NTC SHUTDOWN CANCELS TO: See Distribution CC: See Distribution From: William J. Shampine, Chief, Br. Tech Dev & Qual Sys, Golden, Colorado (SHAMPINE) Date: Wednesday, December 13, 1995 13:09:04 Subject: NTC SHUTDOWN CANCELS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I apologize for the delay in providing you information on this subject, but I have been out of the country until recently. This E-mail will provide you with information on the actions being taken and the policy being adopted relative to the training cancellations caused by the Government shutdown on November 14. Some of you recently received another E-mail providing some preliminary guidance on this subject. That E-mail resulted from a miscommunication on my part, however, and is incorrect. Please disregard those instructions. This communication describes the final policy on the subject. The NTC had three courses scheduled during the week of November 13-17, 1995, the week of the shutdown. Collectively, there were 38 students attending the following courses: G0154 Ground-Water/Surface-Water Relationships G0193 River Mechanics G0402 Concepts in Aquatic Ecology There was considerable debate preceding the week of November 13 about the wisdom of proceeding with the courses as scheduled. Based on past experience, the decision was made to go ahead with the courses as scheduled. As it turned out, that was a bad decision. We were forced to cancel the courses and send everyone home on Tuesday, November 14. The question now is how do we recover and what do we do about the costs that were incurred. The Technical Training Committee met on December 7 and the subject was discussed by the group. The Technical Training Committee consists of the Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Technical Support (Chair), Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations, Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Water Information, Chief, Office of Hydrologic Research, the four Regional Hydrologists, the three Discipline Office Chiefs, Chief, Human Resources Management Support, and Chief, Branch of Technical Development & Quality Systems. The decision by this group was to split the cost burden between the students and the NTC. The equalization charge will be collected and the NTC will pay the charges incurred by the students and instructors in the normal manner described in WRD Memorandum 95.54. To make up for the loss of the training, each student will be granted a credit of half of the equalization charge, which can be used for any other course offered this fiscal year. The credit can be used by the individual or the individual's office can use the credit for another individual, as they see fit. Within the next few weeks we should know if it will be possible to reschedule the cancelled courses later this year. If it can be worked out, the courses will be reconstituted as they were, pending approval of the individuals/Districts. WRD Distribution: A - Division Chief and Staff B - Branch Chiefs and Offices FO - State, District, Subdistrict and other Field Offices DC - All District Chiefs AO - All Administrative Officers CC: Distribution J. Dungan Smith, Hydrologist, Boulder, CO (JDSMITH) Edmund D. Andrews, Hydrologist, Boulder,CO (EANDREWS) David S. Mueller, Hydrologist, Louisville, KY (DMUELLER) Elizabeth A. Ahearn, Supv Hydrologist, Hartford, CT (EAAHEARN) Jonathan A. Dillow, Hydraulic Engineer, Towson, MD (JJDILLOW) Rosemary A. McKenney, Student Trainee (Hydrology), Rolla, MO (MCKENNEY) Ed Fischer, Hydrologist, Iowa City, IA (EDF) Jeff V. Phillips, Hyd, Tempe, AZ (JVPHILL) Dallas Jr. Childers, Hydrologist, Vancouver, WA (DCHILDER) William G. Sikonia, Hydrologist, Tacoma, WA (WSIKONIA) Marsha M. Hilmes, Hydrologist, Las Vegas, Nevada (MMHILMES) Glen W. Hess, Hydrologist, Carson City, NV (GWHESS) Thomas C. Winter, Hydrologist, Lakewood, CO (TCWINTER) Alan W. Burns, Reg GW Spec (x213), Lakewood, CO (AWBURNS) Stanley A. Leake, Res Hyd, Tucson, AZ (SALEAKE) David E. Prudic, Hydrologist, Carson City, NV (DEPRUDIC) Eric D. Swain, Hydrologist(Engr), Miami, FL (EDSWAIN) Kenneth L. Wahl, Hydrologist (x220), Lakewood, CO (KLWAHL) Albert T. Rutledge, Ground Water Specialist, Reston, VA (ARUTLEDG)