J. David Wilson

J. David Wilson

The candidate was presented with the following questions. The responses are printed as received and have not been edited by Staff Congress.

1. What do you perceive as the responsibilities of the Staff Regent?
In the simplest terms, the individual in this position must keep themselves informed on the issues, concerns and needs of the staff. It is then their responsibility to make sure that the Board of Regents and the President are made aware of the issues, concerns and needs of the staff, especially when an issue is before the Board that can affect the staff. The Staff Regent also must attend all Staff Congress meetings and work to keep all staff informed of issues that are of importance to or can affect the staff at Murray State University. The Staff Regent should also represent staff at various functions of the University.

2. Do you understand the governance of the Board of Regents and how you would serve in that capacity? Explain.
Although the Board of Regents has quarterly meetings to conduct their business, a majority of business is completed by committees and gives updates or information back to the board. The committees will bring items and their suggestions to the Board for consideration. Board members are allowed to ask questions and have discussion on the issue, and will follow their policies when they vote. The Board will have special meetings, which are typically on a specific issue such as setting tuition and fees for the next academic year. It appears that there is a good amount of discussion outside of the meetings, but because of the requirement to have open meetings; this is probably limited to one or two members. The Staff Regent is assigned to committees and works within the requirements of the Board.

3. Serving as Staff Regent requires time commitments during the normal work hours (8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.), nights and weekends. Are you aware of the time commitment involved, and will you be able to devote this time and still perform your regular work duties?
Yes

4. Describe the most important work or University service experiences which will assist you in being an effective Staff Regent.
In the past, I served on one of the budget review teams that President Dunn put into motion. I recently served on one of the committees tasked with how we could reopen the university after we shut down March 2019 for COVID. As the Director of Housing, I serve as the budget manager for my department. I have been an ex-officio member of the University Faculty/Staff Insurance and Benefits committee and of the University Budget committee. I have also served on the Campus Safety Committee, and the University Risk Management Committee. These experiences have allowed me to have a broader view of how issues affect University staff and not just the staff in my specific unit, which I believe is important for the Staff Regent.

5. Have you served in campus governance before and if so, how long and in what capacity? (example Staff Congress, Faculty/Staff Insurance and Benefits Committee, etc.)
I have served as a member of Staff Congress since January 2017, and for the last two years I have served as the Staff Congress President. I have also been a member of the Credentials and Elections committee, the Staff Survey committee, the Working Conditions committee and the Diversity Committee.

6. If elected the 2021-24 regent, what will be your top goals to benefit MSU staff?
Working with the Board and the Administration concerning future raises and benefits is always on the top of the list for staff.

I believe we need to continue discussion on the use of flex time or options to work from home. I know that this isn’t an option for everyone, but we need to be prepared for times when staff can’t get to campus.

I have heard several concerns in the area of filling vacancies and promotions. I believe we need to have processes in place to provide opportunities for staff promotions. In addition, if a vacancy cannot be filled, I believe we need to have a process to provide extra compensation for those at a minimum taking on more responsibilities in an office or a department.

Finally, it is apparent that many staff don’t feel that they know what Staff Congress does or who their representative is. I will work with Staff Congress to address this.