January TUSS News for Staff

Published by on January 23, 2025 12:00 am Comments Off on January 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: 

  • Towson University will be CLOSED on March 17. TU received an additional holiday when the Governor declared Christmas Eve a state holiday in 2024. This March date during spring break was selected based on feedback from shared governance. Check TU Today for more info. 
  • TU will soon welcome Alex Webb as Director of Procurement. Thank you to all who participated in the search!  
  • A new mileage reimbursement rate was announced, the new rate will be $0.70 per mile.  
  • It was reiterated that Shared Services Committee is charged with finding ways to avoid duplicating purchases and processes, not eliminating staff.  
  • A Request for Procurement (RFP) for outsourcing UStore operations was released on January 10; however, the University continues to look at a strong internal model as well. The RFP includes a clause for retaining existing staff.  
  • HR reported the inclement weather procedures and FAQs were successfully enacted in early January.  
  • The leave donation program has been launched. The program will be accepting donations to build a bank before accepting requests. Target date for accepting requests is April 2025. Visit https://www.towson.edu/hr/current/leave.html to learn more.  
  • Watch your email and TU Today for 2025 Faculty & Staff Recognition Event invitations.  
  • TUSS Awards Committee Received 11 Board of Regents nominations, 5 are moving to next steps.  
  • Discussion was held on the new prescription drug plan provider – MedImpact. If you are experiencing any difficulties with the new plan, please contact hrbenefits@towson.edu HR stressed they are addressing issues as they come in, but they need to know about them to fix them. It was mentioned that some medicines may require pre-approval again due to the change in provider.  
  • USM Advocacy Day in Annapolis is February 19.  
  • Discussion was held about senate membership. A motion was made to ask the bylaws committee for a proposed change to Article 3 of the TUSS bylaws.  
  • TUSS Senators were acknowledged on the court at half time of the Faculty/Staff Appreciation themed TU Men’s Basketball Game on January 16. It was a great time and an exciting win! GOH TIGERS! 

QUESTIONS FOR STAFF:   

Please share your feedback regarding the improvements TU has made with handling inclement weather. (notifications, delays, closures, etc.) 

Send your feedback to TUSS@towson.edu or anonymously via our feedback form.   

AWARDS: 

Top Tiger 

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

Congratulations to these recent Top Tigers:

  • Stacy Elofir, UStore;
  • Mike Franklin, Event & Conference Services;
  • Lou Ciotola*, Event & Conference Services. 

*indicates repeat recipient 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: 

TUSS Meeting: February 19, 2024, 1 p.m.
Zoom Direct Link: https://towson-edu.zoom.us/j/98702752003?pwd=N05Id3JZTEhxM2Z4ZUNBRk5OSDAvUT09
Meeting ID: 987 0275 2003
Passcode: TUSSZoom 

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