Texas A&M University-Texarkana Campus Connection July 2015

The Campus CONNECTION Issue 17 July 2015

In this issue Campus Carry P.1 Employee Corner P.2

Campus Carry Becomes Effective in August of Next Year

Reminders & Updates P.3 Employee Enhancement P.4 Supervisor Corner P.5

Now You Know Current Staff Openings 

ESL- English as a Second Language 



ESL - English as a Second Language #2 Director and Coordinator of Budgets

In a little more than one year, legislation will go into effect that will allow people with concealed handgun licenses to carry their firearms on Texas college and university campuses.

Concealed handgun license holders must be 21 years of age. However, members or veterans of the armed forces may obtain a permit at 18 years of age.

“As the Texas A&M University System works on a plan to implement the Campus Carry statute passed by the 84th Texas Legislature, our goal will be to implement the bill in a manner consistent with the Legislature’s intent and that enhances the safety and well-being of everyone on our campuses,” A&M System officials said in a statement.

“The bill asks us to consult with students, staff and faculty during the implementation process, and we will make sure those voices are heard. We will have the necessary rules and policies in place by the time the legislation goes into effect on Aug. 1, 2016.”

Texas A&M University-Texarkana President Emily Cutrer has appointed Charlotte Banks, Director of University Compliance, to serve as lead contact for development of the rules and policies regarding campus carry at Texas A&M University-Texarkana.

“Charlotte is very well-respected by colleagues at our university and at the A&M System level,” Dr. Cutrer said. “She will do an outstanding job in leading the effort to implement the legislation on our campus.”

For the timeline of how these rules and policies will take place, please see the Daily Eagle that was sent out on June 23, 2015.

The legislation and university rules will become effective Aug. 1, 2016, and the university must prepare a report to be submitted to the legislature by Sept. 1, 2016, describing concealed-carry rules on campus. This report must be submitted on Sept. 1 of each even-numbered year.

Employee Corner Employee of the Month May BIRTHDAYS Takafumi Asaki Godpower Okereke KaDeidre BellRochelle Rebecca Stone Barbara Mackey Patricia Humphrey Darlene Edwards Joni Millican MD Kalam Bill McHenry

Cynthia Henderson Mallory Gaeth Brandy Moore Kaleigh Tibbit Robert Hernandez Jennifer Perez Cathy Adams Jackie Elder James Nguyen Nikki Thomson

Marcie Whisenhunt Marcie continually goes above and beyond to assist the faculty and staff throughout the university, and has had to step in to fill other roles when needed. Even when working two jobs, she is a pleasant person to talk to and always willing to help.

r

Ou Meet

Jordan Logan Athletics Business Manager

Kristin Tullos Admin Assistant– IT

Shannon Reynolds

To all of our Eagle Family and their families!

Secretary III-NTCC

The Campus Connection Issue 17 July 2015

REMINDERS & UPDATES Visit the Healthy TAMUT Website Check out the A&M-Texarkana wellness website, http://tamut.edu/About/Administration/HumanResources/Wellness.html, for the Healthy TAMUT newsletter, weekly health tips, walking maps for campus and some Texarkana trails, and other health and wellness information.

For more information, contact Ayla Baldwin in Human Resources at ayla.baldwin@tamut.edu.

Dr. Joan Brumm to Serve as SEBAC Representative Texas A&M University-Texarkana campus employees recently elected Dr. Joan Brumm, Professor of Accounting, to serve as the representative to the System Employee Benefits Advisory Committee (SEBAC). Dr. Brumm will serve a two-year term, beginning Sept. 1 and ending Aug. 31, 2017.

SEBAC assists System Benefits Administration in coordinating and correlating the uniform group insurance programs and provides for open communication of ideas and suggestions concerning coverage, eligibility, claims, procedures, bidding, administration and other aspects of employee insurance benefits. Ricky Norton, Director of Human Resources/EEO, also serves on the committee as a non-voting member.

Texas A&M System Board of Regents Confirms Appointments Dr. Gary L. Stading was named the new Dean of the College of Business at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. The appointment is effective immediately, and his responsibilities will include the recruitment, development and supervision of faculty, as well as the implementation of new programs in the college and the expansion of existing ones. Prior to joining A&M-Texarkana, Stading was the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies of the College of Business at the University of Houston-Downtown, where his previous administrative appointments also include Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and department chair of the College of Business. In addition to a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, he holds an M.B.A. from Miami University and a B.S. degree from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign.

The Campus Connection Issue 16 June 2015

Employee Enhancement Effective Communication Listening Behaviors When you focus only on yourself, you often forget to listen, and as a result, the chances for successful communication are poor. Listening is the basis of effective communication and entails much more than just hearing sound.

Think about the last time you noticed someone obviously not paying attention when you were trying to communicate. What specific behaviors did the person exhibit that led you to believe that he or she was not attending to you? What impact did the person’s behavior have on you? Perhaps you felt alarmed that your important message was not getting through properly, or frustrated that your audience was not getting it.

You may have been offended by your listener’s inattention or felt an urge to repeat your message.

Active Listening You can hear something without choosing to listen. Active listening involves listening with empathy.

When you listen empathically, you don’t just hear words. You hear thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. Empathic listening is highly active and requires hard work. Following the steps below will help you to improve your listening skills.

1. The first step is to decide to listen and concentrate on the speaker.

2. Then, use your imagination and enter the speaker’s situation. Concentrate and try to imagine his or her frame of reference and point of view.

3. Observe the speaker’s vocal inflection, enthusiasm or lack of it, and style of delivery. These are essential components of the message. If you are speaking face-to-face, pay attention to the speaker’s facial expressions and other non-verbal cues for more insight into the message.

4. Listen without interruption. Note key phrases or use word associations to remember the speaker’s content.

5. Use paraphrasing or clarifying questions to confirm that you received the intended message. Check your perceptions of how the speaker is feeling to put the text of the message in emotional context.

6. Finally, provide feedback to the speaker.

Tips for Active Listening • Make eye contact. Eye contact increases the chances of getting the message and demonstrates interest and attention. When listening to someone on the phone, try not to look at things that will take attention away from the speaker.

• Adjust your body posture. Posture—facing the speaker and slightly leaning in—suggests that you are paying attention and helps you to stay tuned in.

• Give verbal or nonverbal acknowledgment. Acknowledging the speaker helps involve you in the communication process and shows you are paying attention.

• Clear your mind. Clear your mind of your own thoughts to avoid wandering mentally.

The Campus Connection Issue 17 July 2015

Supervisor’s Corner Strengthen Supervisor-Employee Relationships to Reduce Turnover In his book, “Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad: Breakthrough Ideas for Keeping Your Best Workers,” employee retention expert Richard Finnegan says that supervisor – employee relationships are unique levers that deeply impact employee stay/leave decisions. In addition, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, the authors of “First Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently” say that how long individual employees stay with an organization and how productive they are while they are there is determined by their relationship with their immediate manager or supervisor.

Focus on Interpersonal Skills Training to Improve Supervisor Relationship Skills One specific strategy for improving supervisor – employee relationships is to provide an array of interpersonal skills training courses for your organization’s managers and supervisors. Often times individuals are promoted into supervisory positions because of their expertise in the technical aspects of their job, but they may be lacking in skill areas important to people management such as empathic listening, conflict resolution, and coaching. Supervisors with strong interpersonal skills such as these have the ability to more effectively motivate their teams, and maximize the retention of their best employees.

Partner with Your EAP to Provide the Supervisor Training In addition to the topics mentioned above, Deer Oaks offers many courses designed to enhance supervisor interpersonal skills including the following: Diversity in the Workplace: Maintaining an Inclusive Environment Managing Difficult Personalities Strengthening the Team: Building a Cohesive and Inclusive Team Communication Skills for Collaboration and Working Effectively with Others Coaching for Performance Leadership Essentials

What are the best ways to help employees feel appreciated and motivated if there is no extra money to improve pay? Unfortunately, I need every employee to pull their weight, even if we don’t have one extra dime.

More money would not have a lasting impact, but the following will: 1) Periodically, praise an employee in front of others, especially if the audience includes people the employee looks up to or feels are important.

2) Keep the employee out of the dark and included or involved in organizational matters that concern his or her job.

3) Keep your eyes open for things the employee does well and make a positive comment about it. (This is called “catching the employee doing something right.”). Use the same moment to ask your employee how things are going, and whether he or she needs anything from you to do their job.

4) Give an assignment or project that by its nature shows that you trust the employee with something important or significant. These four strategies will add significant job satisfaction in most instances.

The Campus Connection Issue 17 July 2015