April 23, 2020

Dear Colleagues:

As many of you know, I am a huge supporter of shared governance and have enjoyed watching the collaboration between the University of Maryland, Baltimore's (UMB) Staff Senate and Faculty Senate grow over the past year. The senates are valued partners that I rely on to hear the voices of staff and faculty who advocate for the UMB community.

The Staff Senate and Faculty Senate are both accepting nominations for the upcoming term, and I encourage you to think about nominating yourself or one of your colleagues. Now more than ever, it is vital to have resilient leaders in place to keep our community strong and unified.

The information below outlines the nomination process for each senate:

Staff Senate Nomination Deadline: Friday, April 24

Nominations are being accepted for senators to serve on the Staff Senate for the 2020-2022 term. The Staff Senate works closely with University leadership on issues that affect UMB staff members. All academic schools and central administration are invited to participate so that all are represented. As your liaison to the UMB President's Office, Human Resources, and other offices of University leadership, serving on the Staff Senate is a great way to serve your community as an advocate for issues that matter.

The Staff Senate meets on the first Thursday of each month for two hours (lunch is provided). Each senator also is required to serve on a Staff Senate committee: Communications, Community Outreach, Council of University System Staff, Policy and Legislation, or University Life. The time commitment varies from committee to committee. For more information about these committees, go to the Staff Senate website at https://www.umaryland.edu/ssenate/.

To learn more about the nomination process, visit https://www.umaryland.edu/ssenate/.

Faculty Senate Nomination Deadline: Friday, April 24

The Faculty Senate is soliciting nominations from the following:

• School of Dentistry
• Francis King Carey School of Law
• School of Pharmacy
• Graduate School
• Health Sciences and Human Services Library
• Adjunct Faculty Representative

Senators are elected for three-year terms beginning on July 1 of the year elected and are expected to attend all meetings of the Faculty Senate. Any senator with three or more unexcused absences in an academic year will be considered to have resigned.

Senators are expected to share information with faculty members from their schools and to bring issues of concern for their school's faculty to the attention of the senate.

Generally, the Faculty Senate will meet monthly, and there will be a minimum of six meetings each year. Special meetings may be called by the Faculty Senate president, the Advisory Council, by resolution of the Faculty Senate, or by a petition signed by at least one-fourth of the senators.

To nominate a full-time faculty member, use this link: https://cf.umaryland.edu/election/senate/. You will be asked to sign in before viewing this page.

Thank you for considering this call to action.

Sincerely,

Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
Interim President