Staff Council hears update on paid parental leave policy

All four University of Colorado campuses are exploring the merits of offering a paid parental leave policy, a move that had been recommended by the CU Staff Council.

A council committee had researched, drafted and submitted to CU administration a white paper that advocated for a leave policy and included a wealth of information about similar policies at peer institutions and other entities around the country.

Staff Council members were briefed on the initial steps being taken by administration officials during their May 17 meeting at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.  

Any instituted leave policy likely won’t be a one-size-fits all endeavor; instead, each campus could develop a policy that fits its needs and resources.   

In other business, the council:

1. Discussed whether the Service Excellence Awards ceremony should be paired with a personal development day event rather than be part of the yearly All Staff Council Conference. The awards, which come with a $1,000 prize, are given to four nominated staff members – one from each campus and system administration – who have provided outstanding volunteer service to their campus, the university and community/civic/professional organizations.
2. Heard from Chair Nancy Moore that she will attempt to schedule an informal meeting in the near future with Faculty Council Chair Ravinder Singh to cement a working relationship between the councils.
3. Viewed a letter received from President Bruce D. Benson, who thanked council for their work in the past year and acknowledged their efforts to advocate for staff members on an all-volunteer basis.
4. Discussed requests from various university entities for more information about comments submitted by respondents to the recently released Working Climate Survey. While the council has drafted a summary of the comments received, some requests are for more specific groups of information. Council members discussed whether releasing such information would be appropriate and how such information could be easily compiled. The Working Climate Survey assessed how university staff and classified staff members felt about their work environments in three areas: benefits, professional development and university policies.
5. Announced election results for officer positions. Officers for the 2018-2019 fiscal year are: chair, Nancy Moore (UCCS); vice chair, Jay Campbell (Denver); treasurer, Jeni Webster (Boulder); secretary, Tara Dressler (System Administration); and communication, Carissa Smith (Denver).