Minutes:  Faculty Welfare Committee – December 11, 2009

Meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m.

 

Members present:

Katrina DuBose (Chair), Laura Ball, Charles Boklage, Archana Hedge, Linda Ingalls, Stephen Kresch, Donna Lillian, Chris Locklear, Melissa Nasea, Annette Perry, Susan Simpson.

 

1.         The committee approved the minutes of the November 12, 2009 meeting.

 

Members from the subcommittees in charge of reviewing the various sections of the Faculty manual presented their reports:

 

2.         Arachana Hedge reported on behalf of herself and Michael Hartley on FM Part VI, Section III, A - I.

A.         Academic Apparel – keep it and put links to the bookstore for rental information & timelines; move it to the same section as Mace Bearer and Faculty Marshalls, since all have to do with Graduation.

B.         Admission to Athletic Events – REMOVE (place in some other informational handbook)

C.         Cardiovascular Disease Risk … REMOVE

D.         Central Ticket Office – REMOVE & combine with B above in some other informational handbook.

E.         Commuting and Information Systems – keep, but add links to computing services / ITCS.

F.         Continuing Education – REMOVE

G.         Credit Union – REMOVE, since this is applicable to all employees, not just faculty, and since the specifics of it may change over time; (place in some other informational handbook)

H.         Dining Services – REMOVE (if it were retained, it would need updating)

I.          Grants, Contracts, and Cooperative Agreements – needs to be more concise and needs links to other relevant resources; perhaps belongs in section on research; refer this to Faculty Officers for further consideration.

 

3.         Donna Lillian reported on behalf of herself and John Reisch on FM Part VI, Section III, J – Q.

J.          Housing – REMOVE

K.         Mendenhall Student Center – REMOVE

L.         Police Department – REMOVE, but place in some other informational handbook

M.        Post Office and Campus Mail Services – REMOVE

N.         Radiation Safety – REMOVE – place in an emergency procedures manual that can be kept up to date.

O.         Recreational Services – REMOVE

P.         Supplies, Equipment, and Contractual Services – REMOVE, given that any purchase requisitions must be approved by the appropriate unit administrator, and specific procedures may change periodically.

Q.         Telephone Services – REMOVE

 

4.         Katrina DuBose and Melissa Nasea reported on FM Part V, Section II, A – E

A.         Auditoriums - Remove to ECU Manual and find updated policies and names of items (e.g. Dean of the School of Art; University Facilities Policy).

B.         Computing Information Systems – REMOVE.  This information is also located in Part 6 Section III E of the Faculty Manual (FM).

Suggest having one item kept in FM and changed to read:

Information Technology and Computing Services (ITCS)

Information Technology and Computing Services (ITCS) supports employees through the integration of information, technology and instruction.  http://www.ecu.edu/itcs/

C.         Emergency Action Plan - REMOVE and place into ECU Manual. 

Information should be up-dated and include a sentence about the ECU Alerts and receiving notices via e-mail and cell phones.  The information on faculty familiarizing themselves with fire fighting equipment and evacuation plans from Part D Facility Services should be moved to this section.

Also suggest expanding this section to discuss how all emergencies should be handled: injuries, chemical spills, etc.

D.         Facilities Services - REMOVE and place into ECU Manual

The paragraph on faculty familiarizing themselves with fire fighting equipment and evacuation plans should be moved to C. Emergency Action Plan.

E.         Laupus Health Sciences Library & F. J.Y. Joyner Library

Move both to ECU manual and shorten the description of both since information about the libraries changes often.  Suggested wording is below.

Laupus Health Sciences Library

The William E. Laupus, M.D. Health Sciences Library, located in the Health Sciences Building (HSB) on the university's west campus, serves as the primary information center for the university's instructional, research, and patient care programs in the health sciences. It also serves as the comprehensive information resource center for health care professionals who practice in northeastern North Carolina. http://www.ecu.edu/laupuslibrary

J.Y. Joyner Library
Joyner Library is the main campus library of the university http://www.ecu.edu/lib . The library houses more than a million books, microforms, journals, and other research materials, while thousands of journals and books are available online to the ECU community. The Music Library, the only branch library of Joyner, is located in the Fletcher Music Center. http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/music/index.cfm

 

5.         Chris Locklear and Annette Perry reported on behalf of themselves and John Toller concerning their group’s recommendations for FM Part VI, Section II, A – M.

The following represents a DRAFT of possible language suggested by Locklear, with the recommendation that everything else be deleted from Part VI, Section II:

 

II.   Welfare and Benefits and Leave

A.   Benefits

A variety of benefits are available to permanent employees of ECU who are employed at least 30 hours per week.  Plans include health insurance, dental insurance, dependent care and health care flexible spending accounts, retirement, disability benefits and insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, long-term care benefits, group home/auto insurance, annuity plans, the tuition waiver program and the textbook loan program.  All benefits are subject to state regulations, university policies and procedures, and individual plan documents. 

Employee benefits are subject to change and reasonable notice is provided to employees by Human Resources when changes occur.  Information about these plans may be obtained from the Benefits Office in Human Resources.

B.  Workers’ Compensation

All university employees, including paid student help, are covered by workers' compensation that provides for certain benefits in the event there is an on-the-job accident, causing injury. If and when an on-the-job accident causing injury should occur, it should be reported immediately to the university safety and health office. For additional information about workers’ compensation and for related forms, contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. 

C.  Vacation and Sick Leave

Personnel with professorial rank who have twelve-month employment contracts may earn leave as authorized by the vice chancellors and chancellor but under a different leave policy from that provided for SPA employees.  Teaching faculty who have a nine-month employment contract do not earn any vacation or sick leave. See the University Policy Manual for policies and regulations regarding the amount of leave that may be earned each month and the conditions for its use.

D.  Faculty Serious Illness, Maternity and Parental Leave Policy

This policy provides leave with pay for eligible faculty for cases of serious health conditions, maternity leave, or parental leave as defined by the Family and Medical Leave Act.  See the University Policy Manual for more information.

 

6.         Katrina DuBose reported that on November 24, Lori Lee brought to her attention the following additional parts of the Faculty Manual for this committee to review. These sections were discussed on a limited basis and it was decided that given the length of each item that Katrina DuBose will send an email to committee members for them to sign up to review the additional sections.

 

FM Part V, Section II, G: University Property – recommendation: this section belongs with Facilities.

 

FM Part VI, Section I, C: Employee Involvement in Political Candidacy and Office Holding – this should be in UNC Policy Manual and there should simply be a link here to that document.

 

FM Part VI, Section I, D:  Leaves of Absence – move into the Benefits and Leaves section, with just a link here to that section.

 

FM Part VI, Section IV:  Employment of Related Persons – simply provide a link to the UNC Policy Manual.

 

FM Part VI, Section III, R:  Tuition Privileges for Faculty – provide a link to UNC Policy Manual and move this to Benefits and Leaves section.

 

FM Part VI, Section I, I:  Retirements – Melissa Nasea and John Toller will need to report in detail at the next meeting of this committee; general recommendation that this section be moved into the new Benefits and Leaves section, but retain some reference in this section to Privileges, including Emeritus status.

 

MOVED (Nasea & Perry) to accept the recommendations concerning the Academic Facilities and Institutional Services Items, including University Property items.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

7.         Chris Locklear reported that Chancellor has charged the Provost with forming a committee to study faculty salaries.  Katrina DuBose will serve as the representative from FWC to the Provost’s committee.

 

8.         Mentoring report from Melissa Nasea will be tabled for a future meeting.

 

9.         Motion to adjourn (Nasea & Perry).  MOTION CARRIED.

 

The next meeting will be held on January 14, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. and we will be joined by members of the EPA Personnel Policies Committee as well as by Vice Chancellors Mageean, Horns, and Sheerer.  Given the larger number of people, a larger meeting room will be sought and the location will be announced by email.

 

Respectfully submitted by Donna L. Lillian