Hello December.

We’ve been expecting you. We didn’t quite know what you’d look like, but we knew you’d come loaded with reflection, gratitude, closure, and possibilities. You signify the end of a chapter and the cusp of a new one.  You give us moments to pause and ponder on all that went well, the unexpected surprises whether good or bad, and the things that didn’t go quite as we’d planned. Though some of us may not have greeted you in the way that we hoped, we celebrate that we are here to see you. We recognize how fortunate we’ve been and for that, we are filled with gratitude. In this month, we will hug a little longer, smile more often, give, and be more aware of those who are fighting silent battles or have experienced loss. We pledge to indulge in goodness, kindness, gratitude, time spent with family, friends, and pets, and all of the delicious treats because holiday calories don’t count.

Special Thanks

Thank you to President Mearns and the Board of Trustees for granting another year of Days of Beneficence. We are grateful for this benefit. We’d also like to acknowledge and appreciate our employees who continue to work throughout the holiday break. Thank you!

Happy Holidays to all of our Business Affairs family! We are appreciative of all of your hard work and contributions this past calendar year.

Kudos

The Controller’s Office would like to give a HUGE thanks to everyone who contributed to the successful fiscal year-end close this year.  A special thanks to the financial reporting team and Dan Garreth and Jamie Shelton whose contributions were critical to the success of this project, but this undertaking would not have been possible without the entire team. Your hard work is greatly appreciated!

Promotions

Kevin Ginther -Please join us in congratulating Kevin in his new position as Assistant Controller.  Considering Kevin’s outstanding work in his former position as Financial Reporting and Systems Analyst, he is the perfect fit for this position.

Jamie Shelton -Please join us in wishing Jamie the best in her new position as the first-ever Associate Controller. Jamie has been an incredible Assistant Controller over the last few years with many outstanding accomplishments.

Certifications

Evan Richter has obtained his AFC certification with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE). He has been studying hard for this certification since late last spring.  The path to AFC certification is intentionally designed as one of the most rigorous and thorough programs in the financial wellness industry and like their website says, “it is guided by research, rooted in academia, and supported by industry experts”. Congratulations Evan!

Workiversaries

Congratulations to Angie Lehman and Peggy Smith on their 15-year work anniversary and Chad Curts for 20 years! Thank you for your dedication and service to Ball State.

News from Our BA Leaders

As an expression of gratitude to employees who remain on the job up until the start of the holiday break, Ball State is offering an early release on Thursday, December 21st with payment for the full shift provided, contingent on specific criteria related to hours worked. All professional, staff, and service employees working this day may leave two (2) hours early and still be paid for the full shift. Employees not scheduled to work this day, as well as those who have chosen to take the full day off, are ineligible. Criteria communication will be sent to all employees via email, or you can reach out to your UKG Timekeeper/Supervisor for information.

A friendly reminder, that the payroll schedule will be different for this year’s Beneficence Days. For additional information, please review the Beneficence Days: New Payroll Schedule. If you have questions, please contact the Department of Payroll Operations at (765) 285-1834.

Milestone Moments

It’s Jamie Shelton’s pregnancy era. Her department knew just how to surprise her with a Taylor Swift-inspired mini baby shower.  Jamie will welcome her newest bundle of joy later this month. Congratulations Jamie! We wish you the best in your delivery and recovery.

In case you missed it

Business Affairs would like to know how you prefer to be recognized.  We’ve partnered with IT to create a form in Service Now to capture your preferences relevant to your birthday,  workiversary (work anniversary), and life milestone events. Here’s how it works.  Visit the Technology Help Desk Portal>Request Services>Communications and complete the Business Affairs Recognition Form or click here.

Once the form has been completed, you will receive a notification. Business Affairs and your supervisor of record will also receive a notification. If you’ve indicated that you’d like to be recognized for your birthday, you’ll need to provide your supervisor with your birthday month to be celebrated within your department. Business Affairs will use the information to celebrate you in The BA Chirp. We can’t wait to celebrate you!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Dewayne Pettiford, General Manager of The Atrium, who celebrated another year of life this month! We hope you enjoyed your special day.

Quote of the month

Sometimes later becomes never. Do it now. – Anonymous

January is around the corner. We can wait to make whatever it is a part of our New Year’s Resolution, but why put it off? There is no better time than the present.

Questions & Feedback

Do you have quotes, recommended books, recipes, an exciting life event you’d like to share, or just want to provide feedback? Send your contributions or comments to Kcwebb@bsu.edu.