The Employee Forum passed a resolution Wednesday vying for the opportunity to argue for employee representation on the BOT.
Employee Forum Chairman Tommy Griffin said Thursday that the group will submit a resolution to the chancellor's office asking for approval to go before the trustees at an upcoming meeting.
The resolution also asked once again for the board to provide employees a nonvoting seat and voice on the board. Griffin said the resolution should be submitted sometime next week.
Employee Forum members did not get an opportunity to present their case to the BOT at its Sept. 26 meeting, when they and the Faculty Council both were denied nonvoting positions.
Sue Estroff, chairwoman of the Faculty Council, spoke at the BOT's September meeting, but Griffin, a regular presence at the meetings, did not have the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Employee Forum.
Forum members said they think that without employee input, the trustees were unable to make a fully informed decision about the need for an employee voice on the board. Employee representation would offer "valuable perspectives, information and insight that will be beneficial to sound governance and deliberation" by the BOT, the resolution states.
The resolution also states that the 6,500 employees represented by the Employee Forum have an "important and long-term interest in the well-being and future direction of the University."
"We want to show what good communication between the staff and the Board of Trustees would do for the University," Griffin said.
BOT Chairman Tim Burnett and Vice Chairman Stick Williams could not be reached for comment Thursday.
