This year, you can exchange ideas and talk about best practices with staff at University of Calgary by applying to the Support Staff Learning Exchange (SSLE).

This year’s exchange program will take place at University of Calgary, from October 19 to 22, 2023. The program includes professional development opportunities and the chance to network with peers from UM. Please note that this program is limited to University of Manitoba full-time support staff members in a continuing position.

Celebrating its return since the last pre-Covid exchange in 2019 the Learning Exchange is coordinated by the Support Staff Endowment Fund (SSEF) and Learning and Organizational Development, Human Resources.

Participants will fly to Calgary with flight and program costs significantly subsidized by the SSEF Committee.

Activities include:

• Spending a day at University of Calgary with host counterparts to learn about their systems and processes; and
• UM scheduled activities to promote professional networking with members of the UM community.

Applications criteria:

• You have the support of your department/faculty to cover a portion of your learning exchange;
• You want to enhance the effectiveness of service in your area by learning about University of Calgary systems and processes; 
• You are interested in increasing your professional network both with counterparts at University of Calgary, and with members of the UM support staff community; 
• You are a full-time UM support staff member in a continuing position.

Apply on the Support Staff Endowment Fund website.

The deadline for applications is April 28, 2023.

The SSEF is an established UM trust whose objective is supporting professional development-related activities for support staff. The objective is to encourage employee connection, engagement and learning, through awards for education or training and sponsoring or co-sponsoring engagement events that bring the support staff of our community together. The committee distribute the fund’s interest through these awards and annual activities.

Annual activities may include participation in organizing the Support Staff Learning Exchange, awarding textbook and other learning awards, hosting guided campus walking tours, and coordinating the VIP Folklorama bus tour.

Becoming a committee member

The committee meets monthly at the Fort Garry campus; members can also attend meetings virtually. In addition to monthly committee meetings, members also have working group or sub-committee responsibilities.

Terms are typically for three years and a variety of roles are available. The committee seeks representation from all campuses and from excluded support staff (EMAPS) and members of bargaining units, in continuing appointments of .5 or greater.

The application process

If you are interested in serving on the University’s Support Staff Endowment Fund (SSEF) committee, we invite you to apply by completing the application form on UM Intranet. Please note that you must be logged in with your @umantioba.ca email address to access employee content on UM Intranet.

Applications are due by 4:00 pm on February 15 to: Stephanie.Yarema@umanitoba.ca

For more information on the SSEF, please visit: Support Staff Endowment Fund Advisory Committee on UM Intranet. 

To honour the spirit of McGill’s gift to the University of Manitoba and to recognize the learning exchange program, the committee planted the tree along Curry Place.

Les Wellwood, UM arborist was one of 20 participants at the 2019 Support Staff Learning Exchange, also known by its acronym SSLE.

“In the fall of 2019, I had the opportunity to spend a day with the grounds manager at McGill University in Montreal during the Support Staff Learning Exchange,” he says.

“The day included a review of their seasonal operations and procedures, followed by a tour of the grounds and the diverse tree collection on campus. At the end of our day, I was presented with several seedlings from their nursery.”

Andrew Popiel, Co-Chair SSEFC notes that the tree planted will symbolize the continued growth of the Support Staff Endowment Fund and the continuation of the Support Staff Learning Exchange.

Members of the Support Staff Endowment Fund Committee stand near the newly planted tree on UM’s Fort Garry campus.

“Just like this tree, we have strong roots that will allow us to flourish for decades to come,” he says.

“Thank you to McGill University for providing us with this tree to commemorate the 2019 SSLE to McGill University and inspire future support staff learning exchanges to come. Thank you to all of those that have nurtured the work of the Support Staff Endowment fund over the years.”

Darlene Smith, Associate Vice-President (Human Resources), says, “The support staff that participated in the 2019 Learning Exchange to McGill University forged strong relationships with their counterparts, while bringing back valuable resources and information to their faculties and departments.”

The UM Support Staff Endowment Fund was established in 1988 for the purpose of supporting activities relating to professional development for support staff. One of those activities is the annual Support Staff Learning Exchange,  an opportunity for our support staff to travel to another U-15 university and exchange ideas and network with peers about best practices when working with students, colleagues and the wider campus community.

The SSEF committee is planning to bring back the learning exchange opportunities in 2023 after the program was put on hold during the pandemic.

Learn more about the Support Staff Endowment Fund and the learning exchange program on UM Intranet. (Please note that you must be logged in with your umanitoba.ca email address to access UM Intranet.)

The webinars will be of interest to staff who wish to make healthy food choices that promote their overall health and wellbeing, say Melinda Sasek and Susan Ducharme, SSEF committee members.

Sasek and Ducharme add that online day SSEF events like these webinars allow UM support staff to engage with each other while working remotely from home.

Both nutrition webinars will include a half-hour presentation, followed by a half-hour for discussion and questions.

The number of available spots are limited so staff are encouraged to register as soon as possible. A link to the webinar will be sent to participants prior to the event.

Food, Nutrition and Healthy Eating Webinar

Date: September 30, 2020
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Presenter: Dr. Monisola A. Alashi

Food vs Healthy: The struggle is real – what motivates you?

Food is a major uniting factor for all humans, an important aspect of our culture which usually occupies a large part of our day. One of the major question that comes to mind with food in relation to health is usually ‘why can’t I eat whatever I want without adding weight or getting sick?’ For most people, the struggle to maintain a healthy life style while eating anything they so desire is real. Therefore, the ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle with food is something everyone should be curious about. This webinar aims to discuss some important fundamentals about food nutrients and composition in relation to health risks, age, sex and lifestyle choices.

Please register for this webinar in the LOD events calendar.

Healthy Eating: Beyond Just Nutrients

Date: October 27, 2020
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Presenter: Anne Mendonca

In this webinar, strategies to achieve a healthier eating routine will be explored, with the idea of achieving a balanced diet by looking at foods based on their processing level, from natural to processed foods. In addition, food is a lot more than just nutrients. It is part of our culture, social life, and mental health. This webinar will approach how to balance your eating routine in a way that can be sustained in the long-term.

Please register for this webinar in the LOD events calendar.

The Support Staff Endowment Fund (SSEF) is a university trust established for the purpose of supporting activities and projects that promote excellence among U of M support staff. You can learn more about these initiatives for support staff on the SSEF website.

If you have any questions about the SSEF webinars, please email Melinda Sasek at melinda.sasek@umanitoba.ca

The ‘Burgers and Bisons’ festivities will kick-off at 4:30 PM with a bite to eat at Degrees before heading over to the court to cheer on our Bison athletes.  Attendees will receive 10% off at Degrees and have the option of attending all three Bison games that evening; women’s basketball at 6:00 PM, men’s hockey at 7:00 PM, and men’s basketball at 8:00 PM.

Tickets to attend the Bison games are $5.00 per person and faculty and staff are encouraged to bring their friends and family. The first 30 people to sign up will receive a free Bell Let’s Talk toque.  Children 12 and under are free to attend.

You must register for the event to receive your tickets at half price.

“We are thrilled to be offering this event for faculty and staff at the University,” says Lynn Bohonos, learning & development assistant. “It’s all about UM employees coming together to support our students and community.”

“It’s going to be such a fun, family-friendly event – I encourage all to attend!”

For more information about the event, contact Susan Ducharme at susan[dot]ducharme[at]umanitoba[dot]ca or Melinda Sasek at melinda[dot]sasek[at]umanitoba[dot]ca.

A number of upcoming fun activities for staff and their families has been organized by the support staff endowment fund (SSEF) committee. All support staff are welcome to join.

“I’m hoping to attend with my co-workers in human resources and meet new people from other departments,” says Burling. 

King’s park walk

Coming up on August 15, the committee has scheduled a walk to King’s Park at noon. The total walk will take just under an hour. It’s a great opportunity to step away from your desk, get some exercise and meet new people. 

Folklorama tour

Support staff can sign up for an all-inclusive VIP group tour to three Folklorama pavilions in the evening of August 15. The pavilions include Metis, Brazilian, and the Philippines. Participants will enjoy transportation between the pavilions, admission, no-lines, reserved seating, a delicious meal and world-class entertainment.

A Maze in Corn

The final summer gathering will be an excursion to A Maze in Corn on September 7. Bring your families and race through the corn maze. You can enjoy a free bus ride from the U of M or meet the group at the maze.

Says Burling, “The university is quite large so it’s nice to have events that bring people together that you wouldn’t normally meet.”

You can learn more about the upcoming events and download the event registration forms on the support staff endowment fund website.

The Support Staff Endowment Fund (SSEF) is a university trust established for the purpose of supporting activities and projects that promote excellence among U of M support staff.

If you have any questions about the SSEF, please email um-ssef-committee@lists.umanitoba.ca.

This year’s exchange program will take place at McGill University, Montreal from October 31 to November 3, 2019. It includes professional development opportunities and the chance to network with peers from UM. Celebrating its 21^st year, the learning exchange is coordinated by the Support Staff Endowment Fund Committee and Learning and Organizational Development, Human Resources.

The Participants will fly to Montreal; flight and program costs will total approximately $1,200 per person. Activities include spending a day at McGill University with host counter parts and learning about McGill University systems and processes, UM scheduled activities to promote professional networking with members of the UM community, and attending a McGill sporting event.

Applications are now available on the Support Staff Endowment Fund website. The deadline for applications is June 21, 2019.

Applications will be considered if you:

• Have the support of your department/faculty to cover the cost of your learning exchange (approx. $1,200);
• Are a University of Manitoba full time support staff member in a continuing position;
• Are looking to enhance the effectiveness of the service in your area by learning about McGill University systems and processes;
• Are interested in increasing your professional network both with counter parts at McGill University, and with members of the University of Manitoba community.

Applications for the Support Staff Learning Exchange can be downloaded from the support staff endowment fund website. If you have additional questions please contact Lynn Bohonos, learning and organizational development, human resources, at SSLEapplication [at] umanitoba [dot] ca

Did you know the Support Staff Endowment Fund also organizes day trips? Visit the support staff endowment fund website to learn about upcoming excursions.