Dear Staff Colleagues:

Staff Council extends a very warm welcome to you as we begin this fall term. We recognize the tremendous accomplishments that staff have performed to operate as a virtual campus throughout many changes and challenges over these past 18-months. This could not have been done without each of you. During this challenging time, your flexibility, creativity, and commitment have ensured that our students were supported and our University continued its mission. We offer our heartfelt thanks to every staff colleague who has carried on the University's work both at home and on campus.

While we are excited to return to in-person operations, we are aware of the stress that many are feeling as we return to campus. We acknowledge that this pandemic has affected each of us in different ways, which we respect and honor.

We believe that every staff colleague, at every level, brings valuable experience and knowledge to the conversation about campus re-opening and about broader campus issues. Among concerns we hear from staff, some major topics include: COVID precautions, flexible work options, and the challenge of adjusting to new work routines. We also hear that staff have differing experiences and opinions, and we want to represent the variety of staff perspectives.

We invite you to share your thoughts, ideas, concerns, and questions with Staff Council in order to identify areas that need to be addressed.

• What is working well?
• What could use more attention?
• Do you have any suggestions for improvements or ideas to help your colleagues?
• What do you want us to convey to University leaders?

We welcome your feedback to Staff Council through any of the following methods:

• Contact your individual council representatives, who are listed on our Members Page.
• Email the entire Staff Council at staffcouncil@seattleu.edu.
• Use our Feedback Portal, where you can enter feedback anonymously or add your name if you want a direct reply.

We look forward to hearing from you, and we look forward to working together with you in this new academic year.