Eighteen vacancies on the 44-member Professional and Scientific (P&S) Council were filled for fiscal year 2024 in last month's election. The winners included 14 newly elected and four incumbent (noted by *) members. They will be seated at the end of the council's June meeting. Elected to represent the four divisions were:
- Academic affairs (12 vacancies): Michael Boyd, statistics; Lynne Campbell*, ISU Extension and Outreach; Amanda Eggers, ISU Extension and Outreach; Isaac Ehlers, student financial aid; Rachel Faircloth, Program for Women in Science and Engineering; Leah Feltz, ISU Extension and Outreach; Jennifer Finch, accounting; Paul Gibbins, ISU Extension and Outreach; Chris Knight-Gipe, ISU Extension and Outreach; Sarah Larkin*, Graduate College; Carrie Schwake, Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center; and Kaylee Wellik*, Greenlee School
- Operations and finance (2): Mindy Hanna, finance delivery; and Jennifer Schroeder*, accounts receivable
- President's division (3): Nikki Brandon, environmental health and safety; Sara Everson, public safety; and Lucas Oerter, athletics
- Student affairs (1): Nathan Pick, recreation services
The council's constitution provides a representative for every 75 P&S employees.
Jason Follett, chair of the representation committee, reported a 19.6% participation rate (701 ballots completed of 3,578 invitations), one of the higher rates in recent years.
Follett said there were access issues again this year with the ballots in Qualtrics, and his committee has been working with IT Services staff to study ballot alternatives. Additionally, the email invitation to vote (sent via a vendor) landed in some employees' junk folder.
In council announcements:
- Senior vice president and provost Jonathan Wickert said university leaders await instructions from the state Board of Regents on a regent system review of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and efforts. He said he anticipates a multi-month project that gets underway yet this spring and continues into the fall. Regents David Barker, Jim Lindenmayer and Greta Rouse will lead the study.
- Jennifer Schroeder, who chairs the professional development committee, said all P&S professional development opportunities and archived events back to 2019 are being moved from Learn@ISU to Workday Learning. That task should be completed by July 1.
- Vice president Patrick Wall said the May meeting will include a discussion about consolidating the council's standing committees for better efficiency and outcomes. For example, he said a dedicated communications liaison on each committee might be more effective than a stand-alone communications committee.
The council's next meeting is Thursday, May 4 (2:10 p.m., 3580 MU).
