May 7, 2009
Organization of the week: Professional Staff Organization
Editor’s note: There are many organizations open to the UW faculty and staff. Some have been around for years and some are new. Some are structured groups with officers and committees; some are much more informal. University Week provides a space for campus groups to publish their information, and this quarter we’d like to introduce you to one group a week. This week, Ethan Allen, education manager for the Center for Nanotechnology, discusses the Professional Staff Organization, of which he is vice president.
Who can join?
All professional staff at the UW are automatically part of the PSO — there are 7,400 across the UW’s Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses.
What does the organization do?
The PSO seeks to raise the profile of professional staff at the UW by highlighting their essential roles at the University. Our group serves as a resource for professional staff and helps to foster understanding, collegiality and a sense of common ground among its diverse membership. We also advocate for and represent professional staff in many forums, and we provide education and professional development opportunities, too. The PSO also seeks to nurture a culture of excellence throughout the UW.
Our group is supported by its members by voluntary contributions made through payroll deductions or one-time contributions by check. The organization suggests a payment of $2.50 per pay period, or $60 a year, for those earning about $35,000 annually. Suggested rates increase from there to “$4.50 and up” for professional staff earning $65,000 a year and more. We have about 200 dues-paying members.
The governing board uses that money to hold major meetings and brown bag presentations, provide scholarships for professional development, publish a biannual newsletter, maintain the Web site, and conduct other business of the organization.
Recent or typical activities:
We held our spring member meeting on Wednesday, April 29, in Kane Hall’s Walker Ames room, and that was typical of our twice-yearly large-scale events. We also offer brown bag lunch events on topics of relevance to professional staff several times a year. Recent such sessions have included topics as diverse as light rail at the UW, dispute resolution resources, self-management in challenging times, the UW CareLink program, importance of humor in the workplace, and enabling legislation for collective bargaining, managing stress, and the UW Leadership, Community and Values Initiative (LCVI).
Our professional development opportunities are scholarships of up to $350 given to about two dozen staff members each year. Here are some examples of how these grants were used:
- A research consultant in the Department of Microbiology attended a conference on viruses and infectious diseases.
- A student services coordinator attended the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators conference.
- A KUOW staff member used it toward classes in a UW certificate program in editing.
- An administrative assistant attended the UW Support Professionals Spring 2009 Retreat.
PSO publishes a newsletter, called Communique, each fall and spring quarter with updates on major issues impacting professional staff, and periodically surveys professional staff on issues of concern. We also maintain an informative Web site, as well as our entry on the UWeek Organizations Page.
How can I get involved?
Attend PSO events or contact the organization. You can sign up for a standing committee or a temporary working group, or serve as a PSO representative to a faculty or university committee. You can also serve on the organization’s governing board.
We have something for everyone. To talk with someone about how you can get involved, contact us at psoboard@u.washington.edu.
