Vol. 3 No. 1
A quarterly e-newsletter from Cornell University’s Employee Assembly

Hello from the Employee Assembly! We hope you’ll take this opportunity to take a quick glance at news from members of the Employee Assembly as well as campus information and events targeted to CU staff. Feedback and ideas are always welcome at ea@assembly.cornell.edu.

• The Employee Assembly (EA) elected its new officers for 2011–12 in early summer. These are: Tanya Grove, Theatre, Film and Dance, chair (for a second term); Brigitt Schaffner, Housing, executive vice chair; Gemma Osborne, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Geneva, vice chair for finance (for a second term); Bridget Cristelli, CALS, Senior Associate Deans’ Office, vice chair for internal operations. During the same meeting, new EA members were appointed to fill the vacancies remaining after the EA elections: Bridget Cristelli; Katherine Fahey, director, Student Disability Services; and Brigitt Schaffner. At its August meeting the EA also appointed Bill Esty, Bailey Hall, to its membership. The EA looks for input from Cornell staff members on issues that are important to them, either in the workplace, professional development, or campus communications. Send ideas and questions to Tanya Grove at tl40@cornell.edu. All staff members are invited to join one of the EA’s committees, including those on personnel policy, employee education, communications and staff recognition. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. EA meetings are open to everyone. For meeting dates and minutes, go to http://assembly.cornell.edu/EA/Meetings. For a listing of all EA members, see http://assembly.cornell.edu/EA/Members.
• Emergency CARE Fund Annual Auction, Thursday, Oct. 20 12 noon-1 p.m., G10 Biotech.
  • Donate items: in the form of talent, time or unique items. Previous items include garden consulting, dance lessons, pottery and holiday cookie platters. Donations are due Oct. 7. http://hr.cornell.edu/life/support/care_fund_auction_donation_form.pdf
  • Don’t have a specific item to donate? Support the CARE Fund by becoming an auction sponsor. Sponsorship is easy: pledge a monetary gift and the fund will purchase an auction item on your behalf, or you can designate that 100 percent of your cash donation go directly to the CARE Fund. For a donation application, visit the CARE Fund website, www.hr.cornell.edu/life/support/care_fund.html.
  • A list of items to be auctioned off will be available at that website closer to the date of the auction.
  • The CARE Fund offers confidential financial assistance to faculty and staff who have experienced a non-recurring sudden or emergency-related financial hardship due to an unforeseen or unavoidable event and is funded through the generous donations of faculty, staff and friends. Have questions or want to help? Contact Ruth Merle-Doyle, rem64@cornell.edu, 607.255.5060, or Gemma Osborne, gro2@cornell.edu, 607.227.9137.
• In response to an Employee Assembly resolution, the university has called for an Employee Engagement Survey that will be used to pinpoint areas of staff concern and to facilitate the opportunity to offer a campuswide discussion and creation of solutions. Look for survey announcement information coming at the end of October from President Skorton. Both electronic and print versions of the survey will be available. Help us help you by filling out the survey! Surveys are, of course, confidential and will be conducted by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning.
• At its September 21st meeting EA members hosted a visit from Linda Falkson, Associate Ombudsman. The Ombudsman Office is a place where students, faculty and staff may speak confidentially about a problem or conflict and obtain guidance. The Ombudsman Office can help staff with employment issues, fees and fines, ethical issues or concerns, or interpersonal disputes. Anyone interested in learning more about the Ombudsman’s Office can contact Linda at lbf8@cornell.edu.
• The EA hosted a wonderful KUDOS luncheon at the Statler Hotel at the end of last semester! Anyone nominating or receiving an EA E-News KUDOS during the academic year will be invited to the end-of-year luncheon (please note large groups or units receiving kudos will be asked to send a luncheon representative)! Recognize your colleagues who “go above and beyond” both personally or professionally by sending in your Staff Kudos to ea-staffrecognition@assembly.cornell.edu.
• Interested in being involved with the Employee Assembly? Join one of our committees! We are looking for members for all our committees: internal operations, elections, communications, education, personnel policy, finance, and staff recognition and awards. For information on joining a committee visit the committee webpage.
• Mark your calendars! The President’s Address to Staff will be held on Monday, November 28 at 12 noon. Watch for details in the PawPrint and at www.cornell.edu.
• The Cornell United Way Campaign is already underway. “Cornell University has a proud tradition of public engagement in the Tompkins County area,” said Paul Streeter, Cornell’s United Way chair. “In fact, Cornell student, faculty and staff contributions make up more than one-third of the United Way of Tompkins County’s annual funding to our local service providers.” Cornell’s goal for 2011–12 is $805,000, up approximately 2 percent from last year’s goal. “We know our Cornell community will rise to the occasion again and help us exceed our goal,” said Streeter. Cornell United Way pledge cards will be distributed across campus the first two weeks of October.
• The Cornell University Colleague Network Groups (CNGs) are university sponsored employee resource groups for traditionally underrepresented minorities and allies of those groups. The CNGs provide a professional support system that can extend beyond the workplace. Each CNG advocates for a specific demographic within the Cornell faculty and staff community to improve the recruitment and retention efforts as well as the climate for the community as a whole. The CNGs enhance the Cornell culture by providing feedback and programs to develop an environment that fully engages and cultivates all of the faculty and staff of Cornell University.
  • LGBT Colleague Network Group
  • Men of Color Colleague Network Group
  • Tompkins Connect (Tompkins Connect is the Colleague Network Group for Young Professionals)
  • Veterans Colleague Network Group
  • Women of Color Colleague Network Group

If you are interested in joining the listserve of any of these groups to be notified of meetings and events, please contact Cassandre P. Joseph.

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