Employee Forum Agenda — April 7, 2010
9:15 a.m.—-Meeting: Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library
I. Call to Order
II. Welcome Guests & Members of the Press
III. Opening Remarks
IV. Special Presentations
* Assistant Director for Parking Services Cheryl Stout
V. Human Resources Update with Vice Chancellor Brenda Malone
VI. Employee Presentations or Questions
VII. March Minutes
VIII. Old Business
IX. New Business
* Need for Three Volunteers for State Employees’ Combined Campaign
* Request for Committee Reports Prior to Forum Meetings
* Forum Community Meeting in Great Hall Friday April 16
* Forum Portrait to be Taken at May 5 Meeting
X. Stretch Time
XI. Forum Committee Reports
* Communications and Public Relations: Carrie Goldsmith
o Forum Newsletter
* Community Affairs, Recognition, Awards and Outreach: Teena Burton
* Compensation & Benefits:
* Education and Career Development: Cate Cunningham/Koyah Rivera
* Legislative Action: Jonathan Stephenson
* Membership & Assignments: Aluoch Ooro
* Staff Relations, Policies & Practices: Marc ter Horst
XII. Chair’s Report (Executive Committee): Tommy Griffin
XIII. Task Force/University Committee Reports
XIV. Announcements/Questions
XV. “Go Around the Room”: A Chance for Attendees to Share the Issue
Most on their Minds
XVI. Adjournment
MINUTES
April 7, 2010 Employee Forum Minutes
Chair Tommy Griffin called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. He noted that the Forum’s food drive had collected 4-500 pounds. He noted that all 17 schools in the University System participated. He then introduced Assistant Director for Parking Services Cheryl Stout to discuss the Advisory Committee on Transportation (ACT). Stout noted that ACT has eleven members, among them the Forum Chair. She discussed the review of the parking ordinance and changes in the Commuter Alternative Program. She noted that the University will now ask employees to choose between a regional transit pass and a park and ride subsidy. The University will now offer Z-Ride as a commuting option. Public Safety is in the process of developing a new five-year plan governing construction and transit options.
Jackie Overton commented that with the rotation of the Chair off the ACT, the next representative could engage in a quarterly discussion of that group’s work. Todd Hux asked if costs have risen because Chapel Hill Transit demands more subsidies. Stout said that she did not know if prices have risen for this reason. She said that prices might rise due to various plans for the system, such as a new bus route or parking deck. She was glad to say that there will be no parking rate increases for the coming year. Stout then introduced Public Safety Chief Jeff McCracken.
McCracken spoke about the upcoming emergency exercise on April 21. He noted that the exercise was planned as a result of a State System task force following the shootings at Virginia Tech in April 2007. He noted that the University had created an emergency management coordinator position to address task force recommendations. Among these recommendations was the conduct of a live exercise every year along with two table-top exercises. McCracken reported that the February 24 table-top exercise had gone well. April 21’s exercise will take place at the Outdoor Education Center to address an active shooter situation. In addition, that day at 8:45 a.m. employees are asked to practice what they would do in an emergency situation when the University’s Carolina Alert sirens will sound. Faith Thompson asked if the University would coordinate bus service with the exercise. McCracken said that it would be best if bus service campus would stop moving students onto campus in the event of an emergency.
McCracken said that the purpose of a siren is to encourage those on campus to seek shelter. Employees hearing the siren should stay inside.
The Chair introduced Gena Carter, Senior Director of Employee Management Relations to present the Forum’s customary Human Resources update. Carter noted that there had been changes in the community service leave. Employees will now have 24 hours paid community leave to perform voluntary work at public universities and community colleges with the approval of their supervisor. Carter noted also that the performance management process should be completed for all employees by May 31.
Carter said that Human Resources would meet with the Forum Executive Committee to discuss revisions to the SPA grievance procedure with an eye towards presenting these revisions to the full Forum in May and the Office of State Personnel in August. Director of Human Resources Communications Kathy Bryant reported that the pilot workforce literacy program had received expanded funding from the University Budget committee. She said that Human Resources would meet with housekeeping zone managers and had worked to get Facilities Services leaders on board with this effort. The University will conduct four literacy fairs in early May and will register students through the middle of May. Classes will begin at the end of June. Basic literacy and computer classes will continue and a new course in intermediate computer literacy will begin. The Orange County Literacy Council will teach the courses. Lucy Lewis asked if fliers describing the courses could be available at the next Employee Forum meeting. Todd Hux asked how many students attended each class. Bryant said that four to five people attend the basic literacy courses and eight to twelve attend the computer literacy courses.
Bryant noted that the University had renamed its management training program as ULEAD, the University Leadership Education and Development program. This program replaces the UMDP program. The program will take ten weeks and will enroll eighteen people, including three enrollees from NC Central University. Applicants need to be managers or manage University wide programs. The program will involve communications, conflict management, negotiation, ethics, employee relations, and strategic planning, among other areas.
Bryant said that Human Resources will debut a new website on April 19. Employees will need to re-bookmark their favorite pages. Regarding health insurance enrollment, Bryant said that employees having trouble enrolling should contact a benefits specialist with Human Resources at 2-3071. She said that in the future, Human Resources hopes that employees will be able to use their Onyen e-mail identifier to enroll. Employees desiring to stay in the 70/30 plan need not do anything. Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Matt Brody said that the University had passed strident feedback about the enrollment process to the State Health plan. Lucy Lewis commented that the enrollment process seemed set up to make mistakes. She said that the default should be that employees fall into the 80/20 plan. She also asked about the possibility of ESL employees having trouble negotiating the enrollment process. Brody said that the positive enrollment process had added innumerable work and had left the broader population subject to problems. Jackie Overton noted that the Forum will host a community meeting at which employees can receive help signing up for the 80/20 option on April 16. Alan Moran said that the UNC System Staff Assembly was collecting comments and concerns to take to the Human Resources committee and to share with the next System President. He asked whether these issues had arisen during the RFP for the enrollment process, and Bryant responded that she did not know.
The Forum heard a motion by Jackie Overton to approve the March minutes, seconded by Chris Carideo. The Forum approved the March minutes by acclamation.
Danny Nguyen noted that employees will need to active accounts in a new voicemail system. Details are available from voicemail@unc.edu.
The Chair called for volunteers to serve on the State Employees’ Combined Campaign, noting that there are places for a one-year, two-year, and three-year term of service. The Forum agreed to postpone this item until the next meeting when new delegates can volunteer.
The Chair asked that committee chairs submit a report on their group’s work a week before the Forum meeting. Alan Moran offered to produce a standardized form for general use.
Jackie Overton gave more details about the April 16 community meeting, which will feature Chancellor Thorp, Vice Chancellor Brenda Malone, and Senior Director for Employee Services Brian Usischon. The meeting will be podcast at carolinaunion.unc.edu/live Overton asked for delegates to help usher attendees and to submit questions to the speakers.
The Chair noted that the Forum will take its annual portrait before the May meeting. At this point the Forum took a five minute break.
Carrie Goldsmith of the Communications and Public Relations committee urged members to submit their articles for the next issue of InTouch before the April 16 deadline. Teena Burton of the Community Affairs, Recognition and Awards committee said that group was collecting peer recognition nominations via the hot memo process. The committee will also advertise the program via InTouch and the University Gazette. There was no report from the Legislative Action committee. The Membership and Assignments committee met March 31 and will count ballots for the Forum elections April 22. The committee will conduct the new delegate orientation April 30 and annual retreat June 2. Marc ter Horst of the Staff Relations, Policies and Practices committee said that group had worked on the revised grievance procedure and the OS1 cleaning process. He said that he and Koyah Rivera had met with Matt Brody to discuss EPA non-faculty issues. Lucy Lewis noted concerns about the OS1 method cleaning dormitories, particularly in the areas of access to materials and safety concerns. James Holman said that OS1 was designed for offices and stadia, not dormitory cleaning. Holman said that mops were used to clean shower walls. Alan Moran understood that there is pressure to move to universal OS1 cleaning. Marc ter Horst said that OS1 was not a prescription for cleaning in a certain amount of time.
Jackie Overton said that the community garden invites volunteers to participate from 3-5 p.m. each Sunday at Wilson Street off Cameron Avenue. Lucy Lewis asked how the garden plans to distribute produce from the garden. The Chair said that he would invite Clair Lorch to come discuss the garden.
Alan Moran asked delegates to complete the Presidential Search Survey.
In the absence of further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 11:20 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Matt Banks, Recording Secretary