A Message from Alan

Welcome back! I hope that for those of you who were able to take advantage of the Days of Beneficence, you unplugged, enjoyed your time away with family and friends, and have returned feeling refreshed. I certainly have. I do want to acknowledge and share my appreciation for those of you whose work required them to be here while the rest of us were able to take some time away. I very much appreciate you!

During the Days of Beneficence, I was able to get away for a week, which for me is how I unplug, and spent time with the people that matter most to me.  I had the great pleasure of once again being part of the platform party for graduation just before the holidays.  It always gives me such great energy and helps remind me of the importance of our work.  All of our work contributes to that day for our students.  It always makes sure I spend some time when I’m away to reflect on our work, and I want to express my gratitude to all of you for the work that you do, and more importantly how you go about that work.

I am looking forward to another year of serving you as Vice President, more connectedness within our division, and empowering you all to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Cheers to 2024 and the endless possibilities that it brings!

Happy New Year,

Alan

Kudos

Promotions

Please join us in congratulating Evan Richter as the Assistant Director of Financial Wellness & Account Management. With Evan’s newly acquired AFC (Accredited Financial Counselor) certification and outstanding work as a Financial Wellness Advisor, he is the perfect fit to lead and extend SFS and the university’s efforts in Financial Wellness (FW) plans.

Evan’s Financial Wellness goal is to provide students and their families with financial information and assist them in learning, planning, and budgeting for higher education. Additionally, Evan’s tasks include providing all BSU stakeholders the financial tools to achieve educational goals, financial stability, and long-term financial health while keeping unpaid balances low and manageable.

There’s no doubt that his efforts will achieve higher registration, retention, and persistence rates for our institution.  This will in turn create financial wellness support structures and education for all, benefiting our university, region, and state.

LEADing

On behalf of the Office for People and Culture, I would like to thank Charity Coffman for all the work she put in to organize, plan, and coach our 2023-24 cohort of employees through the LEAD (Leadership Excellence and Development) Academy, a comprehensive leadership development program designed to introduce aspiring and current leaders to four aspects of leadership through learning modules. The program was a huge success, and we all truly appreciate her. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of our University leaders’ support of our future leaders during the celebratory culmination and the enhanced focus on accomplishments and testimonials.

Charity, we’re both appreciative and fortunate to have someone like you at Ball State University who goes above and beyond to help develop and further programs such as this. You exemplify the importance of taking care of our People & establishing a Culture of inclusion and learning. I hope you understand how important your contributions are to our team and the University as a whole. Keep LEADing the way!

-Darrell Clark, AVP for People and Culture

News from Our BA Leaders

People and Culture – Darrell Clark

Electronic Form W-2s are available online via Self-Service Banner (SSB). Current employees who have opted out of electronic W-2s, and former employees who worked at the University in 2023, will have paper copies mailed to the address on record no later than January 31, 2024.  

For questions regarding your W-2, please visit the Payroll website or contact the HR Solutions Center at 765-285-1834. You can get help with printing your W-2 by bringing your Ball State ID to the HR Solutions Center in the Administration Building, Room G008. If you need assistance with accessing Self-Service Banner (SSB) due to login issues, please contact the Helpdesk at 765-285-1517 or toll-free at 1-866-771-3276.  

Holiday Highlights

The Office for People and Culture sponsored a family of four during the holiday. What a way to embody the spirit of Beneficence! They also came together for a Holiday Gathering. Highlights include tons of delicious food, festive apparel, the Cling Wrap Ball game, and prizes. The pictures don’t quite tell the story of the friendly competition that took place and loads of fun that was had! If you’ve never played this game, consider it at your next gathering. It may have you questioning where competition is on your list of CliftonStrengths.

 

What’s Coming?

In the President’s email on January 9, he shared with you about our upcoming Employee Engagement Survey.   This is one of the steps we are taking to transform our human resources to focus on People and Culture.  We are committed to making our University an even better place to work and to helping you and your coworkers have even greater fulfillment in the work you do.

You will receive a link to the Employee Engagement survey on February 12 in an email from Gallup.   The survey should take about 10 minutes or less to complete.  Your responses will not be identifiable and will be combined with other responses in your department.  The survey is voluntary, but your honest response will help us improve the employee experience and the work environment at our University.

To learn more about employee engagement and the upcoming survey, register to attend one of our Introduction to Employee Engagement sessions held on January 24 and February 2.

Please answer this short survey so that we can continue to implement strategies that support our people and enhance our culture. Watch for more information coming soon!

Did you know?

TELUS Health offers Ball State employees exclusive shopping perks, discounts, and savings.   TELUS Health is a total well-being solution that includes a confidential employee assistance program (EAP) and access to exclusive Perks & Savings.  TELUS Health sources special deals, offers, and discounts from top brands and retailers (Target, Lowes, BestBuy, Cabela’s, Papa John’s and many more) and makes them available exclusively to employees via the web and mobile app. Log in to the TELUS Health platform using your Ball State username/password.  Click “Perks” in the main platform navigation.  From the Perks homepage, you can shop online, purchase digital gift cards, or browse in-store or exclusive offers. Happy shopping.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Jamie Shelton who welcomed her baby girl, a new baby Cardinal, to her family and ours in December.

 

Workiversaries

January marks a special milestone as we celebrate Darrell Clark’s first year of leading People and Culture. This past year, his dedication, guidance, and support have been the cornerstone of our team’s success. Darrell’s leadership style, filled with encouragement and wisdom, has not only shaped the direction of our initiatives but also nurtured a culture of collaboration and growth. Darrell, we’re grateful for your passion, commitment, and the positive impact you’ve had on each one of us. Here’s to many more years of incredible accomplishments and shared achievements together! Happy work anniversary! 

See what his Directors have to say about him:  

“We have been blessed to add Darrell to our team.  His vision and leadership are enabling us to unify our HR services and better meet the University’s strategic objectives as we transform into the Office for People and Culture.  Culture does not change overnight, and Darrell has made the long-term commitment to lead our campus on the journey to become the best we can be and ensure our employees have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.”

– Melissa Rubrecht, Director of Employee Relations & Affirmative Action

“Darrell has brought a fresh, new perspective to BSU and is doing a great job leading positive changes for its people and culture.”

– Shana Rogers, Director of Payroll Operations

“Darrell brings a high level of energy and enthusiasm to his role as the Assistant Vice President. I appreciate his philosophy of work smarter, not harder and take time to care for yourself and your family. Also, he makes a mean smoked turkey!”

– Kate Stoss, Senior Executive Director of Human Resources

“Darrell has been a great addition to the People and Culture family. He listens and values your opinion but will always challenge you to think outside the box.”

– Lauren Brewer, Assistant Director of the Human Resources Solutions Center

“Darrell has been so welcoming and encouraging to me in my new role in People and Culture.  He challenges me to think innovatively each day to bring my best to what I do.  I appreciate his faith and support in us personally and professionally.”

– Charity Coffman, Assistant Director of Organizational Development and Learning

“Darrell brings a great strategic vision and enthusiasm to the area of People and Culture.  He is able to provide direction that allows us to grow and collaborate together.  We are glad he is leading the way at Ball State!”

– Rhonda Wilson, Executive Director of Engagement, Wellbeing, & Culture

Resolutions

It’s the beginning of the new year! For some, that means taking the time to write your New Year’s Resolutions to set the tone for the year. For others, that means selecting a word or set of words, a theme song or a quote that strongly resonates with you. For the crafty, that may mean hosting a vision board party. Maybe it’s a hybrid of the aforementioned or a practice that isn’t widely shared.  Whatever your process, we’d like to know it. Share your resolution tradition or new practice you’re adopting this year in the comments below.

Questions & Feedback

Do you have quotes, recommended books, recipes, photos from departmental festivities, an exciting life event you’d like to share, or just want to provide feedback? Send your contributions or comments to Kcwebb@bsu.edu. If you’d like to be recognized for your birthday or workiversary, please complete the Business Affairs recognition form here. We’d love to celebrate you!