COMMITTEE: Faculty Welfare

MEETING DATE: December 13, 2007

PERSON PRESIDING: B. Southard

REGULAR MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: A. Dralle, A. Hegde, S. McGhee, M. Nasea, and J. Salstrom

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: B. Henze, L. Ingalls, J. Toller

ACTIONS OF THE MEETING:

Agenda Item: Approval of minutes

Action Taken: Minutes of the November 7, 2007 meeting were approved.

Agenda Item: Status Report on Faculty Applicant Verification

Discussion: Southard reported that Faculty Applicant Verification policy would take effect on January 1, 2008 with Human Resources implementing the background check. Discussion of Board of Trustees’ recent interest in implementing criminal background checks for all current employees focused on the prohibitive expense producing a questionable increase in the level of safety on campus.

Agenda Item: Benefits Satisfaction Survey

Discussion: Toller presented a draft of the benefits satisfaction survey for review. The committee suggested including additional demographic items; adding long-term care and elder care to items prioritizing benefits, and using a 4 point response scale. An email announcing the survey will be sent out approximately two weeks after the start of the spring semester and will include a link to the survey (via Survey Monkey). Plans are to allow for survey completion over a 10 working day period.

Additional Assigned Duties: Toller will revise the draft survey based on input and send it to Welfare by email for final review.

Agenda Item: Update on Software for Retired Faculty

Discussion: Southard reported on a discussion with Carolyn Hampton (ECU Retired Faculty Association). Hampton’s perception was that a small number of retired faculty would be concerned about the software. Hampton projected that few would be interested in the more advanced/specialized programs but that programs such as MS Office Suite would be of broader interest. She suggested that retired faculty are likely to be satisfied with purchasing software at the bookstore at the reduced student or educational price. Hampton will solicit input at the next retiree meeting.

Additional Assigned Duties: Southard will relay additional response from Hampton when available.

Agenda Item: Update on Parking Status of Retired Faculty

Discussion: Southard reported that signs on the new retiree parking spaces have only recently been installed. He said that Bill Koch, Environmental Health & Safety, had not pursued the new “AR’ parking permit. Koch will meet with Faculty Welfare once Jack Tawney can collect and report data on use of the spaces. Southard also reported that Carolyn Hampton (ECU Retired Faculty Association) would check with the retired faculty to determine the level of interest in the proposed AR parking permit. Discussion indicated that the number of reserved parking spaces had decreased as well as the spaces designated for state owned vehicles. Retiree parking remains a hot issue to the point that some retirees are saying they will never give another dollar to ECU.

Additional Assigned Duties: Southard will monitor and report to Welfare when appropriate.

Agenda Item: Mentoring

Discussion: McGhee stated that an early morning or late afternoon meeting time had been identified. Specific date still needs to be established.

Additional Assigned Duties: McGhee will finalize scheduling.

Agenda Item: ECU Housing Bureau

Discussion: Southard reported that the existing online housing site was difficult to locate but very useable. He will share this site with the person who requested Welfare consider methods of assisting with faculty housing information. He suggested establishing a faculty bypass for the mandatory video dealing with renting off campus housing. A suggestion was made that relocation information could also be sent out by Academic Affairs with the initial contract letter.

Additional Assigned Duties: Ingalls and Toller will collaborate on an appropriate means of sharing relocation information.

Meeting adjourned at 4:46.

Next meeting: January 10, 2008

Items to be discussed:

Benefits Satisfaction Survey

Retired Faculty Benefits (Parking/Software)

Mentoring

New Business

Respectfully submitted,

Susan A. McGhee