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W@D May.09
The May 2009 issue of Working@Duke, a publication for faculty and staff of Du...
From Pgram
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STEAM PLANTMAKEOVER
Duke’s 83-year-old steamplant is renovated andwill burn natural gas,providing for highefficiency and lowemissions.
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VETERANS DAY
Nov. 11 is a day to thankand honor veterans,including faculty andstaff who have servedor are serving in themilitary.
This paper consists of 30% recycledpost-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing2009, 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters
LOST & FOUND
Lost or foundproperty? Check outDuke’s collection areasand DukeList, anonline database similarto craigslist.
N
early 8,000 people called HumanResources in September with questionsabout jobs and benefits. The individualsneeding information probably noticed nothingdifferent. But for the team fielding the callsand processing paperwork, the month markeda new beginning.Two team members had taken the early retirement offer in August, and the HumanResources Information Center had feweremployees to handle about 400 calls a day andhundreds of benefits transactions.“September is always an incredibly busy time for us, and the team definitely felt thestrain of being smaller,” said Jen Mathot, wholeads Employee Services in the HumanResources Information Center. “But teamwork,collaboration and lots of planning made thetransition mostly invisible to others.”The smaller team in the Human ResourcesInformation Center is illustrative of a smaller Duke: the university has shed425 positions since February 2009 when a vacancy management initiativestarted as part of a university-wide effort to close an estimated $125 millionbudget shortfall by 2011. The smaller workforce, partly due to 239positions left vacant by the early retirement incentive, reverses a four-yeartrend of increasing positions by more than 500 each year.Since the market meltdown of 2008, the university’s administrativereform effort has covered a range of cost-cutting to avoid large-scale layoffsranging from limiting salary increases and curtailing external hiring toreducing overtime expenses equivalent to 45 positions and adjustingcampus services. In addition, academic schools have worked to maintainbalanced budgets.Reductions in compensation-related expenses have saved about $25million in the current fiscal budget, which runs through June 2010. Moresavings are expected from the latest cost-saving strategy, a second voluntary retirement incentive for select salaried (monthly-paid) staff positions.“We are making progress,” said Tallman Trask III, executive vicepresident, “but we still have a long way to go.”Hof Milam, vice president for finance andtreasurer, said that despite recent improvementin stock market indices, Duke expects to seedeclines in distributions from the endowmentand investments. Because endowmentdistributions are based on a three-year average,“we see the endowment distribution decliningthrough fiscal year 2012 and possibly fiscalyear 2013,” Milam said. “What we are dealing with is a moving target.” Across Duke, people are retooling for ashrinking budget and workforce. Call centerstaff members are cross-training to processbenefits changes. New imaging technology in Accounts Payable is saving staff time – andpositions. And facilities crews are changinghow often they cut grass and perform non-critical maintenance.
MANAGING VOLUME MORE EFFICIENTLY
There is seldom down-time for the Human Resources InformationCenter. In an average month, the staff answers nearly 8,000 calls; respondsto requests from nearly 1,000 walk-ins; and processes nearly 600 benefitchanges, not including the paperwork for new hires.In anticipation of the vacant positions created by early retirements, thecall center spent the summer examining processes to enhance efficiency.The team eliminated areas of duplication with other departments, andmembers cross-trained so they could more easily shift from fielding phonecalls to processing forms and data.The team in the Human Resources Information Center decided howmuch time each person needed away from the phones to processpaperwork, and they experimented to find the best fit and balance of tasksfor each team member.“We wanted to ensure we covered the gaps in service, but at the sametime, offer staff members opportunities to learn new responsibilities as part
NEWS YOU CAN USE :: Volume 4, Issue 8 :: November 2009
>> See
SMALLER AND SMARTER
,
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AS PART OF ITS STRATEGY TO REDUCE COMPENSATION-RELATED EXPENSES, THE UNIVERSITY HAS SHED 425 POSITIONS
These aredifficultprocesses to gothrough. Thecollaboration acrossthe entire campus hasbeen outstanding.I believe everyone understands we are inthis together, and maintaining the espritde corps is essential.”
— Kyle CavanaughVice President, Duke Human Resources
“
WorkingSmaller andSmarterWorkingSmaller andSmarter
E
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 Martinezunwraps a chocolate bar because it works for her.This behavior was used as an example during a recent session of theIntercultural Skills Development Program to show how cultures and beliefscan vary. Organized through Duke’s International House, the program isopen to faculty and staff and teaches awareness and acceptance of beliefsand cultures.“Everybody believes their own cold remedy is the best because it’s whattheir 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 howdifferent 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 forpeople to enhance their knowledge about the more than 6,000 Dukecommunity members who comprise Duke’s international community. Of that number, more than 400 students come from China, more than 400from India and about 300 from South Korea.The program is free and voluntary and consists of five, three-to-fourhour meetings over a semester. Participants take part in exercises, lecturesand one-on-one activities to break down barriers. There are also twocultural lunch sessions when participants enjoy international food whilelistening to international students or employees talk about theirbackground. Departments can also request tailored mini-workshops.Over the course of the semester program, topics span interculturalawareness, dealing with culture shock and resolving potential conflicts withintercultural communication. As a final project, participants organize a focusgroup to assess cultural programs and policies that could be used at Duke.David Frankel, anassistant dean of students with the Officeof Student Conduct,took the class and ismore acquainted withhow internationalstudents transition toDuke. He said he’senhanced hiscommunication skills with internationalstudents by understanding moreabout body languageand cultural barriers.“It’s valuable because we have such vast and diverse members of ourcommunity, but we don’t always understand how other countries andcultures can be different from ours,” Frankel said. “The class helped toremind me just how much Duke is a global university.”
— By Bryan RothWriter, Office of Communication Services
Participants of the Intercultural Skills Development Program gather for a“cultural lunch,” where they eat international food and hear stories frommembers of Duke’s international community.
Moving from Microsoft 2003 to Microsoft 2007
Duke’s Learning & Organization Development is offering transitionclasses for faculty and staff who want to learn the ins and outs ofMicrosoft 2007.The classes range from two-hours for people who already knowthe 2003 version and need a show-and-tell demonstration of the newinterface ($49) to a full day for those who want to learn all of the newfeatures 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 andstaff, offers a helping hand over the holidays to keep seasonal poundsaway: Maintain Don’t Gain.During the eight week initiative, which runs Nov. 16 to Jan. 8, theLIVE FOR LIFE staff sends a weekly e-mail with tips and strategies foradopting or maintaining healthy behaviors and recipes. Stressmanagement tools, physical activity suggestions and encouragingmessages are also provided.Most Americans gain one to three pounds between Thanksgivingand 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
Duke community memberswho need help kicking thetobacco habit can get it duringthe American Cancer Society’sGreat American Smokeout.In the week leading up to the 33rd Great American Smokeout onNov. 19, LIVE FOR LIFE staff will be at information tables to speak withemployees about quitting and helping others quit. The tables will be inor near the cafeterias at Duke South Clinics and at all three DukeMedicine 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 research-tested programs and enhanced treatments provided by Duke to helpyou or a loved one quit for good,” said Julie Joyner, director of LIVEFOR 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 extendedits hours and will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, includingholidays.Urgent care facilities focus on providing immediate, non- lifethreatening care when a patient’s primary care physician isunavailable. An urgent care visit costs $35 to $50 for anyone coveredby a Duke medical insurance plan, compared to $250 for anemergency room visit. Appropriate use of primary care, urgent careand emergency care can help control rising health care costs.“We think the expansion of the urgent care hours will helptremendously in getting people to choose the right level of care at theright 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 moreinformation, visit
dukehealth.org/Services/UrgentCare
Navigate research administration
Employees who manage research funding have an opportunity forfree professional development when Duke begins recruiting thismonth for the next class of the Research Administration Academy.The academy, a three-month course taught by internal Dukeexperts, is for employees with less than two years experience in grantmanagement who spend at least half of their time on grantmanagement responsibilities. Supervisors must nominate employeesNov. 16–Dec. 11. Classes start in January 2010.“This series of classes has been incredibly successful in helpingemployees who have responsibility for grant management gain hands-on experience and a greater understanding of the regulationssurrounding research,” said Angela Rice-Warren, assistant director ofResearch Costing Compliance.For more information, visit
http://rcc.compliance.duke.edu/training/raa
News
briefs
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.
LEANORA MINAI
Leanora.Minai@duke.edu
Think globally, act locally
International skills program enhances cultural awareness
I
’m writing wit
h an update about theWorking@Duke Facebook fan page.Since the online page launched inAugust, 689 people have become fans –and hopefully more will join the ranks.
The page provides a dynamicway to share useful information aboutDuke benefits and resources withemployees, while providing real-timenews: updates, photos, videos anddiscussion topics related to stories inthe publication or in the works.A few examples of workplacesocial-networking:
•
Soon after posting the seasonalflu shot schedule, staff membersresponded. “I’ll be there!” wroteKathy Peterson, an administrativeassistant. We followed up andfeatured Peterson and others ina video to raise awareness aboutprotection against the seasonalflu with the free seasonal vaccine.
•
Nine people commented after weasked for employees who loveand use Duke Libraries. Thequery is for an upcomingWorking@Duke story aboutresources availablein our libraries.
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After asking for favoriteemployee discounts, we learnedfrom an employee about theOrchid Trail, which offers a10 percent discount on long-lasting blooms. Read all aboutthe discount on the back pageof this publication.In addition to these examples,employees sometimes can’t help butshow their pride.“I love working for Duke!!” wroteApril Harper, a patient serviceassociate. “Wouldn’t be no whereelse!!!!”To join the fan page, visit
facebook.com/workingatduke
Editor’sNote
Want to sign up?
The International House is recruiting through Dec. 15for its spring class. Employees must receive permission fromsupervisors to participate and attend all sessions. For anapplication, visit
ihouse.studentaffairs.duke.edu
orcall (919) 684-3585.
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esse Meadows was worried. He hadrecently finished up ahousekeeping shift in theBryan Center and couldn’t findhis cell phone. Lucky for him,karma was on his side:someone found it by the WestCampus bus stop.In his almost 10 years atDuke, Meadows has been theone turning in property leftbehind to a lost-and-foundcollection in the Bryan Center.“I know that nine timesout of 10, when you losesomething, you won’t get itback,” Meadows said. “But someone turned my phone overto Duke Police, and I went directly over there, and had noproblems getting it back.”Cell phones, keys and wallets are among the commonitems that get dropped off at lost and found collectionsacross Duke, including at the Duke University PoliceDepartment 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 toowners: DukeList, an online database similar to craigslist.Duke Police and OSAF use DukeList to post property intheir lost and found collections.DukeList (
dukelist.duke.edu
) is open to all Dukecommunity members who find property or are looking forsomething. For instance, in late September, among theseveral dozen items, someone posted: “Lost my daily plannertoday... probably on the bus or bus stop between West andEast Campus. It’s a small black Moleskine notebook. I’d beeternally grateful to get it back if you find it.”Lt. Greg Stotsenberg,Duke Police investigationssupervisor, said valuables like wallets, jewelry, keys andDukeCards should be turnedinto the police department. If police can identify the ownerthrough an ID, serial number or engraving, officers willcontact the owner. Other items like backpacks, notebooksor eyeglasses can be dropped off at collection points closerto where the lost object is found.“When we turn in valuables, we’re preventing thefts atDuke,” Stotsenberg said. “It’s about doing our part to keepour belongings and campus safe.”
— By Bryan RothWriter, Office of Communication Services
Help lost property get found
K
elly Velotta has two mainingredients for healthy eatingon 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 wellnessprogram. “Your meals will also bemuch cheaper.”The average American spendsabout 5.6 percent of his or herincome on home-cooked meals,down from more than 10 percent in1940. Most people underestimatehow often they eat out and howmuch it costs, said Velotta, whooffered tips on low-cost, healthy eating during a recent Duke CreditUnion workshop. Lunchtime trips orlate afternoon stops for a fast fooddinner add up in cost and calories,she said. Velotta offered these tips forpreparing cheap, wholesome meals:
u
Look high, low and on theperimeter.
Stores generally stock the most expensive items at eyelevel and place fresh foods on theperimeter of the store.
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Experiment with new foods.
“When I mention whole grains,people usually think of rice oroatmeal,” Velotta said. “Butother grains such as amaranth,millet and quinoa are becomingeasier to find, and they are very healthy and quite cheap perserving.”
u
Go meatless.
At least once a week, experiment with vegetariandishes such as bean burritos,lentil stew or Indian Dal. A simple meal of rice and beans cancost as little as 20 cents perserving, Velotta said.
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Waste not, want not.
Prepareonly what you are going to eat,brownbag leftovers for lunch thenext day or cook twice theamount you need and freeze therest for a “fast food” night.
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Buy in bulk when possible.
Somestores sell whole grains, driedbeans, nuts and seeds in bulk, Velotta said. “You can also buy whole grain pretzels, whole graincereals, and dried fruit in bulk andmake your own snack packs.” Shealso recommends purchasing spicesfrom bulk bins. “You can getexactly the amount you need at amuch cheaper price.”Rose Porges, a programcoordinator for Duke Children’sDevelopment, came away from thecredit union workshop ready to try some new tips.“I would have never thought tocheck out bulk item prices at a placelike Whole Foods,” she said, “I justassumed those types of stores weretoo expensive.”
— By Marsha A. GreenWriter, Office of Communication Services
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Watch a video about eating healthy on a budget at
hr.duke.edu/liveforlife
Using Lost and Founds
If you’ve lost something, callthe Duke Police Recordsoffice, (919) 684-4026, andprovide a detailed descriptionof the item. If it’s in thepolice lost and found, you canpick it up.
If you’ve found an item, callDuke Police at (919) 684-2444.
Lost and FoundLocations
Duke University PoliceDepartment – 502 Oregon St.
Office of Student Activitiesand Facilities – Bryan Center
Baker House – Duke South
Doris Duke Visitor Center –Duke Gardens
Circulation Desk – PerkinsLibrary
Eat healthy on a tight budget
Lost or found property? Check out DukeList at
dukelist.duke.edu
An eyeglasses case and checkbook,above, are among items in the lostand found collection at the DukeUniversity Police Department.
“The backbone to eating healthyis to cook it yourself,” said KellyVelotta, nutrition manager forLIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employeewellness program. “Your mealswill be much cheaper.”
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Working@Duke - November, 2009
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