tuesday, april 21, 2020 - winthrop.edu · contact judy longshaw, [email protected] to help...
TRANSCRIPT
STAFF CONFERENCE Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Update on Staff Conference
Meeting Format
As we are unable to hold in-person meetings due to COVID-19, Staff Assembly has decided to continue to hold virtual Staff Conference meetings on our usual schedule. We believe these meetings are important for staff to feel connected and informed and we want to maintain a sense of normalcy as much as possible. In addition to the text and images on these slides, audio clips from our presenters are included. Where you see a speaker symbol in the upper right corner, click on it and press the play button to hear narration. We hope this will provide a richer experience that you can enjoy from the safety of your home.
TODAY’S AGENDA
1. ACKNOWLEDGE APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2. Q & A SESSION
3. PRESIDENT’S UPDATE
4. NEW STUDENT & FAMILY PROGRAMS UPDATE
5. COMMITTEE UPDATES
6. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
In the virtual April Staff Assembly meeting, representatives voted to approve the minutes from the March 3 Staff Assembly meeting and the March 17 Staff Conference meeting. Both sets of minutes will be available on the Staff Assembly webpage. https://www.winthrop.edu/staff/minutes.aspx
STAFF Q & A
1. Realizing that we are probably at the highest peak and worst time in the COVID-19 pandemic, is it possible to make any projections as to when we may be able to safely return to work on campus without putting any staff or administration employees at risk? Maybe it is too soon to tell, but I think this is a question on many employees' minds.
A: It is a little too soon to tell as one of three things would have to happen first: 1) a vaccine, OR 2) tests to prove immunity, OR 3) proven medication(s) to mitigate symptoms. It will likely be late June or early July before we could even start to speculate as many of the medical experts are predicting that a second wave could be worse than the first.
STAFF Q & A
2. The fact that we have to use sick or annual leave while working from home does not sit right with me. Nobody is doing 7.5 hours of work each day but we are working and getting the job done. Doing that at home is even harder with the added layers of homeschooling, kids, maintaining your household...we should be honored for that instead of having to keep track of every little hour or minute we “work.” A: Many people are doing more than 7.5 hours of work each day while working remotely. This is unchartered territory for the university and we must be flexible to accomplish the work that needs to be done. We are a state institution and must abide by state regulations when it comes to evaluating employee timesheets.
STAFF Q & A - UPDATE
Staff Assembly is currently researching and discussing possible ideas for additional hydration stations to be installed on campus. Due to the age of our buildings adapting our existing water fountains with a bottle filler (see example to the left) may be our best option. Fixtures cost around $250. If approved, some money from the Staff Assembly 2020 budget may be allocated to retrofit at least one fountain.
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE • Thank you
• Rising to the Challenge
• The Path Forward
STAFF COMMITTEE REPORTS
STAFF COMMITTEE ON
MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
• Next Staff Stuff: Mid-May • Send us photos of your at home workspace or
furry coworkers for our next issue! If you’re working on campus, let us know how your job is different now.
• Interested in joining our committee? Our next meeting will be held via e-mail on May 12.
• E-mail [email protected] for more information!
STAFF COMMITTEE ON
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Contact Judy Longshaw, [email protected] to help out, ask questions, volunteer!
• Food Truck Fridays are on hold until we have word from the City of Rock Hill about when they might resume.
• The Food Drive and WU Cycle are both cancelled.
STAFF COMMITTEE ON
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Chair: Marcia Willis, [email protected]
• The Summer Professional Development Conference has been postponed until Fall Break.
• Please look out for a Qualtrics survey regarding your interests in possible online webinars and other virtual professional development.
ELECTIONS & NOMINATIONS
Chair: Amanda Stewart
Calls for nominations will be sent out soon, so keep an eye out for emails and Facebook posts with more information. Elections will take place in mid-May and all open seats will be filled by the beginning of June.
WELCOME TO NEW STAFF
New Staff will be recognized when we return to campus.
STAFF MEMBER OF THE MONTH
Nominees for the Staff Member of the Month will be recognized when we return to campus.
To nominate a staff member, use our online form. Nominations are due April 20, 2020!
Human Resources is asking all employees to communicate by emailing [email protected] if you are, or an employee you supervise is unable to work due to experiencing a situation that may qualify for the 12 weeks of job protected leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), including:
1. A serious health condition personally (whether or not COVID-19 related); 2. An immediate family member with a serious health condition requires your care; 3. The birth or adoption or foster placement of a child and immediate care or bonding or 4. Dealing with needs related to the foreign deployment of a military member who is your spouse,
child or parent. If you are unsure if your present or upcoming circumstances qualify as an FMLA leave, please contact Claudia McCullough at [email protected].
HR UPDATE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Recreational Services Please complete the Recreational Services Annual Survey to help the West Center provide quality facilities, services, and programs. At the end of the survey, you will have a chance to enter in a drawing for a Recreational Services/West Center prize package. The deadline to complete the survey is April 28th at 5:00pm and the drawing will take place on May 1st.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Office of Sustainability April 22 is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day! Winthrop’s Office of Sustainability will be sharing resources that will offer information about how individuals can reduce their impact on some of the world's environmental challenges #WUEarthDay50
Questions?
Comments?
Announcements?
Have a question that we should address in next month’s Staff Conference meeting? Submit it in our online form or email it
to April Hershey at [email protected].
Next Staff Conference
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
via E-mail
(unless otherwise noted)