EMSS Team Members:

Happy Friday, EMSS team – we have almost made it to the end of the fall semester and a well-deserved winter break! I know many of you are taking a little bit of extra time off, while others will remain on campus or on call to serve our students who are not leaving campus over the break. However your time looks between now and early January, I encourage you all to carve out some time to relax and do something that brings you joy this holiday season. I’ll be staying in Humboldt this year and have family joining us right after Christmas for about a week – I’m looking forward to a few slow mornings with an extra cup of coffee, and some time to read a few books.

As your time allows, please take a look at the below updates related to campus and division efforts:

Winter Break Hours

As a reminder, campus will be closed for the winter break Tuesday, Dec. 24 – Wednesday, Jan. 1, reopening on Thursday, Jan. 2. Some spaces have special hours during this time.

The Gutswurrak Student Activities Center Building will be closing at 5pm today and will reopen on Mon, Jan. 6 for winter break hours, M-F 11am-4pm.

For dining options and hours over the break, visit our Dine on Campus page for details.

Community Conversations Update

You may recall a communication that went out earlier in the semester identifying a Campus Well-Being and Stewardship Group whose purpose is to begin community conversations and reflections on the events of April. The group, led by Provost Jenn Capps, includes leadership from Associated Students, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Staff Council, and Senate. The community reflections will involve broad information sharing of after-action reviews; conversations about lessons learned; and action planning for supporting future efforts.

The Stewardship Group has been meeting regularly and reported back on a tentative plan for campus engagement in the Spring 2025 semester during the December 17 meeting of University Senate. That tentative schedule is as follows:

January 28, 2025- Senate (Extended meeting)- 2 pm-5 pm Goodwin Forum (Hybrid)

January 28, 2025- Athletics- 6:30 pm-7:30 pm- KA 102 (In-person)

January 29, 2025- Staff Council- 12 pm-1 pm Great Hall (Hybrid)

February 4, 2025- Associated Students- 1:30 pm-2:30 pm (Hybrid)

February 7, 2025- Campus Open forum 11 am-1 pm for campus- Location- TBD (Hybrid)

A campus communication outlining the above dates and activities will go out to the campus community on January 21, 2025, with additional details as well as describing some companion activities to the community conversations that are being planned. I encourage you all to make plans to participate in whichever manner feels most comfortable for you.

Free Speech Support & Resource Team Updates

This fall, the Free Speech Support & Resource Team (FSSRT) has been working closely with faculty members — Julie Alderson, Joice Chang, John Meyer, and Suzanne Pasztor — to form a Faculty/Staff Advisory Team that will work directly with the FSSRT. This advisory group will help leadership and the FSSRT shape policies, practices, and educational programming to support free expression and civil dialogue on campus. Membership for the advisory team will be determined through a combination of an election and ex-officio appointments in January.

Free Speech Educational Programming Funds

As shared at previous information sessions around the Time, Place and Manner (TPM) policy, Cal Poly Humboldt received $75,000 in one-time funds from the Chancellor's Office to support educational programming on campus that supports enhanced understanding of the TPM policy, civil discourse/collegiality, elections and voter engagement, and effective organizing.  Some funds were set aside for a special grant program focused on civil discourse and engagement, which is currently open for applications. The administration of the system funds is being overseen by the Free Speech Support & Resource Team, with planned assistance from the newly developing advisory group. About half of the funds have been expended (see Educational Programming page), with the remainder to be spent before the end of the fiscal year.

Spring Professional Development Day

This year’s Spring Professional Development Day, titled Recruitment and Retention of Students: What Works!, will be co-hosted by Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management and Student Success and held on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, 8 am - 1 pm in Founders Hall. This event will explore what is working in recruitment and retention, focusing on practical strategies and creative approaches to enhance all academic programs. We look forward to engaging in discussions that will benefit our entire university community. Coffee and scones will be offered in the morning, and lunch will also be provided. Please plan to join us!

Don’t Forget Annual Training

This is one final reminder to complete the required annual training that has been shared out from HR in recent weeks. If you are a supervisor who has an employee or student who has not yet completed their training, please engage with them on this, and develop a plan for completion.

New Hires

Our CARE team is expanding!  We are thrilled to welcome Shamieka Kiel as our Basic Needs Coordinator.  She has worked in the Dean of Students office as a student assistant for a few semesters and has background in working with basic needs throughout Humboldt County.  Please give Shamieka a warm welcome!

Accolades

Cal Poly Humboldt recently welcomed 46 8th graders from Freshwater and South Bay schools for our first I've Been Admitted to College event. Students discovered the Hall of Simulation, the Makerspace, and learned about Special Collections with a fun, interactive game. Thank you to the library station hosts and tour guides, and thank you to Admissions, Humboldt County Office of Education, and the chaperones who helped make this event possible.

Thank you to the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center and Dining teams for hosting Late Night Breakfast this past Monday, and to all the volunteers who staffed the event. It was a great success for our hungry students studying for finals!

I hope you all have a wonderful break. The division communication will return Jan. 17, just before we kick off a new semester.

Take care of yourselves and each other,

Chrissy Holliday

Vice President, EMSS

Cal Poly Humboldt