Staff Senate Committees
Staff Senators are required to serve on at least one standing committee and attend all committee meetings to which they are assigned, unless excused by the committee chair. Committee members shall be appointed at the first meeting of the term. Committee members will be appointed by the President or presiding Chair. Standing Committees will meet on opposite months of the full Senate unless otherwise noted. Standing committees include the Executive Committee, the Bylaws Committee, the Liaison Committee, the Communications Committee, the Elections Committee, the Personnel Affairs Committee, and the Recognition Committee.
* denotes the committee chair(s)
Bylaws Committee
Purpose: Review of and make recommendations for amendments of the bylaws and the Staff Senate policies and procedures.
Duties of the Bylaws Committee:
- Serve as a resource for the Executive Committee and the Staff Senate regarding potential amendments to the bylaws
- Review proposed amendments to ensure they are consistent with the current bylaws and bring proposed amendments to the Staff Senate at the next regular meeting for a vote of approval
- Compile the approved amendments and present the amended bylaws to the Executive Committee at the last meeting of the year
- Act as a parliamentary advisor during Staff Senate meetings
Bylaws Committee Members:
Communications Committee
Purpose: Create and maintain communications for the Staff Senate
Duties of the Communications Committee
- Promote the Staff Senate's work and opportunities for staff engagement
- Establish and increase awareness of the Staff Senate's role to advocate for and impact staff-related concerns and issues
- Highlight applicable messaging from campus partners via Staff Senate's newsletter and website
- Update the Staff Senate website
- Support remote attendance of Staff Senate meetings by managing Zoom call and multimedia functionality (microphones, video, etc.)
Communications Committee Members:
Elections Committee
Purpose: Oversee and help coordinate Staff Senate and officer elections along with the Executive Secretary
Duties of the Elections Committee
- Solicit candidates for open seats in the Senate, prioritizing candidates are representative of staff job categories and diversity
- Organize elections in accordance with Section X.3.3
- Maintain records of election results and terms of office
- Evaluate the composition of each electoral constituency to ensure proper representation and provide a report to the executive committee prior to each election
- Propose the apportionment of Senate seats according to established guidelines every other year at the October meeting
Election Committee Members:
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of six (6) members, including the President, the Vice President for Internal Affairs, the Vice President for External Affairs, Executive Advisor, the Secretary, and the Executive Secretary.
Duties of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall meet once per week or as necessary. The Executive Committee shall act for the staff between meetings of the Senate and the Assembly. The Executive Committee shall meet with the Chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at least once per semester, except when waived by mutual consent. The Executive Committee shall advise and otherwise assist the Chancellor in implementing all the duties and administrative functions specified in 2.8.2 of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. The Executive Committee shall report to the Staff Senate about such meetings and receive instructions from the Staff Senate concerning the position of the staff relating to the operations of the University. The Executive Committee shall also meet with the Chief of Staff at least monthly, except when waived by mutual consent, and shall advise and otherwise assist the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff in carrying out the duties and functions specified in Section 1.2.2.3 of the Bylaws of UNL.
Executive Committee Members:
External Affairs Committee
Purpose: Monitor executive, judicial, and legislative activity and communicate relevant updates that may impact University staff.
Duties of the External Affairs Committee
- Monitor local, state, and federal government activities impacting staff
- Identify and report potential legislative issues affecting staff
- Monitor and assess non-legislative governmental actions that may affect the campus community
- Provide analysis to help with understanding implications
External Affairs Committee Members:
Internal Affairs Committee
Purpose: Provide an avenue for the regular exchange of ideas on personnel policies, employee benefits, and other staff-related matters
Duties of the Internal Affairs Committee
- Review current benefits and personnel policies
- Make policy-related recommendations that affect staff
- Propose new policies and/or benefits that would benefit staff
- Report regularly to the Staff Senate body on recommendations
Internal Affairs Committee Members:
Liaison Committee
Purpose: Oversee the appointment of Senate members to liaise with other campus committees and bring issues or important information to the attention of the full Senate.
Duties of the Liaison Committee
- Coordinate representation of Staff Senate members with organizations and commissions both within and outside of campus
- Recommend who will serve as representatives on organizations and commissions
- Find and recommend replacements for liaisons as seats become available
- Compile committee reports to present during Senate meetings
- Review and update annually a list of Senate and other campus-wide standing committees
Liaison Committee Members:
Recognition Committee
Purpose: Recognize and reward staff for exemplary service to the University or community
Duties of the Recognition Committee
- Determine what campus-wide awards are available and propose new staff awards
- Call for nominations for the awards each spring
- Review submissions in terms of requirements
- Notify nominees and recipients
- Notify appropriate University offices and work with Communications Committee to publicize outcomes
- Plan and implement an annual Staff Celebration Day
Recognition Committee Members:
Workplace Culture Committee
Purpose: Work toward creating a healthy, collaborative, and professional work environment for all staff.
Duties of the Workplace Culture Committee
- Promote a healthy workplace culture
- Foster staff engagement, development and connection
- Monitor and report on workplace trends in higher education
- Regularly report recommendations to improve workplace cultures
Personnel Affairs Committee Members:
