Staff Senate

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Nomination & Campaign Information

For complete nomination details refer to the Staff Senate Constitution link above.

Member Responsibilities

• Stay informed and represent the interests of their respective constituencies.
• Participate in all votes except when there is a conflict-of-interest.
• Support decisions of the Staff Senate.
• Regularly attend Staff Senate meetings.
• Be visible and accessible to their constituency.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding closed session meetings.
• Make judgments on the basis of what is best for the University and higher education rather than to serve individual interests.
• Refrain from actions that might prove embarrassing to Staff Senate.

Term Commitment

• A constituency or regional representative’s term lasts for two years, beginning at his/her induction at the June meeting (or a subsequent meeting following a delayed or special appointment or election) and ending at the commencement of the June meeting in his/her second year, regardless of the month in which his/her term began.
• An at-large representative’s term lasts for one year, beginning at his/her induction at the June meeting (or a subsequent meeting following a delayed or special election) and ending at the commencement of the next June meeting, regardless of the month in which his/her term began.
• No representative may serve on the Senate for more than six consecutive years. Representatives in their fifth or sixth years may not seek re-election or appointment to the Senate. After an individual sits out for one year, the individual is again eligible for election/appointment.
• Members are expected to attend all regular Staff Senate meetings, which are held monthly, and last, on average, for three hours.
• Members may be appointed to University-wide or internal Senate committees.

Nomination Eligibility

• Any WKU Staff Member can nominate any other staff member regardless of their employment category. An employee may also nominate him/herself.
• All members with a minimum of 1 year of continuous University employment shall be considered eligible to seek election to the Staff Senate.

Campaign Guidelines

Once nominated, candidates are encouraged to campaign but must abide by the campaign guidelines.

All candidates/nominees for Staff Senate must adhere to the following rules to minimize the disruption to the campus during the campaign process:

• Each candidate/nominee is limited to a total of two (2) staff-all emails during the campaign. Emails may be sent on any day, including the day of the election.
• Campaign materials may be posted on all public bulletin boards. Materials should not be posted on building doors, in bathrooms, over signs, or anywhere that would generally be considered a public nuisance.  These materials must be removed on the day following the election.
• Candidates/nominees should not seek endorsements from current Staff Senate members, and no current Staff Senate member may actively campaign for any candidate. However, current Staff Senate members may actively encourage staff members to vote for the candidate of their choice.  Emails to staff-all should be kept to a minimum.

Violations of these campaign guidelines will result in disqualification from the election.  The Staff Senate Vice Chair will review alleged violations on a case-by-case basis and confer with the Chair to determine appropriate disciplinary actions.  Disqualifications are final and not subject to appeal.

Download Nomination Form