April '24 Updates from University Governance
Dear all,
That’s another year in the books! We want to thank everyone who attended a senate meeting, served on a committee, or read one our updates for your participation in shared governance. All levels of involvement, from the smallest to the most time-intensive, are valuable and necessary for continuing our mission of shared responsibility and decision-making. As University Governance finishes this year’s business and prepares for transition to the next, we welcome you to read on for recent updates and new announcements.
Expanded University Senate Committee Membership
The University Senate International Affairs Committee recommended an expansion of their membership to provide equal representation of faculty, staff, and students, as well as prioritize representation from international students. The Senate approved this reorganization as an opportunity to better address the charges which affect these constituencies.
New General Research Fund (GRF) Allocation
Faculty Senate voted to accept the GRF allocation recommendation of the Faculty Research Committee. The allocation of these funds has not been revised since 1994 and did not include the School of Professional Studies. To learn more details about the recommendation and its implementation, read the full notification that was sent to faculty.
Staff Senate Newsletters
There are two new newsletters to read from Staff Senate! Learn about what staff senators and committees have been working on over the past year in the Spring 2024 Staff Senate Newsletter. You can also check out the D&I Committee’s Spring 2024 issue of the Lens, which covers DEIB work that directly involves KU staff.
New Leaders in University Governance
Each senate recently elected new senators and leadership to take on the work of shared governance next year. Consult the Governance website for updated memberships and join us in welcoming our new leaders.
- Sam Brody, Faculty Senate President
- Misty Heggeness, Faculty Senate President-Elect
- Teri Chambers, Staff Senate President
- Marissa Marshall, Staff Senate President-Elect
- Josh Arpin, University Senate President
- Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, University Senate President-Elect
If you would like to join your new leaders in the direct work of University Governance, please consider volunteering for a committee as those calls come out. ANYONE can join a governance committee—you don’t need to be a member of any of the senates!
As always, please contact your senate president or the Governance Office if you have any questions, concerns, or comments.
Rock Chalk!
Victor Gonzalez, FY2024 Faculty Senate President
Chris Wallace, FY2024 Staff Senate President
Turner Seals, FY2024 Student Body President
DaNae Estabine, FY2024 Student Body Vice President
Josh Arpin, FY2024 University Senate President-Elect