Hello Staff and Happy New Year!

I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful holiday break and were able to take time to rest, relax, and recharge. Although we are not starting the Winter Quarter as we anticipated, back in-person and fully on-campus, we in the Staff Senate are still here working hard to advocate for you and your needs

You may be thinking to yourself, “Isn’t this the first eNews of the academic year?” The answer to that question is, “Yes!” The Staff Senate has not been immune to the impact of low staff morale, burnout, and departures across the institution. This has undeniably impacted the work of the Staff Senate. However, we have been able to manage these challenges thanks to staff who have put in extra time and work to ensure the Senate continues to operate the best it can!

As we head into this new quarter, we will continue to champion the need for additional resources to ensure SCU staff are able to thrive in a work-life balance. At the beginning of Fall Quarter, I shared that the Staff Senate was adding the priority of self-care and we will continue to include the importance of self-care as a focus for our work as the year progresses. We cannot show up as our best selves for others if we are not first taking care of our individual selves. We continue to encourage you all to access the resources available for staff and to reach out to us at staffsenate@scu.edu if there is anything more we can do.

I hope you enjoy this edition of our Staff Senate eNews and we look forward to returning to our regular schedule of eNews messages this quarter. On behalf of myself and the Staff Senate Executive Committee, stay safe and stay healthy!

Joanna Thompson
Staff Senate President, 2020-22

Staff Open Space, December 9, 2021

• The Staff Senate Executive Committee invited staff to come together as a community to openly and honestly connect with one another and offer support to process the recent campus tragedies. In case you were not able to join us, you can access Staff Self-Care Resources here.

Staff Town Hall & Staff Senate Meeting, October 14 and November 11, 2021

• Staff morale and burnout continue to be a priority for the Staff Senate. Staff Senate Officers started conversations with the Chief of Staff and the Director of Human Resources to discuss ways of addressing this issue with concrete solutions and ways to shift the culture at SCU. The Staff Senate Executive Committee hopes to model and champion self-care and mental health for staff by pivoting, reprioritizing, and scaling back Staff Senate work. The Staff Senate President encourages staff to focus on caring for themselves and their families. If staff require help or assistance, please reach out to staffsenate@scu.edu or HR. 
• The Flexible Work Schedule pilot program is in place through February 28, 2022. For more information, go to https://www.scu.edu/hr/flexible-work-schedule/.
• The Staff Senate voted and approved the following:  
• Staff Senate thank you message to SCU’s leadership for the temporary increase in retirement contributions (24-2-1, Y-N-A)
• Associated Student Government’s Just Labor Policy (21-1-5, Y-N-A)
• If you missed the Town Hall portion of the meetings, view the recording link for November here and for October here.

Staff Senate Orientation, September 9, 2021

• To encourage constituent engagement in the Staff Senate and shared governance, the Staff Senate orientation was opened to all staff and provided an overview of the university governance process at SCU, the purpose of the Staff Senate and the senate’s structure, the relationship between the Staff Senate and the Staff Affairs Committee (University Policy Committee). If you are interested in becoming involved in the Staff Senate, shared governance, or want to learn more, you may view the recording link here.

For more detailed information, please go to Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes.

REMOTE WORK FOR WINTER 2022 

Per the most recent announcement from the Provost’s Office (see: Jan. 6th Announcement), staff may work remotely through January 30 if they hold a position that is conducive to remote work, as defined by their supervisors. Managers of departments and programs that are student-facing should consider the needs of students as well as departmental business needs when developing staffing plans. Managers are strongly encouraged to clearly communicate and articulate the staffing plans with their respective teams and senior leaders. Consideration should be given to rotating, in-person schedules in order to better serve students. 

BOOSTER SHOT VERIFICATION

Remember to get your booster shot as soon as you are eligible. You will be required to upload your updated vaccination information into Workday by March 17, 2022. Additional information on how to upload your booster vaccination information into Workday will be provided later in January. If you already received a University-approved exemption, this requirement does not apply to you. For more information on SCU’s vaccine requirements, read our COVID-19 vaccine FAQ.

UPCOMMING COVID-19 VACCINATION BOOSTER CLINICS

SCU-hosted booster shot clinics to occur on January 21 and January 28, from 9 am - 5:30 pm at Locatelli Center. You may register for the booster and an appointment directly with our partner, Carbon Health, who will be running the clinic for the University. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. If you have problems registering, contact scu-support@carbonhealth.com for help.

STAFF ERGs

Have you heard from your Senator about the staff Employee Resource Groups/Affinity Groups (ERGs)? ERGs are voluntary employee-led groups whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with the organizations they serve. The ERGs could use help with outreach, marketing, and membership. The Middle Eastern and North African ERG (MENA) and Indigenous/Native American ERG could use help with increasing their membership. A full list of ERGs may be viewed here. If you would like to join an existing ERG or have an idea for a new ERG, please complete this form here.

SCU DISABILITIES & CHRONIC ILLNESS NETWORK

The SCU Disabilities & Chronic Illness Network, an affiliation group, is open to all faculty and staff with disabilities. The purpose of the network is to meet once or twice per quarter to empower group members, provide a space for mentoring/co-mentoring and advocacy, and facilitate a welcoming environment for faculty and staff with disabilities. For more information, contact the co-facilitators Molly King (mmking@scu.edu) or Laura Ellingson (lellingson@scu.edu).