I&S Employee Newsletter - April 2022

Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

As I mentioned yesterday, I will be taking on a new role at Caltech this June. My family and I are excited to return to southern California where I grew up and where most of my family still live. But I will also cherish the time I spent in Colorado and all the new memories I made here with so many of you.

I am so proud of all of you and all that you do day-in and day-out. As I watch you every day, I am continually encouraged and uplifted by your positive spirit, your resilience and your dedication. Thank you for entertaining my crazy ideas. Thank you for being the experts that you are. And thank you for going with me in our inclusive excellence journey.  

It has truly been an honor to serve as your vice chancellor and I’m personally grateful for all that I’ve learned and experienced with you during the last six years. We have an amazing team and you are what makes it special. Thank you again for all that you do and thank you for letting me be a part of this team.

With my sincerest gratitude,
Dave

The 29th annual Campus Sustainability Summit will take on the format of a Solutions Showcase for 2022. The 2022 campus sustainability awards will be presented during the Summit. Faculty, staff and students are invited to share, learn and celebrate CU Boulder’s wide array of sustainability leadership and accomplishments. View the schedule of events and register to attend on or before April 10.

The annual Give & Go Donation Drive is coming and volunteers are needed to help out. This campus-wide reuse program captures over 40 tons of clothing, food, personal care items and durable goods for reuse in our community.

I&S allows volunteer hours to be granted from work to serve the community in various ways. Volunteer time is credited on a fiscal year basis (July 1 through June 30). Some examples of this service may be as a volunteer worker at a charitable organization or attending a school function for one’s child or relative. 

• Volunteer leave must be requested from your supervisor and approved by the appointing authority​
• 16 hours of leave time is granted each fiscal year (pro-rated for appointments less than 100%) 
• New staff who started on January 1, 2022 or later receive eight hours of volunteer time to be used before June 30, 2022
• Any unused portion as of June 30 is forfeited (VOL hours don’t roll forward)

Mobile numbers for CU Alerts are pulled from your employee portal information. Please be sure to update your mailing address, mobile numbers and phone types in the portal.

We can sometimes recycle a little differently at our on-campus recycling facility than we do at home. For example, did you know you can bag shredded paper and put it in the “Paper” recycling bins at CU? Students will empty the bags and recycle not only the high-value paper, but even the bag it came in. But don’t try that at home! We invite you to attend a fun and informative one-hour presentation and tour to learn all the nuances. Contact us at recycling@colorado.edu for presentation scheduling information, or with any recycling questions.

How long have you been working at CU?

I’ve been working at CU for 24 years.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? 

My favorite thing to do is to spend time with my children, Elisa (11) and Stella (25).

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

I am a plant lover.  I have a pretty extensive collection of succulents that I’ve mostly adopted from the CU greenhouse on 30th street.

What do you love about CU Boulder?  

I fell in love with this campus when I came to visit from New York City 25 years ago. The culture here is incredibly humane and relaxed. That mentality added to the breathtaking scenery make CU an incomparable place to work.  

What is your favorite type of music?

I love jazz. Through the years I have attended a number of unforgettable performances at the Macky auditorium, one of the most beautiful venues I have had the fortune to visit. From the sensuous voice of Eliane Elias to the contagious rhythm of some of the Buena Vista Social Club members, the sound at this incredible auditorium is amazing.

Boulder B-Cycle stations on campus make bike sharing more convenient than ever for CU Boulder students and employees. Boulder B-cycle provides an eco-friendly, convenient and cost-effective way to connect to public transportation, run errands around town, de-stress and navigate Boulder without worrying about parking, locks or bike maintenance. Thanks to the Environmental Center, staff can receive 50% off the cost of an annual pass.

Thinking of changing your health plan or benefits? The Basics of CU Health Care and Pretax Savings on-demand course is an excellent resource to prepare yourself for CU's 2022 Open Enrollment which will run from April 18 to May 6. The course will help you understand the features of each medical, dental and vision plan. Taking the course is a great way to check in and make sure your plans are meeting your current needs, whether you ultimately decide to choose a new health plan or keep your current plan.

Parking Services (PTS) is excited to announce that we will be continuing our popular SAVE5 daily parking program through May 2022. Use the SAVE5 discount code when purchasing.

Besides using a u-lock, registering your bike is your best defense against bike theft. CU Boulder now uses Bike Index to register and track bikes on campus. If you registered your bike before the Spring 2021 semester, you must register again with Bike Index.

Secured, covered bicycle parking is a great option for those using a bicycle to commute to and around campus. There are two secure bike shelters on campus, one on main campus, on the west side of the University Memorial Center (UMC), and one on the southeast side of the Administrative and Research Center (ARCE) on east campus. Any CU Boulder employee is eligible to use the shelters, you just have to register to be granted access.

The Kazoo online recognition platform is up and running and we’ve added some new ways for I&S employees to earn points starting this quarter:

• Log into Cornerstone (earn 10 points)
• Commute differently (bus/bike/walk/carpool) (earn 25 points)
• Reach out to a new I&S team member via email or take them out to coffee or lunch (earn 10 points)

Once you log into the platform, click on the ‘incentives’ tab on the left column, then click on the ‘earn’ button to let us know which incentives you have completed. For more information on the Kazoo platform, check the campus HR webpage.

Do you like to meet people from different backgrounds and have conversations that help you gain a new perspective on culture and diversity? Here are some opportunities and resources to get you connected:

• Attend the Conference on World Affairs (CWA) which will take place on April 6-9; it is a free event open to everyone on campus and in the Boulder community.
• The Dennis Small Cultural Center (DSCC) provides opportunities to explore diversity through dynamic programs, events, entertainment and activities. 
• The Center for Inclusion and Social Change (CISC) helps you build community, enhance your cultural awareness and gain new skills. Offices include the Pride Office, First-Generation program, Intercultural Engagement office and more.
• Attend events hosted by the Cultural Events Board (CEB) including speakers like Angelica Ross, Simu Liu, Isra Chaker, Viola Davis,Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and more.

If you are more of an introvert and want to explore on your own, check out books or movies about people from cultures or backgrounds that are different from your own from University Libraries (collections you can choose from), learn how to cook a dish from another country, visit a local restaurant to try out a new type of cuisine, or learn a new language offered via CU's continuing education program.

Find more information and ways to get involved on the Infrastructure & Sustainability Inclusive Excellence Committee (ISIEC) website.

NEW HIRES

• Sushila Tamrakar Shrestha, Custodian, Campus Building Services
• Cyntia Buenfil-Alpuche, Custodian, Campus Building Services
• Patience Thompson, Custodian, Campus Building Services
• Ngawang Ngodup, Custodian, Campus Building Services
• Sue Yang, Custodian, Campus Building Services
• Palsang Dorje, Custodian, Campus Building Services
• Robert Harnsberger, Plant Operator, Utility and Energy Services
• Jasper Elkins, Custodian, Campus Building Services

PROMOTIONS/TRANSFERS

• Jason Schlosser, Director, Facilities Maintenance & Operations, FM Ops
• Adam Ambrose, Materials Handler III, Distribution Center
• Cynthia McClure-Begley, Project Coordinator, PD&C

MOVING ON

• Srijani Karki, Custodian, Campus Building Services
• Carl Pierce, Recycling/Solid Waste Manager, Campus Building Services
• Scott Crowley, Materials Handler II/Mover, Distribution Center
• Caleb Busch, Electrical Trades I, FM Ops
• Hong Saengsavath, Custodian, Campus Building Services
• Tim Golden (retired), Director, Distribution Center and Transportation

• I&S Employee Website
• I&S Homepage
• I&S SharePoint Site
• Kazoo employee recognition platform
• Employee Recognition Program