11/22/2024 EMSS Division Communication

EMSS Team Members:

Happy Friday, EMSS team, and I hope you are all looking forward to the rapidly-approaching fall break and holiday season. Last night, I was able to attend the Taste of the Holidays event, sponsored by the Arcata Sunrise Rotary, and it truly put me into a festive spirit! I saw many of you there, and it was a reminder of the broad impact this Divsion has and the dual roles we serve as both members of our campus and the larger community.

As your time allows, please read the below updates related to campus and division efforts.

Division Holiday Sweater Party

Get those glue guns, tinsel, jingle bells and battery-operated holiday lights out - it's time to start blinging out your holiday sweater! The EMSS Holiday Sweater Party is Tuesday, December 3 from 10am - 12pm. Let's all come together and get in the spirit of the holidays. Back by popular demand will be the cookie decorating station to showcase your skills as well! Hope to see you there!

Required Annual Training

We should have all received messaging from Human Resources in recent weeks about annual training that is due before the end of the year – I know I scrambled last week to complete some of mine that was expiring soon. Unfortunately, right now, Humboldt has some of the lowest completion rates for our training courses across the entire CSU, and I need your help to ensure that shifts between now and winter break. If each of you will please schedule time to complete your required training before your last day of work in December, and make sure you have allotted sufficient time to do so, that will go a long way. Supervisors, please talk with your teams about this, and make sure we are all working towards the goal of 100% completion – so much of the work we do has significant compliance components, to ensure we are protecting the rights of our students and colleagues. Training is one way we acknowledge the importance of that work and provide assurance that we take our care for others seriously and live out the values of our division and campus. Thanks to all who have completed their training, and to all of you I know will make a plan for doing so in the next few weeks.

24-Hour Study Space

Access to the 24-hour student study space has returned! Effective immediately, any student requesting use of the 24-hour study space in NHE 113 outside of regular business hours should be directed to Facilities Management (FM) or their Key Request Website to request pin code access to the NHE building. NHE113 is to remain unlocked during the workday, so will not require any special access until after hours. FM is open M-F 8am-4:30pm. It is expected to take 3 days for students to receive the pin code from the date of request.

Late Night Breakfast

We are excited to announce that our Fall 2024 Late Night Breakfast is just around the corner, and we are in need of some fabulous volunteers to help make this event a success! The event will be held on December 16 from 6:30-9pm, and forms need to be submitted by December 2nd! Thanks in advance, and we look forward to making this Late Night Breakfast a special one. The form is linked HERE.

FAFSA Now Open

The FAFSA for 2025-26 is now OPEN for all students, and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) will open on December 1. Encourage students planning to enroll for the 25-26 school year to submit their application as soon as possible – and remember that our priority deadline for financial aid is March 2!

MLK Day of Service

Cal Poly Humboldt students, staff and faculty, College of the Redwoods, and community members are invited to join Youth Educational Services for a morning of community service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is Monday, January 20, 2025, from 8 a.m. to noon. This event will feature volunteer projects on campus and at community sites. Learn more and register by Wednesday, January 15, 2025, using this Google form.

What is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Why is it a “Day of Service”? Legislation signed in 1983 marked the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a federal holiday. In 1994, Congress designated Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service. Each year, on the third Monday in January, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is observed on our campus and elsewhere throughout the country as a day on, not a day off.

SAC Fall Break Hours

The Gutswurrak Student Activities Center Building will be closing at 5pm today and will be open Sat., Nov. 23-Wed., Nov. 27 from 11 am-4pm. The Depot and Bigfoot Burgers will be closed during this time. Building will return to normal open hours Mon, Dec. 2nd.

New Catering Web Site

Check out the new Humboldt Dining Catering web site at https://humboldtcatering.catertrax.com/ There are two ways of ordering: Carved & Crafted which is fully delivered, staffed and picked up catering services, and then Casual Catering, which is a much lower option for self pick-up with no staffed catering.

Departure

Please join me in wishing Jess Etter, my amazing executive assistant for the last almost two years, congratulations on her recent appointment to the position of Events Engagement & Office Coordinator in the Office of the President. While I will miss her direct support terribly, and I know we will all miss having her as part of EMSS, this is also an incredible opportunity for her, and I am so proud that her high-quality work in support of this team was noticed by others. I know also that she will continue to serve Cal Poly Humboldt and our students in this new role, and we will still have the opportunity to see her regularly. Jess' last day with EMSS will be Nov. 29, though she will continue to provide me with some limited support as I look to fill this role after the holidays. She will also attend our Holiday Sweater Party Dec. 3, so you can use that as an opportunity to wish her well in person!

Events

Divisional Budget Updates: Find out what happened with budget reductions after the University Resources & Planning Committee (URPC) made their recommendations to the President last spring. Fall Divisional Updates have been taking place during URPC’s regular meeting time from 1:00-2:30 pm. The next presentation is December 6 - Advancement, Athletics. A campus notice with Zoom link will go out prior to the session. 

Cal Poly Humboldt Presents upcoming events: Mark & Maggie O'Conner, An Appalachian Christmas, Tues., Dec. 3 at 7pm- JVD; Pink Martini featuring China Forbes, 30th Anniversary Tour, Sat., Dec. 7 at 8pm – JVD; Tomaseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas, Fri., Dec 20 at 7pm - JVD. Get tickets at https://tickets.humboldt.edu/ today.

I've Been Admitted to College (IBAC):  This special programming for local 8th graders begins in December and runs through February. Students have a chance to be introduced to college through fun, interactive experiences. Event dates: December 6, January 31, February 14, and February 28.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and fall break. As always, if you have items for inclusion in this division communication, share them with me via e-mail, or with the EMSS Leadership Team member in your area.

Take care of yourselves and each other,

Chrissy Holliday

Vice President, EMSS

Cal Poly Humboldt