Each month, Council sends a newsletter to all Professional and Scientific employees. This newsletter includes employee spotlights, campus updates, a message from the P&S Council President, and more.

Review previous newsletters below:

Monthly Did You Know articles help promote events, resources on campus, and more. Check out the previous articles below.

Connect with us on LinkedIn to stay up-do-date on council events and updates.

The Governance Committee hosts a podcast to engage with councilors and staff members at Iowa State. Created in the Student Innovation Center on campus!

Episode 1: Andrew Sutton - Technology

Episode 2: Julieanne Rogowski - Teaching and Learning as P&S Staff

Help us highlight Professional and Scientific employees doing wonderful work! You can nominate a fellow Professional and Scientific employee (or team of employees) for the Highlighting ISU Professional and Scientific employees section of the Professional and Scientific Council Newsletter! Submit your nominations using this form, tell us about a P&S employee or team doing outstanding work in your area in 100 words or less and include a picture of them.

Current Year Staff Highlights

Previously Highlighted Staff Members 

 

Sharing Feedback & Suggestions

If you would like to share concerns, feedback or offer solutions, you can use our virtual suggestion box.  The virtual suggestion box allows you to share your feedback anonymously if you choose, or you can request a follow-up from a member of the Executive Committee if you would prefer by providing your contact information.  

Your honest and constructive feedback is vital and contributes to Professional & Scientific Council's decision making, strategic initiatives and ability to advocate for you.

Recent Feedback & Suggestion Box Follow-up

Feedback (summary): Communication regarding annual compensation changes does not occur in a timely manner with some employees not knowing about the change until the statement is available January 9th in Workday. Compensation is not keeping pace with inflation or health care costs. 

Response: Salary Communication: The new compensation statement in Workday is an improvement from previous years and a topic that Council leadership has been advocating on for a few years.  The general timeline of compensation changes is: Performance evaluations occur in October | Compensation discussions and decisions are made within departments or divisions in November | Salary information is due to UHR from departments in early December | Departments are approved to communicate salary changes in early-mid December | UHR uses the last half of December to load salary information into Workday and test for accuracy | Salary statements are released in early January | Payroll deadline for January 31st pay is mid-late January.

The ultimate goal is that departments or managers are having in-person conversations with employees regarding their salary changes.  By not releasing the salary statements until early January, departments and managers have opportunities to have in-person conversations and UHR has time to load and test the data in Workday.  The salary statement should not replace the conversation but, since we know that does not always happen, the statement helps ensure employees know their salaries before pay is disbursed at the end of the month.

Salary versus cost of living: Salaries are based on the cost of labor, not the cost of living, a common misunderstanding.  The cost of labor is a more accurate indicator of the value of recruiting and retaining talent based on the role, skills and knowledge required.  Cost of listing is more volatile, changing throughout a given year, and can be impacted by an individual's preferences and choices.  Iowa State is not unique in this space; employers typically base their salaries on cost of labor rather than cost of living.

 

Feedback (summary): The current ISU service recognition clubs (25, 35, 50 years) reset service time after a break, which disadvantages employees who take time off for caregiving, education, layoffs, or other uncontrollable factors. This structure primarily benefits faculty and long-term merit staff, while P&S staff—who often have more mobile career paths—are penalized despite their dedication. The policy feels outdated and inequitable, and past objections citing record-keeping challenges or committee resistance are not acceptable.

Response: Employee recognition has been a long-standing priority for Council. The 25 Year Club was established over a century ago to honor continuous service of 25 years or more. We acknowledge that employment patterns have changed significantly, and we continue to advocate for recognition that reflects today’s workforce.

In fall 2025, University Human Resources introduced a milestone recognition program for employees at 1, 3, 5 years, and every five years thereafter. Additionally, Council regularly reviews its awards to ensure inclusivity. Beginning in 2026, we will introduce the Outstanding P&S Supervisor Award as part of our ongoing efforts to celebrate the contributions and dedication of P&S staff. Recognition will remain a key area of advocacy for Council.

 

Feedback: Disappointment in lack of Council action regarding first amendment rights and subsequent university actions and sanctions.

Response: The Professional and Scientific (P&S) Council exists to serve as a resource and advocate for all P&S employees at Iowa State University. Events related to First Amendment rights in fall 2025 were challenging and deeply felt across our community. We recognize that these issues impacted employees in different ways and understand the concerns raised. As a Council, our responsibility is to represent all P&S employees. Taking a public stance on this matter may have alienated some staff members, which is why we chose to remain neutral. Instead, we focused on listening and advocating behind the scenes. Throughout fall 2025, the Council President and President-Elect engaged in multiple conversations with university leadership, shared constituent concerns, asked critical questions, and worked to provide resources to help employees better understand their rights and responsibilities as state employees.