Business Affairs

Elizabeth Hardin, vice chancellor for business affairs, recently was named one of Charlotte’s Chief Financial Officers of the Year by the Charlotte Business Journal. She was honored in the category large nonprofit/government organization.
As UNC Charlotte’s chief financial and administrative officer, Hardin is responsible for the University’s fiscal management and audit, facilities development and operation, human resources, public safety, technical operations and planning, business continuity and auxiliary services.

The Orbis Grille at PORTAL, a new campus dining facility, opens Monday, Aug. 18, and will feature a vibrant mix of breakfast and lunch fare.
According to auxiliary services, Orbis Grille will offer salads, sandwiches and featured entrees with a “global flavor.” Its Evo grill action station, which is a round, open cook top, offers a  healthy cooking method and chef interaction.

Register for the next offering of Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less that begins on Monday, Sept. 8.
The 15-week weight-management program Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less was developed by health experts, and it is open to State Health Plan members who can participate for $30 with a $25 refund for those who attend 10 of the 15 sessions.
The course fee must be paid at the first session. Fifteen registrants are needed to form a class. Tina Mendieta from the Mecklenburg County Health Department will lead the program, which will meet at noon in Colvard Building, Room 5092.

Earlier this year, John Renwick was honored as one of the Employees of the Year in the safety/heroism category for coming to the aid of a campus visitor.
While humbled to be singled out as one of the recipients, Renwick said he was glad he could render assistance to an individual in distress.
Renwick, a facilities management Zone 4 staff member, noticed a stopped car blocking traffic on Alumni Way, near the Residence Dining Hall (RDH) on June 3, 2013. He discovered the man was in diabetic shock.

South Village Crossing, the University’s new dining/gathering facility, will open in mid-October due to construction delays.
“South Village Crossing will be different from anything we’ve ever had at UNC Charlotte,” said Keith Wassum, associate vice chancellor for business services in the Division for Business Affairs. “The combination of state-of-the-art kitchen equipment and building systems, green building features and site considerations, added a significant level of complexity to the project.”

During the past fiscal year, the campus community recycled more than 100,000 pounds of paper, with even more in glass, plastic and aluminum. In fact, the University’s waste diversion rate was approximately 40 percent, which means more than 2.3 million pounds of recyclables avoided being sent to landfills.
The Office of Waste Recycling and Reduction spearheads the University’s efforts to control the campus’ ecological footprint, and it can provide departments/offices/units to make recycling easier.

The nation’s top educational facilities organization, APPA, recently presented its 2014 Award for Excellence in Facilities Management to UNC Charlotte at its meeting in San Diego, Calif. Phil Jones, associate vice chancellor, facilities management, accepted the honor on behalf of the University.

UNC Charlotte’s Police and Public Safety Department (PPS) has launched a new initiative to equip all campus officers with an iPad for use in the field. It is an effort to increase police proficiency through cost-effective measures.
“We are a research-based police department,” said Jeffrey Baker, UNC Charlotte chief of police.  “We continually strive to stay out in front by researching methods of policing that can help ensure that we are doing the best in providing a safe and secure environment.

The deadline for nominations  for the 2014 Governor’s Award for Excellence, created to express appreciation for outstanding achievements by state employees, has been extended to 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22.  This award is the highest honor a state employee may receive for noteworthy service to state government and the people of North Carolina.

On Monday, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill that will enable six UNC system campuses, including UNC Charlotte, to fund construction projects.
UNC Charlotte will issue bonds to finance $129 million to complete four non-appropriated capital improvements that University leaders have identified as critical to campus growth.
“While some schools are seeing their numbers decline, demand for UNC Charlotte is growing dramatically in parallel to the Charlotte region’s rapid population increase,” wrote Chancellor Philip L. Dubois in an op-ed published in the Charlotte Business Journal.