2025-2026 Staff Council Committee Accomplishments
Awards and Staff Recognition Committee (ASR)
The Awards and Staff Recognition Committee of Staff Council honored 1,003 鶹ѰBoulder university staff, classified staff, professional research assistants, and research associates for their milestone years of service. The committee also recognized the four Chancellor’s Employees of the Year and the two University of Colorado Staff Council Staff Excellence Award recipients with gift bags. In addition, 18 Brightest Buff Awards were presented.
Committee for Belonging, Equity, Accessibility and Mattering (BEAM)
🌈 1. Advancing the Resolution Supporting Transgender, Intersex & Non‑Binary Employees
Main accomplishment: BEAM ensured ongoing follow‑through and implementation of the Staff Council–adopted resolution titled “Reaffirm and Commit Support for a Positive Work Environment for the Transgender, Intersex, and Non‑Binary Community.”
- Originally presented to Staff Council on April 16, 2025
- Co‑authored by Kathleen Stutzman and Rose Smith
- Now moving into implementation with campus leadership
Project management leadership: Carla Anthony (Assistant Vice Chancellor for Employee Relations, Compliance & Performance Management) is coordinating four sub‑working groups:
- Name Change Working Group
- Advising the ongoing OIT-led project to improve the name change process across campus.
- Training Working Group
- Working to ensure campus-wide professional development trainings are welcoming to all.
- Insurance Benefits Working Group
- Working with the 鶹ѰSystems Benefits Office to ensure our health insurance is serving our community effectively and equitably.
- Data Privacy Working Group
- Working with Athletics and OIT to ensure data collected through 鶹Ѱplatforms is being collected and used responsibly.
📚 2. Launching the Little Free Library (LFL)
This year, BEAM will launch the first Little Free Library on the 鶹ѰBoulder campus, filling a major gap in accessible LFL locations in the area. We will start the LFL off with books that celebrate and affirm our LGBTQIA+, transgender, intersex, and non‑binary communities. A ribbon‑cutting is planned for the inaugural location.
🧭 3. Mentorship Project Progress
We continued development of the Staff Council Mentorship Project, originally created to strengthen connection and support among council members .
Blood Drive and Community Service Committee
Through our 4 blood drives hosted in partnership with Vitalant over the academic year, we welcomed an impressive 194 first-time blood donors. The university collected an average of 52 units per day across the four drives, contributing to an impressive 619 units of red cell and whole blood donations. When including plasma and additional red cell units, the total climbed to 654 units for the academic year.
Thanks to the 鶹ѰBoulder community’s involvement in these blood drives, 1,962 individuals in Boulder County will receive the lifesaving blood products they need. The ripple effect of these drives is lives changed, families supported, and hope restored.
In recognition of these efforts, 鶹ѰBoulder received Vitalant’s Leadership in Giving Award, which members of the Blood Drive & Community Service Committee accepted on behalf of the university on Wednesday, April 29.
In addition to 4 successful blood drives, the Blood Drive & Community Service committee hosted a fall coat drive where we collected 220 coats that were sent out into the community through Coats for Colorado and Streetscape.
None of these accomplishments would be possible without the incredible contributions from students, staff, faculty, and the 鶹ѰBoulder community.
Communications Committee
The Communications Committee published four newsletters this year, with each newsletter sent out to over 6300 people. Each newsletter typically included over 25 articles. Newsletters on average received 1,440 total clicks and 212 survey responses.
Through dedicated partnership with committees, we revitalized the Staff Council website by meeting with groups individually and hosting breakout sessions at full council meetings. In total, 52 representatives across eight committees collaborated to modernize and elevate content that had remained largely unchanged for a number of years.
The Communications Committee also reached out to other Staff Council committees to find ways to support events. One example of an event we supported was Take Your Kids to Work Day. We publicized the activity on the Event Calendar and also posted details on the Staff Council website.
Experience and Elections Committee (ExEl)
This year marked an exciting evolution for this committee, as we expanded the committee's traditional focus on elections to take on a broader role in shaping the experience of Staff Council representatives. This shift created new opportunities to build community, strengthen institutional knowledge, and enhance the effectiveness of Staff Council.
One of the highlights was working with Rose Smith, Staff Council representative, BEAM Co-Chair and Observatory Manager at Sommers-Bausch Observatory, to host an event for Staff Council representatives and their families. Rose and her team welcomed us and shared deep knowledge of the observatory's work, operations and teaching activities, and gave us a glimpse of incredible objects in space.
The committee initiated important efforts towards improving continuity and transparency by working to document election-related processes not currently in the Elections Code. Additionally, the committee developed in-depth position descriptions for Staff Council officer roles. These provide greater clarity around expectations and responsibilities, and help to better prepare candidates, support current officers and strengthen overall leadership effectiveness. We are excited to continue this work in years to come, and continue contributing to more consistent experiences, strong transitions from year to year and leadership development for the future of Staff Council.
Front Line Staff Committee
The Front Line Staff Committee had a productive and impactful year, partnering closely with Central HR to support Front Line Staff participation in the QuickStart program and ensure employees received the guidance and resources needed for success.
In addition, the committee provided support for language services initiatives and initiated discussions with the Office of the Provost regarding the expansion of language services at the campus level.
Outreach and Events Committee
This year, the Outreach and Events Committee successfully hosted Take Your Kids to Work Day, the Staff Appreciation Breakfast, and our newest Treat and Greet events. Thank you to all staff who participated and made these events fun places to mingle with coworkers! These events will be back next academic year after the summer break. Keep an eye on the Staff Council newsletters for how to sign your department up for Treat and Greet sessions.
Payroll, Benefits, Retirement and Legislative Committee (PBRL)
PBRL’s work this year centered on strengthening its strategic role, deepening partnerships, and advancing several major policy initiatives. The committee made meaningful progress toward redefining its identity by exploring a potential name and charge update. It advanced the staff sabbatical initiative through extensive benchmarking, multiple draft proposals, and collaboration with University of Colorado Staff Council (UCSC) for feedback. PBRL also built a stronger relationship with HR, sharing survey findings, advising on performance‑management improvements, and supporting the development of focus groups and change‑management strategies. The committee completed and analyzed the PBRL Staff Survey, using the results to inform HR discussions and identify themes around supervision and communication. Additional accomplishments included engaging with the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) on faculty–staff relations, monitoring policy impacts such as HB25‑1002, and raising the issue of Tuition Assistance Benefit gaps (particularly for 鶹Ѱon Coursera).
Research Faculty Special Committee
- Monthly Office Hours: Launched in December, held monthly on the first Monday as a forum for Research Faculty to raise questions and concerns (e.g., career pathways, visa/funding impacts).
- Newsletter Communications: Distributed two newsletters, improving communication and visibility of Staff Council resources, in partnership with Strategic Relations and Communications (SRC).
- Campus Partnerships: Ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration and connections supporting Research Faculty, including through meetings with HR and RIO personnel.
- Advocacy in Campus Conversations: Representing Research Faculty in discussions on budgeting, time & labor changes, and policy/technology updates.
- Campus Engagement: Participation in outreach events with focus on Research Faculty and their associated units.