Get Involved


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About Staff Senate

Staff Senate is one of three representative senates at KU, which together form University Governance. Read about the history of Staff Senate and how it fits into the overall governance structure.

Become a Staff Senator

All KU staff members are eligible to serve on Staff Senate and are invited to vote in the elections, held each Spring. Any staff member can nominate a candidate, and self-nominations are encouraged. Senators are elected by their job category to ensure proportionate representation of the electorate within the body, with 1 senator for every 75 staff members. See the table below for job category makeup. Elected members serve three-year terms.

 

Staff Senate CategoryConstituent Job Family

Academic

Educational Support & Delivery

Administrative

Administrative Support
Para-Professional/Professional

Information Technology

Information Technology

Operations

Facilities Planning, Design & Operation, Skilled Trades, Campus Services/Service Maintenance

Research

Research

Student Services

Advising, Career & Student Services

Support

Food Service and Dietary
Healthcare
Library Services
Museum / Arts
Public Affairs
Public Safety
Publishing
TV, Radio & Video Production

Administration/Management    

Administration/Management

Serve on a Committee

All KU staff members can serve on a committee; you do not need to be a senator! Staff Senate appoints staff members to serve on the Standing Committees of the Staff Senate, as well as Ad Hoc Committees when they are created. These representatives are recruited throughout the year.

Staff Senate also appoints staff members to serve as senate representatives on the Standing Committees of the University Senate, as well as several Appeals Boards and Commissions that are housed within Governance and the Provost's Office. These representatives are recruited each summer. Use the online form below to contact a committee chair.

 

Why serve?

“Tucked away in our individual departments, it’s sometimes hard to see the big picture that is the University of Kansas. Being a Senator has allowed me to network and meet colleagues from all around KU. Unclassified Senate allows me to connect and feel a part of this fantastic educational community.”

- Adrienne Landry, Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies


"Serving on the Senate has given me a chance to have a closer look at how the university runs, what the important issues are for both the university and unclassified professional staff, and the process for effecting change. I have a better understanding of governance at the university as well as new insight into issues facing colleagues from other sectors all across campus."

- Susan Mercer, Associate Director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research


"Being part of the senate is an amazing opportunity, not only to serve the university, but to develop professionally and meet great people from across campus – people who share a sense of responsibility for their community."

- Easan Selvan, Associate Director, Information Technology Services