November 2020 Campus Updates

Update Provided By: Courtney Reiswig

  • Staff Senate had a first reading of the General/Student Policy: Speech, Expression and Assembly. Potential suggestions for improvement will be presented at the December meeting and/or a vote of acceptance will take place.
  • The Staff Senate Employee Retention subcommittee has organized a free donuts and coffee event to take place the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as an appreciation to staff. T he event will be social distanced and necessary precautions will be taken.

Update Provided By: Heidi Hauf

  • Staff Senate’s Costume Contest Winners were: 1st: Jacob Nelson & Josephine as Rick & Morty; 2nd: Zahra Moss as Peg Bundy; and 3rd: Bridget Gustafson as Medusa.
  • Staff Senate’s Pumpkin Decorating Winners were: 1st: Hatching Dinosaurs from Student Services; 2nd: Mr. Jack from the Bookstore.
  • Staff Senate is sponsoring the 12 Days of Christmas instead of a holiday gathering. We are asking departments to host a day from the Twelve Days of Christmas. This involves decorating your door/area in the theme and offering a COVID safe goodie. Individuals will receive tickets at each department that goes towards a drawing or Bottineau Bucks.

Update Provided By: Josh Nichols

  • Next meeting is December 2, 2020 at 1:00pm via Zoom.
  • Our Staff Senate has partnered with the holiday party planning committee for this year’s festivities. We had planned many safe activities that will shift to January 20, 2021. We will also be holding a tree decorating contest for DSU Employees in November/December.
  • Staff Senate recently sent out a campus climate survey to all staff employees. The survey results and comments are being looked at by Staff Senate and will be shared with campus soon.

Update Provided By: Mike Englman

  • No update provided.

Update Provided By: Alyson Beckman

  • Alyson Beckman was elected the new Vice President of Staff Senate. We are currently looking to add more members.
  • Committee Chair – each committee will select a committee chair to serve as a contact person.
  • Discussed adding a Communication Officer role. Responsible for Staff Senate webpages, social media, reach out to committees regarding specific updates. Potentially, this role would be part of the Public Relations Committee. More discussion to come.
  • Our Fall Staff Association Meeting is scheduled for November 17 and will be held online via Zoom.
  • Discussed office holiday decorating contest while still maintaining COVID-19 policies and procedures.
  • Current projects include: Virtual Gratitude Wall, COVID-Care Committee, and COVID-19 Essential Workers.

Update Provided By: Lindsey Benson

  • James Tiffany, facilities management, was named Minot State University Staff Senate’s October High Five Award winner.
  • Employee Recognition Committee has created the Department/Team Shoutout to recognize an entire department or team that does an outstanding job. This could be for a one-time interaction that was fantastic or ongoing excellence provided by a department.
  • Fall into Giving: Food, Hat and Glove drive wrapped up on November 20 and was very successful. We will be compiling all donations and providing it to our campus food pantry.
  • We will be compiling all donations and providing it to our campus food pantry.
  • Gratitude BINGO is currently ongoing for staff and faculty to participate in, Staff Senate will be giving away some pies for those who submit their BINGO cards.
  • Orientation, Bylaws, Handbook and Legislative committee is working with the HR Director to review our current Staff Handbook.
  • Staff Senate scholarship is open for staff currently taking an MSU course or if they have dependents taking an MSU course, deadline to apply is December 11.
  • Special Events committee is planning to host our annual holiday decorating contest. Judging will be on December 11, offices can enter as well as employees can decorate their doors.
  • An ad hoc committee has been created to focus on staff well being and mental health.

Update Provided By:

  • No Update Provided

Update Provided By: April Helgaas

  • The NDSU Campus Kudo for November was awarded to David Huber. David was nominated by Bill Law and Amanda Booher.
  • NDSU Staff Senate Campus Engagement is hosting a blood drive December 9th from 8:00am to 11:00am.
  • The NDSU Staff Senate Sustainability Committee is hosting a holiday lights recycling drop off. There are totes located in three locations on campus for employees to drop off non-working lights for recycling.
  • NDSU Staff Senate decorated a window display in the Memorial Union celebrating NDSU Staff Senate’s 30th Anniversary. The 30th Anniversary Committee is in the process of ordering face masks with the 30th Anniversary logo to sell to NDSU staff. Proceeds from mask sales will go to the NDSU Staff Senate Scholarship Fund. Masks will be sold for $5 a piece and delivered through campus mail or available for pick up in select locations.
  • The Campus Food Insecurity Taskforce held a pop-up event in Niskanen Hall. Swipe Out Hunger is being run through the office of the Dean of Students. Donations for Swipe Out Hunger will be an available area for donation on NDSU Giving Day on December 1st. The taskforce has been given space in the NDSU Bookstore for a permanent pantry and they are in the process of getting quotes for a refrigerator.
  • The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee assisted in organizing a flu shot event held on NDSU campus this past Tuesday and held at the downtown campus this past Thursday.

Update Provided By: Brian Schill

  • Staff Senate Pres. Wasylow continues attending weekly for the NDUS Smart Restart and Pandemic Briefing meetings. 
  • Continuing to present UShines to one staffer/month. 
  • 31 Days of Glory staff fundraiser almost over with most tickets sold. 
  • Senate leadership held its monthly meeting with UND Pres. Armacost. 
  • Senate VP Schill to help lead State Staff Senate Tuition Waiver Working Group.  
  • Senate will proceed with Dec. “potluck” virtually, and has invited UND admin to participate. 
  • Community Relations Committee continues to run Jeans Give Back every Friday, donating to local nonprofits. 

Update Provided By: Kelsie Carter

  • We are finalizing our November activities before Thanksgiving. We are working on staff appreciation to boost morale by doing winter staff activities (all virtual) such as: staff ugly sweater gallery, coloring a Christmas wreath contest, and a decorating office for Christmas contest. We sent out our 3rd survey to all staff in regards to the COVID response on campus. The final report will be sent to our President and Emergency Management Team.

Update Provided By: Megan Kasner

  • Monday, November 30th is a listening session for WSC Presidential Search.

Updates Provided By: Benjamin Ford

  • We just completed our employee survey and will have results soon. This is our survey we do every two years. We ask the same questions to determine trends. This year we did a couple of COVID related questions.
  • We have been putting together bimonthly half hour coffee breaks through Teams. This helps us stay connected to each other during this time.
  • Our yearly scholarship application is up. We offer this to the dependents of any CTS employee to attend any NDUS institution.
  • We are looking to take donations from our staff for items for either the Humane Society or the Crisis Center.