I&S Employee Newsletter - September 2020

Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

We’re nearly two weeks into the fall semester, and I want you all to know how proud I am of the work you have done to help our campus get to this point. Creating a COVID-ready campus in four months was no easy task. The impacts of this pandemic continue to evolve, and I truly believe that your efforts have given our university the best preparation possible for a safe and healthy, on-campus, in-person experience for our students and instructors as they embark on a new academic year.

I know the long hours many of you have worked to make all of this possible. You are all to be commended for your selflessness, dedication, innovation and resiliency in crafting and implementing solutions that enabled the fall 2020 return to campus.

While I don’t expect us to continue the breakneck pace of the past few months, we do know our work isn’t done just because the semester is underway. The solutions we’ve put in place, in many cases, have been implemented for the first time ever on our campus -- or, in some cases, anywhere. We absolutely deserve to reflect on our job well done. And yet, I also encourage you to remain forward-looking and think about the next wave of adjustments we can make to enhance the experience for our campus community this fall and into the spring semester. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last. We do now have the opportunity to fine-tune our operations and continue to think of ways to enhance the learning experience, safely and thoughtfully.

This has been an extraordinary year, and you have responded in an extraordinary way. I am also aware that many of you are likely exhausted from the efforts you’ve put in at work, not to mention in dealing with the impacts of this pandemic in your personal lives. With the upcoming holiday weekend, I hope each of you can find time for rest and relaxation with your loved ones. And I hope you all are as proud of yourselves as I am of you for the way you have empowered our university mission to continue on.

With gratitude,

David Kang, vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability

The Office of Infrastructure and Sustainability is hosting a series of sessions— “In Conversation About Our Blind Spots, Cultural Collisions and Racism”—as we continue to engage on the topics of diversity, inclusion and combating racism. The sessions are intended to: 

• Provide basic knowledge and tools we can use to enhance our efforts to create an inclusive work environment and help us further understand how we can address discrimination. 

• Educate ourselves about our own blind spots, especially as it impacts people of color on our campus.   

Registration is now open for the 2020-2021 ISMP. Now entering its ninth year, the ISMP is a wonderful opportunity for personal and professional development, as well as an opportunity to network with staff members from across campus. The ISMP is open to all Infrastructure and Sustainability (I&S) staff who have been with the university for at least one year. Any CU Boulder staff member may participate provided at least one team partner is an I&S staff member. There is no cost to participate. For those who would like to learn more about the ISMP, there will be an informational session coming up on Thursday, Sept. 3 from noon to 1 p.m., where staff from Infrastructure and Sustainability will speak about the program and answer questions. For more information, please contact Kelsey Draper at kelsey.draper@colorado.edu or 303-735-6176.

Campus has been targeted recently by phishing attacks with an attempt to trick users into entering their usernames and passwords into malicious websites that appear to be from campus IT help desks. If you have clicked on the link or entered your password on an email you believe may have been suspicious, please contact FM IT for assistance.

CU Blood Drive Week is moving off campus to Vitalant’s Boulder and Westminster donation centers Aug. 22 – Sept. 6. Donors who send a photo of themselves wearing CU-logoed apparel during their donation visit can enter a raffle to win one of four Amazon gift cards. 

How long have you been working at CU? 
17 years in October.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
My favorite thing to do outside of work is cycling (dirt/gravel). I ride anywhere from 15 to 25 miles a day.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you. 
I’ve been a New York City police officer, a flight attendant, a massage therapist, a soigneur (massage therapist for cycling teams) and a cook/chef.

What do you love about CU Boulder? 
Before coming to HR, I was in Dining. The food culture along with the ever changing environment on campus kept us on our toes. The beginning of each semester brought a new and at times exciting energy to the campus. That kept me in the mix of what was happening with the new generation of students.

What are you currently reading?

• “Begin Again” by Eddie Glaude
• “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson
• “Stamped from the Beginning” by Ibram X. Kendi
• “The Soul of Black Folks” by W.E. Du Bois
• “These Truths” by Jill Lepore

The Anderson Language and Technology Center (ALTEC) offers non-credit language classes, running this fall from Sept. 14 through Nov. 20. Classes meet twice a week at noon or in the evening for remote, live learning. Choose from American Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Current CU affiliates receive a deep discount and pay just $150. 

ALTEC is currently running a free class raffle on their website. A winner will be announced on Sept. 8.

As school districts continue to change and modify plans for the school year, we want to be sure supervisors are able to schedule appropriately and employees have access to available resources. If you are caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed, or a childcare provider is unavailable, you may be eligible for leave. We are encouraging supervisors to work with employees as much as possible on scheduling options and continue to support work from home where possible. Learn more about child care and returning to work.

The campus HR employee onboarding webpage has been completely redesigned. This is a great resource for both supervisors and new employees. The website features checklists and proposed onboarding schedules for new employees, for both those working remotely and those who are working on campus. There is also a section for “reboarding”—intended for those who were hired during remote operations and are returning to campus for the first time.

• LinkedIn Learning: You can log in to LinkedIn Learning through MyCUinfo to access a no-cost online learning library, featuring options from five-minute videos to comprehensive learning paths on leading industry topics.
• Individual meetings with Kelsey Draper, Employee Development Manager: Kelsey is available to meet with you to discuss which development opportunities might be a good fit for you. Email Kelsey at kelsey.p.draper@colorado.edu to schedule a meeting.

The CU Children's Center is accepting new applications for all classrooms for children ages 1 to 5 years old. They have immediate space available in their toddler and preschool classrooms, offering both part-time and full-time scheduling options. Contact them at cuchildcare@colorado.edu. 

I&S encourages employee recognition at all levels – for big accomplishments and everyday contributions that make a real difference to others. Taking time to applaud valuable contributions builds community. When a teammate demonstrates excellence, integrity, innovation, diversity and respect, it’s time to congratulate them on a job well done. I&S Human Resources offers two options for staff to formally express appreciation for those who make a difference in their day-to-day work:

• Spot Awards: A $10 spot award gift card can be awarded to any I&S team member “on the spot.” To request an award, email Kerry Howard and please specify whether you would like to award them a Target gift card or an Amazon e-gift card sent via email.

• Star Award nominations: Star award nominations are collected and reviewed each month by the I&S employee recognition committee. Two awards of $50 each are awarded monthly. Winners are selected after review of all the nominations that are submitted during that month. Nominate an individual for the monthly Star Award.

If you have any questions about the employee recognition program please contact Kerry Howard.