Employees at UNMC are exploring the possible benefits to creating a UNMC Staff Senate and have requested that staff members respond to a survey to gauge interest across the UNMC campuses.
The group would be modeled after the UNMC Faculty Senate, with all non-faculty staff members invited to participate in monthly meetings.
The group would work to advance staff interests at the university in areas such as advocacy, pathways to promotions, professional development and work-life balance.
"The University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Kearney each already have staff senates, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is in the process of starting one," said Jacqueline Hankins, one of the organizers of the effort. "A staff senate here could be a benefit to both the university and the staff, and we are trying to see who would be interested in having the resource and participating in it."
The group is asking non-faculty staff members to respond to the survey and to put any questions or feedback in the "Additional Comments" section of the survey.
"This survey data will remain anonymous and be aggregated," said Hankins, a community engagement administrative associate at UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute. "It is simply gauging general willingness to participate amongst the staff body at UNMC."
This is an important initiative, Jackie! Thank you to you and the team for developing this! It is much needed!