Senate Committees 2025-2026

 

Staff Senate Standing Committees Descriptions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
Committee Name Chair - Committee chairs may change after the first meeting of the new year.
Cardinals for Action, Resilience & Education (CARE)           Chair:  Leondra Gully Vice Chair: Nakia Strickland
Credentials & Nominations Committee (C&N) Chair:   Barbara Bishop Vice Chair: Kristin Roberts
Executive Committee (EC) Chair: Kevin Ledford Vice Chair: Kari Donahue
Policy & Economic Development Committee (PED) Chair: Tessa McGilbra Vice Chair: Heather Gentry
Services & Facilities Committee (S&F) Chair: Katie Hasper  Vice Chair: Angela Lewis-Klein
Staff Grievance Committee (SGC) Chair: Ellyce Patton  Vice Chair: Laura Edwins
Staff Help & Assistance Relief Efforts (SHARE) Chair: Tammy Lawson Vice Chair: Lisa Floore
Staff Morale & Engagement Committee (SME) Chair: Stephanie Kittle Vice Chair: Kristina Doan
                                                                 
University Wide Committees with Staff Senate Representation
Committee Name & Contact Senate Representative                Term

Academic Technology Committee 

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year Description: This committee advises the University Provost on information technology issues, and it plans long-term developments to maintain the university’s leadership statewide in information technology.

Contact: Dr. Karlis Kaugars, CIO

Mark Woolwine 2026

ADA Advisory Committee 

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Description: The UofL ADA Advisory Committee (ADAAC) is intended to serve as a resource to UofL's ADA Coordinator (Coordinator) and the university community by providing a channel for stakeholders throughout the UofL community, whose work or study is impacted in a broad range of ways in a broad range of contexts by ADA compliance-related issues, to communicate and discuss areas of interest and concern with the Coordinator and other UofL experts and stakeholders. The ADAAC is intended to provide a forum for those individuals and their UofL constituents to share their perspectives and concerns on an ongoing basis, and to provide a forum for an ongoing campus-wide dialogue on concerns and possible solutions, specifically aimed at promoting ADA compliance and best practices throughout the university. Particular emphasis will be placed on difficult or evolving areas of the law where clear regulatory guidance may be recently introduced, developing, incomplete, or absent. The ADAAC shall have no independent policymaking authority, but will as appropriate and as requested serve as a source of information and suggested changes in UofL's policy and/or approach to university leadership as to ADA-related issues, and will provide a vehicle through which suggested changes to or comments on UofL's policies and/or practices may be introduced.

Contact: ADA Coordinator Jessica Gernert

Kim Sanders 2026

Benefits Design Work Group 

Senators Appointed: 2 (PED Chair will hold one seat)

Term of Appointment: One year

Description: The Benefits Design Workgroup (BDW) is an employee representative group formed to provide university employees an opportunity for input into the development of university benefit plan options. The BDW obtained significant benefits knowledge during multiple educational sessions with UofL’s benefits consultants. During workgroup meetings, the BDW viewed benefit plan designs through an employee lens and, if needed, provided input on plan alternatives. The BDW will continue to meet, as needed, to further review benefit plan options and provide feedback to HR.

Contact: Director of Total Rewards/Vice President of HR

 

2026

Bookstore Advisory Committee

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Description: This committee meets to advise and make recommendations on issues regarding the campus bookstore.

Meeting frequency: This committee meets 1 time prior to the book adoptions due date each semester. Additional meetings may be called as needed.

Contact: Contract Administration-Bookstore 

Alden Silva 2026

Community Engagement Steering Committee 

Defaults to SME Committee Chair

SME Chair 2026

Digital Experience Board

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Description: The primary function of the Digital Experience Board will be to review and consider requests for enhancement, extension or remediation for the various tools and associated needs within the Digital Experience Platform (DXP).

Contact: Office of Communications and Marketing

2026

Dining Service Advisory Committee

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Preferred Requirement: Simultaneous appointment to the Senate’s Services & Facilities (S&F) committee is preferred.

Description: This committee provides advice to the Assistant Director Procurement Diversity and Auxiliary Contracts on matters pertaining to dining service operations, including location of dining service outlets, quality and quantity of products, service, product lines or offerings, as well as any other dining service related matter.

Meeting frequency: This committee meets twice a semester. Once a few weeks after the start of the semester and again prior to the end of the semester. Additional meetings may be called as needed.

Contact: Contract Administration-Dining Services 

Eli Mudd 2026

Faculty Senate/Executive Committee

Senators Appointed: 2

Term of Appointment: One year

Description: This representative is to attend the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee meetings and act as a liaison between the Staff and Faculty Senate’s by reporting on progresses of the Staff Senate to the Faculty Senate. One appointment is as ex-officio (voting) and the second is ex-officio (non-voting) member.

Contact: Faculty Senate Chair

Voting 

Becky Patterson 

Non-Voting

Michelle Blessett   

2026

 

 

2026

Faculty Senate/Academic Programs Committee

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Preferred Requirement: Current or prior experience working for an academic unit is preferred.

Description: This is a Faculty Senate governed committee, whose responsibilities are to recommend criteria for evaluation of proposals for academic programs, elimination or alteration of academic programs, and monitoring existing programs as directed by the Faculty Senate. Appointment is as an ex-officio (non-voting) member.

Contact: Faculty Senate Chair/Faculty Senate Academic Programs Committee Chair

Raymond Green 2026

Faculty Senate/Planning & Budget Committee

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Preferred Requirement: Simultaneous appointment to the Senate’s Policy, Economics and Development (PED) committee is preferred.

Description: This is a Faculty Senate governed committee; whose responsibilities are to carry on strategic and long-range planning and budget processes and to make recommendations on priorities to the Faculty Senate. Appointment is as ex-officio (non-voting) member.

Contact: Faculty Senate Chair/Faculty Senate Planning & Budget Committee Chair

Adam Detherage 2026

Human Resource Advisory Committee (HRAC) 

Senators Appointed: 4

Term of Appointment: Two years for regular senate appointments, with appointments ending in alternate years. One year each for the Senate Secretary/Treasurer and PED Chair.

Special Condition: Per Staff Senate by-laws, one seat defaults to the elected Secretary/Treasurer, and one seat defaults to the elected Chair of the Policy, Economics and Development (PED) committee.

Preferred Requirement: Of the regular senate appointees, it is preferred that at least one is simultaneously appointed to the Senate’s Policy, Economics and Development (PED) committee.

Description: This committee shall advise the Associate Vice President for Human Resources regarding policy, practice, and programs. It acts as a sounding board for proposed changes prior to going to individual constituent groups.

Contact: Vice President HR

Sec-Treasurer 

  • Donald Dean                                

PED Chair 

  • TBD    
  • At Large - Tessa McGilbra 2027
  • At Large - Mani Vangalur  2026                                       

 

Intellectual Property Committee

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: Two years

Special Condition: Senate recommends multiple names to the Executive Vice President for Research for selection.

Description: This committee shall periodically review for the President of the University all activities of the Technology Director and shall issue an annual report to the President on its activities and the status of the University's Intellectual Property holdings; review and evaluate procedures to encourage the development and commercialization of the University's Intellectual Property; and review disputes between the Creator or appeals by faculty, staff, other employees, or students subject to this Policy and recommend resolution.

Contact: EVPRI

Jody Heard 2026

Legislative Monitoring Advisory Committee (LMAC)

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: Two years

Description: The LMAC meets weekly during January through April, to closely monitor bills that have been presented by the House and Senate that advance the University’s interest.

Contact: Associate VP for Government Relations

Kim Sanders

 

2026

Meal Plan Waiver Committee

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Description: This committee deals with university financials relating to student meal plan accommodations.

Contact: SGA-Services Vice President

Lisa Floore

2026

Parking Advisory Committee

Senators Appointed: 2 (1 from Belknap, 1 from HSC)

Term of Appointment: One year

Special Condition: The senator appointed to represent the Belknap campus will work on the Belknap Campus, and the senator appointed to represent the Health Sciences campus will work on the Health Sciences Campus. This is regardless of the constituency group that the senator may represent.

Description: The purpose of the Parking Advisory Committee is to review parking issues related to policy and planning and to make recommendations to Parking Administration and the Associate Vice President for Administration. The Committee also serves as communication medium between Parking Administration and various constituencies within the University.

Contact: Director Parking Administration

Belknap 
  • Christine Williams-Foster

HSC 

  • Wende Elkins

 2026

 

2026

Parking Appeals Committee

Senators Appointed: 4 (2 from Belknap, 2 from HSC)

Term of Appointment: Two years; appointments end for one senator from each campus in alternate years.

Special Condition: The senators appointed to represent the Belknap campus will work on the Belknap Campus, and the senators appointed to represent the Health Sciences campus will work on the Health Sciences Campus. This is regardless of the constituency group that the senator may represent.

Description: This committee reviews submitted parking citation appeals with the University Parking Rules and Regulations as the foundation for which to adjudicate same.

Contact: Director Parking Administration

Belknap -   Angela Cox

Belknap -  Betty Nunn 

HSC - Skip Hurley

HSC - Laura Edwins

 2026

2027

 2026

2027

Retirement Oversight Committee

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: Three Years

Description: The University of Louisville (“University”) has established this Retirement Oversight Committee (the “ROC” or the “Committee”) in order to select, monitor and modify as the Committee determines appropriate, the alternative investment options made available under the Retirement Plans established by the University and among which the participants in the Plans may allocate their accumulated benefits in the plans. The Committee serves as fiduciary with respect to the retirement plans sponsored and maintained by the University of Louisville and to fulfill other responsibilities as the President may assign to it from time to time.

Contact: Director of Total Rewards

Alden Silva 2027

Student Government Association (SGA)

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Description: The senate representative to the SGA is to attend SGA meetings, typically held bi-monthly on a Tuesday evening, and act as a liaison by reporting on the progress of the Staff Senate to the students.

Appointment is as ex-officio (non-voting) member.

Contact: Dean of Students/VP Student Affairs 

Reilly Brown 2027

Sustainability Council

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One year

Description: The Sustainability Council reports to the Provost and is an advisory council to the administration, similar to Staff Senate, without the representative on the Trustees or other shared-governance groups/commissions. Our focus is on making UofL a more sustainable institution through a variety of initiatives, with the input of the stakeholders at UofL.

The Council meets the last Wednesday of each month, except November/December, when we schedule after Thanksgiving to before Winter Break. Meetings are hybrid and the Provost sends out electronic appointment letters.

Contact: Office of the Provost

Kelly Green 2027

University Naming Committee 

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: One Year

Description: The University Naming Committee replaces the University Advisory Committee on Designations and Awards. This committee is to make decisions regarding the naming of physical spaces, endowed funds, and academic units.

Contact: Vice President for University Advancement

 

Kent Gardner 2027

University Police Advisory Committee

Senators Appointed: 1

Term of Appointment: Two years

Description: This committee serves as an advisory group to the University Police, and includes providing advice on safety issues that impact the university, assisting with efforts to maintain a positive relationship between the University police and the university community, and assisting with University Police sponsored events.

Contact: Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police

Jessie Browning 2027
Committees that Default to Staff Senate Officers
University Board of Trustees Chair - Kevin Ledford
University Foundation Board of Directors Chair - Kevin Ledford
UofL Athletic Association (ULAA) Vice Chair - Kari Donahue
Human Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC) Secretary-Treasurer - Donald Dean                                                                                                              
Updated 7.21.2025

staff SENATE

University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky 40292

Senate office

grawemeyer hall

suite 209

 


senate OFFICERS                                                            staff senate application

Kevin Ledford
Kari Donahue 
Donald Dean