November 2023
*Please register in advance for this meeting by clicking the button above. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting. Passcode is 578415.
Fall, Football, & Food
With the season in full swing, we're finally feeling the cooler temperatures and seeing the leaves change!
On the 25th at 2:30pm, the football team will be in Auburn where we will have hopefully already beaten them in stomping out hunger and will go on to beat them on their own turf!
OCTSA Guest Speakers
Alabama REACH and New College LifeTrack
This November, we will hear about two great programs provided here on campus!
The Alabama REACH Program serves as a resource hub to help students access the needed services in a supportive environment that allows students the freedom to pursue higher education and successfully matriculate and graduate from college. Shannon Hubbard is the director of REACH, has a bachelor's and master's degree in Social Work from UA, and won the Judy Bonner Presidential Medallion Prize in 2019.
LifeTrack is for adults with busy lives who are re-entering school who never stopped wanting to earn a degree. DeAvalon Holman is the new Coordinator for Student Recruitment & Services for the New College LifeTrack (NCLT). He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communication at Mississippi State University. After successfully supporting traditional students at MSU, he is transitioning to working with adult learners at New College LifeTrack, where he holds a fiery passion for adult students’ academic, personal, and professional success.
OCTSA Updates
If you know anyone who would be interested in joining, please send them our way!!!
Looking for more involvement? There are four internal OCTSA committees that you can join: Professional Development, Service & Outreach, Staff Life, and DEI. Feel free to read about the internal OCTSA committees here.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
November:
Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month recognizes hundreds of different tribes and approximately 250 languages, and celebrates the history, tradition and values of Native Americans.
At the turn of the century efforts began to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the United States. Those efforts later led to a whole month of recognition when in 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.”
This year’s theme at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs is “Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity.” Tribal sovereignty ensures that any decisions about Tribes with regard to their property and citizens are made with their participation and consent. The federal trust responsibility is a legal obligation under which the United States “has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust” toward Indian tribes.
To do:
New Child Care Facility for Employees
UA plans to partner with KinderCare Education at Work to create the University Early Childhood Development and Education Center. The new center will offer child care services at the former Northington Elementary School near University Mall.
Thanks to the efforts of President Stuart R. Bell, the Faculty Senate, Professional Staff Assembly, Office, Clerical and Technical Staff Assembly and leaders across campus, the University Early Childhood Development and Education Center will offer services to 230 infants, toddlers and children of UA faculty, staff and students.
The LSSA Toys for Tots drive will be held from November 1st to December 8th. Collection boxes will be located in each library. When you place a book or toy in a Marine Toys for Tots collection box, you experience the joy of knowing that item will bring a smile to a less fortunate child this holiday season! Please encourage your friends and family to join you in donating new, unwrapped toys, books, or puzzles to support our effort. Thank you!
BENEFIT OF THE MONTH
We hope to see you at the next Zoom meeting!
What information would you like discussed at future OCTSA meetings? Let us know! If you have any news, events, and/or information that would be helpful to share in the next newsletter, please contact us.