Final Reminder: Nominations for Administrator Leadership Awards Due on April 3The nomination period for the Administrator Leadership Awards (ALA) for the 2022-2023 academic year ends Monday, April 3, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.
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“Your Voice, Your MC” Employee Experience and Culture Survey Results Are Coming Soon
ModernThink is currently analyzing the "Your Voice, Your MC" Employee Experience and Culture Survey response data and will provide Montgomery College with a summary of the organizational competencies and relationships that have the greatest direct impact and influence on the College's culture.
During the month of April, the Office of Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management (HRSTM) will host information sessions to discuss the survey results with the College community. Details about the information sessions are forthcoming, so stay tuned! Based on the survey's findings and data, a proposed action plan will be prepared during the summer and presented to the College community in the fall. As this work progresses, we will continue to keep the College community updated.
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MC Governance Council Elections Continue Through Friday, April 7
Nominations for the governance councils have been finalized. The Governance Council Elections are open through Friday, April 7, 2023, at 5 p.m.
Please take a few moments to access your ballot and cast your vote to select who will represent you in governance next year.
If you have questions, please contact the College Council or visit the Governance website. Your vote is your voice, and it's essential to ensure that your voice is heard.
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MC Wellness UpdatesHere’s the latest information regarding MC Wellness:
Walks for Health with MCRPA and MC Wellness
Join your colleagues for a 30-minute walk during lunchtime every Wednesday during the month of April at 12:30 p.m. Midday walks can reduce stress, boost circulation and oxygen supply to your body, help you burn calories, and improve work productivity. Gift cards will be raffled off to participants who join. The more walks you attend, the more chances you have of winning!
Walks for Health Meeting Locations
Central Services: Meet Megan Cooperman at the CT main entrance.
Germantown: Meet Elysse Meredith at the flagpoles.
Rockville: Meet Tameka Cruz at the starting line of the Rockville track.
Takoma Park: Meet Tilandra Rhyne at the center of the pedestrian bridge (that connects the east and west campuses).
Zen Cycle at Senz
MC employees, retirees, and spouses are invited to join us every Thursday at 12:15 p.m. during the month of April for half cycle, half yoga, and meditation. This is a less intense form of cycling that includes 20 minutes of cycling in an immersive fitness studio with calming nature pictures, followed by 25 minutes of yoga and meditation for a full-body reset and refresh.
While we encourage you to participate in the whole class, people are welcome to come for cycling only, yoga only, or both. Lockers and locker rooms with showers will be available.
Senz Studio is located at 14925 Shady Grove, Unit A, Rockville, MD 20850.
Healthy Happy Hour with Louis Van Amstel from “Dancing with the Stars”
On Friday, April 14, Louis Van Amstel, world ballroom dance champion and performer on “Dancing with the Stars,” will teach a LaBlast class for Montgomery College employees, spouses, and retirees. Register for this event today.
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MSRPS Offers
Pre-Retirement Planning Seminars and Webinars
The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS) is offering in-person seminars and webinars to employees who are members of the state pension plan and are within eight (8) years of retiring. These programs are offered in partnership with the Community College of Baltimore County's (CCBC) School of Continuing Education.
Please refer to the dates and course numbers below to register for the
"Pre-Retirement Planning" webinar and in-person seminar, as the sessions fill up quickly. The same topics will be covered in both formats. The following Pre-Retirement Planning webinars and seminars are scheduled for April, May, and June. The dates and course numbers are:
In-Person Seminar Dates- April 18 – Salisbury University (CRN 37441)
- April 25 – Salisbury Fire Department (CRN 37445) (Law Enforcement Officers Only
- May 9 – CFCBC Essex Campus (CRN 37163)
- May16 – CCBC Owings Mills Center (CRN37443)
- June 16 – Hagerstown Community College (CRN 37260)
Webinar Dates- April 19 (CRN 37255)
- May 24 (CRN 37264)
- June 28 (CRN 37262)
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Employee Spotlight:
Meet Shelly Alves
Shelly Alves joined Montgomery College in 2007 after working in the health care industry for 12 years. Shelly began her career at MC, where she worked as an administrative assistant in the English and Reading Department, the English Language for Academic Purposes (ELAP), Linguistics, and Communication Studies Department, and Women’s and Gender Studies in the Humanities Department on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus.
In January 2020, Shelly began working as the executive associate to the vice president and provost in the Office of the Vice President and Provost (VPP) at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus. She has enjoyed serving the College community and establishing a network of friends and family, particularly through her work with her student assistants, with whom she maintains contact and watches them flourish and thrive in their academic journeys.
Shelly was born in Washington, D.C., to a first-generation Brazilian-Portuguese American family. She enjoys MC's vibrant global atmosphere and finds daily inspiration from its incredible students. Her multicultural sensitivity and language skills are in high demand in the VPP office and among our many World Bank global higher education partners. Volunteering with the Mobile Market is one of her favorite activities because it allows her to meet and connect with students and colleagues, gives her a sense of fulfillment in serving the college and the community, and allows for a welcome physical workout away from her desk and chair!
In her spare time, Shelly volunteers at the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center in Derwood, Maryland, as well as the Montgomery County Parks Archaeology Lab at Needwood Mansion. She is an animal lover who hopes to one day open an animal sanctuary.
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Why Stress Happens and How to Manage It Stress is the body’s natural defense against predators and danger. It causes the body to flood with hormones that prepare its systems to evade or confront danger. People commonly refer to this as the fight-or-flight mechanism. Stress slows down some normal bodily functions, such as those that the digestive and immune systems perform. The body can then concentrate its resources on breathing, blood flow, alertness, and the preparation of the muscles for sudden use.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recognizes two types of stress: acute and chronic. Acute stress is a type of short-term stress that is usually the more common form of stress. People often feel acute stress when they think about the pressures of recent events or when they face challenges in the near future. Chronic stress is a type of stress that develops over a long period and is more harmful. Ongoing poverty, a dysfunctional family, or an unhappy marriage are examples of situations that can cause chronic stress. It occurs when a person can see no way to avoid their stressors and stops seeking solutions. A traumatic experience early in life may also contribute to chronic stress.
Treatment includes self-help and, when an underlying condition is causing stress, certain medications. Therapies that may help a person relax include aromatherapy and reflexology. People may find that the following lifestyle measures can help them manage or prevent stress-induced feelings of being overwhelmed. Exercise, reducing the intake of alcohol, drugs, and caffeine, nutrition, time management, breathing and relaxation, talking, and acknowledging the signs of stress management can help by removing or changing the source of stress, altering how a person views a stressful event, lowering the effects that stress might have on the body, and learning alternative ways of coping.
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| Important Dates Thursday, March 30 “Lunch N’ Learn with the UDC: Procuring and Using Accessible Technology,” 12:30–1:30 p.m., in Workday.
“Integrating Dual Language Instruction in Higher Education: Best Practices and Strategies,” 3–4:30 p.m., in Workday.
Friday, March 31“Tech It Out, March 2023,”
2–4:45 p.m., in Workday.
Monday, April 3“Using Chunking Strategies to Enhance Teaching and Learning,” 7–8 p.m., in Workday.
Wednesday, April 5“Microsoft Teams Essentials,” 2–4 p.m., in Workday.
Saturday, April 15
Timesheets for non-exempt (hourly) employees and Period Activity Pay for all part-time faculty and WDCE instructors due in Workday by noon.
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Current guidance for MC employees since the College returned to full onsite staffing:
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- Access Control Specialist/Locksmith
- Course Scheduling Assistant
- Geographic Information Systems Analyst
- Geoscience Instructional Laboratory Coordinator
- Library Access Services Specialist
- Part-Time Faculty Construction and Skilled Trades Instructor
- Part-Time Faculty Head Women's Volleyball Coach
- Part-Time Faculty Surgical Technology Instructor
- Part-Time Faculty WDCE Early Childhood Education Instructor
- Placement and Learning Advisor (two positions)
- Transition Program Coordinator
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Workday Support for Employees
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Become a Contributor for Employee MattersAre you interested in submitting an article for publication or becoming a regular columnist for Employee Matters?
We’re always looking for fresh College and employee-related content and we'd love to collaborate with you and hear your story.
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Emergency Evacuation Accommodation It is important for all employees to have an emergency evacuation plan in place in the event of an emergency. Those who may need assistance during an evacuation due to a disability should consider identifying themselves to employers and building managers to aid in the planning process.
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The MC Wellness program offers online classes daily, including barre, bootcamp, cardio kickboxing, yoga, Zumba ®, and more. Visit the Wellness page for the 2023 spring schedule and descriptions of classes.
Visit MC Wellness for class schedules, wellness forms, and resources.
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Join the MC Employees Facebook Group
Stay in the know by joining the MC Employees Facebook group. This group is only open to Montgomery College employees and will require approval to join.
Join. Like. Comment. Share.
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Employee Matters Newsletter OnlineMiss an issue? Find current
and previous issues of the Employee Matters newsletter, as well as other Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management (HRSTM) news and employee communications here.
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