Staff Senate

Staff Senate Provides ‘Opportunity to Affect Real Changes at SPH’

Nick Gooler, digital media producer in the Office of Lifelong Learning and chair of Staff Senate, shares about his role on the Senate and how his experience has impacted his time at the School of Public Health.

At the School of Public Health, the Staff Senate acts as one of the key avenues for staff to participate in the shared governance of the School. It works to provide a space for staff members to express their views on matters relating to personal and professional well-being, staff development, school culture, community, and SPH- and University-wide policies and initiatives.

The Staff Senate is made up of 16 members total, 11 departmental representatives and five at-large members. There are also several subcommittees within the Senate to address specific staff concerns and needs at SPH, including professional development and training, faculty and staff relations, staff recognition and awards, staff survey, and communications. 

“Not only does serving as a Senate representative allow you to build relationships across departments here at SPH, but it also provides an opportunity to affect real changes that benefit the work and lives of the entire SPH community,” says Nick Gooler, chair of Staff Senate and digital media producer in the Office of Lifelong Learning.

Gooler shares more about his role on the Staff Senate and how his experience has impacted his time at SPH.

What is your role as chair of the Staff Senate?

My role as chair is really to guide the conversations that we have in the Staff Senate, and to act as a liaison between Staff Senate and the Faculty Senate, Administrative Council, and Governing Council to make sure that all of these groups know what conversations are going on within the Staff Senate and so that we in the Staff Senate know what all is happening with our larger school community.

Why did you want to be a Senate representative?

Being on the Senate has challenged me to get out of my shell more and has given me the chance to make some positive changes within our school. I’ve been at SPH for five years now, and the Staff Senate started within that time. Before then, there weren’t many chances for folks to voice their opinion and have their concerns heard. We’ve now made this a priority.

Staff Senate has also been a great opportunity to build relationships across departments and get to know some of my colleagues that I may not have otherwise interacted with. It’s been exciting to see all the things that we can accomplish together.

What achievements have the Staff Senate made since you became chair?

One major achievement that we have made this year has been launching the new Think. Teach. Do. Awards, which recognize staff excellence. Through the annual Staff Survey, we learned that our staff members wanted to improve the way that folks were recognized for their work, so our Awards and Recognition Subcommittee developed a plan, rubric, and the necessary forms, and worked closely with Dean Lazic to implement this new awards structure.

Launching these awards has been a very rewarding experience, and it has shown how we are able to take information that we gather from our surveys and translate it into actionable steps to do something that will support and meet the needs of our staff members.

What do you enjoy most about serving on Staff Senate?

My favorite part of being on Staff Senate is getting to see and connect with all of my fellow senate members, checking in with them and hearing about what is going on within their departments. It has also been a great experience to be involved at a higher level within the School and gain a better understanding of how the School functions as a result of that.

I also joined SPH the day before the 2016 election, and I remember Dean Galea called an all-school meeting to discuss the future of public health and what it meant for us here at SPH. This conversation really set the stage for my experience at the School, and showed that SPH is a thoughtful, caring place that really supports people at all levels, including students, staff, and faculty. I’ve really appreciated this over the years, and it has continued to be a highlight during my time on Staff Senate.