Knowing I was responsible for the content for ALTogether Now this week has weighed on me. It was a deadline on my To Do list. It was a task I procrastinated about completing due to other priorities. It was a stressor amidst other exciting work that just had to take priority. As a result, I didn’t write this message until the last possible moment. OK, I was late.
I don’t write this to evoke sympathy. I write this because I know I am not alone. I write this to say that I know how you feel.
Fall is arguably one of the most critical times of the year for higher education advancement professionals. The pace is frenzied in the academic business of the fall. And the fall is hectic in many of our personal lives. By the time we get to December, we are not only busy, but we are also tired.
I write this because I want every Queen’s advancement professional to know that I and all the Advancement Leadership Team (ALT) sees you. We know that you are busy, tired, and deserve the break that the Queen’s holiday closure provides. The holiday closure is extraordinary because it is the one time of year that (almost) the entire university shuts down, logs off, and checks out. Many will extend this break by using vacation time as well. As a result, this is an important time to rest and recharge; and we are mere weeks away from this much-needed and well-deserved respite.
In the meantime, the all-staff gathering is this week. I have described these weeks as food for the soul. Others have described how valuable the in-person interactions with colleagues have been to strengthen connections and reconnect with one another personally. This Thursday afternoon, the year-end gathering will give us an incredible opportunity to gather informally and celebrate colleagues. We will also step away from our own work for a few hours to focus on supporting individuals and organizations who need our help.
I hope the all-staff gathering gives you the energy you need for the final two working weeks of 2022. And if it doesn’t, please raise your hand so you can get the helping hand you deserve. No one bears the burden of our collective work alone – particularly at this time of the year – and maybe someone can relieve your burden in unanticipated ways. Personally, I want to thank the team that gets ALTogether Now ready for distribution for their patience for this late submission. I won’t take advantage of this exception, but I really appreciated it.
QUAA Gala Awards - One week left for nominations
On behalf of the Queen’s University Alumni Association (QUAA) Board, we would like to remind everyone there is just one week left to nominate the incredible alumni you work with for a QUAA Gala Award. This is an excellent opportunity to engage your donors and prospects!
The QUAA Board, including Director - Alumni Awards, Elaine Wu, Artsci’98, MIR’00, Law’03, is looking to encourage a diverse slate of nominations for all awards. We wanted to highlight three in particular:
Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award – This new award is to recognize mid-career alumni making significant contributions in their field.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization (EDII) Alumni Award – This new award recognizes alumni who have made a significant contribution through mentorship, advocacy, or guidance to either an individual or group and advances Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization.
Alumni Global Citizenship Award – This award, previously known as the Alumni Humanitarian Award, was renamed by the QUAA review committee.
Please note that the preference of this nomination process is by alumni, for alumni. As a Queen’s staff member, you are welcome, and encouraged, to identify deserving alumni, assist alumni in creating the nomination package, or provide supporting documentation.
Information and nomination forms are available online. Closing of the 2023 Gala Award nomination cycle is on Monday, Dec. 12 at 11:59 pm. The date of the Gala is to be announced, but is slated for early June 2023, in Kingston.
If you have any questions regarding the Gala Awards or the nomination process, or if you would like to share the name of a potential nominee, please reach out to Lindsey Kull, Alumni Officer, Volunteer Liaison.
Reminder for Advancement’s year-end gathering
Advancement’s annual year-end gathering will take place this Thursday, at 12 pm ET at Mackintosh-Corry Hall, D201. This is an opportunity for Advancement staff to gather in person, enjoy a delicious lunch, participate in the presentation of the John J. Heney Award, T. Geoffrey Flynn Advancement Champion Award, and the Service Recognition Awards, and give back to our Kingston community through volunteering our time.
As a reminder, for all volunteer experiences, you'll spend approximately two hours volunteering on location. At 3:15 pm, shuttle buses will pick up Advancement staff and return to campus.
Registration closed on Friday, Dec. 2 but if you have questions, please contact Administrative Assistant Bethany Mulder-Kelly.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Donations for the Comfort Bag program
In the spirit of giving back to the Kingston community, we are accepting donations to the Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox & Addington’s Comfort Bag program at our gathering. Comfort bags are given to children who have been removed from the home (even if temporarily) and might be missing personal items. Required items must be new, and include:
• Backpacks
• Fuzzy blankets
• Baby items
• Fuzzy socks
• Personal hygiene items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrushes, deodorant, dental floss
• Colouring books
• Crayons, markers, pencil crayons, erasers, blank notebooks
• Children’s books (newborn to age 18)
We are also accepting Walmart gift cards on behalf of the Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox & Addington’s Tree of Hope program. The program assists parents and caregivers with purchasing holiday gifts for their children.
Donations can be brought to the year-end gathering in Mac-Corry Hall on Thursday, Dec. 8.
RWA Data
During the Advancement Leadership Team Q&A session, held on Thursday, Nov. 24, a question was raised about the percentage of Remote Work Arrangement (RWA) staff in Advancement at Queen's. As of Nov. 30, 2022, here is the breakdown:
|
Department |
Percentage of RWA staff |
|---|---|
| Advancement-wide (all) |
On campus: three per cent |
| Advancement-wide (without faculties) |
On campus: four per cent |
| Advancement Services |
On campus: zero per cent |
| Alumni Relations and Annual Giving |
On campus: two per cent |
| Marketing, Communications and Donor Relations |
On campus: zero per cent |
| Development |
On Campus: zero per cent |
| Advancement Faculties |
On campus: zero per cent |
| Vice-Principal (Advancement) |
On campus: zero point five per cent |
Reminder for the Queen's Lecture Series: Kehoe Lecture in Social Impact
Don’t miss the next installment of the Queen’s Lecture Series with the Kehoe Lecture in Social Impact: Corporate Social Responsibility 3.0
Driven by recent social movements, corporate social responsibility (CSR) 3.0 isn’t just about cleaning up a company’s image, it’s about having an impact on socially relevant issues. On Thursday, Dec. 8, join Dr. Jacob Brower as he looks at the evolution of corporate social responsibility, explores the implications of this emerging new phase of CSR, and discusses real-world examples making headlines today.
Please register in advance: Kehoe Lecture in Social Impact | Queen's Alumni (queensu.ca)
Employee spotlight
The Employee Spotlight celebrates the arrival of our new and existing staff by profiling responses they share through a fun and informal survey that will help us get to know them better. Be sure to review these profiles and use these fun facts and tidbits to find commonalities, embrace differences, and spark a conversation.
Lex Tsai is our new Senior Digital Engagement Analyst. Learn more about Lex and the story of his name.
Edwin Larin is our new Senior Development Officer, FAS. Learn more about Edwin and his favourite family tradition.
Jobs with Advancement
We need your recruitment help. Know great talent that would be a good addition to our team? If so, please promote the vacancies below with your networks and let’s find some amazing new team members.
Applications (including a cover letter and résumé) must be submitted through CareerQ. For additional information on this posting, please reach out to either Carla Ferreira Rodrigues or the hiring manager for the position you are interested in.
| Position | Competition number | Closing date | Grade | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coordinator, Development and Stewardship | J1022-1494 | January 5, 2023 | N/A | Term |