Minutes of the Faculty Welfare Committee (FWC)


10/08/09

 

Meeting began at 3:30 pm

 

In attendance: 

Laura Ball, Katrina DuBose, Michael Hartley, Linda Ingalls, Lori Lee, Chris Locklear, Annette Perry, John Reisch, Susan Simpson, John Toller, Marianna Walker

 

The committee approved the minutes from September 10, 2009 meeting.

 

Agenda Item: Policy Manual/Faculty Manual Changes

Marianna Walker discussed the role and responsibility of the FWC committee in terms of reviewing and revising the ECU Faculty Manual. The FWC committee is charged with reviewing the following sections of the ECU Faculty Manual and reporting on those items to the Faculty Senate:

1.      Part V- Section G. Faculty Absences

2.      Part V- Section I. Faculty Marshals

3.      Part V- Section CC. Mace Bearers

4.      Part VI- Section D. Leaves of Absence

5.      Subsection of I- Retirement (including Privileges for Retired Faculty)

 

Action: The FWC committee will examine similar sections within other NC institutional faculty manuals and develop new language as appropriate. To assist the committee, Lori Lee will email a document containing other NC faculty manuals. Committee members will bring potential changes to November meeting.

 

Assigned duties to include:

 

1.      Laura Ball, Annette Perry, and John Reisch will review and revise the sections on Faculty Absences and Leaves of Absence. The committee decided that the two sections will be combined into one section with revisions addressing the following concerns:

a.      Need to differentiate between short-term and long-term leaves of absence.

b.      Need protocols for Distance Education Faculty.

c.      Remove reference to travel forms because they no longer exist.

 

2.      Katrina DuBose and Michael Hartley will review and revise the Faculty Marshals and Mace Bearers sections.

 

3.      John Toller, Melissa Nasea, and Archana Hedge will review and revise the Retirement section. Sheldon Downes, a retired faculty member, also will be asked to review the Retirement section.

 

a.      Katrina will contact Melissa and Archana to see if they are willing to work on the retirement section.

 

 

Agenda Item: Faculty Salary Study

John Reisch passed out an action plan regarding the Faculty Senate resolution to conduct an annually survey of faculty salaries. As part of the resolution, the Chancellor agreed to create a committee, which included one FWC member.

 

Action: Marianna Walker will ask the Chancellor if a committee will be created or if the FWC should move forward with conducting the study.

 

State Health Plan (email from George Bailey)

John Toller described recent changes to the NC State Health Plan, including the decision to opt out of the Wellness HIPAA guidelines regarding discrimination against beneficiaries based on health status related factors, including physical and mental illnesses. One concern is an initiative to test and identify all ECU employees who smoke or are obese. Another concern is an initiative to place everyone at the 70/30 plan. If an employee wants the 80/20 plan, a physician needs to attest to the individual’s good physical and mental health. FWC committee discussed the need for faculty forums and faculty satisfaction surveys of the NC State Health Plan. Committee will consider writing a resolution to the Faculty Senate identifying the NC State Health Plan as a deterrent to the employment and retention of future ECU faculty members.

 

Action: Marianna Walker will include the State Health Plan as topic for the November Faculty Forums held on the 2nd Wednesday on East Campus and the 4th Wednesday on West campus.

 

Action: FWC committee members will attend the forums.

 

Charges for next meeting

1.      Faculty Manual changes

2.      Attend November Faculty Forums

 

 

Next Meeting: November 12 @ 3:30 pm

 

Meeting adjourned at 5:15pm

 

Minutes submitted by Michael Hartley