Communications & Engagement Meeting Notes 10/28/19

  • Notes from SCW and Veronica’s meeting with Jennifer Archambault and Sara Quintana.
    • Priorities
    • Message for new staff
    • Staff recognition: what is most meaningful? Anything happening in your departments that we could replicate and grow? 
    • Open to having a person from our committee attending all staff orientation. Make sure that we create a positive message. 
      • Next meeting November 4th. 
      • State purpose from bylaws – advocate for the best interest…“
      • Meet once a month, 3 committees – here is what they are
      • Ins and outs of what they do – chance to meet people outside of your office (networking)
      • Advocate for you and support you in your job
    • Executive committee used to do this historically. Direct them to the staff council page. Show and tell – blog etc. Also a handout. 
    • Create google doc on a shared doc for all to print. 
      • Veronica & SCW will do this before New employee orientation.
    • Perhaps a pair of us. Include exec to join as well. 
    • Already have space on read only P drive.   
  • Four-ish bullet points outlining expectations for what is accomplished by Staff Ambassador lunches/relationships with new employees
    • Meeting your person over lunch
    • Getting connected to an external staff member  
    • What does the application/matching process look like
    • Look at historical information created by Roland 
    • Made an effort – take them to the next staff council meeting. 
    • How much effort are people non-responsive? 2 or 3 times a year. If you’ve reached out to them twice and get no response that is fine. 
    • New employee in Montreal – we should include them! Zoom? Or they come down often enough. 
  • Possibility of collaborating with Academic Information Team on intranet/portal for faculty and staff
    • Overall feeling is that it does sound good for this idea of an intranet. Make staff/faculty lives easier to find what we need. 
    • Need some more clarity on how we should be involved. 
    • St Mike’s uses webadvisor – created an internal intranet – it is not super pretty and user friendly. 
    • Veronica & SCW will be a part of their next meeting and will report back. 
  • Accessibility for and around annual Staff Council Exec Committee Elections.
    • Get names of all running out to everyone well in advance, with a blurb from each person about why they are running-make it more equitable, and allow everyone to plan their vote, even if voting in absentia.
    • Instead of having those running (who are present) get up and speak, should one person read all of the blurbs, to make the election more fair and equitable (and take getting up and speaking in front of everyone out of the equation).
    • Other ways to make elections more equitable (maybe involve Howie?).
    • Thinks it get the information out to everyone – then the meeting with be used in other ways. Big time saver on that meeting as there is so much to share at that May meeting. 
      • Read their blurbs in advance and have photos of people for each people. 
      • Keep window of time for people to vote in advance
      • Send out email calling for nominations & candidates – we start that work earlier. Can come up with a template.
      • We start in March. 1 month prior for our email ready to send out for May 21st meeting.
  • FB – are we on it? Not really. Wondering if we have a staff council group. 
  • UVM Staff Connect – perhaps incorporate into the intranet/portal
  • Discount program
    • Janet Morrison suggested that we reach out to the VT comedy club to see if they would offer an employee discount. What does the group think about this? Should we reach out? Any others around the area where we should reach out?
    • Identify areas at UVM Staff Connect to get the same discounts. 
    • Amazon smile foundation. 
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