Staff Senate recap

The Jan. 10 meeting of the Metropolitan State University of Denver Staff Senate opened with President Rebecca Reid asking senators and officers to share winter-break highlights. Responses ranged from housecleaning and rearranging furniture to spending time with family, cooking and backpacking.  

Attendees were also made aware that the planned guest speaker, who was to talk about using preferred names and pronouns within University systems, needed more time to prepare and will reschedule for a future meeting. As a result, this meeting was shorter than most, giving everyone, as Reid said, “the gift of extra time.”  

Attendees were encouraged to attend and submit questions for the Vaccine Booster and Testing Changes Town Hall, which was held Thursday. The event had limited in-person seating and was livestreamed for those who wanted to attend virtually.

Did you miss the town hall? Learn about updated vaccine-booster requirements, changes to screening testing for unvaccinated students and other health and safety protocols by watching the livestream recording here.

Stay up to date with the latest Covid-19 protocols and campus operations by reading all email communications carefully and checking the Early Bird or the Safe Return to Campus webpage for daily updates.

The Staff Senate is determining dates for senators, officers and committee members to take action on their commitment to DEI training, as stated in the official Staff Senate response to the Safer Spaces Resolution.

Staff Senate committee chairs were asked to record one to three action items on the Safer Spaces Statement Goals document by Feb. 8.

Senators and officers were asked to speak with their constituents and provide feedback on freedom of expression to the Staff Senate Executive Committee by Thursday. Questions to consider include: What does free expression look like at the University overall? What does freedom of expression look like for staff members at MSU Denver?

Feedback will go to the Freedom of Expression Task Force as it works toward creating a statement intended to “reflect a cultural commitment to vigorous academic inquiry and the ability to freely discuss difficult and controversial issues, which will produce students with skills better equipped to engage in and contribute to the civic good of their communities.”

If you have any questions or want to contribute your thoughts, contact your representative or reach out directly to the Staff Senate here.

• The Alternative Work Arrangements Panel convenes today, from 3-4 p.m. Join Larry Sampler, chief operating officer and vice president for Administration, and other campus leaders for a moderated panel discussion on the University’s Alternative Work Arrangements policy. The conversation will take a high-level view of the policy’s guiding principles, roles and responsibilities, and technology security for implementation and support. No registration is required.
• The Design for the Common Good International Exhibition, showcasing public-interest design projects from six continents and 22 countries, opened at the Center for Visual Art on Friday and runs through March 19.
• The University’s annual fundraising event, Day of Giving, will be March 31. Campus project submissions will be accepted through Feb. 28.
• The SECORCares free mobile food pantry will make biweekly visits to campus during the spring semester. Find times and dates here.

Keep an eye on the Early Bird for details about next month’s Staff Senate meeting Feb. 8 from 10-11:30 a.m.