Spring 2008

Into Print aims to educate, inform, and entertain its readers, with a goal of fostering positive communication between its participating departments, their staffs, and their clients.

In this issue

News briefs

Postal Service rate increase to take place May 12
Surplus sets regular hours for departmental sales
Fleet Services to send 35 vehicles to DOT auction in May

TypeStrikes

General news

Reorganization combines Print, Mail services
Fiscal-year-end deadlines set
MFK v. M-number
Congratulations to our graduating student employees

Equipment Rental

HD-TV screens for rent
Equipment Rental unit review completed

General Stores

Save more: Consolidate OfficeMax orders
No cookies? No way.

Laundry Service

Laundry updating, improving training programs
Laundry, College of Public Health team up for ergonomics evaluation

Mailing Services

New Mail Services manager brings wealth of experience
Departmental address updates requested
Campus Mail is all dressed up with plenty of places to go!

Parking and Transportation

Renovation means temporary relocation for Parking Office
Bicycle parking study completed

Printing Services

Spring deadlines for printing final exams
Send PDF files - and information
Still the #1 tip, after all these years!
Copy Centers' Kline retires
Character Counts: Meet Tracy VandenBerg

Surplus

Off to the computer recycle shop
Hennager, long-time Surplus employee, to retire

We like feedback

Send Story ideas, address corrections, additions, e-mail
We are . . .
Directories
The University of Iowa Nondiscrimination Statement

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NEWS BRIEFS

Postal Service rate increase to take place May 12

The U.S. Postal Service will increase its rates on May 12. The price of First-Class stamps, including Forever stamps, will go from 41 to 42 cents each. However, Forever stamps purchased at the 41-cent rate will be valid regardless of future rate increases. Other postage increases include postcards, from 26 to 27 cents each; First-Class letters, second ounce, from 58 to 59 cents each; First-Class letters to Canada and Mexico, from 69 to 72 cents each; and First-Class letters to other countries, from 90 to 94 cents each. Prices for services such as standard mail, periodicals, and shipping also will change. The Postal Service plans to adjust prices annually, consistent with the new Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Go to usps.com/pricesfor all USPS mailing services prices, links to downloadable pricing files, and additional information.

Surplus sets regular hours for departmental sales

Surplus is now open to UI departments on a regular basis, Wednesday mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. UI staff may browse and buy for their departments during that time. It will continue to be open Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for sales to the general public.

Fleet Services to send 35 vehicles to DOT auction in May

Looking to buy a vehicle? Fleet Services will dispose of out-of-service vehicles at an Iowa Department of Transportation auction on Saturday, May 31, at 9 a.m. The University of Iowa will send approximately 35 vehicles to the sale. We will be selling minivans, cargo vans, mid-size and compact sedans, and larger vehicles as well. The auction site is at South Fourth Street and Oak Avenue in Ames, Iowa. A map to the location and more information are on the DOT sale website at www.dot.state.ia.us/auction/index.htm.   — Mike Wilson

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TYPESTRIKES

from our typo treasure chest

Medications may affect your frelexes.

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GENERAL NEWS

Reorganization combines Printing, Mailing Services

The Printing Department and Central Mailing Services have merged, following a reorganization that placed Chris Kula as assistant director of Business Services to oversee both departments. The unit will be known as UI Printing and Mailing Services. Such mergers are increasingly common in the industry.

"We're lucky to have both printing and mailing in the same building. We've got the right facility, the right people," says Gary Anderson, associate director of Business Services. "We're doing it for efficiency and to improve customer service. It can take several phone calls and several requisitions for a customer to complete a job, and we're hoping to do it in one step."

Anderson will continue to provide administrative oversight for UI Printing and Mailing Services as well as for General Stores, Equipment Rental, and Surplus.

"We're going to make it possible for customers to work with us as one unit, instead of having several contacts for their print/mail orders," says Kula. "We are going to do more cross training and create a more efficient work flow as well." A reorganization of the plant floor is already under way. New equipment is part of transition, too. The department is in the process of acquiring a new press, as well as working on prepress and bindery improvements.

"We're getting rid of antiquated equipment. One new press will replace several old ones. We will have computer-to-plate technology, which will allow us to begin catching up with the industry," says Anderson. "This also gives us the opportunity to put more emphasis on the color digital press and variable data printing. It's the way the industry is going - full color, short run, quick turnaround."

Software that will support the reorganized structure is among the long-term goals. Currently several systems are in place to meet various needs, but a more compact, consolidated system would improve the work flow.

"We're getting rid of archaic processes, too" says Kula. "We'll be a one-stop shop. We want customers to use us because we're easy, and not have them wondering what to do next at every step. We want to be able to offer them new ways of thinking about their orders, with more options, new opportunities."

Anderson says a goal for employees is for the printing staff to learn more about mail and the mailing staff to learn more about print - and how it all fits together.

"Printing and mailing go together like peanut butter and jelly," says Kula. "It's all one big flow. If you take them separately, printing is good and mailing is good, but together they're better."

Fiscal-year-end deadlines set

The fiscal year end is approaching; it is time to plan and place orders to be billed to 2008 budgets. Please be aware of the following deadlines:

Copy Centers

Work performed as of 11:59 p.m. on June 30 will be billed in fiscal year 2008. Work performed after that will be billed in fiscal year 2009.

General Stores

Orders faxed or mailed and received by 2 p.m. on June 30 and those entered directly by a department on the MIGS and SIGS ordering systems by 4 p.m. on June 30 will be included in the current fiscal year.

Parking & Transportation

Parking Services' Departmental Business, Service Vehicle Zone, and Pentacrest placard renewal forms will be sent to all departments that currently have them by the end of May. Faculty and staff permits are issued every other year and will come up for renewal in spring 2009.

Printing & Mailing Services

Printing work performed by 4 p.m. June 30 will be charged in fiscal year '08. The balance of charges for jobs in progress will be made when they are completed and closed. Place FY '08 orders soon to be sure they will meet the deadline. Special Printing Orders (SPOs) issued by 4 p.m. June 30 will be encumbered in FY '08. The charges will be based on the estimated invoice from the vendor. Mail processed by 3:30 p.m. Monday, June 30, will be charged in fiscal year '08. Please send us mailings as early in the day as possible.

MFK v. M-number

It's confusing, we know. When we ask for an MFK number at Printing and Copy Centers, people often think we need their handy, four-digit M-number. Not so. Maybe this can help.

MFK number:   a 40-digit University of Iowa account number. It is required on UI requisition forms.
M-number:   a 4-digit number preceded by the letter "M." It is a standing order number used for Copy Center work, large poster printing, and color digital imaging. A one-time requisition to the Printing Department is needed to establish one. Contact our accounting office to establish an M-number.

Congratulations to our graduating student employees

Student employees play an important role in Business Services. They drive buses, meter mail, deliver supplies, print course packs, and more to help keep the University perking. We congratulate the following students on their graduation and thank them for their contributions:

Fleet Services:   McKenzie Johnson, Ryan Madden
General Stores:   Jeff Althaus, Brandon Gardner, Aaron Proctor
Mailing Services:   Kelen Eddy, Bart Scagnelli, Tina Edwards, Ashley Anderson
Parking Field Services:   Scott Lundgren
Parking Services:   Billy Blake, Zach Gulick, Stephanie Lamb

Parking Facilities:   Michelle Baker, Matt Casidy, Shana Drahn, Laura Feehan, Kevin Flaherty, Thomas Fullmer, Scott Gaffey, Broden Hamilton, Travis Holle, Hannah Iverson, Ann Jepsen, Stacy Kelsey, Susan Maly, Eric Mandel, Nick Murphy, Olivia Outland, Scott Pacanowski, Tara Pazo, Robert Pearson, Lindsey Poto, Brittany Savolainen, Bart Schroeder, Kasie Ver Schuure, Mallory Wagner, Elizabeth Ward, Kelly Wilhelm, Katherine Coleman, Ana Ziegler

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EQUIPMENT RENTAL

HD-TV screens for rent

Know what the hot new items are at Equipment Rental this spring? A 32-inch Panasonic flat-panel, HDTV monitor; a Blu-ray DVD player to go with it; and wireless portable amplifiers (about the size of a laptop), with speakers, lapel microphone, and battery pack. MacBook Airs are also in stock. Call Equipment Rental at 384-3922 or 384-3925 for rates and more information.

Equipment Rental unit review completed

A recently completed departmental review of Equipment Rental brought "dozens of favorable comments from people who appreciate our service," says manager Gerry Miller. "We had a few comments for improvements, and we are working on that. We'd like to thank everyone who participated. On the whole, it turned out very well."

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GENERAL STORES

Save more: Consolidate OfficeMax orders

We all know how easy it is to order from OfficeMax. Several ordering options, great pricing, next-day delivery, no minimum orders. It couldn't be better. . . right?

Well, maybe it could. It may be a great convenience to order a ten-cent box of paper clips, but there is a financial and ecological cost involved in placing small orders.

Our contract with OfficeMax offers additional discounts when the average order size exceeds certain levels. Currently our average order is $107. If we could get that up to $150, we would be able to save an additional one percent. Now, that may not seem like much, but when you extend that one percent over the contract year, the total savings would be over $30,000. And if we could reach a $200 average order size, the savings would exceed $45,000 annually.

There are environmental savings, too. Less cardboard is used for packaging. Fewer deliveries are made, saving time, fuel, and wear and tear on trucks. Less paperwork is generated, and there are fewer individual Pcard transactions to reconcile.

To make it easier to hold and later continue shopping, use the OfficeMax web Pcard ordering system. For more details on Pcard ordering please contact Matt Ehn, our dedicated OfficeMax representative, at 384-3908.   — Gary Anderson

No cookies? No way.

Attendees at the General Stores/OfficeMax product show at University Hospitals checked out exhibits, visited with vendors, and munched on cookies. Well, most of them munched. The show, held in January, was packed. "We had 875 attendees. Overwhelming, we even ran out of cookies!" says Business Services associate director Gary Anderson.

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LAUNDRY SERVICE

Laundry updating, improving training programs

The Laundry Service is working to improve its training programs by developing video versions. Each job classification at the Laundry has specific training programs established. They include programs required by IOHSA and programs common to a light industrial work environment like the Laundry. All full-time Laundry staff will be expected to complete the annual training.

Developing a video to be used by temporary agencies that demonstrates the type of work and work environment is another goal of the training project. This will include training materials in Spanish for temporary employees not completely fluent in English. "We hope the video will help temporary employment agencies provide better screening of applicants, to find those more compatible with laundry work," says Laundry manager Dave Gray. "Reducing turnover is a desired outcome."

The Laundry Service has provided training in Spanish to temporary employees, using an interpreter and assistance from the temporary employment agencies, for some years. "Producing these training programs in Spanish and using a computerized training approach is a big time saver and a more efficient way to provide training," says Gray. Jane Gressang, Human Resources, and the Health Protection Office are also involved in the effort.

Laundry, College of Public Health team up for ergonomics evaluation

An evaluation of work activities from an ergonomics perspective, conducted by College of Public Health graduate research assistant Carlos Sanchez Marin, is under way at the Laundry Service. Marin is a student of Professor Tom Cook, a recognized expert in biomechanics and ergonomics.

Marin will report on his study to Laundry manager Dave Gray, with recommendations on ways to help reduce the physical demands on staff during the performance of their duties. Repetitive motion activities, such as lifting and bending from the waist and reaching overhead, are common physical activities that the staff perform throughout the work day.

A goal of the evaluation is to discover new ways staff can perform their work activities with assistance from a mechanical application or by changing their work methods. "One of the most important goals associated with an ergonomic approach to work activities is minimizing the risk of injury to staff," says Gray.

"I was very excited when Dr. Cook requested that Mr. Marin complete a practicum at the Laundry Service. How fortunate for the Laundry to benefit from their expertise, and what a wonderful example of a positive collaboration between the academic side of campus and the support services."

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MAILING SERVICES

New Mailing Services manager brings wealth of experience

Kathy Battin has joined Business Services as manager of Mailing Services. She came to UI with more than 30 years of printing and mailing experience, most recently at Cedar Graphics, a Hiawatha printing company. There she specialized in sales that involved both digital printing and mailing. Her responsibilities also included establishing work processes and training staff. Earlier she had started the mailing division at another printing company, buying equipment, hiring staff, establishing processes, and conducting training.

Her experience covers a full range of printing and mailing, "from VDP [variable data printing] to ten-color annual reports," she says. "For the last 30 years, my client base has included the University of Iowa. Now I'm working here with many of the same people."

Kathy lives in Marion with her husband of 34 years, Al, a circulation manager at The Gazette. One of their daughters, Ellen, is a UNI student. The other, Sarah, teaches in Tuscon, Arizona. She and her husband are expecting their first baby in June. By then, this new-to-UI manager should have accumulated enough vacation for the new grandma to visit the brand-new baby.

Departmental address updates requested

We could use your help keeping the departmental address directory on the web accurate. We depend on departments to inform us of reorganizations, moves, errors, and so forth. Please check your listing and let us know if it's incorrect. Go to http://www.uiowa.edu/printmail/mailsvc/ui-mailaddress/a.shtml, locate your department's address, and contact Jenean Arnold with corrections.

All dressed up... and plenty of places to go!

Campus Mail staff began wearing uniforms this winter for a more professional appearance and to identify them as University employees when they go in and out of buildings while on their routes. Customers like the new look, one of the carriers said, "because now they can tell who we are!"

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PARKING & TRANSPORTATION

Renovation means temporary relocation for Parking Office

The Parking Office in the Iowa Memorial Union Ramp is getting a facelift this spring. Staff will relocate to 868 South Capitol St. during the renovation. All telephone numbers and emails will remain the same, as will the office hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, except Tuesdays, when it is open from 8 to 4:15. The ramp itself will be open for parking during the renovation.

The office will be closed on the day of the move, Thursday, April 17, but the Hospital Ramp 2 Parking Office will be open. Its hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The temporary site will open for business on Friday, April 18.

The renovation is in response to a 2005 Parking and Transportation unit review which included a recommendation to improve the Parking Office, addressing the customer experience and employee work environment. It is the first major renovation for the office since it moved to the ramp in 1978.

Over the years the office has seen new carpet, new paint, partitions installed, partitions removed, the reception counter relocated, and the furniture rearranged - several times. But this project will bring the most dramatic changes so far. Old typewriter desks will be replaced with new work stations, outdated fixtures will be replaced with efficient lighting, and the reception counter will be replaced to be more customer friendly. The reception area will also include a computer kiosk to make online student vehicle and bus pass registration more convenient. A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system will be installed to circulate fresh air throughout the office. Currently the air is recirculated.

The renovations are to begin April 22, with completion scheduled for the week of August 8. The staff anticipates being back at the IMU Ramp before fall semester begins. However, the IMU South Room has been reserved for Parking Office use should there be delays. This will allow the staff to be on campus and available for students' questions and purchases of parking permits and bus passes.

The temporary office is on South Capitol Street between the railroad overpass and Benton Street. Free customer parking is available for people conducting business there. Also, the Cambus east campus shuttle has a stop about three blocks away, at University Services Building/Lot 11. The postal address for the temporary site is 100 South Capitol Services Building, 868 South Capitol St., Iowa City, Iowa 52242. The Campus Mail address is 100 SCSB. Contact the office at 335- 1475 or parking-office@uiowa.edu for more information.   — Michelle Ribble
. . . . map

Bicycle parking study completed

Last fall, the Parking and Transportation Department conducted a bicycle parking study to determine the effectiveness of the University's efforts to improve bicycle parking on campus. In 1993 a similar study was done to analyze bicycle parking on campus and to make recommendations for improvement. The 2007 study showed the University's efforts to upgrade and add racks, as well as increase enforcement of bicycle parking regulations, has had a positive influence on the number of properly parked bicycles and has drastically reduced the number of improperly parked bicycles.

• In 1993 there were 1,715 bicycles properly parked; in 2007 there were 2,163 (a 26% increase).
• In 1993 there were 373 bicycles improperly parked; in 2007 the number was 31 (a 92% decrease).

The study also showed there has been a net increase of 1,769 bicycle parking spaces since 1993. More parking space has certainly contributed to the increased number of properly parked bicycles, but what may have had a larger effect was that approximately 3,000 of the 3,170 original spaces in 1993 have been replaced with higher quality racks that are secured to paved sites and in more desirable locations.

One surprising result of the study was that the number of bicycles parking on campus has not changed significantly in fourteen years. The 1993 count was 2,088 bicycles and the 2007 count was 2,194 (an increase of 106 bicycles, or 5%). This is surprising given population growth, improvements in the network of community trails, and the current decline in campus automobile parking by students.

Parking and Transportation is pleased with the bicycle parking improvements and will continue to focus on upgrading racks, placing racks in more desirable locations, encouraging bicycle registration, and enforcing bicycle regulations.

To view the complete bicycle parking study go to http://www.facilities.uiowa.edu/ec/docs/Group3PromotionofBicycleCommutingFinal.pdf.   — Michelle Ribble

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PRINTING SERVICES

Spring deadlines for printing final exams

Examinations administered during finals week must be submitted to a Copy Center for printing according to the schedule below. . . . . more information about the exam printing service

• Pick-up date ----------------->>> deadline

• Friday, May 9 ----------------->>> Friday, May 2
• Monday, May 12 ----------------->>> Monday, May 5
• Tuesday, May 13 ----------------->>> Tuesday, May 6
• Wednesday, May 14 ----------------->>> Wednesday, May 7
• Thursday, May 15 ----------------->>> Thursday, May 8
• Friday, May 16 ----------------->>> Friday, May 9

Send PDF files - and information

Sometimes the Print and Copy Center staff feel like wizards when it comes to figuring out the electronic files they receive. Ways to make sure they know what you want - and that you get it - include

After all these years...

We've harped on this from the beginning, but the top cost-saving tip from Printing Services remains to proofread your document and make sure anyone making decisions does so, too - before you send it to us. After we process it, the proof we send is intended for you to checkourwork. Any editorial or design changes at that point mean we start all over again, adding costs that could have been avoided.

Copy Centers' Kline retires

Marge Kline retired from UI in March after working 37 years in the Copy Center system. She began as a copy center operator in 1971, when the printing facility was located on Iowa Avenue, across the street from Hamburg Inn #1. (Short-timers: there really was one!)

It wasn't long before she was hired as manager, a position she held for 35 years. When she began there were five Centers. Eventually the number grew to eleven. As electronic technology and networking emerged, the lower volume Centers were closed. Today there are again five Copy Centers at UI. "I bought my first Xerox photocopier in 1980. It didn't have electronic technology. It did reductions and enlargements but was slower," says Marge. "I thought, 'No way could a Xerox replace an offset press.' But when I did my annual report I found it did save money."

She was good at multitasking from the start, with an extra-long phone cord to conduct business while running the press. "Once the cord got caught in the flywheel of the press - that was unnerving," she says. "But we had good times. When I was hired at the Copy Center, I'd planned on working there a year or two. I never got around to looking for another job."

Marge learned the value of hard work growing up on a farm in West Des Moines, where she rode horses and worked as her dad's hired hand. "I started driving a tractor when I was 9-years old," she says. Later she worked in the State House, for the highway patrol, and met her husband, Don, through a coworker. He was working for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, from which he retired last year.

Both antique buffs, Marge and Don frequent auctions and estate sales, finding stock for the shop in Kalona which they've maintained for about 25 years. They plan to do much more of it in retirement; expanding their hunting grounds to cover more of the midwest is part of their plan. Marge says she also will work part time and "get organized at home." Sounds like she'll be busier than ever.

Character Counts: Meet Tracy VandenBerg

IMU CopyHawk's Tracy VandenBerg loves her job. Whether selling postage stamps, operating a high-volume printer, shipping packages, figuring out quirks of Acrobat or Excel, keeping records, cleaning up scans, or stocking shelves, she enjoys it.

"I really love working here. I like the environment, the people I work with. We're a tight-knit little group. We're all from the same area and know a lot of the same people," she says. The positive atmosphere goes beyond the copy center, she says. "It's the whole building. I get along great with everyone who works here." Tracy and two student employees cover the evening shift. "I love my students. They're really helpful and have caught on quickly. We do extracurricular activities with our students, like getting together for pizza parties," she says.

When not working, Tracy enjoys time with her son, 2-year-old Ryan. "We like to go to the park - that's our favorite thing to do," she says. "We went this morning with Grandpa, and we had a blast!" They all live in the Riverside area, making it easy for them to get together. Tracy shares a home with her sister, Tonia Laing, who works in Medical Records. Their mom, Marlo Laing, is in Human Resources, and dad Mike in Public Safety. "We're a University family all the way around," says Tracy. Her two cats, Little Miss (Ryan calls her Girlie) and Bo, round out the family.

In her spare time Tracy makes greeting cards using stamping and embossing, and does stenciling, cross stitch, and embroidery. "Sometimes I can be a couch potato in the winter. I love to watch movies - anything with Johnny Depp," she says. "Summertime will get me out. I love working in my flower beds. I also like to ride my motorcycle. It's a 250 Honda Rebel. Speed's not my thing; getting out and enjoying the ride is. And I like to play croquet and bocce ball. Reading is my passion. I love reading to Ryan." Her own taste leans toward mystery, with the Women's Murder Club series, Steven King, and Dean Koontz as favorites.

"I'm a busy homebody who does a lot of things in a small amount of time. That's why I feel like my life's so crazy," says Tracy. "One of these days I'll find time to sit and do nothing!"

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SURPLUS

Off to the computer recycle shop

Surplus received and sent out for recycling thousands of old computers and monitors this winter. The total volume was five semi truckloads, with the newest computers dating to 1995. Most were from 1992 and earlier.

The Lesson:   do not store old computers. Send them to Surplus as soon as you're finished with them. Most can be resold, to individuals and organizations who find them perfectly adequate for their needs. You will free up storage space and enable the University to recover some costs.

Long-time Surplus employee to retire

Joe Hennager, who has run University Surplus for 33 years, will retire May 1. He plans to spend more time on his waste-reduction consulting business, working out of Dallas, Texas, where his wife has taken a new position with a marketing firm. We all wish Joe the best in his future endeavors and appreciate his dedication to the University and to Surplus. He will be greatly missed by his fellow employees and by his customers.   — Gary Anderson

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WE LIKE FEEDBACK!

Story ideas

Are there topics we haven't covered that you would like to see in our newsletter? Do you have questions you would like us to address? Send an e-mail to the editor or a memo to Into Print, 129 MBSB.

Address corrections and additions

If you wish to be added to the Into Print mailing list, fill out and send our form. Use only University of Iowa campus addresses and @uiowa.edu e-mail suffixes.

E-mail us

Send questions and comments about departmental topics to:
Bionic Bus
Cambus information
Central Mail
Commuter Programs
Fleet Services
General Stores
Parking Facilities Operations
Parking Services
Copy Center #2, 100 Mossman Building
Copy Center #3, C102 Pappajohn Business Building
Copy Center #10, 180 Boyd Law Building
UPACS and Copyright Service

We are . . .

Business Services: Equipment Rental, General Stores, Laundry, Parking & Transportation, Printing and Mailing Services, and Surplus, serving The University of Iowa community. The print version of Into Print is distributed free and on request to UI faculty, staff, and students.

Contributors to this issue

Gary Anderson/Business Services, Stores, Surplus; Kathy Battin/Mailing Services; Dave Gray, Jo Anne Worley/Laundry; Chris Kula/Central Mail, Copy Centers; Michelle Ribble/Parking and Transportation.

Editor and web administrator: Jenean Arnold, phone 319-384-3723, 129 Mossman Building.

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