Staff Spotlight: Karen West
By Ashley Ellis, ’08
From Charlotte, N.C., and Winston Salem, N.C., to Florida and Virginia, Karen West, ’94, has lived in many locations, but she’s found a home at Meredith. West has been a part of the Meredith community for nearly 14 years; she received her bachelor and master’s degrees from Meredith.
She currently works in Technology Services as the office manager.
“I work on the budget and special projects, and I’m on the national board for D.U.G, Datatel Users Group,” says West.
Before taking her new position, which she has had since January, she worked in a few other locations on campus such as Admissions, Registrar, and the previous Camcard/Camtel office that was present on campus in the ‘90s. West began working in the Information Systems area as a student and continued working there after her graduation.
After playing many roles at Meredith, West loves the fact that many of her co-workers have become good friends and she loves the memories she has captured. Some of her fondest recollections include working with students and seeing a positive end result such as graduation or finding a job.
One of her own goals in life is to travel to all 50 states and she has visited 35 so far. Among all of the states she has traveled to, she enjoyed the western states because of the culture and different geography.
West enjoys learning about new aspects of life and one of her favorite quotes is, “You don’t grow when you’re comfortable.” It’s evident that this is not only a quote she favors, but one that she lives by.
New Meredith Homepage Unveiled
Meredith’s Office of Marketing & Communications recently launched a new homepage. The redesign features user-friendly navigation and larger photos depicting life at Meredith.
Because the web site is an important communications tool to reach prospective students, the new www.meredith.edu homepage was designed to more closely relate to Meredith’s undergraduate recruitment publications. The design was tested with focus groups including current student leaders.
In addition, new banners and content can be found on main navigation pages including About, Academics, Admissions, Student Life and Campus Resources.
This new site, along with the new Enews launched this past fall, continues to serve students, faculty, staff, parents and alumnae interested in learning more about Meredith College.
Visit www.meredith.edu to view the site’s new look.
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New Learning Center Online Appointment Form Available
By Ashley Ellis, ’08
The Learning Center has adopted a new way for students to sign up securely and confidentially for an appointment. A team consisting of Andy Richards and Diane Sherman of Technology Services and the Learning Center’s Director Carmen Christopher, Assistant Director Laura Dick, and Administrative Assistant Lisa Foster, developed a new online appointment form.
The online appointment form now allows students more security when signing up for an appointment. Before, students would sign up for an appointment on one of two bulletin boards in the hallway of Jones. Because of this, the students’ contact information was open to public view.
“We wanted to remove any uncertainty about the safety of students’ information,” said Christopher.
Also, the online appointment form allows confidentiality for students. Since the information was public, “some students might have been reluctant to sign up for our services,” said Christopher.
The online sign-up procedure makes data collection more accurate and easier for the Learning Center. There is no longer a need to type in the number of visits per day per subject by hand. So far, the online appointment form has proven to be an asset to the campus community, according to Christopher. Students are able to sign up for appointments at their convenience. This has been especially beneficial for commuters and 23+ students who may not be on campus as often as residents.
The online appointment form is also helpful to students because it sends a confirmation email once the request has been processed. This serves as a reminder for students of their appointment. Students are able to cancel their appointments online as well.
More information on the Learning Center is available at www.meredith.edu/learn and the online appointment form is available at www.meredith.edu/learn/appointments.htm.
Faculty/Staff Urgent Care Hours Available in the Health Center
By Ashley Ellis, ’08
After a successful pilot program this summer, the Carroll Health Center now offers permanent urgent care hours to faculty and staff. The health center treats faculty and staff with upper respiratory infections, viral infections, urinary tract infections, minor injuries, and other health related issues except chronic illnesses.
The urgent care hours are on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 9-10 a.m. and every afternoon from 3-4 p.m. These hours are set aside so that the physician or physician assistant can see faculty and staff while maintaining the student hours in the clinic. Urgent care visits are $20.
According to Sherri Henderson, director of Carroll Health Center, the response since the installation of the urgent care hours at the health center has been overwhelmingly positive. More than 97 percent of respondents to a recent survey of faculty and staff said they would recommend the Carroll Health Center to another Meredith employee and 92.6 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with their visit to the health center. When respondents were asked what they enjoyed the most about their visit to the health center, some replied, the “interaction with the nurses,” “nice and professional staff,” and “not having to leave campus.”
Since urgent care hours have been provided, the health center has been able to help many faculty and staff including helping staff members find an affordable primary care physician that could meet their needs.
Henderson reminds Meredith community members that flu season is at its peak, and offers the following prevention tips
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Wash hands frequently;
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Get plenty of rest;
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Stay hydrated;
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Remember not to share drinks, food, or eating utensils with others.
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