Hi Everyone,
Today is a day of gratitude, and I’m grateful for each of you. Thank you for being here. Some of you have been with me literally since the the day this all started. Others have joined over the past few months. Some are directly affected, others have already benefited from TAB, or are just here in solidarity. Whatever the reason, thank you. Your participation, your engagement- even just opening the Newsletters- and your outreach and encouragement give meaning to this effort, and provide me with inspiration to continue.
As we head into the holiday season, and ultimately in to a new year, I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been. Obviously reinstatement has never been a certainty, but let’s continue to give voice to our personal experience. We have the power to be the change we want to see.
If I’m not careful, this will turn into a newsletter. So, let me just throw a few links at you, and then I can get started on the bacon-green-bean-casserole that we’re contributing to the family festivities this year.
As I shared yesterday on LinkedIn, I’m thankful for you this year. Engaging with that post- or any of the My15atUSC themed posts on LinkedIn- is helpful. It brings visibility to our efforts, especially amongst those unaware of the changes. It also creates visibility for those that ultimately could reverse the decision, or at the very least, those adjacent to the decision makers. I’ve seen this through the occasionally curious leaders who poke around my profile.
Live on IG - If you’re not already, follow us on Instagram. Our “Resumption Post” got some significant attention yesterday. It was one of our most quickly engaged with posts. Thanks to those of you who already have interacted with it.
I started reviewing and highlighting responses from our Tab in Retrospect survey. I’ll leave it open for anyone who hasn’t yet added to it. Your survey responses will drive our IG content. They also help me when I frame our community’s thoughts in my newsletters and LinkedIn posts.
Lastly, for anyone who has questions on TAB, I’ll do my best to address any uncertainty. While I’m not the final arbiter on these nuanced points, I also know that the way this was handled created a ton of confusion. You can always reply to the Newsletters or email me at [email protected].
I share this because this quote came through our most recent survey.
I sincerely hope the university will consider honoring the 15-year vested status for employees who were affected by the recent layoffs. Many of us dedicated years of service to USC with the understanding that the Tuition Assistance Benefit would help our children pursue their education here. Allowing families like ours to use this benefit would reflect the university’s commitment to its long-term employees and reinforce the Trojan Family values that make USC so special. My hope is that my son will still have the opportunity to attend USC and carry on that connection.
While it’s possible this quote was referring to someone who was eligible for the 15 Year Letter but hadn’t yet achieved the full 15 years before being laid off, I was concerned that someone who might have already earned it felt like it would no longer be honored.
Anyone who has earned the letter is eligible, minus what remains altered (dependent’s graduate degrees, age cap reduction, spousal benefit reduction, graduate certificates). Anyone who is close to their 15-year anniversary would still be eligible if re-hired within one year. Their “university hire date” will inch closer to the 6/30/2011 “grandfathered date” for each day they’re no longer employed, but they still technically remain eligible if they don’t cross that line.
There’s a larger conversation to be had on the impacts of layoffs to those using TAB, but perhaps that’s for a future Newsletter and/or survey.
(P.S. if this quote was you, please reach out so we can discuss)
As I sign off, know that I’ll be thinking of you this weekend. If you find time to think of me, I’ll gladly take kind thoughts, positive vibes, and especially prayers. Tomorrow morning at 9 and 10:05 I’m reffing back to back soccer games as part of the “Arroyo Seco Cup”, our AYSO Region 214 annual tournament. I’m not sure why I agreed to this immediately after Thanksgiving- especially since my kids aren’t playing- other than to help make it a success for others. I’d like to think I’ll wash that down with a Chicago Bears win at noon, but 35 years as a fan won’t let me be too optimistic. If you don’t have a team, you can root for mine. We have a USC QB (Caleb Williams).
As always, thank you again for being here. You are what makes the community what it is. Without you, change simply won’t happen.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Phil
