Update from the President (Andrew Chai):

Staff/Faculty Relief Fund

• A relief fund has been established to assist staff and faculty who may be facing a financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  A call for donations went to campus staff and faculty and, within 48 hours, $9,500 was raised. If you would like to donate, please use the following Donation Form.
• Any SCU staff or faculty who are financially in need may submit an application form using the following online Application Form.  Awarded funds will be processed through payroll and be included in the employee’s paycheck.

Weekly Staff Webinars for COVID 19

• During the month of April, Molly McDonald, John Ottoboni, Kori Lennon and Andrew Chai have hosted weekly webinars, with 350 remote attendees, on average. Staff’s concerns and questions have been addressed during these webinars.  Molly summarizes each meeting via email.  Her emails are titled "Staff Outreach Meeting Follow-up."

Gift Acceptance Guidelines Survey

• The Task Force Co-Chairs, Naomi Andrews and Donald Polden, were slated to present at the March Staff Senate meeting. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Task Force opted to obtain feedback via a campus-wide survey. The Staff Senate President encouraged Senators and their constituents to respond to the Task Force’s survey.

UCC Proposals

• Equalization of Informal Staff Retirement Benefits
• UCC Amendment to change the composition of the UCC (adding past staff senate president)

Defining “Staff Retirement”

• The Staff Senate President shared a draft version for a proposed definition and eligibility criteria for staff retirement that was modeled after the faculty definition and criteria.
• A vote for approval of the definition and eligibility criteria for staff retirement is tentatively planned for the May Staff Senate meeting.

Update from Staff Senate Committees:

• Elections and Bylaws Committee (Brian Moon)
  
  • Update on Call for Nominations for President-Elect
  • General Election for Senators
• Events and Service Committee (Leah Nakasaki-Peterson)
  • Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Staff Senate Executive Committee has to be mindful that all Staff Senate expenses that are incurred are mission-critical. Since purchasing is limited at this time, the Staff Senate will not be hosting its usual end-of-year events.
  • The Events and Service Committee would like to hold an innovative Zoom event for the campus community.
• Communications Committee (Sergio Lopez)
  • Sergio thanked and recognized the Communications Committee members for their contributions and encouraged them to continue to serve either as chair(s) or members of the same committee.
  • He encouraged all other Senators to volunteer for this committee next year as well.
  • Sergio highlighted the key role of this committee in fulfilling some of the strategic goals of the Staff Senate; namely, that of reaching out to the greater SCU community and communicating the work of the Staff Senate, among others.

Open Forum 

• The Staff Senate President encouraged staff to share with each other tips and resources that have helped with working remotely.
• The Commencement Committee for the Class of 2020 is seeking input/feedback on alternative commencement ideas and ways to honor students from the Class of 2020. Please forward ideas by May 15 to Joanna Thompson.

The April 16th meeting minutes are saved on the Staff Senate Google Drive.

Broncos Show and Tell...

Thank you,

Staff Senate

• Staff & Faculty Emergency Assistance Fund: make donations here; apply for funds here
• SCU COVID-19 Website: resources, updates, and frequently asked questions
• covid19@scu.edu: email address for anyone with specific questions
• Stories from Our Community: stories of service, leadership, and healing during a global pandemic
• HR Resources: information and resources to assist SCU employees
• Technology for Working Remotely: quick tech tips and information

Bronco Pantry use is at an all-time high and continues to be in need of support. For those interested and able to help, please consider the following options:

• A donation bin is located in the main parking structure behind the Campus Safety Services office, specifically near the ADA parking spaces and the temporary fencing. The bin will be available 24/7 for donation drop-offs of non-perishable food items and toiletries. Most needed items are peanut butter, jelly, lentils, non-perishable microwavable meals, canned items, toothpaste, floss, and deodorant.
• Target eGift Cards can be sent to osl@scu.edu by selecting the e-mail delivery method. Individual cards of $25, $50, or $100 are preferred. These gifts will be forwarded directly to students in need. 
• Safeway Gift Cards can be purchased on our program's Amazon Wishlist. To ensure quick retrieval during the COVID-19 crisis, physical cards will be mailed to Assistant Dean Kimberly Gilkey by selecting "Kim Gilkey's Gift Registry Address" at checkout. Our staff will hand off these gifts directly to the students.

Thank you for your continued support and generosity!

Meeting will be held via Zoom.

Link and password will be sent closer to meeting date.