Q&A with PSA President Dee Cook

Dee Cook is the fiscal affairs coordinator for UA’s Division of Community Affairs. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama in accounting and general management. She has also been employed by UA for 14 years.

What were some of PSA’s highlights during the 2021-2022 year?

In January 2022, the collaborative work of PSA, OCTSA and Faculty Senate came to fruition with the implementation of the Paid Parental Leave Policy. The policy allows four weeks of paid parental leave for UA employees and represents a positive step forward in providing an employee benefit that improves employee retention, increases UA’s competitive advantage and enhances employee engagement, morale and productivity.

In May 2022, PSA presented the Outstanding Professional Award to Vaishali Patel, assistant director for student personnel development for University Recreation, and Clifton Lewis, instructional media manager in the College of Continuing Studies.

In October 2021, PSA awarded the Mark G. Foster Scholarship to Capt. Jeff Nabors of the UA Police Department.

Our PSA Community Service and Outreach Committee has expanded the number and variety of engagement opportunities the assembly offers. This is good for staff morale and team building, and it’s also consistent with the University’s mission. PSA increased its community service volunteer opportunities from two per year to seven. We offered six days for Habitat for Humanity and filled the game room at Brewer-Porch Children’s Center with donations.

• PSA conducted its first-ever survey on remote work for professional staff. Over 800 responses were received in the first four hours. These results were presented to UA administration and human resources to engage in dialogue promoting the benefits of remote work.

PSA proudly supports new campus-wide efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion among all stakeholders. During this year, PSA has devoted over 160 hours specifically to DEI. These continuing efforts include promotions and celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the “Amend: The Fight for America” professional development series, the inaugural Juneteenth events and several celebrations of the heritages and histories of our diverse populations.

What are some of PSA’s goals and major projects for the 2022-2023 year?

PSA facilitates and maintains open lines of communication with all stakeholders. These goals are accomplished by inclusion on hiring committees for executive positions, presidential advisory, human resources task force, monthly meetings with executive leadership and university standing committees. PSA will continue to facilitate and enhance this work.

PSA has begun its campaign to encourage staff to explore their higher education opportunities by utilizing current UA benefits and policies such as tuition credit and additional salary compensation through degree completion.

PSA will advocate for and explore methods for establishing and enhancing career advancement, salary progression and supervisor training programs.

How can fellow staff get involved or stay informed?

All assembly meetings are open to professional staff and may be viewed on our Facebook page. For timely announcements, follow PSA on Twitter, and for more information visit the PSA website. All professional staff members are encouraged to reach out to their PSA representative or PSA officers with any issues or concerns.

What was the biggest lesson the assembly learned from the past year that will continue to make an impact on PSA and how it conducts business?

It is often easy to be so busy doing the work that talking about the work can be overlooked. Concerted efforts were made to communicate via social media, emails, meetings and phone calls to relay our successes and work in progress.