COLLEGE OPERATIONS

Finals prep week reminder

A campus programming reminder to all that Tuesday-Sunday, Dec. 9-14 is considered finals prep week and is intended to provide additional space for students to prepare for tests, papers and finals. These six days are set aside for academic preparation for finals, and Luther does not schedule public events during this time—including student led events. Exceptions include only athletic events, social gatherings, Christmas in the Union and Kwanzaa.

Flexible spending account re-enrollment deadline Dec. 13

Health and dependent care flexible spending account re-enrollments will be accepted online through Friday. Dec. 13.  Go to www.myflexonline.com to get started.  Instructions for re-enrolling online are under: https://www2.luther.edu/hr/assets/Online_enrollment_instructions_2014_Luther_College.pdf.

Deductible plan changes due Dec. 13

Paper enrollments to the flex program are due to human resources by Friday, Dec. 13.

Employees wishing to move from one deductible plan to another, or wishing to drop or add a dependent, should complete the "Health and Dental Change Form" with human resources by Friday, Dec. 13. (https://www2.luther.edu/hr/common-forms/).

Flexible spending claims

Flexible spending account dollars deducted from employee paychecks during 2013 may be used for eligible expenses through March 15, 2014. Claims for these dollars must be submitted to Midwest Group Benefits by March 31, 2014. Claim forms are available in human resources and on the hr website: https://www2.luther.edu/hr/common-forms/.  Select "Flexible Benefit Claim Form." Mail the form to Midwest Group Benefits, PO Box 408, Decorah, IA 52101, or fax to (563) 382-9613.

Library books are due Dec. 13

Dec. 13 is the due date for books checked out from the main stacks by faculty and staff on or before Sunday, Dec. 8. Books checked out by faculty and staff may be renewed online or by emailing <library>. The new due date is May 16, the last day of classes for the spring semester. Books that have already been renewed three times (two years) will not be renewed again; rather you will need to bring these books in physically to the circulation desk to have them checked in and then out again to "re-start the clock." You may "View your account" online by clicking on "Library Account" at  http://www2.luther.edu/library/, then "My Library Account" in the upper right corner after signing in on the next page to see what you have checked out and when it is due.

Residence halls, including Farwell Hall, closed for holiday break

The residence halls will close for break at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. This means the Farwell Hall elevator will not be available for faculty/staff to use beginning the evening of Dec. 17 through Saturday, Jan. 4. So faculty and staff who normally use the Farwell elevator should plan ahead concerning other parking options on campus.

Vanna White on campus-Play Witty Words

Vanna White will be on campus in January to help you on your road to good health. Play Witty Words and you could win a wonderful prize. The game runs the month of January and is open to all employees and students. Email Vicky Jaeger <jaegervi> to sign up and for more information.

Pressure cooking class

Johanna Bergan from the Oneota Coop will facilitate a pressure cooking class from noon-1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, in Valders 379. Interested students, staff and faculty should register for the class online. Cooking for busy schedules is a common challenge, and the idea of a Crockpot meal isn't always tempting. There is another "one-pot-way"-the pressure cooker. The modern pressure cooker is a safe relative of something your grandmother used. Learn to effectively use a pressure cooker to prepare full meals and side dishes including curries, polenta and risotto. Generous samples will be available during this class.

Cafeteria to Community program

The Center for Sustainable Communities and Dining Services are excited to announce the Cafeteria to Community program. This new program works to get good food into the homes of those who may need it. Volunteers gather on Monday and Wednesday evenings to package the surplus of food produced by the cafeteria into quart-sized containers that then get delivered to the First Lutheran Church Food Pantry. Volunteers are crucial for the success of this program. For more information on available shifts and to sign-up, please visit the website. Shifts take place on Monday and Wednesday evenings starting at 7 p.m. and last less than two hours. The program is currently seeking student, staff, faculty and community member volunteers for J-term and spring semester.

Wellness reminder

Please watch for upcoming 2014 wellness check-up information. As this is an even-numbered year, all health benefit participants need to do their blood panel, health risk assessment and physical in order to avoid the additional $25 monthly premium.

Book Shop events

All faculty, staff and students are invited to the Book Shop's "Ugly Christmas Decoration" contest. Bring entries to the Book Shop by 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10. Voting will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 11, until 4:30 p.m. The winner will be announced at 5:05 p.m.

All students are invited to enter the Book Shop's annual "Ugly Christmas Sweater" contest. Come to the Book Shop wearing your sweater anytime before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, when a photo will be taken. Vote for the ugliest sweater until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11. A style show of all the sweater entries and judging of the top five finalists will take place at 5:45 p.m. in the Book Shop.

Empowering Learners

Empowering Learners will be returning to Namibia this January term. Those who wish to support our efforts can bring donations of used laptops in good condition and roll aboard carry-on suitcases. Laptops should be no more than five years old and working well. We strip them, add basic office programs and Encyclopedia Britannica. These laptops will be delivered to the Ongenga and Oniipa Primary Schools in the North. We also need roll aboard to transport laptops as well as microscopes and calculators. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Sponberg Peterson, 387-1510, or <ann.peterson>.

Biweekly payroll Dec. 31

The Cabinet has approved Dec. 23-25 as holidays. This holiday schedule limits time for processing bi-weekly payroll for the pay period ending Dec. 20 with a pay date of Dec. 31. Therefore, timecards for the pay period ending Dec. 20 are due in the Payroll Office by noon Friday, Dec. 20. Please estimate, based on your normal work schedule, what your Friday work hours will be. Any adjustments to these estimates should be indicated on your next timecard and will be applied to the next pay period.

Supervisors, please review and sign all time cards. Please hand deliver timecards to the Payroll Office on the first floor of Main Building by noon Friday, Dec. 20 because campus mail will not be delivered in time. Contact Korrine in the Payroll Office, 387-1135, or Andrew in the Office for Financial Services, 387-1697, with questions and concerns. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. 

27 biweekly paychecks in 2013

Because the biweekly pay date for the pay period ending Dec. 20 would have fallen on Jan. 1, a bank holiday, that payroll will be paid on Dec. 31. This will have two consequences. First, this will be the 27th pay check in 2013 and will show up on employees' 2013 W-2 instead of their 2014 W-2. There will still be 26 paychecks in 2014. Second, this will be the third payroll in December, so flex and health deductions will not come out of this paycheck. To make changes to the Dec. 31 payroll, for instance, to your SRA contributions or W-4s, submit forms to the payroll office as soon as possible, but no later than Dec. 18. Forms are available at https://www2.luther.edu/hr/common-forms/or in Human Resources.

Sign up for W-2's online

All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to sign up to receive electronic W-2's using my.luther.edu. The W-2 Electronic Consent option is included in the employee profile section of my.luther.edu. If you chose the electronic option for your 2012 W-2, then you do not need to do it again for 2013. More detailed instructions and additional information can be found by clicking the W-2 Options link on the HR website https://www2.luther.edu/hr/common-forms/ Mac users: please do not use the "Preview" application to view your W-2. Remember, the electronic option is the sustainable option.

H drive changes coming in December

For improved data security, on Thursday, Dec. 26, LIS is limiting off-campus access to information on H drives—space for storing electronic files on Luther's servers. For more information, visit H drive Changes Coming.

EVENTS

Chapel this week

Wednesday, Dec. 11: Carol Gilbertson Friday, Dec. 13: Anthony Howard, senior chapel, Kwanzaa chapel, Jazz Band

Events this week

Dec. 11, Christmas in the Union, Dahl Centennial Union

Dec. 12, Fall Science Research Symposium, 9:40-11 a.m., Sampson-Hoffland Concourse and Valders Atrium

'Christmas in the Union'

Luther College invites the Decorah community to celebrate "Christmas in the Union" from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in Luther's Dahl Centennial Union. Come for festive activities, a movie and pictures with Santa. A holiday dinner will be served in the cafeteria from 5-7:30 p.m. for a fee, all other "Christmas in the Union" events are open to the public with no charge for admission.

Fall Science Research Symposium

The fall science research symposium is 9:40-11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12 in the Sampson-Hoffland Atrium and Valders Concourse. This is a unified event highlighting undergraduate student research in the sciences at Luther. The symposium includes more than 70 poster presentations by students from classes in biology, chemistry, environmental studies, math, nursing and physics including directed research student projects. All members of the Luther community are invited to come and see what is going on in the sciences.

Kwanzaa festival

This years Kwanzaa festival and celebration will be Dec. 13-14. On Friday, Dec. 13, there will be a chapel in the CFL featuring candle lighting with Anthony Howard and Cole Jessen doing spoken word. On Saturday Dec. 14, there will be a festival in Peace Dining from 4-6 p.m. which includes a buffet style meal, performances, remembrances, lighting of the candles and the libation. Tickets are available at the Box Office and Diversity Center until Dec. 12. Students: Meal swipe+$5. Adults: $12. 

ARTICLES, CREATIONS, HONORS, etc.

Gregory and Ann Peterson were guests of Christ Lutheran Church, in Natick, Mass., Nov. 9-10. Gregory played a recital on the church's historic American pipe organ and Ann delivered the Sunday sermon on stewardship and also presented an adult class on the Empowering Learners Namibia project.

Loren Toussaint and George Slavich, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, recently published an article in the journal "Stress and Health" on the utility of the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN) as a teaching tool in the classroom. Two classes of students at Luther completed the STRAIN along with an in-person or online lecture/discussion. The STRAIN activity boosted student learning about the effects of life stress on health and well-being. The complete paper is at: http://www.uclastresslab.org/publications/  and the STRAIN is available at: http://www.uclastresslab.org/products/strain-stress-and-adversity-inventory/.

S. Brookhart Shields was awarded a Monticello College Foundation Grant. The mission of the Monticello College Foundation is for the "genuine, effective contribution for the advancement of education for women." The grant will provide a stipend and supplies for a female undergraduate student engaged in a research project during the coming summer.

Marcus Gomez, Century High School, Rochester, Minn., Loren Toussaint and Ann Vincent, Mayo Clinic, recently published an article titled, "Age Differences in Correlates of Resilience in Adolescents and Adults." The study documents many correlates of psychological resilience and identifies some situations in which adults and adolescents differ in the strength of these associations. The article is published in the "International Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health." The complete article is available at: http://www.synergypublishers.com/downloads/ijcpmhv1n1a2/.

COMMUNITY

New appointments

Dean Kraus is pleased to announce the appointment of David and Rachel Faldet as directors of the Nottingham program for 2015-16, and Brad Miller as the director of the Malta program for spring 2015.

Retirement

Kathy Schrader, who has worked for Luther for more than 20 years, has announced her retirement effective Dec. 21. We look forward to thanking Kathy for her dedicated service to the college.

Sympathy

To Jane Hildebrand on the Dec. 2 death of her mother Marie Greene, 91, from Washington, Iowa.

To Ruth Fjelstad on the Dec. 3 death of her brother Paul Fjelstad, of Northfield, Minn.

New job posting

Medical transcriptionist: Health Service is currently accepting applications for a transcriptionist. This is a nine-month, 30-hour/week, (.56 FTE) position. Position is responsible for medical transcription for providers; billing of services, assisting with the components of college sponsored insurance program, and medical record management. Web page monitoring/updating, clerical and secretarial functions are also a part of this position. Please view the full posting and instructions for applying at https://luthercollege.hiretouch.com. 

MISCELLANEOUS

Volunteers needed

Respite Options of NE Iowa is partnering with Luther's social work program to provide foster parents with an in-home care provider enabling them to get away for duration of time.

Providers must be at least 20 years old, fill out an application and certification needs and must be able to commit to the program for a whole year. If interested in volunteering, contact Nancy Magnall, (877) 467-4100, (319) 352-3600 or [email protected].

UNCLASSIFIED ADS

For sale: Two snow tires with wheels: 205 75 14. Good condition. Call Dean at 387-0242.

For sale: Untreated cedar lumber: ten-foot 4x4s. Great for fencing, retaining walls and posts. Call Dean at 387-0242.

For sale: Three-bedroom two-bath home near college. Great location to downtown as well. Very unique lot with trees offering complete privacy. Two-car garage. Available now. Call Dean for more information:(319) 427-3593.

For sale: 2012 Toyota Prius hybrid with 14,000 miles. Driven to Ames this weekend and registered 62 mpg on the way down and 54 mpg on the way back. Contact Lyle at 419-2897. Asking $19,000 with extended warranty.

For sale: iPad 3 64GB with Retina display. I got a new iPad for Christmas, so I'm happy to sell this one. Comes with Logitech Ultra-thin keyboard and Apple smart cover. $125. Contact Brad, <bmiller>.

Free books: Dozens of free books, mostly social science, some philosophy and religion, even a little economics and fiction (if that's not a redundancy). None with water damage, none marked up (except for my name), some new. List of titles at http://olin335freebooks.weebly.com. Request yours by email to <gomersni> (free delivery by campus mail), or stop by Olin 335. Books go into long term storage if not taken by end of the semester, so please act soon.

For sale: ShopVac in good condition for $20. A pump and hose for $75. Christmas holiday dishes, set of eight for $25. Contact Denise Creek, <creema01> or 379-6045.

Wanted: An energetic, creative, competent person to provide daycare in house on Fridays from 7:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m. for two, lovable boys, ages two and five as well as a nine-year-old dog who comes with the territory (although you don't have to worry about him). It would be fantastic if you could provide your own transportation and it's certainly within walking distance from campus. Please call Karen at 419-2926 and we can chat more about the position.

Electronics for sale: PlayStation 3, like new, 500 GB hard drive, two controllers, original box, $120 or best offer; PlayStation 2, like new, slim model, controller, original box, $50 or best offer; Acer 27-inch LED computer monitor, like new, 1920x1080 resolution, $180 or best offer. Contact Travis Huinker at huintr01 or 387-1417.

Housing needed:: Responsible young family looking to rent a three or more bedroom home in Decorah, Calmar, Waukon or Ossian. Please contact Heather at [email protected]om.

Seeking: Gently used sheets, blankets and mattress pads. Materials will be used to make quilts that will be donated to World Relief. Email [email protected].

Wanted: Housing is needed for a 2010 Luther grad who will be a visiting faculty member with the voice department from mid-Feb. to May. Please contact Jill Phillips at philji01> or by phone at (712) 358-2776.

For sale: Four sets of cross country skis, youth and adult sizes. Sets include skis, poles and boots. Asking $250 for all four sets. Like new condition. Call George, 379-4648.

EDITORIAL COMMENT

And finally...

Dec. 10 is Human Rights Day, and Dec. 10-17 is Human Rights Week.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

-Martin Niemöller