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One of this year’s goals was to ensure that every staff member had a voice on Staff Council and through this inclusion and commitment to diverse representation we would change the conversation on campus. Too often when campus-wide conversations take place, individuals and groups feel they have been marginalized and left out of the conversation. Staff Council has been committed to changing this narrative and ensuring that every staff has the opportunity to add their voice to the conversation and meaningfully impact the decision making process.Ìý

This year we listened to your concerns and substantially advocated for an adoption of a 6-week paid-parental leave policy for all staff after research tied the lack of a paid policy to the gender pay-gap on campus. ÌýWe also outlined barriers that have long prevented staff from using their Employee Tuition Benefit and requested specific improvements in the registration process, Ìýas well as allowing staff to enroll at the same time as students, and for staff to use their benefit at peer-institutions and community colleges. We worked with our colleagues in the Boulder Faculty Assembly and Student Government to stand united and request additional protections for our DACA students and those at-risk of deportation. All of these achievements represent the power that comes from listening to staff and working together meaningfully to improve the campus that we come to work at every day.Ìý

As a Council, we participated in some incredible record-breaking events, such as the 45th Anniversary Blood Drive with Bonfils Blood Center, beating CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown Blood Drive, becoming the Bonfils Partner of the Year; hosting the Annual Staff Appreciation Breakfast, Ice Cream Social, and the upcoming Field Day; as well as hosting the Annual Years of Service Recognition event. We view these opportunities to both serve and celebrate CU Boulder Staff as part of our commitment to serving campus and are grateful to be a part of these events!

As we step down as Co-Chairs for Staff Council and welcome the newly elected officers, we are reminded how much Staff Council has done to support and serve as the voice for campus through these many years, since its inception in the early 1970’s. This year, we formed strong alliances with Administration, the Boulder Faculty Assembly (BFA), the CU Boulder Student Government (CUSG), the United Government for Graduate Students (UGGS), and many of you. We appreciate these partnerships and hope they continue to thrive far into the future.

We remind you that Staff Council is here to represent and advocate on behalf of staff on these important issues and to ensure no voice is left out of the conversation: From providing affordable childcare on campus, to advocating for discrimination and harassment policies that allow victims the freedom and the security to come forward, to affordable housing for staff, to more open access to professional development, to specific protections for our LGBTQ+ community.Ìý

Please take thisÌýÌýto tell us what issues Boulder Staff Council should be focusing on for the 2018-19 year.

Be engaged.

As with any organization, we are stronger together and we want to encourage every Staff member to get involved:Ìý

• Volunteer with Staff Council
• Attend a full council meetingÌý
• Contact your representative

Staff Council is here to represent you, to advocate for you, and to provide you a platform to help change the conversation on campus.Ìý

Visit http://www.colorado.edu/StaffCouncil and join the conversation!