Supporting Staff Members at KSU

The Kennesaw State Staff Senate supports staff members through the Annual Scholarship Fund, providing scholarships to those enrolled in the USG Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), funded entirely by community donations. Contributions are accepted year-round. Additionally, the Star Staff of the Semester award honors employees who excel in service, innovation, collaboration, and leadership, with nominations accepted three times annually.

Staff Scholarship Fund

The Staff Senate Annual Scholarship Fund provides financial support to full time KSU staff members who are enrolled in the USG Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). The number of scholarships awarded depends on the generosity of the KSU community - the scholarship is funded entirely from donations from the community. The $750 scholarships are meant to provide assistance with the cost of textbooks and any other educational-expenses as approved under USG guidelines.

Contributions to the Staff Senate Scholarship Fund are accepted year-round. It is never too early to contribute and no amount is too big or too small. On behalf of the future scholarship recipients, thank you for your generosity!

Donate to Staff Senate Annual Scholarship Fund
A young woman sits in front of a laptop, holding a piece of paper and celebrating a staff scholarship with a joyful expression and raised fist.

Star Staff of the Semester

The KSU Star Staff of the Semester award recognizes employees who have gone above and beyond in their professional, community and collegial engagement at KSU. It is awarded 3 times per year, once each semester.

Nominate a KSU colleague as Star Staff of the Semester

 

Award Semester Nominations Recepient Announced
Fall Semester July 1 - November 30 December Meeting
Spring Semester December 1 - March 31 April Meeting
Summer Semester April 1 - June 30 July Meeting

To be eligible for the KSU Star Staff of the Semester, the recipient must be a full-time, permanent, non-faculty member of Kennesaw State University for a minimum of one (1) year prior to being nominated.  Nominations not selected for the period they were submitted in will be held and reconsidered for the next award period.  Any employee who has been awarded with a Star Staff of the Semester award is not eligible to receive it again for 3 years after being selected.

Any KSU employee – staff, administrator or faculty - can initiate a nomination. Nominations are submitted on a rolling basis online by completing a Microsoft Teams nominations form, accessible here. Nominations are anonymized by the chair or another member of the KSU Staff Senate Nominations & Elections Committee (who is not member of the Staff Development and Recognition Committee) before being reviewed by the members of the Staff Development and Recognition Committee of the KSU Staff Senate; in the event of a tie, the Staff Senate president is invited to vote/break it (SDRC  has 5 members, so we don’t anticipate to have a tie). The SDRC committee is comprised of staff senate members who have been elected to represent their unit in the KSU Staff Senate and have elected to serve on the committee.  In the event a member of the SDRC committee is nominated, that member is asked to recuse themselves from that season’s award vote and the Staff Senate President-Elect serves on the committee in their place.

Nominees should have demonstrated excellence in a combination of the following:

    1. Excelled in identifying and reacting appropriately to the needs and expectations of the internal and external customers to ensure exceptional service.
    2. Anticipated needs and potential problems before they occurred and sought ways to continuously improve work outcomes, etc.
    3. Demonstrated a willingness to take on new and/or additional tasks.
    4. Exhibited strong work qualities and ethics, such as dependability, patience, and commitment and embodies the USG and KSU values.
    1. Suggested and/or championed and/or contributed to creative solutions that have made a significant and positive difference in the quality of services, programming, work processes, effectiveness and efficiency, etc.
    2. Assisted proactively and wholeheartedly with implementation of strategies, services and programs that are in the best interests of the University and/or the students.
    1. Consistently offered support, assistance, and encouragement to co-workers, often without being asked to do so. Sharing knowledge, learning, and building consensus.
    2. Served as role model to others through positive and productive relationships.
    3. Extended their self to help others with a high degree of excellence, professionalism and integrity in their work which contributed significantly to improve the overall environment and experience or work outcomes.
    4. Participated in collaborative problem-solving, breaking down boundaries and/or creating new relationships to improve the way work gets done.
    1. Is a paragon of initiative, responsibility, accountability and/or resourcefulness.
    2. Inspires trust by saying and doing what is right.
    3. Demonstrates and cultivates a sense of purpose, vision, and mission for their co-workers and/or staff.
    4. Led transformational change for the benefit of peers and/or others and/or facilitated the success of others.
    5. Inspires and motivates others to take advantage of opportunities to enhance their own lives whether professionally or personally.

Issues

Get to know the key issues and ongoing efforts related to KSU and BOR policies, state and federal legislation, and staff development initiatives.

    • Advocate for revision of new Staff Teaching Policy Fall 2019.
    • Continue research on the KSU 15% cap policy for internal job opportunities or reclassifications.
    • Educate Staff Senate on HR Benefit Changes for 2017 & 2018.
    • Educate on Employee Handbook policy that refers to extra duties and compensation.
    • Promote education of Administrators/Supervisors regarding mandatory time off in December.

    The following resolution was approved in the February 2019 Staff Senate general meeting. Faculty Senate and Part-time Faculty Council then voted in support of it in their March 2019 general meetings.

    Staff Teaching Resolution February 2019
    • Educate Staff Senate on the new FLSA Law that goes into effect December 1, 2016 and its effect on KSU Staff and budgets.
    • Educate Staff Senate on the new Campus Carry Light Bill and policies and enforcement for KSU Campus.
    • Inform and Update Staff Senate on upcoming State and Federal legislation that effects staff.
    • Initiate a Staff Senate Mentorship Program within Staff Senate.
    • Develop and Initiate a Welcome Program for current and new staff to KSU Campus with a possible monthly lunch with Staff Senate.
    Staff Senate Resolution April 2017