Responsibilities

Responsibilities of Staff Senators

Each staff association elects a number of senators based on the number of staff represented by that association (from two to five). Senators serve three-year terms, typically staggered within each association.

• Attend monthly meetings, currently held on the third Thursday of each month at noon (except December).
  • Can’t attend? Send notice to the Secretary so you will be marked excused in the minutes. If we are voting on a resolution, send an Alternate in your place.
• Serve on at least one of four Staff Senate standing committees.
  • Communications manages email lists and discussion groups, the website, social media accounts, and coordinates people to staff outreach events like the Employee Appreciation and Hokie Wellness Fair.
  • Elections & Nominations conducts the annual election for officers; nominates staff members to fill vacancies on University Council, commissions, and committees; and reaches out to unrepresented areas of the university to assist in the formation of staff associations.
  • Policies & Issues explores issues that affect staff, drafts resolutions for the Senate to vote on to solve those issues, and reviews and updates the Staff Senate constitution and bylaws.
  • The McComas Leadership Seminar committee plans the annual daylong seminar for staff employees.
• Communicate issues discussed in Staff Senate to your constituents and raise issues from those constituents in Staff Senate.
• Serve in university governance through membership on University Council, commissions, committees, task forces, search committees, Senate ad hoc committees, and other university-wide groups

Responsibilities of Staff Senate Alternates

Each staff association can decide how to select alternate senators and how many alternates to select. Some associations elect an alternate for specific senators, some have a pool of alternates who can serve when needed. Associations can choose the length of alternate terms, usually one or three years.

• Attend monthly meetings in place of senators when they must be absent.
  • All Senate meetings are always open, so you may attend any meeting even when not substituting for a senator.
• Alternates may serve on a Senate standing committee.
• Communicate with your staff associations senators in case you need to substitute when a vote is taken.
• Serve in university governance; many positions open to senators are also open to alternates.

Responsibilities of Staff Senate

• Staff Senate will regularly communicate to its membership issues and concerns brought to the Senate, through meeting agendas and minutes, through emails to our various lists and posts to discussion groups and social media, and through summaries from other bodies on which we serve.
• Staff Senate will simplify participation in shared governance for staff on our extended campuses outside of Blacksburg.
• Staff Senate will bring concerns and issues from the university staff to administrators through shared governance bodies, direct meetings, written reports, and resolutions voted on by the Senate.
• Staff Senate will facilitate meetings of staff association leadership to share best practices, to hear concerns from staff, and to improve communication among units of the university