UT Staff Council (UTSC) improves conditions for staff and the University as a whole by linking different departments, business units, and individuals together to complete a common goal over the course of one or more years. Our accomplishments include, but are not limited to:
UTSC accomplished all of these by connecting different groups on campus and by maintaining a partnership with the President and all of campus leadership. If you want to be a part of bringing more benefits like these to staff, then UTSC is for you.
UTSC also works with campus leadership to provide advice as well as staff interests, concerns, and issues. We provide nominations to University-wide committees; UTSC reps are often first considered. If you want to learn about campus-wide initiatives and get the opportunity to act as a staff ambassador to those making the decisions, then UTSC is for you.
Certain contentious issues are beyond UTSC's influence. Staff salaries are a function of the Univeristy's budget, which is determined by the Texas legislature. UTSC can't lobby the legislature, per Title 5, Chapter 556 of the Texas government code.
UTSC is not a union; we maintain a cooperative rather than adversarial relationship with campus leadership.
Once you join as a rep, you'll have to meet the following expectations:
UTSC members meet monthly, every third Thursday. You're expected to attend in person or via webcast; if you miss more than four meetings in a row, your membership will be up for review based on your other contributions to UTSC.
Communicate with your district's constituents in person or via email. Send them the UTSC monthly meeting summaries, resolutions, and ask them for feedback.
You will join a UTSC committee, meeting at least once a month to work on a year-long project, culminating in a report to President Fenves. It may require independent research, additional meetings, and/or negotiations.
The President has allocated four hours a month for UTSC work. This should be enough for a UTSC rep. If you become a UTSC officer or committee chair, or if you join a campus-wide committee, you may have to divert more time from your workday or work extra and take comp time, depending on the extent of your involvement. Check with your supervisor.
If you or someone you know is a good fit for UTSC, please nominate them or nominate yourself. Elections are held in April, with midterm elections throughout the year. If your district has no open seats, you can run as an At-Large representative; contact us to get started.