February 2019 Staff Council Newsletter
Kudos
University of Idaho January Staff Member of the Month
Creg Empey, Enterprise Developer 2 - ITS
Creg did an outstanding job at diffusing a very tense situation with regard to important functionality that we weren't made aware would be missing with the Banner 9 go-live. He worked tirelessly and quickly to resolve the issues we were experiencing in a very professional manner.
Creg was nominated by Heather Nelson, Associate Director, Office of Sponsored Programs.
Ken Baker Appointed Interim Director, Integrated Design Lab
Ken Baker has been appointed Interim Director of the Integrated Design Lab in Boise. IDL is dedicated to the development of high performance energy efficient buildings in the Intermountain West. Ken was one of five people who started the U of I Integrated Design Lab. He has directed his career toward design and implementation of energy efficiency programs for residential and commercial buildings.
Congratulation to the Healthy Holiday Challenge Team Winners!
Employee Development and Learning Announces Expanded and Updated Supervisor Training Program
Stay on top of your game by familiarizing yourself with the essentials, and be challenged with new approaches to leadership and management. Whether you are building your career or are a seasoned supervisor, the updated U of I Supervisory Excellence Program offers something for everyone in three tracks. The first track, Team Leader Program, is for non-supervisors looking for the essential skills to work effectively with others. The second track, the Basic Leadership Development for Supervisors Program, is for current U of I supervisors looking for the foundational concepts to successfully lead employees. The third track, Advanced Leadership Development for Supervisors, is for U of I supervisors who have completed the Basic Program, and are looking for continued professional development. Workshops begin in February, and enrollment is ongoing. Visit the Supervisory Excellence Program page for information or to register for upcoming workshops.
Staff Council and Committee Opportunities
If you are interested in becoming a member of Staff Council (three-year term, June-May), including off-campus staff representatives, and/or serving on a university-wide committee, please review this information and seek approval from your supervisor before applying.
Committees with open spots include:
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Borah Foundation
- University Budget & Finance (2 positions available)
- Campus Planning
- Classified Position Appeal Board
- Faculty and Staff Policy Group
- Arts
- Grievance for Student Employees
- Ubuntu
- Parking
- Staff Compensation (3 positions available)
- Student Conduct Board (2 positions available)
February Staff Council Meeting
Staff Council will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 9-11 a.m. in the Brink Hall Faculty Staff Lounge. All University of Idaho staff are welcome to attend. You may also watch on Zoom. The agenda is posted on the Staff Council website.
Submit a Proposal for the Women's Leadership Conference
The Women's Leadership Conference is seeking proposals for the annual conference April 3 at the Best Western Plus University Inn, Moscow. The theme for this year's conference is “Finding Your Power: Cultivating Authentic Leadership.” The conference theme speaks to the importance of culture change through individual and shared empowerment, cultivating leadership through positive relationships and building a diverse and innovative community. The review committee is particularly passionate about hearing from diverse voices about how they have found their power and cultivated their authentic leadership styles. Learn more and submit.
Board Games Collection
The U of I Library now has a Board Game Collection available for circulation.
The Board Games Collection is up and ready for circulating. The games are on the first floor rolling shelves by the periodicals and circulate for three days at a time (with one renewal).
You can check out two at a time. We’re adding more games in the next few weeks, but you can find out more and see the whole list of games.
Boise
Coeur d’Alene
Coeur d’Alene Staff Lead Educational Expeditions to Teach Teens about Snow Science
Each year, The Confluence Project (TCP) takes hundreds of high school students snowshoeing in the mountains of North Idaho to measure snowpack. This winter, 500 students from 11 North Idaho schools will participate in digging snow pits, analyzing snow layers, and calculating snow water equivalency. They will study the relationship between snowpack and replenishment of streams, lakes, and the aquifer, and use their measurements to predict water availability for the coming year.
TCP is a year-long educational program focused on getting students outdoors to conduct hands-on science and better understand local water issues. TCP is coordinated by U of I Coeur d’Alene Community Water Resource Specialist Marie Schmidt and is a collaboration between U of I Coeur d’Alene, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Kootenai Environmental Alliance, and U of I Extension. It is funded by grants from the Kootenai Aquifer Protection District, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and Alliance Data.
If you’d like to know more about these amazing expeditions, email Marie, mschmidt@uidaho.edu.
Idaho Falls
It’s been busy in Idaho Falls!
Of course, we started a new semester on January 9, and the following week was Welcome Week for new and returning students. The University of Idaho hosted a baked potato bar for students, faculty and staff on January 16, served by volunteers from our workforce in Idaho Falls.
Melissa Bertram, Melinda Lent, Jill Randall and Cheryl Romero had their hands full with the 51st Annual University of Idaho Extension Potato Conference and 49th Annual Ag Expo on January 23-24 down in Pocatello. Over 700 attendees saw the latest in agricultural equipment and learned about issues facing Idaho potato growers.
It’s become a tradition in Idaho Falls to celebrate Groundhog’s Day…well, maybe it’s more of an excuse to get together, talk, laugh and eat…but anyway, the gang gathered together on February 4 to celebrate the groundhog NOT seeing his shadow! (Though there is still some skepticism among the ranks regarding an actual early spring…)
