Februrary TUSS News for Staff

Published by on February 26, 2024 12:00 am Comments Off on Februrary 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 general meetings. Our meetings are opportunities for all staff employees to be involved in institutional planning and amplify staff input. Join us! 

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RECENT TUSS MEETING: 

  • Heather reported on Executive Restructuring with the new Executive Team in the President’s Cabinet. https://www.towson.edu/about/administration/documents/execorgchart.pdf 
  • A centralized dashboard for reporting is being developed for Stratus. Testing is ongoing, with a March ETA for release. 
  • The new business travel website is now live: https://www.towson.edu/financialservices/travel/ 
  • Help is always available with business travel by calling x4-5421, visiting the Business Travel Webex group or attending a drop-in session on Tuesday or Friday from 9 – 10 a.m. or 2 – 3 p.m. 
  • The FY2023 Financial audit ended successfully with no findings. Our first fiscal year close in STRATUS. Congratulations to all! 
  • Discussions on the USM budget are still ongoing in Annapolis. The final day of the Maryland legislative session, also known as Sine Die, is April 10, 2024.  
  • Towson University launched a celebration of Black History Month page: https://www.towson.edu/history-culture/black/ 
  • Division of Administration & Finance has hired several new staff and is currently recruiting an Assistant Director of Procurement.  
  • Campus Climate Survey results from the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity are being shared through shared governance bodies. Will possibly be on the March TUSS agenda. 
  • Work is beginning on the 2030 Diversity Strategic Plan.  
  • VP Bradley encouraged staff members to reach out and find out about affinity groups. https://www.towson.edu/inclusionequity/diversity/groups/ 
  • Tuesday’s incident in Residence Tower was caused by an electric scooter charging malfunction. A campus task force is looking into establishing guidelines on the use, storage, and charging of personal mechanical conveyance devices. Shoutout to Public Safety, Facilities Management, and Environmental Health and Safety for their prompt response to the incident.  
  • Faculty/Staff Recognition event will celebrate over 300 faculty and staff, including many staff with 30+ years of service. 
  • Six individuals have been hired through the employee referral program and two employees have completed the initial referral bonus payment! TU is a great place to work! Learn about the referral program: https://www.towson.edu/hr/employment/employee-referral-program.html 
  • ~60% of packages are going through package lockers. All Amazon lockers are in place and functional. Looking into adding cardboard recycling capacity at package lockers. Amazon may be interested in adding more lockers in West Village Garage. 
  • Senior VP Jones discussed campus communication on weather delays. Ongoing discussions are occurring with TUSS. Feedback is important, so keep it coming! The feedback we provided so far resulted in clearer communication for staff and earlier notification to the campus. TUSS advocated for continuing to provide info about weekend operations. 
  • Senior VP Jones presented FY25 parking rates. 93% of the campus will see no change or a reduction in rate cost. Rate increases will not occur for any employee making below $120,000 as of 07/01/2024.  
  • HR reported we have 65 MORE staff members on campus than in February 2023. Over 147 staff have moved into new roles. HR also shared that many staff received equity adjustments! https://www.towson.edu/hr/current/pay-study/ 
  • Exit interviews were discussed. Exit interviews can be done via Zoom or in-person. HR tries to do an exit interview with all employees separating from the University or transferring between units. Separating staff can also request a different HR partner to do the exit interview if they feel uncomfortable with the assigned HR partner. HR maintains the data and shares specific themes with the HR partners and shares this either formally or informally with departments and supervisors. HR does not share specific details from exit interviews.  
  • Three Board of Regents Staff Award Nominees were submitted as final candidates from TU: Cynthia M. Baker – Inclusion, Multiculturalism, and Social Justice; Henry O. Jackson – Extraordinary Public Service; Tammie King-Kelly – Outstanding Service to Students. Congratulations and Good Luck! 
  • TU Impact Award nominations open soon. Stay tuned and nominate a staff colleague or team or yourself! https://www.towson.edu/about/administration/staff-senate/staff-awards/impact-awards.html 
  • Exec Board reported the listening tour forum with President Ginsberg was attended by over 75 staff. Staff expressed feeling heard. Feedback can be provided through the President’s website: https://www.towson.edu/about/administration/president/listening-to-understand.html 
  • TUSS Chair has been invited to speak at the President’s inauguration.  
  • A vote was held to approve the election process for the 2024 TUSS elections. The vote passed.  
  • All Faculty and Staff are encouraged to register and attend the inauguration of President Ginsberg on Friday, April 5, 2024: https://www.towson.edu/presidential-inauguration/ 

REMINDERS: 

QUESTION FOR STAFF:  

TU Staff Senate Professional Development Mini-Grants will be offered through a reimbursement model. Will that model prevent you from applying for a mini-grant? Send your feedback to tuss@towson.edu 

AWARDS: 

Top Tiger 

Top Tigers receive a recognition certificate and a lunch credit in honor of their work in making TU a great place! If you have received exceptional service from a staff member, please nominate them for a Top Tiger Award. TU faculty, staff and students can nominate TU staff members by submitting a Top Tiger Nomination Form: https://www.towson.edu/about/administration/staff-senate/staff-awards/top-tiger-award.html  

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: 

TUSS Meeting: March 20, 2024, 1 p.m.
Zoom Direct Link: https://towson-edu.zoom.us/j/98702752003?pwd=N05Id3JZTEhxM2Z4ZUNBRk5OSDAvUT09
Meeting ID: 987 0275 2003
Passcode: TUSSZoom

Council of University System Staff Meeting hosted at TU: April 9, 2024 

 

Senator Spotlight 

Amber Taylor | Research Associate | Division of Strategic Partnerships & Applied Research 

How long have you worked at TU?  

I’ve worked at TU for just over a year since January 2023. 

What is your department and what does your position entail? 

As a Research Associate with the Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI), a part of the Strategic Partnership and Applied Research (SPAR) department, I conduct research for projects that help clients make informed decisions. My job involves assisting my project team in economic and policy analysis, extracting and analyzing data from various federal, state, and local sources, and supporting analytical tasks of research projects by summarizing data and creating drafts of data and research summaries. 

What does a typical workday look like for you?   

A workday for me typically starts off with a warm latte or tea, and warm greetings from my team. I then dive into whatever project is ahead of me. Some days this may involve searching for reliable resources on the web or library catalogs, engaging in meetings or conducting personal interviews for research studies, entering data, editing sections within a report or presentation, or finding other supporting details to further aid our teams in a current project.  

What do you enjoy the most about your job?  

I enjoy working on different projects because each one is unique and has distinct research objectives. It’s also rewarding to see the positive impact that our stakeholders and clients have within the Maryland region. 

What is your favorite place to eat on or around campus?  

Although I don’t work directly on campus, I work at an off-campus location in downtown Towson. I enjoy getting my morning fixes at Starbucks at the Armory, or lunch at Sushi Hana nearby. 

What do you do to relax?  

To relax I enjoy listening to inspirational podcasts, motivational messages, or taking walks. 

If we were to create a TU playlist, what song would you want to include and why?  

I cannot choose just one amazing song, I have too many on my playlist. Although it’s not an upbeat song, my most played song on my playlist is Blessings Everywhere (Live) by Elevation Worship. It’s a great reminder that in life’s journey there are blessings in every high, low, yes, or no in your life. It’s a song of gratitude, and I’m always very grateful. 

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?  

I think people would be surprised to know that I have three amazing children who are 19,16, and 5 years old. All but year old are towering me.   

What’s one thing you wish you had known when you were a teenager?  

I wish I knew the power of having short term alternative plans. When life doesn’t go as planned, learning that you have other valuable skills in your life that you are passionate about can be helpful. Actively having goals and taking measurable steps towards those goals are important, even baby steps. 

What’s the proudest moment of your life?  

The proudest moment of my life was becoming a mom. My children have given me many proud memories that we’ve championed through. 

Why did you decide to get involved with the TUSS?   

I got involved with TUSS to further my understanding and immerse myself in TU’s culture. I love helping others, and if I can do that through advocating and helping others through TUSS, then I am happy to do so. Being able to give to others is a great reward. 

What you have learned (or hope to learn) during your time in TUSS?  

I’ve learned that TU has a great community of staff that care about TU, and not only its students but the surrounding community at large. I hope during my time with TUSS that I can make a positive impact that further aids TU’s staff during their tenure. 

 

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 Primrose, Greg