March TUSS News for Staff

Published by on March 22, 2022 1:01 am Comments Off on March TUSS News for Staff in General

The Towson University Staff Senate (TUSS) is the advocate body for all university staff employees. All TU staff are general members of the senate and are encouraged to attend meetings. Meeting agendas and minutes are posted to TUSS SharePoint. 

Highlights from the recent TUSS Meeting 

  • President Schatzel is scheduled to speak at the April TUSS meeting. Please join us to hear her remarks. 
  • TUSS is currently accepting nominations from staff for senators. There are 11 seats open. Please submit nominations via the form https://towsonu.tfaforms.net/1218669  
  • Shared governance bodies are sponsoring a peace rally for Ukraine on March 30 at 5 p.m. in Freedom Square. 
  • Big Give: TU’s Big Give is April 27. The goal is 1500 donors at $5 or more that day. Join us in donating to TU if you are able to do so. 
  • Budget: Once the legislative session closes, more information will come. 
  • Leadership Positions: The CIO search is underway and candidate interviews were held last week. On-campus interviews are expected the week after spring break. Other leadership positions have been announced – Dr. Steven Eigenbrot as Director of Athletics, Dr. Boyd Bradshaw as Vice President for Enrollment Management, and Dr. Sidd Kaza as Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies. 
  • Administration and Finance Division: Carol Wettersten is moving to OTS’s project management office on April 6. Congratulations! 
  • Pay: The temporary pay adjustment procedure went into effect. TUSS asked if COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) in July will include student workers and was advised that eligibility is still under review. 
  • Telework: The revised telework revised policy is in place. New forms mentioned in the policy have been delayed and are coming soon. Training will be available for supervisors. 
  • Parking: Changes to parking rates are being reviewed. Nothing has been finalized and more information will come. 
  • Faculty and Staff Annual Recognition: The event will be held on April 5. Employees with service milestones and Board of Regents Award nominees and recipients from 2021 and 2022 have been invited. After RSVPs are gathered, invitations may be opened to the rest of faculty and staff. 
  • Pay Study: OHR (Office of Human Resources) just received refreshed data from CUPA, they’re looking at equity analysis along with consideration of merit and COLA increase and plans for any recommended changes should be in the works during the next two months. 
  • Menstruation products: Under a project that came out of SGA (Student Government Association), TU Operations is working with a vendor and putting together a plan to make menstruation products available free of charge on campus. 
  • Construction: An update was provided, and campus construction continues to move forward. More information can be found on the construction and campus master plan websites.  
  • Postal Operations: Exploring package lockers for deliveries. 
  • Training and Development: OHR has hired a new training and development specialist, Amy Levine. Welcome! 
  • Performance Reviews: While performance management is expected to be ongoing all year, the submission process can be daunting. Training opportunities for supervisors about giving formal feedback will be offered in the coming months. 
  • Council of University System Staff (CUSS): April 7 is USM (University System of Maryland) mental health day. UMBC and Salisbury presidents are retiring. USM-sponsored MetLife Benefits Annual Open Enrollment runs through March 28. Board of Regents received 31 staff award submissions – 27 exempt and 4 non-exempt. 
  • FMLA: TUSS moved forward a request for a review of TU and USM FMLA policies. TUSS is following up with OHR for clarification. 
  • Reminders: 

Awards 

TU Impact Awards 

Nominations are open for the TU Impact Awards and nominating an individual or group is easy! To nominate an exceptional staff member or group/team, submit the nomination form by 5 p.m. on April 18, 2022. More information can be found at the TU Impact Award website. 

Top Tiger 

Join us in congratulating Top Tiger Award recipients: 

  • Christine Eifert – Administrative Assistant II for the Department of Economics 
  • Frank Hubbard Butler – Environmental Safety Assistant for Environmental Health & Safety Office 

TU faculty, staff and students can nominate TU staff members for a Top Tiger award by submitting the Top Tiger Nomination Form.  

Mark Your Calendar 

TUSS Meeting: April 20, 1 p.m.
Zoom Direct Link: https://towson-edu.zoom.us/j/98702752003?pwd=N05Id3JZTEhxM2Z4ZUNBRk5OSDAvUT09
Meeting ID: 987 0275 2003
Passcode: TUSSZoom 

Notify TUSS@towson.edu by Monday before the meeting if you need to attend in person, please. 

Staff Development Conference: March 23, 2022 – “Push What’s Possible: Make an Impact”
Staff who have not registered but are interested in attending may register on-site the day of the conference. Hear from keynote speaker Dr. Nancy Grasmick, choose from 11 workshops in the morning session and nine in the afternoon, join other registered colleagues for a buffet lunch, and learn more about TU departments and our partners at the vendor marketplace. Learn more at https://wp.towson.edu/sdc/.  

Administrative Professionals Conference: April 28, 2022
Presented by USM. Register today at https://www.usmd.edu/training-and-development/. 

Senator Spotlight 

This month features Division of University Marketing and Communications Advancement Exempt Senator, Ashley Arnold (she/her). She is the Information Architect in Digital Strategy. 

How long have you worked at TU? 
I started working at TU in December of 2013, so I’ve been here eight years. 

What is your department and what does your position entail?
I am in Digital Strategy within the Division of University Marketing and Communications. I’m the Information Architect for the TU website. I primarily advise university web editors and communications specialists on the organization of website content for optimal user experience. 

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
I enjoy getting to meet many people around campus and work together on solutions to requests and problems. While my team works most closely with web editors and communications specialists, we also collaborate with people in a variety of roles including deans, department chairs, vice presidents, project leads, etc. This interaction introduces a variety of requests and communications needs, so we’re always working on solutions to meet those needs within the confines of our systems and best practices. There is never a dull moment! 

What is your favorite place to eat on or around campus? 
I love going out to Spice and Dice or Belvedere Square when I’m able to get away for a little bit for lunch.  

What do you do to relax? 
I’m really into jigsaw puzzles. I find it helps clear my head and helps me de-stress. I recently finished my first 3000-piece puzzle. I also watch movies with my son, read, do yardwork, and go for walks. 

What’s the proudest moment of your life? 
Becoming a mom! 

Describe what you have learned (or hope to learn) during your time in TUSS? 
I’ve learned a lot about shared governance and how the various governing bodies on campus have an impact on decisions and priorities. As the communications committee chair, I’ve learned to work with staff from all over campus with various levels of communications experience, and I think we’re doing a great job! J 

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Please visit the website for more information about TUSS, details about upcoming meetings, the list of senators, and details about staff awards: https://www.towson.edu/tuss . 

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This post was written by Karp, Robert J.