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    Upcoming HR workshops

    Queen’s Human Resources offers a variety of individual workshops as well as lunch and learn sessions. See below for more information about a few of the upcoming sessions offered in the coming weeks. Visit the HR website to view the entire learning catalogue and to sign up.

    Event Planning: Essential Strategies
    Tuesday, Feb. 2, 9 am-noon, Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B176

    Events come with a high level of visibility and accountability, so it’s essential that they are planned and executed flawlessly. This workshop offers an introduction to planning and staging your Queen’s event. Participants will walk away from the session with many useful tools and templates to facilitate future planning.

    The File Cabinet in your Computer
    Tuesday, Feb. 2, 1-4 pm, Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B176

    Become more efficient with your time through the use of an electronic file management system. Participants will learn how to organize, store and name files in a consistent way. Participants will have an opportunity to apply their new skills using a case study. Part of the Administrative Professionals @ Queen’s Certificate program

    PREPARE
    Wednesday, Feb. 3, 1-4 pm, Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B176

    This training is designed for front-line staff who may encounter hostile or aggressive customers in the course of their duties. Participants will learn to invoke four priorities essential to your organization’s violence response procedures, and effectively debrief once tension reduction occurs.

    Learning to Listen
    Thursday, Feb. 4, 1-4 pm, Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B176

    Improving listening skills can benefit all of us, both in our personal and professional lives. What are your strengths? Where do you need to 'grow' in terms of your listening skills? Find out at this workshop, which focuses on listening skills rather than listening styles. Part of the Certificate in Workplace Communications

    Managing the Risks in International Education
    Wednesday, Feb. 10, 1-4 pm, Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B176

    Participants will gain an understanding of the basic principles of risk management, including risk and responsibility and liability issues for outbound students and health and safety issues for incoming students. They will be introduced to the various risk management concepts which can be applied to Queen's programs and activities. Part of the Certificate in International Perspectives

    MS Outlook – More than Email
    Thursday, Feb. 11, 10:30 am-noon, Jeffrey Hall, Room 156

    This popular 90-minute workshop offers insights into little-known techniques to get the most of our mail, manage meetings, track tasks, cultivate contacts and customize Outlook to your individual needs. (Departmental fee: $50)

    Flags lowered for Bruce Laughton

    [Dr. Bruce Laughton]
    Bruce Laughton

    Flags on campus are lowered in memory of Bruce Laughton, a professor emeritus in the Department of Art History and Art Conservation. He died on Jan. 18 in his 88th year.

    Dr. Laughton taught art history at Queen’s from 1971 until his retirement in 2004. He was head of the Queen’s Department of Art from 1983 to 1988 and authored several scholarly works in his lifetime on British artists including William Coldstream, the Euston Road School and Philip Wilson Steer.

    Cremation has taken place. A family gathering and interment of ashes will be held in the spring. As expressions of sympathy, the family has asked that you please consider a donation to the Alzheimer Society in memory of Dr. Laughton. Robert J. Reid and Sons Funeral Home has created an online guestbook for sharing memories of Dr. Laughton.

    Inquiry@Queen’s deadline extended to Feb. 5

    Help Inquiry@Queen’s mark the 10th anniversary of the I@Q Undergraduate Research Conference.

    All undergraduate students with research results to share are invited to submit an abstract for the 10th annual conference to be held March 10-11 in the Queen's Learning Commons, Stauffer Library.

    Participation in the conference gives undergraduate students the opportunity to:

    • share their research with the Queen’s community
    • experience an academic conference
    • enhance graduate and career skills including critical thinking, effective writing and presentation skills
    • engage in scholarly communication with students and faculty from many disciplines.

    The deadline for the submission of proposals has been extended to Feb. 5, 2016.

    For more information on submitting a proposal, see our website: www.queensu.ca/iatq/iq-undergraduate-research-conference

    For questions, contact iatq@queensu.ca

    Volleyball teams earn weekend sweeps

    [Mario Dakic]
    Mario Dakic celebrates a point during the Queen's Gaels win over the York Lions Friday in OUA men's volleyball play. (Photo by Cory Leblanc)

    Men’s Volleyball

    The No. 8 Queen’s Gaels men’s volleyball team (10-3) put in a dominating performance at home this weekend with a pair of straight-set victories.

    On Saturday, the Gaels beat the Nipissing Lakers (5-10) in three sets 25-19, 25-21, 25-23. Mike Tomlinson led the charge with 16 kills, while Scott Brunet added 10 kills and a service ace.

    On Friday, the Gaels had to battle hard but still swept the York Lions (6-7) with scores of 25-20, 26-24, 25-20. Tomlinson finished with 13 kills and six digs. Marko Dakic added 11 kills and seven digs.

    Women’s Volleyball

    The Queen’s Gaels women’s volleyball team (8-5) finished the weekend with a pair of victories.

    On Saturday, the Gaels won in three sets 25-11, 25-23, 25-18 over the Nipissing Lakers (2-11). Shannon Neville had a huge match with 12 kills, 10 digs and two service aces while Becky Wilson added 20 digs.

    On Friday, the Gaels trumped the York Lions (4-8) in four sets, 25-15, 24-26, 25-14, 25-20. Shannon Hopkins had a game-high 16 kills with 13 digs while Makayla Keith added 13 kills, seven digs and three service aces.

    Women’s Hockey

    The Queen's Gaels women's hockey team (9-1-4-2) snapped its three-game losing streak on Saturday evening at the Memorial Centre, using three first period goals, to defeat the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (7-1-7-2) 5-2.

    Kyla Crouse, Katrina Manoukarakis and Taryn Pilon gave the Gaels the early lead and Micaela Smith and Courtenay Jacklin rounded out the scoring. Caitlyn Lahonen made 24 saves.

    On Friday, the Gaels fell 3-1 to the Waterloo Warriors with Emily Jukosky netting the lone goal. Lahonen made 26 saves.

    Men’s Hockey

    The Queen’s Gaels men’s hockey team (13-6-1) earned a pair of wins as they headed north for the weekend.

    On Saturday, the Gaels beat the Nipissing Lakers (8-11-3) by a score of 3-1. Eric Ming led the way with a pair of goals and Patrick McGillis also got on the scoresheet. Kevin Bailie made 31 stops for the win.

    On Friday, the Gaels topped the Laurentian Voyageurs (7-11-4) with a 3-2 comeback win. Darcy Greenaway netted the winner in the third period following goals from Ryan Bloom and McGillis.

    Women’s Basketball

    The Queen's Gaels women's basketball team (9-1) stretched its season-best winning streak to five games on Saturday afternoon, defeating the York Lions (2-8) 87-75. Seven Gaels scored 10 or more points, topped by another impressive performance by Robyn Pearson who picked up a game-high 15 points along with eight rebounds.

    Jenny Wright added 13 points and seven rebounds while Marianne Alarie had 12 points and Myriam Fonatine  finished with 11 points. The win keeps the Gaels atop of the OUA East division.

    Men’s Basketball

    Sukhpreet Singh recorded a game-high 22 points as the Queen's Gaels men's basketball team (7-3) picked up their first win of 2016, slipping past the York Lions (3-7) 62-59 in Toronto, Saturday afternoon. Ryall Stroud added 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

    At the interface between numbers and people

    Throughout her career, Teri Shearer has immersed herself in business and accounting – numbers, yes, but also how those financial statements affect people and social structures.

    [Teri Shearer]
    Earlier this month, Teri Shearer became deputy provost of Queen's University. (University Communications)

    “I’ve always been really interested in the interface between the numbers and people’s behaviour,” says Dr. Shearer, who took over from Laeeque Daneshmend as the university’s deputy provost this month. “My research has largely focused on management accounting – budgeting, incentive systems and cost-tracking – and the sociological and behavioural impacts of business practices.”

    Dr. Shearer has stepped into the deputy provost role after 20 years at the Smith School of Business – a number that’s significant to her as she transitions to a senior administrative position.

    “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Smith, but it seemed time to move to a more central position. Taking this position is a great opportunity to move beyond the walls of my faculty and get a view of the university as a whole,” says Dr. Shearer. “I want to experience the workings of the central university and expose myself to how other units approach operations.”

    The deputy provost position is broad – in large part focused on the university’s finances and cost-containment, an area to which Dr. Shearer is well-suited, given her role in business education and the administration at Smith, where she was most recently associate dean. The position also oversees all academic appointments, as well as operations at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre. She will also play a key role in implementing the Employment Equity Strategic Framework.

    “I am looking forward to this work on employment equity. It’s a very important area and one I am committed to pushing forward. The university – all universities – needs to be a model for students, and attracting more members of equity-seeking groups is a huge priority.”

    Born in Iowa, Dr. Shearer started her career as a bookkeeper, and later as a certified accountant. She enjoyed the work, but craved more in-depth study of business practices, and so pursued a PhD at the University of Iowa. Soon after, she moved north to Canada, teaching at the University of Saskatchewan for three years before coming to Queen’s in 1996. Queen’s mid-sized status, along with its dual focus on research and the learning experience, have always appealed to her.

    “This is a great place to be, as a student, faculty member, or administrator,” she says. “I am excited to see what I will learn in my new role.”

    Learning is definitely part of the job, and she relishes the opportunity this career move provides. She also knows that, like everyone, she needs balance, something she says she finds in her garden, and with the animals she’s kept over the years on her hobby farm northwest of Kingston – everything from chickens and turkeys, to goats, sheep and llamas.

    “The gardening and farming is something tangible I do to offset all the non-tangible work I do in the office,” she says.

    Elevator shutdowns scheduled for Jan. 26-27

    Elevator One will be installing inspection up directional limits on the passenger elevators located in Jeffery Hall, Ontario Hall and Education Library early next week. The technicians will remove these units from service according to the following shutdown schedule:

    • Jeffery Hall - Tuesday, Jan. 26, 8 am–noon  
    • Ontario Hall  - Tuesday, Jan. 26, noon–4 pm
    • Education Library - Wednesday, Jan. 27, 8 am–noon

    Any questions about this planned work should be directed to Fixit by phone at extension 77301 or by e-mail.

    Driving sustainability ahead

    For the past two Homecomings, Fraser Horn (Sci‘89) drove from Toronto to Kingston in his 100 per cent electric Tesla Model S. He was able to just make it to Kingston but had trouble finding adequate charging for his trip home. After last year’s Homecoming, Mr. Horn sent an email to Principal Daniel Woolf .

    [EV Charging]
    Fraser Horn (Sci‘89) charges his Tesla Model S. Mr. Horn made an initial $4,000 pledge to the Electric Vehicle Charging Station Sustainability Initiative.

    “I wrote to Principal Woolf suggesting that there ought to be an electric car charger on campus. I told him I thought universities should be at the forefront of sustainable projects,” says Mr. Horn.

    Principal Woolf connected him with the Sustainability Office to explore the idea of installing an electric car charger on campus. Mr. Horn, an electrical engineer and stay-at-home father, made an initial $4,000 pledge. So began the Electric Vehicle Charging Station Sustainability Initiative.

    As Sustainability Manager Aaron Ball explains, this initiative fits perfectly with Queen’s goal of creating a sustainable campus by increasing support for alternative modes of transportation. 

    “We want to break down the barriers to alternate transportation. For example, more people will ride their bikes if there are lots of bike racks on campus. As electric cars become more popular as an alternate form of transportation, installing a charger on campus will break down another barrier,” says Mr. Ball.

    In Kingston there is an electric car charging station near Hwy. 401 at Division Street, one on Princess Street at the Best Western and another at St. Lawrence College, but because of the hours it can take to charge, it’s really only practical to have a charger at your destination, which for Mr. Horn was downtown and the Queen’s University campus. It is logical and fitting that Queen’s, with its highly-respected engineering program that encourages discovery and invention of sustainable products and green initiatives, leads the way in this initiative. 

    The two electric vehicle charging stations will be located at the corner of Union and Division streets, in front of the School of Kinesiology, where they will be “visible, accessible, and where we easily can connect to a building to get the power,” says Mr. Ball. They will be used by Queen’s employees and visitors to campus.

    The cost of installing the two chargers on campus is $30,000. While Mr. Horn’s initial gift to the program is a good start, more donations are required to make this goal a reality. 

    “I’m reaching out to my classmates and others who feel the same way I do, that Queen’s needs to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices,” says Mr. Horn. “I do a lot of driving with my three busy children, so I see the positive impact of using a sustainable and cleaner means to get around.”

    He adds: “Things like this may feel small, especially if only one or two individuals are doing it, but collectively, I know, we can make a big difference. The lack of charging infrastructure is one of the biggest barriers to electric vehicle ownership but because electricity is everywhere it’s a relatively easy problem to solve.”

    To contribute to the EV Charging Station project, visit givetoqueens.ca/sustainableengineering.

    Personal IT items available at Campus Bookstore

    With the Campus Computer Store closing at the end April, the Campus Bookstore is expanding its selection of IT items that staff, faculty and students can purchase for personal use. 

    To smooth the transition of these purchases, the Campus Computer Store anticipates personal purchases of accessories and consumables will conclude by the end of January. Departmental purchases will continue through the Campus Computer Store until its final day of operation on April 29.

    “Given the retail focus of our operation, we saw an opportunity to support further the personal purchases by Queen’s students, staff and faculty,” says Chris Tabor, General Manager, Campus Bookstore. “We will carry items such as headphones, phone cases, ink, toner, cables, routers and portable storage. Staff/student key-fobs for building access will also be available for purchase.”

    [Computer Store]
    With the Campus Computer Store closing at the end of April, the Campus Bookstore is expanding its selection of items that members of the Queen's community can purchase for personal use. Department and unit IT purchases will transition directly to Strategic Procurement Services starting in May.

    Department and unit IT purchases will transition directly to Strategic Procurement Services (SPS) starting in May. The Campus Bookstore will not take account codes for departmental purchases, and departments should only use the Bookstore for last minute or emergency needs.

    SPS is currently developing new IT procurement processes to ensure ease and efficiency, and more information about the transition will be released in the coming weeks. In the meantime, departments can continue to place orders through orderit@queensu.ca.

    The Queen’s Mobile Voice and Data Plans will transition directly to ITS after the store closes. Until that time, staff and faculty phone requests can continue to be submitted to qmobile@queensu.ca.

    Education discounts direct from Apple, Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft and Toshiba will continue to be offered online. (Visit the SPS website to learn more about other discounts for Queen’s employees).

    The drop-off location for used toners, cartridges and other IT recycling has been re-located to the Campus Bookstore. More information about the electronic waste recycling program is available online or by contacting Llynwen Osborne, Recycling Coordinator, by email or at (613) 533-3396. 

    Queen’s community members who have additional product lines and merchandise that they would like the Campus Bookstore to explore can email the store’s general merchandise buyer.

    The university reviewed the Campus Computer Store and all other ancillary operations on campus during the 2014-15 fiscal year. The review recommended closing the store by April 29, 2016, with retail services being discontinued and core services that support the academic and business requirements of the university transitioning to existing shared services.

    T4 and T4A tax slips available online

    Queen’s employees will have a new and convenient way to get their T4 / T4A slips in February 2016.

    With the new MyHR self-service, employees will be able to log on to MyHR to view and print their T4 or T4A slips instead of waiting to receive them by mail at their home address. To receive the information electronically, employees must give consent by Jan. 29.

    "The electronic option will give employees access to their T4 or T4A slips a week or more before they would arrive by mail."

    — Christina Blanchard, Associate Director, Payroll Services

    Christina Blanchard, Associate Director, Payroll Services, says the new option offers employees several benefits while also helping the university reduce printing and mailing costs.

    “The electronic option will give employees access to their T4 or T4A slips a week or more before they would arrive by mail,” she says. “T4 or T4A slips will be available online for six years, starting with 2015 information, so we anticipate employees will enjoy the convenience of logging on to MyHR and accessing previous slips if they need to do so in the future.”

    The process for viewing and printing electronic T4 or T4A slips varies slightly depending on whether or not you currently receive your pay advice slip online through MyHR:

    • Employees who currently receive their pay advice slips electronically (approximately 95 per cent of all Queen’s employees) can log in to MyHR and give consent between now and Jan. 29.
       
    • Employees who still receive a paper copy of their pay advice slips will, by default, receive a hard copy of their T4/T4A mailed to their home address. If they wish to receive an electronic T4 or T4A slip, they will need to opt in to receive electronic pay advice slips and then give consent for the electronic T4 or T4A slips.

    Visit the HR website for step-by-step instructions to give or withdraw consent for receiving T4 or T4A slips electronically. Additional questions can be sent to payroll.services@queensu.ca

    Giller Prize recipient visits Queen’s

    Andre Alexis discusses the inspiration for Fifteen Dogs with Queen’s English graduating class.

    Andre Alexis, winner of the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize, visited Queen’s University on Tuesday to deliver a guest lecture and take part in a book signing. Mr. Alexis kept a packed audience at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre riveted as he discussed the inspiration for writing Fifteen Dogs, which included a local tie.

    “I got the inspiration for writing Fifteen Dogs while I was taking care of 11 huskies in Sharbot Lake,” Mr. Alexis says. “The feeling of being with those dogs in that environment was an essential part of how I felt about the writing of the novel. My first novel was written at Sharbot Lake, and I knew nothing. I still feel that I know nothing, but now I am paid for what I know.”

    In his prize-winning novel, 15 dogs in a veterinary clinic in Toronto are granted the gifts of reason and language by the Greek gods Hermes and Apollo. The novel follows the pack as they explore these fundamentally human abilities and the differing paths it places them on. Mr. Alexis said that the book, like his previous works, allows him to explore the concepts of God, love and power in different settings in an attempt to better understand all three.

    “I had a set of concerns about love, about God and about power that you can see across the books I’ve written,” he says. “My work is a constant confrontation with my religious beliefs, maybe because in some ways I haven’t gotten over the loss of the belief I had when I was younger. This constant confrontation, which each of the five novels include, is either a way of saying goodbye to the notion of the divine or keeping it close so I don’t have to.”

    Mr. Alexis’ visit was facilitated by the Department of English Language and Literature, which has hosted the recipient of the Giller Prize annually for nine years.

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