Interested in learning more about Staff Council or considering running for a position? Please join the 2026 Staff Council Elections: Open Forum and Information Session, an online session designed to share information and answer questions about the upcoming elections.
The forum will be held on Thursday, March 5, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. Click here to attend.
The Staff Council Elections Committee is coordinating this Open Forum and Information Session to provide an overview of the election process for those considering running for Staff Council—or nominating a colleague. Topics will include council responsibilities, time commitments, and what it’s like to serve as a Staff Councilor.
Who Can Serve on Staff Council
Staff Council representatives are Professional & Scientific (P&S) and Merit staff members who are non-bargaining employees of the University of Iowa. Eligible staff may nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague, provided they meet the criteria for their job function or organization. Serving on Staff Council is considered part of university service and offers staff the opportunity to represent their peers, contribute to shared governance, and help shape policies and initiatives that impact the campus community.
Why Serve on Staff Council?
Do you—or someone you know—want to make a difference at the University of Iowa? Are you interested in improving the workplace, addressing campus concerns, or promoting positive change? Staff Council represents more than 9,500 non-bargaining staff, and serving is a meaningful way to ensure staff voices are heard at the institutional level.
Basic Expectations of Staff Councilors
Staff Councilors are expected to:
- Advocate on behalf of their constituents
- Solicit feedback and share constituent perspectives with Council
- Communicate Council activities back to their constituents
- Attend monthly Council meetings and actively participate in discussions
- Serve on at least one Staff Council committee
Staff Councilors are elected to a three-year term, beginning June 1.
To learn more about Staff Council, please visit the Staff Council website and review the Staff Council bylaws.
2026 Nomination & Election Timeline
- Monday, March 3: Job Function nomination advertising begins
- Monday, March 9 – Wednesday, April 1: Job Function nominations open
- Thursday, March 5: 2026 Staff Council Elections Open Forum (via Microsoft Teams)
- Wednesday, April 1: Nomination validation and acceptance close
- Thursday, April 2 – Thursday, April 16: Job Function voting conducted via Workflow ballot
- Friday, April 17 – Friday, April 24: Job Function results shared with candidates and the public
- Thursday, April 16: Organizational Representative selection results shared by Senior HR Representatives
- Wednesday, May 13: Newly elected Staff Councilors invited to attend the May meeting
- Monday, June 1: Newly elected councilors begin their term
2026 Function Representative Openings (Includes job codes)
- Academic Support (PC); Libraries (PL) – 1 vacancy
- Administration (PA); Audit, Compliance, Legal & Risk (PN) – 1 vacancy
- Behavioral Health (PJ); Health Care (PV) – 3 vacancies
- Business and Finance (PB) – 1 vacancy
- Research (PR); Scientific Services & EHS (PH) – 3 vacancies
- Merit Supervisory Exempt/Confidential (MSEC) – 1 vacancy
If you are unsure of the job function category for a P&S staff nominee, please refer to the first two letters of the job code listed in the University Directory and compare them with the Professional & Scientific Job Classification.
In addition to the Function Representative positions listed above, elections are also being held for the following Organizational Representative positions.
2026 Organizational Representative Openings (Includes ORG numbers)
- Office of the President (01); Office of the Provost (02); Office of the General Counsel (06); University Human Resources (07); Office of Strategic Communications (09); University College (35); Division of Continuing Education (39)
- Finance & Operations (F&O) (05)
- UI Athletics (08)
- College of Dentistry (13)
- College of Engineering (15)
- College of Law (16)
- Carver College of Medicine (17); Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) (21)
- College of Nursing (18)
- State Hygienic Laboratory (90)
Each organization manages the election of its Organizational Representative. If you are interested in one of these positions, please contact the Senior Human Resources Leadership Council within the organization.
Questions?
If you have questions about the election process or available positions, please contact Staff Council at staff-council@uiowa.edu.