January 13, 2015 Executive Committee minutes
Attending (those who signed in): Tammy Cox, Yvonne Dunlap, Andy Eaker, Todd Hux, Karen Jenkins, Matt McKirahan, Charles Streeter, Ben Triplett, Katie Turner
Chair Charles Streeter called the meeting to order at 8:45 a.m. Matt Banks presented the monthly budget report, noting that he had obtained data from Human Resources. The Chair said that he would request a revision of the Forum’s Staff Development fund request in order to accommodate changing needs. He noted that the Forum ran $900 under budget last year and he hoped to avoid such waste this year. He said that the Forum would try to use the Staff Development fund monies when possible. Banks noted that awards and honoraria must be processed by Human Resources.
Chris Chiron noted that Gena Carter’s father recently passed. The Chair directed that the Forum sign a card for Gena.
The Chair introduced Belinda Locke to make a presentation on goals and objectives, concentrating on what works, what needs improvement, and what’s missing from the Forum. The committee developed a list of priorities. There were questions about the Forum’s working relationship with Human Resources. Chris Chiron noted that the Forum was designated an advisory body to the Chancellor, not an advocate for individual issues. He noted that the head of Human Resources is an ex-officio member of the Forum and a representative of the Chancellor. That person has the role of clarifying policies and providing historical context for decisions. The Chair thought it reasonable that Human Resources participate in conversations but said that the Forum sometimes needs its own space.
Tammy Cox asked if Human Resources representatives attending Faculty Council meetings. Katie Turner said that the faculty have a more direct link to the Chancellor through the Council and the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee meetings. Ben Triplett said that many managers feel excluded from the Forum as they often feel like a punching bag in discussions. He thought that the Forum could do a better job of involving managers earlier in discussions. He thought that observing the chain of command in departments is important for delegates to acknowledge. The Chair observed that each department has its own policies to resolve complaints.
The Chair emphasized the importance of creating a true transition from one year to the next. He said that the Forum Office and Forum committees must submit documents in Sharepoint to address this pressing need. The committee discussed the data breach question and the possibility of seeking another full year of credit monitoring for affected employees. Andy Eaker thought that commissioning a staff survey would be one way to obtain data on employee preferences. Yvonne Dunlap commented that the divisional listservs have worked well as a direct communication to staff. She thought that Forum meetings generally work better with staff discussion.
Matt McKirahan thought that the Forum should emphasize long-term planning with its committees, then move to accountability.
The committee took a brief break, then moved on to a discussion of goals and objectives.
The Chair presented a proposal to move the publication of InTouch to a strictly on-line format. He had discussed this option with Katie Turner, who said that the Forum could save upwards of $5,000 a year in Staff Development fund money while increasing publication to twelve times a year. The Chair thought that Facilities Services could post printed copies of the newsletter for employees without ready access to computers. Turner pointed out how the new Mailpoet feature will allow her to use current documents to create articles and events for the newsletter. The committee generally agreed with this change in policy.
Katie Turner reported that she had recently volunteered in the Carolina Campus Community Garden. She said that there are very few staff who have volunteered to work in the Garden. Ben Triplett commented that the Forum needs to develop a strategy, perhaps by focusing on one day a month for this service.
Todd Hux spoke on the upcoming Blood Drive to take place in June and the ongoing turnover in this program’s administration. Katie Turner asked that Hux provide information for an upcoming issue of InTouch.
Karen Jenkins said that the Membership & Assignments committee will work to prepare for the food drive at the UNC Women’s Basketball game against Notre Dame. She said that the committee will work to put out a call for delegate nominations.
Yvonne Dunlap said that the Personnel Issues committee hopes to publish a white paper on staff retention and morale before the end of this fiscal year.
Andy Eaker said that the higher education career panel was progressing nicely. He said that the committee is working to analyze the structure of the Forum’s Peer Recognition Awards.
The Chair led a discussion of the range of assessment instruments. He cited: Use, Satisfaction, Needs, Climate, and Benchmarking against other institutions. He said that an Outcomes-Based Assessment would define what needs to be accomplished first, then gather and interpret information, then make decisions or adjustments based on findings, then follow-up to see if the decisions have led to improvements.
Goal-based assessments use broad statements to reflect what the organization values and what it wants to accomplish.
Outcomes are specific statements that define how the organization will achieve its goals. Operational outcomes are what the Forum intends to accomplish. Learning outcomes are what an employee is expected to know or do after engaging in the learning opportunity.
The Chair said that the Forum should do a similar exercise in its planning retreat in June. He said that this exercise will be reported to the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees.
In the absence of further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 12:11 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Matt Banks, Recording Secretary