December TUSS News for Staff

Published by on December 19, 2022 12:00 am Comments Off on December 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:

  • TUSS will support the presidential search process however we are able to and look forward to a successful search. We are grateful to Dr. Perreault for stepping up as Interim President, and we look forward to working with her during the interim and transition periods. The search for the 15th president will be led by USM, and TU expects to hear more from the Chancellor in January.
  • Budget: Budget materials are due back by January 6, 2023. These will be used as basis for FY24 plans and proposals. TU will be closely following the legislative session and budget outcomes. Interim President Perreault will be testifying during the upcoming legislative session.
  • CHP building: The CHP building has reached its top height and the anticipated opening is summer 2024.
  • University Union: Final punch list items for the University Union are being worked on and are nearly completed. PAWS projected to be completed and reopened in time for spring semester.
  • 7400 York Road: The future Institute for Wellbeing (IWB) location is anticipated to be completed end of June 2023.
  • Admin Building: Part of the 2nd floor of the Administration Building will house Audiology and that work will completed in June 2023.
  • Armory: TU was given permission by the Board of Regents and Board of Public Works to purchase the Armory building, and the purchase is in the final stages now. Owning the property provides annual cost savings for the university.
  • West Village: TU is planning to partially dismantle the COVID testing center in West Village over winter break and convert remaining space to staging/storage for CHP construction and Smith Hall renovations.
  • Dean searches: Dr. Matthew Nugent will be joining the university as the dean of the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics in July 2023. The search for the new dean of the College of Business and Economics will kick off soon – keep an eye out for campus forums with candidates. Candidates and search firms have been impressed by our campus attendance and engagement at candidate forums.
  • StartUp: StartUp at the Armory has won another award – the Sustainable Communities Award, presented annually by the Maryland Department of Planning. Congratulations!
  • Strategic Plans: TU is working on developing dashboards for the University Strategic Plan and the Diversity Strategic Plan to track and view progress.
  • Telecom billing: Administration & Finance looked at the average of the past 5 years to determine a unit’s costs on telecom. They will be keeping the handling centralized now and billing will no longer be handled at the unit level.
  • Electric vehicle project: This project will be lead by Paddy Watson and includes infrastructure for faculty/staff parking and converting TU’s fleet of vehicles.
  • Printing Services/Copies Plus: Presented on their convenient, speedy and affordable services. Learn more at https://www.towson.edu/copies/ and https://www.towson.edu/printing/. Use them for your printing and copying needs. They also price match.
  • Filled positions: Pete Shinnick has been named the head football coach and Katie Gerzabek Salem has been named the field hockey coach. Welcome!
  • Council of University System Staff (CUSS): View their website for minutes, newsletters and more: https://www.usmd.edu/usm/workgroups/SystemStaff/. Recent discussion included confirmation that USM will not allow marijuana use because it is not federally legal and therefore campuses would lose federal funding.
  • Senate: There was a discussion of staff senate makeup and organization. A workgroup was created to explore the issue and report on potential solutions. They will report back in our January meeting.

REMINDERS:

AWARDS:


Top Tigers 

If you have received exceptional service from a staff member, please nominate them for the monthly Top Tiger Award. This award is designed to recognize staff excellence. TU faculty, staff and students can nominate TU staff members by submitting the Top Tiger Nomination Form.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:


TUSS Meeting: January 18, 2023, 1 p.m.
Zoom Direct Link: https://towson-edu.zoom.us/j/98702752003?pwd=N05Id3JZTEhxM2Z4ZUNBRk5OSDAvUT09
Meeting ID: 987 0275 2003
Passcode: TUSSZoom

SENATOR SPOTLIGHT:

Kim Campion

This month features Division of Administration and Finance Exempt senator Kim Campion, who is Insurance Administrator in Environmental Health and Safety.

How long have you worked at TU?
3 ½ years.

What is your department and what does your position entail?
Office of Public Safety/Environmental Health & Safety.

What does a typical workday look like for you?
Processing claims with the State Treasurer’s office and answering insurance concerns from faculty & staff.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
The people I meet and interact with daily on campus.

What is your favorite place to eat on or around campus?
Paws and I hope it opens back up soon.

What do you do to relax?
I play the piano.

What’s one thing you wish you had known when you were a teenager?
To enjoy each and every day!!!

What’s the proudest moment of your life?
There are 3. The days my children were born, of course.

Why did you decide to get involved with the TUSS?
To get more involved with the university.

Describe what you have learned (or hope to learn) during your time in TUSS?
All the different ways that TU gets involved with the students/staff and community.

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Please visit our 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 Arnold, Ashley