SC President's Monthly Communication: January
January 21, 2021 - Nancy Shane
Good morning, UNM Staff!
Last week, in my role as a program evaluator in the UNM School of Medicine, I had the honor of co-convening the annual HSC Education Days conference. Aside from learning a great deal about how a conference is run, it had me reflecting on ‘professional community,’ including both the people you work with day to day, and the colleagues outside your immediate circle, perhaps in the professional organizations to which you belong. No matter the stage of your career, it’s worth nurturing and growing one’s professional community (or communities)—both locally and in the wide world. From those in our professional community, we learn the trends of the day, build skills, and renew our excitement about the work we do. A staff member’s professional community is one of the best sources for growth, be it through conferences and workshops or less structured gatherings. Equally important (and satisfying) is contributing your expertise to others in your professional community. I hope you feel that in your role at UNM, you have ample opportunity to interact with the colleagues and organizations that fulfill you. And if you have ideas how the University can nurture your professional development, I hope you will share them with your Staff Councilors, and with me.
And now, to share the recent news:
Staff Council Initiatives
Intellectual Humility. The Rewards and Recognition Committee and the Government Relations Committee have jointly arranged for another interesting Learn at Lunch this month on Monday, January 25th, at noon via Zoom. The talk will address the political polarization in our country, its consequences, and what we might do about it – a topic that could hardly be more timely. The presenter is Dr. Lonna Atkeson, a Professor and Regents’ Lecturer in Political Science. She was also my own dissertation advisor. I know firsthand Lonna’s commitment to democratic principles and expanding meaningful political participation; and I am so pleased with this opportunity for staff (and myself!) to learn her most recent insights.
Government Relations. As you may know, the New Mexico State Legislative Session opened for its 60-day session Tuesday. The UNM Legislative Priorities FW22 emphasizes instruction and general funding, compensation, and the Lottery Scholarship Fund. The Staff Council has its own Government Relations Committee; and this month its members explained to Councilors some ways we might interact with legislators this unusual year. I thought I’d share some of that great advice with you, too: (1) contact your own legislators, which you can find here, (2) keep your communications respectful and simple; and (3) it’s faster to call their office during the session, but if you choose email, do NOT use your UNM account. Please, use a personal email account.
Money on Your LoboCard. As I hope you are aware, in December Staff Councilused its FY20 staff appreciation funds to load $7 on each staff’s LoboCard account. This mini- stipend can be used in many ways on and off campus! We have run into a significant hiccup for HSC staff without LoboCards. We are working to address that problem; and I hope to be sending more information next week.
Diversity Training. The Staff Council Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee received funding to send some of its members to the online Equity Summit conference; and to use their new knowledge toward Committee initiatives and objectives.
Human Resources and COVID-19 In case you missed it in the announcement from Human Resources last week, University leadership has extended the time for which staff may use Emergency Paid Sick Leave (E-PSL) although Congress has stopped funding it. This benefit protects your annual and sick leave if you are caring for yourself or family members sheltering at home due to COVID-19. If you have not exhausted your maximum allotment (usually 80 hours), you now have until March 31st to do so. If you not begun to receive E-PSL already, you can find the specific eligibility criteria and the request form here. If you have neither received the vaccine already nor yet registered, please know you may do so anytime through the NM Department of Health website. Have your health insurance information handy. Human Resources has been working hard to ensure the website will be able to detect UNM staff who are eligible for Phase 1B and 1C. Finally, vaccines are being administered at the UNM Pit; and there are many opportunities for volunteering if you’ve a mind! Once you’ve reviewed the various volunteer opportunities and requirements, you can sign up for shifts here. As a temporary measure to address the pandemic, the University will allow staffto use regular work hours to volunteer as approved by supervisors; and HR will be releasing that policy very shortly. Financial Planning The Budget Leadership Team (BLT) is continuing its work to present a draft budget to President Stokes by April 1st. Under consideration in the state legislature now are, as always, budget proposals from both the executive and legislative branches; and of course the UNM budget will largely be dependent on what happens there. (A compensation increase for employees in higher education is included in the legislative proposal, but not the executive proposal.) I’ve requested a BLT subcommittee regarding faculty and staff compensation and benefits; and if formed I would like to sit on that subcommittee. Recent work of BLT includes:
If UNM financial planning is a bit of a mystery to you, you’re not alone. Increasing the UNM community’s understanding of budget processes is a priority for UNM leadership and BLT. Staff Council has been considering ways to make that happen for staff in the coming months. Did you graduate from UNM? If you did, be Lobo proud! It’s important for your colleagues to know you have the extra connection to and knowledge about UNM from the student perspective. Include your degree and the year you earned it in your email signature file. You’ll be sharing your pride in UNM; and who knows what doors that may open? If you share your UNM graduation information in other ways, please let me know! The Staff Council President’s Coffee Hour will this month be held on Friday, January 22nd, from 8-9am—coming right up! I am so pleased with this chance for me to meet new people each month and hear some of what is going on in your lives. Please join us for any length of time.
Nancy L. Shane (she/her/hers) UNM PhD ‘08 |
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