December 2020 Newsletter

Message from the President

Colleagues,

We are reviving the Prairie State College Employee Newsletter! Here you will find updates, announcements, and more. As you can see, this publication is part of the college intranet, and our communications team is hard at work to update and re-launch this platform. We ask for your patience as we work to freshen up the look and feel and begin transferring personnel documents from the PSC website to this private domain.

We are always looking to improve communication on campus, and we want to hear from you! Let us know what you want to see in the next issue of the newsletter and on the intranet as a whole. Ideas and suggestions can be emailed to Crystal Alston-Nobles, manager of communications and digital media, at calston@prairiestate.edu.

I hope you will enjoy this December issue and find the intranet a welcome addition to our campus communication efforts. As we approach the end of the semester, I want to be sure to thank every one of you for all that you do for our students and our community. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Thomas D. Saban, Ph.D., Interim President

Updates:

Open Enrollment for Benefits Changes:

It’s time for open enrollment 2021. Due to the pandemic, the college will not be hosting a Benefits Fair; however, all forms are available online. Open Enrollment ends on December 9.

To access the plan information, rate sheet and enrollment forms, visit prairiestate.edu/insidepsc. Access is available only to PSC Employees. You will need to log in using your single-sign-on username and password.

Human Resources Forms:

All HR forms and notices have been moved to the Intranet.

Institutional Support Services:

Institutional Support Services will adjust its hours of operation starting the week of December 7 to the following: Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 4:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon. Bulk mailings, including postcards, require a one-week turnaround minimum. Mail delivery to the outer campus buildings will take place on Thursdays only.

2020 Corporate Event Planning and Meeting Guide:

The Conference Center was featured in the Daily Herald Business Ledger. An ad promoting the Conference Center's flexible meeting spaces and a Q and A article about its operations were recently published in the annual Corporate Event Planning and Event Meeting Guide. Turn to pages 27 - 28 to view them both. >>Corporate Event Planning and Event Meeting Guide.

Read Anything Book Club!

Do you have a book you have always wanted to read? Join the PSC library over winter break for our Read Anything Book Club!

This is open to anyone who wants to participate. Discussions will be on the library's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/prairielibrary.

On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, we will gather at noon via Google Meet to discuss what you read: meet.google.com/gnf-aaxf-jah. If you have any questions, please email librarians@prairiestate.edu.

Winter Break (Dec. 24, 2020 - Jan. 4, 2021):

The College is closed for winter break from Thursday Dec. 24 to Friday, Jan. 1. The college will re-open on Monday, Jan. 4.

Board of Trustees Update

The Board of Trustees held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. To view information from the Board of Trustees, including meeting agendas, minutes and audio recordings, visit Board Meetings.

PSC Employee Announcements

Is there a Doctor in the House?

Congratulations to Dr. Lee Helbert, Manager, First Year Experience, on the successful defense of her doctoral dissertation entitled: "What Does the Staff Say? Front-Line Support Staff Perceptions of Their Role in Student Success."

Distinguished Service Award

On November 17, 2020, the Police Hall of Fame recognized Prairie State College Sergeant Alvin Thompson and awarded him a Distinguished Service Award for his 42 years of law enforcement service.

Need a

Headshot?

Some employees do not have photos to include on the intranet. While including your photo is optional, we encourage you to get a professional headshot taken so we can include your photo on your department’s page.

Please complete the photo request form below, and our videographer will contact you to schedule your photo.

Photo Request Form

Have an Announcement?

We love good news, especially in these trying times. If you have an announcement you want to share, submit the form below, and we'll publish it in the upcoming Newsletter.

Announcement Form

Sign up for PSC Alert!

Make sure you receive the most up-to-date information about urgent school related matters by signing up for or renewing your account with PSC Alert! It takes less than five minutes.

Work from home tip

Take Breaks:

Working remotely is inherently challenging because it's easy to lose track of time. With the current situation, taking breaks is even more critical. That's because, in a traditional office, it's easy to stop by a co-worker's desk to chat or head to the break room for a cup of coffee. In one survey, nearly 90% of American workers said that taking a lunch break helped them feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. So, pull yourself away from the computer, even if it’s for a few minutes.

To BCC, or not to BCC? That is the question.

Transparency is important at PSC, and that is why Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) is used at the college for one reason: Mass Emails. When sending a mass email, it is best to BCC all recipients to eliminate the possibility of a massive “reply all” scenario. The recipients will only be able to reply to the person who sent the email.

BCC should never be used as a way to allow someone to eavesdrop on an email discussion (source).

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