Category: News You Can Use

“I just wanted you to know what someone is saying about you,” a caller recently reported.  You can imagine that their report was not flattering nor fun for me. 

Oh no, I thought.  Who else thinks this?  (I’ll never know.)  What are other people saying about me?  (Could be tons.)  Will I ever get a chance to respond to this?  (No.)  Does anyone like me at all?  (Some do, some don’t.)  I could spend (and maybe did after this phone call) a lot of time spinning out when hearing what is said about me behind my back.  But I did not have that time to waste, and neither do you. 

Letting go of what others think or say about us can feel impossible, especially when those opinions seem to have a direct impact on our social or professional standing.  My six-year-old daughter Havi has an innate and enviable ability to march to the beat of her own drum without worrying what others are doing or what they think.  On the day I am writing this, Havi went to school with leopard print pants, a tie-dye shirt, and an overlaid polka dot skirt.  Why?  Because she likes all three, and they make her feel good.  I hope to have her self-assurance when I grow up. 

How do we cut through the noise that is all around us?  To be clear, when I say “noise,” I do not mean valid concerns someone brings directly to you.  This feedback can be difficult to face and accept, but it is important that we respond productively and then decide how to integrate that feedback.  The “noise” I’m referring to is rumors, gossip, and unflattering tidbits that might be true, partly true, or total fabrications—but no one is bringing them to you directly.  You are hearing second-, third-, or fourth-hand that there is this opinion about you floating out there.  Here are some tips for when you hear what people are saying about you behind your back: 

• Give yourself time to sit with it.  Hearing what others are saying about you can be hurtful, so let yourself process before you respond or implement any changes. 
• Ask someone you trust or someone objective (call the Ombuds!) to help you sort through what you are hearing.  Don’t just ask Chat GPT because he will always tell you what you want to hear! 
• Identify your values, priorities, and purpose, and compare those to what you are hearing.  If there is something you are hearing that aligns with how you want to move through the world, then consider implementing some changes.
• If you know who is saying things behind your back, decide if you want to address it with them.  This conversation is delicate, and success depends on how you bring it up and the personalities of all involved.  At the risk of overgeneralizing, one scenario when having this conversation is a good idea is if you know you cannot move forward without talking to the other person.
• Be intentional about moving on.  You will never know everything that people are saying about you, and I’m sure you have more important things on your plate. 

Hearing that people are talking about you and what they are saying is not fun.  You don’t have to be robotic about it and pretend it doesn’t bother you.  But you also do not have to let it take over your brain space or change significant things about you.  Process, reflect, ask for help, and move on.  We have a lot to do in these last two months of the year!

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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!)

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Compliance & Ethics Week is an opportunity to learn more about compliance and ethics across the university, ethical decision-making and how to do the right thing.

Clemson’s Office of University Compliance and Ethics helps university leaders, faculty, staff and students navigate their responsibilities. The office is a partner in understanding the policies and standards that apply to our work, raising concerns in a timely way and working together to address them. This week’s events offer practical ways to explore these topics across campus. We hope you’ll join us!

Stop by our table in Rhodes to say hi on Monday, October 26, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. or Tuesday, October 27, from 1–4 p.m.

Monday, October 26

• RCR Brown Bag: Ethics as Central to the Process of Design in Engineering and Science — noon–1 p.m., Zoom. Event details

Tuesday, October 27

• NDEAM: Myths and Misinformation About Student Accommodations — 11 a.m.–noon, Zoom. Event details

Wednesday, October 28

• AI Literacy for the Research Division — 1:30-3:30 p.m., Hybrid. Event details
• Records Management: Introduction to the Revised General Records Retention Schedule for State College and University Records — 2–3 p.m., Zoom. Event details
• Rutland Institute for Ethics: Annual Ethics Day — 6–8 p.m., Hardin Hall. Event details

Friday, October 30

• Ombuds: Emotional Intelligence at Work — 9–11 a.m., in person; registration required. Event details
• NDEAM: Accessibility Is Not Optional: What If the World Were Reversed? — 11 a.m.–noon, Zoom. Event details

We look forward to learning with you during Compliance & Ethics Week!

Clemson has a resource specifically designed to support faculty and staff experiencing food insecurity or financial hardship. The Nook provides access to non-perishable food, toiletries, household products and other everyday essentials for Clemson employees who may need a little extra support.  

Located on Klugh Avenue next to Parking and Transportation Services, The Nook offers a confidential and welcoming space for employees to access what they need. The Nook is open Tuesday- Thursday from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., with additional times available by appointment. They also follow the University holiday schedule.  

There are also several ways to support The Nook and fellow Clemson employees, including donating items, making a monetary donation, hosting a food drive or volunteering. Whether you could use the resource yourself or are looking for a way to support others in the Clemson community, The Nook is a great resource to know about and share! 
 
The Nook website: https://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/the-nook/ 
Contact email: thenook@clemson.edu 

Every October, the Sunbelt Ag Expo is held in Moultrie, Georgia. This expo is the largest farm show in the southeast, drawing roughly 100,000 visitors over three days. Visitors consist of farmers, youth, industry experts, college students, and curious citizens from across the region. Clemson University is well represented annually in an orange barn full of Clemson Cooperative Extension staff, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CAFLS) staff and students. South Carolina also has the privilege of being the spotlight state for 2026! The Expo is October 20-22, and we hope you can attend the educational talks, visit the vendor booths, and explore the college barns. 

Visitors to the Clemson University barn will be introduced to the various program teams of Clemson Cooperative Extension through interactive educational tables. The Agribusiness Team has a Farm Trivia Wheel where visitors will answer an agricultural question or identify an animal, crop, or natural resource in a picture. Our Food Systems and Safety Team draws a lot of attention with their South Carolina food products available to taste while talking to people about safely handling and serving food. The Horticulture Team will have an impressive butterfly house this year, along with pesticide safety resources and tools. Perspective students can interact with CAFLS Agricultural Mechanization and Business students and staff through farm safety demonstrations.

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture will be set up in the state spotlight building, showcasing the state’s diverse agriculture. South Carolina Farm Bureau will help with highlighting our state during the Farmer of the Year Awards Luncheon. The South Carolinian Farmer of the Year for 2026, Jeffrey Massey, was nominated by Area Horticulture Agent and Assistant Program Team Leader Zack Snipes. Massey owns Livingston’s Bulls Bay Seafood in McClellanville, SC, where he and his wife manage clam, oyster, shrimp and soft-shell crab production. You can learn more about our Farmer of the Year at 2026 South Carolina Farmer of the Year: Jeffrey (Jeff) Massey | Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia.

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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/.

Enjoy lunch and networking, hear from current MBA students, meet faculty, learn about career services and admissions, and tour Greenville ONE. You can also sit in on about 15 minutes of an MBA Capstone class.

Tuesday, October 27th, 2026 | 12 – 2:30 PM

Register here! 

If you’re considering applying, keep these upcoming enrollment deadlines in mind:

Spring enrollment:

• November 15 — Final deadline

Summer/Fall enrollment:

• November 15 — Priority deadline
• February 1 — Round 2 deadline
• April 15 — Final deadline

We hope to see you there!

Last month, I discussed how psychological safety inspires vulnerability.  When psychological safety exists, people might be more willing to admit mistakes, wrestle with challenges, and share their own shortcomings.  In some relationships, we have to earn the other person’s vulnerability; we can’t expect it right away.  There is, however, an important exception when vulnerability should be offered without having to be earned:  The vulnerability of our leadership. 

I recently worked with a leader on campus whose employees were overworked and unhappy.  He wanted to hear the specifics of their complaints, but within limits.  He provided guidance for how he wanted to hear concerns, and he would not listen otherwise.  He also made it clear to his team that he was unwilling to be asked questions without rewording the questions first. 

My message to him was essentially, no deal.  If you ascend to a leadership position, your team does not have to earn your honesty, humility, vulnerability, and transparency.  If you have concerns about someone’s behavior or wording, you can address that through a separate process.  But leaders do not have the luxury of behaving well only when people are behaving well first.  Not only that, but if our leaders do not behave well first, why would any of the rest of us? 

This message is not just for executive leadership across campus.  If you supervise employees, lead groups of students, or manage teams working on a specific project, vulnerability with your teams is essential to your success and your team’s morale. 

Leaders’ vulnerability carries risk—and certainly more risk for some than others—but I would argue it is the risk you sign up to take when ascending to a leadership role.  As I work with leaders and coach developing ones, some of my advice includes:

• Model the honest, humble, vulnerable, and transparent behavior you want your people to exhibit. 
• Be willing to answer anyone’s questions.  If you do not like the way it has been asked, address that separately.
• If you worry about being asked a question that will be embarrassing or difficult to answer, make a plan for that now.  Brainstorm those questions, and prepare and practice how you will respond. 
• If you are not willing to be the first one to be vulnerable, why?  What’s behind this that you might need to explore?

At the risk of oversimplifying, this is a similar concept to reminding my kids that they can’t hit someone who hit them first.  We hold ourselves to certain standards regardless of how other people behave.  Leaders also need to hold themselves to certain standards regardless of how people behave.  This phenomenon is a price leaders pay for being in their positions, but it can also be proof that we have promoted the right people to lead our Clemson community. 

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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!)

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Save the date for upcoming trainings offered by the Ombuds Office:

Giving Effective Feedback

Wed., Oct. 14 from 9:00 to 10:30

Virtually only, sign up here:  https://clemson.bridgeapp.com/learner/training/3bc50439/sessions/7129/enroll

Emotional Intelligence at Work

Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00

In-person at University Facilities Center, sign up here: https://clemson.bridgeapp.com/learner/training/1be18cf1/sessions/7130/enroll

Combating Burnout and Cultivating Resilience

Friday, Nov. 6, from 9:00 to 11:00

Virtually only, sign up here:  https://clemson.bridgeapp.com/learner/training/86042925/sessions/7132/enroll

Celebrating All Abilities (formerly NDEAM- National Disability Employment Awareness Month) is where we recognize the abilities of all our students, staff and faculty. Events are open for everyone to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of persons with disabilities, raise awareness of disability-related topics, and equip the campus community with knowledge and strategies of how best to continue supporting individuals with disabilities. The Division of Civil and Individual Rights, Clemson Computing and Information Technology, and CU’s Accessibility Committee have partnered to host 11 “Let’s Break to Educate” events in October. These events are virtual and/or in-person and are open to everyone. They will feature faculty and staff presentations on multiple disability awareness topics including accessibility in digital technology, artificial intelligence, agriculture, inclusive language and design, and disability culture and community.

Events are virtual via Zoom and/or in-person. Information and Registration.

October 5^th, 1 pm – 2 pm via Zoom
AgrAbility in South Carolina: Accessibility Meets Agriculture 
Lance Beecher, Associate Extension Specialist

October 7^th, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm via zoom
Access by Design: How Language, Information and Accessibility Influence Inclusion and Exclusion
Anthony Fattibene, Lecturer of American Sign Language

October 9^th, 11 am – 12 pm via Zoom
Accessapalooza! An Accessibility Toolkit Showcase
Dan Lewis, Director of Digital Accessibility
Walker Massey, IT Accessibility Specialist
Rachel Roback, Accessibility Coordinator
Michelle Tuten, Accessibility Coordinator

October 14^th, 11 am – 12 pm via Zoom
Canvas Accessibility Checkers
James Butler,
Senior Digital Learning Strategist

October 15^th, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm via zoom
Exploring Assistive Technology (Screen Readers and More)
Michelle Tuten, Accessibility Coordinator

October 16^th, 2 pm – 3 pm via zoom
Introduction to the Deaf Community:
Part Two- Values of Deaf Culture
Bo Clements, Senior Lecturer of American Sign Language

October 19^th, 10 am – 11 am via Zoom and in 309 Cooper library
AI Literacy & Accessibility
Anne Grant, Librarian
Molly Nestor, Lecturer and Associate Director of First-Year Writing

October 21^st, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm via zoom
More Than Words: Interpretation in the AI Age
Dan Devor, American Sign Language-English Interpreter

October 23^rd, 12 pm – 1 pm via zoom
From Prompt to PDF: Testing AI Design Tools
Dan Lewis, Director of Digital Accessibility
Walker Massey, IT Accessibility Specialist
Sarah Swofford, Director of Teaching and Learning, College of Veterinary Medicine

October 27^th, 11 am – 12 pm via zoom
Myths and Misinformation About Student Accommodations
Margaret Camp, Director of Student Accessibility Services

October 30^th, 11 am – 12 pm via zoom
Accessibility is Not Optional: What if the World Were Reversed?
Tasha Goodrich, Lecturer of American Sign Language

As we look forward to President Ayers joining us for our upcoming Staff Senate meeting, we encourage staff to watch the recently recorded Conversation with President Ayers. The conversation covers a variety of topics and provides an opportunity to hear directly from President Ayers about his vision and priorities for Clemson.

During the Staff Senate meeting, we will ask President Ayers several questions submitted by staff and Senators. While we will not be able to address every question, some of the topics submitted have already been discussed during the recorded conversation.

Meet Matthew Boudreaux, Associate Director of New Student Orientation l Projects

Can you tell us about your role here at Clemson?

I manage and oversee the design, implementation and assessment of new student orientation initiatives, inclusive of our in-person experience Ready, Set, Roar! as well as the virtual components of New Student Orientation. Along with the Assistant Director, I work closely with the Orientation Ambassadors and help out with other initiatives from our office, including our campus visit experience and Admitted Students Day (Tiger Town Takeover).  

What is something fun we might not know about you?

I love Broadway – I’ve seen 66 shows! You can catch me at Thursday Nights at the Peace Center & and any local Theatre in the Upstate!  

What brought you to Clemson?

I knew I wanted to work in Orientation after grad school and the search landed me here! I knew the people were special back then and that continues to be the reason why I stay.  

Is there anything you would like for people to know about your department?

Visits, Events, and Orientation is still such a young office since its inception, but we have produced SO MUCH! We are growing quickly and want to work with all campus departments and community partners to show how special Clemson is to all of our prospective and admitted students and families.   

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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.

Omnium Circus presents I’mPossible

Thursday, September 17, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets from $25

Omnium: A Bold New Circus is a world-renowned, welcoming and spectacular non-profit Circus company. We assure everyone can participate together in joy, laughter, thrills, chills and connection through representation, comprehensive access and shared wonder. By spotlighting and supporting disability in the arts, we showcase the extraordinary feats that highlight the astounding potential of the human spirit.

American Patchwork Quartet

Thursday, September 24, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets from $25

American Patchwork Quartet (APQ)—founded by multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning guitarist and vocalist Clay Ross and shaped in collaboration with an ensemble of internationally celebrated musicians—binds timeless American folk songs with jazz sophistication, country twang, West African hypnotics, and East Asian ornamentation. Their debut album was recently nominated for “Best Folk Album” at the 67th GRAMMY® Awards.

Inlet Dance Theatre presents What Would You Do With a Problem?

Family Series

Sunday, September 27, at 4 p.m.

$25 Adults, $15 Children

A dance theatre adaptation of the #1 New York Times bestseller, What Do You Do With a Problem?—a powerful story for all ages about a child facing a persistent problem. At first, the problem feels overwhelming, growing larger the more it’s ignored. But when the child bravely confronts it, the problem reveals unexpected possibilities. This moving production invites audiences to see challenges in a new light—reminding us that within every problem may lie a hidden opportunity…and a chance to discover something meaningful about ourselves.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

American Soundscapes

Utsey Chamber Music Series

Tuesday, October 6, at 7:30 p.m.

FREE, ticket required

Celebrating the rich voices of American composers, 13 musicians in the CMS explore a range of musical expressions that define the nation’s cultural landscape. William Bolcom’s lively Rag infuses playful energy into the string quartet, while Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet, a cornerstone of American chamber music, blends lyrical vibrancy with innovative harmonies. Bernard Herrmann’s Psycho Suite, performed in its original instrumentation for strings, brings the suspense of his iconic film score into the concert hall with gripping intensity and dark beauty. The concert concludes with Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite, a quintessentially American work that captures the hope and optimism of life on the frontier.

The Music Man

Tuesday, October 13, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets from $45

Meredith Willson’s timeless, six-time Tony Award®-winning musical comedy, The Music Man, follows a notorious, fast-talking traveling salesman as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize – despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian Paroo, the local librarian. A true musical theater gem, the story’s relevance transcends generations with unforgettable songs including “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Trouble,” ‘Till There Was You,” “Pickalittle,” and “Gary, Indiana.”

Charlotte Ballet

Whispers, Echoes, Voices

Thursday, October 29, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets from $25

Charlotte Ballet presents a mixed repertory, contemporary program featuring choreographers Jiří Kylián, Crystal Pite, and Mthuthuzeli November. Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort wields fencing foils and fabric in a euphoric exploration of tension and release, reflecting the delicate balance between vulnerability and strength while capturing the essence of life’s nature to the melody of Mozart. Crystal Pite’s Solo Echo sweeps through like a winter wind, its poetry etched in motion, resilience, and the echo of remembrance — a profound narrative of connection and emotional endurance. Resident Choreographer Mthuthuzeli November’s As I Am breathes life into ancestral voices, honoring the past, embracing the strength of the future, and the quiet freedom of truly arriving as oneself.

Tickets available at clemson.edu/brooks. Clemson University staff members receive 10% off tickets on all Boni Belle and Family Series shows.