The University of Southern Indiana Sport Management Program in the Kinesiology and Sport Department will host its third annual public golf scramble at 9 a.m., Friday April 13, at Cambridge Golf Course in Evansville.

Check in is 7:30 a.m., with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Fees are $260 for a foursome or $70 for an individual. Participants can register online at the event web site. A luncheon will follow at 2 p.m.

“The goal of this event is to offer a safe, fun, and exciting annual golf scramble that encourages community involvement among participants and USI students,” saidDr. Glenna Bower, chair of the Physical Education Department. “It’s an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience in how to plan, organize, lead and implement an event.”

Proceeds from the scramble will go toward scholarships and professional development travel for students earning a major or minor in sport management or a kinesiology major with a specialization in sport management.

Sponsors for this year’s event include Evansville Print Specialist, Tactic Solutions, Inc., DPatrick, Kenny Kent, Bartley’s Paint and Body Shop, AGLA Insurance, and Mike Mason Farm Bureau Insurance.

Source: USI.edu

Greetings from Raina, a feisty 4-month-old DMH. Raina is a staff favorite and we have no doubt that her personality will win you over in no time. She loves to play and when she’s all tuckered out, she’s also quite a cuddlebug. An active family would be best for this silly girl and to make things even better for her, a family that has a couple of kids she can chase around. Raina will probably be just fine in a multi-cat household but she might have too much energy for an older cat that is used to a quiet environment. Raina is sure to liven up your life and your home! For more information on Raina and how to make her a member of your family, visit www.vhslifesaver.org or call (812) 426-2563.

The University of Evansville is pleased to announce the hiring of Brooke Higginbotham as its Indianapolis regional development officer.

Higginbotham, a 2003 graduate of the University, will be responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts prospects from alumni, parents, friends, corporations, and foundations in the Indianapolis region. She will begin work in her new position on April 10.

“As a graduate of the University of Evansville, I’m honored to have this chance to give back to the University,” said Higginbotham. “I look forward to the opportunity to help give students the life-transforming educational experience that I found at UE.”

Higginbotham, a native of Jasper, Indiana, graduated from UE with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with concentrations in marketing and management. She also minored in sport studies.

After graduating from UE, Higginbotham worked as a women’s buyer assistant at Shoe Carnival’s corporate headquarters in Evansville before joining Bright House Networks, a cable system providing video, high speed internet, and phone solutions for residential and business customers in Indianapolis. Since 2004, she has held the titles of marketing and public relations manager (her current position), marketing communications supervisor, and marketing specialist.

At Bright House Networks, Higginbotham’s responsibilities have included developing an overall communications strategy for the market (including consumer marketing, public relations, and internal efforts) and cultivating relationships to support Bright House Networks community relations efforts.

While a UE student, Higginbotham studied abroad at Harlaxton College, UE’s British campus near Grantham, England, and was a member of the women’s volleyball team. As a student-athlete, she was a Missouri Valley Conference Scholar Athlete and a team co-captain.

Source: evansville.edu

March, 2012

CONEXUS INDIANA’S: REPORT OF THE SURVEY OF THE GROW SOUTHWEST INDIANA WORKFORCE AND TRI-STATE MANUFACTURERS ALLIANCE (TSMA), STATE OF THE WORKFORCE IN THE TRI-STATE REGION

BACKGROUND

Grow Southwest Indiana Workforce and TSMA issued a survey in mid-February, 2012 to about 432 employers throughout the Tri-State Region including 47 counties in Southwest Indiana and Northern KY. The purposes of the survey were to understand the state of the workforce from the employers’ perspective and to identify areas that need to be addressed to strengthen the region’s workforce in manufacturing in the region. Of those invited to participate in the survey, 133 employers responded for a response rate of 30.8%. The employers had at least one operation in one of 32 counties in the region.

Manufacturing employers well represented in the survey

Employers were selected to participate in the survey due to their affiliation with TSMA or through their affiliations with other organizations in the region, thus it was not a random survey of employers, therefore, no claims can be made about statistical significance of the results. However, from the information we gathered from the employer respondents we conclude that the 133 employers that responded represent the scope of manufacturing employers in the region both in type of manufacturing and in-size. Therefore we believe the views expressed by the employers in this survey have face validity and can be used to make judgments about the state of the workforce in the region and provide a solid basis to design strategies to enhance the quality of the workforce.

Variety in size of companies

There was varied size represented by the employers: 36.1% had 0-100 employees; 27.1 between 100-250; 12.0% between 250-500 and 24.8% over 500.

Well balanced perspectives from those completing survey

Respondents were asked for their title and there was a good balance in who in the company responded to the survey: 45 were HR related employees; 33 represented operations; 18 Presidents or Owners. The remainder were involved in finance, IT or did not identify their title.

I. SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES LACKING IN NEWLY HIRED PRODUCTION WORKERS

The survey asked respondents to identify the skills and attributes most lacking in newly hired production employees on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being most severe among these categories: work ethic; technical knowledge, workplace attributes and academic competencies.

Ranking of skills/attributes

The average rankings in order of most severe are as follows:

Work Ethic: 2.49
Technical Knowledge: 2.55
Workplace attributes: 2.78
Academic competencies: 2.91

All the rankings were all under 3 which would be considered somewhat severe.

Work ethic was considered the most severe problem with newly hired production workers causing personnel problems. Of the work ethic skills, all were considered at least moderately severe. Employers made the following rankings:

Good attendance: 2.40
Motivated to improve 2.60
Positive attitude 2.79
Respectful 3.02
Drug free 3.19

Lack of technical knowledge was ranked second most severe and includes such things as understanding basic manufacturing principles or skills. However, while this category averaged slightly lower than work ethic, only 47 of the 121 responding to that question ranked the category below a ‘3” suggesting lack of technical knowledge is a significant problem for employers:

Knowledge of basic principles, e.g. profit/loss: 2.39
Knowledge of quality processes: 2.40
Knowledge of basic manufacturing principles: 2.46
Knowledge of statistical applications: 2.48
Understanding of statistical applications: 2.79
Awareness of safety issues: 2.74
Competent in computer applications: 2.79

Workplace attributes ranked third and includes ability to work in teams, solve problems and be creative. Once again, no attribute ranked higher than a ‘3” rank.

Ability to solve problems: 2.40
Applied written communication skills: 2.64
Creative: 2.68
Ability to follow instructions: 2.70
Ability to function in a team environment: 2.84

Academic competencies While this category had the overall lowest average ranking it is interesting that it received no higher than a ‘2’ by an respondent, suggesting it is considered a severe problem with entry level production workers.

Read and comprehend complex technical information: 2.43
Applied math competence: 2.55
Ability to write coherently 2.65

II. RAMIFICATIONS OF UNQUALIFIED LABOR POOL

Employers were asked about challenges in hiring and keeping entry level production workers.

Relatively low turnover rate

Despite the challenges they identified with work ethic, attributes, skills and academic competencies, employers overall reported a relatively low turnover rate: of new production hires in a typical year.

This suggests a couple of theories worth pursuing in further detail, i.e. companies are doing a good job of screening applicants; companies train their employees the first year in areas of deficiency; or respondents did not actually know or were hesitant to indicate their actual turnover rate.

0-25% turnover: 58.3% of employers
25-50% turnover: 27.8% of employers
50-75% turnover: 11.3% of employers
>75% turnover: 2.6% of employers

Relatively low acceptance rate of applicants considered for employment

Employers were asked to identify the percent of their applicants who are suitable for consideration for employment. The results suggest that having a qualified applicant pool is a challenge in the region.

11-30% acceptance: 38.3% of employers
31-50% acceptance: 13.9%
>50% acceptance: 13.9%

Technical knowledge primary attribute lacking in applicants

Employers were asked to identify the primary skill/attribute in applicants. It is interesting to note that technical knowledge is the number one attribute lacking in applicants which was a close second to work ethic in attributes lacking in new hires. This makes sense given it is easier to measure extent of technical knowledge in applicants as there are identifiable criteria, i.e. diplomas, certifications, work experience. There are fewer objective measures available to measure work ethic of applicants.

Technical Knowledge: 41.2%
Work Ethic: 36.8%
Work place attributes: 14.9%
Academic competencies: 7.0%

III. EVALUATING APPLICANT QUALITY

In a previous survey Conexus Indiana conducted it found that employers did not have high educational requirements for entry level production jobs nor did they make much use of credentials as screens for applicants. Employers in the TSMA survey were asked a series of questions on criteria for hiring and ways to assess applicants against those criteria.

Minimum education requirements of entry-level production employees

One reason for the lack of technical knowledge of applicants in the region may be related to the standards employers have set for entry level production workers in the region. High school diplomas and GED credential were the most preferred educational requirement for employers responding to the survey.

High school diploma: 40.9%
GED: 32.2%
No requirement: 10.4%
Associate Degree 7% (representing 8 employers)
Other: 7% (representing 8 employers)

Technical certificates not widely used to assess skills

Technical certificates were not widely used by employers to determine if applicants possess the skills and attributes for production employment though 48 employers indicated they use a company-specific assessment which may involve technical assessment. Work experience was the most valued measure.

Work Experience: 78.3%
Drug Tests: 72%
High School Diploma: 70.4%
GED: 43.5%
Company-specific assessment: 41.7%
Military Experience: 31.3%
Associate Degree: 21.7%
Bachelor Degree: 12.2%
Industry-recognized certification: 12.2% (14 employers)
WorkKeys: 11.3% (13 employers)
No credential: 2.6% (3 employers)

Satisfaction with temporary staffing companies

Since many manufacturing employers use external temporary staffing companies they were asked about their satisfaction with these companies for recruitment and hiring. 43% of the employers indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with the staff companies; 28% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied and 28.3 never use them for hiring or recruitment.

IV. TRAINING AND EDUCATION OF THE WORKFORCE

Most employees need additional training and education

Fifty-two percent of employers indicated that most of their employees could benefit from training for their job or further their own education and another 16 % said about half of their employees could. 12 employers indicated less than 10%.

Most employers see room for improvement in how schools and career centers prepare graduates for production work

Employers do not appear to be satisfied with how well schools and area career centers are preparing graduates for work in production jobs. 82% rated the job schools were doing as either ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ while 15.3% indicated outstanding or good, representing 17 employers. Clearly, there is opportunity for greater alignment between education and employers in the region.

Colleges ranked slightly higher in their ability to produce graduates ready for production jobs

Forty percent of employers indicated that colleges did a good or outstanding job of preparing graduates for production level jobs, while 38% indicated a fair job. Only 6 employers indicated a poor job while 14 employers said they did not hire college graduates.

Opportunity for employers to become more deeply involved with schools and colleges

Employers do not appear to have a deep working relationship with schools and colleges. Employers indicated informal contact with schools and conducting plant tours for students and teachers. A little over a third of employers either have no relationship or have never been approached to participate with schools in the area. Only 8 employers indicated they participate on advisory boards and 25 provide internships and co-op opportunities.

V. FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING IN THE REGION

Modest growth in next 1-3 years

The majority of employers, 80, plan to hire between 1 and 50 employees within the next one to three years. 15 employers expect to hire between 50-100 employees. Only 10 employers project hiring over 100 and 20 reported they were not sure.

Employers foresee more difficulty in finding qualified employees over the next five years

61.9% of employers expect the difficulty in finding qualified workers to be slightly or much worse than it is today. 23.9% believe it will be the same and only 6.2% (7) employers think that the situation will be better.

Converging forces create a worsening situation with finding qualified workers

Employers are fairly evenly divided among several forces to suggest a worsening situation in finding qualified workers. The number one factor that will contribute to a worsening situation is lack of good programs to prepare workers. Employers were divided between two other factors: expected increases in skill requirements of jobs and expected growth in the industry.

VI. USE OF SKILLS CERTIFICATIONS TO ASSESS AND UPGRADE THE WORKFORCE

Lack of use by employers of industry-recognized certifications to assess and upgrade workforce

Only 19 employers of the 119 employers who responded the question of use of industry-led certifications responded that they require or prefer industry-led certifications when hiring entry level production workers.

This is consistent with the statewide survey of employers that Conexus issued February, 2010. The most frequently used certification, (9) employers used American Welding Society certification.

Reasons for use relate to ensuring skills; eases screening process and reduces employers training costs

The primary reason for use of these certifications is that they ensure that candidates have knowledge required to perform the job at satisfactory standards. A related secondary reason is because it helps screen unqualified candidates during the hiring process. Six employers perceive that certifications reduce costs of in-house training.

Two certifications are perceived to have the most value

The American Welding Society and the National Institute of Metalworking Skills certifications are perceived to have the most value in that employees possessing these certifications generally are good performers on the job. Most employers believe though that workers holding these industry-led certifications still require on-the-job training to be effective.

Employers believe that the certifications do not reflect job requirements or they do not know enough about them

About an equal number of employers either do not believe that national industry-led certifications reflect requirements of the job or don’t know enough about them to make a judgment.

Certifications employers believe are important to purse as part of a certification system

Three certifications are considered important and very important to a national certification system for manufacturing employers: Safety/Environmental; Lean Manufacturing; and Total Quality Manufacturing.

SUMMARY

Survey results tell a story and in this case the results tell the story of how select manufacturers in the Tri-State area view the state of the workforce today and over the next few years. The results are consistent with a statewide survey of manufacturers that Conexus conduced a year from this one, February 2011 so in that sense there are no unique challenges facing this region that are not faced by manufacturers elsewhere in Indiana.

Overall, the survey reveals that manufacturers in the region are not satisfied with the quality of applicants or new hires for available jobs. Employers envision this situation worsening over the next five years due to the converging forces of an aging workforce, escalating skills and projected job growth creating a shrinking pool of qualified candidates for manufacturing jobs in the region.

The dissatisfaction of current candidates and new hires relate to all attributes of a good employee: work ethic, technical knowledge, workplace skills and academic competencies. Thus interventions or remedies need to address all four factors, though academic competencies were viewed as the least deficient factor among the four.

It is also evident that while employers are not satisfied with technical knowledge they do not seem to require or prefer that in their hiring policies nor do they tend to measure technical knowledge in their hiring process. This is an area that can also be addressed to improve the quality of the workforce. As long as the high school diploma and GED are the dominant preferred criteria for entry-level production workers, technical skills and workplace attributes are likely to be lacking in new hires. Employers might consider raising the bar on their criteria for job candidates and new hires.

Another opportunity to improve the quality of the applicant pool is to involve employers with schools and colleges in the development of curriculum and participation in instruction. Employers did not appear to have deep relationships with education institutions in the region.

Finally, there was very little usage and knowledge of industry-recognized certifications that are part of the National Manufacturing Skills Certification System, which again is consistent with employers across the state. Most employers that used some of the certifications did not rank them as having high value in predicting good employees. However there was fairly strong support for the use of higher skill certifications and the incorporation of these in education programs might be explored.

EVSC Statement Regarding EPD News Release

Jordan McGuire, former choral music teacher at Harrison High school submitted his letter of resignation on March 21, 2012. This was following information that came to light by EVSC administrators on Monday, March 19.

The EVSC had learned through a telephone call that McGuire allegedly had supplied alcohol to minors at a party in January. These individuals were not high school students.

When the allegation of supplying alcohol to minors came to light, McGuire was not in school on March 19, 20, and 21, and returned for a requested conference with EVSC officials later on March 21, when he confirmed the allegation of supplying alcohol and submitted his resignation.

The EVSC was in contact with an Evansville Police Department officer the following morning, March 22; and learned at that time from police that there had been a text message to a student, but police had determined it was not acted upon.

Source: Marsha Jackson, EVSC

Excerpts:

“The Detroit city council meets today to consider a state offer to save Motown from bankruptcy. The result will reveal whether even looming catastrophe can break the stranglehood that unions have on urban politics.”

“Retirement costs are Detroit’s biggest liability, and about half of all tax dollars go toward employee benefits.” editors note: It works out to roughly $10,000 per resident per year to fund the retirements already promised. That is not sustainable in a shrinking city of limited means.

“If the unions refuse to renegotiate, the Governor wants to give Mayor Bing the authority to impose new contracts. Mr. Snyder’s original proposal would have given this power to an oversight board. But city leaders complained that ceding control to unaccountable bureaucrats would compromise the city’s independence and undercut democratic governance.”

“If the city council rejects the Governor’s latest proposal today, Governor Snyder would be required by a new state law to appoint an emergency manager to run the city. This state-appointed receiver would usurp the city council and have the authority to nullify labor contracts and impose new ones. City leaders and the unions have been trying to avoid this outcome by stringing out negotiations with the state.”

” City council members don’t want independence. They want to be hooked up to the state IV.”

“Mr. Snyder is trying to help Detroit save itself. But if city leaders refuse to assert control over the unions, a declaration of bankruptcy may be the only way to save Motown.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303816504577312094014279010.html

The 11th annual USI Endeavor! Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Symposium will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in the University Center.

The Endeavor! Symposium is a conference to encourage, support, and publicize undergraduate research, scholarship, and creativity. More than 90 researchers and artists will participate in this year’s symposium.

Students will give oral and poster presentations on subjects as diverse as spirituality in the El Cibao region of the Dominican Republic, fluorescent molecules, costuming research for USI Theatre’s production of RENT, using Google Earth modeling to explore large-scale shear fold geometry, health and obesity, and alternative energy systems in Jamaica.

All undergraduate students can participate in the symposium regardless of whether or not they have applied for or used Endeavor funds, but those who have received Endeavor! Project Awards or Presentation Awards are required to present.

Check-in for the symposium begins at 8:30 a.m. Oral presentations will be held in University Center meeting rooms and poster and artwork sessions will be held in Carter Hall.

Dr. Jane Johansen, professor of business communication, is director of the Endeavor! Awards Program. “The Endeavor! Research and Creativity Awards Program operates on the assumption that when you follow a passion, you will emerge with a better education and stronger ties to your learning than the education you develop by studying and taking tests,” she said. “The synergy between research and learning is the foundation for the best learning created.”

The Endeavor! Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Symposium is sponsored by Vectren Energy Delivery and the USI Office of Academic Affairs.

Source: USI.edu

Rising pop-punk band All Time Low is set to bring their infectious party sounds to the Ford
Center for a concert on Friday, April 20 at 8:00 p.m. Joining All Time Low will be rising American Synth
Rock/Pop band Gentlemen Hall. The concert is being held in conjunction with the University of Evansville as
part of their annual spring activities.

Since forming in the Baltimore suburbs in 2003, All Time Low have become one of the biggest pop-punk bands
to emerge on the scene, building a grassroots following of die-hard fans with very little radio airplay and a
touring ethic that would rival road-weary vets like Green Day. All Time Low features singer-guitarist Alex
Gaskarth, drummer Rian Dawson, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, and bassist Zack Merrick.

Gentleman Hall consists of Gavin Merlot (lead vocals and guitar), Cobi Mike (lead vocals and guitar), Ro
Richard (bass guitar), Bradford Alderman (vintage synthesizers), Phil Boucher (drums, percussion,
glockenspiel), and Seth Hachen (flute, piccolo). Their music is reminiscent of Passion Pit, Phoenix and MGMT.
Their passion for dancing and a good time is reflected in their high-energy live shows, which tend to become
inclusive dance parties.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 4, at 10:00 a.m. at the Ford Center Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster
locations, ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000. All seats are general admission and only $20.00. For
more information on the Ford Center visit:

www.thefordcenter.com, www.facebook.com/fordcenterevansville or www.twitter.com/thefordcenter.

The University of Southern Indiana’s 2012 College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Scholar is Dr. W. Robert Connor, who will present “Why Literature? The Long Term Effects of Studying Languages and Literature,” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, in Kleymeyer Hall in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center at USI. A reception will follow at 7 p.m. in the McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries.

Connor holds a Ph.D. in classics from Princeton University. He later returned to Princeton as a professor and administrator until 1989, when he became president and director of the National Humanities Center in North Carolina’s research triangle region. He joined the New York-based Teagle Foundation as its president in early 2003, reaffirming the foundation’s long-standing commitment to higher education, and refocusing it on improving student learning in the liberal arts and sciences.

The Teagle Foundation, established in 1944, is a private foundation which “aims to strengthen liberal education by providing the intellectual and financial resources necessary to ensure that today’s students have access to challenging, wide-ranging, and enriching college educations, and that they succeed at the highest possible level.” He retired in 2009, but continues to serve as the foundation’s senior advisor.

Connor lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina with his wife Carolyn. He holds honorary degrees from several colleges and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.

For more information about Connor and the Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series, go to http://www.usi.edu/libarts/scholars-dist.asp.