As a new staff member to the institution, you are now part of a strong, connected faculty and staff community that puts student success and access as the top priority. We are all one team working towards ensuring that our UW Tacoma Huskies all have a positive, enriching, and memorable experience. In an effort to reach out to the new employees and welcome them to our entire community, the UWTSA has developed a staff connections program. We want to facilitate the feeling of a small, close-knit staff community as our campus continues to grow.
The New Staff Connection Program hopes to:
- Welcome new employees to our campus and the UWTSA
- Accelerate the time required for new staff to acclimate to the university and Tacoma campus
- Develop a stronger understanding of university resources, departments, key people, roles etc.
- Allow experienced employees to gain new perspectives, develop new relationships, and grow professionally
- Bolster campus engagement
- Provide an overview of campus culture, UW Tacoma’s mission, and the UWTSA to newly hired members
- Provide an opportunity to form new collegial relationships and grow professionally
- Provide networking opportunities to meet other peers and leaders on our campus
How does it work?
Participation in the Staff Connections program is voluntary and opt-in. The Connections Chair on the UWTSA Board assigns one or two connectors from different units on campus to each new employee (the "connectee"). One of the connectors will have a similar job classification as the new employee and the other will not. In this way, we hope to strengthen the UW Tacoma community as our campus grows, with all new connectees (and connectors!) meeting and getting to know people they would not normally work with. You could say this is about job satisfaction and effectiveness, retention, and many other “concepts,” but basically we want to encourage cross-campus ties and familiarity.
Connectors will:
Connectors are expected to:
- Meet the connectee and give them a welcome packet filled with useful information about resources about our campus and the area, as well as information about the UW Tacoma Staff Association
- Take the connectee out for coffee and give a tour of campus, introducing the them to other members of the campus community. Note: Connectors/Connectees may need to request release time in advance for the initial coffee meeting (subject to supervisors approval). We encourage further interactions during times when staff are regularly available, including breaks, lunch or at campus events.
- Invite the connectee to staff gatherings and other events.
- Keep in contact with the connectee as necessary to answer questions, offer advice and generally make the conectee feel welcome.
Become a Connector!
Becoming a staff connector provides an opportunity to recognize your expertise, share professional and institutional knowledge with others, enhance your professional networks, assist with the transition of new colleagues, and ensure their success as well as that of our university. Sign-up to be a Connector via the "Sign Up Now!" button below!
Sign-Up Today!
To sign-up as a Connectee OR Connector, click the "Sign Up Now!" button below and complete the form.
For more information on the staff connections program, please email uwtstaff@uw.edu
