What better way to start the week than with a round of Kudos!
Thomas Queen for fixing a clogged shower drain: “He fixed my issue”
Chauncey Ervin for unclogging a a Shenkman Hall Sink: “The men that came to help were so helpful and super kind!”
Chauncey Ervin for unclogging a Madison Hall Shower drain: “He was the BEST!!!! Super funny and lighthearted about the situation, prompt and amazing”
William Vigil for repairing a bed frame at West Hall: “The service was very quick!”
Chauncey Ervin for fixing a malfunctioning toilet at Dakota Hall: “He was awesome. I was in-class sent me a text message showing me the fixed problem and even left me a sweet message.”
Nestor Fuentes for unclogging a bathtub drain at International House: “Dude was so awesome, fast, kind, and overall amazing”
Yared Yirgu for bringing heat back to a cold Ross classroom: “Yared is incredible quick to respond, friendly, and professional”
Miguel Alvarez for providing A/C to a warm Rome Hall Classroom: “I like that fact that even though we go through the same issues the technicians are always helpful to us. Thank you.”
Each week we’ll be sharing the upcoming training and professional development opportunities available here at GW.
Thursday 4/18
FERPA workshop for GW staff and faculty This interactive workshop will address FERPA basics and explore requirements for the protection of student records, when those records may be shared, and discuss some of the applicable exceptions to the FERPA requirement for consent.
GW staff and faculty members are encouraged to submit their questions via the event’s registration survey.
Privacy 101 – What every GW employee should know about Privacy Join the GW Privacy Office and learn more about the importance of protecting the privacy of personal information of our community members.
This webinar will cover topics such as:
Defining Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or personal data
Applicable privacy laws and individuals’ privacy rights
The universtity’s Personal Information and Privacy Policy
The importance of reporting any actual or suspectedincident involving personal information of individuals.
You will leave this webinar with a stronger understanding of your role and responsibilities in protecting the privacy of those whose personal data you are collecting, accessing and/or managing on behalf of the university.
If you use AiM or FixIt regularly for your job, hopefully you’ve heard about (and are excited for!) the reboot initiative. DSF staff has already spent over 1500 hours on the process behind the scenes, but you can still get involved in helping to create a new and improved work management system.
Today GW, AssetWorks, and Brailsford & Dunlavey hosted a variety of group discussions to get DSF up to speed on the project and solicit feedback. Between four AiM focus groups and a FixIt Kickoff Meeting, staff got to see some of the possibilities of the reboot and elaborate on pain points they’ve identified in the current version of the system.
And we’re not done collecting your input! Not only are additional project adoption surveys (and rewards) coming to make sure we’re on track, but you can also drop a note to project leadership using the suggestion form at go.gwu.edu/aimfeedback at any time. Missed the FixIt Kickoff Meeting? Make sure to check out the slides below.
By now you’ve likely heard that GW’s vacation time policy is changing in July, but are you familiar with how it’s changing? The Benefits Team will be in the Support Building to walk all DSF employees through the details and to take your questions. Just show up at one of the sessions shown below! Can’t make the session? You can always read up on the policy on HR’s website.
Support 211
Thursday, 4/11 at 4pm Monday 4/15 at 3pm Wednesday, 4/17 at 10am
Black History Month is a time to celebrate African American achievements and culture, both past and present. 50 years after Carter G. Woodson established a week dedicated to black history, Harrison Ford officially signed it into law, establishing February as Black History Month. Join us as we celebrate with events on and off campus!
Thursday 2/15
What Have We Here? with Billy Dee Williams: Author Talk in Recognition of Black History Month As part of DC Public Library’s Black History Month celebration of “African Americans in the Arts,” the iconic Billy Dee Williams will discuss his life and new memoir “What Have We Here?: Portraits of a Life” at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Hear Billy Dee Williams reflect on key milestones from early stereotype-busting roles to pop culture phenom status with with Jummy Olabanji, anchor of NBC 4 TODAY. Signed copies of the actor’s new memoir “What Have We Here?: Portraits of a Life” will be available for purchase after the talk.
Celebrating our Voice in Academia Join GW’s Association of Black Journalists Chapter for a discussion about the Black voice and experience in academia. The panel will include a discussion with GW Black Professors and students on how Black people have found ways to overcome the obstacles structured against them and be a role model for future generations despite the lack of appropriate representation in these settings. Reception and networking to follow at 8 p.m.
Black History Month Keynote Speaker: The Honorable G.K. Butterfield Join the Student Bar Association and the Black Law Students Association as they present this year’s Black History Month Keynote Speaker The Honorable G.K. Butterfield. G.K. Butterfield is a is a Black civil rights activist, U.S. Army veteran, lawyer, judge, and former U.S. representative from Wilson, N.C. For most of his congressional career, Congressman Butterfield served on the Committee on Energy & Commerce.Under his leadership, Butterfield help recruit qualified African Americans for nomination to the federal bench. He also helped lead the effort to pass legislation to update the formula contained in Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Black Intifada: The Roots of Black and Palestinian Solidarity Movement This talk will create a nuanced interdisciplinary context for the history of Black and Palestinian solidarity from the 1960s until the present day. It will examine some of the most powerful political, historical and cultural forces that propelled the genesis of the movement during the decade such as nationalism, Third World Marxism, Black Arts Movement and Palestinian Poetry and Culture of Resistance. The talk will demonstrate how and why Palestine became a Black feminist issue in the 1980s through the work and activism of Angela Davis and June Jordan, sustaining and nurturing Black and Palestinian Solidarity Movement. Finally, the talk will highlight the contemporary manifestations of the movement, posing urgent questions about the joined Black and Palestinian struggle for justice and dignity.
We encourage you to read all emails sent to university employees, but we realize it’s easy to miss the details in the barrage of content sometimes. Below we’ve compiled a few highlights from recent editions of Digital Download and The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter and a GW InfoMail on Campus Store holiday discounts.
Digital Download
Quick web tips from GW Communications & Marketing.
Canva Holiday Templates and Training
Looking for ways to celebrate the holiday season with your community? Use GW holiday-themed Canva templates to create festive email headers, social media graphics, and printable cards. If you’re new to Canva or need a refresher, join Communications & Marketing on December 7 to learn how to use this free web application to create your GW-branded holiday greetings
The GW Staff Council Pillars Newsletter
The official newsletter for GW’s Staff Council.
Attend a Staff Council Meeting
The GW Staff Council typically meets on the third Friday of each month from 10:00am to 12:00pm. GW Staff Council meetings occur via Zoom and are open. Please direct any related questions to staffcouncil@gwu.edu. President Granberg will join the meeting on December 15!
You can find meeting minutes from past meetings on the Staff Council website, along with information on upcoming meetings. Registration is required so please be sure to register for any upcoming meetings you’d like to attend.
Winter Necessities Drive
GW has partnered with DC Public Schools to collect winter necessities for local students and their families. Donate new socks, gloves, mittens, and winter hats for children, teenagers, and adults.
Donation stations will be available at the Virginia Campus and Foggy Bottom Winter Celebrations. If you would like to contribute but are unable to attend the events, you may drop off items at the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement at Public Service (2300 H Street, NW), through December 22.
Welcome to the DSF Photo Roundup where we share a collection of captured moments around campus! This week’s Roundup includes pictures from all sorts of events in 2023.
Move-In 2023
DSF worked hard throughout Move-In 2023. We’ve previously covered all the labor that went into this annual event, but here are some extra pictures of the snacks and food employees enjoyed as well as some shots of Move-In Thank You Ice Cream Parties at both the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses.
Sustainability Reuse Market
Here’s a throwback to the GW Office of Sustainability’s reuse market where students were able to choose from donated household items, books, clothing, and more, giving these items another life as they started the school year. Saving money and saving the environment!
FPCM’s Fall All Hands
FPCM’s Fall All Hands was a success as President Granberg made her debut appearance. President Granberg shared some words at all three meetings, going over her career experience, her hopes for future the future of GW, and also addressing current social issues. President Granberg was accompanied by her wife, Sonya, and Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer Sharon Reich Paulsen.
Goodbye to Paris
We said our farewells to Paris Rossiter, our former Senior Dining and Retail Property Manager who moved on from GW and is now working at FEMA!
GW Zone Anniversary
FBG celebrated the second anniversary of reorganizing our trades into zones to more efficiently manage work. A big round of applause to everyone who helped make this possible!
Baxter’s Student Outreach
Baxter Goodly spoke at meetings for both the GW Student Association and the Residence Hall Association. He provided students with updates from around campus and addressed any concerns or questions the students had.
No more “use it or lose it” – The current structure we’re all familiar with where you must use your leave before the end of the fiscal year will no longer apply. Instead, you’ll accrue hours until you’ve reached the maximum number you can bank at one time. You’ll begin accruing hours again once you’re back under the maximum.
Faster accrual rate at 10 years – You’ll reach the maximum accrual rate sooner in your career! You’ll get 16 hours a month at 10 years instead of 15.
Accrue before use and transition time – You’ll no longer be able to use vacation time unless you have hours already accrued. GW will provide “transition time” to those hired before July 2024 to help ease us into the new plan. Full time staff will receive 40 hours while part time staff will receive 20.
Below you’ll find the accrual rate and maximum number of hours under both the current and new plans. Have questions and can’t make the information session? You can always reach out to HR at timeoff@gwu.edu.
Years (Months of Service)
Monthly Accrual Rate (Hours)
Max. Vacation Time Accrued (Hours)
Current: Up to 2 years
10
120
New: Up to 2 years
10
180
Current: 2-4 years
12
144
New: 2-4 years
12
216
Current: 4-15 years
14
168
New: 4-10 years
14
252
Current: 15+ years
16
192
New: 10+ years
16
288
Keep in mind, this does not apply to all folks on the DSF team. For employees represented by a union, consult your Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) or speak with your union representatives. For ABM employees, please reach out to ABM HR with any questions.
Two more valuable FPCM teammates are leaving us for new beginnings. John Kane was always a friendly face during his 46 years at GW and he knew every inch of our campuses. He’s headed into a richly deserved retirement, though we’re sad to see him go. Meanwhile, Steve Ferrara had a much shorter tenure as part of FPCM, but he made his mark by shepherding us through the major Thurston renovation. He and his family are off to Brown University where he’ll no doubt once again prove himself to be a major player in construction management. Below you’ll find photos from their goodbye parties.
Congratulations to today’s list of five-star employees!
Courtland Newell, Leroy Keys, Alexis White, Terence Taylor, Terrance Bell and Ronetta Lane for fixing a clogged and overflowing toilet: “Excellent service. Had an emergency fixit near midnight and technicians came right away to solve my problem. Problem was totally gone and fixed by the morning.”
Steven Wilson for installing a new window screen at Amsterdam Hall: “Really timely and the screens he put in seem sturdy. He was very nice and the whole thing was quick and easy.”
Jose Melgar for unclogging a shower drain at International House: “The gentleman was very polite, and left the site as clean as when he arrived. Really great service.”
John Swieczkowski and Terence Taylor for fixing a malfunctioning sink drain stopper at District House: “THEY WERE GREAT”
Victor Saunders for replacing a broken dresser at District House: “Thank you for the service! The technicians were great and extremely nice! I appreciate everything facilities does to keep the campus working well and fixing anything that needs to be fixed. I had a fixit request prior to this one and the service and response time was also great. Thank you all so much!”
Wallace Vauss for replacing the water filter on the bottle filling station at Phillips Hall: “excellent and speedy resolution! Thanks.”
Aaron Ferebee for unclogging a sink drain at Thurston Hall: “SUPER CLEAN SINK NO VOMIT”
Terrence Branch for creating multiple keys for Support Building: “This job was completed in record time! Terry is always a professional.”
Terence Taylor for unclogging a sink drain and restoring the water pressure at District house: “They responded to the request in a timely matter and fixed everything perfectly!”
Jose Guzman for replacing a missing ceiling tile at Ross Hall: He is always very friendly and extremely helpful. I am always happy to see him”
Ashley Nicholas for assisting in replacing stained and odorous carpet with LVT at MVC Academic building: “Love the new flooring!”
William Perez for replacing the air filter and switching system to cooling mode in Phillips Hall: “Thank you!”
Aaron Ferebee for replacing a leaky faucet at Mitchell Hall: “I have never been more satisfied with the work that has been done in Mitchell Hall. It was quick, the worksite (the bathroom) was left incredibly clean, and the technician was very courteous. Thank you!”
Terrence Branch for replacing the access lock batteries at Science and Engineering Hall: “Technician was very nice!”
Debebe Bemeke for replacing stove burners and pan at Shenkman Hall: “Great!! He did an excellent job! thanks so much!”
Victor McKay for replacing bulb in stove fixture at Shenkman Hall: “Great experience! The fix was super fast and non intrusive, if they hadn’t left a note we wouldn’t have even known they came in.”
Debebe Demeke for fixing a dishwasher at Shenkman Hall: “Our fix it person was very helpful and attentive and even changed our vent and stove drip pans. He was quick, respectful, and courteous.”
Christopher Gammon and William McKnight for fixing the thermostat at Mitchell Hall: “The technicians were great!”
Antoine Swilling, Louis Everett and George Clemons for treating a moth issue at District House: “The fixit guys were fantastic! Thanks so much!”
William Perez and HVAC Team for replacing thermostat at Lafayette Hall: “All of the employees that helped to work on the thermostat issue were super cordial and amazing, and worked the best they could with the issues that arose.”
