University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

(From left) Ann Marie Landel, Janiece Jankowski and Pamela Rose will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Professional Staff Senate on Sept. 6. Photo: NANCY J. PARISI

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By BERT GAMBINI

Published: August 9, 2012

UB’s Professional Staff Senate (PSS) has for decades played a role in governance and policy development at UB, but it’s also an organization committed to better acquainting university professionals to the university at large.

In addition to its professional development work, the PSS is actively involved in decisions that affect not only UB, but SUNY and the New York State as well.

In fact, the PSS soon will celebrate the 40th anniversary of carrying out its mission, with a celebration on Sept. 6 in the Center for Tomorrow.

“I’m really excited to be the chair of the Professional Staff Senate,” says Ann Marie Landel, who became the organization’s leader on July 1, 2011. And Landel has much to be excited about.

As the university’s professional ranks have grown, the PSS has realized commensurate growth in its membership base, increasing from 1,800 members to 2,500 in the past 15 years. According to Landel, the organization also has lent its support to such initiatives as UB 2020 and NY SUNY 2020.

“It’s a pleasure to be able to work closely with the UB administration on such major efforts,” says Landel.

Landel previously served four years as vice chair under the leadership of chair Janiece Jankowski. Jankowski is equally proud of the PSS’ efforts supporting administrative endeavors, but she also sees the organization as a vehicle for networking about need-to-know issues.

“It’s a critical avenue of communication,” says Jankowski. “As chair of the PSS, you are exposed to a wide scope of information, both on campus and throughout SUNY. You are then able to present the pertinent information back to our professionals.”

Jankowski says the PSS also has worked to support environmental sustainability on campus through its “Greener Shade of Blue” Committee, while the Marketing and Communications Committee focuses on improving electronic communication with members and keeping website improvements current and relevant.

Two governing bodies working together

UB’s PSS is a bit of a rarity in the SUNY system. Along with Binghamton, UB is one of only two institutions within SUNY that has a governing body of professional staff members that is separate from its Faculty Senate.

Landel says that while the two groups are distinct at UB, they do share an office suite in Capen Hall and try to work together when possible. Jankowski agrees, noting that every opportunity for one group to acquaint itself with the other is a valuable experience.

“The simple matter of the respective chairs attending the other group’s meetings allows each of us to be clued in to the broader perspective,” says Jankowski. “I know Ann Marie is working hard to further that relationship.”

Landel, in fact, is committed to building all kinds of professional relationships. She assumed her role as chair less than three months after Satish K. Tripathi was named UB president.

“I want to be as engaged as possible with the university leadership so that our constituents can be better informed about UB’s direction and its goals,” she says.

But Landel explains that the PSS also is concerned with individual goals. Along with the Greener Shade of Blue, there are 11 other committees within the PSS whose work generates programs and conferences that provide professional and personal development opportunities for members.

The benefits of committees

Pamela M. Rose, web services and library promotion coordinator for the Health Sciences Library, has been involved with the PSS since joining the UB professional staff in 1982. She points out that every professional employee is a member of the PSS by virtue of his or her position, but she says the committees are the place to discover the university.

“The senate has something for every professional at UB, but the committees are where you get a chance to connect with others,” says Rose. “It’s there that you can begin to weave yourself into the fabric of this wonderful institution.”

Rose says new hires should look into joining the Marketing and Communications Committee. While it’s a relatively new group, it’s charged with transmitting the senate’s message.

The Staff Development and Services Committee, meantime, is ideal for those looking for new opportunities at UB. It is home to the senate’s mentoring program, arguably the group’ marquee program.

“Anyone looking for a window to a new position is able to partner with someone who can provide insight, knowledge and guidance,” Rose says of the mentoring program.

Rose, who has served three times as a mentor, says both mentor and protégé fill out profiles that identify their skills, interests and needs. The committee then matches the appropriate pairs, who then collectively decide what should be accomplished and the means required to achieve those ends. The level of involvement varies depending on specific needs and goals. Rose says the program’s depth can range from discussing concerns over lunch to much more involved strategic plans and objectives.

Landel shares a similar enthusiasm for the mentoring program.

“It’s a one-on-one chance for a mentor and protégé to work together on things like professional skills, goal setting and organizational development,” she says. “We work to provide staff with the tools for improved job performance, but at the same time, I want staff to have the information they need, through meetings and invited speakers, to understand what’s happening on campus and what are the important issues.”

Up next for the PSS is its 40th anniversary celebration. Landel says Tripathi will be honored and chairs from each decade will discuss what the PSS has meant to them and how it helped their careers.

“We’ll be celebrating the accomplishments of the largest governing body of staff at UB and how we contribute to the university,” she says.

Visit the PSS’ website for more details on the celebration and to register. The registration deadline is Aug. 10.