I&S Employee Newsletter - August 2022

Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

I am looking forward to the start of the fall semester, and hope you are as well. In I&S, our focus is on preparing our campus for the year ahead, celebrating the work we have accomplished, and advancing the ongoing collaboration and initiatives we have in place. 

Summer is a great time for us to get work done while our campus is less busy. A brief walk across campus will highlight some of this work, including our grounds and landscaping; repairs of sidewalks, roadways, and parking lots; deferred maintenance projects, non-capital and capital projects; deep cleaning of common areas and classrooms; and ongoing maintenance of our building and campus utility systems to name just a few.  Also, our transportation team is hard at work getting our bus fleet ready for the start of the fall semester.

I would also like to recognize our Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) group who twice over the summer hosted state inspectors for periodic inspections and passed both with high marks, a testament to the high quality of work our EH&S staff performs daily in efforts to keep our campus and community safe.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend a campus recycling lunch-n-learn presentation at the Grounds and Recycling Operations Center (GROC).  Barry Sparks did a fantastic job at educating the group on the importance of recycling, common misunderstandings on what can/cannot be recycled, and a tour of the facility. The GROC will be setting up additional slots for lunch-n-learns in the coming weeks. I encourage you to learn more about the GROC and participate in one of their lunch-n-learns in the future.

On the topic of sustainability, I would like to make everyone aware of the upcoming Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit. This event is a culmination of phenomenal thought leaders spearheading climate action as a human rights crisis, taking place Dec. 1-4 on the CU Boulder campus. There are already dozens of confirmed speakers from around the world, including keynote speakers Sheila Watt-Cloutier and Mary Robinson.

As we prepare for the start of another successful academic year I would like to thank you again for the outstanding work you do every day that makes our campus shine.

With gratitude,

Chris Ewing, interim vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability

Over the last week, the Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performed campus-wide inspections of the Boulder campus with resounding success. The inspections conducted were the Triennial Radiation Safety Inspection, and the Annual Hazardous Waste Inspection. Environmental Health & Safety Center (EHSC) permitted facilities and laboratories that use radioactive materials or generate chemical waste were reviewed during the visits. Inspection procedures included an in-depth review of dosimetry records, disposal records, waste containment, labeling, surveys, and various additional requirements based on state/federal regulations. Results of the inspections returned highly positive feedback across all programming. The Triennial Safety Inspection showed that no negative findings were noted of any kind. This is the first inspection since 1989 without any issues noted throughout the course of the multi-day inspection. The Annual Hazardous Waste Inspection resulted in a few minor administrative issues being noted, with no significant violations being found.

Kudos to the following staff members for all the efforts toward yielding such a positive result:

• Hazardous Materials staff: Will Moore, Joe Gibbs, Stephen Kupecz, Chris Quattrociocchi
• Chemical Safety staff: Eric Wright, Alannah Gregory, Holly Gates-Mayer, Courtney Schultze
• Radiation Safety staff: McKenzie Statham, Brad Denton, Margaret Ashton

Hats off to all those who attended and volunteered with setup and clean up to help make the I&S Employee Appreciation Lunch a success. The occasion captured the collaborative nature of those involved with I&S. Thank you all for taking time out of your day and sharing good food, conversation, and prizes. We look forward to the next time we can gather and celebrate our work as well as our people.

Are you interested in growing your career or learning more about how the different departments within Infrastructure and Sustainability function? How about learning more about the different departments across the CU Boulder campus? Our award-winning Infrastructure and Sustainability Mentorship Program (ISMP) is now accepting applications for our 2022-23 session.

• Application and participation is free
• Your time commitment is two hours per month
• Program runs September 2022 to June 2023

We are accepting applications from staff with all levels of experience. All you need is a desire to share your knowledge with (and learn from) others, and have been employed at the university for a minimum of one year. You may apply for the program with a mentor partner in mind, or we can partner you based on your desired learning outcomes (leadership, computer skills, networking, etc).

Register online today. Application deadline is September 16.

On Friday, Aug. 12, staff from the Infrastructure and Sustainability (I&S) and Integrity, Safety and Compliance (ISC) departments are invited (and encouraged) to come together and dedicate a few hours of service back to our campus community. Our goal for the day is to engage with and give back to our campus. All registrants will receive lunch and a CU Boulder branded travel mug. Please consider joining us for a fun day of volunteering. Registration closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5 so sign up today. After you register, details about where to go and what to bring for your job will be emailed to you on Monday, Aug. 8.

Full list of volunteer jobs

Registration details

Sign up now to volunteer for Fall Welcome! Help create a positive, engaging experience for our new Buffs and their families during move-in and signature events. Get all the details and sign up to volunteer.

All Strategic Resources and Support (SRS) employees are invited to attend the SRS Back to School Expo on Thursday, Aug. 11 from 1-4:30 p.m. at Kittredge Central. If you are interested in attending, please make arrangements with your supervisor.

The event provides each SRSoperational unit the opportunity to showcase its work and for all of our staff to come together to network, learn about the other SRS units, be recognized for their work, and enjoy refreshments. Each SRS unit will host showcase tables, and compete for prizes for the best, most interactive displays. Chief Operating Officer Patrick O’Rourke and the SRS leadership team look forward to seeing you there!

Pre-registration for the event is encouraged. The registration form includes an option for supervisors to register employees who do not regularly have access to computers.

A1 Organics provides sustainably produced soil amendments sourced locally.  A significant portion of the raw material they use to build those soil amendments includes what we put into the compost bins here at CU Boulder. 

Compost from campus arrives at A1 after we deliver it to Western Disposal. If you are a residential customer of theirs, you may have received a similar notification that the campus did regarding compost contamination.  The strongly worded message warns us that the viability of the compost program is at risk.

As consumers, we desire uncontaminated mulch, compost, and other soil amendments for use in our gardens and landscapes. It is incumbent upon all of us to take the extra measures to ensure that what we add to the compost bins is free of any potential contaminants.  Western Disposal has provided a list of tips to prevent compost contamination.

If you have an accident at work, immediately notify your supervisor or Michele Rodriguez. You must file a report online within four days of the incident. If medical attention is needed, you must seek treatment with a designated medical provider.

• Incident Reporting  
• Designated Medical Providers

Michele and University Risk Management will follow-up with additional instructions for reporting lost time and on-job-injury procedures.

The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) offers confidential counseling at no cost for employees within the state of Colorado.  Let’s Chat is a drop-in service for all employees, including out-of-state employees.  All services are available remotely or in person. Learn More about the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program

The FM Safety Committee meets the third Tuesday of every month to discuss general safety concerns, review safety reports, on-the-job injuries and recommend training needs and resources.  If you are interested in attending a meeting or bringing an issue or idea that is safety related, reach out to our new Safety Specialist Don Fitzpatrick, or our FM Safety Committee Co-Chairs Craig Perez or Brenda Chavez.

The Tuition Assistance Benefit (TAB) program is one of the most valuable benefits offered to CU Boulder employees. The TAB application for fall 2022 will open on Aug. 1.

1. TAB applications will open Aug. 1 in the Employee Portal
2. English and Spanish employee guides are available that explain the benefit, the process and key deadlines.
3. Learn more about the tuition assistance benefit. This page includes a course in English with a script that could be utilized by a translator. 
4. Meredith Doherty is the TAB program coordinator and can be reached at tuitionbenefit@cu.edu.

The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) has announced that CU Boulder will join the Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree Program. This program is intended to allow more flexibility in students and staff alike to further their education. 

The program is an initiative that guarantees new, first-time CCCS students admission to participating four-year colleges and universities upon completion of an associate degree. The program offers an affordable, seamless pathway for graduates to continue their education in-state. Read the CCCS Press Release

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

NEW HIRES

• Laura Saldana, Custodian I, Campus Building Services
• Victoria (Tori) Jensen, IT Client Rep, FM IT
• Tina Whitecotton, IT Client Rep, FM IT
• Cullen Holobaugh, Materials Handler I, Distribution Services
• Donald Fitzpatrick, Facilities Management Safety Specialist, M&O Administration
• Kyle Nichols, Utilities Plant Operator I, Utility and Energy Services
• Daniel Doyle, Structural Trades II, FM Operations
• Tashi Ghungchen, Custodian I, Campus Building Services

PROMOTIONS/TRANSFERS

• Kelsey Draper, Employee Development Program Manager, I&S Human Resources
• Vaughn Ochs, Interim Facilities Manager Electrical/Fire Systems, FM Operations   
• Sandra Grover, Real Estate Manager, Real Estate Services  
• Noah Huber, Code Compliance Program Manager - Deputy Building Official, Planning Design & Construction
• David Boggess, Custodial Supervisor, Campus Building Services
• Rubi Andazola, Custodial Supervisor, Campus Building Services
• Jim Beveridge, Arborist - Lead Worker, FM Outdoor Services
• Tsering Yangchen, Custodian I, Campus Building Services
• Brenda Murphy, Compliance Coordinator/Office Manager, Transportation
• Josh Eberle, Building Operations Coordinator, Leeds-Budget & Administration

MOVING ON

• Trish Applegate-Loetz, Accounting Technician III, I&S Accounting
• Germain (Sidd) Vasquez, Service Dispatcher, Operations Control Center
• Chelsea Haneman, Project Manager - Capital, Planning Design & Construction
• Nicholas Welter, Electronics Specialist II, FM Operations
• Jon Schneider, Structural Trades I, FM Operations
• Douglas Trettin, Grounds & Nursery I, FM Outdoor Services
• Sid Humphrey, Materials Handler II, Distribution Services

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