Professional News

Staff Senate Nominations Now Open

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 10, 2012) -- Today, it is more important than ever for University of Kentucky staff members to be involved in every aspect of their employee responsibilities. One of the most effective ways to get involved is the UK Staff Senate.

With nominations now open for new Staff Senate elections, the timing could not be better.

The Staff Senate is the official representative body of the staff of the University of Kentucky. Its mission is to create stronger bonds within the staff and encourage cooperation among staff, faculty, students, administration and the Board of Trustees for the benefit of the university. This organization gives staff at the university a voice by providing an opportunity for all staff members to have an interactive role in defining and maintaining a workplace that encourages input from all staff in creating a harmonious environment. 

If you are interested in becoming a staff senator, please check the Staff Senate website for election information and the nomination form. The nomination period is April 9 – 30, and elections will be held May 17 – 31. Click here for a list of senate seats that are open during this nomination period.

In order to stand for election to the Staff Senate, an employee must be in a regular staff position with an FTE of .75 or greater, and have been continuously employed at the university for at least one year by April 1, 2012.

Senators serve a three-year term and are expected to attend monthly Staff Senate meetings, which are held in the William T. Young Library Auditorium at 1 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. Senators must also serve on a committee which entails at least another monthly meeting.

Nomination forms are posted on the Staff Senate website for completion. The nomination form must be filled out completely, including approval of the immediate supervisor. You must also submit a platform statement of no more than 100 words, describing your function within the university and/or goals if elected.

Staff members will be able to self-nominate throughout the nomination period, continuing through April 30. Any questions about being a Senator can be addressed by Kean Ashurst, acting chair of the Elections Committee, at (859)257-7319 or kashurst@engr.uky.edu.

The UK Staff Senate was created in 2002 by the Staff Senate Development Task Force with the endorsement of President Lee Todd to represent staff interests throughout the UK enterprise. Since its inception, the Staff Senate and the Office of the President have co-sponsored the Outstanding Staff Awards, conceptualized and supported C.R.I.S.I.S. - Crisis Relief in Situations Involving Staff, helped create the UK Remembers ceremony, sponsored Staff Appreciation Day and UK Fun Night with the president and vice president of finance and administration, assisted hospital staff with getting the day after Thanksgiving as a holiday, helped establish the Shared Leave Pool, provided funding to assist with the first Staff/Faculty Survey that helped bring about some changes to UK employee benefits, opened communication lines to top administrators, gained representation on university committees, and co-sponsored the Governor’s Forum on campus, among other accomplishments.

Staff Senate meetings are held the second Thursday of each month in the William T. Young Library Auditorium and are open to the public.  Staff members can also visit the Staff Senate website to find the Staff Senator in their precinct for any questions or concerns.