Greetings, 

It was great to see you all this week at our All Staff Meeting. Now is the time to connect with our staff community through Staff Council committee meetings. Increased engagement with the Staff Council is a big goal of mine this year. Our elected representatives are investigating enhanced ways of communicating with their constituents. Meanwhile, the four standing committees - Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Service Committee, Staff Development & Recognition Committee, and Staff Experience Committee - are up and running with the full 2025 committee schedule posted for registration on our website.

On 2/7, I delivered my first board report the the Board of Trustees, highlighting four major goals that I wish for us to achieve this year. The goals include:

(1) Compensation continues to be our biggest priority. We advocate for the continuation of the 4.5% merit pool for 2025.

(2) Reduce commuting costs. We request lower parking garage fees and employee stipends for Metro since staff are not eligible for the UPass. A monthly stipend for the Metro supports GW’s green initiative, while lower parking fees support employees that have limited access to public transportation.

(3) Increase staff representation on GW committees - like the Strategic Framework - to raise the voices of underrepresented staff members. To be proactive instead of reactive on decision making that directly affects staff. Time and time again, non-executive staff members are excluded from such committees where their voice would be most beneficial.

(4) Grow our membership. Looking inward, we wish to increase engagement with staff. Our most impactful work is accomplished during committee meetings where all staff are encouraged to voice their concerns and form plans to be escalated to GW Administration.

You can find the full report on the Staff Council website. I hope to see you at our next All Staff meeting. It will be on 3/18 at 11am. Our featured speakers will be Scott Morey, Chief of Staff and Terry Murphy, Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs. They will update us on the Strategic Framework. This will be a great opportunity to give them your feedback.

Wednesday, 3/5/25 @ 2pm - Staff Council Coffee and Cookies Social

Join the Staff Council for our 1st in-person event of the year. We will meet for coffee and cookies at the Science and Engineering Hall B1 Green Space (800 22nd ST NW, Level B1). Our executive team will be in attendance so please come meet your fellow staff council members. This event is open to all staff. See you there!!

Wednesday, 2/26/25 @ 12pm - Staff and Faculty Appreciation Women’s Basketball Game

We are thrilled to announce the third annual 2025 Staff and Faculty Appreciation Women’s Basketball Game against Massachusetts University at noon on February 26! In partnership with HRMD, Athletics is offering an exclusive ticket price for the game. Help GW maintain the home-court advantage with this exclusive offer for $4 tickets and discounted concessions.

We want to recognize and appreciate the amazing work staff across the university do every day. This feature was designed to highlight one department, office, or team each month, allowing us to get to know our staff and how they contribute to GW’s success. We hope to celebrate achievements, support initiatives, and find new ways for staff to stay connected with each other and the community

Swithin Kwamena-Poh

Finance Director, MD Programs, SMHS Finance.   

Swithin is a huge resource of information to me especially in relation to all things finance and procurement. Swithin has been at GW for 25 years. As a new finance person for my department he has been a big help in working with me to make sure I not keep track of finance items but he is personable and answers all my questions when I need. Swithin is very valuable to the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, and in particular the MD Programs. We're lucky to have him.

Rhonda Fox, Executive Associate GW Regional Medical Campus

If you’d like to nominate your department, office, or team for Community Connections or would like to see another department, office, or team featured, please email your nomination to staffcouncil@gwu.edu with a brief description of the fabulous work they’re doing.

The 2025 Staff Council is seeking a representative for Athletics and Recreation.

Representatives must, at a minimum, join at least one Staff Council committee and attend Staff Council meetings. Most committees meet monthly. Details for 2025 Staff Council meetings will be provided at a later date. All meetings are virtual. You can find a full description of the Representative position in the Staff Council Bylaws.

Eligibility:

Per the Staff Council Bylaws, GW Representatives must:

If you are interested, please email a statement of candidacy (why you are interested in the position) to staffcouncil@gwu.edu. The newly elected 2025 Staff Council will review candidates and vote on the nominees at the first official meeting in accordance with the Staff Council Bylaws.

If you have any questions about the role and responsibilities, you may reach out to staffcouncil@gwu.edu.

Future and Past Meetings: You can find meeting minutes from past meetings on the Staff Council website, along with information on upcoming meetings. Registration is required so please be sure to register for any upcoming meetings you’d like to attend. If you have any questions or topics that you would like to be addressed, please send them to your Staff Council Representative in advance of the meeting. 

Spring Semester Meeting Schedule: 3/18 @11am, 4/15 @11am

Summer and Fall Semester Meeting Schedule: Back to the 3rd Friday at 12pm except for May and December. Schedule: Fri, 5/23 10am, 6/20 10am, 7/18 10am, 8/15 10am, 9/19 10am, 10/17 10am, 11/21 10am, 12/12 10am.

GW Staff Council meetings are held via Zoom and are open to the GW community. Please direct any related questions to staffcouncil@gwu.edu.