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Standing Committees and Goals

Employee Events and Outreach

Involves USI’s administrators in university-wide events; sponsors events that recognize the service and achievements of administrators at USI. Develops productive partnerships with university groups such as the Faculty Senate, the Staff Council, and student groups; works with HR to welcome new staff and increase awareness of the Senate in the larger community.

Chair: Emily Ozee
Vice Chair: Hannah Perigo

Employee Relations and Benefits

Reviews salaries and benefits and makes annual recommendations for changes; works with Human Resources regarding employee concerns and the process to address those concerns; recommends promotion and progression steps; addresses the relationship between administrators and the University as an employer; reviews, studies, and recommends Senate action regarding performance, evaluation, professional leave, and policies and procedures which affect administrators’ ability to function in their positions. 

Chair: Michelle Kirk
Vice Chair: Trista Lutgring

Nominations and Elections

Composed of three continuing Senators appointed by the Executive Committee and chaired by the Past Chairperson, the Elections Committee manages and oversees the annual elections process for Senators and Senate officers. In addition, the committee shall monitor the number of administrators in each Senate district to ensure adequate and equitable representation. If it is necessary to reconfigure the composition of districts (in response to university restructuring or other changes in the number of department administrators), then the Elections Committee shall also carry out that duty.

Chair: Tricia Tieken

Professional Development

Addresses efforts to provide and encourage professional growth and development of administrators; assists in developing training for administrative staff, specifically during fall and spring meeting activities; reviews, studies, and recommends Senate action regarding such matters as professional leave and continuing education.

Chair: Erin Hollinger
Vice Chair: Spence Farmer

Bylaws

Ad Hoc Committees: The chair and/or the Senate Executive Committee shall appoint ad hoc committees as needed. The Bylaws Committee will examine changes and additions to the Administrative Senate Constitution and Bylaws.

Chair: Tricia Tieken

Employee Events and Outreach

  1. Develop a new administrator onboarding experience - cards, check-in emails, potential buddy system
  2. Connect more with current administrators by hosting more events - i.e., BYOLs, employee walks, etc.
  3. Monthly administrator emails

Employee Relations and Benefits

  1. Standardize flexible work arrangements: Define eligibility criteria by role, set a default baseline (e.g., 1–2 remote days/week where duties allow), and allow ad hoc flexibility for short term needs for those not utilizing consistent remote days. FREE in terms of actual costs.
  2. Create a sick leave donation bank: Re-draft policy and pilot within one area. We need to consider the HR Administrative burden and come up with solutions there. Also, this could be considered a "FREE" endeavor.
  3. On campus childcare: Conduct a feasibility study and partnership scan - If anything admin senate can "post" our efforts in USI today to show if this is possible.
  4. Compensation and livable wages – always a concern and main reason we can’t keep Administrative Assistants here….constant turnover in some departments due to wages; Athletics Department and Marketing/Communications Department all got wage increases when the University went to D1. No other areas were upgraded like that.
  5. Vacation Time Policies – need to extend the cap and adjust the earning of vacation days based on tenure (reach 10 years = more vacation).
  6. Dress Code Flexibility – helps with costs of business attire, retention, etc.
  7. Expanded Flexible Work arrangements – helps with recruiting and retention.

Professional Development

  1. Provide at least one professional development opportunity for administrators per semester
  2. Provide the online new administrator welcome session to all new administrators on a regular basis
  3. Continue to add content and resources to the Admin Senate PD web page to share professional development opportunities, links to FAQs, and serve as a resource for administrators.

Nominations & Elections

  1. Increase election participation (# of votes) by 5%
  2. Utilize Past Chairs to promote elections
  3. Review the election process to ensure user-friendliness
  4. Engage constituents throughout the year to increase top-of-mind awareness

Bylaws

N/A

Past Committees' Chairs