Staff Council looks to boost participation

During its first meeting of this school year, University of Colorado Staff Council considered ways to promote and raise its visibility; discussed the effects of House Bill 11-1301, including a salary pool for exempt professionals and faculty; and reviewed details of the upcoming fall retreat.

Staff Council members discussed ways in which the group might encourage more people to participate and serve the university community though the development of a culture that promotes and supports service. Members say constituents report that they often don’t receive needed support from managers or supervisors to join councils or other service organizations. Some of the recommendations discussed were:

• Work to generate more support and commitment from administrators and supervisors for those staff members who wish to participate on governance groups.
• Underscore the importance of Staff Council by requesting to present updates during President Bruce D. Benson’s town hall meetings or other similar events.
• Use a portion of the council’s budget to present staff enrichment or service learning events.
• Work to promote and increase visibility of the university, the staff and the Staff Council in the local community.

The group will consider these recommendations and prioritize goals for the remainder of the year at its fall retreat, Oct. 2-3 in Estes Park. Some topics for discussion during the event may include tuition benefits and the trend toward classified positions transitioning to exempt positions.

In other business, E. Jill Pollock, chief human resources officer and senior associate vice president, updated council on a variety of programs at the university, including:

• The 3 percent salary pool for faculty and exempt professionals. The plan was approved with constraints, including meeting budget and enrollment targets. Any decisions on compensation for faculty and exempt professionals would not occur until October at the earliest. Pollock said the administration also is considering ways to compensate classified staff.
• New emphasis on wellness will begin the first week in October with the availability of an online health risk assessment tool. The tool allows participants to obtain baseline information about their health and get advice for improvement. The university will only see aggregate results of the assessment and use those to address member needs. Drawings and other promotions will encourage people to participate.