MTAS Mustard for week ended 4/17/20

 

Good Tuesday Morning MTAS,
 
Well, the news that came out yesterday is that the governor’s stay at home order is being lifted (in shifts) starting May 1. The press release is attached. So, what does this mean for us? The University has a team that is studying the best way to get us back to work “normally” yet safely. Stay tuned. For me, the utmost of importance is your safety and health. I am very happy that no IPS employee has tested positive for the virus, and I really want that record to stand at zero as we go forward.
 
I’d like to begin with the celebrations this week. We had one birthday from the last work week: Ralph on the 14^th. Happy birthday Ralph – I hope you were able to celebrate with friends and family (remotely)! I’d also like to call your attention to Brett’s work anniversary on the 15^th. Brett, it takes a special person to want to be known as the sewer guy. May your next year of work be smooth flushing!
 
Okay, here are a few reminders: the Title VI training is now available with a deadline for completion of June 1. Let’s get this off our to-do list before we return to the office. Why not? It takes 15 minutes. Here are the instructions from System HR’s email on April 15:
 
To access your training assignment:
1.    Open your web browser and go to kate.tennessee.edu and choose “UT Faculty and Staff” to get started.
2.    Log in to K@TE, the UT Learning Management System, with your NetID and password.
3.    Launch the 2020 Title VI Training from your transcript.
 
The second reminder is to nominate a fellow coworker for an IPS award. You can find a description/the criteria of each award and list of past award winners on the IPS Intranet: https://staff.ips.tennessee.edu/user/login?destination=front-page. May 1 is the deadline. I want to make sure that MTAS employees are represented in the nominations, so please take a few minutes to write a heartfelt note (or two, or three…) about your colleagues’ great efforts last year.
 
My third reminder, isn’t so much a reminder, but perhaps more of a first notice. The UT Promise program is “a new undergraduate scholarship program guaranteeing free tuition and mandatory fees for qualifying Tennessee residents attending UT’s campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin and Memphis.” A key component to the program is having mentors for the students. So far, UT has received over 7,200 student applications to the program but only 906 mentors have signed up. The expectation is that each mentor will work with at least two students, so UT isn’t looking for a one-to-one match, but hey, that sure would be nice! I’ve signed up, and I hope you’ll join me. The time commitment isn’t too much to ask (10 – 15 hours a year). Here’s the link for more information and to sign up (by May 1): https://tennessee.edu/ut-promise/mentoring/. Also, feel free to share the invitation with your friends and family in-state; the mentor opportunity is NOT limited to staff or alumni.
 
Next, I have a couple of kudos to share with you. The first is from Chief Walker who lauded Steve Cross’ work on a request about ladder truck requirements:
Steve,
Thank you, you’re a very valuable asset to the fire service in Tennessee and I appreciate the promptness in which you always respond to my questions.
Thanks again
Chief Chuck Walker (Ashland City)
The second kudos is from me, to all the teams who have really stepped up their collaboration lately. The teams have always worked well together, but I have noticed a tremendous increase in the amount of intra-agency and inter-agency teamwork as you have all united in getting the most current, and best information about COVID-19 to our customers. This is true for our internal customer teams too. It’s baseball season right now (or at least, it normally would be), so I’ll borrow a line from that sport: You’ve knocked it out of the park! Well done MTAS!
 
I’ll leave you with this thought, which is the quote I’ve put on my Skype messages. It’s from the president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Knoxville, Matt Ryerson.
 
Though this is an anxious time for us all, our community’s comeback will be bigger than this setback. 
 
Thank you for all you do, and all you have done for our customers. I know they appreciate your efforts, as do I. Let’s look forward to that comeback!
 
Sincerely,
Margaret
 
[Press Release]