Staff Senate Newsletter | Fall 2023
Staff Senate Committees
Letter from the President
President: Chris Wallace
President-Elect: Teri Chambers
We are right in the middle of some significant, and positive, projects for Staff Senate. In May, the senate membership policies changed to have staff equally represented in the University Senate. Staff Senate now sends eighteen staff representatives—an increase from twelve—to this larger body. We hope that this new composition will result in greater attention to issues that staff face and to the many ways we contribute to keeping KU going.
Senate leaders have also been busy over the summer working on the Staff Satisfaction Survey response. We held engagement sessions in May and early June 2023 to gather your perspectives and insight and we look forward to presenting our Advisory Team’s recommendations soon. Staff Senate plans to closely follow the outcomes of these recommendations to keep the staff voice at the center of any changes.
I am excited and proud to be leading the Staff Senate for another year. We will work to represent and advocate for all staff at KU. Please reach out if you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions.
Chris Wallace, FY2024 Staff Senate President
August 2023
President-Elect: Teri Chambers
We are right in the middle of some significant, and positive, projects for Staff Senate. In May, the senate membership policies changed to have staff equally represented in the University Senate. Staff Senate now sends eighteen staff representatives—an increase from twelve—to this larger body. We hope that this new composition will result in greater attention to issues that staff face and to the many ways we contribute to keeping KU going.
Senate leaders have also been busy over the summer working on the Staff Satisfaction Survey response. We held engagement sessions in May and early June 2023 to gather your perspectives and insight and we look forward to presenting our Advisory Team’s recommendations soon. Staff Senate plans to closely follow the outcomes of these recommendations to keep the staff voice at the center of any changes.
I am excited and proud to be leading the Staff Senate for another year. We will work to represent and advocate for all staff at KU. Please reach out if you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions.
Chris Wallace, FY2024 Staff Senate President
August 2023
Ad Hoc Technology Committee
We have been busy over the summer revising the Staff Senate website. Our goal was to make a user-friendly, informative, and inviting space for both current and prospective senators, as well as any other interested parties, to learn about the purpose and the work of Staff Senate. We expanded the membership pages so that constituents can better get to know their senators and added extensive resources and historical information to other pages.
Our next project is to revamp the Staff Senate Teams site to be accessible to anyone involved in Staff Senate. While it is currently an organizational space for only the Executive Committee, it will soon include a space for all senators and for each committee to collaborate.
Our next project is to revamp the Staff Senate Teams site to be accessible to anyone involved in Staff Senate. While it is currently an organizational space for only the Executive Committee, it will soon include a space for all senators and for each committee to collaborate.
Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Chair: Kim Conard
Chair-Elect: Trina Collins
Some of the work Staff Senate D&I committee has been doing this Fall:
Unpacking Whiteness in the Workplace 3 session series on 9/13, 9/27 & 10/11/23 from 2-4:00 p.m. We will do this 3 sessions series again in the Spring semester. It is always advertised in the HRM Newsletter to campus. You can sign up in MyTalent for any of these sessions. Although it is a series of 3 sessions, they do not require attending the previous session in order to participate, since we mainly focus on small group discussions. Plus, there is some overlap of information that any session can be attended separate from the others.
In conjunction with the Office of DEIB, we assisted in bringing a consultant to KU to offer a Facilitation Training this Fall. This was open to not only the Staff Senate D&I committee, but to all of Staff Senate and other offices on campus that might benefit like the Office of DEIB and SAPEC. This training was/is being held virtually 9/20, 10/4, 10/18, & 11/1/2023 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Our Communications Action team will have a new issue of The Lens coming out in late October-ish.
Each of our 3 ACTION teams on the Staff Senate D&I committee have been meeting as well and in September they finalized their plans for AY24.
Anyone interested in being on the Staff Senate D&I committee is welcome to join. As with all the Staff Senate committees, you do not have to be a senator to volunteer and participate in this committee. Feel free to reach out to either myself, Kim Conard, or our chair elect, Trina Weekly if you are interested.
Chair-Elect: Trina Collins
Some of the work Staff Senate D&I committee has been doing this Fall:
Unpacking Whiteness in the Workplace 3 session series on 9/13, 9/27 & 10/11/23 from 2-4:00 p.m. We will do this 3 sessions series again in the Spring semester. It is always advertised in the HRM Newsletter to campus. You can sign up in MyTalent for any of these sessions. Although it is a series of 3 sessions, they do not require attending the previous session in order to participate, since we mainly focus on small group discussions. Plus, there is some overlap of information that any session can be attended separate from the others.
In conjunction with the Office of DEIB, we assisted in bringing a consultant to KU to offer a Facilitation Training this Fall. This was open to not only the Staff Senate D&I committee, but to all of Staff Senate and other offices on campus that might benefit like the Office of DEIB and SAPEC. This training was/is being held virtually 9/20, 10/4, 10/18, & 11/1/2023 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Our Communications Action team will have a new issue of The Lens coming out in late October-ish.
Each of our 3 ACTION teams on the Staff Senate D&I committee have been meeting as well and in September they finalized their plans for AY24.
Anyone interested in being on the Staff Senate D&I committee is welcome to join. As with all the Staff Senate committees, you do not have to be a senator to volunteer and participate in this committee. Feel free to reach out to either myself, Kim Conard, or our chair elect, Trina Weekly if you are interested.
Staff Senate Committees
Elections Committee
Chair: Kevin Liu
Chair-Elect: Angela Robb
We currently have a full roster of Senators for the 2023-2024 term, including three at-large senators and two senators completing a resigning senator’s term. The elections in 2023 filled 15 seats for a new three-year term.
K.U. Staff Senate is a great way to meet people, network, and participate in shaping the future for Staff at KU.
I encourage anyone interested in KU Staff Senate to contact me at gkliu@ku.edu.
Kevin Liu
Elections Committee Chair
Chair-Elect: Angela Robb
We currently have a full roster of Senators for the 2023-2024 term, including three at-large senators and two senators completing a resigning senator’s term. The elections in 2023 filled 15 seats for a new three-year term.
K.U. Staff Senate is a great way to meet people, network, and participate in shaping the future for Staff at KU.
I encourage anyone interested in KU Staff Senate to contact me at gkliu@ku.edu.
Kevin Liu
Elections Committee Chair
Legislative Affairs Committee
Chair: Sarah Wilson Merriman
Chair-Elect: Sam Evans
Legislative Affairs welcomes anyone who is interested to join the committee. We meet the third Tuesday of every month at 1:30pm over zoom. Currently we are working on developing an advocacy guide for staff members in addition to the other standing committee charges and are actively looking for new members.
Legislative Affairs encourages all staff to vote in the upcoming local elections on November 7th. You can register to vote and/or request an advance ballot by mail at http://KSVotes.org. Remember that the university provides up to two hours paid time off to vote so let your voice be heard in local elections! You can also vote early October 18-November 6 at your local elections office.
Chair-Elect: Sam Evans
Legislative Affairs welcomes anyone who is interested to join the committee. We meet the third Tuesday of every month at 1:30pm over zoom. Currently we are working on developing an advocacy guide for staff members in addition to the other standing committee charges and are actively looking for new members.
Legislative Affairs encourages all staff to vote in the upcoming local elections on November 7th. You can register to vote and/or request an advance ballot by mail at http://KSVotes.org. Remember that the university provides up to two hours paid time off to vote so let your voice be heard in local elections! You can also vote early October 18-November 6 at your local elections office.
Personnel Affairs Committee
Chair: Michelle Wilson
Chair-Elect: Vacant
The standing charges of the Personnel Affairs Committee are to 1) provide an avenue for the regular exchange of ideas on employee benefits, university policies and procedures, and other matters that relate to university staff; 2) forward matters of interest to the public relations committee for dissemination; and 3) plan and coordinate professional development activities for university staff. The committee has aligned its 2023-2024 ACTION with the focus areas of The Docking Institute USS and UPS Employee Satisfaction Survey Results 2022. The 2023-2024 overall goal is to concentrate on Culture, Inclusion, and Retention. The ACTION Teams will specifically focus on Compensation and Benefits; Nature of Work; and Leadership, Appreciation, and Recognition.
If you are interested in getting involved on the Staff Senate Personnel Affairs Committee, please contact Michelle D. Wilson, Chair, michellewilson@ku.edu.
Chair-Elect: Vacant
The standing charges of the Personnel Affairs Committee are to 1) provide an avenue for the regular exchange of ideas on employee benefits, university policies and procedures, and other matters that relate to university staff; 2) forward matters of interest to the public relations committee for dissemination; and 3) plan and coordinate professional development activities for university staff. The committee has aligned its 2023-2024 ACTION with the focus areas of The Docking Institute USS and UPS Employee Satisfaction Survey Results 2022. The 2023-2024 overall goal is to concentrate on Culture, Inclusion, and Retention. The ACTION Teams will specifically focus on Compensation and Benefits; Nature of Work; and Leadership, Appreciation, and Recognition.
If you are interested in getting involved on the Staff Senate Personnel Affairs Committee, please contact Michelle D. Wilson, Chair, michellewilson@ku.edu.
Staff Senate Committees
Professional Development Committee
Chair: Candace Bond
Chair-Elect: Corinna Lynn Johnson
The Staff Senate Professional Development Committee is dedicated to enhancing staff members' skills and knowledge through funding professional development opportunities. We believe that investing in our employees not only boosts their confidence and job competency but also expands their networks, providing access to valuable industry insights. In our commitment to fostering career growth among staff, this fiscal year the committee has already received fifteen staff applications and awarded more than $7,000 in financial assistance.
Chair-Elect: Corinna Lynn Johnson
The Staff Senate Professional Development Committee is dedicated to enhancing staff members' skills and knowledge through funding professional development opportunities. We believe that investing in our employees not only boosts their confidence and job competency but also expands their networks, providing access to valuable industry insights. In our commitment to fostering career growth among staff, this fiscal year the committee has already received fifteen staff applications and awarded more than $7,000 in financial assistance.
Public Relations Committee
Chair: Vance Sorrell
Chair-Elect: Vacant
Being part of the Public Relations Committee has been a great learning experience. I enjoy the fact that I get to meet and work with some great people. We have a small but mighty group that includes the following: Vance Sorell, Elise Goubet, Sondra Murphy, and Allison Newman.
The Charges for the Public Relations Committee are as follows: put out the Staff Senate Newsletter twice a year and upload Senate information to social media outlets Facebook and X.
The first Web Based newsletter for the Staff Senate was put together this year by the public relations group. We look forward to being a part of the University Staff Senate and we are willing to help other committees in any way we can. If you want to be a part of something special that makes a difference in the future join the University of Kansas Staff Senate. Great people and great fun.
Chair-Elect: Vacant
Being part of the Public Relations Committee has been a great learning experience. I enjoy the fact that I get to meet and work with some great people. We have a small but mighty group that includes the following: Vance Sorell, Elise Goubet, Sondra Murphy, and Allison Newman.
The Charges for the Public Relations Committee are as follows: put out the Staff Senate Newsletter twice a year and upload Senate information to social media outlets Facebook and X.
The first Web Based newsletter for the Staff Senate was put together this year by the public relations group. We look forward to being a part of the University Staff Senate and we are willing to help other committees in any way we can. If you want to be a part of something special that makes a difference in the future join the University of Kansas Staff Senate. Great people and great fun.