Stetson has created a new Staff Advisory Council to ensure a positive working environment for its more than 500 employees in DeLand and Celebration, and provide them with a greater voice in University decisions.

The 10-member Staff Advisory Council started meeting in August and currently is seeking input from employees about goals and initiatives for the coming year. Suggestions include improving respect and trust among all hourly and salaried employees, addressing compensation issues and reducing red tape.

The Staff Advisory Council is the second group tasked with working on behalf of the 438 full-time and 84 part-time staff members on the DeLand campus and at the Center at Celebration.

The Quality of Service Council was created in 1988 to improve communication, encourage social interactions and provide employee recognition, such as the monthly Spirit of Stetson Award. The Quality of Service Council also hosts the annual Holiday Luncheon, which this year will be Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Rinker Field House. And it recently provided staffers with Stetson coffee travel mugs to thank them for their efforts.

Stetson administrators created the new Staff Advisory Council in May in response to concerns raised in the 2016 Campus Climate Survey.

Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., said, “The formation of the Staff Advisory Council was a great outcome from the Campus Climate Survey and should help Stetson become an even better place to work. I am thankful to the staff members who are willing to give their time to make a positive impact.”

The foundation of Stetson’s strategic map is to “be a diverse community of inclusive excellence.”  That requires a shared governance model built upon the principles of partnership, equity, diversity, inclusion, accountability and ownership that form a culturally-sensitive and empowering framework, said Drew Macan, Stetson’s associate vice president for Human Resources, in an email announcing the creation of the Staff Advisory Council last spring.

“Students and faculty have venues to participate in dialogue about institutional issues and have a voice.  The creation of a Staff Advisory Council would provide a similar venue for staff,” wrote Macan.

“The Staff Advisory Council (SAC) will serve as a voice of the staff at Stetson University, facilitating communication between University staff and senior administration and providing a forum for input and discussion of issues important to the staff and the University.  Ultimately, the SAC’s goal is to ensure a positive working environment for all Stetson employees,” she wrote.

Employees are encouraged to share their recommendations with Staff Advisory Council members or they can email recommendations to [email protected]. An option is available for anonymous comments, such as sending them to the Staff Advisory Council, Unit 8327.

The Staff Advisory Council members, who serve for two- or three-year terms, are:

• Ray Almodovar, Office of Public Safety, [email protected], Ext. 7314.
• Don Burrhus, Director of User Services, Office of Information Technology, [email protected], Ext. 7217.
• Yvette Cox, Administrative Assistant I, Sports Medicine, Department of Athletics, [email protected], Ext. 8112.
• Mark Ernest, Director of Sustainable Giving, Office of Donor Relations, [email protected], Ext. 7294.
• Sandee Farrington, Executive Assistant to the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, [email protected], Ext. 8859.
• Peggy Fox, Project Manager, Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform, Department of Education, [email protected], Ext. 7950.
• Cory Lancaster, Director of Internal Communications, University Marketing, [email protected], Ext. 7215.
• Aracely Miranda, Custodian, Custodial Services-DeLand, Facilities Management, [email protected].
• Chad Richards, Grounds Maintenance Worker & Integrated Pest Management and Landscape Technician, Facilities Management, [email protected], Ext. 8805.
• John Sheehy, Career Development Coordinator, Career and Professional Development, School of Business Administration, [email protected], Ext. 7385.

The Staff Advisory Council will keep employees informed about its work through emails, updates provided at Stetson staff meetings and other channels.