FINAL
Minutes of the General Meeting
Thursday, December 4, 2014
MD Anderson Library, Room 306
Members Present/Absent: See the December 2014 Attendance Report
Guest List is in the Staff Council Office
Call to Order: Staff Council President Martha Hayes called the meeting to order at 1:32 p.m.
Minutes: The minutes of the November 6, 2014, General Meeting were approved without correction
Guest Speakers
Antoine Bryant, METRO community liaison for Southeast light rail line
• Rail line set to open 4/1/2015; everything complete between UH and eastern edge of downtown (EaDo);
work continuing downtown
• Trains on Southeast line will run until 2 a.m. every evening, like Main Street line
• METRO running extensive safety campaign for residential and school areas adjacent to Southeast line; be
conscientious; can’t outrun the train, unplug from devices
• METRO will have an emergency exercise at Scott/Wheeler along rail line in latter part of January 2015;
will include street closure and emergency simulation (bodies in road, etc.)
Ryan Palma, TDECU
• TDECU offering free checking/savings accounts to UH staff, faculty, and students with partial direct
deposit from paycheck (at least $100), with $150 bonus at sign-up
• Can sign up online, but best to sign up at University Center bank location for $150 bonus promotion
Human Resources Updates: Connie Kemp, HR Manager, introduced Melissa Abram-Jackson, Manager, Talent
Acquisition & Management
Staff Council Officer Reports
President: Martha Hayes
• Provost Group on Staff/Faculty Raises: Dr. Carlucci to provide additional data on current staff salaries
• TRAM Rounding: per Joan Nelson, rounding benefits UH, not employees; announcement of end to
rounding expected for January 2015
• UCW Scholarships: Martha checking on current status with Rick Olenchak; Rebecca mentioned that in
the past few years, one committee selected recipients for both UCW and Staff Council scholarships; could
be the same this year
• Staff Forum, Spring 2015: will have proposed date and back-up date for Rockwell Pavilion to fit
President Khator’s schedule since the Texas Legislature will be in session
• FY2015 Strategic Plan: will be ready by 12/8; goal of building up infrastructure; added initiative of
creating transitional materials for all committees
• Student Center: University Center now known as Student Center, will have grand opening 1/21
• Spring Egg Hunt: Events Committee met with Sports & Entertainment regarding holding Egg Hunt in UH
Stadium
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•
2013-2014 Staff Council Accomplishments: Martha reported letter to be sent to UH President Renu
Khator by Staff Council Immediate Past President Pam Muscarello; requested that Council members
review letter and provide any changes before end of meeting
Immediate Past President: Pam Muscarello
no report
President-Elect: Elsie Myers
• See the submitted President-Elect’s Reports
• Postdoc certification: problem with current hiring since official certification of Ph.D. can take 1-2 months
from issuing institution; guideline to be revised to allow contingency letter until certification is available;
revised guidelines to be drafted by HR
Secretary: Troy Christensen
• November 2014 minutes submitted and approved
• Previous general meeting minutes and reported uploaded to website once approved by Staff Council
Treasurer: Kimberly Williams
• See the submitted Treasurer’s Report
• Draft budget to be submitted and CFI budget currently being drafted
• Question regarding additional $5000 for scholarships last year; 10 $1000 scholarships awarded rather than
10 $500 scholarships
Parliamentarian: Wendy Gary
• See the submitted Parliamentarian’s Report
• November 2014 Attendance Report submitted
• Sent 3 forfeiture warning letters; explained appeal process in case of forfeiture
Historian: Robert Torres-Torres
Robert reported that he now has the Staff Council camera and proper cables; currently taking individual photos for
the Why I Serve campaign, will take photos for Finals Mania, 12/8, 8:30 p.m.
Staff Council Standing Committee Reports
Appointments: Karl Hearne and Chris Foster
• See the submitted Appointments Committee Report
• Chris thanked those who are using the University-wide Standing Committees SharePoint form for reports
• Provided additional guidance for SharePoint report and committee work
o If something reported for Staff Council discussion, should also let Martha know
o If on the Traffic Appeals committee, put down work done for the month
o If committee didn’t meet, put that on report
o If committee not communicating with you, let Karl or Chris know
o Discussed trainings for Appellate Board and University Hearing Board
Communications: Bill Ashley and Andy Moon
• See the submitted Communications Committee Report
• Andy reported that the committee is working on the next newsletter and needs a wrap-up of the
Conversations with Staff Council event from Staff Affairs
Cougar First Impressions (CFI): Tommie Trevino and Andy Moon
• See the submitted CFI Committee Report
• Andy mentioned that the next meeting is 12/5 morning
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Events: Keri Myrick and Jennifer Potocki
• Andy reported that the Sock & Blanket Drive was completed with 375 bags of clothes and other items
delivered to beneficiaries; gave kudos to Dr. Simon Bott, who offered incentives for student donations that
filled Fleming
• Martha reported that the Staff Council Holiday Potluck will be 12/18 in the Honors College; online potluck
registration available to sign up to bring dishes; meal at 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.; space available 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Membership and Elections: Sawsan Shatleh
Sawsan reported that she has contacted all staff members who stood for election but did not win to fill current
Council vacancies; now contacting DBAs/CBAs for Academic Affairs recommendations (such as from Law and
Engineering)
Staff Affairs: Matthew Castillo and Alison Wells
• See the submitted Staff Affairs Committee Report and associated documents
• Alison reported that the Conversations with Staff Council event was held 11/11; lower turnout than past
events; committee has ideas for increasing participation at future events
• Matthew thanked Alison for hosting Conversations event since he was not able to participate
• Sawsan asked about MAPP reviews since these have not been done for over a year; Martha mentioned that
MAPP review has been on hold due to personnel shortage, but can continue now that a new person is
overseeing review process; Elsie mentioned that MAPP review is also on Faculty Senate’s radar
Staff Council Ad Hoc Committees
Professional Development
• Rebecca reported that the committee met and finalized the three new scholarship / professional
development stipend applications; will need to be approved by the Executive Board over email prior to the
January 2015 general meeting
• Rebecca met with Sandy Coltharp, HR, to discuss Professional Development issues, Spring Egg Hunt
o Should have links to all scholarships available to staff members on one web page
o Department/group excellence award: would need to determine funding source, but to start, can
award certificate, and later a plaque; HR will not be responsible for award management, but would
have representative on selection committee
o McElhinney Award: in past, all Staff Excellence Award winners eligible, but currently only those
who have won in past three years are eligible; Sandy recommended formal proposal from Staff
Council to change McElhinney or Staff Excellence guidelines
o Staff Award funding: award amounts have been same or reduced over time, but faculty award
amounts keep increasing; Sandy recommended formal proposal from Staff Council for increased
award amounts
o Spring Egg Hunt: Sandy mentioned that Keith Kowalka is working on details for Family Day
lunch
o Sandy agreed that incorporating service to university into the existing Professional Development
MAPP and producing a Professional Development Guide were good ideas
• Kimberly mentioned that the status of previous advising excellence awards is still unknown
Research Advisory
Martha mentioned that the next meeting has been scheduled
Program Manager Mentoring
• Martha reported that 20+ boxes have been taken from Cassandra’s office to ERP; Rebecca and Bill are to
determine what should be archived or shredded
• Office will be painted and ceiling tiles fixed
• Cassandra will be learning the UH website content management system (CMS) for website updates
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Unfinished Business
• 2013-2014 Staff Council Accomplishments: discussed draft letter to be sent to UH President Renu Khator
by Staff Council Immediate Past President Pam Muscarello, with suggested changes
• Responses to questions from Conversation with Staff Council event: Martha will send responses by email
to all members to consider new initiatives based on responses
New Business/Open Discussion
• Economy Parking
o Matthew addressed proposal currently being deliberated by TPAC
o Economy parking would be available only at ERP, with other existing economy lots converted to
other lot types
o TPAC will discuss proposal by email so that Parking and Transportation can take it to the Board
of Regents at their next meeting
Announcements: none
Adjournment: motion to adjourn was made; meeting was adjourned at 3:09 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Staff Council Secretary Troy Christensen
4
General Meeting Agenda Thursday, December 4, 2014 M. D. Anderson Library Rm 306 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. I.
II.
Call to Order III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Approval of the November 2014 General Meeting Minutes Guest Speakers • Antoine Bryant, METRO • Ryan Palma, TDECU Officer and Committee Reports • President • Immediate Past President • President-­‐Elect • Secretary • Treasurer • Parliamentarian • Historian • Staff Council Standing Committees o Appointments o Communications o Cougar First Impressions o Events o Membership and Elections o Staff Affairs • Staff Council Ad Hoc Committees o Professional Development o Research Advisory o Program Manager Mentoring Unfinished Business • Review Responses to Conversations with Staff Questions New Business/Open Discussion • Economy Parking • Committee Participation Announcements Adjournment Note: Please sign in. The next scheduled general meeting is January 8, 2015. 2014-­‐2015 Staff Council
General Meeting Attendance Roster
Council Member
Ashley, Bill
Baccam, MyTrang
Barras, Kim
Castillo, Matthew
Chee, Jacqueline
Christensen, Troy
Diaz, Gabriela
Edwards, Jeremy
Ephriam, Princess
Foster, Chris
Gary, Wendy
Giannukos, Nalan
Hayes, Martha
Hearne, Karl
Johnson, Andrea
Martinez, Dia
Moon, Andy
Moses, Pamela
Muscarello, Pam
Myers, Elsie
Myrick, Keri
Ness, Anne
Oilvarez, Dan
Olmedo, Cynthia
Padovan, Dina
Parks, Jay
Parrish, Reuben
Pearce, Sheree
Plosko, Allyson
Potocki, Jennifer
Robinson, Carmen
Samuels, Juanita
Shatleh, Sawsan
Szwarc, Rebecca
Taylor, Robin
Tisby, Carla
Torres-­‐Torres, Robert
Turner, Terence
Vasquez, Stella
Wells, Alison
Williams, Kimberly
Winters, Tonya
Zorola, Jessica
9/11
P
X
P
P
P
P
X
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
X
P
P
X
P
X
P
P
*
P
X
X
X
X
*
P
P
P
X
*
P
10/16**
P
P
P
X
X
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
X
X
P
P
P
P
P
P
11/6
P
P
P
P
X
P
P
P
P
X
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
X
X
P
X
P
P
P
X
12/4
X
P
P
P
X
P
X
P
X
P
P
X
P
X
P
X
P
P
X
P
P
P
P
P
X
1/8
2/5
3/5
4/2
5/7
6/4
7/2
8/6
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
P
P
X
P
P
X
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES RES
P
*
P
P
P
P
*
P
P
P
X
X
P
P
P
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES RES
X
*
P
P
*
P
X
P
P
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES
RES RES
X
P
*
P
X
P
*
P
P
P
P
X
Legend: (P) Present; (X) Absent; (*) Not on Council at time; (RES) Resigned; (REI) Reinstated
This Attendance Roster reflects the signatures on the Sign-­‐In Sheet available at every General Meeting. Always sign in.
Review this Attendance Roster. Corrections: Wendy E. Gary, 2014-­‐2015 Staff Council Parliamentarian, wemyers@central.uh.edu
For more information about meeting attendance requirements, reference Staff Council Bylaw 2.6 (www.uh.edu/sc/about/bylaws).
** Date changed from original scheduled date
Meting with Joan Nelson on 11/10/14
Attendance: Martha Hayes, Elsie Myers, and Joan Nelson
• Bonus Status:
• Complaints from CBA's included lack of notification regarding debt
and HR not providing time to have it cleared before the stipend. HR
and Admin will begin to send out emails to staff to review their PASS
to keep up with any possible debts.
• Merit, those who received merits on 9/1/13 were not qualified (200
staff/faculty) being impacted per this guideline. There is not
enough funding to cover this group but HR will present this to Dr.
Carlucci to determine if this group should be added to the
bonus/stipend pool. 1.3 million was the original budget for the
stipends, if this group is included, the budget will need to be
increased.
• Program Manager Onboard:
• Informed Joan that Cassandra Millhouse has been hired to replace
B. Milton's position.
• Pay Raise Task Force:
• Info from the Provost regarding staff and faculty historical increases
did not come from HR, it is not a true reflection of all increases per
HR. We need to have the info broken down per college/division,
rank/job category. Martha will reach out to Dr. Carlucci and
request that we meet with him and HR to review the info he
received from Joan, before we meet again as a committee.
• TRAM Assessment/Audit:
• Rounding was the issue and will be eliminated in January,
communication will be sent some time in November. Date to be
determined.
• Postdoctoral Official Certification
• According to the UH guidelines, "official certification from the
individuals home institute is required"; my Chair would like to know
how faculty are to proceed with a hire since it can take 2 months to
receive official documentation after the dissertation has been
approved.
◦ Per Joan, this will be updated to be contingent on the receipt
of official certification to be received in 3 months. The
contingent offer letter should be used for these research hires.
Staff Council Treasurer Report
Reporter: Kimberly Williams
Date: November 18, 2014
Duty: Maintain Financial Records for Staff Council
●
A meeting was held on Monday, November 10th with Martha, Elsie, Cassandra,
TaShawna Wilson, Director, College/Division Business Operations and Nisho Khan,
Department Business Administrator. I was unable to attend the meeting due to a
scheduling conflict. I have a scheduled meeting with Cassandra on Monday, November
24th at 11am to discuss what I missed from the November 10th meeting and “next
steps.” There will be more information given after that meeting.
If you have questions concerning budget, please direct them to me and I will forward to the
appropriate person if I am unable to handle.
Kimberly Williams – Staff Council Treasurer
Phone: (713) 743-2932
Email: kwilliams16@uh.edu
To: Troy Christensen, Secretary From: Wendy E. Gary, Parliamentarian RE: Monthly Attendance Report Attendance through November General Meeting 2014 There are four members who have missed two consecutive meetings this year. I will be sending those members a reminder that per the by-­‐laws, missing three consecutive meetings means a forfeiture of the position in the hopes that they will make their best effort to attend the meeting on December 4, 2014. Staff Council Historian Report & Questions Submitted by Robert Torres-­‐Torres 1) Photos were taken by me at the Conversations with Staff Council event. Should they be uploaded to our https://share.uh.edu/sc webpage? Is there anywhere else that they need to be posted, such as a Staff Council Facebook page, or a Staff Council Pinterest or Instagram site? How do I acquire the “rights” to do so? 2) The camera I used was a small personal digital camera, as the one provided to me is severely outdated and missing crucial parts. How do we go about acquiring a proper camera with the necessary accessories? 3) How will I be notified of all upcoming events? I want to ensure that I notify my supervisors with plenty of time to spare, in the case I need to go somewhere and take photographs of the event. 4) If travel to one of the UH satellite sites is needed, is there a process by which I can be reimbursed for mileage? Staff Council Appointments Committee Report
November 20, 2014
As of today, no new vacancies in the Staff Council have been reported to the Appointments Committee,
so there are no new appointment nominations to consider.
The members of the university standing committees have started submitting their meeting reports. See
attached for the first reports received. We are very optimistic that this system will work well as we go
forward, as they are archived and sortable.
We are also reaching out to the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Services to
inquire as to the status of the Financial Aid Advisory Committee at the request of Kimberly Williams, as
she has not gotten any response about the committee’s ever having a meeting.
Submitted,
Chris Foster & Karl Hearne
Standing Committee Reports
November 20, 2014
Reporting party
Committee
Committee Meeting Date
SC representatives in
attendance
SC representatives absent
Committee actions
Pending decisions
Items to discuss
Reporting party
Committee
Committee Meeting Date
SC representatives in
attendance
SC representatives absent
Committee actions
Pending decisions
Items to discuss
Jessica Zorola, Bill Ashley
University Hearing Board
10/17/2014
JZ
​Received the University's hearing board training. Discussed the role and responsibility
of members, the discipline process, the hearing process, sanctioning, and appeals. The
​November 2014 hearing boad case.
Princess Ephriam
University Center Policy Board
10/24/2014
Princess Ephriam, Troy Christensen
Announcements:
1) Student Life Holiday Potluck - End of year celebration to be held 12/03/14, UC
Ballroom # 210 at 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. All are invited to attend.
2) Stress Free Finals Week- December 1-10
​Tobacco-free campus policy and campus initatitves to reduce smoking and tobacco use
including e-cigarettes. Campus policy (to include designated smoking areas, etc.) is
reviewed every 3 years and is up for review agian in 2015. Note: Tobacco-free Campus Committee headed by Floyd Robinson
Reporting party
Committee
Committee Meeting Date
SC representatives in
attendance
SC representatives absent
Committee actions
Pending decisions
Items to discuss
Reporting party
Committee
Committee Meeting Date
SC representatives in
attendance
SC representatives absent
Committee actions
Pending decisions
Items to discuss
Troy Christensen
Campus Recreation Advisory Board
10/22/2014
none
Troy Christensen (unable to attend due to urgent work in office)
​1) Presentation on Outdoor Adventure program: teambuilding program available to UH
departments for staff teambuilding; generally 2-4 hours, but could be full day or
​None.
​None.​
Jessica Zorola
Bookstore Advisory Committee
9/30/2014
JZ, Dia Martinez
Discussed the role and responsibilities for advising administration and finance, campus
constituencies, bookstore services and program goals. ​SGA chair was requested - Dr.
​FY 15 meeting dates and Chair of Bookstore Advisory
Standing Committee Reports
November 20, 2014
Reporting party
Committee
Committee Meeting Date
SC representatives in
attendance
SC representatives absent
Committee actions
Alison Wells
Campus Facilities Planning Committee
11/7/2014
unknown
Pending decisions
Items to discuss
Alison Wells
​first meeting inOctober was cancelled, I was unable to attend this meeting in
November. I requested another member for SC to attend, I did not receive a
​none
​none
Reporting party
Committee
Items to discuss
Elsie Myers
Sustainability Task Force
​We have not meet in several months
Reporting party
Committee
Committee actions
Kimberly Williams
Financial Aid Advisory Committee
​Committee did not meet and there has not been a scheduled meeting.
Reporting party
Committee
Committee Meeting Date
SC representatives in
attendance
SC representatives absent
Committee actions
Anne Ness
Children's Learning Centers Advisory Board
11/18/2014
Anne Ness, Juanita Samuels
Pending decisions
Items to discuss
​Reviewed and approved minutes, discussed NAEYC Parent Feedback Survey, discussed
CLC Strategic Initiatives
Reporting party
Committee
Committee Meeting Date
SC representatives in
attendance
SC representatives absent
Committee actions
Bill Ashley
Transportation & Parking Advisory Board
Pending decisions
Items to discuss
​Further discussion of elimination of economy parking.
​Proposal by PTS to eliminate economy parking.
Reporting party
Committee
Items to discuss
Andy Moon
Food Services Advisory Committee
​FSAC has not met, I have not received an invitation to any meetings.
Reporting party
Committee
Items to discuss
Andy Moon
Appelate Board
​Committee has not met, I have not received any invitations.
Dan Olivares and Matthew Castillo
Bill Ashley
​Reviewed role and scope of TPAC committee; put off election of new committee officers
until Nov. meeting; review of some PTS policies and procedures. Biggest discussion
item was proposal to eliminate economy parking for students/faculty/staff.
Committee Reports
COMMITTEE REPORT
Name of Committee: Communication
Committee Members Present: Andy Moon, Jessica Zorola, Troy Christensen,
Cassandra Millhouse, Dan Olivarez
Committee Members Absent:
(A sign-sheet can be used for attendance)
Date and location of meeting: Tuesday, November 18th, 2014, Hilton, CE wing,
room 103
Action Items Completed: None
Action Items Pending:
The SC newsletter will be going out in mid-December and will include…
 Wrap-up of the Sock and Blanket drive as well as Conversations with Staff
Council
 Results of the previous Pulse Poll as well as a New PP question
 (not 100%) Note from the SC President and a “Why I Serve”
The Spring CFI call for volunteers will be going out this week
We’re working on a revamped system for recognizing the efforts of peers,
rebranded as “Coudos.” Anyone who would like to help flesh out the system is
welcome to participate, contact Andy Moon for details or simply add an item in the
Coudos list in SharePoint.
We will be creating an “Events” page to summarize the events that Staff Council
sponsors or participates in throughout the year.
Expenses incurred: None
Questions for the Board/Larger Group: Does anyone have any stories they would
like to see published in the newsletter? If so, please forward those to Andy Moon
and Bill Ashley.
Summary of other items:
Website updates:
 Adding SPIFFs
Revised 09/13/2013




Creating a Coudos page
Adding a newsletter archive
New Pulse Poll question
Remove Conversations blurb, to be replaced by a wrap-up blurb
Action Recommended: Please sign up on the potluck website created by the Events
committee to indicate your preference for items to bring to the event.
Date and location of next Meeting: Tuesday, December 16th, Hilton, CE wing, room
TBA
Announcements:
Note Taker: Andy Moon
Committee Co-chair (s): Andy Moon, Bill Ashley
Revised 09/13/2013
Subject: Spring CFI 11.14.14
Auto forwarded by a Rule
Attendees: Cassandra, Elsie, Dan, Andy, Dia, Tommie
Work Requests:
Tables and chairs. Martha will book meeting with A&F. 5 tents, 6 tables, 12 chairs.
Cassandra will get quotes for meeting with Emily.
Volunteer call outs:
Will go out next week via Andy and Martha Hayes will add digital signage.
Mid Nov, Mid Dec, Early week of Jan (depending on volunteers)
Drinks for volunteers: K-cups/Keurig Machine reach out to Amy Ma from our budget Cassandra will buy coffee, tea
and hot cocoa. Elsie will follow up with Martha for inkind for some danishes.
Table Locations:
Maybe move Eric table to Lynn Eusan/maybe a tent or not
One at Bauer right in front 9
One at UC stays
One at PGH
Move Sandy to Moores School of Music SR1
Andy will update MAP with new table locations for SPRING 2015
Binders:
We will need them along with clickers. Elsie will work on binders. Box for each table, supplies, maps
Update binders in early January.
Flash Drives:
Still would like to distribute in SPRING. Elsie is working on acquiring 6000 total
Radios, Golf Carts:
Borrow radio from ITAC, Golf Cart may need to be asked from A&F
Next Meetings:
December 5th and 19th
January 9th and 16th
Same Times
Amy Ma, Gloria Robinson, Zach
Staff Affairs Committee Report Submitted by Alison Wells -­‐
-­‐
-­‐
Staff Affairs committee meeting was scheduled for Tuesday November 18th, due to extenuating circumstances this meeting was cancelled. Committee meetings will occur the third Tuesday of every month (late afternoon). Matthew will send meeting requests/information to SC for the rest of the academic year. Alison scheduled an “executive staff affairs committee” meeting on Nov. 5th to discuss the logistics of Conversations with Staff Council Event o In attendance: Alison Wells, Matthew Castillo, Martha Hayes, Cassandra Millhouse o Discussed set-­‐up, agenda, and finalized questions for event § Determined that Matthew would gather notecards with finalized questions, send out reminder email to all staff on Monday § Cassandra will order food, confirm room set-­‐up and supplies, and email RSVP list a reminder § Alison will update agenda and presentation and create language for email reminders (will send on Monday morning to Cassandra and Matthew ) Conversations with Staff Council Summary Report-­‐ 2014 Summary -­‐ Hosted Tuesday November 11th from 10:00-­‐12:00pm in Rockwell Pavilion -­‐ Decreased attendance from approximately 65 participants in 2013 to 35 participants in 2014 -­‐ 3 questions focused on monetary incentives/raises, campus facilities, and initiatives from SC -­‐ Did not include President Khator or a key-­‐note speaker Successes -­‐ Utilized online RSVP format on invitations o Reminder email sent to all those that RSVP’d -­‐ Created a “take-­‐away” for participants with the SC flyer -­‐ Assigned moderators and note-­‐takers for each table (pending availability) -­‐ Catered food and beverages were greatly appreciated -­‐ Created summary of event and thematic questions to use as platform for next year’s planning Challenges -­‐ Little to no marketing for the event resulted in a low turnout of participants o The email reminder that was to have gone out to all staff was never sent -­‐ There was no training or transitional materials to help plan this event o Difficult to assess how we can improve/change each year if there’s nothing to review -­‐ 3 moderators cancelled the night before the event o Had to restructure format, some facilitators had to play dual roles and also take notes o Only 3 people submitted notes from event -­‐ Notecards were not utilized, participants did not submit any notes o The pre-­‐printed notecards with the questions were not included Recommendations for Next Year -­‐ Planning must occur earlier and incorporate a comprehensive marketing plan o Multiple email reminders must be sent out to all staff o Information in SC brochure and within newsletter o Information on UH calendar and department calendars o Encourage SC reps to announce/push event with their divisions/departments -­‐ Create a file/folder of tasks, roles, procedures, etc. for this event so that each year, regardless of who is on SC, this program can be seamlessly implemented -­‐ Update PowerPoint to make it more effective -­‐ Reassess purpose and need of notecards -­‐ Asses event time; an afternoon time may allow more participants to attend Conversations with Staff Council Summary of Questions-­‐ 2014 How could the next pay increase be distributed that would be fairest to all staff members? For instance: Would you prefer a small increase every year; a larger increase less often; some other form of compensation -­‐
-­‐
-­‐
Consensus for smaller pay increases each year o Can help offset cost of living expenses § Cost of working at UH has increased, yet salaries have not § Cost of living could be across the board 3% or salaries could be adjusted upward based on rate of national inflation. o Provide bonuses in between (as budget permits) § Smaller regular bonuses over time boost morale as there is some incentive § All employees should be included in any bonus program • Those staff members that received a promotion should still be eligible for merit raises or bonuses • Staff members that have received a promotion have exhibited exemplary work and therefore should not be denied the opportunity to earn further compensation Significant issue with communication and lack there-­‐of o Communication of $1,500 bonus for staff members has not been communicated effectively-­‐ people are confused on process and if they are eligible to receive this one-­‐time bonus o Often staff members are unaware they have debt to the university, thus lose out on opportunities for merit increase § Communicate a directive for business officers to run a debt report for their employees beforehand so that any debt can be cleared up § SC ask administration to change MAPP policy regarding debt, staff that have tuition should still be allowed to receive bonuses Other forms of compensation o Reduced fees for on-­‐campus parking o Staff members who achieve a certain “merit” can be rewarded by receiving an upgrade to better parking option (i.e. the garage) o Flex schedule during the summer o Insurance rebates (i.e. vision) What Staff Council Initiative makes the biggest impact on you as a staff member? What are some new initiatives you would like to see from Staff Council in the future? -­‐
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Overall appreciation for staff scholarships and Cougar First Impressions (CFI) o Assess if staff scholarships can be available system-­‐wide o Continue to expand on CFI as this event has a huge impact on students and staff alike by bringing staff together to provide up front service to the students and allows students to interact with staff that they may never see otherwise Increase communication/awareness regarding Staff Council o Provide SC information for new hires o Reminders to join the monthly general SC open meetings and to attend SC events Additional appreciation and recognition events o Increased recognition and acknowledgement of staff on campus, specifically in President’s addresses o Encourage departments to work together, on a smaller scale, to interact with each other; give each department a respective budget to work within o Additional professional development opportunities within departments § MAPP policy has info. related to staff development o Change the time of annual staff appreciation to late fall or early spring when weather is more conducive for outdoor space to be used § It would beneficial to find a bigger venue o Discounted tuition for children of staff members Create additional opportunities for socialization o Reinstall SC mixers, offering some at lunch time and some after work o Potential of picnic at McGregor Park o Host tailgate for staff member o Create a specific day (or two) to promote bringing your children to work Strengthen on-­‐boarding process for new staff members o HR templates for the on-­‐boarding process o Create a formal on-­‐boarding process within each college/division/department and assign a mentor for the first few weeks. Have them check in with their mentor at specific times during the year followed with an evaluation and goal-­‐
setting Implement “work-­‐site wellness” that encourage healthy behaviors o Discount for campus recreation membership o Staff members are allowed to work out 30minutes a day during their workday What are some ideas to help improve campus facilities and grounds? -­‐
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Make it a priority to improve outdated office space before improving outdoor green spaces. While the aesthetics of the University’s outward appearance are important; the internal functions that staff provide are equally important. Staff “live” in their respective work spaces for 8 hours (or more) a day. Part of the key to good functionality is an equally decent working environment. Beautification program for older buildings on camps that just requires some elbow grease like: removing old broken furniture and equipment, cleaning the floors, replacing ceiling tiles, clean the vents to improve air quality, heavy trash day to get old equipment removed from campus that is not tagged or capital. o Work to better regulate the temperature in each building; many older buildings are entirely too cold or hot for individuals to function comfortably o Replace HVAC systems in old buildings o Broken pipes and other items are temporality fixed (with bandages/tape), rather than fixed for the long-­‐term o ERP has extremely poor facility maintenance; people are working with holes in their walls, rodents, heating issues, and lack of seating/space o Replace the fountains that don’t work well with gardens (ex. Student Service Ctr.) o Replace pebble walkways with smooth surface Additional seating and walkways throughout campus o Specifically, Lynn Eusan Park should have a variety of picnic tables and seating o Construct covered walk ways or sky walks (where feasible) to connect building that are close together. § Sky walks have the ability to improve safety by giving a safe crossing from one building to the next, especially during late evening hours § Covered walk ways will not only provide protection from some of the elements, such as sun and rain, but can also encourage staff (and faculty) to walk more in-­‐between buildings Improve communication with facility requests o Consistent notification system where communication where the person who made a facility request is notified on the status of the repair Assess potential of a centralized staff lounge on campus o Currently the availability of break rooms or lounges for staff is very unequally distributed among departments o Ideally there could be two medium sized lounges: One on south campus and one on north campus to serve the staff populations on either side of the campus -­‐
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Encourage healthy behaviors on campus o Enforce tobacco-­‐free policy o Set-­‐up mileage markers on campus for those that walk/run o Map out walking paths utilizing existing walk ways and place mile markers § Mile markers could include words of encouragement to promote motivation. This initiative could also have a name such as “Cougar Tracks” or “Cougar Pathways” Address potential safety issues on campus o Gate around Metro Rail needs to be higher because we have seen students jumping the fence. o Add mechanisms to help pedestrians cross some of the high traffic streets, such as flashing lights or pedestrian overpasses