Heather Hutchings, August recipient of Acorn Accolade, is praised for her innovation in Colleague, OnTrack, and Informer, as well as dedication to inclusiveness.
Heather Hutchings’ hard work piloting the move to Duo Security as well as making needed updates to Elon OnTrack earned her the Acorn Accolade last month. This valued honor is given monthly to a staff member of Elon’s Instructional Campus Technologies Division for outstanding performance, and requires a nomination by any coworker in IC&T.
Hutchings’ accomplishments to date are commendable; she helped to transfer all users of Colleague to Duo Security which required detailed coordination with IT professionals and the project team. Hutchings was forced to deal with unexpected road bumps throughout the project, but has been applauded for her creative response to difficult issues.
The assistant director’s work in OnTrack is similarly noteworthy. Bolstering Elon’s movement towards total inclusion, Hutchings implemented changes related to alternate names and pronouns, which are now an option for students using OnTrack. She effectively communicated to the user community on how such pronouns should be used in accordance with direction of the Inclusive Community committee. We also have Hutchings to thank for the sleek new look OnTrack is sporting, which she helped manufacture in partnership with J.P. Lavoie.
Kappert attests to the claim that Heather’s work ethic is matched by her positive attitude in the office.
“Heather approaches every challenge with a ‘can do’ attitude,” says Kappert. “Her innovative spirit and infectious smile are an inspiration to the whole team.”
Meanwhile, Hutchings herself considers this award a testament to the excellence of her department.
“Receiving this award makes me feel fortunate to be part of an organization that appreciates its employees,” comments Hutchings. “Having the opportunity to work on diverse problems that impact Elon students, faculty, and staff makes my job meaningful. I am happy to work with such a great team in I&CT.”