Council Notes: Updates from Staff Council
Baylor Staff and their families enjoy a free movie on the field at McLane Stadium, 2024
Welcome to Council Notes! Every month, we'll update this page with the latest information from Staff Council meetings, including links to our minutes and agendas, and info on upcoming events.
New Staff Council T-Shirt Available!
Staff Council is partnering with the Baylor Bookstore to offer a brand-new t-shirt featuring the same design from our popular Christmas sweatshirt!
- $17 (includes fac/staff discount)
- Soft tri-blend fabric = major comfort!
- Just say you're there for the Staff Council shirt
đź“Ť Available now at the Baylor Bookstore
📦 Not on campus? Free shipping available – email matthew_culberson@baylor.edu to set it up.
April 2025
Congratulations to everyone for participating in the Staff Council nomination and election process! Across the university, 83 people were nominated for Staff Council this year, and 49.5% of eligible voters participated to elect a total of 34 new representatives.
During the April meeting, Staff Ombudsperson Susan Anz opened the meeting with an encouraging report that indicates Baylor staff are aware of the availability and resources of this new role. Anz will continue to serve as the Staff Ombudsperson for another year and then will explore the best way to transition the role to another person working with HR, with advice from Staff Council. If you are a Baylor staff member with a concern that you do not feel you can take to your supervisor or HR, contact Susan Anz at Staff_Ombuds@baylor.edu or (254) 710-8470.
After a Holy Week-themed meditation and prayer, Dr. Jeff Olafsen provided a brief Faculty Senate update. Faculty Senate and Staff Council were able to encourage Baylor's OGC and Office of the Provost to post slides from the Spring Faculty meeting in lieu of the video, which was unpublished a few days after the meeting. Other issues discussed included the COACHE survey results, retiree access to Baylor-licensed software, access to the new Teaching Professor rank, and ongoing budget concerns, especially related to travel.
The Senate declined a request by Student Government to create a faculty syllabi repository and raised objections about the university cutting funding for KWBU. Members raised concerns about December grade deadlines and faculty dining room access during the summer. The meeting closed with a conversation about issues coming before the Texas Legislature that could impact higher education.
The Council then heard a report on Staff Council elections and held a runoff vote for next year's Vice-Chair and affirmation votes for Chair and Secretary. Chelsea Derry was affirmed as Chair for next year, Maxcey Blaylock was affirmed as Secretary, and Daniel Ramirez was elected Vice-Chair.
The meeting concluded with several brief committee and working group reports:
- The Baylor Bookstore will soon hold another Staff Council t-shirt sale.
- Inquiry into establishing a Staff Regent have stalled but move forward.
- The Ensuring Easter for Everyone initiative and bone marrow drive were successful service opportunities.
- The Council decided not to pursue asking HR to consider increasing vacation accruals to create 12 days off per year.
- A staff mentorship program is still in development and may be implemented next year.
Photo gallery: Ensuring Easter for Everyone - Dallas and Waco
Ensuring Easter for Everyone 2025
March 2025
After opening with a Lent-inspired time of spiritual formation, Chief Investment Officer David Morehead oriented the Council to Baylor's Investment Office and the management of its $2.5 billion endowment. Morehead encouraged representatives to spend endowment dollars before operating dollars as an act of stewardship that curtails tuition increases. As the endowment grows, more money is given to the university, further offsetting tuition funding operational costs. Baylor's Investment Office plans to double the endowment every five years and continue to outperform top universities.
Next, Chair Lauren Muhl reported on a favorable conversation with HR about re-branding the fall and spring staff forum sessions. Conversations have started with Faculty Senate and the Office of the Provost that Council leadership hopes will result in a combined meeting.
Faculty Senate representative Dr. Jeff Olafsen then provided an update from a busy meeting that included conversations about required syllabus statements, lengthening grading periods, testing centers, increased transparency on university finances and budgets, managing the rapid-fire changes coming from Washington D.C., nine-month faculty contract implications for summer funding, shared governance and enhanced communication with the Council of Deans, retired faculty access to university resources, issues with the Bookstore having inadequate textbook stock, and the Office of General Counsel's rationale for removing the video from the Faculty Fall Forum meeting due to their guidance on the changing legal environment.
The Chair then encouraged participation in the annual Great Colleges to Work survey and announced volunteer opportunities to serve on a committee to honor Baylor staff.
A slate of next year's Staff Council officers was then introduced with Chelsea Derry serving as Chair, a run-off between Daniel Ramirez and Whitney Cortner for Chair-Elect, Maxcey Parrish as Secretary, Hannah King as Treasurer, Luke Whiting as Chaplain, Eric Ames as Webmaster, and Jamie Basher as Parliamentarian. Voting and confirmation will take place at the April meeting.
The Advancement Committee then presented the upcoming Staff Council t-shirt sale that will take place at the Bookstore and encouraged the Council to contribute to the Staff Council Scholarship Fund during Giving Day on April 2.
The Membership Committee reported that 84 people were nominated for open Council seats and are being confirmed by HR ahead of elections for ten university divisions to be completed before the April meeting.
There will soon be two Staff Council service events: An Easter food insecurity event for students in concert with The Store and a Be the Match drive. Each will be held at the School of Nursing and on the Waco campus.
The Benefits & Eligibility Committee reported on comparative research on leave accrual that showed Baylor's generosity in this area and asked whether the Council should request a one-day (8 hours) sick leave accrual per month as opposed to the current 7.33 hours per month. Conversation was tabled due to time.
Finally, the Mentorship Committee shared their research into staff mentoring programs at other institutions and offered a proposal for Baylor to implement a program oversee either by HR or added to the infrastructure of Staff Council. An online survey was distributed the Council for feedback.
February 2025
The February Staff Council meeting opened by acknowledging the unique stresses being faced by all who currently work in higher education, and encouraging everyone to find space for open conversation and self-care. After an opening prayer and the approval of January minutes, Dr. Jeff Olafsen reported that at the January Faculty Senate meeting Chief Financial Officer Curtis Reynolds and Provost Brickhouse reviewed external and internal financial challenges that will impact budget planning for the coming year. Senators discussed the impacts of the university's shift from ten to nine-month faculty contracts and an update to the faculty workload policy that sets faculty service at 10%. Faculty Senate also talked about the potential impact of federal and state legislative decisions on Baylor. Following this report, the Council voted to approve updates to the Staff Council Constitution by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee and the Executive Board. The Membership Committee chair then reviewed this year's Staff Council nomination and voting goals, timeline, and process. Chair Lauren Muhl then led a discussion of the new staff awards submission process that merges the annual staff award nomination process into the BaylorPLUS recognition program. Concerns were raised by the Council about this new approach that will be communicated by the Executive Board to HR.
Not sure who represents your area on Staff Council? See the list here!
January 2025
After opening with a meditation on the Gospel of Mark and prayer, Raphael Abayateye from Global Engagement provided the Council an overview of the programs and services of the office. Then, Daniel Ramirez and Caroline Nickle from Baylor Marketing and Communications reviewed best practices for the use of email at Baylor and encouraged the use of the university’s Emma mass email platform. The Constitution and By-Laws committee reviewed proposed edits and some minor revisions to Staff Council by-laws that will be reviewed and voted on at the next meeting. Dr. Jeff Olafsen provided a brief Faculty Senate update that included a report on changes in research administration, updates on microaggressions in the classoom, AirBNB as an option for travel, the asynchronous Monday in the spring, the ongoing transition to Interfolio for faculty reviews, changes coming to the student evaluation process, and the upcoming Faculty Senate elections. The meeting concluded with committee reports that covered upcoming Staff Council nominations and elections, the staff compassion fund, a developing survey on remote and flex work, and an update on developments toward a staff mentoring program. The meeting was adjourned, and the Council will convene again in February.
Not sure who represents your area on Staff Council? See the list here!
December 2024
At the November meeting, Staff Council heard a brief report from our Faculty Senate liaison and then discussed the successful Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night at McLane Stadium. The Council then discussed the quality of faculty/staff wellbeing efforts at the university in response to a request made by a representative from Staff Senate at Texas Tech University. Staff Ombudsperson Suzan Anz then came to report and receive feedback on the first eight months of having this role at the university. Staff are reaching out to Susan, and she has been effective in hearing expressed concerns, directing people to university support resources, and ensuring confidentiality within federal and state reporting constraints. She assured the Council of the demonstrated importance of the role for Baylor and that it would continue moving forward. Staff members in need are encouraged to contact Susan at Staff_Ombuds@baylor.edu or (254) 710-8470. Lastly, Council members were tasked with encouraging people in their areas of the university to complete the Chartwells survey and a Child Care Task Force survey that is being conducted by the Baylor Women's Colloquium.
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