Advocacy in Action
News from Your Staff Council - April 2020

Staff Council Remains Focused on Staff Concerns

As the University of Iowa responds to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are focused on ensuring that Staff Council continues to work to fulfill its mission to represent our constituents. With the rapid change that has upended each and every one of our work and personal lives, the voices of shared governance are now more important than ever. Staff Council will continue to meet virtually on our regular monthly schedule until such time that we can meet again in person. The Staff Council Executive Committee continues to meet monthly with President Harreld, weekly with members of his team, and every-other-month with Provost Fuentes. UISC President, Mike Weaver, has been meeting at least once per week as part of a larger leadership team receiving up to the minute information as the situation evolves. Read more...

Annual Report to Iowa Board of Regents 

Each year the Staff Council President, along with shared governance leaders from across the Regents institutions, have the opportunity to brief the Iowa Board of Regents on matters related to salary and other important topics. 

This year, given Covid-19, the April Board of Regents meeting was held as a virtual meeting, and therefore the Staff Council's annual report was delivered in the form of a letter. You can read Staff Council President Mike Weaver's report to the Iowa Board of Regents here. 

Staff Council Elections are Underway

Now that the University of Iowa Staff Council (UISC) nomination period has ended you may be asking yourself  what’s next? If your role falls into one of the Function groups where an election is being held, you should have recently seen an email from Staff Council letting you know that elections for function representatives via a Qualtrics ballot are now live through April 20. If your role falls into one of the Organization groups where an election is being held, you should have recently seen (or will soon see) an email from a HR representative with instructions for voting in that election. Continue reading....

Telecommuting Best Practices

With so many of us working from home due to Covid-19, you might be interested in ways to optimize your telecommuting experience. A new resource is available, the Working, Learning and Leading Remotely website where you can find tips and best practices for staff members, including those supervising others.

A Few Minutes with John Laverty

We recently spoke with John Laverty, getting his thoughts about his time on Staff Council and his perspective for the future as the end of his Staff Council term grows near. John has experienced Staff Council from many perspectives, from councilor to Staff Council President and more.  Please read on for a brief interview with John. Continue reading...