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Staff Council Turns 25

During the 2011-2012 school year, Staff Council celebrated 25 years of service at the University of Houston. As part of its celebration, Staff Council is highlighting 25 Staff for 25 Years as representatives of the diversity and the broad range of positions and talents that support the University's missions. Also, a major event commemorative event was the 2012 Annual Staff Appreciation Picnic, held on June 15 at the UH Pavilions. In the photo above, UH President Renu Khator and Staff Council volunteers prepare for delivery of food items donated by attendees to the Houston Food Bank following the picnic.

This celebration is possible because of the charter that UH Chancellor Richard Van Horn signed that created Staff Council on February 28, 1986. Dr. Van Horn directed that "the Council will serve as an advisory body to the administration to promote a positive and meaningful interchange among staff, faculty, and students and will promote recognition of the staff contribution on the mission of the campus." Dr. Van Horn further charged that "the Council will function as an avenue for staff input as does the Faculty Senate and the Students' Association do for their respective constituencies."

The first staff election was held in June 1986, and the first meeting in fall of that year. The first Staff Council had 19 members; 16 represented specific areas and 3 were at-large. The University of Houston Staff Council continues to represent the university's professional, management, operational, and support staff in its collective commitment to shared governance, working cooperatively with faculty, students, and the administration to achieve a common vision of excellence for the University. Today, Staff Council has 40 members (37 representing specific divisions and 3 at-large); has 6 standing Council committees and serves on 17 standing university-wide committees, as well as numerous short-term committees and university events.

Staff Council has grown from reflecting on our accomplishments from the past 25 years and is pushing forward to make new history in the next 25 years.