Today was Staff Appreciation Day at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Maybe a more accurate description would be Staff Development Day with all of the classes and workshops that were going on throughout the day. Part of the event was a free lunch for all staff and the Chancellor and his wife made home made lemonade for one and all. They have done this for several years and it's always a big hit. I haven't tried it since there is too much sugar but given that it is made fresh, it should be pretty good.
My participation in the event is as a member of UAF Staff Council and I volunteered where needed. I think I found my calling as a lunchtime greeter. I think I'm qualified for a job at Walmart. It was a great opportunity to meet staff as they came into the building and saw some faces that I haven't seen for years. It was a great time.
Tomorrow is a Staff Council meeting and with officer elections. Today I met with the former chair of the elections committee to find out what the process is for elections. This is a quiet time between sessions but overall, turnout and participation seems to be pretty good.
Longevity awards are part of the event with awards for 5,10,15, 20, 25 and 30 years.
Posted with Blogsy
Everyone probably knows this except me, but how long have you worked for the university?
ReplyDeleteTwenty-nine years. May, 1984 (hmm, seems like an appropriate year)…
DeleteRichard:
ReplyDeleteOh No ! you missed the 30 year longevity award by one year, so now you only get the 25 year one.
Do you have Walmart up there. You'll have to get a job in Corvallis as a "Greeter", then you could ride all year
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
There's always next year or the year after when and how years get actually gets counted. Unfortunately, we do have a Walmart up here. Strange, when you go to Fred Meyer, I always see a lot of familiar faces. When I stop at Walmart, I rarely see anyone I know. It seems to be popular with new arrivals and travelers.
DeleteBobskoot, the folks in Fairbanks have all the big box stores I think...it's a metropolis!
ReplyDeleteDom:
DeleteI keep thinking that it was the land of Igloos and snow and people still used dog teams to get around . Maybe one day I'll have to check it out myself
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Metropolis indeed! There are so many new box stores that all of the smaller, local businesses are beign shut down. Unfortunate in some but not all cases.
DeleteOoooh almost 30 years. Good for you Richard. And you are still qualified as a greeter? Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteFYI Bob - no Wal-Mart big box store in Corvallis, although they did just open up a food store/market a month or so ago. We've never been in there though so I can't tell you if it has a greeter.
Trobairitz:
DeleteLast year when I left I stopped in Albany (I think), and by accident I came across a hummongus Wal-Mat. It was about 8 miles East of I-5, I got lost and didn't tell you.
Anyway I don't buy much there. Only some RTE canned stuff for emergency lunch rations and their large boxes of Frosted Flakes. I also needed a bike radio to keep me Company.
I thought all Wal-Marts had greeters
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Thirty years and I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. I think they finally found a job for me that I'm qualified to do. A greeter. Actually very similar to something I used to do for the university business office during registration. A "pointer". Before the new systems came online, we used to have arena registrations with long lines. I used to stand at the front of the line, talk to the student to see how they were funding their education and point them to the cashier best able to help them with their needs. It was actually fun and continued to volunteer to do that for years during registration.
DeleteI will never get one on those appreciation awards... I can't keep a job longer than 3 or 4 years, than I feel the strong desire to move on and do something different. Similar with places where I live...
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice concept though.
At the University, 5 years are required to be vested in the retirement system or at least that's how it used to be. Plus things like vacation days would increase the longer you stick around.
DeleteI'm thinking you missed some great lemonade.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your long service!
I hear it's pretty good lemonade and several people mentioned when they came through the door that it was one of the main reasons they came to the free lunch. Food service hamburgers and hot dogs aren't much of a draw.
DeleteBut thank you!