Faculty, Staff Trustee Elections

• Fri., April 11: General Counsel advises the applicable administrative liaison of the shared governance body of guidelines as to the requirements of Kentucky Revised Statutes.^[i]
• Mon., April 14: The administrative liaisons for faculty and staff receive eligible participant lists from the university’s official system of record. The eligible participant list will include those eligible to serve as trustee and those eligible to vote in the election. The date of eligible participation will be as of 30 calendar days prior to the start of the election cycle.
• Fri., April 18: Election website launched, including election timeline.
• Fri., April 25: Board of Trustees review and approval of election process. Administrative liaisons notify participants of eligibility and refer to website for election timeline. Nominations open.
• By Sun., May 4: Eligible candidates must submit required documents for review.
• Mon., May 5: Final candidates notified by administrative liaison. Upon notification, campaigning begins and will run through the election close on Wed., May 14. Eligible voting faculty and staff are notified of election website, timeline and final candidate materials.
• Thurs., May 8: Elections open through May 14.
• Wed., May 14: Elections close.
• Thurs., May 15: Election results compiled by ITS, sent to the President, General Counsel and Chair of the Board of Trustees. 

Election Process

This process is applicable only to faculty and staff trustee elections. 

1. General Counsel advises the applicable administrative liaison of the shared governance body of guidelines as to the requirements of Kentucky Revised Statutes.^[i]
2. The administrative liaison for applicable shared governance bodies will obtain eligible participant lists from the University’s official system of record. The eligible participant list will include those eligible to serve as trustee and those eligible to vote in the election.   
3. The timeline for the elections process will be posted publicly online no later than the first day of the election cycle on the trustee election website.
4. The administrative liaison to the respective shared governance body will notify participants of eligibility to serve as trustee with timeline to submit nominations. This notification will be in the form of an email from the administrative liaison to eligible participants.
5. Nominations for eligible participants, as described in the Election Guidelines, must be submitted online by deadline in accordance with guidelines at the time of the election cycle.
6. Eligible participants are notified of their nomination and submit requirements by deadline. Requirements include the following: (1) an electronic image of the participant; (2) a personal statement of no more than 250 words that describes why the participant wants to serve as a trustee; and (3) a letter of certification from the participant’s direct supervisor stating the service of the employee as an elected trustee will not result in substantial increased costs related to the conduct of normal operation of the department/unit (supervisor guidance available on the election website). The participant may appeal for certification to their supervisor’s supervisor if their direct supervisor does not certify support.
7. Final candidate campaigning is permitted from pre-determined date communicated in timeline through the day elections close. Each candidate has been permitted to send up to two emails to all staff or faculty during the election process in 2025. The communications are sent from the staff and faculty liaisons (EVPFA and Provost) and are shared “as is”. They will not be reviewed or altered by the university.
8. Election voting will be open for no more than seven calendar days, including a weekend.       
9. Election results will be compiled by Information Technology Services (ITS) and will be sent to the President, General Counsel and Chair of the Board of Trustees. Election results will be posted on the public website. Election results will include total votes and votes per candidate for each respective election. The candidate who receives the most votes is the winner.
10. Election results may be challenged by notifying, in writing, the President, General Counsel and Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Election Guidelines

1. Election process will be managed by the President, General Counsel and the applicable administrative liaison.
2. Election process will be conducted electronically.
3. Participant lists will be obtained prior to the start of the election cycle through the University’s official system of record and verified within the timeline published on the trustee election website. For questions of eligibility, participants should contact their administrative liaison.
4. Potential candidates, as long as eligible, may self-nominate and/or be nominated by another member of the same primary assignment (i.e., faculty may nominate faculty, staff may nominate staff).  All nominations will be directed to the trustee election email address.
5. Candidates must provide the requirements by the deadline.  Requirements include the following: (1) a personal statement of no more than 250 words that describes why the participant wants to serve as a trustee; and (2) a letter of certification from the participant’s direct supervisor as outlined in the process. Guidance will be available on the trustee election website for supervisors when considering certification for a participant’s nomination. The participant may appeal for certification to their supervisor’s supervisor if their direct supervisor does not certify support. Candidates also have the option to provide an electronic image.
6. Candidate campaigning will end the day elections close.
7. Candidates must follow University regulations, policies and procedures during the campaign.^[ii]     
8. Eligible voters will be eligible to vote in the election of the same primary assignment (i.e., faculty may vote for faculty, staff may vote for staff).
9. The candidate receiving the most votes will be deemed elected. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined in accordance with Kentucky Revised Statutes.^[iii]
10. Elected trustee(s) will serve a term of 3 years, beginning on July 1 of the elected year, unless filling a vacancy, in which case the elected trustee(s) will serve for the remaining duration of the term.
11. Eligibility requirements for faculty and staff are outlined in the table below.^[iv]

When considering whether to prepare a letter of certification for your employee to run for faculty or staff trustee election, the following points should be considered:

1. Eligibility: Review the University’s faculty and staff trustee election guidelines to ensure your employee satisfies all eligibility requirements for faculty and staff candidates. Pay special attention to job duties that may create a potential conflict of interest or commitment. Determine if any conflicts or restrictions need to be managed should the employee be elected.
2. Performance Readiness: Confirm the employee has sufficiently mastered their responsibilities to take on the additional demands of trustee service without compromising their existing duties.
3. Unit Operations: Evaluate whether your unit can accommodate a redistribution of the employee’s responsibilities during their trustee-related commitments. Ensure the team can reasonably absorb the additional workload.