Letter from the President | Fall 2024

Hello KU Staff,

"The only constant in life is change." –Heraclitus

I think KU Staff would agree that we have been experiencing a lot of change this summer and fall.  We have the new TDX system to keep KU fiscally responsible by paying our bills on time, but also the big change in administratively merging the Medical Center with the Lawrence Campus into One KU. 

As I was tabling at the Staff Leadership Summit, I met a large contingent of staff from the Med Center.  Not only was it staff from Kansas City, but also from Salina and Wichita!  I learned from them that they do not have any sort of governance opportunities.  My brain is spinning on how to help bring them into the Staff Senate fold or how to support them in developing their own governance system. 

This year Staff Senate is working on updating our code around the IT Technology Officer role, following up on the negative impact of HB 2105 on the KU community, and the continuation of Wellness Week each winter.  I will be working with my counterparts in the UPS/USS Council to prepare for a Docking Institute Survey next spring.  Issues that came from the 2022 Docking Survey and the listening sessions have either been addressed or are in the process of being implemented.  The new survey will serve as a good benchmark to compare staff satisfaction not only at KU but across the KBOR schools.

To close, I want to give two shout-outs of appreciation:

To the Landscaping Crew and their work this past spring and summer making our campus beautiful by including native plants.  I enjoyed all the flowers, especially the Globe Amaranth and Zinnias that I see in front of the Kansas Union and the KU Natural History Museum.  I hope everyone else is enjoying the flowers and green spaces as much as I am. 

To the Staff Leadership Summit team and HR for their work creating a day of programming for staff development.  Personally, I really enjoyed this year’s theme and felt I got a lot out of the break-out sessions I attended.  This is a valuable program and is an example to other KBOR schools of KU’s leadership in promoting staff development and satisfaction.

Sincerely,

Teri Chambers

Staff Senate President