Course Catalog: Fall 2012

Arden Pierce, structural yoga therapist

Come enjoy a restorative break for your body and mind. Soothe your neck, shoulders and eyes, unlock your hips and back, and release stress. Return to work with more energy, clarity and calm. Clothing change is not necessary, but please do not wear tight clothing or jeans that day. Please drink a glass of water before you come!

Class maximum 25

Mondays, October 1–December 17, from 12:10 to 12:55 p.m.
Neilson Browsing Room

Christian McEwen, author

"Art is the means we have of undoing the damage of haste," wrote the poet Theodore Roethke. "It's what everything else isn't." Over the course of this mini-retreat, we will take the time to explore the gentle art of slowing down, combining stories and discussion with a special focus on writing and drawing, walking and dreaming. Please bring a favorite notebook or journal, and a pair of comfortable walking shoes.

Friday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 205

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Correct posture can help to prevent injury and undue muscle strain. Licensed professionals conduct baseline screenings for posture and symmetry. Postural deficiencies and locations where potential injury can occur are identified. Once individual assessments are completed, each participant is given tailored recommendations to correct posture and avoid potential injury. Postural screenings take approximately eight minutes per person.

Wednesday, October 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 205

Terry Buckhout, Meadowbrook Associates and Arden Pierce

Is your workstation set at the correct eye level and proper height? Is your keyboard and mouse directly in front of you? Are your shoulders relaxed and facing forward? Simple corrections to the way you sit to work at your computer will allow you more comfort and help to avoid injury; good practice in work habit is a must. Join Terry Buckhout, who will instruct you on how to measure appropriate chair height and distance for keyboard and screen for proper workstation setup. Additionally, Arden Pierce, from Yoga for Wellbeing, will lead the group on how to stay limber with a simple stretch program you can do throughout the day. Sample information will be available from the computer store.

Friday, November 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Campus Center Carroll Room

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Heidi Roth joins us again to talk help us de-mystify the use of sugar substitutes. We know sugar sure tastes good, but is it really as unhealthy as the media would make it seem? Sugar substitutes can taste just as sweet, but are they safe? In this seminar, participants will learn about the pros and cons of various types of natural as well as artificial sugars. They will learn about the health effects different types of sugar have, and at the end, will be able to make an informed decision about how to best sweeten their food.

Tuesday, November 13, from noon to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 205

Laura Biddulph, Pioneer Valley Community Outreach Specialist for the Center for EcoTechnology

Did you know the average simple payback on replacement windows in New England ranges from 35 to 99 years? This informative presentation provides you with ways to improve indoor comfort, save money and energy and reduce cold air and drafts by using window treatments, air sealing and installing interior storm windows. Come learn the facts about why replacement windows might not be the stellar investment they are advertised to be and what alternatives to consider.

Wednesday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center Room 205

If you are feeling that extra weight around the middle, you are not alone. If you are tired of wondering how to reduce the weight and eat right, join Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to learn more about carbohydrate intake and set the record straight on healthy options that keep you feeling and looking great.

Thursday, December 13, from noon to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 205

Need a walking buddy? Whether it is total miles walked, weight reduction or relaxation, we encourage you to come out and join us. We will meet for eight consecutive Wednesdays, from noon to 1 p.m., for a relaxing or invigorating walk. Whether you are a regular walker or just looking to get fresh air and enjoy the company of other staff members, join the Wednesday Walkers.

Wednesday, October 10–December 5*, from noon to 1 p.m.
Indoor Track and Tennis

*No meeting November 21

Getting off to a good start with your student workforce starts before they arrive and developing the criteria for interviewing to select the best student for your department is key. In this 90-minute session we will look at pre and post-hire topics to manage your student staff including posting to Job X, setting up student payroll, matching skills set and personalities, accommodating work schedules for range of hours, including nights and weekends and look at how to best motivate student workers, and instill a sense of pride in their work.

Thursday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 102

Susan Kline, Business Communications

Here's a class to educate and surprise you with a host of words you should know (like acumen and jejune), words typically misunderstood and misused (like bemused and nonplussed), and phrases suddenly popping up everywhere in today's communication (like crowd funding and tiger mother). Test your ability to recognize foreign expressions, eliminate obvious redundancies, and pronounce words correctly. Emerge from the class with expanded knowledge of words, confidence in how to use them and fascination with our ever-evolving language.

Thursday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 103/104

Susan Kline, Business Communications

In the workplace, whether it's academic, corporate, nonprofit or other, first impressions mean everything. People decide within the first 30 seconds whether they'll listen to you—so it's up to you to tell them up front in a crisp and compelling way what your message is and why it's to their benefit to listen.

You'll have a chance to prepare your 1½-minute elevator pitch (the amount of time people really have to persuade others to do something unfamiliar), practice it, get feedback and hone for presentation. Whatever you do, don't be "forgettable." Keep your bullet points succinct, be sure they tell your story, and leave the audience with something of value.

Thursday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 103/104

Cori Ashworth, EANE

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 delivers a step-by-step program for increasing your emotional intelligence using the four core EQ skills—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—to exceed your goals and achieve your fullest potential. Through a personal appraisal test, you will identify your strengths and enjoy consistent performance in pursuit of important life objectives, with proven strategies from a decade-long effort to accurately measure and increase emotional intelligence.

Thursday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 103/104

Allison Holzer, M.A.T. & C.P.C.C, Mark Setton, Ph.D.

The pursuit of happiness is an essential human right. Both Confucius and Socrates implied that happiness and personal growth were a major purpose of life and a central goal of education. More than two hundred years later, a scientific field called "Positive Psychology" has emerged to study what actually makes people happy and why. Join us for an overview of the seven correlates of happiness. Learn about specific activities and habits you can acquire to cultivate more gratitude, positive emotions, well-being, and, of course, happiness in your life on and off the job!

Friday, December 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 205

Lauren Garlick, Communication Coach

This session will serve employees who want to increase visibility and presence and in the workplace. This professional development workshop with Communications Skills Coach Lauren Garlick, will focus on overcoming challenges/fears to meet career goals and will focus on:

• Communicating your ideas persuasively
• Increasing confidence when taking risks
• Effectively negotiating and managing relationships
• Bringing your best self to the table

Tuesday, October 23, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 003

Jenny Silver and Mary Hulbert

Join us to discuss how to build successful teams, what works and why. This will be a relaxed and open discussion on how to be more effective as a team leader as you create a culture in your organization with clear goals, collaborative climate, and manage performance through effective feedback to all.

Lunch will be provided

Thursday, October 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 003

Pamela Nolan Young, Director of Institutional Diversity/Equity

Diversity and Equity 101: A managers' guide to preventing discrimination and harassment, welcoming diversity in the workplace and successful team building. In this 90-minute workshop, managers will have an opportunity to review the basics of nondiscriminatory work practices using case scenarios.

Lunch will be provided

Friday, November 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 003

Cori Ashworth, EANE

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 delivers a step-by-step program for increasing your emotional intelligence using the four core EQ skills–self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—to exceed your goals and achieve your fullest potential. Through a personal appraisal test, you will identify your strengths and enjoy consistent performance in pursuit of important life objectives, with proven strategies from a decade-long effort to accurately measure and increase emotional intelligence.

Friday, December 14, from 9 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 003

Mary Hulbert

Effectively coaching your direct reports translates into higher employee engagement and productivity. This interactive learning experience will introduce you to critical skills, frameworks, and mindset to effectively coach team members, and to bring out the best in your employees and colleagues. Any leader who manages others and wants to get the best from their employees while becoming the boss everyone wants to work for should attend.

Tuesday, November 13, from 9 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 003

UMass Five College Credit Union

This workshop will explain credit reports, how credit scores are determined, and ways to improve your score. You will also learn how to find the best credit card and what you should ask when applying for a loan.

Friday, November 9, from noon to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 003

Mary Ellen Gordon, CRPC, CEBS, CFS – Financial Adviser, ING

A strong retirement investment strategy generally includes a mix of stock, bond and cash investments. Join us for a discussion of the importance of building a successful long-term retirement portfolio using well-recognized risk management strategies.

Wednesday, October 10, from noon to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 003

David K. Carboni, Ph.D., CFP®

This session will explore the special challenges same sex couples face in planning for retirement. Our federal income tax system generally leaves same sex couples at a disadvantage, including: the inability to roll over an IRA inherited from a deceased partner to her own. However, this modest disadvantage pales in comparison to some of the other estate planning issues same sex couples must confront, including: no unlimited deductions for both federal estate and gift taxes; potential problems in naming of executors; and possible family challenges to Advance Directives designations.

Likewise, Social Security and Medicare present some thorny planning problems for same sex couples. Unlike heterosexual married couples, same sex married couples have access to neither spousal nor widow's benefits under Social Security. This can make income planning for a surviving same sex partner particularly importance, in many cases, presenting the need for life insurance where none would otherwise be needed.

Though some states provide "spousal protection" under Medicaid laws on long-term care expenses, most do not. It's also important that same sex couples understand the implications of this in providing coverage for long-term care, especially if they plan to relocate to another state.

This workshop will layout the issues and offer blueprints to help confront these ever changing retirement planning challenges. Remember, you do not have to be "on the verge of retiring" to benefit from this programs.

David K. Carboni, Ph.D., CFP, an authority in the field of retirement planning, will lead the sessions. Carboni has delivered thousands of retirement planning programs nationwide, including workshops for the faculty and staff of Yale University, Williams College, Wellesley College, Amherst College, and here at Smith College with great success. Unlike presentations offered by financial service providers, this program is strictly educational, as Carboni neither sells financial products or services nor represents financial service organizations.

Wednesday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 103/104