Making progress on Union Drive
Photo by Christopher Gannon.
With the ground dry enough for concrete work, crews are making progress on the second phase of this summer's project to reconstruct Union Drive between Welch and Bissell roads. A team (pictured) works south of Student Services Building to prepare a new driveway off Union Drive that will service lot 5 south of that building and lot 65 south of the Enrollment Services Building. Friley Residence Hall is in the background.
Salary increases will come in two parts
Editor's note: This story was added June 14, following approval of Iowa State's proposed salary parameters by the state Board of Regents' executive director.
In support of President Wendy Wintersteen's top budget priority to retain talented employees, faculty and professional and scientific staff with satisfactory work evaluations will receive a two-part salary increase in the fiscal year that begins July 1. An initial 1% increase will take effect July 1, a second 1% on Oct. 1 -- both calculated on the employee's June 30 salary. Employees who aren't doing satisfactory work won't be eligible for either increase. Increases for merit employees are not part of the phased approach. All merit employees will receive a 2.1% increase on July 1 consistent with the state contract.
Interim senior vice president for operations and finance Pam Cain said delaying the second half of the salary increase gives units a little time to plan for it. In addition to salary increases for their employees, units face other cost increases next year, she noted. "Deferring a portion of the salary adjustment provides additional time to identify resources for this cost," she said in a memo to budget employees.
More info
- FY20 salary parameters
- FAQ: FY20 salary adjustments
Because the October increase is not retroactive to July 1, the actual cost for the salary adjustments next year will be 1.75%.
"I understand that implementing salary increases, even ones as modest as these, in a shifting budget environment will require careful, strategic thinking," Wintersteen wrote in a June 13 campuswide communication. "But it is my hope this plan signals how serious we are about our number one budget priority -- retaining excellent faculty and staff. Our people determine the high quality of our teaching, research and extension programs, and support an exceptional experience for our students."
Cain said central funding will cover the majority of the estimated $4.8 million cost for the July 1 increase. Divisions will need to reallocate or identify other funding streams to cover the difference and the total cost of the Oct. 1 salary increase.
The salary adjustment policy applies to post-docs, contract employees and all fund sources, including employees whose positions are funded by external grants. Federal guidelines apply to salary adjustments for Ames Laboratory employees.
High achievement
Units have the option to give performance-based increases higher than 1% on Oct. 1 to reward extraordinary performance. If the total increase (including the 2% for satisfactory performance) for an employee exceeds 10%, the appropriate senior vice president or the president must approve it.
However, salary adjustments to address individual retention, equity or market considerations shouldn't be part of either the July 1 or Oct. 1 adjustments, according to the parameters. These adjustments occur year-round through a request process, and forms are on the university human resources website.
P&S pay matrix will adjust
The maximums for all pay grades in the P&S salary matrix will adjust up 1% on July 1. P&S employees with satisfactory work evaluations who are at the top of their pay grades will receive the salary increase on July 1 and a one-time payment (equal to 1%) on Oct. 1 that doesn't become part of their base salaries. The appropriate combination of salary increase and one-time payment also will be used for employees near the top of their pay grades since base salaries can't exceed the maximum in any pay grade.
Merit employees
The state's new two-year contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Council 61, which represents the university's approximately 1,300 merit employees, calls for a 2.1% pay increase on July 1. Minimums and maximums in the merit pay matrix also adjust upward on July 1.
Where to confirm your new salary
After July 1, salary increase information will be viewable in Workday. Employees can locate their compensation history from their "worker profile" pages. Select "compensation" in the left menu, then the "pay change history" tab at the top of the screen. E-salary slips in AccessPlus won't be active after July 1.
Get hands-on Workday experience in user labs
User labs are available to help employees get a feel for the Workday system that goes live July 1. Registration is required for the 30-minute sessions held in 139 Durham Center.
"Sign up if you would like to touch the keyboard, play with Workday, navigate and learn about some key functionalities you'll use," said Kumari Henry, manager of the WorkCyte change management team. "This is a good opportunity to practice, and it's open to the entire campus."
The user lab sessions provide hands-on navigation and interaction with the Workday system -- for example, how to request vacation time. Employees should complete their recommended computer-based training in advance to prepare for the session.
Step-by-step reference guides (job aids) for Workday tasks are available -- for example, "Workday 101" basic navigation. Members of the WorkCyte team also are available for questions.
"We'll have people on hand to walk folks through actual transactions," Henry said. "The sessions are for system-use experience, not questions about policies, roles or reporting."
Registration is open on Learn@ISU and must be completed by 4 p.m. the day prior to the session so participants can be authorized to access the Workday system.
Thirty-minute time slots are available on these dates:
- June 17, 2-4 p.m.
- June 18, 9-11 a.m.
- June 19, 9-11 a.m.
- June 25, 2-4 p.m.
Henry said more user lab sessions will be added through the weeks after Workday go-live.
"We will have labs available until we are at a point where people aren't coming by to play with the system," she said.
Travel card use begins in July; training is available now
The days of fronting work-related travel expenses with personal funds and seeking reimbursement are nearly over. Beginning next month, university employees will have the option to use a new Visa card for expenses related to travel and hospitality -- everything from doughnuts and juice for a student meeting to airline tickets and hotel rooms overseas. The costs to bring job candidates and guest lecturers to campus or to host a retirement reception also will go on the travel and hospitality card.
Like its cousin the purchasing card (P-card), the travel card will be issued to individuals, not departments, and shouldn't be shared. Sharing a card voids the fraud protection on it. Departments decide which of their employees receive a card.
Travel cards are blue and labeled "corporate travel," P-cards are black and labeled "purchasing." Both are Visa credit cards.
Procurement services director Cory Harms said several issues drove the decision to add a travel/hospitality card:
- Security. Separating the purchasing categories reduces the chances of travel cards being compromised by hackers. Fraud is less likely.
- Higher spending capacity with two cards. In most cases, P-cards and travel cards both carry a limit of $4,900 per transaction and $15,000 per month. Higher limits are available for employees who book group travel.
- Workday. The finance platform that goes live July 1 includes a travel card expense module with hospitality fields (the P-card module in Workday doesn't).
Training has begun
Harms said a group of employees has been using and testing the travel card for several months. Procurement staff began leading training sessions this month and will offer two travel card training sessions per week through August at locations around campus. The travel card application will be available on procurement services' website after July 1. Employees with travel card privileges should register for a one-hour session in Learn@ISU.
P-card and travel card training will be offered weekly or biweekly year-round.
Receipts required
Harms said the travel card can't cover every travel expense. Exceptions include mileage on a personal vehicle or purchases from retailers that don't accept Visa cards.
Travel card holders who opt to do their own expense reporting will need to attend Workday training on expenses and travel. Otherwise, they will submit their receipts -- paper or scans -- to a procurement and expense specialist on their ISD (improved service delivery) team.
Travel and hospitality
Harms said about 2,400 employees have purchasing cards. He anticipates nearly that many could have a travel card.
"They may not travel, but if they're involved in any kind of hospitality or hosting, they'll use the travel card," he said.
After July 1, P-card holders who are issued a travel/hospitality card and complete training should stop using the P-card for hospitality expenses.
New ordering sites, pay option to debut for central stores and chemistry stores
Central stores and chemistry stores will debut new online catalogs July 1 to coincide with changes to the ordering process when the Workday system goes live. ISU purchasing cards (P-cards) also will be added as a payment option for orders from both stores.
Tuesday, June 18, is the last day to order items with departmental account numbers. Worktags, which replace account numbers in the Workday system, or P-cards will be needed to place orders after June 18. Specialists on improved service delivery (ISD) teams can help buyers with questions about Workday worktags.
Online ordering will not be available June 19-28, but orders will be accepted on site and by email and phone. The new online catalogs will be accessible via links on CyBUY and the central stores and chemistry stores websites. Direct links to the two dedicated ordering websites that go live July 1 are:
- Central stores, https://order.centralstores.iastate.edu
- Chemistry stores, https://order.chem.iastate.edu
Contact Bill Spratt (294-0402, bspratt@iastate.edu), central stores supervisor; or John Burright (294-0200, jbburri@iastate.edu), chemistry stores manager, with questions.
Related stories
- Travel card use begins in July; training is available now, June 13, 2019
- Workday won't make it harder to do business with campus units, March 28, 2019
- Worktags will replace account numbers in Workday, Feb. 7, 2019
Tips for avoiding heat stress this summer
Despite the cool, wet start to the Iowa summer, heat and humidity are inevitable. An awareness about heat stress risks -- and strategies to address them -- literally can save a life, said Heather Simmons, an occupational safety specialist in the environmental health and safety department (EHS).
"Heat stress is preventable if you pay attention and take the right precautions," she said. "At the same time, if you don't, there can be serious repercussions."
Those precautions include staying hydrated, taking breaks more frequently, wearing loose and light-colored clothing, and learning to identify the symptoms of heat stress in yourself or your co-workers.
Simmons said when the heat index (a measurement of temperature and humidity) exceeds 85 degrees, employees with jobs in hot environments should take precautions. She noted that what can start out as fairly mild symptoms -- perspiring or a mild headache, for example -- becomes a problem when your body stops sweating and your skin become red, hot and dry. A National Weather Service poster on the EHS website distinguishes between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. A few strategies -- drinking water, finding shaded or air-conditioned space to cool the body -- can alleviate the former. The latter demands a call to 911 for medical aid.
Simmons identified these other awareness and prevention tools:
- EHS website on heat stress
- A new 15-minute online training, "Heat-related Illness," available through Learn@ISU (in environmental health and safety course offerings). ISU WellBeing Adventure 2 participants can earn 150 points for completing it.
- Subsequent Adventure 2 challenges this summer
- Free phone app (iPhone or Android) that uses local temperature and humidity to assess risk
- Specialty bandanas and neck towels by Grainger in cyBUY to help keep your body cool
"Summer is a great time to be outdoors, either at work or at home," Simmons said. "If employees follow the prevention tips we've outlined, they'll be better prepared to keep themselves safe, whether working or playing in the heat."
Big groups coming to campus this summer
Students, faculty and staff share campus in the summer with a variety of camps, conferences and competitions held at Iowa State facilities. Here's a list of summer gatherings expected to draw 100 people or more to campus. Email inside@iastate.edu to suggest any additions we've missed.
|
Event |
Date |
Venues |
Attendance |
|
May 29-June 28 |
Various |
5,400 students, 9,300 guests |
|
|
June 14-16 |
Hansen Ag Center |
2,000 |
|
|
June 15-16 |
Cyclone Sports Complex |
1,000 |
|
|
June 16-21 |
Ice Arena |
150 |
|
|
June 18 |
Scheman |
300 |
|
|
June 22-25 |
Beyer |
100 |
|
|
June 23-26 |
Beyer and State Gym |
320 |
|
|
June 25-26 |
Scheman |
600 |
|
|
June 25-27 |
Various |
650 |
|
|
June 26-29 |
Beyer Hall |
100 |
|
| Transfer student orientation | July 1 | Various |
200 students, 250 guests |
|
July 6-9 |
State Gym |
100 |
|
|
July 7-10 |
Lied |
100 |
|
|
July 9-13 |
State Gym |
130 |
|
|
July 11-14 |
Cyclone Sports Complex |
1,500 |
|
|
July 16-18 |
Lied |
290 |
|
|
July 24-27 |
Lied |
450 |
|
|
July 13-11, 19-21, 26-28 |
Various |
14,500 |
|
|
July 22-26 |
Scheman |
100 |
|
|
July 29-Aug. 1 |
Various |
200 |
