Professional and Scientific Council

P&S 2013 Elections

Elections are being held for the P&S Council From noon on Monday, March 25 until 5:00 PM Sunday, March 31. Eligible P&S staff can cast their ballots via MyUNIverse, look under the Current Announcements section. Alternatively, directly connect to the Ballots page by going to https://cgi.access.uni.edu/cgi-bin/surveys/takeSurvey.cgi and logging on with your CatID credentials.

The Professional and Scientific Council was established in 1978 for the purpose of studying, formulating, and recommending to administrative officers of UNI policies of interest to Professional and Scientific employees at the University of Northern Iowa. The Council, consisting of representatives elected by division members, meets the second Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Locations for the meeting vary and are posted on the web site. Meetings are open to the public unless voted into executive session.

Of the five positions to be filled, two are "At Large", meaning any one from any division of the University can fill them.  Two represent the Academic Affairs division of the University, and one represents the President's Division. Staff from those divisions can participate in the elections for

The following are the candidates for the P&S Council Election for 2013. 

At Large (2 open spots)

Jocelyn Moeller Jocelyn Moeller I’m proud to be a graduate of UNI and thoroughly enjoy working here.  I have been the Director of Finance at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center for the last eight years.  Our campus has much to offer our students and our entire community.  As our university has struggled with economic uncertainty as well as other challenges common to higher ed, I have seen the P&S employees unite to find creative solutions and to maintain a positive work environment.  I would welcome the opportunity to continue to represent our employee group and collaborate with campus leadership, particularly as we begin a new era with President Ruud.
  • Co-chair of 2007 and Chair of 2008 Administration & Finance Awards & Recognition Reception
  • Attended the Board Member Development seminar at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. 
  • Graduate of the Leadership Development Program (2009) and the Management Excellence Program (2011) conducted by UNI’s Executive Development Center
  • Chaired and sat on numerous search committees on campus
  • Finishing first term on the P&S Council and currently serving as Vice President
Shelly Pruess Shelley Pruess I am Shelley Pruess the Essentials Manager in Maucker Union.  I have been a P&S employee for 17+ years at UNI and during that time I have had the privilege of serving on the P&S Council for 12 yrs. in different capacities.  During the first three years of service, I was a proxy and also served on the Employee Relations Committee. It was in 1995 that we started the new employee mentoring program and I was able to match new employees with those veteran employees who would help make the transition to UNI very welcoming.  I was able to meet many colleagues at that time and have continued those relationships within the UNI community.  For the remaining service of nine years on the P&S Council, I continued to serve the academic community as well as served on the Employee Relations Committee and the Employee Issues Committee.  I was afforded the opportunity to get to know the issues that were present at the time and worked with others on the committee to find solutions for the employees.

On a personal note, I am blessed with an amazing family and ironically our whole family has attended UNI and my youngest is currently a P&S employee as well.  I received my BA in Sociology in 1977 (ions ago!) and completed my MAE in Postsecondary Higher Ed Student Affairs in 2004. I have a wonderful husband of 32+ yrs., two amazing sons and daughter-in-law and a beautiful 2 yr. old granddaughter whom I love spoiling.  I am totally addicted to Scratch Cupcakes and Cubs Baseball! 

I would be honored if you would consider voting for me to represent you in this election and will serve you in the best of my abilities.  Thank you,  Shelley

Mark Rowe-Barth Mark Rowe-Barth
Warm greetings, P&S staff! My name is Mark Rowe-Barth. I am in my fifth year with Wellness & Recreation Services, as a member of our Wellness team. Specifically, I coordinate our Substance Abuse and Violence Intervention Services. It has been my privilege to serve on the P&S Council, representing the Student Affairs Division, the past 3 years. During my time on the Council, I have learned a lot more about UNI and issues that matter to P&S staff. 
 
During my time on the Council, I have served on the Employee Relations sub-committee, as well as assisting with the election process. Most recently, in this my third year on the Council, I have had the honor of serving as President. While I continue to learn in this role, I most value the relationships that I'm building with Council sub-committee chairs, general members and UNI administration. In my role, I feel that collaborative partnerships are essential to advancing issues that matter to P&S staff. This year, I was appointed by the Board of Regents to serve on the UNI Presidential Search and Screen committee, as a representative of P&S staff. My work on this committee with various constituents from on and off campus has assisted me in forming strong collaborative relationships. 
 
I would be thrilled to continue serving P&S staff for one more term, as an At-Large member of the Council. I look forward to the possibility of furthering my relationship with incoming President Ruud, as an advocate for P&S staff. Again, it has been my privilege to serve you in this capacity. I hope you'll consider electing me to a second term, so that I might continue to work on your behalf.
John Streicher John Streicher Hello, my name is John Streicher and I have worked at UNI since the summer of 1999.  I am Senior Facilities Engineer and work in the Facilities Planning department.  Along with being involved with building construction on campus, I also oversee the Power Plant and Energy Management.  Although my engineering degree is from the University of Iowa I did attend UNI to obtain my MBA.  I have served as an adjunct professor on several occasions over the years, on an as need basis.

I have recently joined the P&S Council, substituting for a former member.  I have enjoyed the many discussions of the work related topics of the P&S staff and have developed an appreciation of what the council stands for and its importance.  I would like to continue to serve on the council and represent the P&S staff.

 

Academic Affairs (2 open spots)

Melanie Abbas Melanie Abbas Being a part of the P&S Council is a great opportunity to be involved in the UNI community. I served for six years and have missed the Council during this year off. I also look forward to being on the Council during this time of change as the new UNI President comes to campus.

I would like to continue to pursue issues with salary inequities and other university provided benefits that are a concern to UNI P&S employees based on the latest survey information. I am also interested in continuing the communications between the UNI Cabinet and the P&S Council to increase the transparency in the administrative policies that affect P&S employees at UNI.

  • P&S Council member 2006-2012
  • Previous P&S Council President (2011-2012)
  • Previous Salary and Fringe Benefits committee chair
  • Committee member for UNI's latest reaccreditation process
Holly Bokelman Holly Bokelman Holly is a graduate of UNI and has worked in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences for 9 years. As the college's Coordinator of Special Projects, her duties include promotion, recruitment, and relations. Holly is running for P & S Council in order to help secure more equitable and reasonable benefits for professional and scientific employees across campus.

Outside work, Holly enjoys traveling, gardening, and other creative pursuits.

Jenni Colsch Jenni Colsch As a current P&S Council member, I have appreciated the opportunity to represent and advocate for P&S staff. Being appointed with that charge is not something I take lightly, and I welcome any suggestions and ideas, big or small, to present to the Council. UNI is a great place to work, and I would like to explore ways to keep that momentum going, as well as look at areas for improvement. It has been a great experience seeing firsthand how the Council's work affects many. Should I be elected for a second term, I will do my best to represent P&S staff and advocate for our best interests.
Nevin Nolte Nevin Nolte My name is Nevin Nolte, I am an Assistant Database Administrator in ITS-Information Systems.  My primary responsibilities are managing and administering the back end databases for applications such as Oracle E-Business Suite and Blackboard.  I have been employed at UNI for 2.5 years and have been on the P&S Council for a year.  In that time I have served on the P&S Policies and Procedures Committee (PSPPC) and on the Salary & Fringe Benefits Committee.

While serving on the Policies and Procedures Committee and working with HRS and the UNI Policy Review Committee, I helped the PSPPC edit, rewrite, and get Board of Directors' approval, of the first major revision of the P&S policy document in over 25 years!  It was a great accomplishment for the committee, the Council, and all P&S employees.  There are multiple phases left we'd like to accomplish and my presence on the Council will be a great benefit to the success of those additional phases.  So please Vote Nolte!

While serving on the Salary & Fringe Benefits Committee I've gained a lot of insight into how our benefits are set up and what P&S employees want out of their benefits courtesy of the benefits survey that was sent out earlier in the year.  I'd love to stay on the Council and continue my tenure on that committee.  So please Vote Nolte!

My time on the Council has been educational, informative, and fun.  I am a UNI graduate (2006) and am currently taking classes to get my graduate degree in Communication Studies.  UNI is and has been a huge part of my life.  I have a lot of pride in UNI and I take that enthusiasm for the school into my work on the Council.  I've loved serving and would love the chance to continue!

 

President's Division (1 open spot)

Kara Park Kara Park I graduated from UNI with my undergraduate degree (BA History Teaching) in 2005, and in 2007 with my masters in Postsecondary Education. I have been working with student athletes as an Athletics Academic Advisor since 2007, and with student athletes here at UNI since 2010. While here, I have served on several committees including the Foundations of Excellence Transfer Focus Committee, the President's Division Awards Ceremony Committee, and soon to be on the LGBT Advisory and Advocacy Committee. I am also the liaison for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (a student organization consisting of student athletes on campus), and am also certified to facilitate programs for Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP). I am hoping that through a position on this council I can help give a voice to Professional & Scientific employees and to make sure concerns are addressed.
Susan Reinart Susan Reinart I have worked at UNI since 1999 as the Donor Relations & Special Events Coordinator for the UNI Foundation. I am running for P & S Council Representative because I want to help make positive changes for our division. I also enjoy meeting and working with people, and I would like to learn more about initiatives and staff issues on campus. I served on the P & S Council 2004-2007 and chaired the committee that coordinated the annual ‘Meet the Pres’ events and assisted with the Regents Staff Awards. I have served on committees within the Development and Alumni Relations office to help improve recognition and morale within our office. If I am elected, I would do my best to keep our division updated on current issues and pass on your thoughts and views to the council. I am a very organized, detail-oriented person, and I would appreciate your consideration for P & S Council Representative for the Office of the President.