• Staff Council met January 11, 2012 and was asked to remind all staff of the upcoming University Conference on February 16, 2012.  The format of the Conference is changing a little bit for this year to try to make it more inclusive and friendly to all areas of campus. They are still looking for ideas for sessions so if you have a topic that you would like discussed, please let Sally Detweiler or Marty Eisenberg know by January 23^rd. The topic can be work-related or areas of interest outside of work. Also, the tobacco cessation classes should be introduced that day.

•  The All-University Meeting is January 31, 2012 at 3:00pm in the Georgian Room of the SUB.

•  The University is again having the TruFit Walking Incentive from January 23^rd to April 9^th, 2012. You may sign up as individuals or teams of 4.  More information is listed on the Truman website.

•  Beth Kral, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs gave a presentation on the broad scope of how Student Affairs affects many areas of campus-almost every area outside of the classroom. They deal with everything from areas/offices on campus that are self-sustaining financially to areas of support and discipline of students to involvement and activities of students. Since approximately 70% of a students experience is outside of the classroom, they have a large challenge to help make all areas of campus cohesive to give the students a positive college experience. Their responsibilities span all the way from students who are very outgoing to students that may be struggling and need a little extra encouragement. Don’t hesitate to notify them if you feel a student may need some extra attention or help.

•  Soon, we will be sending out the Staff Survey.  Please plan to participate in that survey since we use that tool to make campus better for all of us. The more people that participate give us a better idea of areas that are working and areas that need improvement.  This is your chance to make your opinion known and truly make a difference. The survey should be coming around midterm break.

•  Health Science faculty member, Carolyn Cox, and trained/certified students will be presenting a workshop on “Preventing Workplace Violence” for Physical Plant staff. All interested staff members are welcome to join the presentations on Tuesday, January 31 10am-11am in SUB3203 and 2pm-3pm in SUB 3203.

•  Continue to watch for upcoming events such as The Big Event and a summer blood drive.

Staff Council will be having their next regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 8:30am in the SUB Alumni Room. All are invited to join us. Come hear what our committees are doing and voice any concerns you may have.

Don’t forget that the last day to enroll for benefits is this Friday, November 11. You must enroll to receive benefits for the 2012 calendar year. You may do so by logging on to TruView and selecting the Employee tab. The link is at the top right of the tab: Faculty & Staff Benefits Enrollment.

Staff Council’s November meeting is today, November 9 at 8:30am in the SUB Conference Room. Come join us as we hear from our standing committees and find out what innovative things the Truman Institute is doing.

Staff Council’s September meeting will be this Wednesday, September 14 at 8:30am in the SUB Conference Room (3000). Feel free to join us as this meeting is open to the public. Our agenda can be found in the Current Meeting Materials section accessed on the left. We will be appointing a new member to the council as well as having our picture taken by our fabulous University Photographer, Tim Barcus.

Truman State University’s Staff Council website will begin undergoing reconstruction. Please feel free to take a look around and be sure to stop back by often as we begin to update our site in hopes of making it more informational, up-to-date, and user friendly. As always feel free to contact me or your Staff Council representative with any concerns or suggestions.