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TALKING WITHCLINT DAVIDSON
Duke’s vice presidentfor Human Resourcestalks about theevolution of Duke’swork culture andchallenges ahead.
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SUSTAINABLE DUKE
Learn what you cando to help make adifference in Duke’sefforts to become aclimate neutralcampus.
This paper consists of 30% recycledpost-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.2008 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters
ZIPCAR ROLLS IN
Four self-servicevehicles, including twohybrids, are nowavailable for rent 24/7on Duke’s West Campusafter joining Zipcar.
S
itting in a classroom at Durham TechnicalCommunity College, Stan Jones studied ablackboard filled with algebra, fractions and word problems. Jones, a utility worker with Duke’sHousekeeping Operations, paused for a moment,recalled the math formulas he reviewed over the week, then picked up a pencil and startedscribbling in a notebook.“Good job,” Durham Tech math instructorRichard Noble told Jones, as he looked over Jones’ work. Jones is participating in Duke’s employeetuition assistance program to work toward anassociate’s degree in electrical technology fromDurhamTech. He’s among 1,000 staff andfaculty members who have enrolled in the tuitionbenefit in recent years for career-related coursesand degrees at accredited North Carolina schools. As part of his job at Duke, Jones cleansfloors in East Campus buildings and hopes thenew skills he learns in school will open doors tobecome an electrician at Duke. “When I heardabout the program, I jumped on the opportunity,”said Jones, 48. “I’ve wanted to learn more about wiring and circuit boards for a while.” Although companies and other organizationsare eliminating or reducing benefits to tightenbudgets during the recession, Duke has expandedits employee tuition assistance program for faculty and staff. In January, the benefit expanded tocover up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement andnine courses per calendar year. Employees canalso request a waiver to take courses at accreditedschools in other states if the courses are notoffered in North Carolina, or if the employee’sprimary work location is in another state.The tuition assistance is available to full-time staff and faculty with at least two years of continuous service at Duke. Since 2007, Dukehas reimbursed employees nearly $1.5 millionfor tuition.Lois Ann Green, director of Duke Benefits,said the program supports Duke’s long-termstaffing and professional development strategiesby expanding the internal pool of talent to fillpositions at Duke.“It helps us to build a more skilled workforceand boosts retention because employees can growand have the opportunity to advance withinDuke as they expand their skills,” she said.Results show the program is meeting Duke’sgoals of getting a diverse group of employees toutilize higher education opportunities andencouraging managers to help staff developcareer goals.In a recent survey of staff and faculty whoparticipated in Duke’s employee tuitionassistance program, 87 percent said knowledgegained by using the benefit will help them betterperform in their jobs; in a similar survey of Dukemanagers, 85 percent agreed that the benefithelped improve employee performance.The benefit program evolved from the2003 recommendations of the Women’sInitiative, which called for greater opportunitiesfor professional development. It was designed toprovide more employees with opportunity forprofessional development by offeringreimbursement for classes not offered at Dukeor access to courses at local community andstate colleges with lower tuition.Before the program was introduced, only courses at Duke were covered. Today, theprogram offers employees more options,including evening classes at community colleges. Durham Tech, University of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill and North CarolinaCentral University are now among the mostutilized schools. As a result of the expanded program,participation and diversity of enrollment haveincreased – from 320 staff and faculty with anaverage salary of $66,172 in 2006, to 549employees with an average salary of $53,060in 2008. Minority enrollment increased from19 percent in 2006 to 40 percent in 2008.“Since we expanded the program to includeother schools, there’s been a lot moreparticipation among non-exempt employees,skilled labor staff and minorities, which is wonderful because we want all Duke employeesto have the opportunity to developprofessionally,” Green said.
When I heard about theprogram, I jumped on theopportunity. I’ve wanted to learnmore about wiring and circuitboards for a while.”
— Stan JonesUtility WorkerHousekeeping Operations
“
NEWS YOU CAN USE :: Volume 4, Issue 1 :: February 2009
PayingForCollege
DUKE’S EMPLOYEE TUITION PROGRAM EXPANDS SKILLS, ADVANCES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Stan Jones, a utility worker with Duke’s Housekeeping Operations, is using Duke’s employee tuition assistance program to work toward an associate’s degree in electrical technology from Durham Tech.
>> See
PAYING FOR COLLEGE
,
PAGE 5
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ndrea Novicki hops on her bicycle and pedals twomiles to work while her Honda Civic sits at home. If Novicki wants to run an errand or get around campus,she hops on her bike.Now, she’s got options.Novicki was among the first on campus to join Zipcar,the 24/7 car-sharing program launched in January for Dukefaculty, staff and students.“Participating in the Zipcar program gives me an option toeasily get off campus,” said Novicki, an academic technology consultant with the Center for InstructionalTechnology.“I want to support whatever Duke does to help give peoplealternatives other than driving to campus every day.”Four self-service vehicles are now available for rent onDuke’s West Campus – two hybridPriuses and two Toyota Matrixes.To join Zipcar, faculty, staff,and students pay a $35 registrationfee that is applied as a credit towardreservations in the first month. Thecost to reserve a car is $8 per houror $66 per day. Fuel, maintenanceand insurance are included.Reservations are accepted fora one hour minimum, up to amaximum of four days. Allmemberships, reservations andpayments are administered andmanaged by Zipcar.The cars, which are available to all employees andstudents who are 18 or older and meet eligibility requirements, are parked in specially marked spaces near the West Campus bus stop on Chapel Drive and at the surfacelot by the Bryan Center parking garage. Members age 18 to20 can only reserve Zipcars assigned to the Duke campus;members 21 and older have access to Zipcar’s network of more than 5,500 vehicles throughout North America andthe United Kingdom.The effort to bring Zipcar to Duke gained speed lastyear when members of Duke Student Government andDuke Environmental Alliance reached out to Zipcar andKemel W. Dawkins, vice president for Campus Services.Lucy McKinstry, aTrinity junior who was part of thestudent efforts, said that they wanted to bring Zipcar tocampus to address environmental concerns, provide better vehicle access for students who don’t have a car and to help easeparking issues that arise from having many cars on campus.“I’m so excited that it’s finally coming together,”McKinstry said. “The benefits are innovative and practical.”Dawkins agreed, saying Zipcar is one way to reduce thenumber of single occupant vehicles on campus.“Duke is committed to environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives, and Zipcar’s service falls in line with the University’s goal to provide more sustainableoptions to students, faculty and staff,” he said.
— By Bryan RothWriter, Office of Communication Services
News
briefs
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Nominate coworkers, supervisors for PresidentialAward
Nominations for the 2008 Presidential Award, recognizingfaculty and staff who made distinctive contributions at Duke duringthe past year, are being accepted through Feb. 20.Presidential Award and Meritorious Award winners will beselected from clerical/office support, clinical/professional (non-managerial), service/maintenance, managerial and executiveleadership. Award recipients will be recognized by President RichardH. Brodhead during a luncheon ceremony. For nomination forms, call(919) 684-9040 or visit
hr.duke.edu/recognition/presidential.html
.
Free help filing incomes taxes
Staff and faculty who earn less than $26,000 for a one-memberhousehold or less than $62,000 for a family offive can get free tax preparation servicesthrough Duke Law School’s Volunteer Income TaxAssistance program (VITA).Through April, volunteers will be at variouslocations, including the Duke University FederalCredit Union, Erwin Square Plaza, 2200 WestMain St. Appointments can be scheduled from11a.m.to4p.m.Feb.6,13,27;March20andApril3.As one of Duke Law’s oldest pro bonoprograms, VITA in 2007 helped Durham residents and more than 200Duke employees file claims for $262,208 in federal and state refunds,and more than $50,000 in earned income credit.For more information, call (919) 613-8526 or visit
law.duke.edu/student/act/vita
.
Spring into shape with Run/Walk Club
LIVE FOR LIFE’s Run/Walk Club starts its 12-week session March9 with a new breathing techniques session at 5 p.m. each Wednesdayand strength training class at 5 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday.Staff and faculty in the club meet from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.every Monday and Wednesday. Beginners meet at the East Campustrack, across from Whole Foods on Broad Street. Advanced runnersand walkers gather in front of WallaceWade Stadium on West Campus.The club is also hosting severalworkshops this spring, starting March24 with “Prepping for Races.” To learnmore or enroll, contact Jessica Wardat LIVE FOR LIFE, jess.ward@duke.eduor visit
hr.duke.edu/runwalk
.
Not too late to join Eat Wise and Exercise
LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, recentlyannounced the winners of the 2009 Eat Wise and Exercise essaycontest. Victoria Grice, staff assistant in the Duke Center forInternational Development; David Berberian, a scene shop coordinatorfor Events Management; and the Dean of Students Office each wrotewinning essays on why they should receive assistance from LIVE FORLIFE in having a lifestyle makeover.The 16 members of theDean of Students office saidthey rely too much on foodwith fat, sugar or salt to fulfill dailycravings and want to be better rolemodels for students.“We will benefit as individuals, andas a staff, while we share our newlyfound health and fitness with thousands ofDuke students each day,” office members wrote in their essay. “Isn’tthis what a great university isall about?”The 10-week Eat Wise and Exercise initiative began in January,but staff and faculty can still enroll to access information and toolssuch as Easy Tracker, which helps participants establish a consistentexercise program. To enroll, visit
hr.duke.edu/eatwise
or call (919)684-3136.
Join Ally Network to support LGBT community
Staff and faculty are invited to join Duke’s Center for LGBT Life’sAlly Network, a support program designed to promote positive changeby creating a campus and workplace culturethat is more aware and accepting of gay,lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.To jointhe Ally Network, you must attend a workshopthat offers tips on how to understand andsupport LGBT people, address homophobiccomments and report harassment. The nextAlly Network workshop is from 6 to 8:30 p.m.Feb. 17 in the Center of LGBT Life, West Union Building. To register,send an email to
lgbtcenter@duke.edu
or call (919) 684-6607. Formore
lgbt.studentaffairs.duke.edu/index.html
.
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.
Editor’sNote
I
f you’re looking for your owneconomic stimulus during thisrecession, the Duke UniversityFederal Credit Union may be a placeto start.In February, the Credit Union isoffering Duke faculty, staff and familymembers seven financial seminarsfrom budgeting to getting out of creditcard debt, and they’re all free. InMarch, the non-profit Credit Unionserves up another seven seminars,including a few about retirementplanning.Since Working@Duke beganpublishing in 2006, writers haveattended seminars and reportedconsumer tips in the publication. Onpage 3 this month, “Stretching YourDollars During A Recession” providesadvice on preparing an accurate andbalanced personal budget.Scottie Dowdy, a financialcounselor with Duke Credit Union,suggests specific budget allocationsfor expenses, including a nest egg forunexpected expenses to preventdipping into savings.“If you’re paying attention to thenews and volatile market, it’s a scarytime for everyone right now,” Dowdytold Working@Duke. “The key is tomanage your money as best aspossible.”Duke Credit Union services extendbeyond the seminars. You can join theinstitution with a $30 minimumdeposit, which includes a one-time $5membership fee, and gain access tolending services that include car andhome loans, as well as signatureservices such as savings and moneymarket accounts.It’s worth checking out.
Want to Join Zipcar? Learn more and enroll at
parking.duke.edu/zipcar
.
ZippingaroundDuke
24/7 CAR SHARING SERVICE ARRIVES ON CAMPUS
Duke student Mike Lefevre,left, welcomes Zipcar, the24/7 car sharing service,with Chuck Catotti, center,director of EventManagement, and KemelW. Dawkins, vice presidentfor Campus Services.
LEANORA MINAI
Leanora.Minai@duke.edu
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D
iane Gifford does her best to manage money wisely.She creates a monthly budget, uses online banking topay bills on time and regularly sets aside money in asavings account. But it’s the unexpected – vehicle repairs,broken appliances or medical bills – that drain her savings.“I put the money into the savings account with thebest intentions of keeping it there, but you know howthings go,” said Gifford, a clinical trial coordinator withDuke Clinical Research Institute.Gifford attended a recent Duke University FederalCredit Union workshop on “Building a Better Budget,”an important topic during the economic recession, which,financial advisors suggest, is a good time to revisit apersonal monthly budget.“If you’re paying attention to the news and volatilemarket, it’s a scary time for everyone right now,” said ScottieDowdy, a financial counselor with Duke Credit Union.“The key is to manage your money as best as possible.”Managing money starts with preparing an accurate andbalanced budget based on net income with these suggestedbudget guideline allocations: 35 percent for housing (mortgage,rent, utilities, insurance); 25 percent for other expenses (food,clothing, entertainment); 15 percent for transportation (carpayment, fuel, maintenance); 15 percent to pay debt (creditcards, student loans); and 10 percent for savings.“When creating your budget, you should only listsources of income that you actually receive on a regularbasis, not overtime or bonuses,” Dowdy said.In addition to budgeting,Dowdy suggested creating a chart with goals for longer-term needssuch as a house or new car, and to earmark savings towardthose goals. Developing a priority list for paying downcredit cards with high interest rates is also key.People of all income levels are “feeling the crunch,”Dowdy said. “It’s not what you make; it’s how you use what you earn,” she said. A “nest egg” for unexpectedexpenses and emergencies guards against dipping intosavings, she added.“If you put money into your savings and then take itout to pay bills or unexpected expenses, then that is not asavings account,” Dowdy said. “If you know you’re goingto need new tires or a new car in the next year, startsaving for it now.”Gifford, the Duke Clinical Research Institute trialcoordinator, has a new goal after attending the seminar:leave the savings undisturbed by creating an accuratebudget with an allocation for unexpected expenses.“I’m determined to get on track and have money set aside for unexpected expenses,” she said. “That’s my financial goal for 2009.”
— By Missy Baxter SeniorWriter, Office of Communication Services
V
alerie Schwartz needed a way to help studentorganizations spread the word about events. She wanted to find a student who could help the Officeof Student Activities and Facilities create a newcommunications group led by students.“We thought we should definitely do something to help,but it was obvious it couldn’t be us,” said Schwartz, a creativeprojects coordinator. “We really wanted it to be students.”Schwartz responded to an e-mail inviting her officeto get involved in the university’s First-Year ApprenticeProgram, which introduces freshmen to a professionalenvironment by placing them in offices across Duke.She got a match.The Career Center will begin recruitment inOctober, but departments interested in using theapprentice program, now in its fourth year, can get moreinformation or sign up by contacting the Career Center.The apprenticeship takes place in the spring andbenefits students by giving them an unique work experience that builds stronger connections to the Dukecommunity, while enabling offices a chance to get extrahelp, said Leslie Calihman Alabi, program coordinator forthe Career Center.“This program offers departments the opportunity to tapinto the talent and energy of the first-year class to get assistanceon a project of the department’s choosing,” Alabi said.Over the spring semester, student apprentices work fivehours weekly, concentrating their efforts on a pre-defineddepartment project.There is no financial cost associated withparticipating because students work on a volunteer basis.More than 25 offices and departments, including Alumni Relations, the Nasher Museum of Art, the Office of Health Promotion and others, have offered apprenticeshipsto more than 50 first-year students to get projects off theground since the program’s inception.“It’s a great way to feel connected to the students weserve,” said Schwartz, the creative projects coordinator forthe Office of Student Activities and Facilities. With help from apprentice Alex Reese, a sophomorepublic policy major, Schwartz and her department createdthe Duke Innovative Design Agency, a student-staffedmarketing and design center run by students, for students.“This is one of the first times that I’ve had to createsomething from the ground up and needed to have a lot of foresight and projection skills,” Reese said. “Now I’m ableto take on a project and can immediately think of all theavenues it could go.”
— By Bryan RothWriter, Office of Communication Services
Stretching your dollarsduring a recession
Duke Credit UnionSeminars
Live Longer Retire Stronger
Feb. 17, 12:30 p.m.Searle Center
Ten Steps to Financial
SuccessMarch 17, 12:30 p.m.Duke Credit Union,2200 W. Main St.
Hiring An Apprentice
Through early fall:
Departmentscomplete a “Department SiteCommitment Form,” detailing aproject, associated learning goalsand qualifications.
Mid-fall:
Career Center screenscandidates through first-roundinterviews. Departments conducta second round with up to threeapplicants and submit a rankingof students interviewed.
Late fall:
Career Center makes aplacement recommendation.Apprenticeship takes place in thespring. The Career Center offerssupport, but departments andstudents are responsible fordeveloping, communicating andmaking progress on projects.Participants complete a mid-semester evaluation andconcluding evaluation.
Now casting departments for student apprentice program
ValerieSchwartz,left,creativeprojectscoordinatorforStudentActivitiesandFacilities,workedwithDukestudentapprenticeAlexReese,right,inthespringof2008.
To register for a seminar, visit
dukefcu.org
and select “seminar sign-up” underQuick Links; send e-mail to
scottie.dowdy@duke.edu
or call (919) 660-9745.
Want An Apprentice?
Contact Leslie Calihman Alabi at (919) 660-1054 or leslie.alabi@duke.edu
VIDEO
See a video aboutbudgeting at
hr.duke.edu/ finance
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Working@Duke - February, 2009
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