Discount Programs for Faculty and Staff

Discounted products and services are offered to Ohio State’s faculty and staff by a wide variety of vendors. Being a Buckeye can help you save money.

The website, https://hr.osu.edu/benefits/discount-programs/, organizes discounts into 11 categories. They are: automobiles and auto service, computers and accessories, gym/fitness memberships, health and wellness, housing, memberships, mobile phones, products and services, retail, sports and entertainment, and travel.

The site also highlights featured discounts. Today’s featured discount is discounted tickets to the spring football game on April 15.

 

Biometric Health Screenings on CFAES Columbus Campus

It is important that you Know Your Numbers.  By knowing your BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar (either glucose and/or A1C) values, you can make changes to improve your health and reduce your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses.  You can obtain your health values annually with your primary care provider (PCP) or at an upcoming biometric screening event:

  • PCP Visit: If you have recently* had a physical or completed a biometric screening with your PCP, you can use those values to complete your Personal Health and Well-Being Assessment (PHA). Provide your PCP with the Know Your Numbers Provider Form and submit the completed form to the OSU Health Plan.
  • On-Campus Screening Event: On April 25,  the OSU Health Plan’s RN Health Promotion Specialist(s) will be in our department  to complete complimentary screenings.  See below for registration details.

Once you obtain your required health values [height, weight, blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL and a blood sugar value (either glucose or A1C)], complete your PHA to complete level one of the incentive program. Your PHA  is a 15-minute online questionnaire.

Registration Details: If you would like to register for the upcoming biometric health screening in our department, follow the steps below:

  1. Go here and click “Biometric Health Screening
  2. Log in with your Ohio State name.# and password.
  3. Highlight “Biometric Health Screening” and find the “appointment code” box.
  4. In the “Appointment Code” box type in AAB17.  Do NOT copy and paste as this doesn’t always work to activate the code.
  5. Click “Find Appointments or Classes”. This will show only the appointments available for this screening event.
  6. Continue to schedule the appointment. If you experience any difficulty, please contact Customer Service at 292-4700 with your Appointment Code.

Please remember that participating in the wellness program is completely voluntary. We understand that your health history is very personal — protecting your information and keeping it private is of utmost importance to us. While participating in YP4H, the personal information that you provide, whether online or in person, is only available to you and those whom you authorize to access it. Beyond the team at the OSU Health Plan, your nurse, health coach, or your own PCP, no other Ohio State personnel will see or have access to your results.

*Please use health values obtained since December 1, 2016.

Your Gift Does More – Emily’s Story

This week marks the second full week of Campus Campaign 2017 and we want to know what you’re passionate about?!

Is it similar to Emily’s story?

Animals are a huge part of my family’s life – we care deeply about animal welfare and rights, and our pets are considered a part of our family. That is why I chose to make my 2017 Campus Campaign contribution to “Faithful & Forgotten Friends” under Angel’s Fund (Fund 313675). This amazing organization was started by OSU faculty and works tirelessly to improve the quality of life for pets of the less fortunate in central Ohio through educating their owners and providing food, vaccinations, assistance with spay/neuter procedures, and other medical aid.

Emily Steiner
Office Administrative Associate
CFAES Dean’s Suite

This week’s featured units:

Department of Food Science and Technology:
Food Science and Technology Equipment and Technology Fund 314430
Food Science and Technology Annual Fund 312651

Hamilton County Extension:
Hamilton County 4-H Fund 315767

And don’t forget this year’s CFAES highlighted funds:
Students First, Students Now Scholarship Fund in FAES 313122
Welcome and Education Center at the Secrest Arboretum Fund 312597
Ohio 4-H Program Fund 310225

The 2017 CFAES Campus Campaign co-chairs are Greg Davis (davis.1081@osu.edu) and Thom Janini (janini.4@osu.edu).

Upcoming Trainings for Faculty and Staff

Managing@OSU: Building Successful Relationships
New Ohio State managers can participate in this in-person workshop that includes group discussion, self-reflection and action planning to help build strong team relationships, foster accountability and get resources.

  • Friday, March 24, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
  • Friday, April 7, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
  • Register at BuckeyeLearn

Working Through Difficult Conversations
This in-person workshop provides tools and practice to help increase skills and comfort in engaging in difficult conversations. Learn how to prepare in advance, start the conversation effectively, and maintain a productive environment.

  • Friday, March 31, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday, April 5, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
  • Register at BuckeyeLearn

Understanding the Sexual Misconduct Policy
Members of the university community have the right to be free from all forms of sexual misconduct. This in-person workshop provides participants key legal and policy details, how to recognize sexual misconduct, how to file a complaint or make a report, support resources and how to prevent sexual misconduct in the work and academic setting.

  • Thursday, March 30, 1-3 p.m.
  • Register at BuckeyeLearn

CFAES Exploring Diversity

Join CFAES faculty, staff and students on April 22, 2017, for CFAES Exploring Diversity in Cincinnati, Ohio. The day-long event is from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Travel and explore the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Jungle Jim’s International Market.

There is a $5.00 deposit is to reserve your seat. It should be dropped off at the front desk in room 100 of the Agricultural Administration building.  Wooster campus participants should see Heather Hettick in Skou Hall, room 128. Your deposit will be returned on the bus the day of the trip.

CFAES Exploring Diversity Flyer 2017

Click here to register.

2017 Global Brain Health and Performance Summit

The 2017 Global Brain Health and Performance Summit, April 27-29, Columbus, Hilton Downtown, will feature scientists, clinicians, engineers, entrepreneurs and other experts from around the world who are transforming how we sense, measure, assess  and augment brain-body function. Sessions will explore technological advances for understanding brain-body connectivity and performance optimization across athletic, military, clinical and general populations.

Keynote speakers include Nathan Price, PhD, award-winning bioengineer and Associate Director of the Institute for Systems Biology, Deepak Chopra, MD, founder of The Chopra Foundation, co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, and world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation and Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow, best-selling author and founder of Blue Zones.

Single day rates are available. Click here for more information.

Conference to Help Small-Farm Owners

A conference designed for small-farm owners will be held in March. Ohio State University Extension’s Small Farm Program is hosting the Living Your Small Farm Dream conference to help small-farm owners get the maximum potential out of their businesses.

The conference with trade show is designed to help participants learn tips, techniques and methods for diversifying their operations to improve economic growth and development on their farms.

The Living the Small Farm Dream conference (Conference Flyer) is March 25 at the R.G. Drage Career Technical Center, 2800 Richville Drive Southwest, in Massillon, from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The event will include 27 workshop sessions on topics including disease prevention, aquaculture, land management, finances, solar energy, pond management and using urban land for garden markets.

Registration for the Living the Small Farm Dream conference is $60 or $30 for students. Click here to register by March 17.

For more information about the conference, contact Tony Nye at 937-382-0901 or nye.1@osu.edu.

Calling All Inventors: Accelerator Award Submissions

The Accelerator Awards provide Ohio State researchers with an initial infusion of capital to further develop and validate inventions, software, and technologies. Concept development, prototyping, coding, market studies and customer validation efforts are eligible uses for this award.

The Accelerator Awards is a funding program based upon the idea that an initial amount of capital, strategically focused, can make a large difference in advancing a technology along the commercialization pathway. The Accelerator Award is designed to provide funding to further develop and validate promising technologies over a 6- to 12-month timeline.

Available to all Ohio State researchers who have disclosed their inventions to the Technology Commercialization Office, the awards are up to $100,000. Applications for this round of funding are due Monday, March 27.

If you are interested in submitting an application, Shauna Brummet is available to assist you in crafting the application with a focus on the information that the review panel wants to see. Shauna can be reached at brummet.1@osu.edu.

Click here for more information on the Accelerator Awards Program.

Campus Campaign: Your Gift Does More

On March 1, the 2017 Campus Campaign officially kicked off. The eight-week fundraising awareness effort runs through April 30. Help us exceed last year’s results of 35 percent and reach the 45 percent participation goal this year!

Every gift counts, no matter the size or destination. Or choose from the following CFAES funds highlighted for this year:

Please visit the Campus Campaign 2017 webpage for an easy way to give!

Supplemental Retirement Accounts: New Options in Employee Self Service

Starting March 6, 2017, new options for accessing Supplemental Retirement Accounts (SRA) will be available in Employee Self Service.

Instead of one link for both type of accounts, there will be separate links for 403(b) and 457(b) accounts (screenshot below). The enhancement is intended to reduce confusion for employees and reduce the number of steps to enroll or make changes. Printable SRA confirmation statements will also be available for employees who enroll or make changes to their accounts.

Safety Brief – Building Emergency Action Plans

Attached is the latest “Safety Brief” poster from OSU Environmental Health and Safety.  This safety brief features building emergency action plans.

OSU Safety Brief – BEAP

Over the last few months, the college has been working with OSU Public Safety to update all of the Building Emergency Action Plans (BEAP) for the CFAES buildings and conduct building-specific BEAP training for faculty, staff, and student employees.

Every building on campus has a specific Building Emergency Action Plan. Do you know how to respond if an emergency were to occur in your building? In this OSU EHS safety brief poster, learn what situations are covered in the BEAP and how you can obtain your building’s plan.

Please take a few minutes to review the material and pass it on throughout your department.  Click here for previous OSU EHS Safety Brief posters.

Click here for more CFAES employee safety information.