COMMITTEE:  Faculty Welfare

 

MEETING DATE:  March 6, 2008

 

PERSON PRESIDING:  B. Southard

 

REGULAR MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:  D. Clark, A. Hegde, S. McGhee, M. Nasea

 

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:  B. Adams, B. Henze, L. Ingalls, J. Toller, S. Simpson, E. Stellwag

 

ACTIONS OF THE MEETING:

 

Agenda Item:  Approval of minutes                                                                                          

Action Taken:   Minutes of the February 14, 2008 meeting were approved as presented.

Agenda Item:  UNC Tomorrow Response

Discussion: In light of a projected ECU enrollment of about 37,000 students in 10 years,  primary discussion centered on concerns for maintaining a quality learning environment, policies, and resources that would help recruit and retain quality faculty. Issues related to increasing class size, decreasing office space, improving core health benefits, inclusion of distance education faculty in campus culture, and enhancing professional development of faculty were discussed. Eliminating the waste of limited resources is imperative before increasing costs to students. It was agreed that the current faculty/student ratio must be maintained. Further examination of the benefits survey results should help guide additional comments in response to UNC Tomorrow.

 

Additional Assigned Duties: Using the key points discussed today, E. Stellwag will draft the Faculty Welfare response for review at the April committee meeting.

 

Agenda Item:  Benefits Satisfaction Survey

Discussion:  J. Toller reported that there were no legal issues with having someone external to the committee involved with data analysis as long as no identifying information is provided and it is agreed that the information remains the property of the committee. Toller briefly reviewed the survey results. Toller further suggested the committee consider points for preparation of the report for the State Healthcare Plan Board: 1) level of satisfaction with benefits; and 2) suggestions to help target services to better meet the needs of faculty and staff.  A draft of the report will be reviewed in the April Faculty Welfare meeting.

 

Additional Assigned Duties: J. Toller will re-run the survey data to analyze by the variables discussed and draft key points for the report. 

Agenda Item:  Faculty Salary Survey

Discussion:  B. Southard reported that the faculty salary data was not available from Finance yet.  The 2006-7 College and University Professional Association (CUPA) – Human Resources data will be used to verify ECU at the 80th percentile of peer institutions.

 

Additional Assigned Duties: J. Toller will request the October 2007 Personnel Data File from Institutional Planning, Research and Effectiveness.  B. Southard will work with J. Toller to present further information to the committee.

Agenda Item:  Mentoring

Discussion:  M. Nasea reported on 2005 mentoring survey documents linked to the Faculty Welfare web page that included information that had potential to disclose identity respondents.

 

Action Taken: Nasea/Clark motioned that the EXCEL data link to the 2005 mentoring report on the Faculty Welfare web site be removed and replaced with a link to an edited copy containing appropriate tables but no identifying information. Motion passed.

 

Following a loss of quorum, the committee became a subcommittee in order to continue discussion. No action items were identified during the remainder of the meeting. 

 

Additional Assigned Duties: Nasea will contact the Faculty Senate office to request changes to the mentoring documents on the Welfare web page. She will also contact the faculty member who expressed interest in doing a mentoring survey to verify interest, focus, and timeframe for the survey.

Agenda Item:  Other Business

Additional Assigned Duties: B. Southard will draft the committee’s annual report for review at the April meeting.

 

Meeting adjourned: 4:45

 

Next meeting: April 10, 2008

 

Items to be discussed:

Benefits Satisfaction Survey Report

UNC Tomorrow Response

Faculty Salary/Inequity

Mentoring

Committee Annual Report

 

Respectfully submitted,

Susan A. McGhee