New Staff Senator 101

Why does Staff Senate exist?

Staff Senate seeks to amplify the voices of all staff members on the KU-Lawrence and Edwards campuses, fostering collaboration and support staff members' personal and professional growth. According to the Staff Senate Code, the official purpose of Staff Senate is to:

• Represent the interests of all university support staff and unclassified professional staff of the University (Lawrence and Edwards campuses);
• Serve as a forum for member presentation and discussion of common concerns of employment (e.g., opportunities for professional development, salaries/benefits, evaluation standards and procedures); and
• Provide a formal mechanism for communicating common concerns to appropriate University and State officials.

What has Staff Senate accomplished?

The advocacy of Staff Senate has been influential in a number of initiatives that benefit KU staff members, including but not limited to:

• The expansion of tuition benefits to employee dependents effective January 2023
• The continuation of Winter Break paid time off between Christmas and New Year's Day
• The development of KU HR's new employee orientation and First-Year Experience programs
• The establishment of the Campus Constituent Surveys Implementation Team
• The creation of the Jayhawk Thanks Program for mutual staff member recognition
• The origination of the "Unpacking Whiteness in the Workplace" workshop series