Professional News

Leave Your Mark on Campus: Join Staff Senate

Mark Cornelison l UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2019) — It's never too early to start thinking about how you can get involved on campus this year. Playing an important role in strengthening the university community, the University of Kentucky Staff Senate provides an opportunity for staff members to connect with colleagues across campus, while also working toward creating and maintaining a positive work environment. 

By contributing to the overall mission, vision and values of the university, senate members play an integral role in shaping the university campus culture for its employees. Representing over 15,000 UK employees, Staff Senate acts as a liaison between members of staff and the administration.

"Staff Senate is the voice of the staff. UK’s administration, including President Capilouto and even the Board of Trustees, want to know what we think," said Jon Gent, Staff Senate chair. "We want to keep staff engaged and informed about what is available already, and what change is coming. Lastly, we strive to find ways to make things even more engaging for staff, through the development of new programs (both within the Senate and on campus) and recognition."

Through current support programs like C.R.I.S.I.S. and the Shared Leave Pool and events like Staff Appreciation Day and Outstanding Staff Awards, Staff Senate strives to equip employees with the resources they need to succeed and show gratitude for the work they do on campus. 

"We ask questions about issues staff encounter, from safety issues on campus to food insecurity for staff. We push for greater recognition of a job well done, and we find new ways for staff to develop themselves professionally. Last year, we had first year senators work to increase visibility of this campus for potential students and revitalize some of our processes for UK Appreciation Day," Gent said. 

With their finger on the pulse of the university, members work hard to understand what can be improved on campus and how its people can be better served. Staff Senate is a community of passionate employees who want to make a difference at the university. 

"One person cannot work toward changing the culture on this campus, but collectively the Staff Senate does a little every day."

Nominations for UK Staff Senate will be accepted April 1-26.

For those interested in running for Staff Senate, there will be an information session from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, at the William T. Young Library Gallery. For those interested in running for the staff representative to the Board of Trustees, an information session will be held 11:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Young Library Gallery.