February 3, 1999

 

Agenda — February 3, 1999

 

9:30 a.m.—Meeting, Assembly Room of Wilson Library

I.          Call to Order

 

II.         Welcome Guests, Members of the Press

 

III.       Opening Remarks

• Chancellor Michael Hooker

 

IV.       Employee Presentations

 

V.        Special Presentations

• Marsha Collins, on Women’s Issues & UNC Women’s Center

 

VI.       Human Resources Update

• Laurie Charest, Associate Vice Chancellor, Human Resources

 

VII.      Approval of Minutes of the January 6, 1999 meeting P

 

VIII.     Unfinished Business

• Discussion:  Use of Horace Williams Tract?

 

IX.  New Business

• Committee Vacancies

 

X.        Chair’s Report (Executive Committee):  Jane Stine

• Meeting with SEANC January 25
• Forum Executive Committee Liaisons
• Master Plan Community Meeting January 28
• University Career Counselor Position Funding
• Support from the Chancellor
• Employee Forum Community Award Criteria

 

XI.       Stretch Time   6

 

 

XII.      Committee/Task Force Reports

• Career Development

Þ     Employee/Manager Responsibilities in Staff Training/Education (draft)

Þ     New Careers Training Board:  Connie Boyce/Ken Perry

• Communications
• Employee Presentations—Vicki Pineles
• Nominating—Jennifer Henderson
• Orientation—Linda Drake
• Personnel Issues—Martha Barbour

Þ     SPA Exempt Survey

• Recognition and Awards—Betty Averette
• University Committee Assignments

Þ     Remaining Committee Appointments

 

XIII.     Task Force/University Committee Reports

• Buildings & Grounds—Ruthie Lawson
• Grievance Procedure Task Force
• Intellectual Climate Task Force
• Outsourcing Team Representatives—Bennie Griffin/Ann Hamner
• Transportation & Parking Advisory —Betty Averette
• University Priorities & Budget—Linwood Futrelle/Jane Stine
• Faculty Council Liaison—Jane Stine

 

XIV.    Announcements/Questions

 

XV.      Adjournment

MINUTES

 

Call to Order, Welcome to Guests

Chair Jane Stine called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m., welcoming assorted guests and members of the press.  She noted the expressions of support she had received from across campus upon her election as Chair.  She then introduced Vice Chancellor for Administration Jim Ramsey to provide opening remarks.

 

Opening Remarks

Ramsey noted that Chancellor Hooker had asked him to pass on congratulations to Jane Stine, Vicki Pineles, and Jennifer Henderson for assuming their positions of leadership with the Forum.  He understood the extra effort that these Employees must undergo to accomplish their daily work and their work for the Forum.  He looked forward to continuing to work with the Forum in any way possible.

Ramsey also thanked the Forum for co-sponsoring the recent land use planning presentation by the consultant firm Ayres Saint Gross.  He noted that the consultants plan to meet with as many groups as possible, and commented that discussions seemed to be going well as they move into their critical stages.

In the meeting, Adam Gross said that the consultants would soon move into more detailed discussions of proposals for the revised plan in various precinct meetings across campus.  Gross met with Hooker the previous Wednesday and had asked about how the plan would affect campus parking and transportation.  Ramsey noted that some have expressed reservations about the appearance, location, and cost of the garages and decks mentioned in the plan.  He hoped that Forum members and Employees would keep involved as discussions unfold over the next several weeks.

 

Thirdly, Ramsey appreciated Employee input concerning the upcoming University Capital Campaign.  The Campaign will raise upwards of $1.3 billion in the coming years, and the University has asked people across campus to provide ideas for a “wish list” of areas in which money could be best utilized.  Provost Richardson will work with development staff to assemble a final list of projects for which the University will attempt to raise private funds to support.

Ramsey noted that during the Centennial Campaign, the University set a fundraising target of $300-400 million when it in fact could have spent upwards of $1 billion.  This time around, the University fears it will receive requests for $2-3 billion worth of needs.  Ramsey noted that Dick Richardson has appreciated the input from across campus on this project and has planned to work with the leadership of the Employee Forum on what the University is seeking in the Capital Campaign.

Finally, Ramsey passed on Chancellor Hooker’s thanks for the support and encouragement he had received in the last few weeks since his diagnosis with lymphatic cancer.  Hooker had been overwhelmed by the expressions of support through e-mails, notes, and other means.  He passed on his sincere thanks.

 

Ramsey introduced new director of Housekeeping Services Michael O’Brien.  O’Brien is the product of a national search that produced many outstanding candidates.  Ramsey said that O’Brien convinced the leadership team that he could provide the leadership needed in this most important department, and Ramsey emphasized the University’s gratitude to those housekeepers who worked on Christmas Even to ready the campus for the next week.  Ramsey noted the number of vacancies within Housekeeping and the resulting increase in workload for those remaining.  Given these and other issues, Ramsey and Hooker wanted to find the best leadership possible for Housekeeping Services.  Ramsey noted that Hooker had been actively involved in recruitment for this position.

O’Brien wished the assembly well and praised the warmth of the weather and of the people here in Chapel Hill.  He was very impressed with the professionalism of those he had worked with to this point and looked forward to taking advantage of that in his effort to improve the work of Housekeeping Services.  O’Brien invited members to phone him at 2-1440 if they have suggestions or complaints for the department.

 

Ramsey next moved to the legislative update, which in this case meant the prospects for the University budget.  At this point, things are rather unsettled in the State Legislature due to the recent political jockeying in the House.  University representatives will soon meet with the legislative leadership to discuss the upcoming session.

Judging from his State of the State address, the Governor’s main priorities for the last two years of his administration will be expanding the Smart Start program and increasing teacher salaries for grades K-12 to the national average.  This emphasis means that, in spite of a very strong State economy, it will be a tough budget for the University.  While revenue growth and income growth are now very strong and usually result in budget surpluses, the State has also faced pressure to phase in tax cuts.  As these tax cuts have been enacted over the past several years, they permanently remove revenues from the State budget.  Combined with these tax cuts, the State is also liable in two different court actions (pension refunds and intangible tax cases) which will also put pressure on the budget.

As a result, the Governor announced in his State of the State address a proposed $200 million reduction of the base budget of State government.  Government observers expect that higher education will be affected by this reduction which comes hard after last year’s span of control cuts.  The expectation is that base budget reductions will take place across the biennium, with the second year to face a larger cut to face a larger cut than the first.

University officials have stressed to legislators that the campus should have the chance to manage cuts as it sees fit, should they occur.  Oftentimes, mandates from above are not always in the best interest of campus operations.  In this vein, Laurie Charest has recently met with General Administration representatives to discuss the necessity of allowing UNC-Chapel Hill the flexibility to deal with assigned cuts as it decides.  The white paper will soon be sent to the financial staff of General Administration after getting feedback.

The University will work hard with General Administration to promote its legislative priorities such as salaries, facility space, libraries, and technological improvements.  The University is on record as supporting aggressive salary increases.  Concerning facility space, the Eva Klein study will be completed by late March or early April.  Eva Klein is a person who runs a consulting firm commissioned to study campus space needs by the General Assembly.  Klein will present the results of the study to the General Assembly and the Board of Governors, depicting the real space needs of this and other System campuses.  At UNC-Chapel Hill alone, it is thought that space needs for researchers and other offices range between 800,000-1 million square feet.  Ramsey said that the cost for overall deferred maintenance needs, apart from projected enrollment increases, may reach between $4-5 billion throughout the entire UNC System.

Eva Klein has suggested that the University use alternative ways to finance capital construction, which may enable this target to be met.  University leaders will work hard to emphasize the themes of faculty and staff salaries and space needs in meetings with legislators.

Ramsey anticipated that many things will evolve over the next 4-5 months, including the legislative session, the Horace Williams tract discussions, and enrollment planning developments.  The University has not yet heard from General Administration concerning its enrollment planning estimates, but would soon hold a workshop on the topic.  Ramsey noted that the University has said in its statement to General Administration that the campus can grow without diminishing the quality of this institution, while other campuses have indicated that they cannot grow.  Still other campuses have excess capacity.  However, UNC-Chapel Hill has said that it cannot grow without appropriate budgetary support for facilities, faculty, and staff.

Ramsey thanked the Forum leadership for its work on these projects.

 

Employee Presentations

The Chair introduced Marsha Collins, tenure track professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Assistant Provost for Women’s Studies.  She thanked the Forum for its invitation to speak and cited the Forum as a model for effective campus leadership.

Collins noted that the University has begun work on creating a Women’s Center on campus as a result of the Chancellor’s Task Force report on Women’s Issues at Carolina in 1996.  The task force did research and polls concerning impressions of women’s issues on campus.  As a result of this work, thirty-three separate recommendations were made to improve the status of women on campus, from security issues to career development to the intellectual climate.

The report recommended establishment of a Women’s Center to serve the staff, faculty, and students of UNC.  At Carolina, 3,392 Employees, 14,384 students, and 781 faculty members are women.  These constituencies will be the focus of the Women’s Center’s work, and the umbrella organization to implement the recommendations of the task force report.

Collins was appointed Assistant Provost for Women’s Issues in the spring of 1997.  Soon after this appointment, Chancellor Hooker designated West House as the future site of the Women’s Center, projected to open in the fall of 2001.  Also, the University reconstituted the women’s issues advisory board.  Third, the board began work on a conceptual model and mission statement for the Women’s Center.  The Center will support women and the entire campus through advocacy, education, and services.

Work has begun to prepare for when the Center becomes fully operational.  The board has begun to establish a network of relationships with people and organizations across campus to assist in its work.  In addition, the board has made contact with the Women’s Center on Henderson Street, the Chapel Hill Rape Crisis Center, and other organizations throughout the Triangle.

On campus, the advisory board will co-sponsor events honoring the 100^th anniversary of women at Carolina, and will celebrate Women’s Week from March 27-April 3.  Collins was grateful to Laurie Charest for participating and sponsoring a series of workshops vital to pulling this program together.  The week will include a film series, lectures, and a possible appearance by Gloria Steinhem.

The Women’s Center will play a role in campus concerns facing women, such as the perennial day care issue.  The Center will help publicize issues and events pertaining to women’s health and professional development, and will also serve as a meeting place for women’s organizations, book clubs, and other informal gatherings.  A Center library will contain pamphlets, videos, and books related to the unique experience of women, and a referral service will provide advice on everything from financial matters to support groups.

Vicki Pineles asked how the University Women’s Center would complement the Women’s Center on Henderson Street.  She raised the possibility of competition for scarce resources.  Collins said that the University Center would deal specifically with campus issues, such as day care and salary equity.  As an example, the Center will facilitate a campus mentoring program for students, faculty, and staff.

Pineles noted that West House was a rather small building.  Collins said that the building contains approximately 1,000 square feet, but should provide a homelike feel.  The building has a courtyard, living room and fireplace, and should prove to be a great gathering place for the campus community.

 

Human Resources Update

Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Laurie Charest reported that Laurie Kellison has news on an Elder Care Fair to be held February 10, from 6-8 p.m. in the Charles House in Carrboro.  Different care providers will be present and interested Employees are encouraged to attend.  Other elder care sessions have been scheduled and dates for these are available in the current issue of the University Gazette.

Plans for the Carolina Kids Camp have been changed to accommodate summer plans for the Special Olympics.  Human Resources has sent brochures and posters concerning the camp to Human Resources facilitators, and details are available at http://www.ais.unc.edu/hr There will be a lottery held for spaces in the camp, and the deadline for applications is March 5 at 5 p.m.

Employees will soon receive a memo from Human Resources about paid volunteer time for the Special Olympics.  As UNC is one of the host sites for this summer’s games, there is a great need for volunteers.  Governor Hunt has decreed that each permanent Employee volunteering 8 hours of their own time for the Special Olympics can then use 8 hours of work time to further volunteer for the games.  Employees volunteering 4 hours of their own time receive 4 hours of work time to volunteer, and so on up to a maximum of 8 hours.  Employees can get applications for the screening process at Triangle NationsBanks and Lowes’ Stores, or download them from http://www.99games.com The games will begin June 25.

A training session for Employees willing to serve as support persons in the University grievance process will take place Monday, March 8.  Interested Employees can call 2-2656 for more details.

Annual enrollment for the Fortis dental plan will last from February 1-February 26.  Permanent Employees working more than 20 hours a week will have received a memo about this program this month.

Charlotte Kilpatrick asked what action had occurred concerning upgrades for accounting positions.  Charest said that she had not heard of any plans for a study of these positions by the Office of State Personnel, even though Human Resources has often expressed concern about accounting positions.

Cindy Stone asked when applicants for the Carolina summer camp would be informed of their status.  Nora Robbins said that applicants could expect to hear something immediately after the deadline.  This is done in order that parents can make other arrangements if necessary.  Applicants should feel free to phone Human Resources if they have not heard of their status within a week of the deadline.

Bobbie Lesane asked if Tar Heel Temps shares the results of applicants’ typing tests with Employment.  Charest said that the Employment Security Commission administers the tests within the Tar Heel Temps offices, and that the results should go to both offices immediately.  She offered to consult with Lesane about this subject in more detail after the meeting.

The Chair thanked Charest for her comments.

 

Approval of the Minutes

The Chair called for a motion to approve the minutes.  Linwood Futrelle made this motion, seconded by Mike Hawkins.  She then called for discussion on the minutes.  Jean Coble said that she should have been counted present rather than absent in the daily roster.  Futrelle accepted this change and the minutes were approved as amended.

 

Unfinished Business

The Chair asked members to consider the issue of possible uses for the Horace Williams tract.  She directed members’ attention to a memorandum distributed to the Faculty Council, which provided background and ideas for discussion on proposed ideas.

Some members felt that the development seemed to have already been a “done deal,” noting reports in the newspapers and elsewhere that the tract would be turned into a biomedical center.  Vicki Pineles recalled that questions from surrounding neighbors wondered about combining a biomedical center with the airport.  Pete Andrews, a planning committee member who was present at the meeting, said that the tract’s development was not a “done deal.”  He added that the Horace Williams tract contains around 1,000 acres, and that the airport served only light planes.

Dorothy Grant noted the viewpoint of some that if the University were going to develop the land, it should do something to maximize its income, given the range of tasks facing the campus.  She thought that the University needed to produce funds while at the same time adding to the campus mission if at all possible.

Linwood Futrelle recalled that the idea that if a research center is chosen, private contractors may be involved with building construction, much as Glaxo was involved in the design and construction of Taylor Hall.  Grant commented that Taylor was an attractive building that complements campus architecture.  She noted that campus departments may be reluctant to move their operations to the comparatively remote Horace Williams site, and so again emphasized the point that the tract should produce revenue for the University.

Mike Hawkins of the ATN networking group raised the point that datawiring should be an essential part of the new buildings.  He recalled that in recent years campus buildings have had their wiring removed in an effort to cut initial construction costs, only to have this wiring added afterward at 5-10 times the initial projected cost.  Hawkins commented that private industry would expect such facilities as a matter of practice.

Jean Coble thought that whatever complex is built should be easily accessible by Employees, noting that the University of Michigan runs free transport for its employees to off-campus sites.  She thought it was important not to allow the complex an island to itself, by making transport easily available to Employees, students, and faculty.

Betty Averette thought that the planning advisory committee seemed a bit top heavy with vice chancellors and faculty, and thought that some line staff member should be appointed to the group.  Other delegates agreed with Averette’s observation.  The Chair said that she would bring this issue to the Chancellor’s attention.

Vicki Pineles noted plans for the University to administer an elementary or middle school near the Horace Williams tract.  She recalled there had been a recent protest calling for affordable housing for local residents, and asked if the Forum might recommend part of the tract be used to provide affordable housing for faculty and staff.  Linwood Futrelle added that the average cost of housing in Chapel Hill is indeed too high for most staff Employees.

Averette added that the Transportation and Advisory Committee had spoken briefly about possibly using part of the tract to deal with the campus parking problem.

Pete Andrews reiterated that he was only one member of the Horace Williams planning advisory committee, and so could not speak for the entire group.  He noted that the committee had raised the question of affordable housing, adding that the entire 1,000 site could not be devoted to a research complex.  Carrboro town officials have also expressed interest in housing development on the tract, and Andrews thought it was good for staff to add their voice to this question.

The planning committee has visited North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus.  Andrews recalled that visit raised questions about what University functions, if any, should be moved to a possible satellite campus.   At North Carolina State, the Textiles and Engineering Schools have moved successfully to the Centennial Campus, but still report some dislocation from the main campus.  UNC faculty have expressed a reluctance to have their departments move to Horace Williams, no matter the level of facilities or administrative support.

The Forum moved that the Executive Committee continue these discussions further based on its responses and further information.

 

New Business

The Chair noted that Jennifer Henderson had been forced to resign from the Forum and her position as Forum Secretary due to family illness.  She asked members to consider serving as Forum Secretary.

The Chair also noted the lack of members serving on the Communications and Employee Presentations Committees.  She asked that members who have not yet chosen a committee on which to serve to consider these two groups.  Also, members seeking a second committee also would be welcome.

 

Chair’s Report

The Chair announced the Executive Committee liaisons to the various Forum committees.  The liaison system is designed to keep issues from falling through the cracks once they have been assigned to various committees.

The Chair attended a luncheon sponsored by SEANC District 19 along with other State Employees from Orange County.  Around 18,000 State employees work in Orange County for the University, the Department of Corrections, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other agencies.  Representatives of these groups were on hand to speak about their work and its impact on the local community and economy.

The Chair and around 30 staff members attended a recent meeting on the revision of the master plan for central campus that was led by consultant Adam Gross.  Initial proposals are to bring the flavor of North campus to South campus through a series of human scale quadrangles.  The consultant team is interested in input from all levels; plans are to finish precinct studies by the end of the year.  The Chair emphasized that these plans if adopted will impact the campus for the next 30-100 years.

            The Chair noted that permanent funding for the University Career Counselor position had been denied, although the Forum was free to continue its level of support through dedication of the Staff Development Fund.

            Chancellor Hooker has recently sent a memorandum to deans, directors, and department heads requesting their support for Employees engaged in Forum activities.  The Chair was grateful for this expression of support for the Forum and its works.

            The Executive Committee is still in the process of considering changes to the Forum’s Community Award criteria.

 

Committee Reports

Linda Drake, Chair of the Orientation Committee, reported that group had met and had produced minutes for the morning’s meeting.  The group has set a preliminary date for January 21, 2000 as the Forum’s Annual Retreat, and will arrive at a date for the Forum Orientation soon.

A member of the Personnel Issues Committee, noted that group was continuing its work on the compensatory time for exempt Employees issue.  She said the Forum had received between 1200-1300 surveys, and the committee planned to put this information to good use.  Barbour felt that the survey had already served one purpose by raising awareness of this issue among supervisors and staff.  The committee also planned to follow up on its proposal that departments hold general staff meetings.

In addition, the committee urged Employees to start their letter writing campaigns to their legislators.  Linwood Futrelle noted that the Forum had produced letter-writing packets to aid Employees in their letters, but noted the prohibition on using University resources for this purpose.  Futrelle also encouraged Employees to write legislators outside of Orange County.  The next meeting of the Personnel Issues committee will take place at 10 a.m. February 18 in the dean’s conference room of the Dental School.  Among the topics for discussion will be payroll deduction of certain parking tickets by Public Safety.

Betty Averette, Chair of the Recognition & Awards Committee, said that group would meet the next Tuesday and would set its annual agenda then.

Denise Childress, Chair of the University Committee Assignments Committee, recalled the group had met the day before and will meet monthly the third Tuesday at 10 a.m. in 105 Hanes Hall.  The committee seeks Employees to serve on the University Records, Student Stores, Trademark Licensing, and Carolina Community Initiative implementation committees.  The committee will place a notice in the February 24 issue of the University Gazette soliciting participation from campus Employees, who do not necessarily need to be Forum members.

 

Task Force Reports

Bob Schreiner reported that the review of the grievance procedure task force was almost complete.  Soon the final draft of the recommended procedure will be available for public review.  Schreiner emphasized that the grievance procedure review process had been an open one with many community meetings.  Input from those meetings was incorporated into the policy changes.  The task force has since sent its draft policy to the Office of State Personnel for an informal review, and was pleased to have not received any objections about the revisions to this point.  The University Gazette will review these changes in an upcoming issue, and interested Employees can access http://www.ais.unc.edu/hr for more information.  The period for comments on the policy will expire March 1, after which the policy will go to the Chancellor for his consideration.

The revised grievance procedure now includes a formal mediation policy as an alternate means to solve workplace problems.  Grievants will be able to consult with support persons through all four steps of the process.  The procedure also sets forth a new process for handling discrimination and sexual harassment cases.  The policy also carries stronger wording versus possible retaliation and violations of confidentiality.  Employees with questions can access the cited web page or their Human Resources facilitator for more information.  The Chair thanked Schreiner and Linwood Futrelle for representing the Forum on this important project.

 

Bennie Griffin reported that there had been minimal movement with regard to the outsourcing study team.  The outsourcing steering team spent its last meeting preparing for the second phase of studies to occur this year.

 

Betty Averette said that she had been unable to attend the last meeting of the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee (TPAC), but would distribute a copy of the committee minutes.  She said that TPAC had been very active considering 1999-2000 ordinance wording changes.  She had also raised the question about prorated parking fees with Public Safety staff members and hoped to obtain a full hearing on the logistics of the issue at a future meeting.  The Chair thanked Averette for being a voice for Employees at these meetings.

 

The Chair recalled that she had been introduced at the January Faculty Council meeting.  She had also met with Chair of the Faculty Pete Andrews to discuss a range of issues, and was grateful to Andrews for his assistance and counsel.

 

In the absence of further discussion, the meeting adjourned by acclamation at 10:40 a.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Matt Banks, Recording Secretary