'Behind the Blue': Advocating for University Employees With UK Staff Senate Chair Olivia Ellis
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 15, 2021) — Established in 2002, the University of Kentucky Staff Senate is the official representative body of the staff of the university. Beyond representing the interests of staff in conversations and decision making with university administration, the Staff Senate works to strengthen relationships and empower all university employees and students to participate in the decision making process.
Staff Senate is behind special events such as the Outstanding Staff Awards, UK Appreciation Day, Conversation with the President, UK Remembers and more. The Senate consists of 133 senators across five sectors, with 13 standing committees that address issues such as community outreach, employee engagement, benefits and professional development
On this episode of "Behind the Blue," UK Staff Senate Chair Olivia Ellis talks about her involvement with Staff Senate, what compelled her to advocate for others and programs such as the Lunch & Learn series, mentorship programs and crisis relief efforts for fellow UK staff.
"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. “The Kentucky Wildcast,” the UK Staff Senate podcast, is also available on your favorite podcast platforms.
For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of "Behind the Blue" can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.
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As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.