Student life and pedagogy; faculty research, well-being, and diversity - nearly every aspect of the modern university have been, and continue to be, the subject of scholarly research and study. While extant literature is full of studies and data regarding students and faculty, research questions regarding non-instruction/professional staff are few despite making up 51% of university employees (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). Staff often feel a caste-like divide between themselves and faculty. Institutional culture is slowly eroded, often impacting student services and the overall mission of an organization. Staff are a vital engine in a university, possessing expertise and institutional knowledge different from faculty. Yet often, these best practices and expertise have no formal venue to be shared -- and ultimately implemented - with upper administration or formal faculty governing bodies of an institution. Can changes to and participation in, university governance, influence staff morale, agency, and impact? Using a mixed methods approach, survey, and interview data from a large metropolitan university, 858 professional, unionized staff were asked about campus climate, morale, needs and wants, 118 responded. Further interviews were conducted to give staff the opportunity to elaborate on their needs, concerns, and feelings. Four major themes emerged: low morale; strong connection to the college's mission - often trumping morale issues surrounding leaving the institution; lack of support for professional development from supervisors; desire for the creation of a Staff Council. Staff overwhelmingly feel the Council would be the vehicle to address issues and create lasting change and impact. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]