From the President's Desk

Hello!

As the newly-elected IU Bloomington Staff Council, my goal for this organization is to help create a stronger community for all staff on the IU Bloomington campus. Our organization exists to represent staff and help them successfully navigate the staff experience positively. We are committed to advocacy for staff. This year we hope to be more visible, to offer more engagement opportunities, and to develop transparency to better define our organization’s role.

Sincerely,

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

As we welcome the academic year, I want to share my goals for the IUB Staff Council with you. My first goal is for IUBSC to become better advocates for the staff at IUB. IUBSC can advocate for staff members in many ways, one being, that members can serve as witnesses for staff members at grievance proceedings. We can offer support, take notes as an unbiased third party and ensure you know your rights through the process. See more information on this process.

We also act as advocates by lifting your voices. Over the past month, I have received questions from fellow staff members. I appreciate the opportunity to find answers to those questions. If you have questions regarding the staff experience at IUB please email either myself at asinadin@iu.edu or iubsc@indiana.edu. We will do our best to help you get the correct information. We also take this information to departments when the IUBSC Vice President, Lamara Warren and I meet with them. We have discussed the issues that were brought up to me with IUHR and the Provost. We want to be your voice so please feel free to share your thoughts.

Another goal of mine is that IUBSC helps create a community among staff members at IU Bloomington. We are planning events throughout the year to attempt to create a sense of community and belonging. We hope that you will see representatives at events on campus in order to get to know us better.

My hope is over the next year you will see that IUBSC is a resource for the staff community. We are here to be representatives of the larger staff community as a whole to the university. Please get to know the council members and utilize us. We are here for you.

Sincerely,

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

As the leaves change and evenings chill, the volunteers of IUB Staff Council continue to devote our time to serving you and representing staff concerns across campus. Since I began my term, I have received many important questions from staff members at IU. I want to share one such question and answer with you today. A staff member emailed me to ask if IU would cover travel for reproductive health services for staff members to other states for services no longer allowed or readily available in the state of Indiana. I connected with a representative from IUHR to discuss this topic regarding health care coverage. The representative stated:

• Medical Coverage: Currently the IU-sponsored medical plans cover abortion without restrictions and for any reason (elective or medical). Abortion for any reason will continue to be covered by IU-sponsored plans when the procedure occurs in a location where it is legally allowed.
• Contraceptives: No changes to coverage. Many contraceptives are covered for free, as required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Plan B is considered a contraceptive medication, covered at no cost under the ACA preventive drug list, and can still be obtained at a retail pharmacy.
• Travel Coverage: IU will be implementing a travel benefit effective 1/1/2023: Plan benefits will be expanded to include a travel benefit up to $2,000 annually for covered medical services that are not available within 100 miles of the member’s home, subject to plan cost share.
• Other Travel Options: For employees enrolled in an HSA, IRS regulations allow you to use HSA funds to pay for travel (flights, mileage, hotel, etc.) to receive medical care in another state.

I want staff across campus to know that we are here to be advocates, to be available, and to assist the staff community. If you have questions regarding the staff experience at IUB please email me at asinadin@iu.edu or our general mailbox iubsc@indiana.edu. We will do our best to help you get the correct information.

Sincerely,

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

I am very hopeful for the future of the staff experience and satisfaction at IUB. Through efforts like the My Voice at IU survey and the IUB 2030 plan, there is an opportunity for staff members to share their experiences to increase their engagement and satisfaction. On a quarterly basis, IUBSC Vice President, Lamara Warren, and I meet with the Provost and IUHR to advocate and encourage ways to address and meet staff needs. Please take advantage of this opportunity to send us your questions or concerns that we may share on your behalf. We strive to maintain your confidentiality. We do not share any identifying information. Once we get an answer from the Provost or IUHR we share it with those who asked. You can send your questions or concerns to iubsc@iu.edu or my personal email asinadin@iu.edu.  

We also have a new feature on our website where you can leave comments, suggestions, or concerns via a form Link: https://staffcouncil.indiana.edu/contact/index.html. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us.  

Sincerely,

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

I met with the Provost Shrivastav recently and I asked the following questions – below are his answers.

Q: Can you share a bit of background regarding IUB 2030?

Provost Shrivastav: This fall, IU Bloomington launched a campus-wide strategic planning process, IUB 2030 aligned with other IU campuses, to define the next steps in our future together as an IU community. Our planning process is driven by the planning framework shared across IU, which is shaped by three pillars: student success and opportunity, transformative research and creativity, and service to the state and beyond. It is my hope that our collective efforts will create a meaningful and ambitious plan for IU Bloomington that leads us to an even brighter future for 2030 and beyond.

Q: How were folks selected for the IUB 2030 committees?

Provost Shrivastav: We shared an open call for members of the IU community to nominate themselves or others to serve on IU 2030 working groups. We also solicited nominations from the Faculty Council, academic deans, and other campus leaders. We thought it was critical to ensure each of the working groups included a wide range of perspectives. Staff, in particular, are well represented across each of the planning pillars.

Q: How is IUB 2030 assisting in the betterment of the staff experience?

Provost Shrivastav: Our people at IU are our greatest asset—and the foundation for all we do. As the 2030 plan emerges around the three pillars, we will dedicate similar attention to the people needed to accomplish our priorities. Our staff are critical in helping to achieve our aspirations through IUB 2030 and realize future success for IU.

Q: If you are not on a committee how can you contribute to IUB 2030?

Provost Shrivastav: We encourage everyone to participate and have your perspectives included in this process. All staff are welcome to share ideas and feedback through an online form that can be submitted at any time. You are also welcome to reach out directly to the plan co-chairs or any of the working group co-chairs (posted on the website). In January, we will seek additional feedback from academic and administrative units on planning ideas to date. We will also have two open town halls on the draft plan on February 15 and 16, for anyone who would like to participate.

Q: What is the implementation plan for the finished IUB 2030 plan?

Provost Shrivastav: Once the 2030 plan is finalized in March, we will create a more specific implementation plan toward achieving the final plan goals and outcomes. It is likely that some items will be initiated in the next budget cycle, while others will take longer. Staff will be included in all these efforts.

Q: Moving to the results of the My Voice survey, what is the university doing to improve staff engagement?

Provost Shrivastav: Guided by the helpful feedback from the MyVoice process, I have charged each of our academic deans and vice provosts to develop action plans to meaningfully drive staff engagement. One of the key items we will begin to address, starting in spring term, is performance management. We want to ensure all employees have a clear sense of job expectations and are receiving continuous feedback on achievement. Each of us wants to make an impact in our work, and we should receive the feedback and development opportunities to help us continue to grow and thrive.

Q: If staff feel like their voices are not being heard what can they do?

Provost Shrivastav: I hope all staff feel empowered and encouraged to share opportunities to improve their experience at IU. The regular MyVoice process is a primary way to provide feedback across campus. Staff may also share ideas with HR business partners within your area of employment or Staff Council, with whom I meet regularly.

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

On behalf of the IUBSC, I want to thank all the staff members at IUB for their arduous work this past semester. We know the effort you put into every day and want you to know we see it. I wanted to reflect on this past semester and tell you what we are working on for the next semester.

In the Fall of 2022 IUBSC:

1. We worked to establish stronger relationships with the ex-officio members of IUBSC (IUB Faculty Council, IUSA, CWA, IUHR, Bloomington Academic Advisors Council, and the Graduate Professional Student Government). If you are a member of an organization that wants to be represented at our meetings, please contact us.
2. We hosted 4 impactful Speaker Series webinars.
3. We hosted our first Get to Know Your Campus event at the Lilly Library. This event was so popular that the spots filled in minutes and a second tour is scheduled.
4. The IUB Staff Council Vice President, Dr. Lamara Warren and I met with IUHR and the Provost multiple times to discuss current staff issues.
5. The newly created IUB Staff Council Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee has worked to define its purpose. It created information sheets about the cultural centers on campus and how they support staff members.
6. We Improved our monthly newsletter to inform the campus of our priorities and the work that we are doing on your behalf.
7. We engaged with staff members via email, phone conversations, and the newly created feedback form on our website to answer questions to enhance their employment experience.

Next semester we are hoping to:

8. Continue to engage with you – IU staff members.
9. Host events for you to meet staff council members (the first event is on January 5^th at 10 am in the IMU Restaurants Coffee, Cocoa, Cookies, and the Staff Council).
10. Continue to host Speaker Series webinars and Get to Know your Campus events.
11. Represent staff to upper administration and IUHR.
12. Represent staff needs and concerns through the IUB 2030 process.
13. Send a survey to staff members to gauge concerns and share observations with senior leadership.

We are looking forward to the rest of this academic year. We hope to see you at some of our upcoming events.

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

IUBSC wanted to thank everyone who came out to the Coffee, Cocoa, Cookies, and the Council event on January 5th. We really enjoyed meeting all of you and want to continue this program. We heard from many of you that you want more opportunities to meet colleagues from across campus. To assist with this, we will be introducing a new series called Get to know your Colleagues. The first event is in the works and will be occurring hopefully in the first week of March. Be on the lookout for more information on these events. If you have other ideas for programs or things, you would like to see from IUBSC please email me at iubsc@indiana.edu or utilize our feedback form on our website. IUBSC is excited for a new semester and is here to help IUB staff enhance their experience. Please reach out to let us know how we can help.

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

Happy March everyone! During the past month, the Vice President of IUBSC, Lamara Warren, and I met with the Provost and the VP of IUHR Todd Richardson. We had a productive conversation and are very excited about what is to come from the new IUHR plan. IUBSC will host VP Richardson at a future meeting to discuss the plan, so please watch out for more information about this. We hope you can attend the meeting to ask questions about the plan and any other IUHR questions. In the meantime, Lamara and I will begin meeting with VP Richardson monthly so if you have questions, please send them to us. 

During our last meeting, we asked a staff member a question and I wanted to share the answer with you. A staff member asked why staff members who take classes at IU are required to pay student fees. Provost Shrivastav and VP Richardson said they would look further into staff members paying fees. Once we know more information, we will bring that back to you. 

Once again, if you have questions or concerns you want to ask IUHR, please send them in so we can bring them up to VP Richardson. IUBSC is here to help you. 

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

Happy April everyone, 
We at IUBSC are very excited about the month ahead as it brings us many great opportunities. We want to invite you all to attend our April meeting via zoom. At this meeting, we are honored to have VP Todd Richardson of IUHR join us to answer your questions. 
If you have questions that you would like to ask send them to us prior to the meeting either via our feedback form on the IUBSC website or our email address: iubsc@indiana.edu. We are also concluding our survey and will be reviewing all of your responses to assist in any way we can. Lastly, we are opening our elections. We encourage you to take part by either nominating yourself or a colleague to become an elected member of the council. If you have questions or want to know more please reach out. 

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

Happy May everyone.

We at IUBSC hope that your semester is wrapping up smoothly. We want to thank Vice President of IUHR Todd Richardson and the IUHR team for joining us at our last meeting. If you were unable to attend, you can watch a recording of the conversation.

Also, I wanted to thank all of you who filled out our staff survey. There is a lot of helpful data that we are working through. We have shared some of the data with our campus partners and will compile a summary to share with you all and other partners. Please note that the data that we have shared does not have any identifying information in it.  

Lastly, I wanted to invite you all to our last Meet Your Colleagues event of the academic year. It will Be Wednesday, May 10th from 10:30 am to Noon in the Wells Library Lobby. Please join us for casual conversation and refreshments.

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

June marks the end of the fiscal year and the end of the year for IUBSC. As I reflect on this year with IUBSC I cannot explain how proud I am of the work that this organization has done. Over the past year, we have had many accomplishments such as: 

• Multiple members serving on IUB 2030 committees 
• Representation on multiple campus-wide search committees 
• The introduction of the Get to Know Your Colleagues events, with 3 successful events throughout the semester 
• We hosted multiple Get to know your Campus events with full RSVP lists 
• We restructured the Speaker Series events and hosted 11 wonderful speakers with our 12th happening later in the month 
• We hosted prominent individuals of the university at our monthly meetings such as Provost Shrivastav and IUHR VP Richardson 
• The Grants committee revitalized and structured the grants process to make it a better experience for those applying. They also were able to award 11 grants with the hope of allocating more money to expand the number of awardees for next year.  
• The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee was formed and created a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Statement for the council.  
• We surveyed the IUB Staff population and are currently figuring out how to utilize this data to inform our work and advocate for staff needs. 

Our hope is that we have served you all as staff members well over this past year and that we can continue to serve you. We are already planning for next year and are excited to continue to represent, advocate for, and help staff successfully navigate the staff experience positively. 

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

Your  fellow staff members on the IU Bloomington Staff Council hope that your summer is going well. As we begin a new academic year, we are looking forward to all the opportunities that are in front of our organization and ways to engage and enrich the staff experience on our beautiful campus. This time of year, we are sad to lose long serving members and excited to welcome newly elected council members. We will conduct elections for a new executive committee prior to our monthly meeting. You are always welcome to join us.  We  are excited to meet our new leadership team. Watch for the announcement in the August newsletter. As always, IUBSC is here to advocate for staff  members. We will continue to do so during our transition to the new year. We hope you are having a wonderful summer and if you need anything, contact us. 

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

I am very excited and honored to serve as the President of IUBSC for a second year. Thank you to the IUBSC members for re-electing me. I am looking forward to what we will be bringing staff members this year. As we move into the new year, I want to remind staff members that we have a feedback form on our website for folks to send in concerns they have. These are not just questions, concerns, or comments about IUBSC, but if you have any feedback about your experience as a staff member at the university you can utilize this form. You can leave your contact information if you want us to respond directly to you. You also have the option to give feedback anonymously. If you do, I will try to address the question in the next BTS newsletter. We also want to make it clear that when staff members ask us questions either through this form or in emails directly to us, we never use your information or any identifying information when seeking answers to your questions. Make sure to reach out to us if you have any feedback. We are here to serve and advocate for you. Have a happy August and good luck during move-in and the first few weeks of classes!

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025

Happy September! We hope that the beginning of the academic year has gone smoothly for you. IUBSC is very excited to host President Whitten at our October meeting and we invite staff members to join us during our September meeting to discuss questions and topics that we would like her to address during her time with us in October. We will be meeting on September 20^th at the CIB from 3pm to 5pm. During our discussion breakout time, we will ask members and other attendees to come up with discussion items for President Whitten. Please join us if you can. If you are unable you can submit your thoughts via our website feedback form. We hope to see you in September!

Alison Sinadinos IUB Staff Council President, 2022 - 2025