October 2023 A&F Times

Table of Contents

• October Column
• What's Happening on Campus
• Sustainability @ SSU
• Health & Wellness
• Anniversaries & New Hires!

October Column

First, I want to thank every one of you for your hard work over this last year! Not only did we successfully graduate nearly 2,500 students, but we've welcomed 1,800 new Seawolves to campus as well! With the new year in full swing, the Risk Management and Safety Services (RMSS) team continues to focus on proactive initiatives and programming. RMSS supports, manages and oversees Environmental Health and Safety, Emergency Management, Business Continuity, University Auxiliary Insurance, Claims, Litigation, Risk Management, and Sustainability. Additionally, we also support the Clery Office & Annual Security Report as well as the Records Access Office, which oversees all California Public Records Requests, subpoenas, and litigation holds. This year, our department restructured to provide better service to campus and streamline our responsibilities. 

• Missy Brunetta took on an expanded role as the Associate Risk Officer and Director of Environmental Health and Safety. In this new role, she manages the EHS unit while also serving as the second in command of the entire RMSS Department.
• Kendall Newman has assumed the role of Emergency Services and Business Continuity Manager. You may have seen Kendall offering emergency training this semester, conducting building evacuations, safety tabling, and working with university departments to update their business continuity plans.
• Megan Varnadore has assumed the role of Clery Director and University Records Manager, where she oversees compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the California Public Records Act, and the McKee Transparency Act, as well as coordination of all subpoenas received by the university.
• Lastly, we are excited to welcome a new team member, Jennifer Sanchez, as our Campus Sustainability Manager. Jennifer splits her time in this role between CSU East Bay and SSU in a new shared services model, and we are thankful to have her expertise here at SSU! She will help us continue to make great strides toward our sustainability initiatives.

One of the key projects our Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) team continues to work on is the COVID-19 monitoring initiatives and safeguards prescribed by the California Occupational Health and Safety (CalOSHA). The big news at this time is the approval of a new COVID-19 booster - just in time for the holiday season. We encourage you to speak with your health providers to ascertain if the latest COVID-19 booster is right for you. The efficacy of this new booster is currently excellent, and it protects against the current strains that are highly contagious. We have seen a spike in cases in the last month, and as we enter the holiday season, we must safeguard ourselves, our families, and our colleagues. 

Our team looks forward to continuing to work with you all to ensure SSU is a wonderful place to learn, live, work, and thrive! If you need anything at all from our areas, please don't hesitate to visit our website or reach out to any of us directly. 

What's Happening on Campus

SSU's annual Preview Day is back! This year's event takes place Saturday, October 21st from 11am-4:30pm. We are expecting more than 500 guests to join us on campus and learn about what it means to be a Seawolf! This year's event will include: 

• Club & Organization Fair 

• LOBOTalks: A session highlighting your academic opportunities at SSU

• Q&A session with current students, as well as a Parent’s Panel

• Campus Tours, which includes Campus Housing

• Opportunity for Early Admission to Sonoma State University

Check out the recap of last year's event in the video below to see what Preview Day is all about! 

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Sustainability @ SSU

The Solar Array project continues to make great progress! Two of three phases in Lot F have reopened, and the final phase of Lot F is expected to open this month. Work on the next phase of the project is scheduled to commence in Lot J in late January 2024. 

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Health & Wellness

Open Enrollment is Here! 

The period began on September 18th and ends on October 13th. Changes made during this time will become effective January 1, 2024. New rates for the 2024 plan year are available on the Payroll and Benefits website. If you have questions or are seeking more information, contact the Payroll and Benefits Office.

On-Campus Flu Shot Clinic

Kaiser Permanente will be in the Student Center, Ballroom D, on October 10, 2023 from 11:30am to 2:30pm to administer free flu shots to Sonoma State University employees. This event is available to all employees, regardless of their health plan election. Please register for an appointment as soon as possible as there are limited appointments available. On the day of the event, please bring a completed copy of the attached form with you. If you are a Kaiser member, please also bring your medical card/number. 

COVID Updates 

• Cal-OSHA still requires that employees report positive COVID cases to the university. Employees with COVID are not permitted to work in person for a minimum of 5 days. EHS and HR currently partner to manage COVID related absences and will advise employees when they may return to work. Full details can be found on the Risk Management website or by emailing [email protected].  

• Students who test positive for COVID or who have COVID symptoms should contact the Student Health Center or their healthcare provider.  

• Employees do not need to report COVID exposures, however, we recommend you mask and test on days 3 and 5 post exposure.

• Along with COVID, public health expects a busy flu and cold season. Stay home if you are sick and wear a face covering to prevent illness.

• If a worksite experiences an outbreak as defined by OSHA (3 or more cases in 7 days), masks will be mandated in that worksite. Please be respectful of these locations and mask up or request alternative visit arrangements.

• An updated COVID vaccine will be available in the coming months that is geared towards the new and prevalent COVID variants. While vaccines are no longer required, the university recommends employees get the updated vaccine to protect you and those around you.

Anniversaries & New Hires!

Anniversaries Celebrated in July

Welcomed to SSU in August

Anniversaries Celebrated in August