Letter from the Outgoing President | Spring 2026

Dear Colleagues,

As my term as Staff Senate President comes to a close, I want to begin where I started: with sincere gratitude. Across the University of Kansas, staff are foundational to this institution’s success. Your work spans operations, strategy, stewardship, compliance, innovation, and community‑building. You design systems, solve complex problems, manage resources, reduce risk, and shape the daily experience of working and learning at KU. The university functions, evolves, and endures because of your expertise and leadership.

Over the past year, Staff Senate focused on listening, amplifying staff voices, and strengthening shared governance during a period of continued pressure on higher education. We completed the 2025 Docking Institute USS-UPS staff climate survey, which provided updated and important insight into staff experiences and priorities. Just as critical were the targeted listening sessions that followed. Those conversations ensured the survey data was not simply collected, but understood. The feedback gathered will continue to inform advocacy and action well beyond my term.

We also marked a milestone with the introduction of the inaugural Staff Senate Awards. These awards recognize innovation and integrity in service to shared governance and reflect our belief that staff leadership and impact deserve visibility. Establishing this tradition is a meaningful step forward, and I am proud of the foundation it creates for future recognition.

Staff Senate expanded its reach and impact across campus as well. Through participation in the First‑Year Experience program, we connected with new employees early, helping them understand how shared governance works and the vital role staff play in shaping the university. We further strengthened that presence by hosting a session at the fall Staff Professional Development Conference. That space for connection, recognition, and dialogue reinforced the importance of staff engagement, collaboration, and professional growth.

None of this work happens without sustained effort from many people. I am deeply grateful to our Staff Senate committees and especially our committee chairs. Their dedication, thoughtfulness, and persistence were essential this year. They carried this work forward amid increasing federal and state restrictions and continued attacks on higher education. In navigating that environment, their commitment to transparency, collaboration and advancing goals made a recognizable impact.  

As I step away from this role, I do so confident in the strength of Staff Senate and the leadership that continues its work. Shared governance relies on expertise, participation, and trust. Those values remain firmly in place.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve, to listen, and to advocate alongside you. I appreciate the conversations we have had, the progress we made, and the foundation we continue to build together.

With appreciation and confidence in what comes next,

Marissa

Marissa Marshall
President, University of Kansas Staff Senate