April 2016

Thanks to all who responded! We anticipate results by the end of April and will release the analysis before the end of the semester.

As you may remember, the Board of Trustees approved a draft Compensation Policy in the fall of 2015. Since then, the HR and the Procurement Office have worked diligently on solicitation of proposals. The proposals were due on March 10 and we received nine proposals!

The compensation study working group is in the process of scoring the proposals and will narrow the pool in order to schedule on-site presentations. The working group consists of Tammy Maas, Dorothy Moen, Tara Rood, Mindy Layson, Bobby Baker, Meghan Kelly, Jonathan Carrier, Jeri Griego, Pam DeMartin, and Dave Vinatieri.

Dr. Joe Schaffer, Tara Nethercott, Jamie Spezzano, and Janet Webb are serving as advisors.

Our goal is to have the contract awarded so that work can begin on July 1.

New upgrades to the TimeClock Plus electronic timekeeping system are coming this month! Watch for messages from Accounting on training times and locations. This will be mandatory training for supervisors. Point of contact is Herry Andrews at 778.1231.

Who should evaluate performance?

Only those individuals who have had ample opportunity to observe an individual's actual job performance should evaluate an individual. A qualified evaluator is typically a direct supervisor who has managed a person for several months.

10 Rating Errors to Avoid during Performance Reviews:

Rating errors are factors that mislead or blind us in the appraisal process. These are the 10 rating errors seen most often. They are where we can really go off track.

1. Central tendency. Clustering everyone in the middle performance categories to avoid extremes of good or bad performance; it's easy, but it's wrong. This isn't fair to employees who are really making an effort, and it can be demoralizing.
2. Favoritism. Overlooking the flaws of favored or "nice" employees, especially those whom everyone likes.
3. Grouping. Excusing below-standard performance because it is widespread; "everyone does it."
4. Guilt by association. Rating someone on the basis of the company they keep, rather than on the work they do.
5. The halo effect. Letting one positive work factor you like affect your overall assessment of performance.
6. Holding a grudge. A dangerous luxury that may result in your ending up in court. Never try to make employees pay for past behavior.
7. The horn effect. The opposite of the halo effect – letting one negative work factor or behavior you dislike color your opinion of other factors.
8. Bias. Allowing your bias to influence the rating. Bias can come from attitudes and opinions about race, national origin, sex, religion, age, veterans' status, disability, hair color, weight, height, intelligence, etc.
9. Recency. Rating only recent performance, good or bad. Data should be representative of the entire review period. If you're not keeping good notes, you may not remember the whole period. If you want to make sure, again, that you're keeping records so that you can adequately describe performance over an entire performance period.
10. The sunflower effect. Rating everyone high, regardless of performance, to make yourself look good or to be able to give more compensation.

Effective May 1, all LCCC employees will be required to wear gold shirts and navy blue slacks or skirts as part of our new standard uniform. The rationale behind this new policy is we want all employees to look like Golden Eagles. Shirts can be purchased from the bookstore at a discount. You must purchase slacks and skirts at your own expense. Shirts will be worn tucked in at all times and you must wear a belt, preferably with a western buckle. If any employee has concerns about this new dress code policy, please send your inquiries to april.fools@lccc.wy.edu.

This month we want to shine the spotlight on our outreach campuses in Pine Bluffs and at Warren Air Force Base.

The Eastern Laramie County Outreach Center is located in the Historic Pine Bluffs High School building. Staffed by one full-time coordinator, Sherry Acheson, and one part-time office assistant, Kellie Green-Kashin. At the Pine Bluffs campus they offer credit and noncredit classes, placement testing, proctoring services, workforce and professional development classes and community events.

The folks at ELC are excited about using their new state of the art computer classroom to conduct at least seven computer classes including four Excel classes. These classes will be conducted for local businesses. In addition to computer classes, they are also excited about the new Life Enrichment offerings including Act 1: Summer Play Festival and Driver's Education class being held in Pine Bluff and two cheerleading camps being offered in Burns. They have several community events planned over the next several months including a car seat inspection and a book day event, where elementary school aged children are on campus and a selected book is read and acted out in English, Spanish and a third language.

Situated on the windy prairie of F.E. Warren Air Force base, the LCCC Outreach Campus has been assisting military men and women for more than 36 years. Terry Cook and Mary Martin provide comprehensive student case management for airmen, their families, our local Air National Guard/Army National Guard, retirees and interested community members. They currently support fifteen adjunct instructors in seven classrooms which are graciously provided by the F. E. Warren Education Center. In the recent site analysis (5/2014), military students have an overall class completion rate of 97% and 92% of those same students earned a "C" or better in their classes. Additionally, non-military students have a 95% class completion rate. As a National Test Center, WAFB proctored more than 600 eCLEP/eDSST exams last year and also conducted Pearson VUE testing. If you are interested in visiting the facility, meeting the staff, and getting to know more about the outreach office operations, they would be glad to give you a tour.

Standard LCCC Non-discrimination Statement:

Laramie County Community College is committed to providing a safe and nondiscriminatory educational and employment environment. The college does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or other status protected by law. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The college does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, athletic or other programs or in the context of employment.

The College has a designated person to monitor compliance and to answer any questions regarding the college’s non-discrimination policies:  Please contact: Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Room 117, Student Services Building, 1400 E College Drive, Cheyenne, WY  82007, 307.778.1217, TitleIX_ADA@lccc.wy.edu. 3/2016