The purpose of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Staff Senate is to be an advisory body on issues, institutional policies, and practices that impact staff. Our focus is to promote common interests among the staff, to advocate for staff welfare and development, and to participate in the formulation of institutional policy and governance.
The Staff Senate’s top priority over the next two years is to improve the workplace culture and engagement experience for all staff employed at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Workplace culture is defined as the overall atmosphere and environment of an organization as experienced by its employees. It’s made up of the values, beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of the people who work there. Some traits of a positive workplace culture include trust and psychological safety, a sense of belonging, professional development opportunities, and flexible work scheduling.
Workplace engagement is defined as how committed and invested employees are in their day-to-day work and the overall success of their organization. It’s about feeling connected, motivated, and passionate about the organization’s goals. Some traits of positive workplace engagement include lower absenteeism, lower turnover, fewer safety incidents and accidents, higher productivity, and higher customer and client satisfaction.
The Staff Senate Task Force on Workplace Culture and Engagement is a collective of Staff Senate leaders, UNL administrators, campus experts, and staff representatives to identify the supporting objectives that need to be accomplished over the next two years to achieve the main priority. The supporting objectives help us tangibly measure our progress toward the main priority. The Task Force is time-bound and will conclude its efforts by June 30, 2026. The Staff Senate President may alter or redirect this Task Force as needed.
As of November 14, 2024, the Staff Senate Task Force on Workplace Culture and Engagement has identified nine supporting objectives that will need to be accomplished over the next two years to improve the workplace culture and engagement experience for all staff employed at UNL.
The nine supporting objectives include:
1. Enact a modern and equitable family medical leave policy
2. Ensure competitive salary and benefits across all job classifications
3. Implement a workplace harassment and bullying prevention policy
4. Provide resources and support for staff mental health and well-being
5. Establish a standardized and transparent promotional equity process
6. Increase staff equity in leadership representation
7. Increase staff recognition and awards
8. Coordinate accessible professional development opportunities for staff
9. Improve the talent management experience
The number of supporting objectives—and their roadmap to achieve the main goal—may change or alter since this is a living and breathing initiative. Change is constant in life, and this task force is designed to adapt quickly to future institutional change. This is intentional since we are embracing an ongoing feedback process involving different and diverse campus communities to gather valuable input to take informed action.
Moreover, the task force is not meant to compete with campus leaders and experts who specialize in improving the workplace. Rather, our goal is to have a mutually beneficial partnership, a good-faith effort to tackle this complex issue together.
I know we can improve the university’s workplace culture and engagement experience for all staff employed at UNL if everyone—including you—actively participates in this process. Together, we can make the university a first-rate employer of choice. Together, we can ensure that every person and every interaction matters. I hope you will join us in this important effort.