SC President's Report

Good morning, UNM Staff:

Our New Mexico COVID numbers looked so promising in late summer; but what a difference a month and change can make. I am bewildered by the fact that New Mexico is approaching 45,000 cases and 1,000 deaths. An extended family member of mine in Albuquerque is in recovery, too–a formidable illness in his case. I know some of you have similar experiences; and with winter still ahead of us, my heart hurts. On campus, our numbers remain relatively few; and like everyone I hope we can keep it that way. It seems that even a little COVID fatigue, even a small amount of ‘letting down one’s guard,’ results in an unnerving surge of cases. Please keep yourselves and your loved ones protected.

Staff Council Initiatives

As always, I give my thanks to the 60 staff members that comprise the Staff Council. Their creativity, dedication, and willingness to volunteer hours of work have led to some notable accomplishments this month.

Student Technology Fees. The newIT Staff Council Committee worked with Human Resources and the Faculty Staff Benefits Committee to include the student technology fee in the Tuition Remission benefit. Guess what? They succeeded! The fee will be covered beginning this Spring. On behalf of all of us, thank you to everyone who made this happen.

Outstanding Supervisor Awards. One of the most important Staff Council initiatives, this award recognizes the integrity, support, and respect given by those who oversee us best. Having been a reader for the award this year, I was struck by some commonalities among the nominees. They offered thoughtful and tailored approaches in their management. They shared with their staff the ‘big picture’ of the University, and their unit’s role in it. And they contributed their personal time to the University and the community. I was impressed that these nuanced characteristics keenly mattered to our staff nominators. Congratulations to the winners—Stephanie Cockrell, Katya Crawford, and Larissa Myaskovsky—and to all the nominees.

President Stokes’ comments were the highlight of the event for me. Here is an excerpt:

[O]ver the past months, the relationship between supervisors and their staff has been regularly challenged and fundamentally altered. Many of you are working from home, blurring the lines between work and life. Professional development happens remotely. Effective supervisors have to be even more disciplined about making time with their staff. At the moment, for example, there can be none of the casual conversations at the printer or the informal office drop-ins that supervisors rely on to stay engaged and involved. We know that great leadership requires empathy—and right now, as odd as it sounds, effective empathy requires planning! We are here today not only to celebrate those who make the extra effort to lead and empathize, but who also inspire by their example. It’s a boss who says, ‘You do it;’ but it takes a leader to say, ‘Let’s do it.’

University-wide appointments and liaisons. Staff Council often works best in conjunction with other campus organizations; and to that end, the Council has recently approved the appointments of liaisons to ASUNM, GPSA, Faculty Senate, the Alumni Association, and the UNM Retiree’s Association. In addition, the recent study of UNM students has resulted in the UNM Basic Needs Project, part of which includes a new University-wide task force. I was very happy the Council approved that appointment as well. Thanks very much to the Councilors who stepped into these roles.

And, on that! There is on opening for a staff presentative on the Faculty Staff Benefits Committee. The charge of this important committee is “to review and advise on current and potential UNM benefits to include, but not be limited to, the retirement and insurance plans and health care; and investigate the feasibility of additional benefits…” This Committee is currently looking into one aspect of Tuition Remission that is quite important for some of our staff. Check out the website; and if you are interested in the position, please send a letter of interest to scpresident@unm.edu by Monday, November 9^th.

Staff as Students Virtual Events. This biannual event runs throughout this week and next; and is designed to provide department-specific information to staff who are now or who want to be students. There are presentations by Continuing Education, Fine Arts, Anderson School of Management and many more—in fact, one a day, every day, at noon. In addition, find out how you’ll be able to register for classes earlier than anyone else, starting on November 2nd.  For more information, see the Staff Council eNews sent October 22^nd or visit the webpage.

Staff Council President Initiatives

Deepening our Relationships with Branch Staff. In the past several weeks, I reached out to our Branch campuses to see if there might be ways Staff Council might “represent the interests” of branch staff better, as the charge is described in our Constitution. Last week, President-elect Scott Sanchez and I met with five staff members from the Valencia campus. Their Staff Association does an impressive job raising funds, distributing professional development grants, giving awards, communicating news, and helping to build the camaraderie of this tight-knit community. We began to explore how our campuses might cross-pollinate; and I look forward to exploring opportunities with Valencia and other branch campuses.

Encouraging the University to Divest from Fossil Fuels. Last May, the previous Staff Council unanimously passed the Climate Change Resolution. In part, the Resolution requests the University divest from fossil fuels. Similar resolutions have been passed or are under consideration in ASUNM and Faculty Senate; and other student and faculty organizations have voiced similar requests. A loose coalition has formed; and several of its members, including myself, spoke at recent Regent meetings. The coalition will be looking for ways the University can invest successfully and responsibly in the months ahead.

Finally, I would like to thank the dozen or so staff members who joined me last Friday for my monthly Coffee Hour with staff. We had great discussions around how Staff Council might make up for the canceled Staff Appreciation Week last Spring, parking woes, and helping our students in need. Attendees shared their tips for reducing stress and keeping our work and personal lives separate. (If you weren’t there, hereare some other ideas.) Please feel free to pop in and out as time allows at the next Coffee Hour on Friday, Nov. 20^th.

Staff, please stay warm, safe, and dry; and don’t forget to get a flu shot if you haven’t done so already!