Campus Connections

Issue Date: January 28, 2008

News and Notices

Recent snowfall brings reminder of emergency information resources

There are several ways in which Lewis & Clark notifies the campus community and the public about class or event cancellations due to inclement weather conditions.

Lewis & Clark’s Snow Line—503-768-SNOW (7669)—carries a recorded message that is updated regarding school closures or delays. The front page of the College’s website will also contain school closure notifications.

Local TV stations are included in our notification process, but the most reliable and efficient way to find out about school closures or delays is to call the Snow Line or visit www.lclark.edu. The school closure policy and other emergency information is available online.

Q&A with Greg Walters on the Exempt Classification Study

Greg Walters, assistant vice president for human resources, announced the College’s official kickoff of the Exempt Staff Classification Study two weeks ago. Campus Connections checked in with Walters to gain some insight on the details and importance of the study, as well as to gather some tips for meeting the deadline.

What do you consider to be the most significant change that this new classification system will bring?

The study will allow us to create a compensation system that pays people fairly and adequately.

What is the significance of this study to the Lewis & Clark community as a whole?

It allows us to put a three- or four-year plan in place that will improve salaries for this group of employees. The greater effect will likely be an increase in morale and a decrease in turnover. Above all, it helps us continue to hire great people.

As the February 8 deadline rapidly approaches, what are some tips you can offer for turning in the Position Description Questionnaires on time?

Start by reading through the PDQ tips sheet and the Frequently Asked Questions. Give yourself adequate time to complete the questionnaire—the PDQ should not take more than four hours to complete. It is the responsibility of the supervisor of each position to review and approve the PDQ and secure the executive officer’s signature by February 8.

Most of all, it is important to keep in mind that this is a collaborative process. Don’t sweat the PDQs too much because Maurine and I will read every one of them to check for completeness, understandability, consistency, and legal compliance. If we make any changes to the PDQ it will go back to the employee and the supervisor for their review, before we submit it to the consultant.

What advice can you offer to an exempt staff member on how to best qualify the decision-making requirements of his/her job?

Focus on the duties that exemplify the primary reason your job exists. Avoid listing marginal duties, and focus instead on decisions you make that carry significant weight. Types of decisions vary. Some you make autonomously and some come in the form of recommendations that carry significant weight. It helps to note which of these two categories applies to the decisions you list.

Include decisions you make that affect our academic mission, impact operations, or apply to College policies and/or procedures. There may be certain duties you complete just two or three times a year, but frequency and percentage of occurrence don’t matter if the duty is integral to the job.

Once you have collected the survey data, how are you able to differentiate the process of evaluating and rating each job versus evaluating and rating each employee?

This study has nothing to do with rating the person. The methods for conducting the initial evaluation process only deal with the rating and classification of jobs. The second part of the process, the compensation study, deals with pricing jobs relative to the market. The result is an administrative tool for the College to use to place new hires, manage classification issues, and ensure compliance with applicable legislation.

Is there someone available in your office to answer questions?

For more information, contact Maurine Cromwell at maurine@lclark.edu or extension 6238. I can answer questions, too.

Black History Month Speaker Series

To celebrate Black history month, Lewis & Clark is hosting a lecture series featuring nationally renowned leaders. All events in the speaker series are free and open to the public.

February 1, 7 p.m.
Agnes Flanagan Chapel
Harold Ford, Jr. presents “Social Justice, Equality, and the 2008 Election”: Harold Ford, Jr. served Tennessee in the United States Congress for 10 years. Described by President Bill Clinton as “the walking, living embodiment of where America ought to go in the 21st century,” Ford is now Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, visiting professor of public policy at Vanderbilt University, and vice chairman of Merrill Lynch and Co, Inc. Ford also serves on the Pentagon's Transformation Advisory Group (TAG), an assembly of current and former military commanders, political figures, academics and business leaders who advise the Pentagon on how to modernize our armed forces to meet and defeat 21st century threats.

February 7, 7 p.m.
Council Chamber
Trachette Jackson delivers a talk titled “Using Mathematics to Understand Tumor Development and Improve Cancer Treatment”: Mathematical biologist Trachette Jackson, associate professor of mathematics at the University of Michigan, researches ways to apply mathematical modeling to biomedical systems, focusing on areas of study like tumor biology and chemotherapeutic strategies. She was recently named one of the top 10 under-40 emerging scholars and intellectuals in the country by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

February 25, 7 p.m.
Agnes Flanagan Chapel
An Evening with Jamaica Kincaid: Author of critically acclaimed written works, including Annie John, Lucy, At the Bottom of the River and the controversial A Small Place, Kincaid has carved out a unique and cherished place in the American literary landscape. A Small Place, inspired the 2001 documentary, Life and Debt, about the impact economic globalization can have on a developing country. Kincaid won the Morton Dauwen Zabel Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts for her first book, At the Bottom of the River. Since 1992, she has been a visiting professor at Harvard University. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2004.

Focus the Nation, the unprecedented national teach-in based at Lewis & Clark, happens this week

Nearly 1500 colleges, universities, high schools, and other institutions have signed up to participate in Focus the Nation on Thursday, January 31. Twenty to thirty senators and congressmen will be attending, as well as scientists, journalists, and business leaders. A list of who's coming is available online.

Actor and clean energy advocate Edward Norton will appear in a one-hour, live national webcast titled “The 2% Solution,” that will launch Focus the Nation on Wednesday, January 30, at 5 p.m. in Council Chamber, Templeton.

Thursday night’s regional summit at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center includes Governor Kulongoski, and the band Stars of Track and Field. Attendees must preregister for the event to get a free entry ticket for admission.

The following Undergraduate class schedules have been adjusted to allow classes to attend Thursday’s events:

Tuesday and Thursday classes will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday at their respective regularly scheduled hours.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes will meet Monday, Thursday, and Friday at their respective regularly scheduled hours.

A full schedule of events taking place at Lewis & Clark that day is available online.

SBLC Receives Murdock Grant

The Small Business Legal Clinic (SBLC) was awarded a $224,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to fund its clinic director position for the next three years. The SBLC provides legal services to low-income and emerging businesses in Portland. With support from the Portland Development Commission, the City of Portland, banks, the Portland Business Alliance, and a number of prominent law firms, the SBLC is unique among legal clinics for its public/private partnership model. The legal clinic offers economic growth opportunities by helping small businesses launch and address critical legal matters that might otherwise force them to shut down. As importantly, the clinic offers law school students hands-on experience.

“SBLC has really taken off in just over a year of operation,” said Lisa LeSage, associate dean for the business law program and interim SBLC director. “We’ve had tremendous support from the Mayor’s Office, the PDC, the business and legal communities. It’s remarkable to add the foundation sector to our list of supporters.”

Read SBLC success stories, and learn more about the clinic.

Hundreds respond to Campus Connections survey, five win prizes

Last month, 207 faculty and staff completed an online survey in an effort to improve Campus Connections. Significant changes are now underway to put the survey results into place and refine the online newsletter. The new version, titled “The Source,” will be a more dynamic source of news and information to support the Lewis & Clark community.

Based on survey results, “The Source” will contain such features as: