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Letter from the Committee

Dear Research Faculty,

As your Boulder Campus Staff Council representatives, we are excited to connect with you and affirm our commitment to supporting your work, your needs, and your voice within Shared Governance and the broader University of Colorado Boulder community. We are here to ensure that your perspectives help shape the university’s priorities.

Representation for Professional Research Assistants, Senior Professional Research Assistants, Research Associates, and Senior Research Associates (referred to here and within Staff Council as Research Faculty) on Staff Council officially began in Fall 2024. This significant milestone followed the work of an exploratory committee, which found that Research Faculty were underrepresented in shared governance and that your values and priorities aligned closely with university staff. 

Since then, we've been actively working to build a foundation of advocacy, understanding, communication, and collaboration for and with our Research Faculty constituents.

As our first achievements in 2024-2025, which ensured more equitable participation and a clearer path for your voices to be heard, we successfully advocated for:

  • increased representation of Research Faculty on Staff Council, doubling the number of seats from two to four.
  • a designated representation area for Research Faculty: Area 10.  

 

In Summer 2025, we took an important step forward by establishing a dedicated Staff Council Special Committee for Research Faculty. This committee focuses on enhancing outreach and education efforts, including:

  • Translating Staff Council initiatives for Research Faculty constituents.
  • Providing insight into CU Boulder policies, procedures, and funding mechanisms that impact Research Faculty.
  • Identifying and advocating for key issues affecting Research Faculty.
  • Collaborating with campus leadership to support your experience and well-being.

We want you to know: we're here for you. Whether you have ideas, concerns, or simply want to connect, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Our contact information is listed below, and we welcome hearing from you at any time.

Thank you for all that you do—and we look forward to continuing to serve and represent you.

Warmly, 

 
Kate Cochran & Ginnie Hershbarger 
Research Faculty Special Committee Co-Chairs

Staff Council Area 10 Representatives 
kate.cochran@colorado.edu | ginnie.hershbarger@colorado.edu