President's Report: February 2026

Like many of you I’m sure, I’ve been catching bits of the Olympics whenever I can this month. Even though most of our roles typically do not require triple axels or speeding down frozen surfaces (but if yours does, I want to learn more!), every interaction I have with staff is a reminder of the extraordinary talent and agility you all bring to our community. Thank you all for your continued engagement and feedback.

Khyati Nagar and Mifrah Abid are no longer serving on the UWSA Board of Directors. On behalf of all of us at the Staff Association, I want to sincerely thank both Khyati and Mifrah for their contributions and dedication to improving the staff experience at UW. We wish them both success moving forward.

Members may recall that a tenth Board seat was temporarily created following an unprecedented tie in the most recent election. As this additional seat was not part of the Board’s standard composition, and with quorum maintained, the Board remains fully functional and continues its work on behalf of staff.

I am so excited that our work on the MoA renewal is nearing completion. A renewal of this scale is complex under the best of circumstances and, while we are slightly behind our original (very ambitious!) timeline by a couple of weeks, we remain confident in the progress being made. We will soon share full details on our website including a schedule for virtual and in-person information sessions to review the changes, answer questions, and gather input. At the current pace, we anticipate a membership vote late next month. As part of this work, we will also outline the priorities we are committed to advancing following MoA ratification.

We know salary timing is top of mind for many staff. While the timeline for determining increases this year is compressed given the MoA renewal and the new compensation negotiation framework, we remain confident in the path forward. Although formal negotiations will begin following MoA ratification, UWSA and the University agree on the importance of reaching an agreement in advance of May 1 and are committed to working towards a meaningful outcome for staff. 

We posted key takeaways from the January 2026 budget forum on our blog. It remains clear that the University is navigating significant change, and while we expect the outcomes of the consultations and reviews to unfold in the coming months, we understand that continued uncertainty is difficult and, for many, exhausting.

In each engagement with senior leadership, we press for clarity, timely communication, and adherence to Policy 18. I will continue to engage constructively to advocate for keeping staff perspectives and the human impacts of change central as these changes progress, because considerations for your expertise, institutional knowledge, and workload realities are not peripheral considerations—they are essential to good decision-making.

I expect we will be hearing more soon regarding the exploration of UPP, with information sessions expected in the coming months. As we’ve noted previously, this will be a long-term process, and any potential decision remains years away. Every staff vote carries equal weight. In addition to UW-led sessions, we will ensure ample opportunities to ask questions, access information, and engage in informed discussions. We will be organizing staff-focused opportunities once we have a better idea of the timing. Many staff have reached out to us with questions and concerns in advance, which is helpful as we scope out next steps, so please don’t hesitate to provide your thoughts at any time.

I don’t know about you, but for me it feels longer than 1.5 months since implementation of the new Flex and Hybrid Work Guidelines. While many teams have navigated the adjustments, we continue to hear from staff about real challenges, particularly around flexibility.

The two recent snow days highlighted the importance of having a shared understanding of what it means to use reasonable judgment and what leading with flexibility looks like in practice from both managers and leadership. Stay tuned soon for additional resources we are developing to support staff in these conversations. Members experiencing individual challenges are always encouraged to contact the UWSA for confidential support.

Staff representation at governance tables matters and you can have your say in our representation by voting in the upcoming Board of Governors Staff Election. The nomination period closes February 20 and the voting period will be open for regular full-time staff from March 4 to 10. One way to learn more about the role of the Board of Governors is to read the first in our new series of “Staff Spotlights,” featuring sitting staff governor Nancy Heide.

Until next time!