Wendy Jones's Archive

Mark your calendar for Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. to celebrate the groundbreaking of our next residence hall. New Hall 2 is part of ACU’s new Freshman Village, which groups all freshman halls along East North 16th Street and will later include the renovation of Sewell Theatre into a Student Life Hub and additional renovation at other residence halls. New Hall 2 is scheduled for completion in Fall 2023.

In February we’ll be celebrating Black History Month with a variety of events. In addition to student activities planned by our Black Student Union, the Office of Multicultural Affairs has two excellent speakers from the higher education community coming to campus, and the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action has events planned as well.

• On Feb. 1, an outdoor prayer event organized by the Spain Center will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first Black students enrolling at Abilene Christian College in 1962. The event will begin at the labyrinth east of Hunter Welcome Center at 4:30 p.m. and continue with a walk around the Lunsford Trail.
• Dr. Brandon Jones (‘06), associate director for student learning and development at the University of Texas at Austin, will be speaking about the realities of students of color and how to create experiences that engage difference. His presentation for faculty and staff will be Feb. 3 at the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning at 11:30 a.m.
• Kathryn Freeman, resident chaplain at Baylor University, will present on the importance of the voices of Black women in America. That event is scheduled for Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Brown Library Packer Forum.
• The Carter G. Woodson Lectures Series will take place Feb. 28. Check the Carl Spain Center website for more details as it gets closer.

After 35 years of dedicated service to Brown Library, Gary Oliver retired on January 14th. For most of Gary’s time at AVU, he worked as a Cataloging Librarian. In addition to his service to ACU, he spent numerous years as a participant in the Program for Cooperative Cataloging at the Library of Congress, where he has served our country well in doing original cataloging for the Library of Congress. In lieu of a retirement reception, please send your congratulations to Gary via a card or email at oliverg@acu.edu.

If you are interested in lowering your prescription costs, please make sure you compare prices on Cost Plus Drug Company and GoodRx.

Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy promising affordable prices on prescription medications has launched. The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company cuts out middlemen. It negotiates directly with drug manufacturers and pharmacies for rebates and discounts on behalf of employers, health insurers, and government health programs. It says it’s offering the lowest direct-to-consumer prices on more than 100 medications, including those commonly prescribed for high cholesterol and blood pressure. The pharmacy is cash only for now. The company hopes to allow customers to use their insurance by next year.

Don’t forget about GoodRx, where you can see current prices at the pharmacies in your area and select the lowest cost for your prescriptions.

You will not use your insurance card with either of these programs, but you can still pay with your HSA or FSA cards.

Regardless of vaccination, students, faculty, and staff who test positive or are exposed should submit the COVID-19 Notification Form and a representative from the ACU Medical Clinic will reach out with instructions.

From Jan. 6-21, face coverings will be required in classrooms, labs, studios and other instructional spaces, and indoor Chapel gatherings. In all other common interior spaces, masks are strongly recommended but not required.

Organizers of large events should consider moving them outdoors when possible to minimize interactions in close indoor spaces. Face coverings for faculty and staff, and physical distancing, are encouraged in office settings, as is the continued use of Zoom or other technology when appropriate for meetings.

In addition, our policies for isolation and quarantine have changed to reflect the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. Read the full details of this policy at acu.edu/coronavirus.

If you have not been vaccinated or are due for a booster, we strongly recommend that you go to the Medical Clinic as soon as possible. You may make an appointment online here or call 325-674-2625 to schedule. The Medical Clinic stocks Moderna and J&J vaccines, and they are available at no charge.

We will continue to monitor CDC guidelines as they are updated and evaluate the pandemic’s effect on our learning and living environments. On or before Jan. 23, we will reassess the COVID-19 landscape and let you know if we need to take additional action or revise these protocols.

All full, reduced and half-time employees will need to participate in Open Enrollment the week of November 1st – 5th.

If you would like to attend an informational session, please see the schedule below.

All meetings will be held in the Adams Center Classroom and via Zoom
Monday, Oct. 25th from 2:30-4:00
Tuesday, Oct. 26th from 9:30-11:00 & 1:30-3:00
Thursday, Oct. 28th from 8:30-10:00 & 3:00-4:30
Friday, Oct. 29th from 12:30-2:00

To join a meeting via Zoom, visit the HR Calendar and select the session you want to attend.  You may have to choose ACU Human Resources within your “My calendars” section after clicking on the link above to view the calendar.

During the week of Benefits Open Enrollment, HR will be in the Computer Lab on the 3rd Floor of the Library Monday-Wednesday for those who would like help with their enrollment.  You can schedule an appointment by visiting the HR Calendar or simply come by for assistance.  We can also schedule your appointment via Zoom if needed.  For Zoom, please schedule your appointment and email us letting us know you would like to meet via Zoom and we will create a zoom link within your appointment.

As a reminder, all benefits-eligible employees must go through the enrollment process to have benefits next year.

Please contact humanresources@acu.edu with any questions.

The Abilene campus will be closed on October 22 for Fall Break. Please refer to the Holiday Calendar or holiday information on  HR’s website if you have any questions.

All full-time and reduced full-time faculty and staff are required to complete a Conflict of Interest Disclosure form on an annual basis.

See the Conflict of Interest Policy (No. 411) to determine what/if any conflict may exist, complete your form and send it to your immediate supervisor.

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring each full-time and reduced full-time faculty and staff employee in their area completes a form. They also need to review the form to determine whether or not a conflict of interest exists.

Supervisors should send the completed forms to the Human Resources office no later than October 1, 2021. Completed forms can be emailed to humanresources@acu.edu.

Because unvaccinated people in Abilene and elsewhere are proving to be the individuals most likely to be affected by the Delta variant, we strongly encourage COVID-19 vaccination. We realize that is your choice, and the university will not require it at this point (except for international travel), as we are shifting away from managing community care and asking individuals to be responsible for their wellness. That means vaccination is still the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

We deeply appreciate all who have notified the ACU Medical Clinic about their vaccination status. If you have not already done so, you can upload your card here. Our Coronavirus website is always the best place to check for the most recent information and protocols. The Weber Medical Clinic on campus has the Moderna and J&J vaccinations available, with walk-ins welcome.

At this time, vaccinated individuals will not have to quarantine if exposed. The CDC recommends they self-monitor, get tested within three to five days, and wear a mask for 14 days unless they test negative. Unvaccinated individuals must quarantine if exposed. To confidentially notify the Medical Clinic of your vaccination status, you can upload your vaccination card here.

We will continue to monitor CDC guidelines and take additional action or revise our protocols as necessary to ensure campus health and safety.