September 9, 2004

Joseph Papick, director of the Graduate School of Social Work’s Child Welfare Education Project and president of University of Houston Staff Council, spoke with UH Today about his vision for the upcoming fiscal year.

Q What new issues do you hope to address during your tenure as Staff Council president?

A Some of the new issues I hope to address involve the outcome of work that’s been occurring over the past couple of years. This work focuses around the results of the Staff Council Survey, particularly development and leadership and career development for staff and supervisors. The other key issues deal with benefits and ways to improve them. We also want to explore new ways we can give staff members positive recognition. And finally, I want to continue moving forward the Strategic Plan that President Gogue and the board have developed.

Q What current issues facing Staff Council do you hope to continue pursuing as you make the transition from secretary to president?

A One of the areas I want to continue pursuing is how we select Staff Council members to ensure we have good representation from all major divisions. There is a lot of diversity within this university, and we need to capitalize on that. Another area we’ve been working on is giving employees a better understanding of the benefits offered here at UH. We’re considering a new employee orientation workbook that would be available in print or online. We also want to build upon how we recognize staff with the spring staff luncheon and the awards ceremony. We also want to follow up on staff tuition reimbursement regarding its effectiveness and usefulness, ensuring that staff members are aware of its availability and encourage its usage, so all staff members who want to pursue an education can do so.

Q What do you expect from Staff Council members during the next fiscal year?

A I expect a lot of involvement and a commitment to quality work, to building a consensus and to including other staff members in council activities, not just members. To do that, we need to make sure all staff within the colleges and other areas of the university know what Staff Council is doing. We need to seek their input on issues and encourage their participation. We’ve had a great couple of years, and I’m looking forward to seeing that continue.

Q How do you plan to attract more staff members to Staff Council?

A We had some competition within a couple of the elections for Staff Council. Even though there were only one or two slots for every eight or nine staff members who applied, we hope to be able to involve them in some committee work and activities. We hope that staff members continue to hear about the accomplishments of Staff Council and also be involved with the events we sponsor. The more we can listen to staff and use their input, the more they will show interest in what we do, which encourages participation. We had 250 votes cast in the last election, and that’s only a small percentage of the staff working here. I really want and hope we can reach more staff. I want to encourage staff to ask questions and seek information in the fall and spring forums. This sort of participation allows us to find out issues staff members are concerned about.

Q Any last thoughts?

A I appreciate the past leadership of the council. Thanks to Angie Shortt and Jeff Fuller, as well as the committee chairs and officers who provided great leadership during my first two years on council. I’ve learned a great deal more about the university, and I’m sure there is much more I will learn over the next year. I’m eager to continue the good leadership in the past and work with all the members who want to achieve good things. We have a good team, and the energy is apparent. I’m happy and proud to be a part of it.

By Leticia Vasquez
Lvasque5@central.uh.edu