Elizabethtown College’s first Staff Council members were elected recently and announced in an email sent to the campus community. The council will serve as a voice for non-faculty College employees.
“In its representation of all Staff employees, the Elizabethtown College Staff Council will strive to promote better understanding, increased cooperation and open communication among all constituents on campus,” the group’s mission statement reads. “Staff Council will work to recognize staff contributions and enhance the overall operation of Elizabethtown College.”
Thirteen employees from various campus departments will serve as the College’s first Staff Council members.
Dining Services cook Sarah Jane Bretz and baker Amie J. Mull represent Dining Services. Assistant Registrar Erica Dupes and Admissions and Marketing Coordinator Julie Walton represent Academic Affairs. The Student Life division is represented by Office Manager Cheri Way, Campus Security Director Andrew Powell and Associate Director of Strengths Coaching and Ethical Leadership Development Stacey Zimmerman.
Staff Council also includes Interim ITS Managing Director Brian Helm, as well as Senior Manager of Special Events and Summer Programs Joe Hudzick and Carpentry Supervisor Jeremy Schmoel from Facilities Management. Assistant Annual Fund Director Paige Weber represents Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations. Senior Accountant Jayma Reaggs and Assistant Director of Admissions Annie Skrabak round out the council.
“The faculty members I’ve talked to have said ‘it’s about time,’” Weber said. “Students and faculty have had [representation] for a long time, while staff members were floating out there in limbo.”
Staff Council has been about a year in the making. Senior staff gauged interest in forming a staff leadership body in January 2018.
Over time, a group of self-named Staff Council Ambassadors laid the foundation for things like group rules and election processes. Members were nominated and elected, and the goal was to hold the College’s first Staff Council meeting in fall 2019.
Senior staff encouraged the council to form earlier, though, while the College goes through changes like welcoming a new president and opening the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being. Way said that despite the time crunch, forming this semester will make it easier to do things like communicate staff needs, objectives and concerns to president-elect Cecilia McCormick.
“The agenda will fill up quickly, and I’m sure there will be plenty for us to do,” Way said.
Way and Weber were Staff Council Ambassadors before being elected to the actual council. As ambassadors, they wrote the council’s bylaws and decided how many representatives each division would have. Weber and Way said the number of colleagues who have congratulated them on being elected or already voiced suggestions has surprised them.
“I think the staff across campus are excited,” Weber said. “They expect good things from the council, and that will drive us for sure.”
The council has yet to meet but plans to meet at least twice per semester.
Weber said getting 13 people on different schedules from different departments to meet at the same time will be one of Staff Council’s main challenges.
In terms of leadership within the group, members will elect a Staff Council Chairperson, a Vice Chair, a Secretary and a Web Communicator, probably at the first meeting. Way figured the first meeting will also be a brainstorming session to figure out the council’s first goals and initiatives.
Weber and Way hope Staff Council can improve the morale of non-faculty employees while being an asset to everyone in the College community.
“It’s possible that if we roll this out right, we can increase the general morale of staff [to work] every day,” Way said.
Way and Weber also agreed that the challenges will be worth it if it means giving staff members on and off the council a voice and an information resource.
“It’s always daunting to be the ones with the title, but Staff Council is a great opportunity for us to develop leadership skills the way [the College does] with students all the time,” Way said. “We might not have the word ‘director’ in our titles, but a baker can lead, too.”
Staff Council has a page on the College’s website.
