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…almost everything you need to know to be part of the MIIS employee community.

Archive for category Human Resources

W-2s, by the Numbers

Feb 25

Posted by Amy McGill in Human Resources | 1 Comment

This year, the Instiitute issued a total of 890 for MIIS faculty, staff and students.
771 paper W-2s were printed and 119 electronic W-2s were issued.   (This is a great response for our first effort to save paper, postage and time with an electronic distribution.  Thanks to all who participated!)

On the downside, 78 W-2s have been returned for incorrect addresses.
We are still trying to track down over 50 people for their updated addresses.  If you have not received your W-2, please contact Human Resources and update your address record — and if you plan to move, please remember to let HR know about your change of address so that your form will arrive on time next year.

AIG/Valic Representative Visits MIIS

Feb 18

Posted by Amy McGill in Human Resources | No Comments

ATTENTION ALL BENEFIT-ELIGIBLE FACULTY AND STAFF:

Rodney Smith, our AIG/VALIC representative, will be on campus in the Human Resources Conference Room to assist you with your retirement questions on Tuesday February 24, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.

If you would like to arrange to meet with Rodney at a particular time, please give him a call on his cell phone at 595-2588.

Cathy Vincent Returns to MIIS HR

Jan 25

Posted by Amy McGill in Human Resources, M2 Integration News, New Employees | 1 Comment

If you didn’t get to say goodbye to Cathy Vincent when she returned to Middlebury in November, don’t worry – now you can say hello!  Cathy will be returning to Monterey, beginning Monday, January 26.

Cathy will continue to co-manage the HR department with Michael Ulibarri, but we have reconfigured their job responsibilities so that each of them will have oversight of specific HR functions.  Michael will continue to serve as the primary point of contact for staff and student HR issues, while Cathy will focus on developing more specialized HR processes and services for faculty.  Cathy will also be the primary liaison with Middlebury HR for integration issues, including our shared HR information systems. Michael will continue to focus on compliance, training and development. Together, they are charged with pursuing the following priorities for strengthening MIIS HR, as we move toward integration with Middlebury:

1. Continue transition of benefits and compensation management to Middlebury;
2. Educate members of the community about important policies and procedures, leading to a culture of cooperation and compliance;
3. Differentiate and improve HR capacity for faculty recruitment and services;
4. Provide orientation opportunities for new faculty and staff that are tailored to the needs of those groups;
5. Develop, collaboratively with Middlebury, “21st century employment practices” that take into account mobility and work-life balance issues.

e-W-2s

Jan 20

Posted by Amy McGill in Human Resources | No Comments

In conjunction with Middlebury College, the Payroll Office is making your W-2 Tax and Wage Statement available to you electronically, if you wish. Moving to an electronic W-2 saves the Institute time and money.  In addition, the electronic W-2 is a safer method in delivering personal and financial information of a confidential nature that would otherwise be sent through the U.S. Postal Service.

Please read the following Q & A’s if you are interested in participating in this process.  If you do not wish to take advantage of this option you need take no action.  Your W-2 will be mailed to you on Feb 2, 2009.

The Payroll office can be contacted at payroll@miis.edu with any additional questions.
———————————————————————————————————
Q: What is an ‘electronic W-2’?
A: This is an option to access and print your W-2 information electronically through Banner Self Service. The electronic version prints out an IRS approved paper W-2.

Q: Why should I choose to receive my W-2 this way?
A: Electronic W-2’s benefit everyone. Not only will you be able to access your W-2 information sooner, you have the ability to access and print the W-2 as often as you like. The Institute saves time, effort and money associated with printing, stuffing and mailing over 1,000 W-2’s.

Q. How do I sign up to receive my electronic W-2?
A. Log into Banner Web (Self Service)
Click on the ‘Employee’ section, select ‘Tax Forms’ and ‘Electronic W-2 Consent’. Please read the consent information carefully, make your choice and then hit the submit button. Please make your selection by January 23, 2009 if you want to receive an electronic W-2 for 2008.

Q. How do I print my Electronic W-2?
A. Log into Banner Web (Self Service)
Click on the ‘Employee’ section, select ‘Tax Forms’ then ‘W-2 Tax and Wage Statement’. Select ‘Tax Year’ and hit the ‘display’ button. Select the Print button below the W-2 form to display the current statement for printing. Print a copy for your records and print copies as needed for submission to federal, state and local entities. Printed copies do not indicate if they are Federal, State, Local or an Employee copy, but the electronic version can be used for any of these filings.

Q. When will my electronic W-2 be ready?
A. You will receive an email from the Payroll Office informing you that the W-2 is available for viewing and printing. Per IRS regulations, W-2’s need to be either postmarked or available electronically by February 2, 2009 for tax year 2008. We will make every effort to have the electronic W-2’s available earlier than February 2, 2009.

Q. What if I do not have access to a printer?
A. Please do not choose electronic delivery if you do not have access to a printer. For security reasons we suggest you avoid using printers located in public areas.

Q: What if my address is incorrect on the printed W-2?
A: You may still file using the electronic copy but you must contact Human Resources to make any changes to your address.

"Un" Book Club Reflections

Jan 15

Posted by Lynn McDonald in Human Resources, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

In the first “un” book club meeting, we discussed the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.  There was a nice, diverse group of folks who came by the TLC sandbox to discuss the main concepts and relate them to our work here at MIIS.  In his book, Gladwell outlines some relatively hidden secrets to success – timing, opportunity, culture and experience.  The typical success story is told as if the person arose from ashes and took the world by surprise when actually the very opposite is the case.  He highlights cases such as Bill Gates who was born in the exact right year in the exact right town to have access to computers at a young age so by the time he left college, he had more than 10,000 hours of experience working with computers.

Some of the big ideas/questions that came up during the meeting were:

  • Should we be trying to recruit outliers, create outliers, raise the curve of outliers or treat each student as if they are a potential outlier?
  • How can we “engineer” opportunities for students?
  • Timing is so important – we must prepare students so that they are ready to take advantage of an opportunity when the time strikes.

After a successful first “un” book club meeting, the group has decided to move forward and pick a new book to help us frame our upcoming conversation.  The new book will be My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor.  We will be meeting at noon on Monday, February 9th in the TLC Sandbox (Kade, second floor).

Staff Meeting – 3:30 pm on Thursday, January 15th, Irvine Auditorium

Jan 8

Posted by Lynn McDonald in Human Resources, Uncategorized | No Comments

The work group of staff members that formed after the last all staff meeting has been working hard to come up with some ideas for the structure of a staff council.  They have met, researched, brainstormed, debated and researched some more to find ideas that might help to organize the MIIS staff into a high performing team.  This group is now bringing three ideas for a structure back to the entire staff population to get their insights as to the best approach to give voice to the entire staff.  The meeting on January 15th, at 3:30 pm in the Irvine Auditorium will be to introduce the ideas and solicit feedback/new ideas.  There is a quick overview of the ideas below, but it is important for staff to attend the meeting  to discuss the various benefits of the different structures.

Regardless of structure, it is the hope that some sort of organization for staff will promote a sense of community, act as a liaison between the various constituents at MIIS, foster a culture of communication and collaboration, and work towards making MIIS more effective in living up to its mission.  All ideas include more all-staff meetings, working with the administration/board/faculty/students, and strengthening communication among the groups on campus.

Representative Structure

  • The staff is divided into 8 to 10 groups – each group elects or volunteers one representative to serve for 1 or 2 years.
  • Council has a President, VP and recording secretary/treasurer
  • The council has various committees such as: benefits/compensation, communications, professional development, event/philanthropy
  • Committee chairs solicit help from others on campus to deal with particular issues

3-person Steering Committee

  • Steering committee facilitates one or two all-staff meetings per semester
  • May also meet with board, faculty senate, or student council
  • Provides means of communication between staff and administration
  • Committee members nominated and elected by staff
  • Serve for one year term
  • Voluntary subcommittees formed ad hoc as needed to address current issues and concerns

6-Person Advisory Team

  • Small diverse group (5-6 people) – volunteers
  • New volunteer opportunities offered annually
  • Dynamic/flexible – dependent on the needs/concerns of the staff
  • Work off annual agendas set by the entire staff
  • Facilitate regular staff meetings (quarterly, monthly?)

See you on January 15th!

“Engaging with Change” Workshops Resume

Nov 26

Posted by Amy McGill in Events, Human Resources, Teaching and Learning Collaborative | No Comments

A reminder for staff participating in the “Engaging with Change” workshop series with Dr. Paul Porter:  the third session will take place on Tuesday, December 2, and the final workshop will take place on Monday, December 15. Location: Board Room.

Last Friday TLC offered a digital storytelling workshop in which participants created a “superhero” based on the strengths they identified in the first two workshops.  Check this out.

Engaging with Change: a Workshop Series for Staff

Oct 14

Posted by Amy McGill in Events, Human Resources, Institutional Advancement, Teaching and Learning Collaborative | 4 Comments

As a community, the Monterey Institute is experiencing change on many levels, from integration with Middlebury to the reorganization of schools and services within the Institute. At the same time, as a society, we are facing  economic dislocations and uncertainty about the future of everything from the planet to our retirement accounts.

Change can be frightening, but times of change can also unleash powerful creative energies and offer opportunities for growth. To develop skills for constructive participation in a changing organization, the Human Resources department invites staff to take part in an exciting workshop series, Engaging with Change.

Dr. Paul Porter will facilitate the series of four half-day workshops designed to help staff members learn skills to assist with organizational change. Dr. Porter is a highly respected trainer, consultant, workshop leader, and speaker.  His background includes serving as a teacher, counselor, school principal, director of special education, university professor, and school district superintendent for 17 years.  He is well known for his practical and engaging style and work in the areas of change, leadership, team building, positive intent, organizational development and communications and has spoken to and worked with many public and private organizations in these areas.

The workshops will take place on November 4 and 11, and December 2 and 15. (There will be sessions from 9-12 and 1:30-4:30, and you can register for either the morning series or the afternoon series.)

We think you will find the workshops a positive and enjoyable learning experience. Not only will you acquire new skills to enhance your own career, but you will have a  chance to interact with other staff across departments.

The workshops will cover topics such as the following:

  • * Discovering and Utilizing Your Strengths
  • * Ideas and Techniques for Dealing Productively with Change
  • * Working Together Productively as a Team with Positive Intent
  • * Productive Utilization and Styles of Dealing with Stress
  • * Appreciative Inquiry
  • * Communication Skills:  the Key to Change

Staff members should check with their supervisors before signing up to make sure essential services are covered, but these workshops are considered part of the paid work day for those who participate. Each workshop builds on the learning from the previous session, so please check to make sure you can attend the entire series before you register.

Register HERE. (Enter your name and click “morning” or “afternoon.”)

Illustration: Plate from Metamorphosis of a Butterfly, Maria Sybilla Merian (1747-117)

Have you Moved?

Oct 10

Posted by Amy McGill in Human Resources | No Comments

If you have moved your office, or changed your home address, please be sure to notify HR, so that you will not miss important communications.

Tip from HR

Sep 19

Posted by Amy McGill in Human Resources, Uncategorized | No Comments

It’s Payday!  A good time to remind everyone that there are things you can do with Banner besides submitting your time sheet. Here’s a quick guide to what you’ll find below the time sheet link.