Dear colleagues,
Happy New Year - in July! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our F&A event this week. It was great to see so many of you and take a well-deserved break after a successful fiscal year. Special thanks to the Communication and Events team, who organized this event and have already started planning F&A’s next event.
In June, Joan Nelson and I announced the new Paid Parental Leave policy. Effective July 1, 2023, the Paid Parental Leave policy offers up to six (6) weeks of 100% paid leave for both parents after a child's birth, adoption, or foster placement. I am grateful to those who contributed to this effort, enabling Rice to demonstrate our commitment to work-life balance and a culture of care. This policy change showcases our dedication to HR Excellence and desire to attract and retain talent at the university.
In another effort to foster a culture of care, our colleagues from Housing and Dining (H&D), in partnership with Human Resources and Rice University Police Department, recently orchestrated a three-day on-site conference dedicated to its staff members. The conference provided the team with an immersive experience wherein the conference experience was brought to the employees. The conference hosted speakers who presented on various topics, including well-being and unconscious bias, goal setting, customer service, organizational culture, and leadership development. This event reinforces the F&A pillars of innovation, excellence, and inclusion, and I applaud the creativity and resourcefulness of those involved.
I have heard from folks within our division who are finding creative ways to leverage Artificial Intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly, etc.) to enhance productivity and efficiency. To learn more about these opportunities and begin building a community of practice in this space, Michelle Thackray is hosting a round table discussion for 10 F&A team members to share use cases, tips, and lessons learned. To join the conversation where lunch will be provided, please register today.
Lastly, I’m excited to share that I’ll continue hosting Lunch and Listen Sessions this upcoming academic year. These sessions have been invaluable for me as attendees have shared meaningful insights and recommendations for enhancing services provided by our division. In short, these conversations are crucial in delivering excellence and driving positive change at Rice. To sign up for a session, register here.
I hope to see you at the upcoming Staff Council Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, July 26 (link to Staff Council flyer when ready), where staff can mingle and cool down!
All my best to you,
Kelly Fox, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration