Staff Council

The professional staff of Lewis & Clark College are an integral part of the campus community, dedicated and essential to the mission of the College and to the success of our students. The Staff Council is one method for exempt staff to advance the mission of the College by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, a resource for evaluating proposals that impact staff, a mechanism for expressing suggestions and concerns that affect the College and its staff, and an opportunity to promote understanding, cooperation, and communication between staff, faculty, students, and administration.

The Staff Council consists of at least nine members of the Lewis & Clark exempt staff, plus the Associate Vice President of Human Resources, who serves as a non-voting ex officio member. The role of the Staff Council includes:

• Promoting an engaged staff experience by facilitating communication and camaraderie;
• Working in collaboration with Human Resources on opportunities for professional development and advancement for staff;
• Promoting a diverse, inclusive, and equitable staff community across all three schools and Common Services as a single institution;
• Serving as an advisory body to the Executive Council, acting through the Chief of Staff, on matters of importance to staff;
• Reviewing and providing feedback on policies, procedures or proposals that might be brought to the Council for staff perspective and input;
• Nominating staff to College-wide committees, such as the Employee Benefits Committee, 403(b) Committee, and Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee;
• Working with the Chief of Staff to plan and lead Administrative Assemblies, as well as sponsoring and organizing other staff-focused meetings and activities;
• Communicating with and reporting out to staff about Staff Council activities and other matters of interest to staff;
• Creating such subcommittees as the Council may determine to be necessary, and appointing staff to such subcommittees, for particular purposes (such as professional staff development, recognition, retention, Administrative Assembly planning, etc.)

The voting members of the Council are elected by the benefits-eligible (.53 FTE or greater, non-temporary, non-unionized staff. There will be an election every year for three seats on the Council. The elected Council members will serve staggered two-year terms (with three members’ terms ending each year) and are eligible to serve up to two consecutive full terms. In order to stand for election to the Council, a staff member must have been employed at the College for at least one year, stand for nomination, and agree to serve if elected.

It is the Council’s goal to include at least one representative from each of the three schools and Common Services (not including the Associate Vice President of Human Resources). Employees will vote for candidates within their same affiliated area (i.e. their own school/college or Common Services). Any vacancy on the Council occurring between elections will be filled by appointment by the remaining Council members for the remainder of any unexpired term. The members of the Council will elect their own leadership, for example chair, vice-chair, and secretary, on an annual basis. The Council will likely meet monthly (including summer), but may meet more or less often as appropriate. The Office of Human Resources will provide support to the Council.