Heather Mineart, Staff Council President, has been appointed as a liaison officer to the UI Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT), along with the other shared governance leaders. In accordance with National Incident Management System (NIMS), the CIMT is responsible for managing and directing the activities of the various departments that will be involved in crisis incident response and recovery. This is not new for shared governance leaders as they have also been participating on a the CIMT Contingency Planning Workgroup that develops contingency plans that directly align with the FY2020-21 calendar, in preparation for the possibility of a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic at some point during the year as well as considering next steps for the Spring Semester on campus and beyond. With this new appointment, shared governance leaders now have a larger voice in CIMT conversations.

As the pandemic continues to affect UI operations, so too are employees in all sectors impacted. Heather continues to remain focused and continues to work toward Staff Council’s mission to represent and advocate for staff. Many departments are facing budget shortfalls or reductions that require employee furloughs, elimination of positions or other measures. Staff Council continues to play a critical role in promoting collaboration, diverse perspectives, staff recognition and the importance of transparency and the resources available for staff.