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PSS Meeting Recap

• I3B’s Weekly Mindfulness Series

  • Darcie Adams, Graduate Assistant in The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-being, I3B, discussed a new weekly mindfulness initiative and asked for staff assistance in guiding some sessions.

  • If you have a favorite mindfulness or self-care activity you’d be willing to share with others, email Darcie at dadams4@umbc.edu. Sessions will be from 8:30 - 9:30 AM on Thursdays in the spring semester.

• Office of Equity and Civil Rights (ECR) Updates

  • Tanyka Barber, Vice President of the Division of Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer, shared with us that a new case manager will be starting soon, and they are still looking to hire two Investigators and a Training & Prevention Manager.

  • Tanyka shared some hiring challenges ECR has been handling with grace; they are working with a search firm to hire a Director of ECR, and Leah Reynolds is staying on as an interim Director in the meantime.

  • ECR is moving to the Admin 9th floor before winter break and will have the offices directly to the left when you get off the elevators to provide a waiting area and easy accessibility.

  • Responsible Employee Training will be rolled out in January for mandatory reporters. Those required to take the 30-minute training will have 30 days to complete it.

• Vote on IT Policies

  • The Senate voted on 4 new IT policies that were presented during the November general body meeting by Jack Suess, VP of IT and CIO, Damian Doyle, Deputy CIO and Interim Chief Information Security Office, and Laura Mateczun, Privacy Officer.

  • Acceptable Use Policy 

  • Classification and Protection of Confidential Information 

  • Credential Management, Authentication, and Authorization 

  • IT Security Policy 

• Ad-hoc Recruitment Committee

  • Our recruitment committee is working to expand the pool of candidates running for senate positions in spring 2024. We are planning outreach with different campus groups and departments that historically lack representation in the senate.

Check out the meeting minutes for additional information.

Enjoy Winter Break!

The Staff Senate hopes everyone has a restful and relaxing winter break! Take some time for family, friends, and self-care so we can return to campus in 2024 refreshed and rejuvenated.

Training Opportunities from Talent Learning & Organizational Development

January Online Trainings:

• Collaboration 101: Introduction to Collaborative Leadership - January 9th from 9:00am-11:30am. 

• PMP Training Session for Supervisors - January 25th from 9:30am-12pm. Please note that this workshop is required for all supervisors of Regular and Contingent II Staff. 

Also in January, we are excited to officially relaunch Welcome to UMBC, an onboarding event for recent new staff and faculty. The first quarterly event is scheduled for January 24th from 2pm-4pm in the Skylight Room. Stay tuned for more details!

We continue to share curated offerings from HRDQ on workplace culture and leadership development including The Human-Centered Workplace- Establishing Belonging; The Secret to Disarming Employee Excuses; and Manage UP: Amplify your Visibility, Voice and Value. These webinars are free through HRDQ.

Follow UMBC Talent Learning & Organizational Development on myUMBC

Meet the Senator

Jill Blum

I'm Jill Blum (rhymes with plum), a first-year senator and the Senior Digital Designer for the Division of University Communications and Marketing. Joining the team in March 2020, I am proud to serve on the PSS Communications Committee and the Preschool Committee.

Within just 9 days of starting my role, the shift to remote work occurred. In response, I eagerly embraced the Mentor/Mentee program offered by the ESS, a decision that proved invaluable. This initiative not only connected me with a diverse array of individuals I might not have encountered otherwise but also opened up numerous opportunities for deeper community engagement.

My dedication to visual communication led me to pursue a Master's in Publication Design at the University of Baltimore, complementing my earlier Bachelor's in Corporate Communication.

Beyond the professional sphere, I am an active volunteer with various non-profits and treasure moments with my husband Wesley and our 6-year-old future Retriever, Ben!