University of Nebraska Office Professionals Association (UNOPA)
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University of Nebraska Office Professionals Association (UNOPA) |
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Education is the birthright of every person. We as members of the University of Nebraska Office Professionals Association pledge ourselves to safeguard that right. We acknowledge the unique role of educational office professionals and the importance of their contributions to the university and the community. The purpose of UNOPA is to provide professional growth and promote high professional standards for educational office professionals with the University of Nebraska, as partners upholding the quality of service to the university educational system and the community. Karen Jackson, Webmaster
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First, I would like to say a few words about this year’s 50/50 recipient. I considered many worthy organizations in choosing this recipient, and it was a difficult choice to make. For the upcoming year, I have chosen the Veterans Memorial Garden located in Antelope Park in honor of all the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our country—specifically our UNOPA members, and relatives and friends of UNOPA members, as well as the students I work with as they are being deployed to Iraq and also as they return to UNL. I knew that the garden existed, but I had never spent much time in the garden until a few years ago. It is truly a humbling experience to walk through the garden, and you sincerely feel like you are walking on sacred ground. I encourage all of you to take a few minutes to visit the garden. In preparing for UNOPA’s 45th Anniversary celebration this year, I read all the UNOPA Notes for the last 45 years. I noticed the recurring theme of recruiting new members, retaining members, and recognizing members. This year will be no different. You, the members, are why UNOPA exists. This will be a year of honoring our members, and in return, I ask that our members do whatever they can to support UNOPA. As a first step in honoring UNOPA’s members, I would like to give away two one-year memberships. Two of the bookmarks on your tables have charms that read: “Together We Can Make a Difference.” So, who has found the special bookmarks? Please keep your hand up, and Lola will bring you a membership form. After you complete the form, please return it to me, and I will process the membership. It takes all levels of commitments from members to make UNOPA grow and have an impact on campus. My theme, Make a Ripple, Make a Wave, is symbolic of how the various levels of involvement accumulate to make a difference. All members are important. There are members who support the organization just by being members. They may not be able to spend a lot of time with committee work, but their membership is important because the more members UNOPA has, the louder our voice will become as we represent the large number of office professionals on campus. The next level of involvement includes members who are serving on UNOPA committees, getting more involved in learning how UNOPA works, attending brownbags and workshops, beginning to learn and ask about obtaining PSP certification, participating in mentoring opportunities, and attending a Nebraska Educational Office Professionals Association’s workshop or conference. Then, there are members who are chairing UNOPA committees, serving on the board, seeing how UNOPA fits in with the state and national associations, learning the responsibilities of elected officers. They begin working on earning their PSP certification, join NEOPA, serve on a state committee, and attend, or consider attending, the Central Area Professional Development Days or the NAEOP annual conference. Finally, there are members who are willing to be on the ballot to be an elected officer. They are 3-D members—joining the local association, UNOPA, the state association, NEOPA, and the national association, NAEOP—and serve on UNOPA and NEOPA committees as a member or director. They attend the Central Area Professional Development Days and the NAEOP annual conference, serve as a NAEOP committee member, and continue working on and obtaining their PSP/CEOE certification. All members are essential and needed. As each member makes a ripple, collectively this becomes a wave. One of the main messages I would ask you to help me convey to the office professionals who are not members of UNOPA and also to UNL administrators, is that being a member of UNOPA is an asset to the office professional, their supervisor, their department, and the University as a whole. When UNOPA is asked to provide a representative on a University committee, we are representing all office professionals, and in some cases, all office/service personnel. I truly believe all UNL office professionals should be members of UNOPA. We are already advocating for them, and we need to reach out to all current and new employees so that they are aware of our organization and what we are able to do for them. Simply increasing the number of our members gives UNOPA a stronger voice—and ripples become waves. I would also ask that each of you encourage your supervisors to show their support of UNOPA by becoming associate members. UNOPA is a strong organization with a sound base from which to build. In addition to providing members great programs and workshops for personal and professional development, a time to meet with old friends and make new friends across the campuses, UNOPA provides an excellent opportunity for networking. The network you can create for yourself will help you in your career at UNL by expanding your knowledge of UNL and meeting professionals from other areas of the University who you may turn to when you—or your supervisor—has a policy or procedural question. You will be the person who knows who you should contact to obtain the answers. The benefit of networking was re-enforced when I ran into Jan Wacker, who was the fifth President of UNOPA, 1966-67. Jan now lives at the Legacy Estates, where my dad also lives, and I introduced myself to Jan a couple of weeks ago. When I mentioned UNOPA, Jan’s face just lit up and she freely shared many of her UNOPA memories with me. She also mentioned how UNOPA helped her form a large network and how important that was to her in her career at UNL. Jan also said that she was fortunate to have a supervisor who recognized how valuable it was for his office professionals to be members of UNOPA I would ask those of you who feel you have “served your time” and no longer wish to be a committee chair or an elected officer, to please continue encouraging others you meet in your work or committee meetings to join UNOPA. Also, please make yourselves available to mentor and advise newer members. Your experiences and involvement in UNOPA are invaluable. You are sincerely respected and your input is needed! In closing I would like to read a quote from Edward Everett Hale that I found in an old issue of UNOPA Notes that sums up my message to you: I am only one
Past Elected Officers of UNOPA
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UNOPA, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, P.O. Box 880541, Lincoln, NE 68588-0541, Fax #: 402-472-6921
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