In today’s newsletter, Staff Senate President Victoria Perry welcomes a new season of change and the new President of Clemson Univeristy, Dr. Guskiewicz. Plus, an introduction to the Extension Senate from their President Charley Maxwell, an upcoming Entrepreneurship Camp for high school students, this month’s Clemson Champion, Ombuds report and more!
Join us Thursday, June 11 at 2:30PM in the Watt Center room 106 or virtually (https://clemson.zoom.us/j/98701587511) for the June Staff Senate meeting.
You are likely familiar with the fact that Clemson University is one of two land-grant institutions in South Carolina. As part of that land-grant mission, Clemson Extension brings research-based education and resources directly to communities across the state.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service brings the University to the community through offices in every county and research stations throughout the state. Extension funding differs somewhat from other areas of the University, with an additional budget line item in the state budget through Clemson Public Service and Agriculture (PSA). PSA delivers impartial, science-based information through research, outreach, and regulatory programs designed to improve the quality of life in South Carolina.
Extension staff serve on one or more of the 11 program teams: 4-H Youth Development, Agribusiness, Agriculture Education, Agronomic Crops, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), Food Systems and Safety, Forestry and Wildlife, Horticulture, Livestock and Forages, Rural Health and Nutrition, and Water Resources. Extension Agents, Associates, and Specialists determine local needs and develop educational programming and resources to address those needs. Our county offices send various types of samples to on-campus labs for identification and analysis.
Because Extension employees work across South Carolina, have unique position classifications, and serve communities through educational programming and outreach, Extension staff established the Extension Senate to address issues specific to our roles and responsibilities. We greatly value our partnership with the Clemson Staff Senate, which helps ensure Extension remains connected to the broader University community. Extension employees frequently collaborate with faculty and staff across Clemson on research, education, and outreach initiatives. To learn more about Clemson Extension, our programs, and the people who serve South Carolina communities every day, visit our website.
We are excited to welcome a regular contribution to the Staff Senate Newsletter from the Extension Senate President, Charley Maxwell. Visit the Extension Senate blog at https://blogs.clemson.edu/ces/.
As I’ve stepped into my role as Staff Senate President, I’ve been reflecting on just how much happens across our campuses each semester and how much of it is made possible because of you. Even as we move into the summer months, that important work continues, often in new and evolving ways. While change can sometimes feel uncertain, it also creates opportunities for growth, innovation, and renewed energy.
As President John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” This sentiment feels especially relevant as we navigate several important developments together.
One of the most significant changes on the horizon is the transition to Workday. This is a major step forward in how we manage and support many of our essential processes, from HR to finance and beyond. While transitions like this can come with a learning curve, they also pave the way for more streamlined systems, improved access to information, and enhanced efficiency in our day-to-day work.
As we move through this implementation together, I encourage you to be aware of upcoming cutover deadlines and to take advantage of available trainings, local resource groups, ask questions, and most importantly, support one another. Change is always easier when we approach it as a community, and I am confident in our collective ability to adapt and succeed.
We are also entering a new chapter in our university’s story with the announcement of our new university president, Kevin Guskiewicz, Ph.D., who will become Clemson’s 16th president. As staff, we play a vital role in supporting this transition and helping to shape the culture and direction of the university moving forward.
Dr. Guskiewicz brings a strong track record of collaborative, people-first leadership. At his previous institutions, he made a point to listen deeply, meeting with teams across campus to understand their experiences and help shape a shared path forward. He is also widely recognized for his commitment to student success, access, and connecting the work of the university to the broader community. I’m excited about the perspective and energy he brings, and I look forward to seeing how we, as staff, can help support his vision and continue building a strong and connected Clemson community.
Moments of change remind us of the strength and resilience within our Clemson community. Every day, Clemson staff across the state contribute to the foundation that allows our staff, students, and faculty to thrive. That work remains constant, even as systems, leadership, and strategies evolve. In the months ahead, Staff Senate remains committed to listening, advocating, and supporting you through these transitions. Your voices matter, and we will continue working to ensure they are heard.
As always, we invite you to stay engaged with Staff Senate and join us at our upcoming meeting featuring Blake Robinson speaking about Clemson’s Ergonomics program, Kristing Lawson with updates on Workday, and a message from Sr. VP for Finance and Operations and CFO Rick Petillo.
Date:Thursday, June 11
Time:2:30 p.m.
Location/Link: In person: Watt 106, Virtually: https://clemson.zoom.us/j/98701587511
Thank you for your continued dedication and for the important role you play during times of change. Together, we will navigate these transitions and continue to make our university a place where we can all succeed.
Wishing you a productive and positive month ahead! Victoria Perry Staff Senate President
In May, Michael wrote in this newsletter about being impartial when you are asked to be involved in your colleagues’ conflicts. For the most part, you all get to choose when you want to be impartial and when you want to take sides; we in the Ombuds Office do not. Remaining impartial is a core value of Ombuds work, and it allows us to mediate conflict, facilitate conversations, pass messages from one person to another, and ensure everyone’s perspectives get airtime in a discussion. I consider remaining impartial to be quite the luxury: While I can care deeply about the people and the situations that come through my office, I also am able to at some point let go of the situation and recognize that it is not on my shoulders to fix. Maybe an advisor asks me to offer mediation to their supervisor. I can offer it, but if the supervisor declines, I have no authority to compel it. I can walk the advisor through what they might do next, but a situation cannot be mediated by the Ombuds until everyone agrees to come to the table.
Sometimes, though, impartiality has a dark side. When someone comes to me with a concern, my job is to help them feel heard and identify their options. At times I can form a bond with this visitor (as we call people who come to our office), and I think that makes it better for both of us. However, occasionally, this bond makes any reminder about impartiality jarring and almost disloyal.
I had a situation this past semester where an employee decided she wanted me there when she confronted her supervisor with perceptions of how the relationship was going. This employee was fed up with what she reported as verbal abuse, micromanagement, and social undermining. After talking about the specifics of how a conversation like that would go, the employee decided to have the conversation without me. Specifically, she was disappointed that I would give her supervisor an opportunity to bring up any concerns she has had in the relationship. In other words, a conversation with an impartial party facilitating cannot be one-sided, and this employee was not looking for a two-sided dialogue.
I can acknowledge that sometimes it is disappointing to share your situation with someone who has to remain impartial about it. It can certainly be challenging not to act when I feel strongly about a situation! But impartiality does not have to mean stoicism or a lack of empathy. It just means that the other person—the one who in your story might be the bully or the villain—is going to get full access to the Ombuds’ time and empathy too.
If impartiality is not what you are looking for—that’s very understandable! The Office of Human Resources, counseling services, and your own supervisor, colleagues, friends, and family do not have to practice to the standard of impartiality. They can join you in believing the other person is a jerk and that you have done nothing wrong. And if that’s what you need, we will help you identify them and get to the right resource. But if you are looking for someone everyone can trust to sit in the middle and facilitate a conversation, give us a call.
What is the Ombuds Office? The Ombuds Office is a confidential, independent, neutral, and informal space for staff to process concerns, get information, and develop options for how to move forward in a difficult situation. I can provide education, conflict coaching, mediation, and facilitation as well as referrals to other resources across Clemson. If you are unsure how to move forward in any way, I can help you work through it.
Tessa Byer Phone: 864-656-5353 Email: tbyer@clemson.edu Address: 135 Old Greenville Hwy, Ste. 203 (Next to Esso!)
Save the date for upcoming trainings offered by the Ombuds Office:
Meet Candice Heatherly, Administrative HR Officer for the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry & Life Sciences
Can you tell us about your role here at Clemson?
As the Administrative Officer I serve as the initial contact for staff and student hires for Cooperative Extension, Experiment Station, Livestock Poultry Health, Regulatory Services, Clemson Forest, and other divisions within CAFLS for personnel and recruitment actions, as well as staff relations issues. I work with both on campus and off campus staff and students around the state. I work with our HR Service Managers daily to ensure recruitment, onboarding, and all other areas of the full cycle human resources are completed in a timely and effective manner. I see my role as being the go-to person for human resources questions and concerns. If I don’t know the answer, I typically know where to find it. I also serve on several committees within the college, serve as a Staff Senator for CAFLS, and work with Civil Rights compliance for our USDA funded programs.
What is something fun we might not know about you?
Something fun that people might not know about me is that I run a non-profit, The Comfort Cause, that provides comfort bags to those experiencing a cancer diagnosis. It is truly a passion of mine. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, and at the time, so many family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers helped me through that time. I could never repay them, but I can pass along the support and comfort they provided to me!
What brought you to Clemson?
As my husband transitioned out of the Marine Corps, we moved back to the area. I knew I wanted to work for Clemson. As a 2009 Clemson graduate, it is truly home to me. I was so grateful to get to work at the place that helped to develop me as a person.
Is there anything you would like for people to know about your department?
I have truly loved working at Clemson. It feels like a family, not just a place to work or attend school. Over the past 10 years, I’ve been incredibly grateful for the many opportunities for both personal and professional growth. Through programs like CU Grow, the ETAP benefit that allowed me to earn my Master’s degree, employee wellness trainings like Struggle Well, and my involvement in Staff Senate, I’ve been able to grow in meaningful ways. The staff at Clemson are truly exceptional, and I’m deeply appreciative of the work they do and the impact they make every day. It is not just a job, it is a family.
The Clemson Champion is Staff Senate’s spotlight for exceptional staff and teams at Clemson. Stay tuned and meet more Clemson Champions in future posts.
If you’ve been considering a MBA, now is the time to act. With the Summer and Fall semesters quickly approaching, seats in our cohort-based programs are filling fast. Waiting another year could mean missing the opportunity to join a close-knit group of professionals who will learn, grow and advance together. Don’t put your goals on hold—take the next step today and secure your place in a Clemson MBA cohort before spots are filled.
The Brook T. Smith Launchpad (housed in the President’s Office), is hosting the 2026 Clemson High School Entrepreneurship Residential Camp at the Brook T. Smith Launchpad, July 20-24, 2026 (for rising Juniors or rising Seniors).
We’ve added a page to our website (click here) that makes it easy to learn everything about the Camp and access the application.
Once on this page, interested students should select the: “Students: Click Here to Apply” button. They will need to provide a recommender/reference (you, an educator, or a community leader).
Other than getting to and from Clemson, the cost of this Camp (Lodging, Food, Seminars, and Extracurricular Activities) has been covered by generous, successful Clemson affiliated entrepreneurs.
Spots are filling quickly, so thank you in advance for acting on this right away.
With students away for the summer, Clemson staff and faculty have a golden window to enjoy the gym with a little more elbow room and a quieter atmosphere. Think of it as the gym’s “off-season advantage”.
Summer Operating Hours
June and July Hours
Weekdays: 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Noon to 8 p.m.
There are a few adjustments and closures during June and July, and they can be found here.
Whether you’re fitting in a lunchtime workout, getting back into a fitness routine or just enjoying the rare luxury of not waiting for equipment, summer is one of the best times for employees to make the most of the gym.
After all, while students are away… the employees can play. 💪
