In Brief: Staff Council discusses financial action plan, more ways to celebrate Black History Month
Danielle Oxnam, project director, Office of University Initiatives and secretary, Staff Council
The Student Union bookstore has created a display featuring books by Black authors.
Staff Council talks about University finances
More than 500 employees attended the Staff Council's January meeting, which featured a discussion about the Jan. 29 forum in which President Robert C. Robbins and interim Chief Financial Officer John Arnold discussed the next steps in the University's financial action plan.
Council leaders said they would continue to advocate for the best interests of staff members while pushing for shared governance consultation throughout the process.
"What I would love to see this body really push for and advocate for is how we make tough decisions while living our values," said Danielle Oxnam, project director in the Office of University Initiatives and Staff Council secretary. "I think it's very rare for an institute of higher education to have compassion as a value, and I think as much as we can center that through everything that's going to happen – that's how we protect our staff and that's how we stand beside one another."
Read more about the forum in a story on the University News website. More information about the financial action plan is available on the Financial Updates website.
Other items discussed at the Jan. 30 meeting:
- Staff Council is partnering with the University's affinity groups and Tucson Young Professionals to host a faculty and staff community-building event on Feb. 21 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the bookstore in the Student Union Memorial Center. Attendees will learn about ways to get involved on campus and in the community. Those who want to attend can register for free tickets online.
- The council's professional development committee will host a webinar on job interviewing skills on Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. The session will be led by Cory Eisenberg, career development coordinator with Student Engagement and Career Development. Those interested can register online. Previous sessions have been held on stress management, writing cover letters and creating effective presentations. Recordings of the webinars can be found on the Staff Council website.
The Staff Council is a shared governance organization that represents University Staff and Classified Staff. The council meets via Zoom the last Tuesday of each month throughout the yar. Meetings are open to all employees. The council's next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 27.
More information about the Staff Council can be found on the council's website. Anyone interested in becoming a Staff Council representative can apply online. Those who want more information can contact Melanie Madden, Staff Council chair and program manager for curricular affairs in Academic Administration.
Black authors, guest DJs and more keep the Black History Month celebration going
As Black History Month continues, units and offices throughout campus are offering the community ways to celebrate and learn about Black history and culture.
Readers will want to check out the bookstore at the Student Union, which has a display featuring books by Black authors. The selections include:
- "How to Say Babylon" by Safiya Sinclair
- "Serwa Boateng's Guide to Witchcraft and Mayhem" by Roseanne Brown
- "The Sun Sets in Singapore" by Kehinde Fadipe
- "Wander in the Dark" by Jumata Emill
- "The Wildest Sun" by Asha Lemmie
More suggested reading is available through University Libraries' Books That Matter collection. University Libraries will also be sharing historical photos from its Special Collections resources on its Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts throughout February.
As part of an annual partnership with KXCI Community Radio, professors from the Department of Africana Studies will be guest DJs on "The Home Stretch" program on Feb. 9 and Feb. 16. The faculty members will select a topic to discuss and play related songs, illuminating subjects related to music, culture, history and their own research. More details will be listed on the College of Humanities website as they become available.
Other ways to celebrate Black History Month:
- Visit the African American History of Southern Arizona, located in Room 244 of the Student Union Memorial Center.
- Attend the Arizona women's basketball game against Washington on Feb. 18 at noon at McKale Memorial Center. There will be special Black History Month performances during halftime.
- Enjoy a free viewing and discussion of the movie "Get Out" at the College of Medicine – Tucson's Black History Month Movie Night on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. in Room 2117 of the Arizona Health Sciences Center. Popcorn, snacks and drinks will be provided.
Other events and resources are detailed in the Lo Que Pasa story "Celebrating Black History Month through music, dance, poetry and more."