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3 C’s: Compassion, Concern and Caring

by Communication Coordinator

Submitted by Barb Collins,
College Contact for Big Bend Community College

The fall in-service and Week Zero was full of change and surprises. We kicked off the week with a welcome from our new president Dr. Sara Thompson-Tweedy. As I scrolled through the participants on Zoom I saw a number of new colleagues and I am sad. If we continue to work remotely, I may never get a chance to meet them face to face or help onboard them properly in Big Bend style.

As we are isolated from our work community, and in some cases our extended family, health and wellness will continue to be our greatest focus. We all need to recognize when others or ourselves are hurting. Asking for help is not a weakness, it can actually be our greatest strength. Our college has formed a CARE Team and administrators continue to remind us to take advantage of the available resources they provide.

We can be creative and innovative in our caring ways. Posting a blog, sharing pictures, and following friends and family on social media is just one way. But when face to face isn’t an option, sometimes the traditional ways are even better.

  1. Write a short note and mail it! Let’s use the muscles in our hands for more than just texting.
  2. Pick up your phone and call someone! Your voice may be a comfort more than you even know.
  3. Send a flower or balloon bouquet. The fresh smells and colorful arrangement can do much to awaken our senses or bring a smile to someone’s face, especially in the winter months when days when the sun goes down earlier.
  4. Try a new recipe or bake some cookies to take to someone. You can even purchase an online meal and have it delivered if they live out of town.
  5. Let others know you are available to listen or make a personal message video and send it. When they need to know someone cares it can be watched again and again.

Let’s all put our thinking cap on. Who are you concerned about. Reach out to someone soon. You will be surprised how it can change the mental well-being for yourself and others.

Win a Prize!

by Communication Coordinator

WIN A PRIZE! Tell us what you’ve done from Oct. 1-Oct. 31 for Professional Development on your campus, or share what your campus is doing/ planning for Classified Staff Professional Development and enter to win a $10 gift card from STTACC!

All Classified Staff at a Community or Technical College located in Washington State are eligible to enter and win. We will give 2 gift cards away in the month of December. This contest will continue in the coming months, as well!

Questions? Email communicationcoordinator@sttacc.net

Big Bend Community College Update

by Communication Coordinator
Sara Schutt (left)
Sara Schutt (left)

Kudos to Sara Schutt, Student Activities Program Assistant at BBCC. She is educated, talented, skilled, and always has a smile on her face to welcome weary first responders. She owns a business with her sister that provides fresh water to fire fighters every year. Read the complete story here. 

Group of 4 ladies including Nancy Leach
A small gathering with Nancy Leach

Although campus closure to most daily activity prevents us from large gatherings, we still try to celebrate milestone events with our BBCC extended family.  Nancy Leach received the 2020 classified staff Exemplary Award for Region D at the annual conference. We were able to arrange a surprise celebration for her with the TRiO department and few other employees. 

We will miss Nancy; she is retiring at the end of the year. Check out the post here. 

Region B Fall Quarter 2020 Update

by Communication Coordinator

By Nancy Harris, Region B Coordinator

Region B consists of Bellevue College, Cascadia College, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Renton Technical College, North Seattle, South Seattle, Seattle Central, & Seattle College District

Bellevue College:

In August, September & October Bellevue College doubled their faculty, staff, and student trainings!

The eLearning department has been training on Zoom and answering community questions. They provided the training for all the new software rolling out for faculty, had 5 new tools since March – Honorlock, Lockdown Browser, Lockdown Monitor, Gradecsope – and they shifted to SimCheck. Updates include both Zoom & Canvas, and Microsoft Teams was rolled out. A new cohort of faculty were trained on Zoom, Panopto and Canvas. It’s been busy!

In short, training and the use of multiple tools as well as taking the extra precautionary steps needed for those working on campus, and balancing working at home with family at home has been an adjustment for everyone at Bellevue College. 

We have had several professional development courses, well-being sessions and opportunities to be involved on campus offered to classified employees. Prioritizing and doing more with less is a constant element to our work now.

Renton Technical College

Like colleges, RTC classified staff are working from home and observing the state-mandated furlough leave program. We are learning lots of new technology, and adapting to weekly (and sometimes, daily) Zoom check-in meetings. About 2 weeks ago, some of us learned how to design a Zoom meeting with breakout rooms. Every day includes something new. On-boarding new employees virtually presents its own challenges. Overall, most classified staff are adapting and thriving working in the electronic environment. 

Suggested future trainings: Zoom Meetings, MS Teams Meetings, Canvas meeting spaces, Adobe Sign for electronic signatures. 

Seattle Central College

ctcLink training is nearing completion (by November 20th). Work on our upcoming application process for one of our programs and ensuring the students have proper credentials so they are eligible to attend their clinical portions of their program has been a major portion of Classified work in certain departments.

South Seattle

Learning new technologies and resources was expected during this uncertain work environment, but some Classified Staff also have many expectations for work, having difficulty assessing the outcomes because the virtual work space is not always conducive for clear communications or direction from others. We are learning not to take things personally, because we are all under such a tremendous pressure.

We all need to pay attention to our emotional and mental health so when this is over, we can hug and celebrate the reunion with our friends and colleagues.

Centralia College Cashier Retires after 40 years

by Communication Coordinator
Georgia McKinley at workstation
Georgia McKinley greets students and employees with a smile

One of Centralia College’s longest-serving classified staff members, Georgia McKinley, the College’s cashier, retired at the end of October. Georgia was active in the campus STTACC group years ago, liked hosting the convention in Olympia and making a trip to Pasco. Georgia has held the same position (Cashier) on campus for 40 years, and she has enjoyed (nearly) every minute of it. She says the job was perfect for her, allowing her opportunities to talk and connect with generations of students, as well as manage financial paperwork. She looks forward to spending time with her family and missing the College’s ctcLink conversion in February (haha!)