Over the last two years, we’ve dedicated a lot of space in this newsletter to reflecting on how the COVID-19 pandemic has turned our lives upside down. I don’t think we need another recap of how drastically things have changed, but I do want to point out that the pandemic and the other watershed events of the last couple of years have inspired the Advancement Leadership Team (ALT) to reconsider just about every aspect of our working lives. I think it’s safe to say that this subject will remain at the forefront of our discussions well into the future.
And so, we are asking you to fill out a survey to help us better understand how effectively we’re leading in relation to our hybrid work environment, how effectively we’re communicating with you, and whether we’re actually helping make your work lives easier.
You might be wondering why we’re sending out this survey, especially since many of you have just spent time filling out the Queen’s Employee Experiences Survey. There are two answers to this question.
The first answer is that while the Employee Experiences Survey is collecting important information for the university, ALT wants to dig a little deeper into that information. We want to understand what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling about this important and complex set of issues, and we specifically want to understand what, if anything, has changed about your experience over the last year.
The second answer is that we want to chart our progress since the pandemic began. Some of you might remember that in June of 2020 we sent out a “work-from-home check-in,” a casual survey to help us understand how you were feeling about our new reality. That check-in served as a baseline, and the second part of this survey will enable us to revisit those questions so we can gain some insight into how things have changed over the last two years.
We know that “survey fatigue” is real, but we also know that anonymous surveys are still the best tool we have to help us understand your thoughts and feelings and craft solutions that take your experiences into account. We hope you’ll take a few minutes and share your insights with us.
Give your donor relations writing a boost
It’s time to hone your writing skills in the acknowledgment, recognition, and stewardship spaces – courtesy of the Donor Relations unit!
Donor Relations is once again pleased to offer complimentary registrations for our Advancement colleagues to the Donor Relations Guru (DRG) micro-webinar series, The 4 Keys to Writing for Donor Relations, presented by the DRG Group’s Sarah Sims and Jan McGuire. If you have stewardship writing in your portfolio, want to brush up on the latest industry best-practices, or want to grow your career development, this series is for you!
Sessions include learning outcomes such as purposeful writing, critical content, showing impact, writing for effective messaging in digital content, the art of storytelling, and so much more. If the dates/times don’t work for you, all content (slides and recording) will be sent directly to your inbox within 24 hours of the broadcast to enjoy at your convenience! But you have to be registered. Webinars run each Thursday, beginning at 1 pm ET on June 9.
We invite you to review the full details for a taste of what will be offered over the next year. If you would like to register for the webinars (full series or individually), please email Donor Relations with the session(s) and we’ll get you registered.
Feel free to share this opportunity with colleagues who you think may find this helpful (eg. DAS users or department/faculty stakeholders with this task in their portfolio).
NOTE: This series has been submitted for CFRE approval and is anticipated to be approved for one CFRE continuing education point per webinar.
New naming policy approved
On behalf of the Principal, a working group struck in February 2021 – chaired by the Vice-Principal (Advancement) - was tasked with developing a principles-based Naming Policy with procedures to address various forms of naming - including philanthropic, service, commemorative, and Indigenous namings. The working group has recommended significant changes to the existing Naming Policy, and reviewed and incorporated feedback secured through two phases of public consultations and additional consultations with the External Relations and Development Committee and the Board of Trustees.
In April, the Senior Leadership Team reviewed and approved the procedures related to the Naming Policy and the Board of Trustees approved the Naming Policy at their May meeting.
Optional naming policy Q&A in June
An optional question and answer meeting will be scheduled at the end of June where Karen will provide a recap of the background to this review, the process we followed, and the significant changes made. The discussion at/agenda for the meeting will then be driven exclusively by the questions asked, so please come prepared to ask your questions.
Stay informed about communications to our alumni
To keep everyone better informed about our alumni communications, we are going to add all Advancement staff to our monthly Queen's Alumni Newsletter and quarterly Queen’s Alumni Review Newsletter distribution lists. If you do not want to receive these newsletters, please contact ITM through the Advancement Hub request system to have your name removed. If you want a hard-copy Queen’s Alumni Review, please let Ruth Dunley know, and she will add you to the distribution list.