Members of the Professional and Scientific Council approved appointments for three new members at their Dec. 7 meeting. George Loper, Memorial Union; Brimah Vonjo, residence department; and Adam Wade, chemistry, will serve as council members until at least June 30 -- and potentially longer if they seek a permanent seat in the council's March election.
This marked the second consecutive month the council approved appointments due to members leaving the university or resigning from council due to demands on their work time. Council president Patrick Wall said the professional staff councils at the universities of Iowa and Northern Iowa are reporting a similar challenge with resignations from members.
According to its constitution, the council should have one member for every 75 P&S employees.
Tight schedules
The annual professional development daylong conference hosted by the council for P&S employees will be held Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Gateway Hotel, and registration opens in January. Registration will go up $10 for 2024, to $150 ($130 early bird).
The date coincides with the half-day pre-conference for faculty and staff that precedes the Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) at the Memorial Union. Jennifer Schroeder, chair of the council's professional development committee, said the two planning teams are aware of the overlap and neither is able to reschedule their event.
ISCORE has been moved to a Thursday for 2024 (Feb. 29); registration opens Jan. 29.
Holiday collections
In its second annual collection for the SHOP food pantry on campus, P&S employees donated 2,608 pounds of nonperishable foods during November. Logistics and support services provided a vehicle and staff member to help Sarah Larkin, council vice president for communications and community relations, deliver donations from a dozen campus locations to the pantry in Beyer Hall on Dec. 1.
The council's diversity, equity and inclusion committee organized a collection of winter outdoor gear for the Resource Room in the Sloss House. Council members donated more than two dozen coats, hats, gloves and boots last week.
