SC President's Monthly Communication: September on Campus

Good morning, UNM Staff:

First and foremost, a sincere and heartfelt Thank Youto our Tier One staff. Many of you have worked on campus all spring, summer, and now fall -- taking care of our facilities and grounds, as well as the transportation, health, and nutrition for the students in UNM housing. Other staff have returned recently, serving the now 2,700 students living on campus; preparing classes and classrooms; opening and cleaning facilities; and gradually increasing services for the many other faculty, students, and staff who have returned to campus this fall. I hope you find these duties fulfilling. (I for one, still in Tier Two, miss the energy of campus.) During this pandemic, especially, these responsibilities are paramount for our health and safety; and words are not enough. Whether you are on campus all week or intermittently, we appreciate your efforts.

Shame on me, truly - it has been some time since I have last written; and here it is, a Saturday. My apologies, and also for this, therefore, necessarily long communication in letting you know what I know about what is happening in Staff Council and in our work lives, and asking you to keep in touch with us, too.

Staff Council Initiatives and Resolutions

I so appreciate the work of each Councilor. They bring energy, bright ideas, and knowledge to each meeting; and work diligently in committees, behind the scenes. Our September Staff Meeting was again lively and consequential, with three important outcomes.

First, the Council determined we will start each meeting with a reading of the Land Acknowledgement, a reminder of those whose lands we now use. The UNM Division for Equity and Inclusion (DEI) encourages all of us to consider using the Acknowledgement for important meetings; and I encourage you to read its white paper on the history of the relationship between the local Native American tribes and the University.

Second, like many urban Universities, UNM struggles with achieving fair and transparent parking policy, their parking departments constrained by the lack of space, threats to person and property, and the need to sustain themselves financially. The ad hoc parking committee did a tremendous job gathering comparative information from other Universities, including some solutions we might try here. Perhaps you participated in its staff survey last spring. A key component of this Parking Resolution is the request to form a task force so that representatives from all user groups can learn about parking issues, share their good ideas, and help disseminate information. Give it a look.

A quotation of the incomparable James Baldwin is getting a lot of attention lately:

Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.

That is the idea behind the third important Staff Council action in September. The Resolution to Address Acts of Racism, especially those committed by UNM employees, seeks to take into consideration racism’s institutionalized nature and react appropriately. We know that many racist acts are unintentional; but that does not negate the harm they do. Staff Council feels that addressing racism is a matter of consistently holding ourselves accountable, educating ourselves, and allowing remorseful offenders to make amends. Every staff received this resolution directly because one of its ‘asks’ is addressed to each of us, and it is perhaps the most important – to support each other and our student body.

Finally, Staff Council is working on several other initiatives that may be of interest, including: assisting with communication among international staff; improving the accessibility of our communication; planning professional development events; continuing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s book club; assisting with the Campus Safety Council; and considering ways to celebrate staff in safe and meaningful ways. In October, we will be recognizing the winners of the Outstanding Supervisor Award. As a reviewer, I have been very heartened by reading your many nominations. Thank you for taking the time to submit them.

Human Resources

As you are no doubt aware, for those of us in a position to do so – that is, regular and contract main branch staff with at least five years’ time with UNM and eligible for retirement—the University is offering a retirement incentive option. If you qualify through your time at the University, you should have been contacted. If you’ve earned PERA time with another public entity, you might qualify and not know it. If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources directly. We also understand that soon Human Resources will be offering other COVID-related benefits. Be on the lookout for them; and we remind you to contact your Human Resources representative directly so you can best consider your options.

COVID at UNM

Having completed most of the planning and documents around the shut-down and returning to full operations, the HEROICS subgroups have stopped meeting regularly although they have not disbanded. The University is largely driven by the Governor’s executive orders, sometimes taking a more conservative approach. Keep your fingers crossed (and your masks on) - so far, we have experienced few positive cases among employees and students. If you have any concerns, please let me know.

Friends, this has been a long message. I have only one more thing to say. If you have an idea or a concern, meet with me! I will be hosting an online coffee hour on 4^thFridays, 8-9am. The first is September 25^th. Please drop by!

Staff – be safe, be kind, do good work, and get your rest and recreation. Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of UNM and this amazing community of which we are all a part.