Staff Council Update: April 18, 2023

Announcements 



Thursday, April 20 at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT (Zoom). Staff Council Open Meeting with guest Ellen Usilton, Assistant Vice President for HR Operations. Topic: The Skill Matrix. Please review the March HR Update (see more details below) and the FAQs prior to the meeting and come with questions. 



March HR Compensation Program Update: You should have all received an email on March 7 sharing the latest update on staff compensation. If you haven’t already, please watch the video presentation (15:15 minutes) and view new materials for the March update. This update covers:  

• Updated staff job descriptions are available online. For more information see the HR website or go/jd  
• More on the market increase process and market verification   
• The ability to apply a discretionary amount to those above range maximums in the form of a one-time payment 
• Skill Matrix Outreach & Training 

Garden Volunteer Hours at the Knoll: Gardening has been shown to lower levels of stress and anxiety. Spend some time with the incredible crew at the Knoll all while lifting your mood. The knoll is excited to share the spring schedule for Garden Volunteer Hours, which began Monday, April 3. Visit go/knollhours for more info. 



Good Morning, Middlebury! This new program is an opportunity for supervisors and managers to take a person or team out for breakfast on Human Resources to energize and build camaraderie.  Benefits include creating a feel-good working environment, builds stronger relationships between co-workers and supervisors, and supporting a healthy team. Supervisor and Managers will complete the Good Morning Middlebury form to register. 



Current Middlebury Staff Council (MSC) Projects 

• Communications Committee - We are still working on edits to the Staff Council working relationships policy, and in the very early stages of drafting a staff council handbook. The Staff photo challenge for April is about SPRING! Submit photos of signs of spring around campus, or your favorite spot in Middlebury or Monterey to take a break to enjoy some sun. Please submit your image using this online form by Friday, April 28. A random submission will receive a $25 gift card to a campus café each month.  
• Elections Committee – Looking ahead to the call for nominations and 2023 Elections timeline for this spring.  
• Events Committee – Thank you to everyone who visited the Staff Council booth at the Well-Being fair. It was fun chatting while decorating flowerpots and kindness rocks. 
• HR6– Gathering information on available break rooms for staff, especially in areas where staff may not be assigned offices or computers. Submitted a request to the Space Management Committee about Ross Dining. 

Upcoming Events 

• Thursday, 4/27 (VT) - Middlebury Staff Council and Faculty Council Social. Drop-in between 4:30-7 PM to American Flatbread in the Middlebury Marbleworks for mingling, pizza and drinks.  

• Thursday, 4/27 (CA) - Faculty and Staff Town Hall from 12:15-1:45 PM PT 

Welcome to New Staff Members! 

• Drake Cruz, Facilities Assistant, drakec@middlebury.edu (CA) 
• Lauren Kaye, Operations Manager, Center for Non-Proliferation Studies, lkaye@middlebury.edu (CA) 

 

Meeting Updates 

• 4/20 - Staff Council Open Meeting with guest Ellen Usilton (see earlier announcement) 
• 4/26 - Staff Council Working Meeting (closed)  

Representative Spotlight: KELSEA MOULTON 

Kelsea Moulton joined Staff Council in spring of 2022. Her involvement in Staff Council has allowed her to take on multiple roles and responsibilities in her short tenure, including being the Co-secretary of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Events Committee, in addition to her primary position as the District E Representative. *  

Beyond her work with Staff Council, Kelsea is also an HR Coordinator and works remotely from her home in Massachusetts. Her passion for building connections and relationships with other employees in the community is what drove her to join the council. She has found the Continuing Education Fund to be a valuable campus resource, especially as she pursues her master’s degree. 

In her free time, Kelsea enjoys hiking and has already completed all but one of VT’s four-thousand footers. She is eager to conquer the last one this summer. Kelsea’s dedication to her work and her hobbies is admirable, and her contributions to the Staff Council demonstrate her commitment to improving the community. 

Consider joining Kelsea on Staff Council as a representative. Simply fill out this form to submit your interest. 

*District E represents the Budget Office, College Bookstore, Controller’s Office, Finance and Treasurer’s Office, Human Resources, Public Safety, Ralph Myhre Golf Course, Rikert Outdoor Center, Snowbowl, Student Employment Office, Student Financial Services, Student Mail Center