January Staff Senate Meeting Updates
University Operations Updates
J.J. Brown gave us a quick update on the search for an interim Chief of HR, the administrative headcount cap, when we might be able to expect a potential budget, and the master plan for the university. He also updated us on the Aetna ID cards.
Aetna ID cards: many of the new 2026 cards have a 2025 effective date, but will still be accepted by providers in 2026. Aetna printing old dates is a known problem, and there is no plan to send replacement cards. Please continue using the cards provided.
Employee Wellness
Matt Cooper from Appalachian Health and Wellness talked with us about his breathing and meditative workshops and gave us a group demonstration of a body scan. You can find his workshops listed in the Announce email each week.
Staff Senate Updates
- Staff Senate nominations are now open. The nomination period is January 13 - February 24. Nominate yourself or someone you know to be a Staff Senator and/or serve on the Executive Team.
- Staff Senate Scholarship Committee reviewed their survey results and opened up discussion on how to create and distribute scholarships moving forward.
- The Staff Senate 50/50 Raffle starts January 26th and the winner will be drawn on February 13th. 50% of the collection goes to the winner, and 50% goes to Staff Scholarships. Keep your eye on Announce and Scala for more details!
Meeting Minutes: Staff Senate January 2026 Meeting Minutes
Zoom Recording: Staff Senate January 2026 Meeting Recording
Presentations/Documentation: State Health Plan - Aetna ID Cards, Staff Scholarship Survey Results, Senator Nomination Form, Executive Team Nomination Form, NCFlex Cancer and Wellness Benefit Claims, Wellness Benefit
Join Us
Staff Senate meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 1:30-3:00 p.m. in 421 Belk Library and Information Commons and are open to all university staff.
The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on February 10, 2026 1:30-3:00 PM or via Zoom.
Please feel free to email staffsenate@appstate.edu with any questions, comments, or concerns, or contact a senator in your division.