Thank you, NC State

Dear NC State colleagues,

As we continue to grapple with COVID-19 and the disruptions and anguish the virus is causing, I hope you and your families are doing well. Please continue to follow physical distancing guidelines and the advice of local, state and federal health experts.

[pullquote cite=”Marie Williams, associate vice chancellor for University Human Resources” color=”reynoldsred” align=”alignright”]COVID-19 has upended all aspects of our lives — family, social and professional — in ways we never imagined possible. But I have been astonished by how our NC State family has united despite all we’re facing.[/pullquote]

For more than two months now, many of us have been teleworking, and some of us have continued to work on campus to maintain critical university operations, such as campus safety. Each of you, whether working from home or on campus, has been essential to the sustained operation of our university through these arduous times. For that, I want to say thank you.

COVID-19 has upended all aspects of our lives — family, social and professional — in ways we never imagined possible. But I have been astonished by how our NC State family has united despite all we’re facing.

You have exhibited exactly what it means to be part of the Pack through your resiliency, compassion and professionalism. Here are some examples of what that looks like:

• The Nonwovens Institute donated 4,725 meters of its newly developed filtration material to Fort Bragg to create about 100,000 much-needed face masks.
• Employees stepped in to ensure the continued operation of Feed the Pack, our student-run food pantry, after the university reduced campus operations in March.
• Alumni, friends, faculty and staff raised more than $1 million for our Student Emergency Fund, answering a call to help students facing challenges related to COVID-19.
• College of Engineering graduate student Hartley LeRoy volunteered to make face shields for frontline health care workers.

In this edition of Howl You Know, we share more truly inspiring stories about our employees, including how they are sewing masks for health care workers and meeting the challenges of teleworking. I know there are many more stories like these that are just as uplifting.

Recognizing Our Employees

This is typically the time of year when the university is bustling with employee award ceremonies and appreciation events. Despite the difficult times we are enduring, I believe it is still important to celebrate our employees and acknowledge their contributions to our community and state. I have been truly impressed by the units that have found creative ways to recognize employees via Zoom.

As a result of COVID-19, we cannot function as we did just a few months ago. We now telework and cannot hold large in-person gatherings, such as employee appreciation events and award ceremonies. But do not let the restrictions we must now follow discourage you from finding ways to recognize our employees and their efforts during this time.

For example, I encourage supervisors to find creative ways to recognize employees’ exemplary work, such as acknowledging their outstanding contributions during video calls. When you can, gather your team via Zoom or Google Meet just to let them know how much they are appreciated. Also, acknowledge the challenges COVID-19 has caused, such as feelings of anxiety, stress and isolation and the difficulties of juggling work and personal responsibilities.

In this edition of the newsletter, we have gathered some tips to help supervisors recognize employees and support employees’ well-being.

Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter, and do not forget to tell our employees how much we value them.

Best regards,

Marie Williams
Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources