Dear Campus Community,
Several years ago, Whitworth committed to the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment by reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and taking positive steps toward monitoring and reducing our direct and indirect emissions. With the new academic term, you will see several changes that are focused on advancing this commitment to sustainability and reducing the university’s carbon footprint.
First, we’ve renewed the soda/vending contract with Pepsi through a competitive process. Bottled water is being eliminated from the vending machines and many of the machines are being converted to aluminum cans rather than plastic bottles. Drinking fountains are being fitted to make filling personal containers easier. We also reduced the number of vending machines and reduced the lighting, which has lowered our electrical consumption.
In addition, each employee will be provided a personal waste container for non-recyclable material (e.g. food items, wrappings, apple cores, etc.). Each employee’s primary, larger waste receptacle will be removed. We will each dispose of personal, non-recyclable waste using the personal waste container and then take that waste to a central receptacle in our work area. We will continue managing the recyclable waste as we’ve been doing.This process allows us to adjust custodial duties to other cleaning functions and increases the recycling stream of waste products from our offices. This change may seem small, but it allows our custodians to perform other vital work to care for our facilities and it will increase the waste into the recycling stream.
Finally, other energy reduction strategies are being explored through a special program of resource conservation being undertaken in partnership with Avista. This effort will examine lighting patterns and other ways to reduce the direct costs of utility consumption across campus.
Thank you for your engagement and support of these efforts as we strive to learn how best to live in a more sustainable manner.
Brian Benzel
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
HUB Dining Hall Addition - Information and Map of Construction Site
The HUB dining hall addition project is underway. This much-needed addition will provide more dining options and more seating starting in fall 2012, but will bring some disruption and noise to the area between the HUB and Arend Hall during the coming school year. From Aug. 9-19, there will be heavy pounding noise and vibration in the area – sheet piles are being driven into the ground for structural support. Please click on HUB Dining Hall Addition Map for construction site information for drivers and pedestrians.
Also, please watch out for construction barricades and fencing when you are in the area. Whitworth Presbyterian Church’s driveway will be open for construction and emergency vehicles only. If you have any concerns about the construction activities, please contact Director of Capital Projects Steve Thompson at 777.4460 or sthompson@whitworth.edu.
Also, please watch out for construction barricades and fencing when you are in the area. Whitworth Presbyterian Church’s driveway will be open for construction and emergency vehicles only. If you have any concerns about the construction activities, please contact Director of Capital Projects Steve Thompson at 777.4460 or sthompson@whitworth.edu.
Pirate Port Is Now Up and Running - Check It Out!
Pirate Port is now available to users – it is accessible through the Quick Links menu on the Whitworth website or directly at https://portal.whitworth.edu. This website contains a site for students, applicants and employees, with each site tailored to fit the specific user group’s needs.
The faculty and staff site contains Campus Announcements, Classified Ads, and a Meet Your Colleague section, all previously available through Whitworth Weekly. Users may post classifieds ads, submit prayer requests, and soon we’ll add a Campus Happenings section, where users will be able to post campus events information.
Pirate Port provides users access to their e-mail via the web, without the need to log in again, and the WhitNet menu is contained directly on each user-group’s site. This WhitNet menu has all of the functionality of the old WhitNet site, it just looks a bit different. As of mid-September, WhitNet will only be accessible through Pirate Port, so check out the site and let us know what you think. Please refer to the Pirate Port Help tab for frequently asked questions or to submit feedback.
If you have questions about using Pirate Port, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@whitworth.edu. Thank you.
The faculty and staff site contains Campus Announcements, Classified Ads, and a Meet Your Colleague section, all previously available through Whitworth Weekly. Users may post classifieds ads, submit prayer requests, and soon we’ll add a Campus Happenings section, where users will be able to post campus events information.
Pirate Port provides users access to their e-mail via the web, without the need to log in again, and the WhitNet menu is contained directly on each user-group’s site. This WhitNet menu has all of the functionality of the old WhitNet site, it just looks a bit different. As of mid-September, WhitNet will only be accessible through Pirate Port, so check out the site and let us know what you think. Please refer to the Pirate Port Help tab for frequently asked questions or to submit feedback.
If you have questions about using Pirate Port, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@whitworth.edu. Thank you.
Meet Your Colleague: A Q&A with Toni Sutherland, Program Coordinator for Chaplain Services
Name: Toni Sutherland
Job title: Program Coordinator
Department: Chaplain Services
How long have you worked at Whitworth? 9 years
What do you like best about your job? The best part of my job is being involved in the opportunity for Whitworth students, faculty, and staff to worship together. I also enjoy assisting the students who stop by my window. I love interacting with them while they enjoy the M&M’s.
In what ways do your gifts and abilities help meet the needs of the campus community you serve? I’m organized and I’ve been called the queen of lists. I’m a behind-the-scenes person. I like to help people implement their ideas using available resources they may not know about, or helping them come up with the best way to get their desired outcome.
Favorite book: Whatever book I am currently reading. I love stories. One of my favorite events at Whitworth is the English Department Hot Dog and Book Sale.
Favorite movie: “Pride and Prejudice”
Favorite food: Nachos – there is just so much you can do with this wonder-food.
Favorite quote: “Better not be at all than not be noble,” Alfred Lord Tennyson, or “Jump off the moose!” from the movie “Wild America.”
Favorite music: 1970s and 80s easy listening – cheesy, I know.
Favorite animal: I’ve been enjoying the hummingbird antics outside my living room window.
Favorite childhood TV show: “The Brady Bunch.” I come from a blended family with his two, her two, and their two. I could relate to the house full of kids and animals.
Guilty pleasure: Skittles and “America’s Next Top Model”
Best vacation ever: A family reunion on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago. It was the last event spent with my brother-in-law, who passed away a short time later.
Birth place: Deer Park, Wash.
We’d be surprised to know that…my daughter was born in a Mercedes Benz.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would love to go to Scotland and Ireland. I’d also love to visit my sponsored child in Tanzania.
What cartoon character best describes you? Tigger (although my daughter says Lucy from “Peanuts”)
If you could try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? Sing the national anthem to a large crowd. I’ve always wished I could sing.
What is your favorite sound? Baby giggles are the best. Doesn’t matter where you are or how you feel, a baby giggle has to make you smile.
What is your life motto? Live with integrity.
If you could go on a road trip with anyone (from the past or present), who would you choose and where would you go? I would go on a road trip with my husband, touring the East Coast of the United States. That has always been the plan for someday.
Oops - Group Health Mails Flu Vaccine Reminders Early
Group Health member households have been mailed the seasonal flu vaccine reminder postcard – several weeks early! The reminder was scheduled to be mailed in mid-September, but a miscommunication with the mailing vendor caused the cards to be mailed last week, before the flu vaccine arrived at the medical centers. The vaccines will be available this fall. Group Health offers apologies for any inconvenience.
Watch for further information about flu vaccine clinics on campus later this fall.
Watch for further information about flu vaccine clinics on campus later this fall.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Meet Your Colleage: A Q&A with Dan Ramsay, Head Baseball Coach, Events and Equipment Room Manager
Name: Dan Ramsay, ’08
Department: Athletics
How long have you worked at Whitworth? 3 years (going on my 4th)
What do you like best about your job? I get to work with student-athletes during the most important years of growth and maturity in their lives, and I get to do it on the baseball diamond at a university that embraces and supports my personal walk with Christ.
In what ways do your gifts and abilities help meet the needs of the campus community you serve? As an education student at Whitworth I was often asked to explore my “calling.” I learned pretty quickly that I had an undying passion for serving others and a love for the game of baseball. I am blessed to be able to say that I can fulfill my calling in an environment that fosters the development of Christ-like traits in my student-athletes; Whitworth’s baseball field is simply an extension of the classroom, where life lessons are taught and learned.
Favorite book: The Power of One
Favorite movie: “The Sandlot”
Favorite food: Tacos
Favorite quote: “A life is not important, except in the impact it has on other lives.” - Jackie Robinson
Favorite music: Country (but Jeremy Camp has been frequenting my iPod as of late)
Favorite animal: Bull moose
Guilty pleasure: Stargazing by a campfire
Hobbies: Spending time with my family, baseball, camping, riding my bike, reading, fishing
Best vacation ever: Yellowstone National Park as a 12-year-old with my family
Birthplace: Hermiston, Ore.
We’d be surprised to know that… I married Lara Thompson, ’06 (Whitworth University Associate Director of Admissions), on June 18th this summer.
I collect… My wife (still getting used to saying that) and I plan to attend a baseball game at every Major League stadium. Together we’ve attended four (Wrigley Field - Chicago Cubs, Comerica Park - Detroit Tigers, Safeco Field - Seattle Mariners, and Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles Dodgers). It’s a blast because we get to spend a lot of quality time together and explore different parts of the country.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? This summer I feel like all I’ve done is travel. Lara and I took our honeymoon to Mexico and I just returned from an eight-day trip to Spain with the USA Athletes International baseball team, so at the moment I’m a little traveled out. Right now I want to go to the mountains and set up a hammock under some trees next to a stream and just be.
What cartoon character best describes you? Woody from “Toy Story”
If you could try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? I’d “try” winning the lottery
What is your favorite sound? Christmas music
What is your life motto? The Ramsay Clan Motto (dating back to my ancestry in Scotland) is “Ora et Labora,” which means “Pray and Work.” Funny to think that the phrase my ancestors lived by thousands of years ago is still pertinent to my life today. Only good things can come of hard work and prayer.
Favorite childhood book: The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl
Favorite childhood TV show: I used to love watching “Sunday Night Baseball” with my dad
Least favorite word: Disappointed
If you could go on a road trip with anyone (from the past or present), who would you choose and where would you go? I’d head east with my dad, make a stop in Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series, stop in Dyersville, Iowa, to see the Field of Dreams, stop in Williamsport, Penn., to watch the Little League World Series, and finally end the trip in Cooperstown, N.Y., to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. We’d fish at every river and lake along the way.
Best high school class subject: World history
Department: Athletics
How long have you worked at Whitworth? 3 years (going on my 4th)
What do you like best about your job? I get to work with student-athletes during the most important years of growth and maturity in their lives, and I get to do it on the baseball diamond at a university that embraces and supports my personal walk with Christ.
In what ways do your gifts and abilities help meet the needs of the campus community you serve? As an education student at Whitworth I was often asked to explore my “calling.” I learned pretty quickly that I had an undying passion for serving others and a love for the game of baseball. I am blessed to be able to say that I can fulfill my calling in an environment that fosters the development of Christ-like traits in my student-athletes; Whitworth’s baseball field is simply an extension of the classroom, where life lessons are taught and learned.
Favorite book: The Power of One
Favorite movie: “The Sandlot”
Favorite food: Tacos
Favorite quote: “A life is not important, except in the impact it has on other lives.” - Jackie Robinson
Favorite music: Country (but Jeremy Camp has been frequenting my iPod as of late)
Favorite animal: Bull moose
Guilty pleasure: Stargazing by a campfire
Hobbies: Spending time with my family, baseball, camping, riding my bike, reading, fishing
Best vacation ever: Yellowstone National Park as a 12-year-old with my family
Birthplace: Hermiston, Ore.
We’d be surprised to know that… I married Lara Thompson, ’06 (Whitworth University Associate Director of Admissions), on June 18th this summer.
I collect… My wife (still getting used to saying that) and I plan to attend a baseball game at every Major League stadium. Together we’ve attended four (Wrigley Field - Chicago Cubs, Comerica Park - Detroit Tigers, Safeco Field - Seattle Mariners, and Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles Dodgers). It’s a blast because we get to spend a lot of quality time together and explore different parts of the country.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? This summer I feel like all I’ve done is travel. Lara and I took our honeymoon to Mexico and I just returned from an eight-day trip to Spain with the USA Athletes International baseball team, so at the moment I’m a little traveled out. Right now I want to go to the mountains and set up a hammock under some trees next to a stream and just be.
What cartoon character best describes you? Woody from “Toy Story”
If you could try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? I’d “try” winning the lottery
What is your favorite sound? Christmas music
What is your life motto? The Ramsay Clan Motto (dating back to my ancestry in Scotland) is “Ora et Labora,” which means “Pray and Work.” Funny to think that the phrase my ancestors lived by thousands of years ago is still pertinent to my life today. Only good things can come of hard work and prayer.
Favorite childhood book: The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl
Favorite childhood TV show: I used to love watching “Sunday Night Baseball” with my dad
Least favorite word: Disappointed
If you could go on a road trip with anyone (from the past or present), who would you choose and where would you go? I’d head east with my dad, make a stop in Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series, stop in Dyersville, Iowa, to see the Field of Dreams, stop in Williamsport, Penn., to watch the Little League World Series, and finally end the trip in Cooperstown, N.Y., to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. We’d fish at every river and lake along the way.
Best high school class subject: World history
Whitworth Institute of Ministry Podcasts Now Available Online
To listen to podcasts of 2011 Whitworth Institute of Ministry events, including evening worship, convocation and Bible hour, please visit WIM 2011 podcasts.
Employee Wellness Newsletter for August 2011
Human Resource Services regularly shares information provided to us by recognized organizations that promote health and wellness. Below is the Employee Wellness Newsletter from Spokane Regional Health District for the month of August.
Employee Wellness Newsletter August 2011
Employee Wellness Newsletter August 2011
Whitworth Faculty and Staff Invited to Attend CCCU's "Changing Faces" Conference
Dear Faculty and Staff,
Registration is now open for the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities’ conference, "Changing Faces: Cultural Competency, Diversity and Reconciliation." The conference will take place Sept. 25-26, 2011, at Trinity Christian College, in Palos Heights, Ill., and will address the Christian imperative for flourishing, diverse communities, and ongoing concerns regarding diversity within higher-education institutions.
The conference’s goal is to improve the development of cultural competencies and the understanding of opportunities and barriers to increasing diversity, as well as how to increase the understanding of and need for reconciliation.
If you are interested in attending, please check with your supervisor to see if your department can cover the travel and conference expenses. Please note that two grants of $300 each are available through the office of Intercultural Relations on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information about the conference and to register, please visit CCCU Changing Faces conference.
Blessings,
Lawrence A. Q. Burnley, Ph.D.
Asst. Vice President for Intercultural Relations
Registration is now open for the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities’ conference, "Changing Faces: Cultural Competency, Diversity and Reconciliation." The conference will take place Sept. 25-26, 2011, at Trinity Christian College, in Palos Heights, Ill., and will address the Christian imperative for flourishing, diverse communities, and ongoing concerns regarding diversity within higher-education institutions.
The conference’s goal is to improve the development of cultural competencies and the understanding of opportunities and barriers to increasing diversity, as well as how to increase the understanding of and need for reconciliation.
If you are interested in attending, please check with your supervisor to see if your department can cover the travel and conference expenses. Please note that two grants of $300 each are available through the office of Intercultural Relations on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information about the conference and to register, please visit CCCU Changing Faces conference.
Blessings,
Lawrence A. Q. Burnley, Ph.D.
Asst. Vice President for Intercultural Relations
Washington Dental Service/Delta Dental to Assign New Identification Numbers
Washington Dental/Delta Dental will assign randomly selected alternate identification numbers in place of Social Security Numbers beginning August 11, 2011. This is being done to ensure the privacy of members’ information and to address concerns about identity theft.
To access your newly assigned alternate identification number, simply log onto the WDS website at www.DeltaDentalWA.com after Aug. 15. Click on the "Patients" tab on the top navigation bar. Once you have signed in with your username and secure password, you will see "Print ID Card" in the center of your screen. Simply click on the green Print ID Card link to view or print your card.
You can also call WDS customer service at 1.800.554.1907 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to get your new alternate identification number. Claims that are received that show either your Social Security Number or your alternate ID number will be processed, and the explanation of benefits you receive will have your alternate ID number displayed. This number will also be provided to your dentist on his or her payment voucher.
To access your newly assigned alternate identification number, simply log onto the WDS website at www.DeltaDentalWA.com after Aug. 15. Click on the "Patients" tab on the top navigation bar. Once you have signed in with your username and secure password, you will see "Print ID Card" in the center of your screen. Simply click on the green Print ID Card link to view or print your card.
You can also call WDS customer service at 1.800.554.1907 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to get your new alternate identification number. Claims that are received that show either your Social Security Number or your alternate ID number will be processed, and the explanation of benefits you receive will have your alternate ID number displayed. This number will also be provided to your dentist on his or her payment voucher.
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