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New Year's Greetings!

Welcome back to a campus that is bustling with activity! We hope everyone had a safe and relaxing break!

Benefits Corner

Retirement Consultants on Campus
Were you aware that our representatives from TIAA-Cref and Fidelity Investments make one-on-one appointments to discuss your retirement plans? Click HERE for dates and times!

Questions about the new HMO plans?
Representatives from Priority Health, HAP and Blue Care Network will be on campus
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM in the Oakland Center Gold Room A
to answer questions you may have about the new health-engagement HMO plans.

If you have questions about:

The health risk assessment (HRA) questionnaire
Choosing a PCP
Required doctor visit and Qualification Form
Coverage related questions

Please stop by during the event to get your questions answered. Representatives from Staff Benefits will also be present.

Contract Updates - For Managers
University Human Resources will present an overview to managers on the recently ratified Clerical/Technical and Service and Maintenance Contracts. These sessions will help managers understand updates to the current contracts such as performance reviews and other employment issues . Please plan on attending one of the sessions by clicking on the link below:

http://www2.oakland.edu/training/cal.cfm?courseid=1910

Staff Member Update

Please welcome the new employee(s) that have joined us in December, 2009!

Michelle Gruca, Payroll Analyst, Payroll Department

CONGRATULATIONS TO December 2009 EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH SHERYL HUGGER!

Sheryl is the Lab Research Technician II for Biological Sciences and has been with Oakland University for 22 years.

Read about Sheryl's contribution to the University on Employee of the Month page.

Nominate a shining star for Employee of the Month!

The OU staff Employee of the Month sets the standard at above and beyond. Their cheerful, upbeat attitude stands out among their peers and positively impacts working relationships. They consistently strive to work more efficiently and increase productivity. This person is invaluable to the OU team.

Staff members who are selected for Employee of the Month receive much earned recognition as well as a designated parking space for 30 days, their name in lights on the sign at Adams/Walton and in the OC plus an invitation to a year end dinner with Dr. Russi and other VP's.

Anyone can nominate a staff employee who is past probation and has not received Employee of the Month recognition during the last 5 years. Click on the Nominate link to complete the online form.

Years of Service Honorees for 2010
Receptions honoring faculty and staff for their years of service are being held this week. A total of 98 people will be honored for a grand total of 1,640 years at Oakland University. Those celebrating 30 and 40 years will celebrate at a dinner at Meadow Brook Hall. An afternoon reception will be held at the Oakland Center for those celebrating 10 and 20 years.

Congratulations and warm appreciation to our longevous employees!

Please click HERE for a complete list of honorees.

Training Update

There are a lot of things underway in the Technical Training and Professional Development department. Look for upcoming trainings on preventing identity theft, using the new OU event calendar, and adding forms and blogs to your university websites. Please visit our website it enroll in training. http://www2.oakland.edu/training/

Custom Training Options
Did you know that individualized training is on hand for you? Technical training is available on a one-on-one basis as availability permits. Please contact us at 248-370-4579 or dpierce@oakland.edu to discuss your training needs and how they can be met.

Please visit our website it enroll in training. http://www2.oakland.edu/training/

Online Learning

New SkillSoft™ courses being added to the catalog!

Here are 10 of the over 30 new and exciting courses that have been added to SkillSoft!

Ethics, Integrity, and Trust:Managers often face complex ethical dilemmas. This Challenge examines a situation that requires taking obligations, duties, and responsibilities into consideration.

Managing Conflict:As a manager, you will inevitably have to sort out some of the conflict that occurs in your organization.

Increasing Competitiveness Through Collaboration: Most companies are constantly striving to boost their competitiveness. This challenge examines collaborative strategies that companies can use to increase competitive edge.

Leading Teams Through Change: Effective leadership is key to change management. Leading Teams through Change discusses the challenges of change management and how to motivate your team during a period of change.

Managing Workplace Stress: Workplace stress will remain a reality of modern business for the foreseeable future, but there are strategies to consider when evaluating how best to anticipate and manage work-related pressures.

The Importance of Flexibility in the Workplace: Change happens rapidly in business. As a result, employees must be flexible, adaptive, and ready for new things.

Managing Your Career: Creating a Plan: Getting and keeping your career on track takes careful planning. Those who wait for opportunities to come knocking may be left behind.

Leading Innovation:Creativity and innovation are critical components of just about every organization.

Retaining Your Talent Pool: Employee retention remains a critical issue that no corporation is immune to.

Increase Cash Flow in Time of Need: The life blood of any successful business is the steady and predictable flow of incoming cash. But what steps can be taken when a business experiences acute revenue shortfalls?

More courses are added each month! Set aside some time to take advantage of these great online classes that are available anywhere a computer is accessible.

Featured SkillSoft™ course:

As you sit down to write your business messages, do you ever find yourself wondering whether a word should be capitalized or abbreviated? Or whether you should spell out a number rather than use a figure? If this sounds like you, SkillSoft has added a new course:

Business Grammar: The Mechanics of Writing

This course presents the basic rules for using capital letters, abbreviations, and numbers. It covers abbreviations of titles, names, locations, and countries, as well as how to capitalize direct quotes, titles, names of organizations, and product names, among other elements.

Knowing the correct way to abbreviate, capitalize, and express numbers in your business messages goes a long way in helping you to present yourself as a reputable professional.

Building a Better U
Building a Better U is the Oakland University employee wellness program that provides educational programs to help you maintain your overall health and wellness. Watch for wellness programs offered through the UHR training web site. Shape Up OU! Are you ready to make your health and well-being a priority? Do you want to be around people who will support and encourage you? Then Shape Up OU is what you need to add health and wellness activities into your daily life. Click here to learn more about Shape Up OU! Shape Up OU in 2010! Are you ready to make your health and well-being a priority? Do you want to be around people who will support and encourage you? Then Shape Up OU is what you need to add health and wellness activities into your daily life. Check out the Shape Up OU program HERE New Shape Up Programs Weight Wise at Work Weight Wise at Work is a behavior change program focused around eight D-I-E-T F-R-E-E Healthy Habits. We will offer a Weight Wise at Work program that during fall and winter semesters for all benefits eligible Oakland University employees. To learn more about this program Click HERE Wellness Wednesday Series Wellness Wednesdays are dedicated to educating the Oakland University community on a variety of health and wellness topics. All Wellness Wednesday programs take place from 12:05-12:50p in the Pioneer Room of the Recreation Center. You do not have to be a member of the Recreation Center to participate in this series but you must bring your faculty/staff ID to enter the Recreation Center and officially register for the program on the UHR training website at www.oakland.edu/training. To view the Winter 2010 Wellness Wednesday schedule please go to http://www.oakland.edu/?id=1195&sid=90
Feedback
Please send your comments or questions to dpierce@oakland.edu.

January 2010

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	University Human Resources 138 North Foundation Hall 2200 North Squirrel Road Rochester, MI 48309