Staff Council chair gives top 10 reasons why UNT is a great place to work

With the budget shortfall and challenging times ahead of us, we as members of the UNT staff are faced with some choices. Are we as individuals going to be positive or negative forces within our departments and the UNT community? Are we going to be part of the problem or part of the solution? In other words, do we see the glass as half empty or half full?

Perspective, especially in tough times, is important and can go a long way toward making our jobs more personally rewarding. I choose to view the glass as half full, and I encourage everyone to do the same. So, to serve as a reminder, I would like to provide the "Top 10" reasons that I think UNT is a great place to work.

10. The UNT Employee Assistance Program. This program is an excellent benefit for UNT employees and their families. It provides 24-hour access to counselors free of charge, along with other tools and information to help employees.

9. Mean Green and Lady Eagles athletics. It's easy to appreciate the excitement of watching our UNT athletes compete year-round in various sporting events such as football, soccer, tennis, basketball and track, just to mention a few.

8. UNT's sick leave pool. Employees who experience catastrophic illness or injury and who exhaust all their own sick leave can apply for additional leave from the pool.

7. The University Union. We have within walking distance the food, drink and entertainment choices of the Avesta, The Campus Chat, The Corner and The Syndicate.

6. A diverse community. Diversity is a strength. We are fortunate to have so many different countries, cultures and beliefs represented on campus.

5. Great holiday and vacation leave. We are fortunate to have such a liberal vacation and holiday schedule providing time away from our jobs to spend with our families.

4. Educational scholarships for us and our dependents. UNT faculty and staff and their dependents can receive scholarships that help pay for classes toward a degree.

3. Job security. During tough economic times, we can feel more secure than many workers in the corporate world.

2. No Dallas-Fort Worth traffic jams. Traffic congestion and delays are getting worse. We can all imagine the stress it puts on people who have to drive into DFW daily.

1. The UNT Staff Council. Staff Council members are elected representatives who work to make UNT a better place.

We, as members of the Staff Council, are ready and willing to work with the staff, faculty, students and administration to reduce the budget and continue to provide the quality service UNT is known for.

I encourage everyone to make the choice to be a positive force at UNT and visualize the glass as half full.

Lt. Jim Coffey, UNT Police Department, is chair of the Staff Council. A Staff Council column runs in InHouse every other month.

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT working to reduce fiscal year 2002-03 budget by $8 million
• Escalante named UNT System vice chancellor for administrative services
• Enrollment up 6.8 percent over last spring
• UNT mathematics professors find solution to 50-year-old math problem
• Book drive for Thailand community expanded to include books for adults
• 2002-03 Fact Book available online
• Enterprise Information System project implementation under way
• Black History Month under way at UNT

homepage