By Melody Mendoza
Staff Council will begin seeking nominations for representatives to take office in June and serve a two-year term. General elections will begin in May.
Prudence Morris, chair of the elections committee and digital resources librarian, gave a presentation at the council meeting March 23.
The council will email a nomination form to staff members using the Staff Council email address and will deliver printed forms to departments and offices to ensure staff members are notified.
Nominations will be open for one week. Then, the council will email the nominees to see whether they accept or decline the nomination.
Staff members who are eligible:
• Employed full time,
• In a position below the vice president level or its equivalent,
• Employed at the University for the 12-month period preceding the election,
• Employee has not announced retirement.
Current members of the Staff Council election committee are not eligible to run.
Ballots will be created for each equal employment opportunity category and will be sent out via email and to offices and departments. Voting will be open for one week.
Winners will be emailed and the announcement will be made at War Room.
In other news, Kenneth Mitts, vice president for finance and administration, gave a presentation about the ongoing budget process for the upcoming fiscal year.
He explained that throughout March, division heads were asked to form feedback from their departments regarding financial needs. In April and May, Stephanie Scott, assistant vice president for financial services and comptroller, Mitts and President Maria Hernandez Ferrier will meet with each division head to review their requests. Then, Scott will make projections of revenues and subtract costs like utilities and salaries. In May, the Executive Cabinet will meet to discuss priorities and the budget will be submitted in early June.
Jill Reddish, Staff Council president elect and communications specialist, announced upcoming events and committee chairs gave reports.
• The Staff Council softball team’s season began March 9. Games are every Friday evening. Their next game is at 8:40 p.m. April 6 on field No. 2 of the Alva Jo Fischer Softball Complex, 10700 Nacogdoches.
The council’s record is 0-4. Christina Martinez, office manager of enrollment management and social committee chair, said the record is low because the council’s team was put in an advanced league. Nonetheless, Martinez said, “We have a great time.” She also noted that one game, the council almost came back for the win and only lost by four runs.
• Martinez said the social committee will meet in the next week to discuss when the next social hour will be. Originally, social hour is 5:30 p.m. every last working Friday of the month, but this month’s event falls on April 27, the Battle of Flowers parade.
• Martinez said the social committee will also meet about Walking Wednesdays and Zumba, which have been on hold because of weather and business with the budget process.
Walking Wednesdays is a social event where staff members take a walk on the mile-long University Way. Walking participants meet in front of the large fountain in front of Main Campus Building.
Zumba was originally at Gillette Campus, but the council is discussing it be moved to Brooks City-Base Health and Wellness Center, 2860 Louis Bauer. Zumba is at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. The council will notify staff when the function will continue.
• Robert Vasquez, chair of the philanthropy committee and assistant registrar, reminded the council of the committee’s next function. Fill the Bus is a school supplies drive that will begin in May to collect supplies for local schools.
• Vasquez also announced that he is selling tickets for the Battle of Flowers parade on April 27. He said there is a section of about 100 seats designated for Texas A&M-San Antonio employees. Tickets are $14 and seats are located in the same area as last year which was at Fourth Street and Broadway.
• The fundraising committee headed by Jolene DesRoches is planning to sell University flags for car windows. The committee is talking to vendors and planning to presale in April. The plans for the flag will include the spirit jaguar and another will have the rose window on a black background. still designing;
• Morris reported the council’s balance as $5,111.80.
