President's Message to Staff: July 2020

July 24, 2020

Good afternoon, UNM Staff!

I write to you with mixed feelings today. On the one hand, “the times they are disturbing,” to paraphrase, in our University and our world, and in multiple interconnected ways. One cannot know when we might get through some or all of these challenges or how bruised we will be in the end. It is probably safe to say that each of us is experiencing some combination of anxiety, frustration, boredom, loneliness, anger, and/or fear about the future. Some of us are overwhelmed. Some of us are in mourning.

Budget Cuts

In this hand we hold, among other things, our University budgets, surely one of the larger reasons we have fear about the future. Let us request our VPs, Deans, and Directors make some creative and, yes, difficult and perhaps unpopular choices that cut chunks from their budgets before passing to Departments their assignments. Our high-level leaders are in the best positions to put in practice the values and strategies from the Budget Leadership Team, e.g.protect the critical core missions and initiatives; protect our most vulnerable; develop opportunities for new revenue streams; consolidate and reorganize. I encourage them to do so.

Keeping up with COVID

In response to recent inquiries and in hopes of easing a little anxiety, here are two quick tips regarding the Daily Symptom Screening Survey: You do need to complete the survey every day you are expected to work, wherever that work might be—home, campus, or an off-site location. You do not need to complete it if you are on leave, on (your) weekends, or on days you wish to come to campus only for recreation. Needless to say, when you are on campus please wear a mask, socially distance yourself, and rest at home when you feel unwell.

Perhaps the best place to find the most up-to-date guidance is at UNM’s Human Resource page, Coronavirus Guidance for Employees; and if you have questions, you may e-mail HR Client Services at clientsv@unm.edu.

On the other hand, there are still moments of happiness to capture, connections to foster, and accomplishments to celebrate this summer!  

30-Year Anniversary

One recent afternoon, I charted Staff Council achievements over each of its 30 year history. To my mind, there have been three periods. In its first dozen years, Staff Council focused on workplace conditions and benefits—creating, for example, an all-staff listserv and initiatives around annual leave and tuition remission. Such issues remain Staff Council’s ‘bread and butter;’ councilors don’t stray from them for long.

Beginning around 2004, Staff Council expanded and diversified its efforts, incorporating staff voice, appreciation and awards, and service projects into its work. For example, the Faculty and Staff Benefits Committee, Staff Appreciation Week, the PAWS award, and Happy Tails initiatives were all born in this period, as well as several new Staff Council committees.

Finally, in the past six years or so, without slowing down in other areas, Staff Council has begun addressing matters outside the immediate staff sphere, commenting on larger University affairs. A few examples: the Council advocated for creating a Sanctuary Campus. It endorsed recommended changes to the Sexual Misconduct Policy. And it organized a letter to denounce racists acts toward members of the University community, signed by over 430 staff members.

You can read more about the Staff Council Anniversary in the UNM Newsroom, including sage words of wisdom from several past presidents. Thank you, Rachel Whitt, for the article. Thanks to all Staff Councilors, past and present, for making a difference for all of us. And thank you, staff, for submitting your photos for the wonderful mosaic we use to celebrate this anniversary. It turned out beautifully!