Latest News:

FLU Bulletin 3-14-08.pdf

President's Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Blueprint:

FY09 President's Budget Special Report.pdf

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The following link shows

• December 2007 Unemployment Data

• Metropolitan December Unemployment Data

• Counties in Metropolitan Areas

http://www2.dir.state.al.us/LAUS/cntydata.pdf

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Leadership & Supervisory Classes!

NOW APPROVED:
4.5 NURSING CONTACT HOURS
3.75 SOCIAL WORK CONTACT HOURS

To register, call 256-765-4862 or 256-765-4786, we accept all major credit
and debit cards. Classes are held at UNA's East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue,
Florence, AL.  For nurses who wish to attend, each class has been approved
for 4.5 continuing education hours and 3.75 contact hours for social
workers.  The cost per class is $79 (includes refreshments, light meal,
workbook and a certificate of nursing and/or social work contact hours. 

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM:
*Enroll in the entire program or take the classes of your choice. 
*Each class has been approved for 4.5 nursing contact hours.
*Each class has been approved for 3.75 social work contact hours.
*Conveniently scheduled for participants to choose day or night classes.
*Each class includes a workbook.
*This program teaches ways to improve productivity - to focus on behavior
and not attitudes - to deal with facts and not opinions - to create a
climate of open communication.
*This training is effective because participants see the new skills,
practice the new skills, and most importantly, transfer the new skills to
their work and apply them to their job.
*For more information please contact:  Shelia Sisson, Health Care Program
Coordinator at 256-765-5987 or sdsisson@una.edu.  We look forward to working
with you.
___________________________________________________________________________
COACHING JOB SKILLS
This module helps managers learn how to effectively coach individuals
through a process of observation, analysis and communication.  By carefully
planning one-on-one discussions, managers can have the greatest impact and
gain individual commitment to achieving results.  Throughout the workshop,
managers will review video presentations and case studies, participate in
group discussions, practice new skills and receive immediate feedback.
Managers leave the workshop with implementation tools, troubleshooting
guides and additional resources to help them apply the skills they have
learned on the job.

Objectives:
*Understand what coaching is, why it is important, and how it supports
individual and company goals.
*Prepare for a coaching session by using observation and analysis to build a
plan for a successful dialog.
*Hold a coaching conversation that improves an individual's performance and
increases productivity.
*Use coaching as a way to build a valuable sense of teamwork between the
team leader and team member through communication, shared goals and
collaboration.
Course Number:  08-005S
March 14, 2008
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
____________________________________________________________________________
DELEGATING
This module gives valuable insights into and practice of the "Three W's" of
effective delegation: When should team leaders delegate?  Whom should they
delegate to?; and What explanation should they give to team members?
Delegating also shows how to use delegation as a motivational tool, and
improve team members' skills.

Objectives:
*Understand the role or delegation in time management, resource utilization,
job satisfaction and overall team productivity.
*Use a delegation process that ensures team member participation,
involvement, and success so that what needs to be done gets done.properly
and on time.
*Establish a team member's responsibility and authority for a delegated
task.creating a framework for accountability and personal growth.
Course Number:  08-006S
March 14, 2008
12:30 - 4:30 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
___________________________________________________________________________
DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE GOALS AND STANDARDS
Unless your managers and team leaders are successful in spelling out the
organization's specific goals, their team members are not going to know how
to meet those objectives. This module shows trainees how to establish
specific, measurable, attainable, result-oriented, and time-framed
performance standards. It then illustrates the steps that gain team member
agreement and commitment to those performance standards.

Objectives:
*Build team member commitment through collaborative planning of performance
goals.
*Align team members with key business goals and priorities through focused
goals and standards.
*Assure the clarity and measurability of performance goals/objectives
through SMART-based standards.
*Achieve high quality, on-time performance through team members able to
judge and self-correct their work.
*Observe, coach, support and evaluate performance through clear, measurable
performance standards.
Course Number:  08-009S
March 18, 2008
5:00 - 9:00 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
___________________________________________________________________________
PROVIDING PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK
Providing Performance Feedback helps managers learn a systematic, fact-based
approach to performance improvement through quality feedback.  Throughout
the workshop, they will review video presentations and case studies,
participate in group discussions, practice new skills, and receive immediate
feedback.  Managers leave with implementation tools, troubleshooting guides
and additional resources to help them apply the skills they have learned on
the job.

Objectives:
*Base assessments on facts and behavior.
*Assess performance.
*Use Positive feedback to motivate team members.
*Gain team member participation in assessment.
*Gain team member agreement with the assessment.
*Gain team member commitment to the change needed to improve performance.
Course Number:  08-010S
April 1, 2008
5:00 - 9:00 pm
Price $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
___________________________________________________________________________
COMMUNICATING UP
Communicating Up helps managers learn the process required for informative
and productive dialogs that will be valued by more senior managers.
Throughout the workshop, they will review video presentations and case
studies, participate in group discussions, practice new skills, and receive
immediate feedback.  Managers leave with implementation tools,
troubleshooting guides and additional resources to help them apply the
skills they have learned on the job.

Objectives:
*Understand the importance of framing all communication with their manager
in terms of his/her self-interest.
*Enter meetings with their manager armed with a well-thought-out and clearly
stated objective.
*Clearly link their objective with facts that support their plans and goals.
*Work with their manager to uncover any questions or reservations he/she may
have concerning their message.
*Move conversations toward agreement with questions that focus on benefits
to be gained when the objective is reached.
*Clearly and concisely restate the decisions that result from Communicating
Up and insure that those decisions are mutually understood. 
Course Number:  08-011S
April 8, 2008
5:00 - 9:00 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
____________________________________________________________________________
RESOLVING CONFLICT
Whenever people work together, conflicts arise. They may be simple
misunderstandings that your managers and team leaders can clear up. Or they
may reveal subtle, but pervasive, morale problems that threaten to tear the
delicate fabric of your organization. This module shows managers and team
leaders how to explore a conflict and get to the heart of the problem to
correct it before it's too late.

Objectives:
*Accept conflict as an inevitable part of all work situations and deal with
it in order to maintain individual and team focus and productivity.
*Recognize the positive and negative impacts of conflicts and leverage
conflict to everyone's advantage.
*Distinguish between the two major sources of conflict so that they can be
resolved fairly and effectively.
*Establish a cooperative atmosphere to resolve conflicts when they arise.
Course Number:  08-012S
April 15, 2008
5:00 - 9:00 pm 
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
____________________________________________________________________________
ESSENTIAL SKILLS OF LEADERSHIP
Essential skills of Leadership builds a foundation that enables managers to
manage their team toward a shared goal:  achieving the organization's
strategic objectives.  Throughout the workshop, participants will review
video presentations and case studies, participate in group discussions,
practice new skills and receive immediate feedback.  Managers will leave the
session with implementation tools, troubleshooting guides, and additional
resources to help them immediately apply their new skills on the job. 

Objectives:
*Interact with team members on a day-to-day basis in such a way as to
maintain and enhance their self-esteem.
*Base discussions about performance and work habits on behavior rather than
on personalities and attitudes.
*Involve team members in goal setting, problem solving and decision-making.
Course Number:  08-001SB
April 18, 2008
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
____________________________________________________________________________
ESSENTIAL SKILLS OF COMMUNICATING
Essential Skills of Communicating helps managers learn the latest techniques
in developing effective communication skills - improving their performance
and increasing the productivity of the team and the organization.
Throughout the workshop, managers will review video presentations and case
studies, participate in group discussions, practice new skills, and receive
immediate feedback.  Managers leave with implementation tools,
troubleshooting guides and additional resources to help them apply the
skills they have learned on the job.

Objectives:
*See that communication is a two-way process.
*Construct clear, concise messages in the interest of the listener.
*Manage nonverbal behaviors to reinforce the intent of messages.
*Listen actively to improve communication.
*Create a climate of open communication, which increases team members'
motivation and commitment.
Course Number:  08-003S
April 18, 2008
12:30 - 4:30 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, Al
____________________________________________________________________________
SUPPORTING CHANGE
As the link between management goals and the frontline labor force, the
manager or team leader is the key to supporting change. Dealing with the
"comfort level" of team members and involving them in detailed discussions
will facilitate their acceptance of new ways of doing things. This module
shows managers and team leaders how to introduce change without inducing
defensive reactions.

Objectives:
*Understand why change happens, how people react to it, and how to support
team member's struggles with change.
*Involve team members in a change initiative by promoting their
understanding and ownership of the change and its benefits.
*Plan for individual or group follow-up sessions that support the change
process and reinforce personal and organizational goals.
Course Number:  08-007S
April 22, 2008
5:00 - 9:00 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Greg Swindle
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
____________________________________________________________________________
IMPROVING WORK HABITS
Improving Work Habits helps managers learn to clearly and specifically
communicate the nature of the problem.  It provides a process for working
with the individual to develop a plan for addressing the issue while
maintaining self esteem.  Throughout the workshop managers will review video
presentations and case studies, participate in group discussions, practice
new skills, and receive immediate feedback.  Managers leave the workshop
with implementation tools, troubleshooting guides, and additional resources
to help them apply the skills they have learned on the job. 

Objectives:
*Recognize the difference between job performance and work habits.  Managers
will understand that a work habits discussion is not coaching and requires
different skills for successful resolution.
*Understand that unsatisfactory work habits must be dealt with quickly and
effectively before they require disciplinary action.
*Explain clearly and specifically the nature of the team member's
unsatisfactory work habit while focusing on behaviors rather than attitude.
*Use an action plan and ongoing reviews to help team members improve work
habits and demonstrate personal accountability.
Course Number:  08-002SB
April 30, 2008
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Alison Stanfield
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL
___________________________________________________________________________
MANAGING COMPLAINTS
Managing Complaints provides managers with the tools necessary to approach
complaints in a way that is supportive of employee and team goals.
Throughout the workshop, managers will review video presentations and case
studies, participate in group discussions, practice new skills and receive
immediate feedback. 

Objectives:
*Understand why all team member complaints must be dealt with rather than
ignored or dismissed.
*Be more sensitive to all the problems-major of trivial, real or imagined
that can lie behind complaints.
*Understand techniques used to determine underlying problems, which are not
always the same as those the team member thinks are responsible for his/her
difficulties.
*Use various techniques to solve such problems while maintaining positive
relationship with the team member.
Course Number:  08-004S
April 30, 2008
12:30 - 4:30 pm
Price:  $79
Instructor:  Alison Stanfield
Location:  UNA East Campus, 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL 

The University of North Alabama is a Board approved provider of continuing
nursing education in Alabama by the Alabama Board of Nursing.  Our approval
status is valid through November 8, 2011.  Provider Number:  ABNP1374.

Attention Nurses:  You must bring your nursing license card to receive
credit for attending.  Please present your card at the conclusion of the
conference.  The Alabama Board of Nursing requires approved providers to
submit records of contact hours along with your nursing license number. 

Please contact us if you wish to be removed from our email distribution or
brochure mailings. 

Shelia Sisson
Program Coordinator
University of North Alabama
Continuing Studies & Outreach
UNA Box 5036
Florence, AL  35632-0001
Phone:  256-765-5987
Fax:  256-765-4872
 

____________________________________________________________________________________________

AARP TAX-AIDE offers free tax preparation and counseling for taxpayers with low to middle income, with special attention to those age 60 and older. This service is again available from January 28th through April 15th, 2008. Individuals do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this free and valuable service.                                                                                                                                                                  AARP TAX-AIDE SITES

CALL 332-0252 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This will be the sixth year that this service is being provided to residents in the Shoals area. This year an additional site has been added in Leighton to make six sites. AARP Tax-Aide volunteers, trained in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, will offer free consulting, preparing of personal income tax returns, and offer both Electronic Filing and Direct Deposit for both Federal and State refunds. By using these services, refunds can be available in as little as eight days and save the taxpayer significant money by using these free services.

Tax law can often be confusing and AARP Tax-Aide volunteers can make the process of filling out tax returns a whole lot easier. Last year, out 25 local volunteers helped over 1,200 local taxpayers and Alabama AARP Tax-Aide volunteers helped more than 23,000 people file their federal and state returns in the state. The program is offered at approximately 38 sites in Alabama, including senior centers, libraries and other convenient locations. Service is also available for homebound individuals, whenever possible. Nationwide over 32,000 volunteers assisted over 2,000,000 taxpayers for 2006.

The Florence Library site will be offering appointments. Outside our area taxpayers can call out toll-free number        1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669) or visit the AARP web site at www.aarp.org/taxaide, during the tax season, to locate an AARP Tax-Aide site near you.

Taxpayers should bring any tax documents they receive, such as W-2s, Wage and Tax Statements; 1099R, Pension/Retirement/IRA Distribution Forms; 1099Int/1099Div, Interest and Dividend Statements; 1099SSA, Social Security Statement and any other documents showing income for the Tax Year. They should also bring any documents such as medical/dental expense statements, mortgage interest statements, vehicle and property tax statements, as well as proof of charitable donations they wish to use to itemize and reduce their tax obligation. Additionally, a copy of the 2006 Tax Return should be brought to the scheduled appointment and is also a good checklist to ensure all documents that are needed to complete their 2007 Tax Return are available to the counselors. A photo ID card and social security card are also required to do the returns.

AARP Tax-Aide is administered through the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated, 501 (c) (3) nonpartisan charitable organization

Statewide Transportation Plan Update

Employment Statistics for Muscle Shoals

2007 Action Plans and Consolidated Plan
 

Congressman Bud Cramer's New Appropriations Subcommittees

Draft ARC Energy Strategies

Region 1 occ 2014

Archived Press Releases -- Click Here