Submitted by Ashley Arrocha, Staff Constituent Advisor

We continue to face many challenges, including a global pandemic, systemic racism, a contentious political environment, and devastating wildfires on the West Coast.  Managing our personal and professional lives during such trying times can be difficult.  However, it is during such times when we draw upon our strength and find our true character.  I am pleased to report that overall, MIIS staff continue to be resilient, supportive, innovative, and hopeful. 

As we begin and adapt to a new academic year at the Institute, the Staff Advisory Team (SAT), Staff Council District M Representatives, and I prioritized checking in with staff to get a pulse on community feelings, concerns, bright spots, and input on how we can foster a stronger sense of community and connection with one another during this time of remote working.  Our survey method was to ask for this input through a five-question (survey results found here) and hosting two thirty-minute brainstorming sessions.  I have summarized the main thoughts and themes below.

• Staff has shared that working remotely certainly has benefits such as avoiding commute time, a relaxed, flexible working environment, and more time with family.  However, some feel isolated, disconnected from colleagues, and find it more challenging to stay motivated and engaged.  Identifying ways to connect with team members and colleagues is essential to help strengthen synergies and collegial relationships.
  
  In the survey and brainstorming sessions, staff shared different ideas on creating stronger connections and support with one another both personally and professionally.  A sampling of these ideas is listed below:
  
  • Utilize connection platforms to share photos, recipes, and health and wellness ideas and practices
  • Promote a professional discussion board through our social networking platform, MiCommunity
  • Weekly check-ins/coffee chats with a colleague that is randomly assigned to you
  • Host virtual games/online gaming for interested staff
  • Develop a podcast that features interviews with different employees highlighting accomplishments
  • Simply checking in at the beginning of meetings to see how everyone is doing, making time for the personal connection

• Workload balance continues to be a challenge in our current state.  Adjusting our work to help ensure continuity of support and resources for students and employees in an online environment has been challenging.  Many staff feel overworked with having little if any, downtime since March.  Nevertheless, MIIS staff continue to persevere and create solutions to meet our community’s demands and expectations.  A few examples of this are listed below.
  
  • Largest new student class since 2016 thanks to the very hard work of the recruitment, enrollment, and admissions teams
  • The Center for Advising and Career Services (CACS)hosted its first virtual career fair in Handshake for 178 registered students
  • The New Student Orientation Committee, the Office of Student Services and other key departments successfully created and implemented a fully online New Student Orientation and Welcome Week including the  Getting Started at MIIS Course and the Fall Cohort Program
  • The official launch of the MiCommunity social networking platform for students, staff, and faculty
  • The creation and launch of the Innovation Mentor Program
  • The launch of the Managing Change & Transitions Video Learning Series: Navigating the Change Curve; Path to Personal Change:  ADKAR; Managing Transitions: Ending, Losing, Letting Go; Managing Transitions: The Neutral Zone; Managing Transitions: The New Beginning
  • The Advancement Office seamlessly shifted to an online WorldViews speakers series attracting a wide-reaching global audience

What is most important to staff personally is job security, health and well-being, family, and financial stability.  Professionally, we can adapt to change as we support a healthy work environment while ensuring our students’ success. It is also crucial that as our leadership continues being supportive and keeping the lines of communication open, we continue our collaborative work to guarantee that all staff across the Middlebury enterprise receive equitable benefits. Although we are navigating through difficult times and there continue to be challenges along the way, MIIS staff have pivoted well in managing the online work environment. We recognize that we are in a unique position as an Institution to meet the demands of our current times and begin, as a colleague wisely said, “to reimagine our role in a post-pandemic world.”