Announcements
Get ready for Giving Day!
MRU Giving Day is coming up on Nov. 28. Don't miss out — personalize your email signature with the custom Giving Day toolkit today and purchase a 50/50 raffle ticket (a lucky winner will take home half of the funds raised in this raffle, with the other half dedicated to directly benefiting MRU students). Get your tickets here.
Remembrance Day
This year, as Remembrance Day falls on a Saturday, eligible employees receive Monday, Nov. 13 in lieu. Consider visiting Mount Royal University's Field of Crosses, which honours the 30 Mount Royal students, faculty and staff who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Learn more about the service members. Crosses are located in the John H. Garden Memorial Park on campus. This is a satellite installation of the Calgary Field of Crosses, which erects more than 3,600 memorial markers along Memorial Drive each year.
Donating blood is easy with the Life Bus
Each month, the Life Bus comes to campus to pick up MRSA members and take them to the Eau Claire Canadian Blood Services clinic. Pick up for the Nov. 22 bus is at 12:15 p.m. at the East Gate outside the continuing education building, and we will return to campus by 1:30 to 2 p.m. This is considered community work and qualifies for release time (please talk with your manager). Book a seat for the Nov. 22 Life Bus by contacting James at jjparsons@mtroyal.ca. If you’ve participated before, book an appointment by logging into your Blood.ca account and clicking on our team name: MOUN0104716.
MRSA annual general meeting
The Mount Royal Staff Association is holding its Annual Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 10:45 a.m. to noon. Members are encouraged to attend as operationally feasible.
Elevators out of service in the RLLC
While one elevator in the RLLC has been repaired, one remains out of service. Please take the stairs if you are able. This leaves the working elevators available for those with accessibility needs (visible and non-visible). Wait times will be longer as the third elevator is being repaired. Learn more.
EDI training and you
Access the University’s broad-based introductory equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) awareness and skills-building training course through Employee Training. While all employees are strongly encouraged to complete the course, MRFA members are required to do so by Nov. 30. Learn more.
Health Services Medical Clinic – new employees update
As of Oct. 1, 2023, the Health Services Medical Clinic is no longer accepting new employees as patients. This change will not affect employees who have already been accepted into the care of our service providers. However, all employees at Mount Royal can use the clinic's walk-in services, including blood pressure or blood-glucose checks and emergency care slots (examples would be stitches or cardiac symptoms). Current patient employees can book appointments to see a mental health nurse through the Health Services Medical Clinic online booking system or by calling 403.440.6326.
Create healthy habits
November and December’s Employee Wellness theme is Healthy Habits. Download the digital habit tracker tool to support your progress towards health-promoting behaviours. Join the webinar How to Stick to Healthy Habits on Nov. 15. On Nov. 29, join The Art of Living a Long and Healthy Life webinar with naturopath Brandon Testa. Learn more.
Apply for the Hybrid Work Program
Mount Royal’s Hybrid Work Program comes into effect Jan. 1, 2024. Eligible employees interested in taking part (including those in the Hybrid Work Trial) should apply as soon as possible. Learn more.
Plan now to use your vacation days
We understand that it can be difficult to step away from work, especially during busy periods at the University. However, taking time off helps improve mental and emotional well-being. Under the MRSA’s Collective Agreement, unused vacation days that exceed the annual entitlement must be taken by Dec. 31 or they will be paid out. Exempt employees have until Feb. 29, 2024 to take unused vacation days that exceed an employee’s annual limit or they will be paid out. Please work with your leader to plan and schedule vacation time.
Contribute to a clean, comfortable campus
If you notice a caretaking issue, let Environmental Services know by:
Your ticket to IT support
Visit Information Technology’s updated online Service Desk to submit and check the status of your IT help requests; access resources on common IT problems; and manage your experience with a user-friendly interface. Learn more at mru.ca/ITShelp.
Did you know?
Increase your cybersecurity with passphrases
A four-word passphrase is harder to crack than you think. Add in a few numbers or symbols and you’re sitting pretty in cyberspace. For instance, the passphrase “four w4rds equal= cybersafety) would take a computer years to crack! Learn more.