All-Staff Activities Abound As
Student Affairs Staff Development Surges

By Dennis Lyday

2005-2006 was an action-packed year for Student Affairs, and a variety of all-staff events provided highlights as we moved through the calendar.  Two “business meetings” focused on health and wellness and emergency planning, while two “Staff Appreciation” events helped us mark the passages at the end of 2005 and the wrap-up of the academic year.

November 4 was the date for our “Health and Wellness Fair,” held in the John Wooden Center’s Collins Court.  Participants included UCLA Recreation, Student Health Education, Student Psych Services, the Staff and Faculty Counseling Center, and a representative from the UCLA Medical Center’s Outreach services.  Vice Chancellor Montero urged staff members to include “wellness” issues on their “to do” lists.  Attention to diet, stress management, regular exercise, and other “prevention” measures can not only help to optimize personal health and quality of life, but also helps us maintain the mental and physical energy that keep us at the top of our professional game.

Other highlights of the event included body-fat testing by the Medical Center’s representative and “chair massages” by the Health Education staff that had clients lined up out the door. 

Our December “Staff Appreciation” event once again gave us the opportunity to take a breath after hectic dash of Fall Quarter, gather with colleagues, and share the special spirit that pervades that time of year.  It’s a time of year, as the Vice Chancellor reminded us, when we can step back and take time to remember the special work we do, the colleagues who make it possible, and the special gifts of effort, energy, and wisdom that pass among us every day.  Highlights included an overflow crowd, the traditional drawing for door prizes, and a quick concert by the Student Affairs chorus.

In March, Student Affairs worked with Environment, Health, and Safety and the Campus Fire Marshal to bring staff together around “Emergency Preparedness.”  Chad Brown, the Emergency Coordinator for Student Affairs, says, “I admit I used to tune out when the talk got around to emergencies.  But after New Orleans and seeing what they went through down there, I got a wake-up call.  This stuff is critical.”

Deputy Fire Marshal Steve Jurado took a crowd of over 300 staff through the campus emergency plan, recommended procedures for departments, individual preparation in the office, and the often-forgotten plan for our homes and families.  He reminded us that, although Los Angeles and UCLA have not had a major emergency situation since the 1994 earthquake, an emergency can strike at any time.

Follow-up from this meeting continues.  Every department needs to review its current plan and be sure it meets expected needs.  Similarly, every individual staff member needs to assemble his or her own kit which should include emergency food and water, comfortable walking shoes (if applicable), spare prescription glasses, medications, possible spare cash (what if the ATMs are down?), emergency contact information, and any other items the individual may want.  Any questions can be sent to Chad Brown at cbrown@saonet.ucla.edu or to Steve Jurado at Jurado@ehs.ucla.edu. 

The exclamation point for the year was our fourth annual “All-Staff meeting and Staff Appreciation Event,” held on a brilliant June afternoon at Drake Stadium.  “We’ve had an excellent year in virtually every area,” Vice Chancellor Montero told the audience, “and this event gives us a wonderful way to wind down, take some time to appreciate all we’ve accomplished, and re-energize.”

Smaller scale activities included workshops on “Emotional IQ and Diversity” and “Leadership as a State of Mind,” presented by Dr. Jorge Cherbosque, and a “Conflict Resolution” session developed by experts from the Office of Residential Life and the Center for Student Programming, along with Reese Ramos of the Ombuds Office.

As Vice Chancellor Montero’s article (above) tells us, the coming year will bring exciting new developments.  We hope the offerings of the Staff Development program can continue to complement the wonderful work we do in Student Affairs.