Vol. 5, Issue No. 4
February 20, 2017
From the Hawk's Nest is distributed twice a month, and we need your input!  Have story ideas or photos for From the Hawk's Nest?  Send them to Elizabeth Belcher or Jenni Canterbury by March 1, 2017 for the next edition.

Inspiration for today

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." - Dale Carnegie

Celebrating our students: Bake sale supports scholarship fund
 
Students in the Browning Social Services Club raised approximately $175 to support their scholarship fund through the New River CTC Foundation during the Valentine's Day bake sale on the Raleigh County Campus. The group is within $800 of their goal and will hold a chili fest during the week of mid-term exams and a plant sale in the spring.

The Browning Social Services Club is also planning for Volleyball 4 Autism on April 22, 2017. 
    News & updates
  • The Institutional Governance Committee Structure has been updated. Click here to view the committee list online.
     
  • The WV Statewide Partnership to Advance Community College Education in STEM (WV SPACES) offers opportunities for both community and technical college students and faculty to assist them as they seek meaningful educational opportunities and future jobs in STEM fields. Specific opportunities through WV SPACES include internships and fellowships for students and course development for faculty. Click here for more information.
     
  • Do you know of an employee who is going above and beyond in supporting the College? We want to hear about them! Send information to communications@newriver.edu for inclusion in From the Hawk's Nest.
     
  • Need assistance with placing an ad, creating or editing a promotional document? The Office of Communications is here to help. Please fill out one of our online forms for all requests. These forms go to both Libby and Jenni and help us ensure that projects are completed in a timely manner.
     
  • Have a suggestion for the College? Submit it through the online suggestion box
     
  • Rely on multiple methods of communication regarding the College's Inclement Weather decisions. The Alert Messaging System is one method of transmitting information which includes New River CTC's portal, email, and text messaging. Other methods used include posting on the College's official social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) and on the College's homepage . When appropriate, alert messages are also communicated through external media - local television and radio stations. Each campus has a weather line that can be called for opening/closing information. 
     
  • Human Resources posts a link to the PEIA Pathways to Wellness newsletter each month on the HR page of New River CTC's website. This month's newsletter has a great article on effective workplace communication.
And the survey says...

On January 23, the Office of Communications reached out to New River CTC students asking how they heard about the College and to faculty and staff regarding preferred channels of communication. Here's a summary of the final results:

Survey name: How did you hear about us?
Audience: Students 
  • Of the students who completed the survey 55% were degree seeking students at New River CTC, 40% were students who plan to transfer to a four-year institution and 5% were New River CTC graduates.
  • Respondents could choose multiple answers to let us know how that they heard about the College. The top three responses were as follows:
    • 45% learned about New River CTC through a friend or family member.
    • 31% learned about New River CTC through our website.
    • 23% learned about New River CTC through a former student.

 

Survey name: Internal communication
Audience: Employees     
  • Of the employees who completed the survey, 36% were faculty, 53% were staff and 11% identified themselves as adjuncts, extra help or part time staff.
  • 97% indicated that they receive information about the College through email with 85% preferring to receive information through email. Other top preferred channels of communication were face-to-face conversations and text messages.

 

Survey name: Website survey
Internal and external audiences

Below you will find a summary of results as of Thursday, February 16: 
  • 56% of respondents are current New River CTC students.
  • 98% of respondents access the website through a laptop or desktop computer.
  • 35% of respondents indicate that the website meets their needs very well.
  • The most popular pages visited within www.newriver.edu include course schedules, degree and program pages and student services pages.

We'd like to hear from you! If you haven't already, click here to complete our website survey by 4 p.m. today.

 

thankyou_paper_hdr.jpg

 


Blue and Green Days

Thursday, March 2
Monday, March 27
Thursday, April 13
Monday, April 24
Thursday, May 4

Send your photos to Jenni Canterbury for inclusion in future editions of From the Hawk's Nest. 
From Human Resources
  • Please be sure to go into your TIAA retirement account to review and update your beneficiary information. While it's on your mind, log into PEIA's Manage My Benefits to make sure your life insurance beneficiary information is also correct.
  • Employees with PEIA need to have their blood work done and turn in their Healthy Tomorrows Reporting Form by the end of Open Enrollment (mid-May 2017).
From Payroll:
Please be careful to select AM or PM appropriately when requesting leave in Kronos.
 
Resources to share
 
Scholarships
The New River CTC Foundation will begin accepting scholarship applications for the 2017-18 academic year on February 15, 2017 and continue through April 3, 2017. Visit www.nrctcf.org
, email foundation@newriver.edu or call 304-929-6734 for information.

Scholarships are awarded for Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. Scholarships vary based on campus, program of study, financial need, academic merit and community involvement. The application process requires letters of recommendation. Some scholarships also include an essay requirement. Current New River CTC students and graduating high school seniors are encouraged to apply.
 
Scholarship information sessions will be held in February:

Tuesday, February 21, 11 am, Greenbrier Valley Campus Hollowell Auditorium
Wednesday, February 22, 1 pm, Advanced Technology Center Room T302
Wednesday, February 22, 3 pm, Mercer County Campus Room 117
Thursday, February 23, 11 am, Nicholas County Campus Conference Room
 
Student Success Center Tutoring  
Raleigh County Campus:
Math Lab, Wednesday & Thursday 9:30 am to 2:30 pm
Basic Computers and Business, Monday & Wednesday 1 to 2 pm

Greenbrier Valley Campus:
Math, chemistry and physics, Monday noon to 3 pm & Tuesday 11 am to 5 pm 
Rhythm of Dance returns to the Chuck Mathena Center

Back by popular demand, the dance and music extravaganza, Rhythm of the Dance, returns to
the Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton on Tuesday, March 7 at 7 pm. Rhythm of the Dance tours for some 40 weeks a year with a live band, three tenors and some 22 dancers for 4.5 million cheering fans.

The two-hour show contains a wealth of Irish talent. It is an inspiring epic reliving the journey of the Celts throughout history. Using modern forms of dance and music, this richly costumed performance marries the contemporary with the ancient, combining traditional dance with the most up-to-date stage technology. This show is a thousand year old story executed with all the advantages of the modern day stage. Rhythm of The Dance has heralded a new era in Irish
entertainment, and is internationally rated as one of the most popular and busiest Irish step dance shows in the world.
 
Tickets to Rhythm of the Dance at the Chuck Mathena Center are $30. Purchase your tickets at www.chuckmathenacenter.org, by calling 304-425-5128 or visit the CMC Box Office at 2 Stafford Commons, Princeton, WV 24740.
Prevent opportunity theft

Presenting someone with the opportunity to steal is known as opportunity theft. Opportunity theft is the direct result of property and valuables left unattended and unsecured, even for short periods of time, which provides a thief with the opportunity to steal your valuables. Opportunity thefts are the most preventable crimes that occur. Practice the following simple guidelines to prevent opportunity theft:
  1. Always secure your valuables and personal belongings, including car keys, cell phones, IPods, IPads and other electronics in a locked cabinet or office.
  2. Keep items of value out of sight and secured. Do not bring items of significant value to work and do not carry large sums of cash. If you cannot secure the items, carrying them with you on your person is the best bet.
  3. Mark your valuables in some distinctive fashion.
  4. Ensure that laptops are secured with a cable on your desk.
  5. Carry the key to your file cabinets or desk drawer with you or keep keys in a secured area.
  6. When away from your desk, lock your computer so that others cannot access your email or any other confidential information.
  7. Empty your pockets prior to hanging your coat in a public closet.
  8. If you are working in the office alone at night or coming in on the weekend, make sure that the director, building personnel or security is aware.
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