Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC) Engaging and Amplifying Staff Voices

Honoring Rhea Banks

Rhea Banks, Director of Administration of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, passed away on February 4, 2024. Rhea started her Northwestern career in 2009 and joined NUSAC in 2012, serving as chair in 2017-2018. We invite you to read some of the memories and thoughts from staff on our Tribute Wall honoring our beloved colleague. If you’re interested in adding to the tribute wall, please email nusac@northwestern.edu.

Additional information celebrating Rhea’s impact and contributions to the University and the Northwestern community can be found on Northwestern Now.

Northwestern's Valuable Personnel (NVP)

Did you know that Northwestern Human Resources hosts a Gratitude Wall which helps to celebrate and recognize the special contributions made by members of the Northwestern community? NUSAC is proud to highlight a staff member each term from the gratitude wall by spotlighting them in our newsletter and honoring them with a small token of appreciation and recognition as well. Our Winter 2024 staff member highlight is Jennifer Bivens.

Visit NUSAC’s NVP Page

Voter Registration

With election season upon us, learn how you can get registered, get educated, and get to the polls.

NU Votes, at the Center for Civic Engagement, is the University’s campus-wide non-partisan voter engagement initiative. NU Votes can help any member of the campus community register to vote in any state, check or update their registration, request or return a ballot to vote by mail, and more. Through voter services, education, and turnout efforts, NU Votes has helped make Northwestern a national leader in student voter engagement!

Staff can access NU Votes’ services through online tools or in-person support, and can promote voter engagement by connecting students to these services and resources. Check out nuvotes.org to learn more, and email us with questions or to discuss ways to collaborate.

Employee Exit Survey Coming April 2024

As part of the University’s retention strategy, the Office of Human Resources will be implementing an Exit Survey for all voluntary terminated staff members come April of this year. Many University stakeholders also have expressed interest in a survey when staff depart, and we believe offering this feedback resource will provide a significant opportunity for retention action planning. 

The purpose of this survey is to 1) provide the University with feedback and insight that will be used to increase employee engagement and retention; 2) foster more awareness on what is currently going well and where there are opportunities for improvement; and 3) help to streamline strategic planning and future decision-making. 

The survey was developed by our vendor partner Culture Amp and will provide cumulative data across all staff units. Voluntary terminated staff members will receive an email with their personal survey link within a week of their termination date. Please note that all responses are strictly confidential. Once data thresholds have been met, our Office will begin to share unit-specific data and feedback during local unit/school meetings.

Stay tuned for more information related to an FAQ resource page and benefits/best practices for offboarding.

Secretary of State

NUSAC hosted Mobile DMV events with the Illinois Secretary of State on the Evanston Campus on February 27 and on the Chicago Campus on March 1. The event provided the opportunity for Northwestern staff to make appointments for limited DMV services on campus for the day. Registration filled quickly. This was the first time such an event was offered, so we did have to work through some technical challenges, so we appreciate your patience as we assisted the DMV to work through them. We look forward to partnering with the Secretary of State to bring these services back to campus on a regular basis. Sign up for the NUSAC listserv to receive updates on our Mobile DMV event(s) this summer!

Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Week

In observance of MLK day, several events took place across Northwestern, which included the MLK commemoration keynote on January 26, 2024. This year’s keynote featured Northwestern alum, Jonathan Eig, who was joined in conversation by Charles Whitaker, dean and professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. The keynote was livestreamed online and on the Chicago campus. To view the recording of the keynote and for a recap of all MLK events, please visit: https://www.northwestern.edu/mlk/.

Community Outreach Event March 23

On Saturday, March 23^rd, NUSAC invited 10 Northwestern volunteers to join up with 15 other individuals to participate in an add-on volunteer opportunity at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. We sorted and packed over 9,900 pounds of potatoes, which provided 8,267 meals to families in the Chicago area. It captures the essence of teamwork at its best.

 The Outreach Committee is looking to incorporate more volunteer opportunities for staff throughout the year, not just around the end of the year. Let us know if you have volunteered in the past through NUSAC or if you volunteer through your NU home departments or both! We would like to celebrate our efforts as an institution and thank all those who have been able to participate in the past.

We are very grateful for the engagement of our Northwestern staff community and everyone’s continued commitment to give generously of their time. Please keep in mind the opportunities to give of your resources through the NU Cares staff and faculty supported benefit and to the Purple Pantry supporting our students across campus who experience difficulty accessing food.