Advocacy in Action
News from Your Staff Council - February 2020

Hawkeye Caucus Day, April 7, 2020

Each year, volunteers from UI Staff Council travel to the State Capitol in Des Moines to join other University of Iowa representatives on Hawkeye Caucus Day. This special day is an opportunity for state legislators to hear about UI accomplishments directly from the people who are responsible for many of those accomplishments, including UI staff. It’s also a day to highlight how the university positively contributes to the entire state, region, and local area. UI staff are proud of our contributions to this institution, to the surrounding area, and the state – Hawkeye Caucus Day gives us the opportunity to share that pride – your pride – with the legislators who engage with us this day. Please let your Staff Council representative know if you have a message you’d like her or him to carry to Des Moines on April 7, 2020. If you don’t know your representative, please reference the Staff Councilor Directory or contact us at staff-council@uiowa.edu. We welcome your comments!

Staff Positions on University Presidential Charter Committees

Presidential Charter committees play an important role in the shared governance of our University, as well as meeting the goals of the UI Strategic Plan. Charter committees were established in an effort to assure that University-wide services and activities are carried out in the best interests of the UI community.

Their general responsibility is twofold: 1) to recommend and to advise on the formulation of University policy, and 2) to assist in the interpretation of University policies to their respective constituencies. Please consider playing a critical role for the shared governances of the University of Iowa by applying today.  Read more...

DEI Celebration; You are Invited!

UI Staff Council and the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion invite you to join us at the 3rd annual Making an Impact on DEI on Campus celebration on Monday, March 2, 2020, at the Old Capitol Rotunda. President Bruce Harreld and Executive Vice President and Provost Montse Fuentes will speak on the importance of UI Staff’s impact on DEI and plans for the future. Doors will open at 3 pm, with remarks beginning at 3:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Last year’s attendance topped 150 people, and we hope you will join us this year. Please RSVP by February 20th by clicking this link.

2030 Sustainability Goals Listening Posts

The Office of Sustainability and the Environment recently notified the campus community of the upcoming 2030 Sustainability Goals listening posts. The draft 2030 Sustainability Goals proposal is now online for review ahead of these forums.   

How you can weigh in on the Goals: The UI’s 2030 Sustainability Goals Subcommittee will be gathering feedback from UI community on the UI’s 2030 Sustainability Goals. These sessions will include a presentation by the 2030 Sustainability Goals Subcommittee, open discussion, and feedback gathering. There will be two opportunities to attend the listening posts and weigh in on the draft goals. They are on: Monday February 17, from 6-7 pm in 140 SH; and Tuesday February 18 from 3:30-4:30 pm in 140 SH.  For those who cannot attend, please submit suggestions and comments for the Subcommittee via Qualtrics. 

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Blake Rupe in advance at 335-5121 or blake-rupe@uiowa.edu.

Teri Schnelle; Active from the "Get-go!"

Meet Teri Schnelle, Associate Director, Assessment, Improvement & Research in Student Services. Teri shares her perspective as a 1st year Staff Councilor in the short interview below.

What made you want to run for Staff Council in the first place?
It is important to me to be involved in my community and make a difference where I can. Serving on Staff Council allows me to be involved in the shared governance process, provides opportunities to support systemic change, and is a valuable leadership experience.

What has been the best aspect of your experience in serving as a councilor thus far?
I have enjoyed the opportunity to be involved with many different projects and committees. I have worked on a proposal for catastrophic leave, a shared governance committee on sustainability, and a proposal for staff tuition assistance all in my first semester on Staff Council. Read more...

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service 2020

Staff Council volunteers joined other UI staff and community members for the Day of Service in Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 20. Councilors Matsalyn Brown, Jadvyga Gerasimovic and Kathy Ford turned their day off into a “Day On” and volunteered at the Iowa Children’s Museum Monday morning. They were hard at work disinfecting play stations, organizing play areas and even spent some time preparing fairy wings! The Day of Services is a collaborative effort between the City of Iowa City, the University of Iowa, and numerous nonprofit agencies.

Dance Marathon 26

Another wildly successful Dance Marathon has come and gone, and Staff Councilors were in the thick of it! It’s always a pleasure to serve our community with fellow councilors. We’re so proud of the UI students who share their passion for helping kids and their families who face and fight cancer, and we were glad to fight alongside them. If you missed the chance to participate this year, look for the opportunity to serve during Dance Marathon 27!