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Executive Vice President and Provost

University Staff Advisory Council Task Force FAQ

  1. What was the University Staff Advisory Council (USAC) Task Force charged to do?
  2. Who will the USAC represent?
  3. Will the USAC represent employees of Texas A&M System agencies who work on the College Station campus?
  4. What processes will the USAC Task Force use to gather a sense of staff expectations?
  5. Will the sources of comments be kept confidential?
  6. Will the notes from the open forums be published?
  7. When will the Task Force make its recommendations to the President?
  8. Will the Task Force consider models for Staff Councils or similar organizations at other universities?
What was the University Staff Advisory Council (USAC) Task Force charged to do?
Interim President Eddie J. Davis appointed the task force to advise him on how to move forward with establishing the staff advisory council. His charge to the task force was fivefold:
  1. To gather a sense of staff expectations
  2. To propose a mission for A&M staff advisory council
  3. To propose a first-year organizational structure
  4. To propose an outline for a first-year implementation plan
  5. To propose a timeline for implementation of the first-year council
Who will the USAC represent?
The USAC, when formed, will represent non-faculty, budgeted employees of Texas A&M University.
Will the USAC represent employees of Texas A&M System agencies who work on the College Station campus?
No. Because the USAC, when formed, will be an advisory council to the President of Texas A&M University, it can only represent employees of Texas A&M University. Employees who have positions that are split between the University and a System agency may be represented by the USAC. The System agencies are: the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas Forest Service, Texas Engineering Extension Service, Texas Transportation Institute, and the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.
What processes will the USAC Task Force use to gather a sense of staff expectations?
The Task Force is gathering information from staff in a number of ways. During October, the Task Force held 11 open forums during which staff members were given an opportunity to dialogue about their expectations for the staff council. The Task Force also initiated an email address (usactaskforce@tamu.edu) to which staff members can raise concerns or comment on issues that they believe should be considered by the Task Force in making its recommendations. In addition, staff members may visit with Task Force members personally. A list of the Task Force members is available on the website at http://www.tamu.edu/provost/councils/standingcouncils/usac.html.
Will the sources of comments be kept confidential?
Comments made during the open forums were not associated with individuals or the departments they represented. Specific comments made by email or in private conversations will not be attributed to an individual in the summary of comments.
Will the notes from the open forums be published?
A summary of the notes compiled from all of the open forums will be posted on the USAC Task Force website.
When will the Task Force make its recommendations to the President?
Interim President Davis asked the Task Force to submit its recommendations to the President by the end of February 2008.
Will the Task Force consider models for Staff Councils or similar organizations at other universities?
Yes. The Task Force has information about a wide range of staff advisory organizations at other institutions. A summary of the descriptions of these organizations is posted in the important documents section of this website.