VCU Staff Senate receives approval for staff representation on Board of Visitors

By Malorie Burkett

Beginning in July, a representative of the Virginia Commonwealth University Staff Senate will join the Board of Visitors during regular quarterly meetings.

The Board of Visitors recently approved a policy to allow for a Staff Senate representative to join the board in equal standing with the representatives of Faculty Senate and the Student Government Associations on both the Monroe Park and MCV campuses. 

“Staff members are integral to carrying out the mission of our institution,” said VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D. “There’s a clear collaboration among faculty, staff and students and the appointment of a staff representative to the Board of Visitors signifies that the different voices across our campuses can be fully represented.”

This makes VCU only the second university in the state to have an official staff representative approved for the BOV. Virginia Tech received approval last August.

“Having this seat sends a clear message that the administration recognizes the important contributions we make by letting us partake in the highest level of government at VCU,” said La Forest Williams, president of the VCU Staff Senate.

Williams also said that having staff representation at the table can give BOV committee members a different perspective of the university’s day-to-day operations.

Williams approached university leaders, including Stephen D. Gottfredson, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs, for support in the initiative.

 “At VCU, we view the academic community as a partnership among students, faculty and staff,” Gottfredson said. “We are a family in which our positions give us different roles to play, but one that could not function without the dedication and contributions of all. The contributions, work and opinions of each member of the family are to be valued and respected, irrespective of position.”

In addition, Williams worked closely with Jean Brickey, president of the Virginia Tech Staff Senate, who provided guidance and support in pursuing the BOV approval.

“What the VCU Staff Senate is doing already is in line with the mission and vision of this institution,” Williams said. “This is a historical milestone for the university as a whole and we, along with Virginia Tech are being recognized as models for other institutions.”

The staff representative to the BOV will serve as a nonvoting representative to the Academic and Health Affairs Policy committee, but also may sit with any committee during open session.

The VCU Staff Senate serves to support the diverse staff of VCU and the VCU Health System by facilitating communication and making responsible decisions to meet the current and future needs of the university community. For more, visit http://www.vcu.edu/staffsenate/.