1the GARNET connection SPRING 2015

GARNETconnectiontheALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

2 NEW LAW TO PROTECT MINORS

2 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

3 IMAGINE PROJECT

4 NEW FACES

5 HR NEWS

6 SWARTHMORE’S CLIMATESWARTHMORE COLLEGE HUMAN RESOURCES NEWS

Submit items of interest to:humanresources@swarthmore.edu

Thursday, April 16All-Staff Meeting10–11:30 a.m.Lang Concert Hall

April 27–May 4Spring Health and Wellness Week

Wednesday, April 29National Walk at Work DayNoon–1 p.m., Parrish steps

Tuesday, May 5New Hire Reception3:30–5 p.m.Wister Room, Arboretum

Wednesday, May 20Spring Gathering2–4:30 p.m.,Sharples Dining Hall

Calendar ofEvents

Byunanimous agreement Feb.21, the Board of ManagersnamedValerie Smith, a distin-

guished scholar of African-Americanliterature and culture and currentdean of the college at Princeton Uni-versity, the 15th president of Swarth-more College, beginning July 1.

Gil Kemp ’72, chair of the Boardof Managers, said, “Val is a wise, ef-fective leader with impressive ac-complishments that closely alignwith Swarthmore’s values: access andaffordability, dynamic undergraduatelearning opportunities, and educatingstudents to be leaders who value thecommon good. Her engaging, collab-orative style will be an excellent fitfor Swarthmore.”

Board member Salem Shuchman’84 chaired the 12-member presiden-tial search committee, consisting offaculty, staff, student, and alumni rep-resentatives, and noted that Smithemerged from a deep, highly com-petitive field of candidates.

As dean at Princeton, Smith hasbeen responsible for the university’sundergraduate academic program.Perhaps most significantly, Smith re-cently chaired a committee that stud-ied the academic and culturalexperience of the university’s low-in-come and first-generation students.

Smith came to Princeton in 1980as an instructor of English and Afro-American studies, receiving tenure in1986. In 1989, she joined the facultyat UCLA, where she ultimatelyserved as chair of the Interdepart-mental Program in African-AmericanStudies. Smith returned to Princeton

in 2001, and as the founding direc-tor, led a major expansion of theCenter for African American Studies.She was appointed dean in 2011.

Smith received her bachelor’s de-gree cum laude and Phi Beta Kappafrom Bates College, followed by amaster’s and doctorate from the Uni-versity of Virginia. She is the authorof more than 40 articles and threebooks on African-American literature,culture, film, and photography and isthe editor or co-editor of seven fur-ther works. At Swarthmore, she willhold tenured appointments in Englishliterature and black studies.

Smith’s numerous awards includefellowships from the GuggenheimFoundation and the National Endow-ment for the Humanities. She serves

Valerie Smith NamedSwarthmore’s 15th President

on the editorial boards ofWomen’sStudies Quarterly, Criticism, andAfrican American Review, amongothers.

Smith replaces Constance CainHungerford who will continue as in-terim president until June 30. Adeeply respected member of the fac-ulty and provost of the College from2001 to 2011, Hungerford will re-sume her position in the Art Depart-ment, where she is the Mari S.Michener Professor of Art History.

Please visitwww.swarthmore.edu/15th-presidentfor more information about Smith.

Valerie Smith:“Her engaging, collaborative style

will be an excellent fit forSwarthmore.”—Gil Kemp ’72

2the GARNET connection SPRING 2015

The Pennsylvania state legislaturesought to strengthen protectionsfor children in the new Child

Protective Services Law (CPSL). Itwent into effect Dec. 31 and now re-quires colleges and universities to ob-tain—as it has for K–12 employeesfor several years—background clear-ances for any individuals having rou-tine interaction with children at theCollege or in a College-sponsoredprogram, activity, or service. This re-quirement applies to College employ-ees, volunteers, independentcontractors, and students. The CPSLalso requires mandatory reporting ofsuspected child abuse directly to thePennsylvania Department of HumanServices.

In October, former Gov. Tom Cor-bett signed Act 153 into law. The actrequires that background clearancesmust now also be obtained by em-ployees in colleges and universitieswho have routine interaction withminors.

In practice, the act covers:• any of the College’s students under18 (on average, 50 undergraduatestudents per year are 16 or 17 yearsold)

• children in enrichment and summercamp programs

•minors who are taught throughSwarthmore’s student teachingprogram, and

•minors who otherwise have contactwith faculty, staff, students,volunteers, and independentcontractors, whether on or offcampus.The College has begun imple-

menting a first phase of this law forall new faculty and staff. The nextphase of implementation requiresthat all current employees, includingfaculty and staff who have not hadthe required clearances within thelast three years, obtain these clear-ances by Dec. 31. Frequently askedquestions (FAQs) and their answershave been posted on the human re-sources (HR) website:http://www.swarthmore.edu/human-resources/act-153-faqs.

A few times throughout the year,HR will host on-site fingerprintingsessions. Employees who have com-pleted their FBI registration will be in-vited to attend. Departments arebeing scheduled in phases.

For additional questions, contacthumanresources@swarthmore.edu orext. 8397.

Holiday schedule set

The following 2015–16 holiday sched-ule is intended to help employees plantheir work and time off. Most officeswill be closed on the scheduled holi-days. However, some offices must re-main open, so staff members shouldcheck with their supervisors on depart-mental requirements. The holidayschedule is determined annually basedon how holidays fall in the week aswell as the academic calendar.

Scheduled holidays forSept. 1, 2015–Aug. 31, 2016Thanksgiving: Thursday and Friday,Nov. 26–27 (two days)Winter Break: Thursday, Dec. 24–Friday, Jan. 1, 2016 (seven days)Martin Luther King Jr. Day*:Monday, Jan. 18, 2016, or an alter-nate day (one day)Fourth of July: Monday, July 4,2016 (one day)

*Please remember that the alternateholiday option for Martin Luther King Jr.Day must be used during the Septemberto August time period and cannot be car-ried into the next calendar year.

New law to protect minors

Anne Garrison remembered

It was with deep sadness that theSwarthmore community learned of thepassing March 5 of Anne Garrison,humanities and book arts librarian andstaff member of the SwarthmoreCollege libraries, after a long battle withcancer. With the College since 1999,Garrison is remembered for her warmthand humor. Her life was celebrated at amemorial service March 20. Sheapproached her work with a deepscholarly perspective that gave voice toSwarthmore’s unique community of

library users. She was readily acquainted with traditional literaryresearch and with emerging areas of scholarship within popular media.She is survived by her husband Michael Magoolaghan, her daughterEleanor Garrison, age 10, and her mother Joanne Sargeant Garrison.

Wellness

Understanding how to use theultramodern equipment at TheMatchbox as well as finding outabout wellness programming iseasy. Go to the Athleticswebsite’s facilities tab, thenchoose The Matchbox. Nextclick on the Here link under thequestion: Do You Need HelpLearning How to Use MatchboxEquipment? This will take youto an online form where you willfill in your contact informationand availability. The Matchboxstaff will respond shortly to setup an appointment.

Learn How to UseThe Matchbox

By Carrie Compton

Community members gatheredMarch 27 at Science Center101 to glimpse the outcome of

the ImagINe project, a collection of24 photographic portraits presentedalongside each subject’s narrativetext. In addition to taking in the art-works’ powerful messages, attendeesheard from a panel of participantsand watched a short film featuringImagINe contributors. The 24 por-traits will be displayed throughoutcampus for the next year.

“Through these photographs andstories, we hope to inspire apprecia-tion of the unique differences eachindividual brings to the fabric of ourcommunity,” said Zenobia Hargust,ImagINe Committee chair.

Pamela Prescod-Caesar, vicepresident for human resources, con-ceived the project after hearing aboutsimilar initiatives during a meeting ofthe national college and universityhuman resources professional associ-ation to which she belongs. Shebrought the idea back to the Col-lege’s Diversity and Inclusion com-mittee, then applied for a CommunityDevelopment Grant.

“We felt a project of this typecould help to move our communityto collectively ‘ImagINe’ and culti-vate spaces and possibilities whereour unique differences and similari-ties could be understood, appreci-ated, and celebrated,” saidPrescod-Caesar.

The President’s Office endorsedthe grant for what became the Imag-INe project, which was inspired by athree-year-old diversity initiative atthe Rhode Island School of Design(RISD).

Adam Mastoon, the pioneeringphotographer behind the RISD initia-tive, spent two days on campus inOctober photographing a cross-sec-tion of faculty, staff, and students.

“Participants took the risk to beimmensely vulnerable,” said Mas-toon. “That creates a great opening ofcommunication, which directly im-

pacts people who view the work.”As the portraits show, partici-

pants used the opportunity to sharetheir innermost reflections on every-thing from discrimination to painfulpersonal crises, creating pathways forcommunity dialogue.

“Much work is being done oncampus to cultivate meaningful con-versations, which will further developour campus as a whole,” said Har-gust. “Hopefully, reflecting on thisproject and its artwork will supportthose efforts.”

Mastoon, who has participated inprojects like ImagINe in a variety ofacademic settings, also thinks theSwarthmore effort will be transforma-tive.

“This group of 24 has led thecommunity into a deeper dialogue,”said Mastoon. “I know that’s going totake the Swarthmore community intoan even deeper inquiry about diver-sity.”

The 24 community members fea-tured are: Sanaa Ali-Virani ’15; EfuaAsibon ’16; Margaret Bost ’17; NanciBuiza, assistant professor of Spanish;Christopher Capron ’15; YvonneChireau, professor of religion; MarkDavis Jr., technical support specialist,Information Technology Services; Al-lison Dorsey, professor of history;Katherine “Kat” Galvis ’17; AdriánGras-Velázquez, visiting assistantprofessor of Spanish; Nina Harris, vi-olence prevention educator and ad-vocate; Martha Hernandez,environmental services technician;Allison Hudak, assistant athletictrainer; Meghan Kelly ’18; LouisLaine ’16; Susan Lewis, administra-tive coordinator, Dean’s Office; Mil-ton Machuca-Gálvez, visitingassistant professor and coordinator ofLatin American studies; Edwin May-orga, educational studies instructor;Barbara Milewski, associate professorof music and department chair;Kristin Moore, associate director of fi-nancial aid; Valerie Morse, dining as-sistant; Natasha Peña ’15; AbhinavTiku ’18; and David Toland, environ-mental services crew leader.

3the GARNET connection SPRING 2015

ImagINe committee members

• Amer Ahmed, dean of the sophomore class and director of theIntercultural Center

• Carrie Compton, writer and editor• Joel Cooper, chief information technology officer• Zenobia Hargust, human resources manager• Pamela Prescod-Caesar, vice president for human resources• Liliana Rodriguez, associate dean of diversity, inclusion, and

community development• Sunka Simon, professor and coordinator of German studies and

associate provost• Summer Sloane-Britt ’16• Roberto Vargas, reference and digital projects resident• Martin Warner, registrar• Tina Zhu ’17

ImagINe project unveiled

“This group of 24has led the community into a

deeper dialogue.I know that’s going to take the

Swarthmore community into an evendeeper inquiry about diversity.”—Adam Mastoon, photographer, RISD initiative

4the GARNET connection SPRING 2015

On Sept. 8, Joseph “J.T.” Duckbrought his keen sense of what iseffective in recruiting the best andbrightest students to Swarthmore asthe new director of admissions.

Most recently asso-ciate director of ad-missions at MIT,Duck said, “To a per-son, every student,faculty member, andstaff member I metduring my interviewprocess was engag-

ing, compassionate, and thoughtful,which are wonderful qualities tofind in members of a close-knitcommunity.” Duck added that helooked forward to reconnectingwith a place that values Quaker tra-ditions and philosophies.

His more than 15 years ofhigher education and college coun-seling experience also includesstints at Haverford College, Bran-deis University, and Boston Univer-sity Academy. Duck has manageddatabase systems, designed, imple-mented, and monitored application-review systems, managed staff, anddeveloped annual training programs.

“J.T.’s references note that hehas brought offices to new levels ofachievement and had a lasting im-pact and that he is a great mentorand friend to students, families, andcolleagues alike,” said Vice Presi-dent and Dean of Admissions JimBock ’90.

Duck earned a bachelor’s incomparative literature (French andEnglish) from Haverford Collegeand a master’s in higher educationadministration from Harvard Uni-versity.

Varo L. Duffins joined Swarth-more as its director of financial aidJan. 19, with a mastery of federaland institutional aid methodologiesas well as experience in the devel-opment of training and outreachprograms.

“Varo brings withhim more than 20years of experience asa leader in admissionsand financial aid,”said Vice President forFinance and Adminis-tration Greg Brown.“He has an abiding

commitment to access, education,and outreach efforts.”

In his role at Swarthmore,Duffins will work closely with theBoard of Managers’ Committee onAdmissions and Financial Aid andvarious campus constituencies toensure that the College’s financialaid programs reflect its deep com-mitments to socioeconomic diver-sity, access, and affordability.

Duffins was previously the sen-ior associate director of financialaid at Franklin & Marshall College.He worked strategically and collab-oratively on that college’s admis-sions and financial aid efforts,taking a leadership role in the im-plementation and strategic use ofthe Net Price Calculator and mak-ing strides toward paperless opera-tions.

Duffins received a bachelor’sin biology from the University ofDelaware and a master’s in highereducation administration fromDrexel University.

New HiresTo introduce new members of ourcommunity, the Garnet Connectionwill list recently hired staff, as spacepermits. Below are the individualswho began working at the Collegebetween Sept. 1, 2014 and March 1and who have not already been rec-ognized in the Garnet Connection:

Daniel Alamia, associate directorof advancement research, Develop-mentJoseph Cardella, shuttle driver,Public SafetyCelia Caust-Ellenbogen, archiveassociate, Friends Historical LibraryKevin Collins, cook, Dining Serv-icesNoemí Fernández, manager, Stu-dent Wellness ProgramWilliam Flannery, heat plant oper-ator, Facilities ManagementMichael Gillum, director, GiftPlanningRoy Greim, communications in-tern (through June 12), AthleticsJarett Haley, graduate assistant(through April 30), Career ServicesJason Hamilton, user technologysupport specialist, McCabe LibraryJericho Henry, shuttle driver, Pub-lic SafetyJonathan Joseph, interim patrolofficer, Public SafetyBradley Kane, associate director,The Swarthmore FundNathasha Krautheim, dining as-sistant, Dining ServicesDion Lewis, dean of the juniorclass and director of the Black Cul-tural CenterSandra Lopez-Cortez, gardener,Facilities ManagementHeather Loring-Albright, coordi-nator of residential communities,Dean’s OfficeJohn McGowan, catering assistant,Dining ServicesAnne O’Donnell, associate direc-tor of leadership giving, Develop-mentJohn Rivello, post office assistant,Post OfficeKelsi Shields, checker/cashier,Dining ServicesTimothy Thompson, cook, DiningServicesKeith Washington, technician,Environmental ServicesJasmine Woodson, reference andinstruction resident (through Sept.30), McCabe Library

New Faces

5the GARNET connection SPRING 2015

Mark Anskis, associate director ofmedia communications, and wifeLindsay welcomed their first child,Ian William Feb. 19.

Baby Robert was born Feb. 23 toKim Fremont, human resources in-formation systems manager, husbandScott, and big sister Charlotte, 2.Robert weighed 8 pounds, 12 ouncesand was 21 inches long.

Caitlin Halloran, assistant director ofAlumni Relations, was wed March 27to Brandon Edwards.

Rose Maio, administrative coordi-nator in the Department of Sociology& Anthropology, welcomed her thirdgrandchild, Joshua Charles Vondran,Oct. 2. He weighed 7 pounds, 8ounces.

Institutional Research AssociateJason Martin and wife Kelly wel-comed son Samuel Jeremiah Aug. 16.

Brett Charles,born Feb. 19 toErin Massey,associate direc-tor in CareerServices, andhusband Chris,joins big broth-

ers, Dean, 5, and Alec, 3. Brettweighed 8 pounds, 2.5 ounces andwas 20.5 inches long.

In May, Christi A. Pappert, facili-ties and services administrative coor-dinator, will graduate from SaintJoseph’s University, Philadelphia,with a bachelor’s in psychology. Sheearned her degree over many yearswhile working full time and attendingclasses part time.

Milestones

Swarthmore College enhanced itscommuter benefit programMarch 1 with debit cards that

will provide a convenient and time-saving way to use public transporta-tion.

Employees in the College’s Tran-sitCheck commuter program wereautomatically enrolled in the Com-muter Benefits Reimbursement Ac-count through PayFlex. In earlyMarch, all participants in this new re-imbursement account without a flexi-ble spending account throughPayFlex received a debit card at theirhomes. Employees enrolled inPayFlex will use their current debitcard. In both cases, these cards willsave employees time and make pur-chasing transit passes more conven-ient.

Remember:• Funds will accumulate in thePayFlex account for paycheck deduc-tions made after March 1.• To change the monthly commuterbenefit contribution amount, contacthuman resources (HR) for the re-quired paperwork.

For any questions or to sign up,please do not hesitate to contact HRat ext. 8397 orhumanresources@swarthmore.edu.

Staff milestones

In May 2014, Com-pensation and BenefitsSpecialist John Clinepassed his Professionalin Human Resources(PHR) exam and alsocompleted the Certifi-cate in Human Re-

sources Management programthrough Villanova University.

Zenobia Hargust,organizational devel-opment and HR opera-tions and deputy TitleIX coordinator, passedher Senior Professionalin Human Resourcesexam Jan. 3.

HR News

New commuter benefit

Keep the coaching conversations going

Ongoing communication between staff members and supervisorsabout performance goals is key to creating an environment oftransparency and professional support in the workplace. Theseconversations reinforce desired performance outcomes and provideopportunities for future development and redirection, as needed.

All staff members should receive an annual assessment,summarizing their achievements and establishing goals for theupcoming year. All performance assessments should be submitted tohuman resources (HR) no later than Aug. 14. For more information,please visit the Performance Assessments and Coaching page on theHR website or contact an HR representative at ext. 8398.

6the GARNET connection SPRING 2015

Winter Gathering

The annual WinterGathering, held Dec. 11 inthe Lang Concert Hall,honored employees’service to Swarthmore.Six employees wererecognized for reachingthe quarter-century markwith the College. Otherhonorees included oneretiree and two employeeswith 35 years of service,five with 30 years, 12 with20 years, 22 with 15years, and 18 with 10years. The preceremonymusic was provided onceagain by Andrew Hauze’04, music instructor/concert manager.

Interim President Connie Hungerford (front row,second from left) congratulates the followingstaff members for 25 years of service: from left,front row, Heather Dumigan, technical supportservices, Information Technology Services;William Evans Jr., gardener, Scott Arboretum;and Claire Ennis, facilities managementcoordinator, Facilities Management; second row,Ralph Thayer, director of maintenance, andAndrew Bunting, curator, Scott Arboretum. (Notpictured: Maurice Eldridge ’61, vice president forCollege and community relations and executiveassistant to the president.)

Receiving honors for their 30 years ofservice are, from left, Robin Jacobsen,systems analyst, InformationTechnology Services; and MaryHasbrouck, technology coordinator,Facilities & Management; for 35 years,Barbara Addison, technical serviceslibrarian, Peace Collection and FriendsHistorical Library, with InterimPresident Connie Hungerford.

The Swarthmore College Self-Study on Learning, Working,and Living has been organized

to identify what we each expect ofand experience within our commu-nity.

In the spring, students, faculty,and staff were invited to share theirthoughts and experiences in a confi-dential survey, with the findings to bereleased in fall 2015. This informa-tion will prompt conversations about

what was learned and the next stepsneeded to reinforce what is goingwell and to address areas for im-provement.

The study will explore the collec-tive impressions of the College andhow individuals experience the com-munity differently, based on theiridentities and groups to which theybelong.

This self-study project was initi-ated by the Dean’s Office and is sup-

ported by the College’s senior leader-ship. A committee of students, fac-ulty, and staff organized the studyand developed the survey. The proj-ect is being coordinated with thesupport of Rankin & Associates, afirm with experience assessing cam-pus culture and climate at more than100 other colleges and universities.

For more information, visit thestudy’s website.

Surveying the Swarthmore experience