COMMITTEE:  Faculty Welfare

 

MEETING DATE:  November 7, 2007

 

PERSON PRESIDING:  B. Southard

 

REGULAR MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:  D. Clark, A. Dralle, S. McGhee, M. Nasea, J. Salstrom

 

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:  B. Henze, L. Ingalls, S. Simpson, E. Stallwag

 

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE:  K. Bonatz, M. Taggart

 

ACTIONS OF THE MEETING:

 

Agenda Item:  Approval of minutes                                                                                          

Action Taken:     Minutes of the October 11 meeting were approved as written.

Agenda Item:  Healthcare Plan Satisfaction Survey

Discussion: After reviewing the draft questions, the committee agreed that additional questions needed to address satisfaction with healthcare coverage and identify any existing problems.

 

Additional Assigned Duties:  J. Salstrom and S. Simpson agreed to work with J. Toller to develop the questions. If possible, the questions will be added to the Nov 12-16 survey of staff and faculty. If that is not possible, a separate survey will be done at a later date.

 

Agenda Item:  Faculty Applicant Verification Guidelines

Discussion:  M. Taggart joined the committee for this discussion in preparation for presenting this item to the Board of Trustees on November 30th.  Discussion repeated the committee’s concern that sharing of background information be carefully controlled and focus on job related areas as with the existing staff verification system.

 

Action Taken: The committee recommends ECU create a faculty applicant verification system similar to that of UNC-Chapel Hill. The background information is to be shared with the appropriate dean. If it is determined that there is a concern warranting non-employment, the dean will review the information with the Provost and Chair of the Faculty (or designee) to determine the appropriate action.

Agenda Item:  Software for Retired Faculty

Discussion:  After reviewing a memo provided by J. Brinn, the committee concluded that retired faculty (as non-employees) could not access most software under current vendor contracts. If a vendor would allow retired faculty to be included in a revised contract, additional costs would be required. Such costs were perceived to be prohibitive. An alternate approach was considered: Can ECU subsidize software purchases for retired faculty who are interested in a specific software program?

A discussion on restricted access of medical students to computerized patient records followed. Due to the software costs associated with increased number of users, medical students do not have access to medical records in all areas. Consequently, students’ development of critical thinking skills is being delayed.

 

Additional Assigned Duties: B. Southard will contact an officer of the Retired Faculty Club to determine the level of interest for purchasing software. M. Taggart will investigate the issue of restricted medical student access to information due to associated costs and discuss it with the Provost.

 

Agenda Item:  Phased Retirement

 

Discussion:  L. Ingalls presented a draft revision of Part VI. H of the Faculty Manual concerning the Phased Retirement Program. Detailed program information that is subject to UNC policy changes was replaced with reference to the source of the specific information (offices and web page name). Specific web addresses were not included since they also are changed routinely and could result in repeated ‘page not found’ deadends.

 

Action Taken: J. Salstrom/M. Nasea motioned approval of the proposed revision as presented. Motion passed.

 

Additional Assigned Duties:  B. Southard will submit the proposed revision of Part VI.H to the Agenda Committee and present it to the Senate.

Agenda Item:  Mentoring

Discussion:  S. McGhee, M. Nasea, and D. Clark agreed to continue to serve on the Mentoring Subcommittee. They anticipate a meeting with D. Muller.

 

Additional Assigned Duties:  S. McGhee will facilitate a meeting date with D. Muller.

 

Agenda Item: Parking Status of Retired Faculty

Discussion:  In light of an approximate 50% reduction of reserved parking spaces on campus,  J. Salstrom requested Welfare follow up on last year’s decisions on retired faculty parking.  Previous recommendations included the creation of a retired faculty A level parking permit (AR). Such permits were not to be included in the space count for the “A’ decal space allotment.   

 

Additional Assigned Duties: B.Southard will contact Parking Services concerning the new AR decal. He will also contact the Retired Faculty Club to determine their satisfaction or concerns with parking issues this fall.

Agenda Item: ECU Faculty Housing Bureau

Discussion: The committee discussed the various informal processes that are used to help connect faculty with available short-term housing.  Word of mouth, email requests, and forums on the Community Page of Onestop were identified mechanisms already being used. K. Bonatz indicated that there was a private vendor contract to help students locate off campus housing.  She also advised that creating a faculty only housing locator service would not be appropriate but would investigate the possibility of the vendor including faculty listings in addition to student listings. Conflicts under the Umstead Act were also considered.  General consensus was to maintain an informal approach to assisting faculty with temporary housing.

 

Additional Assigned Duties: K. Bonatz will investigate inclusion of faculty housing listings with the contracted vendor.

Agenda Item:  Other Business

Discussion: B. Southard reported that the revisions proposed by Faculty Welfare to ECU Faculty Manual Part VI, Section I.I.1; and Part VI, Section I.I.2.b were approved by the Faculty Senate. The proposed revisions to Appendix C, Section I.D.4. will be addressed by the Faculty Governance Committee.

With concern for student mental health and campus safety, J. Salstrom called attention to the inadequate number of counselors available for ECU students. The ratio established in national standards is 3,000 students per counselor. Salstrom had been told that ECU has a 5,000 student per counselor ratio, but was unsure if that included distance education or only on campus students.  M. Taggart agreed to forward this concern to the Safety and Security Task Force or other appropriate offices of the Division of Student Life.

 

Meeting adjourned at 4:50.

 

Next meeting: December 13, 2007

 

Items to be discussed:

 

Healthcare Plan Satisfaction Survey

 

Retired Faculty Software

 

Retired Faculty Parking

 

Mentoring

 

ECU Faculty Housing

           

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Susan A. McGhee