MaPSAC chair Q&A: Stacey Baisden

Stacey Baisden, MaPSAC chair for 2020-21. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)

Stacey Baisden took office June 1 as the 2020-21 chair of the Management and Professional Staff Advisory Committee. She joined MaPSAC in 2018 as an at-large representative and served as vice chair in 2019-20. Here, she answers questions from Purdue Today about her perspectives and plans in leading MaPSAC.

How long, and in what positions, have you worked at Purdue?

I started working at Purdue in 2013 as the assistant director of special events in the University Development Office -- left in 2015 for a couple years to work for the City of Lafayette. In 2017, I came back to Purdue and started working for the Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts. Last year I was promoted to the operations administrator for my department.

Why did you decide to become involved in MaPSAC? In what capacity/on which committees have you served?

I joined MaPSAC because I wanted to help advise senior administration on management and professional staff challenges and help offer ideas and solutions. My first year on MaPSAC, I served on the Membership and Communications subcommittee, then was elected vice chair of the full MaPSAC my second year. I have been on the University Senate committee, University Senate Advisory committee, Staff Memorial committee, Executive Committee for MaPSAC, and the subcommittee for Membership and Communications.

What did you learn as vice chair or as a committee member that will assist you as chair this year?

While working with the past chair all last year, I learned more about how the campus operates. Our past chair built great rapport with leadership across campus, and I am hoping to use some of the skills our past chair taught me during this year.

What will MaPSAC be working on during the upcoming academic year?

MaPSAC’s main goal is to help improve the University system as a whole through engagement and dialogue. We plan on accomplishing this by connecting with our areas of membership. MaPSAC’s purpose is to serve as a two-way conduit between management and professional staff and the senior administration. As such, MaPSAC serves two distinct areas, each with the need to hear the other and to be heard by the other.

What are your own goals as the chair of MaPSAC? What do you hope to have contributed as chair to MaPSAC and the University once your term ends?

My goals as chair of MaPSAC are to:

• Encourage MaPSAC members to reach out to their area of membership often and listen to management and professional staff’s thoughts on campus.
• Lead this great organization and help make the work we do more visible on campus. We are a wonderful resource for management and professional staff, but some do not know what we do.

I have received quite a bit of leadership training in my career, but none of it involved how to lead an organization remotely due to a pandemic. As leaders we are unable to plan and train for everything that happens in our lives. However, we have the power to educate ourselves. We have the power to listen to each other. We have the power to reflect and think about how we move forward in this moment in time. I hope that by the end of my term, I would have contributed to the University’s mission and goals to help move us forward. 

What would you like faculty and staff to know about MaPSAC?

I encourage all management and professional staff to learn who the MaPSAC members are for their area by viewing our members page on our website. That information can be found online. When you have a compliment, a concern, a question, an idea, or a solution, we want to hear from you. We offer so many great benefits to management and professional staff, i.e., professional development opportunities, benefits guidance, resource fair and so much more!

How can faculty and staff get involved with MaPSAC?

Through our website, you will see our monthly Sentinel, any upcoming awards, grant information, membership applications, any resources for management and professional staff, and a complete list of all of MaPSAC’s members both on the West Lafayette campus and at the regional campuses.

We hold our membership drive during the spring. If you are interested in being a member of MaPSAC, please look at our website to learn more about the responsibilities and when you can submit your application.