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Staff in front of Deering Library enjoying a picnicleft

Staff Advisory Board Update: Fall 2016

December 5, 2016

The days are shorter and colder, so we know that winter is here. But before we turn the calendar to 2017, the Weinberg College Staff Advisory Board wants to reflect on all the amazing events that happened this fall.  

September started with a staff picnic complete with food trucks and an appearance by Dean Adrian Randolph. October included the annual Weinberg College staff award luncheon, a retirement planning session and a fascinating Science Salon lecture on end-of-life issues. Read on for details.

College Staff Picnic

Despite the threat of drizzle, the sun beamed on the Weinberg College staff picnic in Deering Meadow on Sept. 1st. Staff Advisory Board member Patty Fitzgibbons organized the day of food, fun, and games in tandem with the Office of the Dean. More than 150 College staff savored BBQ, tasty salads, tacos and yummy cupcakes from food truck vendors: Louie B Fresh, Grill Chasers and Flirty Cupcakes. Folks mingled over lunch and played Frisbee, Baggo and volleyball. It is not all that often that staff get to eat, play and hang out with each other and with Dean Randolph, who made the rounds.

Staff Appreciation Luncheon

Weinberg College held its annual staff appreciation luncheon on Oct. 18th.  The Office of the Dean and College staff gathered for food, conversation and celebration of the exceptional work that continues to be done at Northwestern. Numerous awards were given to outstanding staff at the College. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients: Pamela Beck and Sam Ritchey (Chemistry) for receiving the Community Excellence Award, Pamela Straw (Political Science) and Phil Hoskins (French and Italian) for receiving the Meteor Award, and Deavon Mitchel (Mathematics), who is this year’s Staff Mentor of the Year. Congratulations to Marsha Coffey (Physics and Astronomy) for receiving the Dean’s Excellence Award, and for her retirement from Northwestern after over 20 years!

TIAA Presentation

Retirement planning can be a daunting task. Therefore, the Staff Advisory Board organized an information and planning presentation on Oct. 31st with TIAA to aid employees in their planning strategy. The workshop stressed the importance of saving early and highlighted the options available to employees through TIAA’s plan. Whether you save through TIAA or Fidelity, you can schedule one-on-one meetings with their representatives any time.

Science Salon & Humanities Hour

On Oct. 26th, the Science Salon & Humanities Hour kicked off this year’s lecture series with a thought-provoking lecture by Professor Mark Sheldon (Philosophy) on end-of-life issues and physician-assisted death. The lecture addressed the philosophical issues surrounding the decision of terminally ill patients to end their lives and legalities that surround physicians involved with this decision.

The series also featured a lecture by Professor Aldon Morris (Sociology/African American Studies) entitled “W.E.B. Du Bois at the Center: From Science, Civil Rights Movement, to Black Lives Matter” on Nov. 30th.  The full schedule can be found at Science Salon & Humanities Hour.

Thanks to all

We would like to thank everyone who was able to take the time to join in on these events — it is always fantastic to see colleagues we might never meet otherwise! The Weinberg College Staff Advisory Board was created for and is committed to making the College a better place to work. Our hope is that events like these help to create a positive, inclusive and welcoming community.

Do you have ideas for events, workshops, trainings or lectures? Let us know! Better yet — consider joining the Board! We need more members to keep our momentum going. Email us to share ideas, voice concerns, ask questions or tell us why you’d like to join the Board. Read more about our mission, our committees and our members by visiting our website. We look forward to hearing from you!

Last but certainly not least, please be sure to read this quarter’s Staff Spotlight. We are very excited to highlight Hafiza Adam, the associate director of administration in Human Resources.

JOIN THE STAFF ADVISORY BOARD

The Weinberg Staff Advisory Boardis recruiting new members!

The Weinberg Staff Advisory Board offers wonderful opportunities to build professional skills, find out more about what is happening in the College, and help improve the community you work in. We work to create a greater sense of community for College staff, improve communication to and among staff, facilitate staff development, give staff a greater voice, and grow a more diverse and inclusive Weinberg College.

Time commitment: Board members are asked to serve for two years and are expected to spend a few hours each month on Board initiatives, including attending monthly one-hour meetings and participating on one or more committees. 

Want to get involved in helping enhance the Weinberg College staff experience? Complete this short application to join the Board!

What some of our members have to say about serving on the Board:

“Being on the board for the last 1 ½ years, I feel so proud to work with others who care about sponsoring activities for staff and who have been so creative about how to engage the staff through interesting and wonderful events.”

“Although I am new to SAB, it has opened my eyes to College strategies and their processes. It has given me an opportunity to mix and work with staff from other departments and programs. Furthermore, it’s fun!”

“I joined to be active in an organization that is making a difference for staff in Weinberg College and to expand my horizons by being involved in activities outside my daily job responsibilities.”

We hope you will consider applying to serve on the board with us!

The Weinberg College Staff Advisory Board

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