News - April 6, 2017

President’s Commission on the Status of Women
Holding Elections

The President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) invites staff members to participate in online elections to add one MPP (Management Personnel Plan) and two staff members to the Commission. The term of office for each category is three years (June 2017 through May 2020), and meetings are from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Friday of the month during the academic year. PCSW’s mission is to ensure the university responds to the needs of women by removing inequities and by providing a supportive educational, working and social environment for all members of the campus community. The electronic ballot will be sent out in an email from BigPulse.com. Elections will be held beginning Monday, April 3 and voting will conclude on Friday, April 14.

Whitaker Health Professions Advising Office
Health Professions Fair – Wednesday, April 12

The Health Professions Fair, held at Speaker’s Platform from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 12, is an opportunity to meet and talk with admissions representatives from many health professional schools from California and across the country. Over 40 representatives from medical schools, dental schools, pharmacy programs and more will be available. All CSULB students and alumni interested in finding out more about health professions are welcome to attend. Business casual attire is encouraged. For more information, visit the HPAO BeachSync Page.

Fidelity Investments Workshop
9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 18

April is National Financial Literacy Month! We are partnering with Fidelity Investments to offer two informative workshops on Tuesday, April 18 at the Barrett Athletic Administration Center (BAAC) Conference Room 223. These workshops will increase your financial knowledge and help you plan for a comfortable future.

9 a.m. – Making the Most of Social Security

The Social Security deduction appears on your paycheck each month, but most of us don’t fully understand our Social Security benefits. During this session, you will learn:

  • How to optimize your Social Security benefits
  • When and how to claim your Social Security benefits
  • Understand the different Social Security choices available
  • How to calculate your benefits
  • To put a plan in place to prepare for retirement

2 p.m. – Fundamentals of Retirement Planning – Planning on Your Own

If you are single, divorced, or widowed, you have specific retirement needs and risks to consider. Gain a better understanding about:

  • Financial and personal risks pre-retirees may face in planning for retirement
  • The 5 key retirement risks
  • Identifying income and expenses in retirement
  • Creating a retirement plan that will work specifically for you

Workshops will last approximately one hour. RSVP by Monday, April 17 to ext. 5-2381 or email benefits@csulb.edu.

Parking Spaces in Lot 4 Reserved for Event Wednesday, April 19

Twenty parking spaces will be coned off in Lot 4 for an event occurring Wednesday, April 19. Spaces will be reserved at 9 p.m. the evening prior to the event, and will reopen on Wednesday, April 19 at 2:30 pm. Alternative parking locations include Lot 3 and Lot 5.

Ninth Annual Bowling for Books – Friday, April 21

The Forty-Niner Shops host this annual event at Cal Bowl in Lakewood to raise money for CSULB student textbook scholarships. In the past eight years, over $600,000 has been raised, providing scholarships to over 900 of our students. This year’s goal is to raise another $100,000 to provide an additional 200 students with scholarships. Entry includes three games of bowling, free t-shirt, food and prizes. Please visit Bowling for Books or contact Kierstin Stickney at ext. 5-2621 for more information. 

Click. Learn. Grow. April Skillsoft Spotlight: Procrastination Prevention

Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases
and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. 
  --Wayne Gretzky

Some people take procrastination lightly, completing their “social” tasks prior to anything else. Some thrive in an environment wherein they wait until just before a deadline to start an activity.  For other individuals, procrastination is linked with feelings of anxiety and fear that you can’t complete your project or task to the best of your ability. This month’s highlighted courseware will benefit anyone who procrastinates.

Procrastination: Admitting it is the First Step is a 20-minute course for individuals wishing to improve their productivity by eliminating a tendency to procrastinate. In this course, you will discover what may be behind your tendency to procrastinate by learning the indicators. Then you'll explore many helpful techniques and strategies for dealing with procrastination, whatever the cause. There are four key areas covered: improving focus, self-motivation, taking action, and becoming more organized.

Beating Procrastination by Boosting Your Creativity and Drive is a 19-minute course that focuses on the relationship between procrastination and creativity. You'll learn about how the optimal amount of procrastination actually boosts creativity and can make you more effective at your job. You'll also learn how to use creativity boosters to help you past those times when you're procrastinating a little too much.

Prefer a book? Try The Proactive Leader: How to Overcome Procrastination and Be a Bold Decision-Maker. From the promotional materials and back cover: “Procrastination is a business's worst enemy, but it is most damaging when it affects the ability to lead…. Too many decisions are taken too slowly or not at all, because of the dithering behavior of our leaders, often leading to failure of the project, or worse, the organization. See how procrastination has led to major contemporary leadership failures and learn how to recognize and resolve the problem in yourself and others.”

A professional development plan can be created in conjunction with your ASM and appropriate administrator, which can be completed electronically through this program. Appropriate administrator approval must be obtained in advance to complete coursework during work hours.

Access to these training resources is also available on the Staff HR Skillsoft training spotlight webpage.

Questions? Contact SHR-Training@csulb.edu, ext. 5-1052.

Parking During 2017 Commencement
Tuesday, May 23 through Friday, May 26

2017 Commencement will take place Tuesday, May 23 through Friday, May 26. Over the course of the 11 Commencement ceremonies, our campus hosts more than 10,000 graduating students and tens of thousands of their family members and friends. With this many people and vehicles coming and going, campus traffic and parking will certainly be affected.

University Police and Parking Services have determined that there will be sufficient parking on campus during Commencement; however, at impacted times the available spaces will be in the outer lots and parking structures. Recognizing that our normal routines and activities will be disrupted, we ask that every member of the campus community plan ahead and consider ways to minimize the impact of traffic volume and parking congestion on campus, and especially around the Commencement/Central Quad venue. Carpooling, biking, taking the bus, and packing a lunch are some ways to reduce traffic and parking while welcoming our guests.

Please note these important changes to parking during the four days of Commencement:

  • Lot 7 will be designated for accessible parking (ADA placards), with a limited number of employee spaces available.
  • Lot 6 will be designated for overflow accessible parking with a limited number of employee spaces available.
  • Lot 5 will be designated for essential Commencement vendors and volunteers with a limited number of employee spaces available.
  • Lots 3, 4, and 9 will be restricted to employee parking.
  • Lots 8 and 8A will be reserved for high profile guests, including trustees and media. Minimal employee parking will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
  • Lot 17 will be open for employee parking but Commencement guests may park there as well.

The changes to parking in Lots 5, 6, and 7 will shift parking to Lot 17, the outer lots, and the parking structures during Commencement week. Please see the campus map for lot locations.

Departments and colleges hosting their own celebrations and ceremonies during Commencement should take these changes into account when planning events.

There is no news for Administration & Finance.