November 2024 A&F Times
November Column
As 2024 draws to a close, there is a moment to pause to look back, and reflect on the significant moments of personal growth, career achievements, challenges overcome, relationships strengthened, and cherished experiences to find aspirations to springboard into the coming year.
Among the beautiful landscaping, the smiles and laughter, and all the on-campus activities, one highlight that stood out to me centered around the numerous opportunities to engage in conversations, with so many in our community, to listen to and learn from diverse opinions and perspectives about life, conflicts, areas for progress, moments of resilience, and appreciation for the numerous contributions our dedicated colleagues make each and every day to support our Seawolf community. It is important to remember that together, we educate, provide support and services, and help build the practical skills and knowledge of our students for civic participation vital to the health of a flourishing society and workplace. Our Sonoma State community is very special and you all have a huge role in the success of our students and organization.
As we enter into 2025, I encourage you to participate in similar conversations – in collaboration with our Deans and faculty – that will focus on campus-wide learning and professional development opportunities. These will be made available through workshops, the Conversations with Black and Brown in Blue speakers series, and the Inspire Sonoma Leadership Conference, that will be held during the Spring semester. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks. These opportunities will include avenues for increased dialogue on topics such as issues of difference and identity related to social justice, diversity, and inclusion; constructive conversations on artificial intelligence, digital literacy, middle east history and conflict; restorative justice; and other topics of concern both on campus and in the broader region that Sonoma State University supports.
In the meantime, I encourage you to take the time to pause and reflect on the many achievements and cherished experiences you made this past year. Please know they are truly appreciated, and that each of you make Sonoma State University brighter and a whole lot of fun!
What's Happening on Campus
Honoring Tradition
Sonoma State Police joined forces with the Center for Academic Access & Student Enrichment for a Dia de los Muertos celebration in the CAASE Suite. Translating to "Day of the Dead", Dia de los Muertos is an opportunity for family and friends to gather to pay respects and remember those who have died. The departments and students honored the holiday with a traditional altar, decor, food and drinks.
Fall 2024 Campus Budget Forum
Mark your calendars for the Fall 2024 Campus Budget Forum, taking place Thursday, November 14th from 9am-10am in Ballroom A. This is an opportunity for all members of campus to engage with the campus budget and participate in an open dialogue. This year's forum will also feature a demo of new AI recruitment technology currently being pioloted by Strategic Enrollment Management!
Human Trafficking Training
Sonoma State University, in partnership with the Redemption House of the Bay Area, the Human Trafficking Center, and in sponsorship with Operation Underground, is hosting a two-day Human Trafficking Training in November. This training is open to all members of the community, especially those that are in law enforcement, dispatch, prosecutors, advocates, medical professionals or those who own service businesses (e.g. hotels, restaurants, construction, etc.). This will be a two-day training held on campus.
Sessions will be held in the Student Center Ballroom on Tuesday, November 12th and Wednesday, November 13th, 2024. The event will be from 8am – 5pm with a break for lunch. This results-based training to interdict human trafficking suspects and victims is free, and designed for police officers, prosecutors, analysts, advocates, dispatch and medical professionals. To register, please visit the HTTC website. For questions or more information, please reach out to Mo Phillips, mo.phillips@sonoma.edu, or Nader Oweis, oweisn@sonoma.edu.
Meet the Team: Day Shift Custodial Crew
Did you know Sonoma State University is comprised of more than 700K square feet of physical space in campus buildings and an additional 900K square feet in residential buildings? It takes a village to cover that kind of ground, and it's no small task to maintain safe and healthy standards across all that space.
The Day Shift Custodial Crew has the responsibility of keeping our campus spaces clean and functioning, working from 4am to 10pm daily. Their team of 20 custodians is small but mighty! They provide full clean service to 9 buildings and porter service to an additional 10, covering a total of 19 buildings, and provide support to campus' regular operations as well as special events. The team performs tasks such as dust mopping, wet mopping, cleaning restrooms, cleaning classrooms, and emptying trash. The Day Shift is a dedicated crew who takes pride in what they do, and get the job done with a smile.
For assistance on any custodial items, you can submit a work order or contact the Facilities Management Office at 707-664-2317.
Shoutouts!
Steve Bartnowski has been employed at SSU for over 5 years. During this time he has worked with Facilities Management personnel in the Maintenance Shop and most recently the FM Lock Shop. Steve arrives at work on time, adheres to university policies, and performs his duties in a safe manner. Steve is a team player and is eager to assist all trades, housekeeping, labor and landscaping teams. Steve's work in the lock shop has been extremely helpful with all access control and security to the campus. Facilities Management is grateful to have Steve as a member of the team!
Steve's supervisor (Jason Scott) also has many praises for Steve and his ability to adapt to being a University Locksmith. "Steve consistently brings a professional attitude & work ethic every day. His multifaceted knowledge & experience is extremely valuable, not only to our Facilities department but the entire campus community as well. Steve, I appreciate all you do. Thanks for being you."
We at FM look forward to Steve's growth and his contributions he brings to our Facilities corporation yard, the Lock shop and the University as a whole.
Thank you Steve!
All About Accessibility
The Accessibility program in IT is here to help you make purchases, documents, and create digital content that meets the access needs of all campus community members. We offer tools and training that might not only improve the accessibility of your content, but could make your work processes a little easier for you!
Some of our resources include but are not limited to:
- Accessible software choices
- Assistive apps and devices
- Audio and video production tools
- Document structure and templates
- Social media best practices
- AI tools for Equity
Sonoma State University is committed to providing a fully inclusive environment, accessible responsive to the needs of all students, employees, and community members. As such, information technology resources, services and programs will be made accessible to persons with disabilities. Our goal is that all campus websites meet the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0 AA). This effort represents a shared responsibility of all members of the campus and will require ongoing, overall institutional attention and commitment for its success.
Please visit accessibility.sonoma.edu or reach out to Accessibility Services Analyst, Brad Starkey-Owens at starkeyowe@sonoma.edu or (707) 664-3216.
Anniversaries & New Hires!
Welcomed to SSU in October
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Dustin Cole | Kitchens |
| Leilani Rania-Viale | Payroll & Benefits |
| Sarah Campbell | Kitchens |
| Juan Gonzalez Orozco | Housekeeping |
| Christopher Reyes | Housekeeping |
Celebrated Anniversaries in October
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Danica Hulbert | Kitchens |
| Anthony Milani | Campus Prints |
| Matthew Ali Witzel | Housekeeping |
| Jamie Hermann | Facilities Administration |
| Bradley Starkey-Owens | Workstation Security & Services |
| Tyron McCarter | Housekeeping |
| Koushik Damera | Enterprise Applications |
| Lucia Silva | Housekeeping |
| Franklin Reed | Operations & Engineering |
| Chandra Holte | Human Resources |
| Joshua Anderson | Enterprise Applications |
| Ruben Sanders | Housekeeping |
| Adelino Alves | Housekeeping |
| George Atkinson | Landscaping |
| Natalie Sanchez | University Budget & Planning |
| Amanda Visser | Accounting/Financial Reporting |
| Ira McKern | Operations & Engineering |
| Michael Nelson | Enterprise Infrastructure Services |
| Donald DuVall | Kitchens |
| Kindra Kautz | Conference & Event Services |
| Tiffany Perry | Payroll & Benefits |
| Daniel Kizirian | Operations & Engineering |
| Jenifer Barnett | Purchasing |
| Jessica Way | Entrepreneurial Activities |