among the strategies adopted by Facilities. As a result, grounds crews will be deployed as task teams for mowing and trimming less often. Critical areas like the NCAA athletic fields will be maintained according to schedule due to collegiate regulations. “These efforts will increase efficiency and productivity, while maintaining safety and reliability,” said John Noonan, associate vice president for Facilities Management. The Police Department also is adjusting after some police and security officers retired in August. The department will rehire for all five police officer positions left vacant by early retirements. Some of the vacant security officer slots will also be filled, but others will remain open for now. To adjust, the department has expanded contract security services and changed staffing at certain special events by combining roles and responsibilities. For example, for the first home football game, Duke police reassigned some traffic officers to stadium security and hired some Durham police officers to help monitor the event. These strategic deployments saved on compensation-related expenses but did not compromise service for the campus community, said Aaron Graves, associate vice president for safety and security.
Retirement Incentive Offers
Acceptances
Replacements
Net Impact
836
295
56
-239
Vacancy Management Positions unfilled since March 18, 2009
-141
Overtime Reduction Annual savings represented as # of positions
Total Reduction in Workforce
-45 -425
The university has shed 425 positions since February 2009 when a vacancy management initiative started as part of a university-wide effort to close an estimated $125 million budget shortfall by 2011.
Jim Allen, director of Accounts Payable, said the system eliminated the need to have an employee copy and mail thousands of invoices to departments each month. It also automated the workflow for invoices blocked for payment because of missing information. The system now flags problem invoices and automatically returns them to departments for corrective action. “If we had not embraced this technology, we would have to replace the people who retired, or we would have ended up with a month’s backlog of unpaid invoices,” Allen said. “Now we can handle the workload with fewer people.” The Graduate School also looked to technology to help a smaller workforce stay on top of the job. A new paperless process for distributing admission applications allowed the school to eliminate one position vacated by a retiring employee. “We no longer have to have someone print, collate and deliver nearly 9,000 application packets to and from 55 different departments each application season,” said Cynthia Robertson, associate dean of finance and enrollment services. Provost Peter Lange said that despite flat budgets, Duke’s schools and academic units have maintained “quality and momentum and have begun some processes that will lead to significant innovation.” Administrators said they are proud of how faculty and staff have met the economic challenges. “These are difficult processes to go through,” Cavanaugh said. “The collaboration across the entire campus has been outstanding. I believe everyone understands we are in this together, and maintaining the esprit de corps is essential.”
New Retirement Incentive Offered Duke president Richard H. Brodhead congratulates Security Officer Gerald Gunnell and his family during a Duke police retirement reception at the Nasher Museum of Art. Gunnell, who served 15 years with the Duke University Police Department, was among 18 members who retired in August.
“We have to become more prudent with our resources and creative in how we deploy, train and respond to the needs of the community,” Graves said. “We were able to reduce the level of football game staffing by nine officers just by reviewing what is truly needed versus doing what we have always done in the past. And we maintained our high level of response and service.”
TECHNOLOGY OFFERS SOLUTIONS A new imaging system has eliminated the need to fill all five positions vacated by retiring employees in the Accounts Payable department. The imaging system scans 40,000 paper invoices each month and automatically captures data needed for payment, loading an image of each invoice into a financial database for users to view.
As part of the continuing effort to reduce expenses, the university has offered a voluntary retirement incentive to nearly 200 salaried (monthly paid) staff members who meet specific criteria. In addition to other eligibility requirements, employees must meet the “Rule of 75” (years of service + age = 75 or more) by Dec. 31, 2009. Faculty and Duke University Health System staff members are not eligible. Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Duke Human Resources, said the program is another step toward helping reduce overall compensation expenses, which will limit the potential for involuntary layoffs later. The university has implemented a range of initiatives, including the first retirement incentive directed to hourly-paid (biweekly) staff in Duke’s pension plan. Nearly 300 staff members took part in that incentive. Individuals offered the Monthly Staff Retirement Incentive have until 5 p.m. Dec. 8 to enroll. Staff who retire under the incentive receive a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to two weeks of pay for each full year of continuous service with Duke (up to 52 weeks of pay). The retirement dates are Dec. 31, 2009 or January 29, 2010. — By Marsha A. Green Writer, Office of Communication Services
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WORKING@ DUKE
HOW TO REACH US Editor: Leanora Minai
dialogue@Duke
(919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu Assistant Vice President:
“What’s your perception of Duke’s financial situation? Are we out of the woods, or is the worst yet to come?”
Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado Photography: Bryan Roth and Leanora Minai, Office of
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This is not going to blow over quickly, but I think the decisions Duke’s leadership has made will pay dividends in the years to come. Duke’s done a good job trying to streamline the work we do and preserve jobs and that should be applauded. I don’t think anyone is out of the woods yet. Duke is just like any other company that faces challenging economic times. It’s going to take years for everything to blow over for everyone.”
Clay Adams Assistant dean of students, New Student and Family Programs 6 years at Duke
Communication Services; and Duke University Photography.
Working@Duke is published monthly by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and suggestions for future story topics. Please write us at working@duke.edu or
Working@Duke, Box 90496, 705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708 Call us at (919) 684-4345. Send faxes to (919) 681-7926.
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I think Duke will weather everything better than other universities and colleges and better than mainstream corporations. Partially because when the economy slows down, education is still important, so it will propel us forward. There’s been a shortfall and we’re filling it, but I don’t think we’re out of it just because the government says we’re out of the recession.”
Christina Price Department business manager, Dance Program 11 years at Duke
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I don’t know how things could be looking up with all the reorganizing going on. For the near term, I think it’s going to be interesting to watch. I’d like to see how the labor force is restructured and jobs are consolidated. At least we’re not like some of the other universities I hear about like Harvard. Our endowment is in much better shape.”
working@duke.edu or Call
681-4533
Connie Blackmore Department business manager, African-American Studies 23 years at Duke — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
The Orchid Trail 402 Church St., Morrisville 919) 362-1062 or (919) 468-3611
Orchidtrail.com
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PERQS E M P LOY E E D I S CO U N TS
Discount for long-lasting blooms
K
aren Bond never expected to fall in love with orchids.
She bought her first one last February from the Orchid Trail in Morrisville after a colleague told her Duke employees receive a 10 percent discount through PERQS, the employee discount program. “Since the store is right down the street from my home, I decided to stop in one day and take advantage of the savings,” said Bond, a lab research analyst for the Department of Hematology/Oncology. “Then I went back again, and again. Once you buy one, you want to have more because they are so beautiful.” Bond enjoys orchids because they are relatively easy to maintain and have long-lasting flowers: her first orchid – a golden phalaenopsis – bloomed for three months.
For a complete list of Duke PERQS discounts visit
hr.duke.edu/ discounts
D U K E T O D AY
“When I went to the Orchid Trail the first time, they helped me find an orchid that would grow on my back porch and they taught me how to test the soil to know when to water it,” she said.
With proper care and feeding, orchids can grow for at least 20 years, flowering for several months each year. Orchid Trail owner John Stanton’s love affair with orchids has blossomed over 40 years, and he now has seven greenhouses full of the colorful plants. One greenhouse is dedicated to orchids that are ready for sale, with prices ranging from $10 to $20 for common hybrids, to over $100 for rare species. For the serious orchid collector, the Orchid Trail also offers an orchid care service that includes feeding and watering orchids in the greenhouse when orchids are not in bloom and returning them to owners just as blooms begin to burst. Bond doesn’t yet consider herself an orchid collector, but she enjoys sharing the gift of orchids. She bought a bright pink phalaenopsis for the graduation of her fiance’s niece. Now she’s deciding which orchids to order next spring for her wedding. “There are so many possibilities, and I can’t wait to see what they will have that will be in bloom,” she said. “But I know that they will be gorgeous.” — By Marsha A. Green Writer, Office of Communication Services
For daily news and information, visit duke.edu/today