Hawk Talk

Ready, Set, Go . . . 2012 is Here!

2012-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Just as I was getting used to writing 2011 on documents, 2012 arrives.
If this year moves as quickly as the last couple of years, we’ll be looking at a new year in no time, so let’s buckle up for another busy year. Over the past few years, our campus has seen a lot of change and growth, as we have matured into a strong campus, full of student life, opportunity and development. Our division, in particular, has been increasingly busy over the years, as we not only serve over 10,000 students, but over 1,500 faculty and staff members as well. In the upcoming year, we have some exciting projects on the horizon, so I know we’re all eager to launch into the New Year full speed ahead, but before we do, I ask you to take a few moments and consider your goals for 2012.

Here are a few of my thoughts for making 2012 the best year yet:

Remember our purpose. We support student success by delivering valuable services to the campus community.
Maintain integrity. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently” – Warren Buffett
Focus on Accountability. Overcome obstacles and achieve results through a few simple accountability principles: “see it, own it, solve it, and do it”.
Always strive for excellence, but do not fear failure. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
Change the Conversation. Keep things positive. Avoid gossip and negativity. Focus on turning conflict into collaboration.
Strive for the impossible. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination” - Tommy Lasorda

Whether it is January 1st or June 1st, it is never too late to make a resolution. One of my resolutions this year is to blog more frequently, so be watching your inbox for my blog updates.

Welcome back and I wish you all a happy and successful New Year!

Reflections of 2011

2011-12-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

First, I want to say thank you for welcoming me into your departments during my annual holiday walk-around. It was fun to drop in and visit for a bit – I hope you all enjoyed the cookies!

As 2011 comes to an end, I want to thank all of you for the hard work and continued efforts you have demonstrated throughout the year. I am proud to lead this division and thankful for each of you and your commitment to our university. FAS is, without a doubt, the finest division within the CSU, and this greatness is attributed to the fine work you all do each day.

This past year, we had some outstanding achievements, and I would like to take a moment to recognize a few of our accomplishments:

• CSUSM ranked #1 in California for safety
• Commencement returned to campus

• First on-campus flash mob - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUmdTUmmVtg

• The baseball team played their first home-game on our new field

• Recognized as RecycleMania Grand Champions for 7 years running

• Converted PeopleSoft Legacy to the Common Financial System (CFS)

• Re-launched the Leadership Academy and included staff in this year's cohort

• Partnered with Follett to manage our bookstore and provide enhanced services to the campus community

• Opened the Public Safety Building and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Building

• “The Quad” Ground Breaking

• Received the California Challenge Award

• And we had another successful year-end close

I could probably spend half of the day writing about the achievements of FAS, but I’ll keep it short because I know many of you are ready to start your holiday break :)

Thank you again for your good work and for helping us accomplish our many goals. I hope you all enjoy the holiday break and have a chance to spend quality time with your families.

See you in 2012!

Thank You for Bringing Commencement Home!

2011-06-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

I’d like to personally thank all of you who volunteered your time to make this year’s Commencement a success! 1,545 graduates from the Class of 2011 attended our three ceremonies over a two-day period, with more than 18,000 of their family members and friends. This event could not have been pulled off without your time, support, and dedication.

Many of the guests experienced our beautiful campus for the first time, and you left a great impression. As you know, our Commencement ceremonies were held off campus in Del Mar for the past ten years, so this was no small feat to bring Commencement back home.

Thank you for the countless hours of planning and work you did in order to make this a success. I received regular updates over the past few months from Lt. Doug Miller and Robert Williams on all of the details and plans leading up to the events. Even with the best laid plans, we expected glitches and lessons learned. I was pleasantly amazed to see how beautifully the days went.

I’ve heard positive comments from the President, members of the Executive Council, faculty, staff, students, and families who were all pleased with the work you did. I have a list of all of those who helped with Commencement and I will be bringing by a token of my appreciation to thank you for your time and hopefully provide you with a memory of the event.

I am proud of the fine members of this division, and I thank you for successfully returning Commencement to campus and for leaving a positive impression on all who experienced the festivities.

Pictures from the event may be found on the Campus Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/csusm.

Guest Blog: The FDM Transformation

2011-05-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

A guest blog by Gary Cinnamon.

As I look back over the past year, I am amazed at what FDM was able to accomplish: the completion of Social and Behavioral Sciences building, Public Safety Building, CSUSM Temecula Campus, our new Baseball Field, and many smaller projects that are too numerous to name.

But as great as these accomplishments are, and the entire Department should be proud of themselves for contributing to building the campus, these projects are just physical things. Over time as projects transform and move from the “design and construction” phase to the “operation and maintenance” phase they will fall from people's memories as great accomplishments and simply become the “day to day job”. Mind you, that is not bad, just a reality. The emotions tied to accomplishments just do not last forever. With that said, there is one small accomplishment within FDM that will continue to transform us, the FDM REORGANIZATION.

The FDM reorganization was originally conceived to address various initiatives on energy and sustainability. At the time, I thought this reorganization would be a fairly simple endeavor, move a few people around and create the department of Sustainability and Utility Services within FDM. However, what was simple in concept has in fact been a difficult and continuous effort on the part of all within FDM. What started, long before I was in the picture, as two nearly autonomous groups of people, one group constructing buildings, and the other operating and maintaining them, with hardly a word spoken between them, has been transformed into four aligned and collaborating departments with four areas of expertise:

Facilities Services—Experts in facility operation and maintenance
Planning Design and Construction—Experts in development of capital projects
Sustainability and Utilities Services—Experts in energy management and sustainable practices
FDM Administration—Experts in policy, procedures, budgets, and money

Unlike our “accomplishments” of designing, building, and operating facilities, which eventually fade from memory, our four departments, simply conceived, will continue to evolve and improve on a daily basis. We will strive for excellence and focus on the solutions that will make all of Facilities Development and Management an “accomplishment” within itself for years to come.

Six months ago at our FAS Division meeting I promised three things to FDM:

I will make myself more visible to all FDM employees.
I will clarify and standardize all FDM Operating Procedures.
I will listen to what employees say, and collaborate to create strategic solutions that meet the needs of our employees as well as the Campus.

Since I’ve said those words I’ve worked at trying to inject them into my daily life on campus, maybe not always successful but always with enthusiasm. As we all work toward making FDM a better organization it is clear to me that the words above are no longer “I” statements, but rather they are “We” statements.

We make ourselves more visible to our fellow employees-we are a team and work for the betterment of our fellow team members.
We help each other to understand and clarify our jobs within all of FDM.
We communicate; we listen to each other; we collaborate; and we all create strategic solutions that meet the needs of each of us, FDM and our Campus.

I congratulate each and every one of the employees of FDM for their accomplishments for the year and years to come. You have all performed a JOB WELL DONE.

Guest Blog: Committing to the Values Survey

2011-05-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

A Guest Blog by Katy Rees.

The FAS Values Survey is near and dear to my heart. When we first launched it several years ago, we weren’t sure how it would affect our culture. It’s been amazing to watch our response rates grow, to know that we entrust VP Hawk with our honest comments, and to invest in making the FAS culture better each year. It has also been interesting for me to be a proponent of the Values Survey – championing the improvement of our workplace climate, to now being a manager who is directly responsible for nurturing that in my departments. I am fortunate enough to lead the great folks from the VP’s Office as well as Risk Management & Safety. These teams are composed of dedicated, talented and wonderful individuals who make my job a labor of love. They deserve a leader who walks the talk and who is accountable for her actions. It was easy to develop my three commitments, because they are actions that I wanted to take for many months; this simply gave me the excuse to publicly commit to achieving them.

The three commitments I made at our division meeting are:

I will become more purposeful with my time by setting a proactive schedule
I will schedule quarterly informal meetings and conversations with each staff member
I will communicate a clear vision, and set long-term and short-term plans for my units

The first one is easier said than done. It seems simple to just stick to my schedule and to plan out my week with more purpose. Unfortunately, I had fallen prey to a hectic calendar full of meetings, and didn’t spend enough time preparing for a well-thought-out week. I analyzed the frequency, duration and topics of my meetings to ensure that I was the correct person to attend each committee meeting, to make time for 1:1 meetings, and to ensure I had prep time before and after crucial meetings so I could follow up on action items. My goal is to set a proactive and purposeful schedule that honors my colleagues’ time, and to conduct useful meetings. I am still working on getting this goal just right, but I now plan out my week instead of merely having my week happen to me.

My second commitment was to spend more informal time with each staff member. The work day gets busy and it’s too easy to assume that each person feels heard, and has access to time with me. I scheduled a coffee meeting and a lunch with each staff member. This has proved to be invaluable to me, and it’s something I plan on continuing. I had the opportunity to get to know each person personally and professionally. We talked about professional development plans, career goals, brainstormed ideas for how to improve our work practices, and I was able to learn about each person’s unique strengths and aspirations. I asked for input on how I could improve as a leader and how I could better support them or their department. Most importantly, I feel that I’ve become more accessible to each staff member and that I’m better in touch with how I could improve as a leader. Once again – I still have a lot to learn and many improvements to make, but this has proven to be a great use of time and a wonderful initiative.

Finally, I committed to communicating a clear vision, and setting long-term and short-term plans for my units. This third commitment greatly depends on doing the first two commitments well. I needed to be purposeful with my time, make time for the important things, and to leverage that knowledge into setting a compelling vision with supporting plans. I’m now at that juncture with my team to have those conversations, to plan our next steps, and to paint a picture for where we want to be. I’ll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned!

Guest Blog: A New Era for BFS

2011-05-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

This month's guest blogger is Mary Hinchman.

Several months ago the Business and Financial Services Leadership Team (BFSLT), set out to create a new and compelling direction for Business and Financial Services. We saw it as an opportunity to improve the way we have been doing things and to put any ‘Business As Usual’ attitude behind us as we moved into a new era in BFS. Each and every one of BFSLT – Bella, Chris, Dan, David, Liz and Nancy – embraced the idea of formulating a new direction for BFS. Based on input gathered from everyone in BFS, we came up with what we believe is a composite view of where we have been, what we can do to improve, and how we can achieve the highest level of efficiency in the way we do things. This ongoing process - a process which has shown commitment, determination, dedication and perseverance, was thorough and detailed and has proven what a great team BFSLT is.

The strength of BFS is in the hands of those who make it work. In order to meet financial challenges at levels never before encountered at CSUSM, new strategies and techniques had to be made available to everyone. Providing staff with tools for success in all avenues of personal and professional development continues to create a cutting-edge attitude of ‘yes we can’ at every level. This translates into an overall confidence in being able to meet any issue that arises.

This shared confidence is never more evident than it is within BFSLT. Our reasoning at the onset of the issues facing us today was that we could do nothing less than ‘walk the talk’. If we expect staff to embrace innovation and grow together as a team, BFSLT must embrace these characteristics even more, and beyond that must be able to exhibit these qualities. A commitment to responsible leadership has been reaffirmed in all of us. I am very proud to say that this attitude continues to grow exponentially and has been the guiding force for us as we shaped our new vision.

BFS has many accomplishments and successes to celebrate. None of these would ever be possible without the dedication and commitment of our staff. This is a team that knows how to work together, knows how much hard work it takes to get the job done, and embraces every opportunity that comes up. All our hard work is exemplified in the new mission and vision that Business and Financial Services launched recently. Our motto: Excellence in Service and Resource Management serves us well as we confidently adopt and support the components of our new BFS vision:

Through our innovative business solutions we process accurate and timely data. Our proficient and empowered team adheres to the highest standards and our systems and processes provide resources to our customers efficiently and effectively.

Together we are alive, and together we make a difference.

Public Service Recognition Week

2011-05-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

In honor of Public Service Recognition Week, which has been designated by Congress for the week of May 1-7, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the outstanding work you do each day in support of our students and the State of California. Your hard work, dedication and service to this campus are noticed and appreciated. I have the pleasure of witnessing firsthand your remarkable contributions and achievements and am extremely proud to lead this division. Thank you for your sustained commitment to FAS and our campus.

Guest Blog: Change your Picture – Change the Outcome

2011-03-16T22:12:00.001-07:00

This month's guest blogger is Joanne Shydian.

The other day I was feeling a little stressed thinking about how to go about implementing several ideas that a team of HR&PS employees came up with in response to the Values Survey results. Their ideas are terrific, and include: monthly e-news from the AVP’s Office; the implementation of an HR&PS internal employee recognition program; a regularly scheduled Q&A session with the AVP and group of HR&PS employees, and a monthly “have lunch with the AVP” program, among other things. In addition, I’ve also committed to meet with every Human Resources and Payroll Services employee individually to hear directly from them their ideas, what’s working well, professional development and career aspirations, and what specifically they would like to see changed in their work environment.

I was feeling stressed because it seemed like all I could focus on was how: how to work out the administrative details in creating the “programs” and how to accomplish all of it when my days are already filled to the brim (something I know everyone reading this blog can relate to!). Then it struck me. The stress I was feeling was a direct result of my focus on how I had too much on my plate and not enough time in the day. I clearly needed an attitude adjustment! I realized it was time for me to change the way I was thinking. Holding on to my current belief (too much to do, too little time), was only causing more stress.

So, I’ve stopped worrying about the how (worrying is negative goal setting after all) and I now spend my time more productively painting the picture (in my mind) of the goal/outcome; an efficient work environment where employees are fully engaged in providing input, and are routinely recognized for their contributions. After all, isn’t that really the result we’re after, what we’re all striving to achieve?

Recognize Your Peers!

2011-02-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

Wow! Can you believe that this is the 15th anniversary of the Peer Recognition Program!

I hope all of you will take a moment to reflect on the outstanding work and efforts of your FAS colleagues and submit a nomination to recognize their contributions to our campus. If I were to call out each of our guiding principles, I bet you could attach a name to each one – there are so many employees in FAS who embody our guiding principles, and I look forward to recognizing all of our nominees at the Spring Fling event.

Don’t forget to nominate soon because time is running out! Nominations will be accepted until Monday, March 7th. Follow the link to submit a nomination: http://www.csusm.edu/qi/recognition/nominate.html.

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES…

2011-02-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

As promised, I've asked each of the FAS Leadership Council members to write a guest blog. Our latest guest blogger is Chief Ron Hackenberg...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… These are the first words of the book “A Tale of Two Cities” written by Charles Dickens in 1859. As I read those words over 150 years later, I believe it applies to our current climate in 2011.

It is not too hard to figure out why we can refer to our present day as the “worst of times”. Budget cuts have been hitting us like waves coming over a boat for the past three years. One wave hits, and just as you seem to have recovered, another one hits. These unprecedented cuts have taken the CSU system down to budget levels from over ten years ago, but with about 70,000 more students. It is painful at the system level, but it is also very painful at the personal level. Many of our employees have been working more than three years without a pay increase, during which some have been blessed with several children and other additional responsibilities.

So when will this budget crisis end? I don’t think anyone really knows for sure, and that is one of the aspects of this current situation that is very challenging. A couple of years ago, the FAS leadership team read the book “Good to Great”, by Jim Collins. The book cites something called the “Stockdale Paradox”, referring to the late Admiral Jim Stockdale, who was taken prisoner during the Viet Nam War, and was held in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison camp. Many of his fellow prisoners did not survive, and Stockdale made some observations about those that did survive, and those that didn’t.

Prisoners that were pessimistic and felt they would never survive were often times right, and that may not be too surprising. But what was remarkable to me was that very optimistic people who set a specific timeline for release (such as “we will be out by Christmas”) did not survive either. Those that survived were “realistic optimists“. They knew they would survive and they knew things would get better. But they also had a firm grasp of reality- that things currently were bad, and may be bad for some time. They didn’t set a time limit for their release. They were sure things would improve, but they didn’t know when.

The “Stockdale Paradox” can also be applied to current this fiscal crisis. Our nation has survived many economic downturns, and has always come back. But will it get better by this fall, fiscal year 12/13, or two years from now? We just don’t know. But we do know things will get better.

So why is today the “best of times”? These are the best of times because we have smart, consistent leadership at the university and the division level. When each “wave” has hit us, the water recedes, and there we are- standing tall, still delivering excellent service, still meeting all of our challenges. And yes- even still moving forward. When the first budget cuts hit in early 2008, employees at UPD made a promise to ourselves and this campus community that we would continue to move forward toward our vision, no matter what. And we have delivered on that promise.

During these past three years of budget cuts, we have met every challenge that has come our way. Working closely with our campus community, we have apprehended several groups of persons that began to target the property of our campus community members, and also apprehended those who actually threatened the safety of individual members of our community. With the help of our community, we have kept this campus safe.

We have also made great progress in the area of Active Shooter Preparedness and with our Emergency Notification System. We have a system that is unique and that works in practical application, and we work hard to continuously improve. Perhaps even more importantly, we have initiated a Threat Assessment and Violence Prevention Program that has worked well. It is critical to intervene in potentially violent situations before they occur.

During these difficult past three years, our Parking and Commuter Services Division (PACS) has also been moving forward. We opened our first parking structure on campus, and were innovative in providing temporary and special event parking locations. We responded to the challenges associated with the Sprinter light rail train stopping on campus, by providing shuttle service to the main campus, subsidies for those that ride the Sprinter, and providing an ADA compliant van for a lunch shuttle and late evening transportation back to the Sprinter. And we have continued to provide the excellent customer service that PACS is known for.

Recently, we have implemented employee initiated ideas and programs, such as our K-9 and Motorcycle programs. Our employees have been innovative, and by “thinking outside the box“, we have been able to beg, borrow, (but not steal) the resources necessary to get these programs up and running. They are not only programs conceived by line level employees, but programs that are fiscally responsible and are in line with our mission of keeping this campus community safe.

Why is today the “best of times“? We are preparing to move into our new police station, and truly become one family- University Police, Parking and Commuter Services and Emergency Management. The possibilities for synergy are endless, with all of these talented and committed professionals under one roof.

Creativity and energy will be essential going forward. As President Haynes stated during a recent budget forum, and during her report to the community- we need to shift our thinking, and be focused on the future. CSUSM is still a growth university, just waiting to be turned loose. But we also need to face the reality that, even when the economy recovers, we may not return to the same level of state support we had in the past. We need to continue to work harder, smarter, creatively and with focus and clarity to be successful going forward.

So how will we do that? We will continue listen to our employees, and value their input. Whether proposing new programs, improving current processes or providing innovative ideas for training via our UPD Training Committee, we will be "turning loose" the creativity of some of the best and brightest employees I have ever served with, and I can’t wait to see the results.

Yes, today really is the “best of times“. Mindful of the Stockdale Paradox, we will stand tall and face our current reality, while being laser focused on the future. Our President is right, this is a growth university, and we need to be fully prepared for that future growth. To be effective when we resume our rapid growth, we must begin planning now- and we will do that, involving the expertise and creativity of all of our employees.

So when the fog of this economic downturn burns off under the bright Southern California sunshine, and this university is off and running, we need to start fast out of the blocks as well. And we will, because meeting challenges is what we do best.

Guest Blogger: Dora Knoblock

2010-12-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

I have asked each of my FAS Leadership Council members to guest blog regarding their three commitments. Dora Knoblock is the first guest blogger, sharing her thoughts for improving the workforce.

What does it mean to act? When we act, we deliberately and knowingly do something. Our actions can be positive or negative, but our actions always result in an outcome.

When VP Hawk asked her leadership team to commit to three things they would each improve upon in the coming year, the acronym A.C.T. seemed fitting: ACCESSIBILITY, CELEBRATE and TEAMWORK. What outcome can we hope to achieve by following these three simple guidelines?

When we are accessible to our co-workers and those who report to us, we effectively say “You are important and what you have to say is important.” We keep the lines of communication open, which in turn fosters trust, respect and collaboration. We send a clear message that “you” really do matter and “your” actions are valued.

When we take the time to celebrate our victories and to commemorate both small and large, we are making a statement that top-notch service is important and that our day-to-day activities do count. We acknowledge our coworkers and recognize that each of us has something important to contribute. We are proud of our accomplishments and staying on top of our game. We say, “We want to be the best!”

When we create an environment that fosters teamwork, the benefits are well worth it. If we embrace teamwork rather than resist it, we find that our communications and working relationships are strengthened and creativity thrives. We allow ourselves to be comfortable taking reasonable risks in communicating and taking action. A group can capitalize on the individual and special strengths of each member, blending them to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and genuine engagement in the team’s purpose. Teamwork offers us the opportunity to develop trust. Effective team members understand that having respect for themselves and others in their group is vital to the success of the team, and to sustain the team’s momentum. These skills spill benefits into our lives outside of work too. After all, none of us are in this game of life alone!

What would it look and feel like if each of us were to commit to these A.C.T. principles and how would it translate into a better overall picture of our shared workplace, our “pioneer-spirited” campus, and our personal reputations? As we begin yet another year, this is a perfect time to ponder what it is we most want to accomplish, what new opportunities lie ahead and what outcome we would like to see and then make a conscious choice to base our actions accordingly—to A.C.T. because these three simple guidelines really do matter. Make it an awesome 2011!!!

Committed to Improving our Workplace

2010-11-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

Since the October Division Meeting was the last time we all came together, I thought it would be beneficial to follow up regarding the Values Survey and my three commitments for improving the workplace. As you may recall, during the division meeting, I, along with each AVP, shared what we will do to improve our work environment based off of the Values Survey results. To refresh everyone’s memories, my three commitments are:

I am committed to getting out more, having more department visits to see how you all are doing
I am committed to coaching and mentoring all my current and aspiring managers to be strong leaders
I am committed to providing professional growth opportunities, when and where possible

I’m dedicated to achieving these commitments and improving our workplace, and I’d like to share with you how things have been going so far.

Back in October, I began meeting 1:1 with all of the managers within FAS as well as meeting collectively with each department’s staff members. I have met with all managers within FAS, and I will continue meeting with each department until I have met with every group within the division. These meetings should conclude by the end of the year and will open up time for me to have more unscheduled department visits to see how all of you are doing. During both the manager meetings and the staff meetings, I have received open and honest feedback, and I certainly have enjoyed the opportunity to hear from each of you, listen to your concerns and feedback, and share information with you. Being able to understand your perspectives and see your work environment through your eyes has been more valuable than I can express.

As I have mentioned during the meetings, I will not be sharing the details of the feedback, but please know I appreciate the honest feedback, and

I heard you.

I will be using your feedback to help me coach and mentor current and aspiring managers to be strong leaders, to help me support my leadership team, as well as ensure I am dedicated to supporting the professional growth opportunities, as possible.

I look forward to working with all of you, as we transform the workplace!

How Green Can We Go?

2010-10-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Over the past six years, CSUSM has made great strides in energy conservation and reducing the carbon footprint of the campus. The energy management team has had some notable achievements as they have invested their time in making CSUSM a green campus. And “Going Green” is no easy feat, as it takes incredible planning and a portfolio approach, which looks at the entire campus to ensure every aspect is considered when new programs are developed as well as ensures that those programs and planning efforts are appropriately diversified.

Energy Management has celebrated some huge successes over the past few years, especially with the renovations of the Central Plant. This renovation has enabled the Central Plant to increase its capacity so much so that the expansion will easily and quickly pay for itself in energy savings. The anticipated energy savings was 20% from the project however, last year, the energy savings was 33% which equated to approximately $1,000,000 in avoided costs at last years utility rates. The avoided costs will be less this year since the utility rates have also decreased even though the energy savings will be the same.

In addition to the Central Plant expansion, the energy management crew was busy with several other energy saving projects, such as

Revamping the HVAC systems in Science Hall I and II
Making renovations to Craven Hall to improve the control and monitoring systems
Instituting the monitoring base commissioning program to ensure that buildings are constantly being tracked and issues are being addressed in a timely manner.
Worked with IITS to make the computer systems more efficient by putting computers to sleep when not in use - - - computers produce as much heat as someone’s body, doubling the room demand for the air conditioning system, and making the system work twice as hard. This collaborative effort saves electricity and air conditioning costs.
Worked with IITS to purchase a package that increases the efficiency and capacity of the campus servers, reducing the number of servers needed, in addition to saving electricity and air conditioning costs.
Set up a new sprinkler irrigation control system in place which monitors and predicts water being used and needed
Implemented waterless urinals, which saves 45,000 gallons of water per urinal per year
Updated campus lighting quality throughout the campus
Replaced code blue lights in Parking Lots with 4 watt LEDs, which equates to better visibility, huge energy savings, and lights that will not have to be replaced for twenty years
Piloted solar panels on electric carts to increase the battery life and length of cart driving
Developed a control sequence to tighten energy tolerances. Now thermostats that are connected to the energy management system can be pulled up on a computer and reviewed to maximize consumption based on occupancy
Installing a Monitored Demand Control Ventilation system (Airquity) into the science labs, which is a device used to measure the composition of air in the labs since the labs have to be ventilated 24 hours a day/7 days a week. This project will not only lead to huge savings, but a safer environment, as the airquity system will measure whether people or chemicals are in the room and will adjust the conditioned air accordingly.

So with all of these great programs and initiatives being worked on and implemented to make CSUSM a green campus and friendly to the environment, where else do we need to go. In talking with Ed Johnson, there is still so much that can be done. The future of energy management at CSUSM is to become a net zero energy campus, meaning that we will be producing as much energy as we use. Talk about reducing our carbon footprint!

So how do we get there? How do we become a net zero energy campus? As you can imagine, this would be a huge win and a financial victory for our campus!

As with the current approach to energy management, CSUSM will move forward, taking the same holistic, portfolio approach to ensure everything is considered and all of our eggs are not invested in one basket. Because as we all know, technology is changing quickly, especially in this field, and we need to keep our eye on all of the possibilities and potentials of our campus to ensure we are not focused on one fuel source, but instead multiple options to achieve the environmental and the budgeting goals. So what are some of possibilities over the next few years to get us to net zero energy?

Maintaining the current systems efficiency and ensuring issues are being resolved quickly and effectively
Continuing to update and enhance buildings to ensure they are as energy efficient as possible
Continuing to monitor what chemicals and materials are being used as building are being constructed
Continuing research in solar power, as the power carts are updated with solar panels
Considering options for solar power on buildings. The new police building is already slated to receive photovoltaics, and there is potential for other areas of campus, such as the library, University Hall, Science Hall, the parking structure, and maybe even parking lot J. The benefits of solar power are that there would be no upfront costs to the university and as technology is changing so quickly, this may be the most cost-effective way to go
Looking into fuel cells. Electricity can be produced by injecting biogas into the fuel cells at the Central Plant, which would create renewable energy for the campus
Begin researching wind power and measuring speed to understand capabilities of the campus to invest in this type of technology
Ensure that new construction exceeds Title 24 energy requirements by 30%
Consider water options for the athletic fields, such as using ground water via wells instead of purchasing water. Groundwater could be used to water fields, percolating back down into the ground to regenerate the wells and reused. Determining water and mineral rights of the campus will play a major part in this capability

There is still much to be done. Additionally, I would like to recognize Floyd Dudley for his outstanding contributions to energy management. Floyd has been named Young Energy Manager of the year by the Association of Energy Engineers. This is an impressive accomplishment and an incredible honor – congratulations, Floyd, and we’re glad you’re part of the FAS team!

A Ballad in Memory of Furlough Fridays

2010-06-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

And now....since tomorrow's our last furlough day, I am proud to announce the following song penned by our very own Candace Bebee! Feel free to sing along by clicking on the following karaoke link. It's set to the song, "To All the Girls..." by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMf7SlRaP5k

To the all furlough days that have come and gone
Never before have I enjoyed getting up at dawn
All the errands, chores and trail rides taken….
It all made me forget I was bringing home less bacon
To the all furlough days that have come and gone

With no one working there were no emails piling up
I had so much fun spending time with my pups
Those 4 day work weeks were just so nice
Even though my checking account did pay a price
To the all furlough days that have come and gone

The work week’s changing and I am cryin….
No furlough Fridays come my way
At least my paycheck’s gonna be growin
Bye Hamburger Helper, hello filets

But the gift of time, there is really nothing like it
I enjoyed each day, every minute of it
If I could have a wish
It would be furloughs minus being impoverished
Oh furloughs you will now be gone...

I Value Your Opinion

2010-05-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

It’s time again for the annual Values Survey, and this year, I want to take you behind the scenes, and share with you just how useful this data is for me when it comes to determining the health of our organization. The results obtained from the Values Survey provide me with an understanding of the overall climate for our entire division as well as the climate of each department individually. This data helps gauge where we are currently successful and where improvements need to be made so that we continue to be the finest division within the CSU.

It may seem like a simple process: a survey comes through your inbox; you complete the survey; and then the results appear. However, there is quite a bit more to this process than seen on the surface.

I want you to know that I take these results seriously and spend hours reviewing every comment that is entered on this survey - - - the comments are the most telling piece for me. I want to know what you have to say. Your feedback provides me with a window into your department and gives me an understanding for what is going well and what is not. The feedback helps me to see where I need to take action.

And I do. Each year, after I review the survey data, I discuss the results with my direct reports. I discuss with them areas where improvements are needed and I commend them for the praise they receive. As always, we do not discuss who may have written a comment or provided a certain answer. The survey is anonymous - your identities are unknown because we choose not to collect that information. We don’t collect IP Addresses and we have even stopped asking the questions relating to whether you are a manager or staff member to avoid the possibility of identifying an employee.

I want you to feel comfortable sharing your feedback with me, I am making an additional change to the survey this year - - - I am the only person who will see the comments in their raw form. Once I have reviewed them, I will work with my quality improvement team to scrub the comments and pull out general themes. My direct reports will only see the generalized themes.

Rest assured, we take anonymity seriously and will ensure that employees cannot be identified for their comments and survey responses.

The survey will be administered on June 1st and we (I take the survey too) will have three weeks to complete it. Please take the survey and share your comments with me – the good, the bad, and the in-between. I cannot make changes and improvements without knowing what is going on in your departments - - - utilize this survey as a way to share your thoughts with me.

Be watching for the survey to arrive in your inbox!

Lots of Reasons to Smile

2010-04-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

April is all about our guiding principle of laughter. I have a lot to be happy and smiling about these days, as the awards and milestones accomplished by the FAS Division keep coming in.

Another year passed by and I’m proud that our campus won Recyclemania for the sixth year in a row! As you may know, RecycleMania was launched in 2001 as a challenge between two universities to increase recycling on their campuses. It has grown to 607 colleges and universities, spanning 49 states and Canada. This year’s 10-week contest occurred from January 17 to March 27. Our campus claimed the Grand Champion title with a percentage of overall waste recycled of 71.82%. I am proud that recycling has become a way of life at our university not just during this contest period, but throughout the year. Many thanks go to Gary Cinnamon, Ed Johnson, the Facility Services Blue Crew: Cesar Aguilar, Danny Aguilar, Jim Dimartino, Rafael Lopez, Gilbert Munoz, Mike Tili, and Carl Hanson, everyone in Facility Services, and our entire campus community.

I’m sure you have all seen our beautiful new parking structure. It’s almost complete and will open in May. It just received the “Project of the Year” award from the American Public Works Association. Parking Structure 1 will provide spaces for 1640 vehicles, and another 200 spaces in its outside lots. It’s six stories tall, and connects to the campus via a pedestrian bridge. The floors are color coded inside for way finding. Some other fun facts: the structure will provide 30 Alternative Fuel Vehicle parking spaces, has 22 emergency blue phones, four elevators, and 52 security cameras. Many of you assisted with this project including Belinda Garcia, Robert Williams, Brad Fenton, Dora Knoblock, Doug Miller, Linda Leiter (retired Associate VP), and staff from Parking and Commuter Services, University Police Department, Planning, Design and Construction, IITS, and Facility Services. Thank you for your creativity, dedication, and excellent work on this project.

With all our incredible accomplishments, I can’t wait to celebrate at this year’s Spring Fling. I hope all of you join us this Friday in recognizing and rewarding our fine employees for their outstanding contributions to the campus. Candace even promises to wear matching shoes!

FAS - What a Fine Division!

2010-04-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

The strength of the team is each individual member… the strength of the member is the team. - Coach Phil Jackson

I don’t have to tell people that FAS has the finest employees around; you all prove it to them on a daily basis. CSUSM was just awarded two very prestigious awards that I need to brag about – The San Diego Excellence in Energy (SANDEE) Award and the Governor’s Employee Safety Award (GESA). These awards not only demonstrate the importance of our labors, but how we have earned the admiration and respect of our community. People want to be like us. We are not the standard; we are what others strive to be. The sense of pride I have to be a part of it is overwhelming.

The objective of the San Diego Excellence in Energy (SANDEE) Award is to recognize outstanding organizations, projects and activities that have achieved significant energy savings and/or contributions toward the goals of the San Diego Regional Energy Strategy 2030, through the implementation of energy efficiency, energy conservation, or renewable energy measures. CSUSM won the SANDEE Award in Outstanding Organizational Achievement.

This award demonstrates the innovative thinking and collaborative efforts of many individuals. As the project manager, Steve Watters ensured the project ran smoothly and stayed within budget. Floyd Dudley took over for Ed Johnson when he assumed the role as energy manager and made sure we met our energy and equipment quality goals. Steve Holbrook, Gerard McQuade, Craig Curtis, David Rodriguez, Larry Russell, and Jim Roscamp all provided contractor support as well as invaluable technical assistance with the mechanical systems. Scott Gorsuch and Ariel Villanueva provided crucial insight before and during the lighting retrofits. In addition, Pat Simpson and Bryan Fisher provided technical support and contractor assistance. Overall, we exceeded our energy goals from 20% to 30%.

In January 2010, California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) was honored as a campus, with a Governor’s Employee Safety Award (GESA) for its exceptional performance in 2008. Our fearless leaders in Risk Management in Safety— Regina Frasca, Bill Thomas, Bruce Bradley, Humberto Garcia, Heather Zarnesky, and Janice Plemons in Workers’ Compensation, provided the tools to empower the campus community to take control of their own risk management and safety. Through their leadership and communication with the campus community, CSUSM faculty and staff performed their work for an entire calendar year without sustaining a lost time injury or illness. This performance was the best in the entire CSU system. A big thank you and congrats to everyone for making this happen.

Are we the best or what? As the finest division there is, we sure have a lot of be proud of.

We're Excited!

2010-02-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

The VP’s Blog has been hijacked by the VPFAS Office! This month’s guiding principle is Excitement. See what we’re excited about…

Candace: What am I excited for? Not sure you really want to know but here goes.

1. Spring Break. This week will be the pinnacle of all furlough days. The anticipation is like Christmas morning.

2. The new Parking Structure. I am convinced that once this opens all traffic on Craven Drive will magically reroute to the other side of campus therefore allowing me to cruise up to lot E and find a parking spot with the ease experienced during summer or winter break. My trusty Honda deserves that.

3. The softball team playing their home season on campus. At the heart of every major University is its Athletics program. I can’t wait to see some action down there and the boost to student life on campus.

4. The last season of LOST. Anyone with me on this? What is up with “bad Locke?” How did the polar bears get there? Why did Walt talk backwards? What is with that statue with the 4 toes? Why does Richard Alpert wear guyliner? Tuesday nights just got interesting.

Jennifer: What am I excited for? Oh lots of things . . . especially this week!

1. The Annual Customer Satisfaction Surveys. The surveys have been launched, and we are receiving valuable feedback from across the campus!

2. The PEER Recognition Program. PEER Team TWENTY has kicked off the nomination period, and the nominations have started rolling in – nothing is better than reviewing the kind words that colleagues submit about one another.

3. QI is on facebook! What is more exciting than being the first QI program in the CSU to have a facebook account! In a time when resources are low, we are still capable of bringing our program to new heights by finding innovative ways to communicate and share information!

4. The Policies and Procedures Web Page! On February 22nd, the new Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines Web page will be launched!

5. The Division Meeting! Seeing our division come together brings forward not only excitement, but laughter and the finest employees on campus!

Robin: What am I excited for?

1. The completion and submission of Mid-Year. That’s right! FAS just completed a comprehensive mid-year budget review of all revenue and expenditure activities for all funds, including Operating, Capital & Trusts. Thank you to all budget representatives for your hard work on this.

2. My birthday! It’s coming up and I’m excited to finally turn 21.

3. Survivor: “Heroes vs. Villains”. It’s back on Thursday nights. This time it will feature ten former Survivors known for their integrity— the Heroes and ten former Survivors known for their deception— the Villains. Sound kind of like our state assembly members. I can’t wait.

4. My daughter’s wedding! And you’re all invited . . . I will gladly accept cash, checks or PayPal.

Coffee, Anyone?

2010-01-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

I know that the past few months haven’t been easy for all of us as we have adjusted to furloughs, dealt with budget reductions, unfilled vacancies, and the worry about future unknowns. In order to make myself available as much as possible, I’m increasing the VP’s Coffee Hours with Staff to twice per month. During these coffee hours, I will do my best to answer any questions you have, discuss your concerns, and share the latest information available.

Staff coffee hours are open to all FAS staff members. Although we will send invitations, the dates are listed below so you may join me at your convenience. As always, please check with your manager for approval and to ensure proper department coverage needs are met.

Coffee hours take place in the Provost’s Conference Room on the 5th floor of Kellogg Library, right above Starbucks. If you would like a drink from Starbucks, you must RSVP at least 2 days in advance to Candace Bebee.

I encourage you to attend these sessions, to provide your feedback, and ask questions. I look forward to meeting with you!

Coffee Hour dates:

Wednesday, February 17
Wednesday, March 3
Wednesday, March 17
Thursday, April 15
Wednesday, April 28

Guest Blogger on Responsibility

2009-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

This month, I asked Jennifer Williams to be our guest blogger. Here are some of her thoughts on our guiding principle, Responsibility. Thank you, Jennifer!

The guiding principles that we embrace within FAS are important components of our culture, and our FAS values: Trust, Professionalism, Respect, Collaboration, and Responsibility set us apart by defining who we are and how we do business.

So this month, we’re talking about responsibility, and in FAS, there is a certain familiarity to responsibility because of the regulatory environment that we work in each day. Being in this division, we recognize the importance of meeting mandates and following policies, laws, and requirements, and we also recognize the personal accountability that comes with being responsible.

In this division, responsibility is centered on taking ownership of our actions and seeking positive solutions. And through focusing on the positive solutions, we are able to maintain our university-first attitudes by seeing how to fix a problem as opposed to blaming others for why the situation exists. In challenging times, such as these, it is important for us to ask the right questions: “what can we do?” and “how can we help?” instead of “why did that department do that?” or “who made the mistake?” or even, “why should I help - that’s not my problem”. Ineffective organizations place blame, but effective organizations focus on the future and how to turn the situation into a success.

It is times like these, when our leaders emerge by finding creative and positive solutions to problems that may or may not be within their purview. It is times like these, when we work together instead of placing blame on others to ensure that we are as effective as possible. It is times like these, when we should recognize how being accountable has led to our many accomplishments. And it is times like these, when we take on additional responsibilities in support of our university’s mission – our student’s success and our organization’s success is reliant on us fulfilling our responsibilities.

In the words of Winston Churchill, “the price of greatness is responsibility”.

Guest Blogger on Professionalism

2009-10-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

This month, I asked Robin Guidera to be our guest blogger. Here are some of her thoughts on our guiding principle, Professionalism. Thank you, Robin!

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently. – Warren Buffet

Looks like we’ve come full circle. Last October, VP Hawk asked each of us “Are You A Professional?” As October’s guiding principal for this month, each one of us would like to answer, “Of course I am.” As I look around, and recall some of the hard times we’ve all been faced with this past year, I can only hope that my attitude and character were in check. Was yours? After all, professionalism isn’t always about the clothes you wear or the car you drive, but how you do what you do!

The essence of professionalism is the attitude which someone brings to their job. The title or type of job is not an issue since an unethical physician is less of a professional than a gardener who repairs a sprinkler he broke while mowing the lawn rather than leave it, blaming it on excessive water pressure.

Professionalism and character go hand in hand. A professional does their part in seeing to it that a task is accomplished, sometimes ignoring the clock. They contribute to an uplifting tone in the workplace promoting integrity, minimizing gossip and staying focused. They respect those placed in authority over them and more importantly, those they direct. Ultimately their focus is less on themselves and more on how they affect those around them.

I’ve learned a lot from the people I work with since I am surrounded by such professionals. I hope everyone is (and feels) as fortunate as I.

Guest Blogger on Trust

2009-09-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

This month, I asked Candace Bebee to be our guest blogger. I thought it would be interesting for us all to read someone else's perspective on topics from time to time. As you know, the monthly guiding principle for September is Trust. Here are some of her thoughts on this important topic. Thank you, Candace!

Wise men put their trust in ideas and not in circumstances. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Trust, as defined by Webster’s, is the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something- one in which confidence is placed.

I don’t know about you, but I place my trust in my mom & dad, my Honda Civic, my riding helmet and Starbucks. These people/items/places have both the characteristics of trust noted by Webster’s, but more importantly, my own personal experiences to back them up.

In times of uncertainty or distress, who can you trust? I know I can always count on a daily bag of peanut M&Ms (OK, maybe a few bags) to pick me up, but what keeps us motivated us work? What holds us accountable? Who can you trust or what can you trust?

Consider our division’s vision and values. I think many of our guiding principles- respect and collaboration for example, are both the foundation for and result of a degree of trust amongst ourselves. I know that I am just one small piece of the bigger picture here and my daily work depends on my trust in the other pieces all coming together. It is a great feeling knowing that the other departments in FAS “have my back.” So at work, I place trust in my co-workers to carry their load and in return, I do my part to lessen that load. All of you come through for me every time. I trust in that.

At several budget forums, President Haynes has repeatedly asked us to “assume good intent.” I think this is a statement worthy of repeating. She is asking us to trust in a time of uncertainty. I trust that we all are here for the same reason— our students. I trust that everyone shares the “University First” perspective. Without a shared goal, there is no trust.

Trust is about doing the right thing, together.

Our Finest Hour

2009-07-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Our guiding principle for July was (yes…my bad, it is July 31st) was FINEST. We define finest as:

“I find and implement the best practices from around the world that add to our positive reputation. I use my knowledge, authority, and sound judgment to contribute to our reputation of excellence. My experience, high credibility, and quality of service generates testimonials that praise the division”

So how can we be our finest during these challenging times that impact all of us? The lives of great people give us interesting clues about how to take care of ourselves, since that is one area we truly do have control over. The daily routines of the great can teach us the following:

· Despite the modern obsession with physical presence at offices, very few of the great worked 12 hour days.
· Taking breaks is healthy; Socrates would sometimes simply stop and hold completely still for several minutes. Beethoven would take breaks in the morning and go outside and walk around. He called these moments “working while walking”.
· Mix it up! Churchill painted, fed his fish, played card games and constructed buildings all over Chartwell farm. He famously claimed that our minds don’t need rest as much as they need variety.
· Don’t schedule every minute of every day. Daily routines are supposed to make things easier, not more complicated. Micro-managing every minute of your day does not work.
· The great all reserved time to relax. Gandhi would often spend time just staring at the horizon. Churchill would sit down to smoke a cigar after lunch. In his recent autobiography, Alan Greenspan mentions that he too makes time to reflect each day.

Make a conscious effort to something for YOU each and every day…..you deserve it! Switching gears a little while still focusing on finest, I asked my staff here in the Vice President’s Office to share their thoughts and perspectives on what finest means to them:

“If I were to add anything, it would be something to the effect of finest as it relates to 'a fine wine'. Aged to perfection, unwilling to compromise. We have managed to build a division with a group of professionals—that are aged to perfection (not in years). We have set the bar high and continue to amaze others as we move through tough economic times with the finest skills and tact. As independent as many of us are, we all aspire, from each other, to be the finest stewards we can be.”

“To me, finest means of a higher standard. If something/someone is the finest, you would just expect more, better, greater. Along with being the finest or owing the finest comes with a sense of pride, accomplishment and reliability. No one aspires to be mediocre, or have mediocre things. We should not settle for ‘good enough’ but strive for a higher level of achievement—to be or have the finest. “

“When Linda launched the vision for the division, she made several points about FAS being the finest place the work, having the finest people, and providing the highest quality services. She mentioned the following:
· San Marcos’s reputation is well-known throughout the CSU for being one of the finest campuses to work
· More specifically, FAS has a reputation for excellence as demonstrated by our performance on GAAP and FISMA audits; Recyclemania Grand Champions for 5 years in a row; Procurement Award, Parking and Commuter Services’ Diamond award; and of course, our distinguished police force.

Speaking of finest, wasn’t our July FAS division meeting wonderful and filled with fun and useful information? Thank you again, Facilities Development and Management!

Budget...again?

2009-06-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

As July 1st approaches, all eyes and ears are on the news reports, editorials and other commentaries centering on the state budget. California’s fiscal condition continues to decline and we are facing yet again another budget shortfall of $24B, which occurred after the state enacted a budget in February 2009.

I hope you all had an opportunity to attend President Haynes’ campus budget forum last week. If you missed it, the transcript is available here. We are all deeply concerned about the magnitude of the cuts being proposed for the CSU, which are estimated to be in the range of $400 to $700M. I know there are more questions than we have answers to at this time so we will continue to do our best to communicate information as the situation evolves and the details come into sharper focus. Stay informed by visiting Budget Central to get the latest news.

While we recognize budget reductions could make us smaller over the few years and slow down the progress on some initiatives, our resolve to continue to build for the future must not be lost in the shuffle. Even though we are in the midst of what are truly unprecedented circumstances, we have a very important responsibility as it is WE who hold the future of this university in our hands. There are difficult decisions to be made that will affect each of us and our students. The decisions we make today will impact the long term future and if we are strategic and thoughtful, the University will be positioned for the opportunities that await us on the other side of this fiscal crisis. If we work and stay together, I know we will persevere during these uncertain times.

Even though we are facing budgetary challenges, our positive culture is still a priority. We just completed our 5th year of the FAS Values Survey with a 94% response rate which was our highest ever! My heartfelt thanks to all of you for embracing the FAS Division’s vision, mission and values. We heard you—FAS leaders reviewed the results and developed ideas for division initiatives to address areas for improvement. This summer, we will conduct focus group sessions to obtain more input on how we can continue to make this the best place to work. Click here to view the results of the FAS Values Survey.

Would this be a University you would send your children? Let’s make sure the answer is YES!

Innovation

2009-05-22T14:27:00.001-07:00

Another academic year is behind us…can you believe it? Last Saturday, we celebrated Commencement with the Class of 2009. It was truly a wonderful day and I thank everyone who came out and spent the day ensuring our graduates and their loved ones had an experience to remember. Special thanks to everyone in Facility Services, University Police Department, and the Commencement volunteers from the various departments in FAS. One day, we will have Commencement ceremonies on our beautiful campus as facilities are built to accommodate these types of events.

May’s Guiding Principle is Innovation: I find and implement easier, more efficient ways for helping the team get the job done. I come up with new solutions for getting better end results.

Below are examples to share of some innovative ways that our departments incorporate the division’s monthly guiding principles into their workplace:

· Procurement and Support Services has a Bulletin Board on the 4th floor of Craven Hall and at USB where staff can post ideas in support of the month’s guiding principle. Each board has a box where staff can recognize co-workers for “living the principle”; at the end of each month, they do a drawing for a Starbucks gift card which is a way to try and increase participation. Theresa Ruffolo then sends out an e-mail of all the comments to the entire department. Attached are some pictures of the bulletin boards they have created for the various principles. Way to go, Bella Newberg and team!

· The University Budget Office includes the month’s guiding principle, its definition and synonyms for the word on their weekly staff meeting agendas. The first staff meeting of every month begins with a discussion on that month’s guiding principle. So for those of you who thought all Mary Hinchman, Liz Rojas and Brenda Martin did all day was tinker around with spreadsheets, guess again!

· Student Financial Services begins their first staff meeting of every month with a discussion on that month’s guiding principle. Our very own Nancy Suarez, Director of Student Financial Services, was nominated several times for the Outstanding Leadership Award at Spring Fling. She must be doing something right down there in Cougar Central.

Check out some pictures of the innovative boards by clicking here.

Among those companies in the top ten for being the most innovative in the world include Apple, Toyota, General Electric, and Starbucks. For Apple, the iPod has been more profitable than its line of computers. When U.S. automotive manufacturers are facing bankruptcy, Toyota has worked with its suppliers to find new ways to cut the cost of parts and assembly. General Electric’s 5,000 top managers are rated on innovation-related themes such as “imagination and courage”. Of course, there is Starbucks where some baristas go to trendy European coffee houses where, like anthropologists, they observe trends that they can put into practice at home in the United States.

Do you have the imagination and courage to be innovative? If so, I would love to hear from you.

Reflections on Communications

2009-03-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

Dear FAS Colleagues:

I hear our FAS Division meeting held Wednesday was yet another huge success! My sincere thanks and appreciation to Mary Hinchman and her Brightest, Finest, Stars; Katy Rees, Sara Quinn, Russ Decker, Dan Zorn and the Accounting and Technology Services team. A very wise mentor who guided me in my early days as a leader shared with me the following:

“The test of how well your organization runs is not how it operates when you are there, but how it operates when you are not there. “

I knew the meeting would be fantastic and thought about everyone while I was at the Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach. Even though I found the BOT meeting to be an interesting experience (and will share some thoughts later), I did miss everyone and look forward to our next division meeting. J

I would like to congratulate Ed Johnson, Dean Manship and Steve Holbrook for winning the State of California’s energy efficiency campaign “Flex Your Power” award in the category of Peak Demand Response. They recognized the opportunities on our campus to reduce peak power use and protect California’s power grid during times of high demand by shifting loads, shutting down systems and taking immediate conservation actions. The result….a 9% savings in peak demand. Congratulations to Ed, Dean and Steve!

Our MPP Award to Staff recipients for this meeting were Mary Kollmeyer and Yasuko Shirakawa. As a member of the Parking and Commuter Services team, Mary makes sure the financials are in order and as a self-support operation, those pennies count! The leaders in her area commend Mary for establishing a high level of trust with many campus staff as well as the numerous vendors she interacts with on a regular basis. For her professionalism and humor, I congratulate Mary and am proud to say she is “one of us”.

What would life be like if we didn’t understand our benefits? It is easy to calculate your salary; the benefits are a bit more complicated and Yasuko understands it all! Our campus’s implementation of the PeopleSoft module Benefits Administration went live in September 2008 without as much as a hiccup due to Yasuko’s analytical skills to ensure that instead of “garbage in, garbage out”, we had “data in, reliable information out”. Congratulations Yasuko!

I also want to acknowledge Deb Schmidt of Parking and Commuter Services for her recent award given by the SANDAG Board of Directors for her work as the Commuter Coordinator for CSUSM. She has built momentum on campus for carpooling, vanpooling, biking and the use of public transportation by students, staff and faculty. On behalf of CSUSM, Deb will receive SANDAG’s 7th Annual Diamond Award. We are very proud of you, Deb, and keep up the great work!

Switching gears, I would like to share a few thoughts on the CSU Board of Trustees. The meeting this week was my first experience and it was definitely unique. I did get a few stares as I sat in Dr. Haynes’ chair which were both amusing and entertaining. I think I even saw a few individuals put their glasses on to be sure President Haynes didn’t change her hair color or somehow get a little taller.

I can share the following:

- The Chancellor’s Office and the Board of Trustees do care about students, staff and faculty.
- They understand the mission of the CSU and regularly visit campuses to interact with the campus community to learn about the opportunities and challenges we face with growing demand and shrinking state support.
- Campus presidents are present at every BOT meeting to answer questions and share success stories…this meeting focused on services to former foster youth, remediation, and EOP. CSUSM has programs in all three areas that were shared as part of the presentations.
- The CSU is facing unprecedented budget challenges; however, we continue to move forward!

Lastly, the BOT approved the schematic design for our future Parking/Police Services building! Congratulations to Russ Decker, Brad Fenton, Belinda Garcia, Chief Hackenberg, Robert Williams and of course, Ms. Dora Knoblock (who will always be associated with Parking) for their leadership in designing a building that will be an anchor for the east side of the campus and a gateway from the Sprinter station.

Happy spring break everyone!

Linda

Excitement….Did I Miss Out?

2009-03-11T11:32:00.001-07:00

For the month of February, our guiding principle was excitement. So, VP Hawk, where is your blog on excitement? I guess I was so busy participating in exciting events on campus that before I knew it, we were already in March. However, I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to share my thoughts and perspectives on excitement so here we go….

Speaking of exciting activities on campus, the proposed University Student Union project has been receiving a lot of attention from faculty, staff and students. For those of you who were able to come out to an open forum, I appreciate your time and be sure to send us your feedback since we want to hear from all the voices around the table. There is a wealth of valuable information about the project at www.csusm/usu so please visit the site and provide us with your thoughts using the online feedback form.

How do we create excitement in our work groups? The places most exciting to go visit are those we have yet to see. The questions most intriguing are those to which we have yet to find the answers. This is as true of a departmental meeting as it is of a vacation. The attraction to and avoidance of the unknown excites our energy.

Work groups often rise to the challenge of working together to meet a plan or cooperatively to execute a strategy. In our hectic world, even being able to complete a meeting on time with all agenda items covered can be exciting! However, even though energy is generated, it does not compare to stepping off the edge of our organizational map into unchartered territory. Doing this with a group of committed people can be a life-altering experience. The unknown is a reliable source of individual and group energy—not comfortable, but reliable. Many people respond to the excitement, the mystery, the fear, the possibility that the unknown offers. Our collective challenge is not only to generate the excitement but to release it.

Think about those things around us that have brought excitement….what is it about them that made everyone come alive? Pay attention to those things that bring life to you and your work groups such as a new University Student Union; the potential to build student housing through a public/private partnership; a weekly Farmer’s Market on campus; winning Recyclemania for the 5th year in a row; or participation in the Leadership Academy. Discover what excites you and your work groups by bring those ideas to work and making them a reality.

Service

2009-01-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

In “The Eight Rules of Good Customer Service,” Forbes 2005, author Julie Watson states, “If the Bill of Rights was written today, it would likely include the right to complain.” We all complain- most of the time legitimately, but sometimes we do so to add a little dramatic flair to a situation or story. Regardless, we all can relate to the root of most complaints— horrible, frustrating, plain old, no good, very bad customer service.

Service is about much more than a just a person filling a seat, a voice on the other end of the phone, or even just showing up to work in the first place. It goes beyond the good feeling that comes with making another person happy and the pride of doing a job well. Service is about reputation. Service is about consistently meeting and exceeding expectations. Service creates and maintains relationships that people know they can count on.

I read our FAS Connect newsletters and am always proud at the multiple pages of thank you notes written by our colleagues. The services provided by those in FAS are essential to the very backbone of this university.

Just ask the student who Nancy Suarez helped in resolving a disparity on her student account. In her message to President Haynes, she wrote “I would just like to say that not only was Nancy incredibly sympathetic and understanding to my situation, but she went over and above to in order to fix the problem. As someone who has worked in customer service for years, I know that we need more people with her work ethic in the industry”.

Just ask those who were impacted by the power outage in Academic Hall on the first day of spring semester classes. Thank you to Gary Cinnamon, Ed Johnson and the entire team in Facility Services for not just fixing the lights but taking care of the small things that make a big difference.

Just ask those who have benefited from the new and improved services provided by our Campus Catering crew under the leadership of Roger Stein and Melanie Niedens. The food is delicious and the service is out of this world!

And just ask that person what a feeling it is to walk into our campus Starbucks and get handed your usual drink before even reaching the counter. Thank you to Angela Dawson and her amazing team!

Remember, you are judged by what you do and what you say. Service is everything.

A special thank you to my co-blogger for this posting, Candace Bebee, for her words of wisdom.

Responsibility

2008-11-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that the end of the year is almost here! As you know, for the month of November, our guiding principle is Responsibility. This has also been an FAS Value for many years but perhaps the least spoken. To our division, it means taking ownership of our actions and continuously seeking positive solutions. In our environment, there is no time like the present for our true leaders to emerge.

In these challenging budget times, it is often too easy to become territorial and seek safe refuge when our daily actions and decisions come under fire and scrutiny from others. Our campus’s fiscal, human and physical resources are limited and with so many competing priorities, a certain amount of stress and tension will occur. While we are not in full control of all the variables, we are in control of our response to them.

Here are a few thoughts:

1. Always remember there are two sides to every story and the truth is probably in the middle. There is a lot of anecdotal information out there which has no relationship to reality. Don’t take everything you hear as truth…do your homework and verify the facts. Knowledge truly is power.

2. Celebrate your accomplishments…our FAS biennial report demonstrates accountability, data driven decision making, and goals that tie to the campus strategic priorities and ultimately, enhance the quality of the educational experience at CSUSM.

3. Seek opportunities to be a leader! You do not have to have the words director, manager or supervisor in your title to be a leader. Leaders own their actions, admit their mistakes, and most importantly, learn from them with graciousness and humility.

Lastly, I hope you can all join President Haynes for a campus open budget forum on Wednesday, December 3rd from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. in ACD 102. This will be an opportunity to learn what we do know about the budget, what we don’t know, and to ask questions and help us as leaders understand your concerns so we can proactively address the challenges that lie ahead.

Before we close out November, it is my goal to blog at least 1-2 more times with more thoughts on Responsibility. I would love to hear from you…you can either respond to the Blog or send me an email. Your thoughts, ideas and concerns do matter to me.

Are You a Professional?

2008-10-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

I hope all of you have been sharing your thoughts and ideas of what professionalism means to you and how we exhibit it in our daily work, in your staff meetings. As a guiding principle in Finance and Administrative Services, we define professionalism as “We apply our best skills, knowledge, and experience as we serve the campus community”.

How you look, talk, write, act and work, determines whether you are a professional or an amateur. Too often, society does not emphasize the importance of professionalism, so we view amateur work as normal. A good example is, a person can miss up to 20% of the written driving test questions and still get a driver’s license. Unfortunately, too many organizations accept less than good results.

In our ever changing environment, we cannot afford to accept the mediocre, "just get by" attitude. It is the attitude of amateurs.

So what is the difference between a professional and an amateur?

A professional learns every aspect of the job. An amateur skips the learning process whenever necessary.

A professional carefully discovers what is needed and wanted. An amateur assumes what others need and want.

A professional looks, speaks, and dresses like a professional. An amateur is sloppy in appearance in speech.

A professional jumps into difficult assignments. An amateur tries to get out of difficult work.

A professional is focused and clear-headed. An amateur is confused and distracted.

A professional uses higher emotional tones: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, interest, contentment. An amateur uses lower emotional tones: Anger, hostility, resentment, fear, victim.

A professional produces more than expected. An amateur produces just enough to get by.

A professional has a promising future. An amateur has an uncertain future.

Make yourself a professional by declaring you ARE a professional!

Professionalism

2008-09-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

At the July division meeting, our new vision was launched:

The FAS Division Transforms the Workplace…
Service, Laughter, Inviting, Excitement, Communication, Innovation, Finest

I hope you all walked away from the meeting feeling inspired and ready to take on those challenges and opportunities that cross our paths on a daily basis. Now that the fall semester is in full swing, I am ready to return to blogging.

In creating a theme for the blog, I thought I would focus on our guiding principles starting with Professionalism for this month’s entry. Creating and maintaining a professional impression in the workplace is an important component for a successful career. What exactly does professionalism mean and what behaviors exemplify professional conduct? Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you are interacting with colleagues, clients and those we serve in our daily interactions.

Attire
Even though many of us are not subject to an official dress code, it is sensible to dress appropriately for your position. Pay attention to what your colleagues and managers are wearing. If in doubt, my motto has always been “don’t wear it”.

First Impressions
When meeting someone for the first time, stand up when he or she enters the room, make eye contact, smile and firmly shake the person’s hand. You only have one opportunity to make a first impression. Create a 30 second synopsis of who you are and what you do for the purpose of introducing yourself to new people. This should keep you in the forefront of people’s minds.

Introductions
While representing the University at system-wide meetings and conferences, wear your name tag near your right shoulder so when you shake hands with someone, their eyes are diverted directly to the tag. I can’t remember the number of times I wore my name tag on the left side…YIKES!

Meeting Etiquette
Timing is everything; especially when you are in charge of the meeting. Arrive early, start and end the meeting on time. Be prepared by reviewing the agenda and all briefing materials in advance of the meeting. For those of us who organize meetings, resist the urge to over-invite. We all have full jobs and one less meeting means one or more tasks off the “to do” list.

Learn to Listen
Listening is much more than just waiting for your turn to talk. Engage the speaker by paying attention and please…leave the Blackberry alone. I promise it won’t miss you. :)

Writing
Be careful what you put in writing; you don’t want anything coming back to haunt you. If you need to convey sensitive or confidential information, it may be best to speak directly with the person. E-mail is great for certain communications but not the only way to deliver messages.
Always proofread carefully…spelling and grammatical errors reflect poorly on the sender.

Show your Appreciation
Let your colleagues know when they have done a good job…you will make their day!

Keeping Confidences
True professionals don’t gossip…need I say more?

Office Politics
Pay attention to political undercurrents that can help you navigate tricky situations but avoid becoming directly involved in office politics.

Negativity
Optimism, not just wishful thinking, is the trademark of a successful professional. View setbacks as an opportunity to learn and do a better job the next time around.

Zeal
Perhaps the most important, show genuine enthusiasm about your job and people will love working with or for you, making for a pleasant and productive business environment.

FAS Values Survey and the $1M Question: What is in it for me?

2008-06-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Dear FAS Colleagues:

Just one more week left to take the FAS Values Survey and if you have not yet completed it, I hope this blog inspires you to take a few minutes to provide us with your thoughts, ideas and aspirations for our division and the campus.

One primary reason I hear for not taking the survey is concern about anonymity; please be assured that the survey is 100% anonymous and IP addresses are not stored and questions are not linked together. Your feedback is essential to me and the leadership team in our division so we know where we need to focus our time and other resources.

The results of the Values Survey meet important objectives: They measure if our values are incorporated into our work place; they guide our work and direction for improvements and the more feedback we receive, the more data we have to determine emerging themes requiring our attention.

Another reason that has crossed my ears for not taking the survey may be the perception that we don’t do anything with the results. The wheels of change do turn, although it can be slow at times. However, you have to start somewhere and in some cases, people need to hear the same message several times before it truly sinks in so don’t give up!

The results of the FAS Values Surveys for FY 2005-06 and 2006-07 have lead to many initiatives which have either happened or are well on their way to fruition. We have improved our communication to FAS employees through the FAS E-News; the first CSUSM Leadership Academy will begin in October 2008; and we partnered with Extended Learning to bring outside experts to our campus to provide us with tools to declare our workplace gossip-free and resolve conflicts while preserving important working relationships. In addition, we continue to work on improving accountability and formalizing alternate work schedules.

Make CSUSM the best place “to work and study” by taking the FAS Values Survey today!

It May Be May Gray, But Not for FAS

2008-05-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

May sure has been a busy month for FAS as we wind down the spring semester and gear up for year end!

This year’s Spring Fling was truly wonderful and I am grateful to the PEER Team and Spring Fling Planning Committee for the hard work that goes into making this annual event a success. Thank you for making President Haynes, First Gentleman Jim Mickelson and the President’s staff feel very welcome; I know they had a great time and always look forward to the invitation. Congratulations to all the nominees and award winners for personifying and exemplifying what Responsibility, Trustworthy, Professionalism, Encouragement, Service, Excellence and Collaborative mean in our ever changing and evolving work lives.

This month, I also had the opportunity to attend my first CSUSM commencement ceremony as a member of the platform party. It was both memorable and inspiring and the true reason why we are all here…to support and promote student success. A special thank you to the FAS employees who volunteered their time to ensure commencement was an enjoyable experience for the graduates and their families: Chief Ronald Hackenberg, Lt. Robert McManus, Sgt. Timothy Dow, Sgt. Jesus Flores, Officer Yosaren Panza, Community Service Officers John Hall, Hiram Lopez, Billy Barron, Bryan Alt (UPD); Edward Johnson, Ellen Hawthorne, Gerard McQuade, Craig Curtis, Sid Alvarez, Cal Kidd, Megan Simpson, Cheryl Zwack and Rosie Peterson (FDM), Bruce Bradley (HRRM), and Marietta Kimball and Charlene Montalvo (BFS).

I hope all of you were able to attend the workshop entitled “If You Can’t Say Something Nice, What DO You Say?" conducted by Sarita Maybin. What an opportunity to listen and gain insights and perspectives from someone like Sarita who left the secure world of university administration (some may disagree with this one) and venture into self-employment as a speaker and trainer. The part of the session that stood out for me was Brave, Braver and Bravest. You can choose to not “go there” or get to the heart of the issue by seeking the underlying intent of the words or actions. It takes guts to be able to respond to negative remarks made by others while preserving relationships. No one way is better than the other….assess the situation and decide for yourself. How brave are YOU?

Off to a Great Start...

2008-04-17T14:09:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, it has been a little over three months since Vice President Hoss walked into my office and asked “Got a minute?” I could tell from the look on his face that what he had to say was very important. However, I was totally unprepared for what I heard since my mind was made up that 2008 was the year I would buckle down and finish my dissertation since I probably have the oldest active student ID number at Alliant International University. One thing I have learned in my career is to be ready to be called off the bench at any time because opportunities will not come at perfect times, but rather at the more imperfect ones.

According to Michael Watkins, author of “The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders”, he suggests that evidence of “quick wins” sets a positive tone for a new leader. I will share some of the quick wins I have experienced since assuming the role as your leader for Finance and Administrative Services.

As counterintuitive as this sounds, the news of the state budget crisis created the first early wins. It provided an opportunity for FAS Leadership Council to come together and rally around a common goal: How can we as a division address the budget challenge while providing quality, high level services to the campus community? A way to look at this is to start with the end in mind. How do we want the picture to look when whatever spending reductions we need to make are in place? What is clear is we can achieve our vision elements of collaboration, laughter, inviting, excitement, communication, innovation and finest. We do this by celebrating, coaching, marketing, and focusing on our human and physical environments. A few weeks ago, my direct reports and I participated in an all day retreat and not once did the words “budget cuts” come up. Now that is a quick WIN!

I also survived my first “mini-crisis” which occurred during spring break. Roof work was being done on Craven Hall which necessitated the evacuation of the 5th and 6th floors of the building for the afternoon which thankfully, was on a Friday. In collaboration with the incredible team of Katy Rees, Ellen Cardoso, Gina Frasca, Steve Watters and Gary Cinnamon, decisions were made and implemented that were in the best interests of our employees and the campus. Now that is a quick WIN!

As leaders, it is important to recognize that people want results but they also want to be part of the solution. Give full and undeniable to credit to those who support the University’s vision, mission and goals. They will return that support when times become challenging and indeed, they will. Respect for one and respect for all: that is the ultimate WIN!

Bright Future Ahead

2008-03-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Approximately two years ago, our University was characterized by a local newspaper as a quiet giant emerging in the North County. We work for California State University San Marcos, a college noted as one of the fastest growing campuses in the CSU; a region noted for its abundance of sunshine and a state noted for its historical commitment to higher education.

It is truly remarkable how far and fast we have come as campus since those early days at Jerome’s. However, true challenges lie before us that give us cause to reflect while others may persuade us to stay where we are and rest. This University was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. Our university will continue to grow and prosper….we move forward.

What does this picture look like? I hear laughter coming from the conference room in the Vice President’s Office on a daily basis….Katy and Bella, your laughs are contagious and put a smile on our faces. I always feel welcome when I go to Cougar Central and experience the wonderful, inviting service provided by Mary, Nancy and the staff at Student Financial Services.

Collaboration is the essence of what we do and who we are whether it is helping a faculty member plan a car wash, listening to student concerns regarding increasing parking permit fees, the implementation of a Universal Pass program for Sprinter riders, or the implementation of our future Leadership Academy. Innovation...Dora is making a difference in the lives of our faculty by installing a copier for their use in the Library. Minor and insignificant….not to an instructor who is late to class due to traffic and needs copies of a test in 15 minutes.

I see excitement at our division meetings….excitement in the hearts of Planning, Design and Construction as they share their worlds with us. The finest…we demonstrated to the campus we are the finest at Academic Senate last week with a presentation by Lt. Miller accompanied by Russ and Dora.

We choose this picture and not because it is easy…it will be full of challenges. It is who we are…laughing, inviting, innovative, collaborative, excited and the finest. Changing our current reality requires all of us to deploy our best skills and energies. This challenge is one we accept, one we will not postpone and one we achieve not as one division but as one university.

Continuing a Great Tradition

2008-02-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

Dear FAS Employees,

In keeping with great traditions, I will be posting regularly to a new blog called "Hawk Talk". VP Hoss originated his blog as a way to regularly communicate with all of you. It was an opportunity for you to get to know him better, learn about the latest ongoings in the division and campus, and to find out more about his leadership style and philosophy. I plan on continuing this practice by posting my thoughts and updates on the latest hot topics for our division. I hope that we can have a two-way dialogue so that I may know your thoughts about various things that I post. Please feel free to leave comments on my blog entries. I want you all to know that I’m excited and honored to lead this wonderful division, and to working with all of you.