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Staff Connections

Category: Staff Connections

All Staff Meeting – October 11, 2021

Our first All Staff Meeting of the year will be held virtually on Monday, October 11, 2021 at 8:30am – 10am. We invite you to submit feedback on the agenda topics and questions/concerns for senior leadership via this form by October 6 at noon. Staff will also have the opportunity to ask questions during the meeting via chat.

The meeting will be recorded and posted to the LU Insider for those unable to attend.

Zoom detail:

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://lawrence.zoom.us/j/98049200940

Webinar ID: 980 4920 0940

Staff Connections Rebrand: Staff Governance

The Staff Connections Committee has, in response to calls for increased staff representation in university decision making, officially rebranded as the Staff Governance Committee. Our vision is to build a framework for Staff Governance that is more closely aligned to existing Student and Faculty Governance structures.

As we continue to grow the committee and develop its bylaws, our focus will be on:

  • Serving as a formal avenue of communication to all staff, supporting consistent and transparent communication across all areas of the university
  • Recommending individual staff persons to serve on university committees where policies and procedures that affect staff are discussed and determined
  • Conveying feedback and other information to the President and senior leadership related to interests and concerns of university staff
  • Recruiting and maintaining representation from all operational areas of the university and emphasizing the importance of including staff at all levels

That said, this vision is still taking shape, and its final form is fully reliant on staff feedback and participation. As such, we ask that any staff interested in shaping this new governance framework:

  1. Submit feedback on the proposed vision and recommend any additional areas of focus using this form.
  2. Consider joining our committee as we navigate this transition. To express interest, or to request additional information, please contact staff_connection@lawrence.edu.

This is both an incredible opportunity for professional development and a way to ensure that your voice – and the voices of your colleagues – are being accurately represented in university decision-making.

We look forward to working with you!

Staff Connections: Calling All Staff Members

The Staff Connections Committee believes in creating a stronger Lawrence community where staff members have the opportunity to create and develop personal and professional connections across faculty and staff, voice opinions about their community, and work with administration in order to foster the understanding of the needs of staff.

Last year, Staff Connections announced their rebranding in response to your feedback on increasing staff representation in shared governance. As the committee continues to put effort into this rebranding, we are seeking to grow our committee and would like to invite any staff members who are interested in taking part in this rebranding. This is an opportunity for professional development where you can impact the campus greatly. Currently, we are looking for staff representatives for the Lawrence Pandemic Planning Team (LPPT) and Financial Planning Committee (FPC).

If you are interested in being part of this rebranding or being the staff representative on the LPPT or FPC, please reach out to Staff Connections at staff_connection@lawrence.edu or complete the staff member form on our webpage. 

We look forward to working with you!

Staff Connections: All-Staff Recording + Membership

Thank you to those who attended and submitted their feedback for the Spring All-Staff Meeting on Tuesday! For those who were unable to attend, the Zoom recording is posted on the Staff Connections webpage (login required).

Staff may submit additional questions and concerns via our anonymous form, and we will present them to senior leadership.

As was mentioned during the meeting, Staff Connections is looking for new members as we prepare for our rebranding! In response to your feedback, we want to shift our focus from social event planning toward enhancing communication to increase staff representation in shared governance. We seek to mirror the Faculty Governance Committee in creating a space for staff to more regularly meet and be given the platform to voice their opinions at a higher level.

This is a great opportunity to make your voice heard and make a difference! Interested staff members may volunteer via the form on our webpage or send an email to staff_connection@lawrence.edu. Together, we can ensure the committee grows into something that best represents and meets the needs of our diverse staff.

All-Staff Meeting Survey

The spring all-staff Meeting will take place Tuesday, May 25, 9-10:30 a.m. via Zoom. As a reminder, staff are invited to fill out our anonymous survey to share their topics of interest and pre-submit questions for senior leadership; survey responses will determine the meeting agenda.

Staff Survey Link: https://forms.gle/YXwJjfvKsBBQuomA6
The survey will close the morning of Monday, May 24.

The Zoom link and finalized meeting agenda will be posted on the Staff Connections Upcoming Events webpage.

Thanks to those who already submitted feedback! Your responses will help us ensure the meeting is purposeful and productive. If you have additional questions or feedback, please email us at staff_connection@lawrence.edu.

All-Staff Meeting Updates

In response to your feedback, the Staff Connections Committee decided to extend the length of the upcoming all-staff meeting from 60 minutes to 90 minutes to better address staff concerns. The spring all-staff Meeting will take place Tuesday, May 25, 9-10:30 a.m. via Zoom.

We invite you to fill out our anonymous survey to share in which topics you are most interested and pre-submit questions for senior leadership; survey responses will determine the meeting agenda.

Staff Survey Link: https://forms.gle/YXwJjfvKsBBQuomA6
The survey will close the morning of Monday, May 24.

The Zoom link and finalized meeting agenda will be posted on the Staff Connections Upcoming Events webpage.

Thank you in advance for your feedback! Your responses will help us ensure the meeting is purposeful and productive. If you have additional questions or feedback, please email us at staff_connection@lawrence.edu.

All-Staff Meeting: Minutes/Recording + Survey

Thank you to those who attended the Winter All-Staff Meeting on March 4! For those who were unable to attend, the meeting minutes and Zoom recording may be found on the Staff Connections Past Meetings webpage. Unaddressed questions and concerns were compiled and sent to President Burstein, whose responses will be posted on the same page.

Staff Connections is seeking feedback to improve future meetings and staff communication. Please submit your concerns and suggestions via our anonymous survey.

We look forward to sharing our Spring All-Staff Meeting with you on Tuesday, May 25, 9-10 a.m. via Zoom.

Employee Mindfulness Workshop: March 16

As a reminder, the Employee Mindfulness Workshop will take place this upcoming Tuesday, March 16, 11:30-12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Join Staff Connections and Sara Curtis and Corynn Stoltenberg from Wellness Services as they offer ways for staff and faculty to release tension, nurture themselves, and return to the wisdom of the body through simple guided exercises and open discussion.

The Zoom link may be found on the Staff Connections Upcoming Events page. The workshop will be recorded and posted on the Past Meetings page for those unable to attend and those who wish to revisit the exercises.

We hope to see you there!

Employee Mindfulness Workshop

There is so much coming at us right now: many of us spend our days sitting in front of computers as talking heads on Zoom, which means that much of what we’re taking in is being held in our bodies as tension. With fewer opportunities to move our bodies, congregate, and do other things that release stress and make us feel vital, the tension can become chronic and lead to poorer mental health outcomes. However, when we tune into our felt sense and learn to relax and come home to our bodies, we can begin to process and move through the many difficult emotions and even trauma we’ve otherwise been unable to process through intellect alone. 

Staff Connections is excited to partner with Wellness Services to hold an Employee Mindfulness Workshop! Sara Curtis and Corynn Stoltenberg will offer ways for staff and faculty to release tension, nurture themselves, and return to the wisdom of the body through simple guided exercises and open discussion.

This event will take place Tuesday, March 16, 11:30-12:00 p.m. via Zoom. The Zoom link may be found on the Staff Connections Upcoming Events page. The workshop will be recorded and posted on the Past Meetings page for those unable to attend and those who wish to revisit the exercises.

We hope to see you there!

All Staff Meeting: Agenda + Staff Questions

The agenda and Zoom link for the Winter All Staff Meeting on Thursday, March 4, 9:00-10:00 a.m. can be found on the Staff Connections – Upcoming Meetings webpage.

We are still accepting staff feedback and questions for senior leadership via our anonymous form, which will close the morning of March 3 to allow us time to prepare. During the meeting, staff also will be able to submit questions at any time via the chat.

As a reminder, the meeting will be recorded and posted here in the meeting minutes for those unable to attend.

We look forward to having you join us next week!