I&S Employee Newsletter - September 2024 | Infrastructure and Resilience

I&S Employee Newsletter - September 2024

VC's Corner

Welcome back, Buffs!

Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

The fall semester is off to a great start with the Buffs’ win at the first home game of the season! It was a busy week with the start of classes and a nationally televised football game held on our campus, and I thank everyone on our team for getting our campus ready and then maintaining operations seamlessly. I would also like to give a shout-out to our grounds teams who were specifically recognized by Coach Prime at the fall kickoff luncheon: ! I saw Coach Prime on his after-practice walk around campus on Tuesday morning this week, as I'm sure many of you have.

Changes are coming to I&S! In July, Chancellor Schwartz announced the creation of the vice chancellor for sustainability role, which will be filled later this fall. With this change, we have the opportunity to rebrand our division. Our leadership team is working to determine what our department’s new name will be; I will share the final decision soon.

This is an exciting time to refocus on what we do and the support we provide to our campus and community to ensure the success of our students and researchers. Through careful planning and clear communication, we will embrace our new identity and manage the change that comes with it.

Our second year of the Extreme Ownership cohort series kicked off last week where I enjoyed seeing many of you. I hope that all of you who are participating enjoy learning about these leadership principles as much as I have.

Thank you again for everything you’ve done to prepare campus for the semester. I am proud to lead our division and appreciate all the work you do.

With gratitude,
Chris Ewing, vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability

News and Notes

Skillsoft outage – Sept. 6 through 12

CU’s online training platform, formerly known as Skillsoft, is undergoing a makeover. The new platform, called Skillsoft Percipio, will launch on Sept. 12. To ensure a smooth transition, please make sure all your team members complete any unfinished Skillsoft online training courses by 5 p.m. on Sept. 6. This deadline and system downtime is especially important for our new team members who may be trying to finish up required onboarding training courses.

Why it matters: As the university migrates to a new and improved learning management system, only completed course records will be transferred. Incomplete courses will not be migrated.

The current platform will be inaccessible from 5 p.m. Sept. 6 through 8 a.m. Sept. 12 while the upgrade is underway
The new platform, Skillsoft Percipio, will go live on Sept. 12.

Visit the for a sneak peek of the new platform, key deadlines, FAQs and more.

Stadium access for home football games

Working in conjunction with the University of Colorado Police Department, the CU Athletics Department will begin securing the Stadium’s perimeter starting around 6 p.m. the night before all home football games. Department supervisors should submit a list of any personnel who will require overnight access to the Stadium for official University business (from 6 p.m. on the evening prior to the game up until 6 a.m. the morning of kick off). More information on stadium access during football games can be found here.

New bus lanes on Colorado Avenue

The city of Boulder has implemented changes to the lanes on Colorado Avenue that may affect your daily commute. These improvements are part of a broader effort to create a safer and more efficient transportation system for our entire community, and they are expected to strengthen the connection between Main Campus and East Campus. Read more about the new bus lanes here.

CU Boulder surplus retail storefront coming this fall

For more than a year, Jon Sherman, Denise Worthington, and other members of our FM property services team have been working on creating a new retail space to sell surplus property to internal CU departments as well as members of the public. The space is now in the final stages of construction, and the team hopes to have a “soft opening” for CU Boulder Buff OneCard holders later this fall. More information on the project will be posted in the coming weeks!

Employee Spotlight

Claudia Acosta – Custodial Supervisor, Campus Building Services

How long have you been working at CU? I have been working for the �� for 9 years now.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? I love cooking for my family and spending time with my kids doing different activities throughout the day which can include going to the park, walking, playing on their jumping castle, reading books, among others.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you. I am a Boulder County Family Voice Ambassador. I completed a Phlebotomist Certification class back in 2021 and got successfully certified. I have enrolled and completed many trainings, not only workwise but also to grow as a parent and family member. I am a part of the CU Boulder Staff Council, and I am blessed to be able to help my coworkers when I can.

What do you love about CU Boulder? I love that CU Boulder is invested in your personal success in any way possible and all the great benefits they offer! The University has great views, and working for CU Boulder can take you to success when you take advantage of all the great resources. I love CU Boulder. GO BUFFS!

What are you currently reading? I am reading the book titled “Lord I Want to Be Whole” by Stormie Omartian, and it has helped me be a better version of myself in many aspects and heal in some ways.

Safety Toolbox

Injury reporting

When it comes to safety, our focus should always be proactive rather than reactive. Since our I&S community has grown over the past year, we thought a topic to share would be injury reporting.

Please contact your supervisor if you are injured while at work (OJI) so we can make sure you receive the best care if you decide to seek medical attention. Our safety best practice is for team members to report an on-the-job injury (OJI) within the first 10 days. You and your supervisor may and select the Designated Medical Providers (DMP) of your choice. Do not offer your personal insurance information to your DMP but rather explain to them you have an OJI to report.

FM Safety Committee

The FM safety committee meets the third Tuesday of every month to discuss general safety concerns, review safety reports and on-the-job injuries and recommend training needs and resources. If you are interested in attending a meeting or bringing an issue or idea that is safety related, please reach out to your area representative on the or contact our Safety Specialist .

Exploring with ISIEC

Hispanic Heritage Month

The month — Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 — pays tribute to the diverse cultures, achievements and histories of people whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. It also embraces the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua on September 15, and the independence of Mexico and Chile on Sept. 16 and 18.

Learn more about a few of the groups at CU Boulder working in support of our Latinx community:

Forever Buffs Latinx: formerly CU Boulder Latino Alumni Association (CUBLAA) and the Hispanic Alumni Association of the University of Colorado at Boulder (HAA).

Society of Latinxs/Hispanics in Earth and Space Science (SOLESS): dedicated to increasing and reinforcing the representation of Latinxs/Hispanics in the Earth and space sciences by serving and connecting undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs, faculty and professionals.

The Bueno Center for Multicultural Education: Bilinguals United for Education and New Opportunities (BUENO). Located in the School of Education at the ��, The BUENO Center is recognized nationally for its work with culturally and linguistically diverse students and their teachers.

I&S IT Tips and Tricks

Zoom tips and tricks

In our digital world, Zoom has become a key tool for virtual meetings, online classes, and working from home. Whether you’re new to Zoom or looking to improve your skills, knowing how to use it effectively can make your online experiences better.

This article shares practical tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Zoom, from improving video and sound quality to using useful features that make meetings more productive and fun. With these easy-to-follow suggestions, you'll be able to navigate Zoom like a pro.

Comings and Goings

New Hires

Von (Israel) Stokes, Transportation Services, Campus Bus Driver
Robert Barnes, Transportation Services, Campus Bus Driver
Jeffery Pfeil, PD&C, PM Team Lead
Colin McGruer, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Construction Project Manager
Devon Montoya-Cahill, Floor Crew General Labor, CBS
Maria Gandara Gonzalez, Custodian, CBS

Promotions/Transfers

Ryan Heiland, Outdoor Services, Facilities Asst. Director (formerly Irrigation Manager)
Victoria (Tori) Jensen, I&S Business Services, Jr. System Administrator (formerly IT Client Rep/Tech Support)
Chris Biblis, Transportation Services, Transit Operations and Compliance Program Manager (formerly Transit Manager)
John Gleason, AVC Maintenance Operations, Interim Associate Director (formerly Asst. Director of Mechanical Trades)
Christopher Valdez, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Interim Pipe Shop Supervisor (formerly Planner/Scheduler)
Jesus Puentes, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Interim HVAC Supervisor (formerly Electronics Specialist II)
Matthew Gess, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Interim BAS Supervisor (formerly HVAC Engineer)
Whitney Gippe, PD&C, Project Coordinator II (formerly Project Coordinator)
Cynthia McClure-Begley, PD&C, Project Coordinator II (formerly Project Coordinator)
Ryan Moeller, PD&C, Senior Project Manager (formerly Project Manager-Non Capital)
Violeta Luna, CBS, Custodian (formerly Custodian with Housing Facilities Services)

Moving On

Thomas Calvo (Retired), Outdoor Services, Equipment Mechanic
Alfred (Fred) Hebert (Retired), Facilities Maintenance Operations, Project Planner
Napoleon Carrasco, CBS, Custodian
Marco Davila, Utilities, Utility Plant Operator - Control Room
Austin Villarreal, Facilities Maintenance Operations, HVAC Technician

I&S Employee Website
I&S Homepage

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