Faculty & Staff Newsletter

January 27, 2020

What's Happening in Student Affairs

January 2020 Updates

- College Mascot Mark-Ups – The process to identify multiple mark-ups to be used for marketing and advertising continues. Once mark-ups have been identified SGA will coordinate a “Name the Mascot” contest and will purchase a new mascot costume that better reflects a “Blue Healer.”

- Co-Curricular Assessment Committee (CAC) - continues to meet on a bi-weekly basis. The committee expanded the definition of “co-curricular” to include non-academic departments/offices. Currently, the committee is finalizing their by-laws of operation.

- Pathways for Success – collaborating with Mercy Foundation to identify donor(s) or grant-funding to increase award amount and students served.

- Maxient - confidential record-keeping/sharing software – implementation date is February 2017. Some of the departments/offices to use the software will be Student Conduct, CARE Team, Retention, Accessibility Services, and Academic Integrity.

- Smarthinking - 24/7 on-line tutoring software, available for all Mercy College undergraduate and graduate students. Smarthinking also has a module to assist with development, or enhancement, of resume’s and cover letters.

- Mercy College Food Pantry – please access the link to see how you can contribute to the pantry and continue to serve our students in need.

- New College Hours – As announced in December, the college will be closed from 1 – 5 a.m. with no card/ID access during that time. Mercy Protective Services staff will continue to be on campus 7 days a week from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

- Community Prayer Service schedule for the spring 2020 semester is posted around campus and on the TV monitors. All services are held in the Chapel (1st floor Madison) and begin at 12:15 p.m.

- Community Update for January 2020 – This is a monthly update for ways in which students, faculty, & staff can be active in the community.

- Cultural Emersion Trip (formerly called the Alternative Spring Break trip) is scheduled for Saturday, March 7 – Tuesday, March 11. Students will be traveling to Brother David Darst Center for Justice & Peace, Spirituality, Education, in Chicago. Students will be actively involved with service learning and learning about social justice. If you know of a student or students that may be interested, please have them contact Annie Devine, the Director of Campus Ministry and Service Learning. (419-251-1866 or annie.devine@mercycollege.edu)

-Marc Adkins and Dr. Kim Watson will be presenting at the Ohio College Personnel Association annual conference in Columbus, Ohio on Thurs., January 30. Their presentation titled “Student Success: Collaborations between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs” details these collaborations at Mercy College of Ohio.

If you have questions or comments regarding the information presented, or with the Division of Student Affairs, please do not hesitate to contact Marc Adkins, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students. Thank you!

Mercy Café Menu

Mercy Café Menu

Noel Levitz student Satisfaction survey is coming

Submitted by Mary Bergs

Faculty and Staff play an important role in the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) and the Priorities Survey for Online Learners (PSOL). Mercy College had a 50% overall response rate in 2018. Faculty who promoted the survey to their students and Staff who reinforced the importance of responding to the survey were key to achieving that high response rate.

Mercy College administers the national survey every other spring and will do so in February. Students are asked to rate items about the College on their Importance to the student and the student's satisfaction with the item. Many questions are similar on the PSOL and the SSI surveys, but each survey has some questions specific to its audience.

The College is currently finalizing the details for the survey. Look for more details next week.

Where to Find Mercy Data, Request Data or a Survey

Where to find data:

(1) The Mercy College Institutional Research page includes three sources of information:

a) the one page "Fast Facts" for each fall semester;

b) The "Reporting Data" document, compiled each fall, that includes program enrollment and retention as well as College data; and

c) A copy of the yearly Databook.

(2) M: drive folders:

a) "Institutional Research" has program documents including Alumni survey results. A pdf has directions for document naming that should help you find documents for your program. If you do not see a document that should be there, contact Mary A. Bergs, Institutional Research Analyst, to see if the document is available.

b)"Annual Academic PROGRAM REVIEW" Enrollment data will be updated soon.

If you need data that is not available in the places listed, use the "Data Request Form" under the heading "Data and Surveys" on the Faculty and Staff Forms page. Download the pdf for a handy list of where to find data.

The Faculty and Staff Forms page includes the reference "Survey Design Basics" and forms to request to have a survey sent. Surveys overlapping with previously scheduled surveys are strongly discouraged.

Mass - Tuesday, January 28 at 12:15 p.m.

Please join us for mass on the Toledo campus with Fr. James Auth on Tuesday, January 28 at 12:15 p.m. in St. Joseph Chapel (1st floor Madison). All are welcome!

Items Sent to Students via Inside Mercy College

Mercy Café Menu - see above

Mass – Tuesday, January 28 - see above

Tax Forms Now Available Online
submitted by Diane Rahn
Your 2019 1098-T forms are now available. This form is used by eligible educational institutions to report qualified tuition expenses to the IRS as well as scholarships and/or grants as required by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. You will need to use this tax form if you are claiming your educational expenses as a deduction on your 2019 taxes.

The IRS now requires educational institutions to use Box 1 – Payments Received rather than Box 2 – Amount Billed. The qualified tuition expenses reported on this form are payments received by the College for tuition and certain fees only. These payments do not include books, health insurance, supplies or other non-academic charges. As a result, the amount shown may be less than the total amount you paid to Mercy College.

The 1098-T is available on the web on your Empower Me account. Once you have logged in, click on the Student Billing tab and choose the link to the 1098-T form. To ensure your information is secure, paper copies are not mailed. If you cannot log in to your Empower account, please contact the Registrar’s office at 419-251-1474 to reset your account.

Mercy College cannot answer tax questions. Please consult your tax advisor for advice on how to account for education-related expenses for 2019.

Please contact the Business Office if you have any questions regarding information on the 1098-T form at 419-251-2025 or email bursar@mercycollege.edu

Coming Soon - get an Amazon gift card
submitted by Mary Bergs
Look for details later this week and next week.

The Amazon gift card will be a reward for completing a survey where you indicate priorities and your satisfaction with multiple aspects of Mercy College.

Spring Break Service Immersion Trip 2020
Submitted by Annie Devine
Applications are currently being accepted for the Spring Break Service Immersion Trip! Spring Break Immersion 2020
Journey with us to Chicago, IL from March 7-11, 2020 to explore what it means to be the Mercy difference. Spend 5 days living simply in community, providing service to those in need, and reflecting on the causes of poverty and injustice as well as the deeper meaning of service. We will be hosted by the Brother David Darst Center, a social justice education center that provides opportunities for participants to see more clearly the faces of those pushed to the margins of our society. Through partnerships with local agencies, participants will get to know others, challenge stereotypes, confront fears, and break down barriers. This opportunity is available for students at the Toledo campus and the Youngstown location. Additional details about the Service Immersion Trip can be found at www.mercycollege.edu/service.

Flyer: Spring Break Immersion 2020

COST: $150 (includes transportation, meals, and housing)
HOW TO APPLY: Complete an online application.
DEADLINE: Applications are due FEBRUARY 3 along with a $50 deposit. Apply early! Space is limited.
QUESTIONS? Contact Annie Devine at 419-251-1866 or annie.devine@mercycollege.edu

CAREERS IN LAW SYMPOSIUM
submitted by Kristen Porter
Saturday, February 8, 2020
8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Univ. of Toledo - Law Center, McQuade Law Auditorium
Register now to learn more about legal fields and the law school experience through panel discussions with a diverse mix of law faculty, judges, and current students. This event is co-sponsored by The University of Toledo College of Law and the Thurgood Marshall Law Association.
Open to all students at no cost. Lunch will be provided. Space is limited.
Students from traditionally underserved populations are strongly encouraged to attend.

Do You Love Mercy College?
submitted by Gina Schultz
The Mercy College Open House is Saturday, February 29. We are looking for a few enthusiastic student volunteers to assist from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will receive breakfast and a FREE Mercy t-shirt!

Interested students should contact Gina Schultz by Friday, February 14 at 419-251-1906 or email gina.schultz@mercycollege.edu.

CEO-Gram

Send a message to the Mercy College President using this link.

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