Meeting Effectiveness Survey

Two years ago, several open, voluntary meetings were led by the library’s Staff Development Committee in which participants were asked to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our meeting processes for library committees and department meetings. Qualitative data was collected from library employees and used to develop training on effective meetings. Another outcome of the open meetings was the generation of a list of Effective Meeting Guidelines. It seems prudent to ask ourselves – “How are we doing, today…have the training and/or guidelines made a difference?”

In a couple of days, all library employees will receive a link to a survey that asks you to provide feedback on the effectiveness of any library committee or committees on which you currently serve. This includes library appointed committees, e.g., Diversity Action Committee, as well as ad hoc library committees and task forces. It does not include an assessment of unit, department, or division meetings. Furthermore, you are not asked to identify the committee(s) you are evaluating.

Survey questions are drawn from the list of ‘Effective Meeting Guidelines.’ Participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous.

Final results will be tabulated and shared with all library staff via a web link. Open, voluntary meetings will be held to discuss the data and share reactions. The results of this study have the potential to further the understanding of employee perception of progress made in conducting more effective committee meetings. Such knowledge will be used to recognize both areas of improvement and areas for additional training, e.g., agenda building, group processes. Final results will be tabulated and shared with all library staff via a web link.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Leo Agnew
Staff Development Committee, chair

Tech Tip

Search all of your folders (Outlook 2007) When you use Instant Search, the default option is to search only the folder you’re in. But you may not know where the message you are looking for is located. You may need to search all your folders, not just the one you’re currently in.
To search all folders:
1. On the Tools menu, point to Instant Search, and then click Search Options.
2. Under Instant Search Pane, click All folders.

Healthy for Life Update

Roadside farmers' market in Bridgehampton, New...
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Save the Date- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Helping employees manage stress effectively is a key goal of Healthy for Life, the T.E. Atkins Wellness Program. This summer, Healthy for Life will be offering an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction class at minimal cost to benefit-eligible employees looking to manage today’s busy lifestyles in a healthy way. For more information, please contact Lynn Rossy Ph.D. at RossyL@umsystem.edu.
Summer 2009 MBSR for Faculty/Staff at Columbia Campus and UMHC:
Orientation: Tuesday, June 2, at 5:30 pm
Classes: Tuesdays (5:00 – 7:00) June 9 – July 21
Full Day Retreat: Saturday, July 18 (9:00 am – 4:00 pm)

Earth Day Farmers Market
Mark your calendars! On April 22nd, there will be an Earth Day Farmers Market at the Lowry Mall from 12-3pm. Join in the fun by purchasing locally grown produce, meat, flowers, and more. Learn how to keep our earth and ourselves healthy be recycling, conserving electricity, biking and walking, eating well and other easy ways to do your part. Bring cash!! No credit or student charge will be accepted. Rain date- April 29th.

CIGS Race Run/Walk and Health Fair
Join us at the Quarterdeck Building on Lemone Industrial Blvd this Saturday, April 18th for a run/walk to benefit the MU’s Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care & Environmental Medicine. Kids and pets are welcome. Registration opens at 8:00am and run/walk begins at 9:00am Health Fair will follow. Cost is $25 for families and $15 for individuals. For more information please call 573-882-2105 or email Emily Perrung at peurrunge@missouri.edu.

Free Answers to Your Nutrition Questions
MU Extension has partnered with Healthy for Life by now offering FREE nutrition information and education to faculty and staff through the Show Me Nutrition Line. Contact Jessica Kovarik, R.D., L.D. at 1-888-515-0016 or kovarikj@missouri.edu. Jessica is also available for personalized, scheduled consultations over the telephone.

Weight Watchers Online
Weight Watchers Online now offers the opportunity to join at any time. Go to www.weightwatchers.com for more information on the Online Program. Healthy for Life recognizes that many off-campus employees won’t be able to join at At-Work meeting, so the wellness program is extending its 25 percent rebate to benefit-eligible employees who enroll in a three-month Weight Watchers Online course for $65 and miss no more than one weigh-in. Experience peer support from the comfort of your home or office. If you enroll online, please contact Melissa Willett to qualify for rebate. Turn in your completed log to Melissa, 205 Heinkel Building, Columbia, MO, 65211. Questions? E-mail Melissa at willettmd@umsystem.edu or call her at (573) 884-1397.

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Invitations From the MU Asian Affairs Center

Two invitations from our friends at MU’s Asian Affairs Center:

There are currently eight university students (or recent graduates) from South Korea participating in the I-Leap Program. The Asian Affairs Center is hoping the student will have the opportunity to visit an American home and have dinner during their three month stay in the United States. Would you and your family enjoy having two of these international visitors join you for supper some evening in late April? The dates are flexible at this time and we could probably accommodate your choice.

Please contact Mary Jo Herde at Herdem@missouri.edu or 882-5624, if you need more information about this opportunity to get to know two young Koreans better. Thank you very much for your kind consideration.

MU’s Asian American Association is sponsoring its first “Asian American Awareness Week.”

The Diversity Action Committee

New Posts, March 30-April 3

  1. Update on Construction of Cisco TelePresence Room
  2. English Department Reception in Bookmark Cafe Today
  3. April Library Anniversary Recognition
  4. Reminder: Survey From Diversity Action Committee
  5. Goodbye to Jody Webb
  6. MU Policy -HR 411 Voting
  7. City and University Support New Site for State Historical Society
  8. MO Documents Conference Registration Now Open!
  9. Update on ACT’s Recycling Program
  10. Filming Outside Ellis Library, April 6
  11. Tech Tip

Tech Tip

Preview an attachment before you open it (Outlook 2007)

When you receive an attachment in a message and want to quickly see what the attachment contains without opening it, you can preview the attachment in the Reading Pane. Just select the message that has the attachment, and in the Reading Pane, click the attachment once (not twice, which will open it). The content of the attachment, whether it’s a document, a presentation, an image, or whatever, will appear in the Reading Pane.

Filming Outside Ellis Library, April 6

The Department of Student Life is shooting a movie on campus in April. On April 6th they are scheduled to shoot at the West Ellis Library entrance around 5 p.m. and will wrap shooting at around 7 p.m. They will not film inside of building, but they will shoot people going in and coming out of the doors.

There will be three different signs up around the area in which they film to indicate that if people are walking into the area, there is a chance they may be on camera.

Update on ACT’s Recycling Program

This is is an update to the March 20, 2009 post Recycle Your 5, 6 and 7 Plastics.

“The focus of the ACT recycling program is to recycle obsolete electronic media and related products, such as VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, and their respective cases. These items do happen to be made of many of those hard to recycle plastics such as #5 (cases), #6 (VHS tapes and jewel cases), and #7 (CDs and DVDs).

Very simply, if people have media items which they want to recycle, ACT is happy to accept those items during our regular business hours between 8am and 6pm. At the present time we do not have any drop off bins at our location, or anywhere around the city of Columbia. ACT Recycling is located at 2200 Burlington, just north of Vandiver between Range Line and Paris roads. People can also always send these items to ACT via USPS, UPS, or FedEx. Although ACT does not pay for shipping, the value of the donation and the cost of shipping are tax deductible.”

John C. Savage
Director of Employment Services
ACT
2200 Burlington
Columbia, MO 65202
573-474-9446
www.actservices.org