Staff Senate met virtually on April 13 via Microsoft Teams and they were joined by President Neeli Bendapudi. Senators received information on COVID-19 vaccination and the upcoming Staff Senate vacancies and elections.
Bendapudi provided senators with current information on the mass COVID-19 vaccination site located in the purple lot of Cardinal Stadium. The 28-lane vaccination location, which estimates a 10-minute wait time for scheduled vaccine recipients, is currently open to anyone from Kentucky over the age of 16. Information on vaccination appointment scheduling at any of the four Louisville area locations can be found through the UofL Health website here.
“You should be proud of your university for stepping up and doing this for the community,” Bedapudi said.
Benapudi also responded to senators’ concerns about the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The one-dose vaccine was provided through UofL Health in the beginning of April, but current administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been suspended by the CDC and the FDA pending an investigation into some rare cases of blood clotting.
“Out of the 6.3 million vaccinations, there were about six people who developed blood clots. It truly is one in a million, but that doesn’t mean it’s trivial. The CDC is putting out information, and we will be sure to share that,” Bendapudi said.
At present, UofL Health is only administering the Pfizer vaccine and will stay informed of the CDC guidelines and recommendations concerning the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those who receive the vaccine and develop severe headaches, blurred vision, slurred speech, leg swelling or severe abdominal roughly one to two weeks after administration are encouraged to contact their health provider or Campus Health Services. Additional information was shared through a university-wide update on April 14, which can be found here.
Jennifer Steier, chair of the Credentials and Nominations Committee for the Staff Senate, shared the results of the committee’s proportion calculations for senate seat distribution among departments. The J.B. Speed School of Engineering, the School of Dentistry, the School of Education, the School of Business, the Office of the Executive Vice President of Research and the Office of the President gained one seat; the Office of the Provost gained two seats. The Chief Operating Officer lost two seats, the VP of Health Affairs lost one seat and the School of Medicine lost five seats.
A total of 49 seats will be up for election in 2021, and 50 seats will be vacant in 2022. Applications for Staff Senate are currently closed. Additional information on the Staff Senate voting process will be presented at the May Staff Senate meeting.
The Staff Grievance Committee reported one grievance since the last full Staff Senate meeting. The hearing committee is being led by Barbara Bishop, the committee vice chair, and interviews concerning that matter are currently ongoing.
Committee reports and a full video recording of the virtual meeting can be found on the Staff Senate Meeting page. The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on May 11 via Microsoft Teams.
