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Inside this issue:

Central News & Views: Dr. Cynthia Rolfe

2

Temporary Payroll Tax Cut 2

Broncho Brag 3

February Birthdays 4

Service Anniversaries 4

Peek into the Past 4

Knowledge & Performance 5

Winter Weather 5

Honoring The Memory 5

Nobody Likes a Bully 6

Community Connection 6

February 2011

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NEW FACES: Welcome these new employees to UCO!

UCO is Hiring!

Do you know someone with

good skills and character?

Let them know that

UCO is a great place to work!

Some of our posted job

opportunities include:

Administrative Assistants

Manager Nursing Labs

Plumber Helper

Painter

Carpenter

Electrician

IT Programmer Analyst

Construction Administrator

Coordinator Recreation Programs

Manager Software Development

Interpreter Specialist

Program Coordinator (Urban

Teacher Preparation Academy)

Garrett Cox, Landscape Maintenance

Enrollment Management Research Analyst, Matthew Deeg

David Dill, Landscape Maintenance

Liberal Arts Student Success Advisor, Kyle Foster

Catherine Godwin, Oklahoma A+ Schools Executive Office Assistant

IT-Academic Support E-mail Administrator II, Timothy Gruen

Maura Hobbs, UCO Foundation Manager Development

Kinesiology & Health Studies Administrative Assistant, Jackie Horton

Sharon Kelting, History and Geography Administrative Assistant

Small Business Dev Center Coordinator Graphic Design/Web, Sam Ladwig

Linda Banks Moss, Exec. Director Center for Professional & Distance Education

Asst. Soccer Coach and Academic Advisor, Amel Muhamedagic

Jeannine Nyangira, Liberal Arts Student Success Advisor

Oklahoma A+ Schools Administrative Assistant II, Therese Underwood

Amy Wills, Special Assistant to the Vice-President Enrollment Management

2010 CERTIFIED HEALTHY BUSINESS CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

The University of Central has been selected to receive the 2010 Certificate of Excellence from the Certified Healthy Business Program. UCO was represented at The Celebration Luncheon held on January 20, 2011 at Quail Creek Country Club in Oklahoma City by Danielle Dill, Assistant Director Wellness Center and Diane Feinberg, Manager Employee Relations.

UCO has received the Certified Healthy Business Certificate of Merit since 2006. In 2010 UCO received the program’s highest level of recognition – Certificate of Excellence – for providing health and wellness opportunities for its employees and for working to improve Oklahoma’s heath status. Certification requirements vary by size of workplace, but in general include offer-ing workplace health education, opportunities for physical education, health screenings, man-agement support for healthy workplace environments, and sharing wellness activities within their respective community.

N E W B R O N C H O S !N E W B R O N C H O S !N E W B R O N C H O S !

Many are finding a little sweetness hidden among the taxes withheld.

2011 wage earners will get a reprieve in the paycheck hit for Social Security taxes.

For wages paid during 2011, the employee tax rate for social security has been reduced to 4.2% from 6.2%. The employer rate continues to be 6.2%. The social security wage base limit remains at $106,800 for 2011. For employees, the maximum social security tax will be $4,485.60 and the employer maximum will be $6,621.60. There is no wage base limit for Medi-

care and the Medicare tax rate remains at 1.45% each for employees and employers.

The decrease in the employee social security tax rate is applicable only for wages paid in calendar year 2011. For wages paid in 2012, the rate is scheduled to increase back up to 6.2%. Please be aware that the rate decrease is only temporary. As an alterna-tive to receiving this money in net pay, employees might consider investing the amount in a personal retirement plan. Employees should consult with their tax advisors.

NEWS & VIEWS: RESONSNEWS & VIEWS: RESONSNEWS & VIEWS: RESONSIBLE USE OF UCO TECHNOLOGYIBLE USE OF UCO TECHNOLOGYIBLE USE OF UCO TECHNOLOGY Dr. Cynthia Rolfe

Annual Reminder: Responsible Use of Technology at UCO Campus wide, we want to foster an environment open to creativity; and using technology in productive and creative ways makes our jobs more enjoyable. Technology can also provide efficiencies to help us become more effective. Technology touches every aspect of the university community. In addition to remembering UCO’s core values of community, character, and civility, we also must ensure the ethical and legal use of tech-nology among students, faculty, and staff. The Office of Legal Counsel, the Office of Student Affairs, and the Office of Information Technology provide periodic reminders of those legal and ethical issues, as required by law and set by university policy.

University Technology Policies Compliance is an important aspect of technology usage in any organization, especially in a large organization as our university. Technology-related policies are available on line at http://www.uco.edu/technology/policies/index.asp . These policies and guidelines outline appropriate use of computers, printers, fax machines, and other technology hardware, software, and the network on which all are connected. UCO’s policies and guidelines mirror federal and state regulations and regents’ requirements.

Software Licenses The Office of Information Technology (OIT) manages software licenses used by multiple colleges or administrative departments. These licenses, generally referred to as site licenses or enterprise software, are subject to monitoring by the various providers and consortia. Individuals and departments are exempt from proving licensure for these. Examples of campus wide agreements include Microsoft applications and operating system upgrades, anti-virus software provided by the university, SAS, SPSS, and more. Soft-ware that serves a unique purpose for a department is managed by that department, once the purchase has been approved by the Offices of Information Technology and Legal Counsel and has gone through acceptable purchasing procedures. Any software that is not managed by the OIT is subject to proof of licensure upon short notice. Should you have a question regarding your software, please contact Technology Support at x2255. Personally owned software should not be loaded on university equipment.

Legal Downloads Universities are being targeted by entities such as the Recording Industry Association of America, under the assumption that stu-dents illegally down load music and videos. While the statistics do not prove this assumption, the university has provided a list of acceptable options that are easy for students, faculty, and staff to legally download tunes. http://www.uco.edu/technology/catalog/downloads.asp

Security and Privacy The Office of Information Technology puts as many technical measures as are feasible in place to ensure a high level of security. The OIT strives to ensure the university is in compliance with all legislation and regulations. The biggest risk of inappropriate ac-cess to data is people. Remember to follow the UCO Information Security policy to ensure the highest level of protection to univer-sity and personal information. Remember: the only truly secure device is one that is disconnected and turned off. Should you have any questions regarding policies or procedures for safe, effective use of technology resources please contact the Office of Informa-tion Technology.

SOCIAL SECURITY TAX RATE LOWERED FOR 2011SOCIAL SECURITY TAX RATE LOWERED FOR 2011SOCIAL SECURITY TAX RATE LOWERED FOR 2011 Marian Spears, Payroll Manager

Cynthia Rolfe, PhD Vice President

Tell us your exciting news! Broncho Beat wants to celebrate your achievements, awards, births, weddings, retirements, etc. with you! Send Broncho Brags to Employee Relations & Development Box 207 or email cwalls@uco.edu. Broncho Brag submissions automati-

cally grant permission for editing and publication.

Patti Neuhold , Executive Director of Professional Education tells us Fran Petties, Manager of Training & Development has been an amazing support for our new Professional Education team. She works seamlessly with each program ensuring a professional session is delivered each time. She works diligently behind the scenes of everything Professional Education does; generating ideas, responding to requests, garnering feedback from UCO employees for them to deliver better ser-vices to the campus. The Office of Legal Counsel wants everyone to know that Brandi Smith is celebrating 9 years of service to UCO and is a joy to work with. She always has a smile and a helpful hand. Brandi is an instrumental and valuable part of the UCO legal team. They would like to publicly thank her for all she does and for being the person that she is! James Allen, Assistant Director of Health Promotion & Programs for the Wellness Center, was elected the Chair of the Evidenced Based Practice Work Group for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse. The purpose of the group is to approve evidenced based practice proposals submitted by grantees through the Strategic Prevention Framework – State Incentive Grant program.

The College of Business Administration has a double dose of excitement to share this month! Travis Cleek, their Coordinator of Technical Services, recently announced that he and his wife Stephany are expecting their first child later this year. Also, Roxanne Vidal, their Marketing Assistant graduated in December with her B.S. in Biol-ogy. Congratulations to both Business Administration employees! Meagan Branham, Coordinator Student Enrollment Services was recently engaged to Jonathan Carter who graduated from UCO in December 2009 with a B.S. in Psychology. Their wedding is planned for May 21, 2011 in Bartlesville, OK. UCO Legal Counsel Beth Kerr has been selected by The Oklahoma City Chapter of The Association for Women in Commu-nications to be named the 2011 Byliner Honoree in Law. Dr. Kerr will receive her award at the 2011 Byliner Award dinner, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011. The Byliner Awards have been presented by the Oklahoma City chapter every year since 1958. Additional information is available at http://www.awcokc.org. Dr. Paulette Shreck, Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, announces that two of their faculty members, Dr. Keith Higa and Dr. Susan Popplewell, completed their doctorates recently. The entire department is proud of them for their accomplishment!

Dr. Julie Collins and Dr. Mary Monfort have both been accepted to present their research studies at the International Reading Association conference in Belgium this summer. Dr. Collins’ research is entitled, “What is Good Reading and Writing: Profiles of Literate Identities”. Dr. Monfort will be presenting “How a Reading Program Transformed a Failing School and Brought Pride to a Community” as well as “Are Reading Coaches Really Effective?” Leigha Joiner, Sport Programs Coordinator for The Wellness Center, married Thomas “T.J.” Pemberton on Decem-ber 4, 2010 at the Palace Event Center in El Reno. T.J. is a Paralympic athlete in the sport of archery. Cupid’s arrow found it’s target while T.J. was training at UCO! The current UCO Student Conduct Case Manager, Mr. Travis Smiddy, has recently been hired away from the Office of Stu-dent Conduct. In February 2011, Travis will begin his new job with the OSBI as a Criminal Intelligence Analyst. Travis will be completing his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice in May 2011. Talk about lining up a good job before graduation! Way to go Travis! Way to go Department of Criminal Justice!

Broncho Brag entries are listed on a first-come, first-posted basis and are subject to editor’s discretion.

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 James Bidlack Tamera Colclasure Misty Garrett Tami Prather Cathi White

2 Dwight Adams James Cassizzi Philip Isaacs Pamela Lumen

3 Lilian Chooback Larry Morgan Cynthia Muhamedgic Eugenie Reiman Clint Rohr Gayle Snider Carla Supon

4 Donna Kearns James Mock David Short Dawna Terrell

5 Michael Fenner Carol Ihrig Xiao-Bing Li Kendra Smith

6 Kent Depe Lendell Ellis Russell Evans Freeta Jones Nikki Morgan Kathleen Rutledge Danny Vaughan

7 Laurie Flewwellin Patricia Isbill Todd Kelley Kansas Pope Jenelle Robinson Linda Sharp

8 Ginger Bogaski Angela Krober Gayle Kearns Samuel Lawrence Shelley Selanders Michael Stephens Eddie Tabeling

9 Mark Hanebutt Lucille Seem Monika Gerstenlauer -Hill

10 Robert Glaubitz Deborah Ferrell-Lynn Diane Jackson Terri Smith Gay Snyder Jennifer Stone John Winsett Ralph Wise

11 Brandon Ankney Jason Cimock Rodney Dindy Michael Geib Sherrill Hart Katherine Milam Amy Post-McCorkle John Springer Connie Weis

12 Jerry Allison Emily Griffin Overocker Robert Vervinck

13 Warren Dickson Josh Hanger Seth Knudson Myung-Ah Park Fran Petties David Peyton David Slakter Joanna Sturm

14 Genevieve Craig Connie Fuller Michael Garrison Kevin Lively Lora Motley Judith Prince Jeffrey Widener Gregory Wilson Karen Youngblood

15 Heather Duvall Larry Hefner Marcus Mallard William McAntire Amanda Middlebrook David Schneider Maria Trapp

16 Ralph Courtright Darren Hom Amy Merrill

17 Barbara Anaman Lisa Buesing Amy Jacobson-Peters Karen Vessier

18 Anthony Harmon Jacqueline Jemison Clark Ovrebo Mark Price

19 Jicheng Fu Barbara Green Jay McCurry

20 Kelly Baker David Echols Tracy Holland Mary Qualls Karen Sears Jerry Smith MelvilleVaughan

21 Sherry Blazi Debra Clark Stephanie Driver Bill Ewing Stephen Garrison Roland Schultz Carole Sites-Walker

22 Sky Elliott Mark Maddy Jeffrey McKibbin

23 Rebecca Easley Faye Friess Troy Hamlett Shawn Meyers Tabitha Van Houtte

24 Karlista Greenfield Travis Linville Rudy Nollert Rukmini Ravikumar Kathlynn Smith Harrison Strunk Robert Wells Melissa White

25 Barbara Arnold Brenda Brent Kyle Holland Chez Redmond Judith Reyes- Henderson Tory Troutman Nancy Vollertsen

26 Jacqueline Arney Emilee Bounds Scott Monetti Amel Muhamedagic Angela Willis

27 Karen Greenfield Leona Marion Rosario Riley Aaron Wheelbarger

28 Jonnie Machell Mary Walderbach Geoff Willis (29 On Leap Years)

Alexandra Brodt

SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES & CURRENT HIRE DATE

Spencer Alkire 5-Feb-08

Paul Bashline 16-Feb-09

Britni Brannon 26-Feb-07

Christopher Bray 1-Feb-07

Elspeth Brown 1-Feb-10

Tippi Busarakomvisit 22-Feb-83

Elizabeth Coleman 15-Feb-10

Michael Crowel 22-Feb-99

Bucky Dodd 16-Feb-09

Stephanie Driver 1-Feb-89

Howard Durham 5-Feb-07

Virginia Ellis 8-Feb-96

Becky Garrett 20-Feb-89

Christine Gourley 2-Feb-09

Brandon Hall 11-Feb-08

Benjamin Hardwick 28-Feb-00

Sherrill Hart 5-Feb-06

Rainey High 28-Feb-05

Glenn Hightower 1-Feb-02

Sarah Hill 16-Feb-09

Patty Hogg 6-Feb-07

Shandise Jones 6-Feb-07

Bruce Lochner 21-Feb-00

Nikki Morgan 19-Feb-07

Steven Patterson 1-Feb-06

Angela Rice 12-Feb-96

Rosario Riley 2-Feb-04

Marco Rodriguez 18-Feb-08

Yasin Saghafi 20-Feb-06

Michael Shaughnessy 18-Feb-08

Michael Shellabarger 16-Feb-09

Carole Sites-Walker 8-Feb-88

Cecelia Smith 8-Feb-83

Sheila Smith 5-Feb-07

Lindsay Stanford 4-Feb-07

Stephanie Storer 28-Feb-07

Kathryn Toahty 18-Feb-08

Susan Urbach 1-Feb-88

Jay Wilkinson 11-Feb-08

Nicole Willard 1-Feb-94

Peek into the Past

Nora Adamson, whose father made the land run, came to Oklahoma Territory in the fall of 1889 with her parents. After attending the first Territorial Normal School class (here in Edmond), Nora taught the first District school to open in this part of the county (1891). School started on January 15, just 4 days past her 17th birthday. She received twenty five dollars a month salary.

Nora soon gave up her teach-ing career to marry and raise a family. This photo is from the article in the Edmond Sun published on March 18, 1892 stating, "Jet Whistler and Miss Nora Adamson, Loren Adamson and Miss Kenaday, were married at the resident of J.Q. Adamson's near Bur-lington, by Rev. Miller, of Oklahoma City, last Satur-

day. A large circle of friends were present who wished the happy couples a prosperous and happy journey down life's turbulent stream."

Did You Know? As a UCO Staff Manager, you can make continuous employee development easier by assigning Learning Tracks. Learning Tracks allow all of the highly recommended courses to be automatically transferred into an employee’s Learning Center menu under “Grouped Courses”. Managers and employees can select Learning Tracks according to employment level or knowledge set. Register for courses at www.uco.edu/learningcenter.

Advantages:

Takes the “guess work” out of employee development. No more having to assign and add courses individually. Auto-

matic reminders are sent when it’s time to re-take a course. Allows two-click registration into available classes. Good

way for employees and managers to track learning.

Jan Douglas, Project Manager in UCO Information Technology, passed away on Tuesday, January 11,

2011. Jan had served UCO students and personnel from 1981 – 2011, leaving 30 years of fond memories.

To honor Jan and the effect that she had on all of our lives, Dr. Cynthia Rolfe established an endowed schol-

arship fund, the “Jan Douglas Endowed Scholarship in Computer Science.” Jan was known throughout the

University as an individual who could get things done, who was a friend and supporter of all around her and

who also provided great customer service to all.

Jan earned a Bachelor of Science from UCO in 1988, then an MBA in Business Administration, Management

and Operations in 2002. She was a lifetime member of the UCO Alumni Association. Jan was also a mem-

ber of the Banner Users Group and was the primary point of contact in Information Technology for Banner users from across the

UCO campus and at times from other universities who were moving into Banner. She was always willing to take time and help

those who needed her knowledge and expertise. She was a member of the Oracle Users Group and served as Treasurer for sev-

eral years. Jan regularly attended the weekly Baptist Collegiate Ministry Faculty/Staff Bible Study.

Jan will always be remembered for her hard work and her ability to serve UCO. She was enthusiastic about her family, her be-

liefs, and her work.

HONORING THE MEMORY OF JAN DOUGLAS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Inclement weather and slick road conditions are still possible for February and can be hazardous! All UCO

students, faculty, staff and other university personnel are encouraged to monitor Oklahoma City-area tele-

vision stations, the UCO Closing Information Line (974-2002), or the UCO Closing Information page on the

university's Web site (www.uco.edu) for information regarding potential late starts or closings. Please use

caution when driving to and walking on campus this winter. Visit http://www.uco.edu/resources/

closing_info.asp for closing information and a link to a map showing areas on campus that are cleared first.

Check back for updates on bad weather days should conditions worsen.

UCO Emergency Management has provided the American Red Cross Winter Storm Safety Checklist at http://www.uco.edu/administration/safety-transportation/emergency-management/folder/Winter%20Storms.pdf. Be safe this winter!

WINTER WEATHER

CALL TOLL FREE:

1-800-413-8008 #2

ONLINE RESOURCES

www.sjmeap.com

USERNAME: uco

PASSWORD: mercyeap

Available anytime,

any day, your

Work-Life / EAP

service is a

free, confidential

program to help

you balance your

work, family, and

personal life.

WHAT:

WHEN:

WHY:

HOW:

Handling Bullies at Every Age

As soon as there is a problem

To reduce threatening behavior in our workplaces, schools, and daily lives

• Contact your EAP for free, confidential assistance.

• Use caution and courage.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Did you know that in the United States one in four children

drops out of high school? We can make a difference!

Several colleagues in Administration are putting together teams

for the 2011 Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser benefiting Big Sis-

ters Big Brothers of Oklahoma City. Last year, Bob Ault was able

to organize multiple teams and raised over $14,000 dollars.

UCO raised more money for the effort than any organization in

the metro last year, and we were recognized from Big Brothers

Big Sisters of Oklahoma City as the 2010 Judge William R. Saied

Founder’s Award Winner.

This year, we are looking to put together more teams. Anyone looking to participate in this year’s bowling fundraiser can contact

Bob at bault@uco.edu or call his extension 5057. We are looking for teams of five. A majority of the UCO teams will likely bowl

Saturday March 12 from 12:00 - 4:00 this year, but teams can bowl at multiple times in late February and throughout March. You

don’t have to be in the Administration Division, and you don’t have to be a great bowler! This is a very fun event that sparks inter-

office competitions and lots of laughs, all for a great cause. Join us, for Kids’ Sake!