Council of University System Staff

The Council of University System Staff (or CUSS) is the shared governance group responsible for representing staff from all 12 campuses that are part of the University System of Maryland (USM). Each campus elects a number of representatives (and alternates) to serve on the Council each year and these members serve as the staff voice at the system level.

CUSS has four standing committees that meet every month: Awards & Outreach, Legislative Affairs & Policy, Staff Resources & Special Projects, and the Executive Committee. CUSS members serve as liaisons between the leadership of the USM and the campuses and are responsible for disseminating information to staff across the USM.

CUSS Representatives


Dr. Laila Shishineh
Time in PSS: 12 years

I currently serve as the Director of First-Year and Transfer Academic Programs in the Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs on campus. In this role I work with all of our new students as they transition into UMBC. I have over 17 years of experience working with students in transition between UMBC and UMCP. I received my Doctorate in Education from Frostburg State University, along with my Masters in Education and my Bachelors in Criminology & Criminal Justice from UMCP.

I joined ESS in 2011 and served in several leadership positions including Vice-President, President, and Past President. I transitioned to the Council of University System Staff (CUSS) in 2015 and I am currently serving in my second year as the Past Chair of CUSS. Additionally, I serve as the Co-Chair for our ESS Mentoring Program and have been involved with that program since it was created in 2012. Anyone who knows me knows I absolutely love being involved in shared governance at UMBC and across the USM and I am so grateful for my tenure with both ESS and CUSS.

Fun Fact: In addition to my work on campus, and my work with shared governance, I am a Certified Group Fitness Instructor! I started teaching Group Fitness at the RAC in Fall 2021 and the formats I teach are Bootcamp and Core! I would love to see more staff utilize the RAC (and join Group Fitness classes). Come check it out!

Photo of Roy Prouty
Roy Prouty
Time in PSS: 3 years

I am currently an exempt staff member in DoIT and work as a System Administrator for UMBC’s High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF). I work closely with faculty, students, and staff to ensure our HPCF and other research computing resources remain accessible and available to all campus community members.

I am also a contingent staff member through the Center for Space Science Technology — a research center UMBC formed with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. In this role, I serve as the Director of the UMBC Observatory. I began this work in 2013 to fulfill our mission of providing research support, designing and executing outreach events, and developing partnerships with on and off-campus Astronomy Clubs.

I came to UMBC in 2013 pursuing a graduate degree in Atmospheric Physics, I completed my M.S. with a thesis on radiative transfer of above-cloud aerosols in January 2016, and then went on to work full-time in DoIT. Early in the pandemic, I began working with Dr. Don Engel in CSEE as a part-time PhD Student. I achieved candidacy in June 2022, and I hope to defend my final thesis by December 2024.

I first joined shared governance at UMBC in 2014 as a senator in the Graduate Student Association (GSA). I then served as president of the GSA, chair of the University Steering Committee, and President of the University System of Maryland Student Council.

After two years as staff, I began engaging with the Exempt Staff Senate (ESS) as a Council of University System Staff (CUSS) representative for UMBC. I am now a full-fledged PSS senator and continue to work with CUSS as the chair of the Legislative Affairs and Policy Committee.

Fun Facts: The UMBC Observatory hosts public Open Houses on the first Thursday of every month! Come check us out! I live in Pigtown, Baltimore with my husband (Derek) and doggo (Dyson). Talk to me about biking infrastructure and/or the most dangerous bike paths from Baltimore to UMBC. I’ve got stories …

CUSS Alternates: Lazlo Korossy, Academic and Pre-Professional Advising, and Deanna Cerquetti, Academic & Pre-Professional Advising

We are the four representatives/alternates for Exempt Staff, but we also have one representative and one alternative on behalf of the Non-Exempt Staff at UMBC.

2023-2024 Non-Exempt CUSS Representatives:
Terisa White, Executive Administrative Assistant II, Office of the Provost
Catherine Myers, Program Administrative Specialist, Student Conduct and Community Standards