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Written by Michelle Fuko, Associate Vice-Principal (Development)

Note: This article contains some facts that might be triggering to some audiences. Please read if/when you are in a space to do so. 

First, I want to acknowledge that I write this article from a place of privilege as an uninvited white settler on this stolen land. My mother came to Canada when she was a child, but my father’s side descended from early French settlers. 

The reality of colonialism, and most especially the residential school system, hit home for me years ago when I was having a conversation with a family member about the government’s responsibility to ensure access to clean drinking water for everyone. It is a disturbing reality that, even today, still affects many Indigenous communities that receive less support from our government than other so-called developed nations. 

The conversation quickly morphed into the disturbing reality of residential schools, and I was shocked and embarrassed to learn that this family member worked at a residential school as a teacher. As she justified the need for these schools using a lot of racialized stereotypes, the myth I had in my head that this injustice was caused by “others” was shattered. I recognized, in that moment, that colonization and its tragic and enduring effects was not someone else’s history-- history of people who died long ago – it was my history. A history that my white western privilege has protected me from. That realization was at once overwhelming, but also a catalyst for my own continued learning and Reconciliation journey.  

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not about my experience or my story, it is about the trauma and harm that was the reality of residential schools and their devastating generational impacts that are still felt today. It is the story about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit genocide, whose cultures, languages, rights, and humanity were stripped away in a systematic and intentional way.  

As I have learned, Reconciliation can only happen if we are willing to acknowledge the grave truth of what was done to Indigenous peoples. Sometimes that truth runs very close to home.

As most of you know, Sept. 30 was the day this country observed National Truth and Reconciliation Day. And Oct. 2, was the day our institution chose to observe this important day. A few weeks ago, Principal Deane asked us to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and their intergenerational impacts on Indigenous Peoples and communities and called for each of us to recommit to advancing Reconciliation. How do you plan to answer this call? 

If you walked by Summerhill a few weeks ago, you would have noticed that for the first time ever, the Survivor’s flag was flown. The reality– our truth – is that to date, we have never flown this flag.  Also, our truth is that we will be doing so moving forward. Reconciliation is never possible unless we acknowledge the past and act for the future. And while flying the flag may seem trivial, it does mean a small step toward progress. 

Employee Health & Wellness 

We had a request from an employee to share information and resources on various trainings and tools for mental health and wellness, and wanted to share this with others who may be interested in learning more. 

Queen’s employees have access to information about , as well as upcoming events and webinars that include:

•    Identifying and responding to someone in distress
•    Suicide Alertness for everyone
•    Living Well with Stress
•    Caring for Present & Future You
•    Coffee Chats with EWS (Employee Wellness Services)

There are also courses on emotional intelligence, sexual violence in the workplace, human-rights courses and accessibility and accommodation on the . Some courses of note include: 

• The Working Mind Training: Employee (Oct. 24 – Event is full, accepting waitlist registration)
  • The Working Mind (TWM) is an evidence-based program designed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada to promote mental health and reduce the stigma around mental illness in the workplace. 
  • There is a manager version of this course as well, but this version is open to all staff. 

Other mental-health resources include:

• Mental Wellness – Gold Folder: Assisting Colleagues in Distress (PDF, 287 KB)
• : Five focus groups have been established to explore different wellness themes to determine the best way to approach, plan, implement, and evaluate employee wellness at Queen's. Themes include defining wellness, leadership and role modelling, communications, work-life balance, and appreciation and recognition. Focus-group sessions are ongoing and open to all employees. If you are interested in participating in one or more of the focus-group sessions, please register on the site. 
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
  • Counselling Services
  • Work, Life and Health Services
  • CareNow: Specialized self-help resources 
  • Total Well Being Assessment 
  • Visit login.lifeworks.com or download the “LifeWorks” app.
    • Username: queensu
    • Password: telushealth 
• Telus Health launched a free microsite on Oct. 2, , which will feature articles and video content.
• They also have a list of workshops on .
• And they have a free webinar led by mental-health experts Title: TELUS Health Learning presents - Mental Health: The New Workplace Pandemic. Date & Time: Oct. 10, 2023, 1 pm EDT. To register, please visit the . 

Staff safety 

Ensuring that students, faculty, and staff both feel and are safe on campus has been an even greater priority since the horrible attack at the University of Waterloo. Further to the Aug. 29 announcement about actions taken by the university and questions raised at the Community Meeting Sept. 7, the Office of Advancement has taken additional actions to support the safety of advancement staff.

 The same signage posted in central classrooms across campus has now been posted in all meeting rooms, office spaces, and kitchen areas in Summerhill, and in all occupied office space and kitchen areas in Old Meds. This signage provides the most important information required in the event of an emergency.

 A review was completed of safety measures for Homecoming 2023, including public information concerning event locations. Homecoming is currently a public event where registration is only required if there are capacity limits, ticket or product sales, or hospitality arrangements. In fact, 30 per cent of guests don’t register for Homecoming events in advance. While it is too late to make changes to public postings of locations for all Homecoming 2023 events, we will work with organizers of higher-risk events to discuss changes they may wish to make. Staff in the university Safety Office have also been invited to address staff about safety at Homecoming 2023, as well as safety at events generally. Furthermore, a review of public posting for event locations will be part of the advance planning for Homecoming 2024.

Going forward, Deanna Bennett will lead a review of the Office of Advancement Stakeholder Engagement Safety Guidelines and the Stakeholder Engagement Safety Business Process & Rules. This document was built by employees for employees in 2019 and was scheduled for update this fall as part of our regular policy and procedure updates. In the meantime, as we suggest each fall, all employees are encouraged to review these guidelines and the business processes that pertain to them, which are available in the Human Resources section on QUIRC, under Health and Safety. 

Deanna will also lead a review of the Office of Advancement Hotel Safety Considerations. Like the aforementioned documents, this one was also developed by employees for employees in 2019 and was scheduled for review this fall as part of our regular policy and procedure updates. All employees who travel for business purposes are also encouraged to review this document, which is available in the Human Resources section on QUIRC under Health and Safety. 

Anyone interested in participating in the review of these Guidelines and/or the Hotel Safety Considerations is encouraged to contact Deanna directly. 
There are also university resources that are directly relevant to protecting the safety of staff undertaking advancement work specifically. 

1. All advancement professionals involved in university-sanctioned activities that take place off-campus are also responsible for adhering to the Off-campus Safety Policy and related procedures to assess and manage any safety risks associated with that activity.
2. Staff are strongly encouraged to download and use the SeQure App. The SeQure app provides a quick way to contact emergency services and related supports on campus and is a helpful way to find safety and security notifications, resources, and support service information. By activating the push notifications in the app, users can proactively receive emergency/safety notifications.
3. The Lone Worker Program provided by Campus Security is also available if you are working on the Kingston campus alone at night, and can be accessed by calling 613-533-6080 or through the “Work Alone” feather on the SeQure app. 

In the event of an emergency, anyone on campus can utilize the located throughout all Kingston campus locations, contact the campus Emergency Response Centre at 613-533-6111, or call 911.

Anti-oppression training 

Written by Coco Doré (Senior Advisor, EDII)
 
This message is to promote two optional I-EDIAA (Indigenization- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Anti-Racism) learning opportunities. On Dec. 5, 10 am-noon, HREO will host a virtual training on Anti-Oppression. In this session, the group will look at identity, power, privilege, oppression and how these elements manifest specifically in the university system and structure. The session offers great foundational learning, is interactive, and involves a number of exercises and scenarios. As of last week, there were 45 spots available. 
 
On Dec. 6 at 9 am, we will watch the documentary Deconstructing Karen and break into smaller groups to discuss the documentary and learnings, then share with the larger group. The film centers around a dinner party with white female dinner guests, hosted by two racialized, female EDI professionals, Regina Jackson and Saira Rao. This film is incredibly honest and vulnerable. Given this, this session is optional, so you can decide if you wish to attend and feel prepared to do the introspection and reflection required. I have asked that Advancement Leadership Team (ALT) not be present, as staff may feel more comfortable sharing freely in an environment without the seniormost leaders present. Despite not being present, ALT fully supports this learning, and no other unit/department activities will be scheduled at 9:00 on Dec. 6 to allow all staff who wish to participate the opportunity to do so. 
 
The optional Anti-Oppression training session on Dec. 6 will be put into your calendars this afternoon. Please for this event. The location of the screening will be confirmed pending RSVPs by Oct. 30.  
 
Thank you for the continued commitment to I-EDIAA learning and action.

Global Engagement Strategy

A reminder that advancement professionals across campus are invited to a presentation by Sandra den Otter, the Vice-Provost, Global Engagement to learn more about the Global Engagement Strategy during our all-staff gathering in December. 

Launched in the spring of 2023, this strategy is about much more than international student exchanges and international travel. This optional session has been arranged to help Queen’s advancement professionals familiarize themselves with the Queen’s vision for global engagement and will be held at 3 pm in Mac-Corry Hall, room B201, on Dec. 6. The session is already in your calendar and we hope many will attend, given the importance of this strategy in the university’s strategic framework.

Gift Acceptance Policy 

As part of the regular policy-review cycle, the Office of Advancement recommended significant changes to the Gift Acceptance Policy which were approved by the Board of Trustees on Sept. 29. The changes incorporate best practices identified through a review of gift acceptance documents from other U15 institutions and feedback secured through consultations with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Policy Advisory Subcommittee (PASC).  An optional Q&A meeting is scheduled on Oct. 13 from 10:00 am - 10:50 am for anyone who has questions about the new policy.

Advancement board report and dashboard 

Queen’s University Board of Trustees met on Sept. 29 and 30. A copy of Advancement's Quarterly Report and Dashboard are now available and can be found here I:\ADV Common\2020-2025 Advancement\Board Reports\2023-24. 

Homecoming by the numbers

Homecoming 2023 is 11 days away! As of Oct 4, we have 2,232 registered guests including 1,705 alumni and 54 reunioning classes. Over $15K has been raised through the registration form.

Didn't make the last Homecoming Large Group meeting, or do you want to check back on some details? .

Remember to check out the to learn more about who’s coming back to campus. In case you missed it, check out the Homecoming Dashboard Overview training. Here is the recorded . 

Sign up to work Homecoming 2023

As you may know, Queen's Homecoming is less than a month away, taking place Friday, Oct. 20, to Sunday, Oct. 22. With many exciting events being planned by many of our campus groups, it's sure to be a memorable opportunity to unite with fellow alumni, faculty, students, and staff. 

Homecoming’s success relies heavily on the dedication of staff support who make events run smoothly, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all who attend. We have several roles available, from Meet & Greet Check-In Lead to Fall Harvest Alumni Gathering Assistant. Please read over the role descriptions and consider supporting Homecoming.

Prior to signing up for a shift, please contact your manager about overtime/lieu time options for shifts outside of normal business hours. Support members will receive a small token of appreciation for their much-appreciated efforts, as well as their contribution to creating an inclusive and positive Homecoming experience for alumni and guests.

If you are interested in signing up, please reach out to the Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren Broadhurst.

Advancement guidelines

The following guidelines have recently been reviewed by ALT, HR, Finance, unit Admins. There have not been any substantive changes to these guidelines, they remain consistent with our previous standards and practices:

• Hybrid Meeting Guideline
• Hybrid Travel and Expense Reimbursement Guideline
• Information Sharing Guideline
• Remote-first Guideline
• Short-term Acting Roles Guideline
• Staff Hospitality Guideline
• Staff Recognition Policy 
• Workplace Flexibility Guideline

To access these guidelines, please visit QUIRC or go directly to I:\ADV Common\Policies and Procedures.

Summerhill building operations

To further enhance the functionality and cleanliness of our office building, we kindly request the cooperation of all staff members in adhering to the following guidelines:
 
Clean Up After Yourself: Every individual entering the building is responsible for tidying up after themselves. This includes disposing of any trash generated, wiping down surfaces, and returning shared areas to their original state.
 
Wash Dishes Used: If you use dishes, utensils, or any kitchen equipment, please ensure they are promptly cleaned and put away in their designated areas after use. A clean and organized kitchen benefits everyone.
 
Refrigerator Etiquette: To maintain a hygienic and clutter-free refrigerator, we kindly ask that you do not leave any personal items or expired food items inside. The refrigerator will be cleaned out at the end of each week to ensure it remains tidy and sanitary.
 
By adhering to these simple guidelines, we can collectively contribute to a more pleasant and efficient work environment for everyone. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated, and it reflects our commitment to maintaining a clean and organized workspace. 
 
In terms of building operations and its upkeep, please note the following points of contact:

• For day-to-day concerns related to building supplies, cleanliness, and functionality, such as major spills, plugged toilets, and the like, kindly reach out to Sarah Blayney Lew, Administrative Assistant, Alumni Relations, and Annual Giving.
• For building-related matters pertaining to repairs and maintenance, please direct your inquiries to Bianca Bruni, Executive Assistant, VP Office.

The countdown has begun.