Staff Senate, Shared Governance, and Sustainability

At first glance, the phrase “Staff Senate, Shared Governance, and Sustainability” might seem out of place. Taking them at face value, “Staff Senate” is a governing body on campus representing staff, “Shared Governance” is a concept that contributes to the practice of shared decision-making rather than centralized power, and “Sustainability” calls to thought the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

But the three combined develop a new meaning beyond environmental sustainability and empower change on campus and in the commonwealth.

Change and decision-making at the University of Kentucky happens in conjunction with three branches of shared governance. One branch is UK’s Student Government Association, representing the 31,000 UK students that have chosen to pursue their academic dreams here in Lexington. Another branch is the University Senate, comprised of UK faculty from across our campus community, charged with charting the academic course on behalf of the university.

But there is one branch that represents UK employees in all 120 Kentucky counties and beyond: Staff Senate.

While you may know them for the free t-shirts, lunch, and activities they provide at UK Appreciation Day each year, UK’s Staff Senate does more than host events. UK’s Staff Senate provides a platform and a voice in decision-making at the administrative level for the 20,000 staff members who empower our students and faculty, serve Kentucky communities, heal our sickest Kentuckians, and conduct groundbreaking research each and every day.

And the results of Staff Senate’s voice speak for themselves. During the June 2021 UK Board of Trustees meeting, UK’s Trustees approved a $5.1 billion budget that included an unprecedented investment in UK employees.

The Board voted to:

• Increase the minimum hourly rate for regular employees to $15 an hour beginning January 2022.
• Created a new paid leave program or staff employees to welcome a new child or care for an ill parent.
• Funded a 2% merit pay increase beginning January 2022.
• Provided a one-time $1,000 payment to all regular employees.
• Resumed the 10% employer retirement contribution rate on July 1.
• Extended the deadline to use fiscal year 2021 vacation until March 31, 2022.

But what does this have to do with sustainability?

Including the traditional view of environmental stewardship, sustainability is necessary in every operation of the University of Kentucky. The University needs sustainable employment practices, land development, and financial goals to stay relevant and thriving. And, as WholeSum states, “sustainability is also about social justice and economic prosperity.”

Staff Senate is a key piece in advocating for sustainable development and enacting practices that positively impact the human and environmental assets in and around the University and the Commonwealth.

Building a sustainable future relies on creating a workplace that actively works to meet the needs of our environment and our people – and that is what Staff Senate aims to do in its work with administration and its voice in the Main Building.

What can Staff Senate do to help the university and the Commonwealth meet these ambitious goals? A few options include advocating for forward-thinking work places that call for the better use of the University’s resources; educating staff members on the options available to them through UK’s Office of Sustainability; and listening to the experts so Staff Senate can speak up for change that will position the University, our people, and our environment in such a way that sustainability becomes second nature.

But what does Staff Senate need to make all that happen?

You.

Let Staff Senate know your thoughts, ideas, and concerns related to sustainability and beyond. Staff Senate exists to be the voice of staff and to connect staff to decision-making processes. Let your voice be heard and see the change that comes.