Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Promised Updates!

Hi Everyone,

As promised, the Agenda for the upcoming meeting (8/4) is now accessible on the Staff Council website.

One agenda item of interest: last May 2009, Kathryn Friedman and Diane Gaboriault of the Diversity & Equity Unit spoke to the Council about the upcoming Campus Climate Survey. They've now requested the Council to appoint one of our elected members to participate in a working group which will focus on the Survey--nominations are being accepted now, and the choice will be made by President Beth Walsh by the end of next week. For the 2005 Campus Climate Survey Study Report that contributed to this current project, follow this link: http://www.uvm.edu/~aaeo/pdf/ccs_final_exec_summary_report_web_082406.pdf

In spite of the extra work of pocking up and moving the office, the Council staff still hope to get a summer issue of the Staffline published in early August. We're keeping the PDF format for now, until we hear from the Web Team that their newsletter template is ready for "beta" testing. Then we can try both for awhile, and see which format people prefer.


Those are all the latest updates for now; have a good week,

Joanne

Monday, July 27, 2009

Summer Breezeway

Hi Everyone,

First, some Library-Specific news:

The College of Medicine will be holding an Open House (and Ice Cream Social!) on July 29 at 4 PM, to let us all see the newly constructed complex in the Given Courtyard. This is the same space under the glass dome that housed the Dana Library for three years while our current home was being finished.

In spite of the size of the structure, the high ceiling retains a sense of openness: I stopped by a few times after work with a camera to see if pictures could convey the overall feeling of the space.

They're posted below in a Powerpoint(just click the Play button):



(If the display is too small for you, the full-sized Powerpoint can be opened here.

Click here for an excellent project overview from the COM, or visit their Given Courtyard Project website.

Please come visit!


In Staff Council news, the next full Council Meeting will be Tuesday August 4th, at 12:05 in the Livak Ballroom of the Davis Center. I haven't yet received an agenda or any notice of a scheduled speaker--I'll be sure to pass that information along as soon as we get it!

When the Staff Council was reorganized to its larger size, the bylaws needed updating too. Most of that was completed in the first year with the finishing touches done last year. Over the summer the Executive Board has worked to complete the Policy Manual to accompany the bylaws, and they hope to have that ready for a full Council approval vote in the next month or two.

Like many other offices, the Staff Council Office is moving too, because of renovations to their end of the hall in Waterman. Their main operation will move just a few doors down to the room adjacent to the Faculty Senate meeting room, but they'll retain the smaller of their original rooms (at 305) as a meeting space for Committees and other groups. Please be patient during this time while phones and computers are being reconnected--Jeff and Diane Will follow up on all messages as soon as they're able!

Well, I hope that everyone had a chance to enjoy what dry moments they could find this weekend!


Have a good week,

Joanne