Gloria Geiselman is an outstanding employee at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. In the fall of 1999, she came back to her Clerical Assistant II position (lab technician) in the Learning Center, expecting to continue the job she had been doing for the past several years. Within the week, she learned that her supervisor, Nancy Ragains, was retiring from her Secretary III position, and Gloria was encouraged to apply for the job. Gloria was hired to replace Nancy just as the fall semester was starting, leaving the Learning Center with no one to assist the hundreds of students as they came in to utilize the computers for labs associated with learning center classes, writing papers, tutor training or connecting with their e-mail accounts or the Internet.
Realizing that it might take several months for her previous position to be advertised and filled, she immediately recruited our faculty and graduate assistants to help her cover the busiest times in the Learning Center to keep everything running smoothly and efficiently. Training her replacement for the lab technician position, who arrived mid-November, was a relief and joy for Gloria, and the rest of us were amazed and grateful that there had been no deterioration or interruption of the services offered in the Learning Center.
Since there are three major programs, along with several additional services, offered in the Learning Center, Gloria is responsible for overseeing numerous projects at the same time on an ongoing basis. She keeps all office faculty, as well as adjunct faculty who are teaching University Foundations, apprised of materials, handouts and tests available in the Learning Center for each week's teaching outlines. She maintains instructional outlines for independent study options for out learning assistance modules, as well as the handouts for learning assistance classes. She supervises all promotional activities for the Resident Tutor program and assists with tutor training activities. Additionally, she supervises the make-up testing program, interacting personally with the over 50 faculty and several hundred students who utilize the service, maintains office financial and academic records, provides tours and informational talks about the office and its services to athletic recruits and other visiting groups, supervises our work-study student and two paraprofessionals, and performs all other duties commonly assigned to the position.
Gloria's teamwork attitude is exemplified by the way she includes everyone working in the office in the plans for current and upcoming projects. For example, once we had decided on a two-day tutor program promotion last month, Gloria not only tied the activity to the 'Survivor' theme, but she involved office personnel in a variety of activities ranging from making promotional posters and decorating the office to wearing 'survivor' costumes. She even constructed a container utilizing tree bark to hold student registrations for the prize drawings, a container that looked suspiciously like the ballot box from the Survivor television show.
Gloria makes individuals feel they are an important part of the team by keeping them informed, seeking their input, and often implementing their suggestions. She is quick to give praise and show her appreciation for a job well done. Additionally, she provides the glue which holds the teaching faculty and graduate assistants together by keeping us informed of all office activities, as well as faculty and faculty/staff meetings and projects. Using student comments and questions, Gloria makes valuable suggestions on ways to improve our syllabi, handouts, and teaching outlines and constantly monitors the office for ways to improve our services.
Her welcoming smile and cheerful disposition assures everyone entering the Learning Center that they are important and that their questions will be addressed. Several acquaintances have told me of Gloria's outstanding support for the University of Nebraska at Kearney and for our Learning Center. Her comments make her a valuable ambassador for out institution in particular and for higher education in general.
Because of her efficiency, creativity, leadership and dedication, the University of Nebraska at Kearney is pleased to name Gloria Geiselman the Employee of the Month for February 2001.