Staff Senate Meets Thursday

The Staff Senate will have its regular monthly meeting Thursday, June 18, from 2 to 3 p.m. The meeting is open to the campus community and will be held via Zoom.

On the Agenda:

• President's Welcome
• Special Events Update
• Employee Appreciation Pop-ups
• Other Business

Summary of May 21 Staff Senate Meeting:

Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD, attended the May meeting and shared updates on the $350 million College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building, including strong stakeholder enthusiasm and fundraising momentum. He said the philanthropic campaign for the university's portion of the funding for the building is tracking toward a $50 million philanthropic goal, which includes $39 million for the building and $11 million for programmatic support.

Prabhu Namburu presented the Employee Engagement Committee's plan for this year's round of monthly staff appreciation events beginning in June. The proposed schedule of events includes Campus Police and Security, College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, Office of Research, Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs, and College of Dentistry.

Brack Henderson reported on a recent meeting with UT President Randy Boyd and the Employee Relations Advisory Board (ERAB). He said that he and Porshá Toney were designated as representatives on the HR Policy Committee. President Boyd asked the group to bring one question or wish for the university that would not be limited by money or time.

Toney also explained that the group was asked to sign up for LifeGuides. This is an app UT employees can sign up for that is described as a transformative service for career and personal growth. It offers personalized one-on-one mentors, coaches and guides.

Interim Human Resources Officer Damon Davis announced he will lead the American Heart Walk effort for the campus this year. He said the event is scheduled for Oct. 24. The walk is a major campus initiative.

Call to Action:

The Staff Senate serves as the voice of the staff. The Senate meets monthly to discuss issues of concern and represent staff on staff-related policies, procedures and activities to the university administration. Share your thoughts with your staff senators. Know your representative. Here is the Staff Senate list.