September 2007

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the first installment of Staff Council Updates!

This posting will contain basic Council information, but I hope following posts will bring news of current developments and events throughout the 2007-2008 academic year.

The Council website is a good source of information, and it should be getting better soon with the upgrades planned for the coming year. To be as accurate as I can, I'll refer to the website or the Council Office for questions concerning rules, responsibilities, policies, advisory recommendations, and any other information requiring a Council approval by vote.

If there is any topic not addressed or not clear, or if a person has any questions, please feel free to contact a council rep--if we don't have the answer, we'll find it for you! Anyone may also contact the Staff Council Office directly, by calling 6-4493 or via email at staff.council@uvm.edu.

Don't forget to check the current Staffline for upcoming classes, Wellness events, recreational discounts, the agenda for Staff Recognition week (Sept. 24th-28th), and much more.

See you soon,

Joanne


What is the Staff Council and what does it do?

"The Staff Council addresses topics and issues of concern for UVM staff employees."
"The Staff Council and Staff Council Committees submit recommendations and requests to the Administration for review. " (Requests & Policy Recommendations)

Representatives' official responsibilities are outlined in the first article of the Council's Constitution:

1.11 To listen to, pursue and respond to the ideas and opinions of staff employees;
1.12 To convey these ideas and opinions to the university administration;
1.13 To advise the president of the university or his/her representative(s) on all subjects that affect staff employees;
1.14 To inform staff employees of issues and policies affecting them.

Staff Council members must also serve on at least one of these 9 committees:

1. Benefits
2. Communication
3. Education and Professional Development
4. Employee Environment and Facilities
5. Executive Board
6. Internal Affairs
7. Recreation
8. Rules and Election
9. Salary and Budget

Please Note: Except for the Executive Board, membership on these committees is open to ALL members of the UVM staff, faculty, retirees and students!

If you have an expertise to contribute or even just an interest, please do consider joining--no previous experience is necessary, and community input is not only welcomed, but actively recruited.

Applications are available at the Staff Council office, or on the Council website under Forms and Applications.



Who Are The Representatives?

The current Staff Council membership list is published in the latest issue of Staffline which contains a lot of useful information this month. (Past issues are archived on the Council website)

Meetings this year are scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month, and except for executive sessions, are all open to the community.


Elected Officers & Committee Chairs

Zancy VonHooks, Staff Council President 2007-2008

Karla Nuissl was elected Vice President for 2007-2008

Committee Chairs for 2007-2008:

Benefits: Marilyn Eldred
Communications: Jon Reidel
Education & Professional Development: Cat Woodward
Employee Environment & Facilities: Todd Stewart
Internal Affairs: Lori Clairmont
Recreation: Ida Russin
Rules & Election: Rodman Cory
Salary & Budget: Deb Bryan

Committee assignments for regular members should be available soon.