Tuskegee University Staff Senate

Contact Phone: 727-8541 | Email: DCalhoun@tuskegee.edu

Purpose

The purpose of the Staff Senate is to serve as the legislative body to develop and recommend policies to the University staff not covered by labor union contracts. During intervals between meetings of the staff as a whole, it shall have jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to staff affairs and policies of the University. The University Staff Senate has a major role in the formulation of legislation falling within the following areas:

To assist in the communication of issues and activities affecting staff members.
Actively promoting and facilitating staff participation in the University community.
Developing and recommending policies governing appointments, status and promoting of staff, working conditions, and fringe benefits.
Reviewing periodically the effectiveness of the total staff personnel program.

Becoming a Member

To become a member, persons must meet the following criteria:

Be a full-time and active staff employee
Employed at the institution for at least 6 months
Attend monthly meetings

Meetings

Staff Senate meetings occur on the third Thursday of every month at 3:00 pm. Meetings are sometimes held virtually. For more information on General Staff meeting dates and minutes, please contact a Staff Senate Officer.

Virtual Meeting Login

Click here to log into monthly virtual meetings.

Tuskegee University Staff Senate 2024-2025
OFFICERS

Dawn Calhoun Staff Senate Chair Administrative Assistant Department of History and Political Science 334.727.8541 DCalhoun@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2025	Cassandra Cooper Staff Senate Vice-Chair University Webmaster Office of Communications, PR & Marketing 334.724.4969 CCooper@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2025

Brianna Preston Staff Senate Secretary Administrative Assistant Ford Motor Company Library 334.724.8894 BPreston@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2026	Shannon Payne Staff Senate Treasurer Director of 1890 Land-Grant Operations & Management College of Agriculture, Environment & Nutrition Sciences 334.727.8334/8012 SPayne@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2027

Carol Banks Staff Senate Communications Officer Project Manager Office of Research and Graduate Studies 334.724.4444 CBanks@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2027	Tiffani Williams Staff Senate Parliamentarian Administrative Assistant/Program Assistant Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 334.727.8848 TWilliams1@tuskegee.eedu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2026
MEMBERS

Odessa Agalaba Library Assistant Ford Motor Company Library 334.724.4688 OAgalaba@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2025	Christine Berry Office Manager Provost Office 334.727.8029 CBerry2@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2027

Courtney Griffin, Ph.D. Director, Admissions Office of Admissions & Enrollment Management 334.727.8500 CGriffin@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2025	Nikasha Jones Academic Support Services Coordinator R.E.A.C.H. Center 334.725.2394/2395 njones@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2027

Dawnelle Robinson Associate Vice President for Business Affairs/Controller Office of Business and Fiscal Affairs 334.724.7333 DRobinson@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2026	Gabrielle Ross Clerk Campus Mailroom 334.727.8357 GRoss@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2027

Michael Thurman Academic Advisor R.E.A.C.H. Center 334.727.8322 MThurman@tuskegee.edu TERM ENDS: June 30, 2026
EX-OFFICIO

Mark A. Brown, Ph.D. Staff Senate Ex-Officio President Office of the Presdient 334.727.8501	S. Keith Hargrove, MBA, Ph.D. Staff Senate Ex-Officio Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Office of the Provost 334.727.8164 SKHargrove@tuskegee.edu

Dexter Odom Staff Senate Ex-Officio Chief Financial Officer Office of the Chief Financial Officer 334.727.8855 DOdom@tuskegee.edu	Cassandra Tarver-Ross Staff Senate Ex-Officio Chief Human Resources Officer Office of Human Resources Management 334.727.8510 CTarverRoss@Tuskegee.edu

Preston Robinson III, Ph.D. Staff Senate Ex-Officio Director, Institutional Research Office of Institutional Effectiveness 334.724.4873 PRobinson@tuskegee.edu Immediate Past Chair (Term ended: June 30, 2024)

UNIVERSITY STAFF RESOURCES

STAFF SENATE RESOURCES

COMMITTEES

The Standing Committees of the Senate are:

a. Executive Committee

The committee shall consist of the President of the University, or in his/her absence a person named by the President, or, in his/her absence a person named by the President; the officers of the Senate, and the chairman of the standing committees of the Senate. The presiding officer shall be the Chairman of the Senate.

It shall prepare the agenda for the Senate meetings; assign or refer the business of the Senate to appropriate committees for consideration and report; recommend abolition, alternation or creation of abolition, alteration or creation of Senate committees and generally expedite all work of the Senate. It shall prepare an operating budget for the Senate, which shall be forwarded to the administration.

b. Staff Personnel Committee

This committee shall concern itself primarily with policy matters and guidelines for administrative implementation pertaining to: appointments, status and promotion of staff, working conditions, and fringe benefits. Member shall include the Vice President for Business and Fiscal Affairs.

c. Personal Development Committee

This committee shall concern itself primarily with policy matters and guidelines relating to workshops, short courses, institutes, and other activities designed to upgrade of performance of members of the staff.

d. Newsletter Committee

This committee shall concern itself primarily with the development of a newsletter. The newsletter should provide information about personnel currently employed at the University.