Some staff members at Western will soon have the opportunity to gain more input into how the university works.

The Staff Council is accepting nominations for their April 21 online election. Seven positions will be open – half the seats on the council.

Nominations will close tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.

Three technical/skilled/service/maintenance positions, one professional non-faculty position, one part-time position and two secretarial/clerical positions are open.

Staff Council Chair Elizabeth Paris said running for a council seat is a good opportunity to get more involved with the university.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding when we get things done for the staff,” Paris said.

To be eligible to run for a position, staff members must have at least two years of continuous part-time or full-time employment at Western, and they must have worked at least one continuous year in the category in which they are running.

Each term lasts two years, and members are limited to two consecutive terms before having to sit out.

The newly elected members’ terms would begin on July 1.

A total of 288 votes were cast in last year’s election. Paris said last year’s turnout was low because there were only two categories open and staff can only vote in their corresponding category.

Four candidates last year ran for a single secretarial/clerical seat, and five candidates ran for two professional non-faculty seats.

The seat for a part-time staff member had no nominations. Paris said the part-time position was added within the last five years.

Some staff did show interest in the seat, but none of them had been at Western for two years at the time of the election, Paris said.

Lauri Warden, a consumer and family sciences office associate who is running for re-election, said she enjoys making and changing policies to meet the staff’s needs.

“I look forward to another opportunity to serve the staff,” she said.

While in office, Warden has worked on projects such as an appraisal and appeal form and a workplace violence proposal.

Operations specialist Regina Allen said she won’t be running for re-election, but has enjoyed her experience.

“When there is a common interest that impacts us all, we come together to do what is best for the whole staff,” she said.

Allen said she recommends that more staff run for a seat because it gives them insight into university operations.

She said she wasn’t running for re-election, in part, because she wanted others to have an opportunity to serve.

Allen said online voting has contributed to increased voting, but more staff should still participate.

Ten nominations were filed with Human Resources as of 3 p.m. yesterday.

Reach Lindsey Reed at [email protected]