Emailed to Northwestern staff on January 21, 2022
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR | UPCOMING EVENTS | REMINDERS | CALL TO ACTION |PAST EVENTS | PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS
Dear Northwestern Staff:
Welcome to 2022. I hope you and your families are well and the winter break was a time of rest and recharge.
The start of this winter quarter is different than those in the past. Even though the pivots are necessary, they can be exhausting and stressful. To manage these moments, I encourage you to reach out for support as needed and take advantage of the Well-being Programs. I also encourage you to continue to be innovative, flexible and offer grace. I am hopeful for what is on the horizon.
NUSAC is excited to welcome Lorraine Goffe as the vice president for human resources and chief human resource officer. Lorraine brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role. We are looking forward to working with her and continuing our partnership with HR.
We encourage the community to participate in the upcoming events commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These events provide opportunities for reflection and reinforce our collective commitment to an inclusive culture.
In the spirit of building community and staying connected, we also invite you and your families to join NUSAC for the Winter Staff Mixer. The mixer gives NUSAC an opportunity to hear from staff directly while participating in a fun/family friendly event. Two complimentary tickets will be provided to the first 50 staff members that email us at nusac@northwestern.edu. NUSAC will continue to monitor COVID guidelines as they develop and will communicate accordingly.
Finally, as a reminder, NUSAC wants to hear from you. Please share your feedback at nusac@northwestern.edu or reach out to the Council members.
With Gratitude,
Joan Trimuel Williams
NUSAC Chair
UPCOMING EVENTS
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January 17-24 – MLK Dream Week Northwestern University will commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a series of events, including a keynote address by 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones Northwestern’s program is sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. Events are planned by the MLK Commemoration planning committee. |
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Sunday, January 30 , 2pm, Northwestern Women’s Basketball *NUSAC Event* Update: The Northwestern women’s basketball game on Sunday, January 30 against Illinois has been postponed due to multiple positive COVID-19 test results within Illinois’ program. NUSAC is coordinating with Northwestern Athletics to schedule an alternative event. Please check our EVENTS page for updates. Join NUSAC at the Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday, January 30 at 2 p.m. as the Wildcats take on the Fighting Illini. The event includes light pregame snacks followed by an afternoon of Big Ten women’s baseball and post-game autographs with the Wildcats! Tickets are $3 per person. To purchase tickets visit NU events (promo code: NUSACWBB21). For more information contact Kathleen Van Treeck at t-van@northwestern.edu or at 847-467-8775 x9002. |
Reminders
Lorraine Goffe named vice president for human resources
On December 15, it was announced that Lorraine Goffe had been named Northwestern University’s vice president for human resources and chief human resource officer. She will be a key partner in identifying and implementing practices that contribute to employee wellness, recruitment and retention and advance DEI initiatives. Goffe, who has served as vice president and chief human resources officer at The Pennsylvania State University since 2019, will assume the role Feb. 1, 2022.
Box Transition
Northwestern is transitioning from Box to Microsoft cloud-storage platforms, OneDrive and SharePoint, by August 2022. An increase in pricing and Box’s decision to end unlimited storage are the drivers for this change. Moving to OneDrive and SharePoint for cloud storage leverages the University’s strategic partnership with Microsoft to provide many of the same capabilities as Box while also enabling seamless integration with other powerful Microsoft 365 collaboration tools like Teams.
Covid-19 & Campus Updates
For the health and safety of the Northwestern community, it is important to be familiar with the appropriate steps to take related to various COVID-19 scenarios as well as the University’s vaccine and booster requirements. Please be sure to regularly review the information available online for updates.
Visit the COVID-19 Case Management, Testing and Vaccine Protocols Reminders and Updates Page
NU Cares
NU Cares is a financial fund established by NUSAC in 2010 to help support fellow colleagues experiencing financial hardship due to a medical or catastrophic event. Awards have helped with expenses such as groceries, rent/mortgage, utility, medical bills and more. Consider contributing to NU Cares by making a recurring monthly or one-time contribution to help support your fellow colleagues.
If you are experiencing a financial hardship, you may be eligible to apply for a grant.
Call to Action
Pronoun Resources
Northwestern’s OUT Network would like to remind University staff of the Gender Inclusive Initiatives set forth by the Office of Institutional Diversity & Inclusion (OIDI). One of OUT Network’s goals is to advocate for greater use of pronouns in email signatures and Zoom profiles across the institution. The initiatives webpage includes many helpful resources on pronoun usage, practicing with pronouns, and downloadable pronoun stickers which can be used at various events. More information about OUT Network can be found on their website here.
Navigating Cultures in the Global Workplace Workshop Series
The Office of International Relations offers a five-week workshop series on increasing intercultural awareness and effective cross-cultural communication in the workplace. Taught by certified facilitators Jennifer Gerrard and Janka Pieper, sessions are conducted virtually, involving a combination of live presentations, discussions, group activities, and an individual assessment. The next series will take place April 7th-May 5th with an application deadline of March 21st, and is free to full-time Northwestern staff members. Learn more by visiting the International Relations website.
Help Make a Difference!
NUSAC wants to hear from you! Please share your thoughts and ideas to continue to make Northwestern a great place to work for its staff. You can email us at nusac@northwestern.edu.
Remember to check out the NUSAC Member Spotlight page to introduce the NUSAC team to the Northwestern community. January’s spotlight is NUSAC’s Chair, Joan Trimuel Williams.
Past Events
NUSAC Holiday Drive
The Northwestern Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC) would like to extend our gratitude to all those who participated in this year’s Holiday Drive. Whether you teamed up with your colleagues to adopt a family through Infant Welfare Society of Evanston or Family Focus, fulfilled the wish list of a senior through Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, helped the Center for Neighborhood Technology build sustainable urban development, joined PAWS Chicago’s mission to transform animal welfare, donated a coat to La Casa Norte’s coat drive, or contributed to NUSAC’s virtual food drive through the Greater Chicago Food Depository – you made someone’s holiday season brighter, and we are so thankful for your kindness. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude to be part of such a warm and generous staff community here at Northwestern. Thank you!