UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD
STAFF ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES
8 October 2014 – Woods Family Classroom – 1:00 PM
Present:
Jessica Abbott, Anne-Marie Cirullo, Judy Denny, Barbara Dessureau, Meagan
Fazio, Valerie Gilleran, Ben Ide, Clayton Jason, Cheryl MacMath, Anita Marchant,
Cindy Oppenheimer, Gina Signorello, Bonny Taylor, Connie Yoczik.
Discussion/Approval of Minutes of the September 10 meeting: The minutes were
approved as presented.
II. University Committee Reports
Budget Advisory Team - A report of the most recent meeting was
presented by Valerie Gilleran. Preliminary numbers, not yet confirmed by Census
Date, showed that full time undergraduate student enrollments were down, and
that graduate and part time student enrollments were flat. The five hundred
open beds in the residences were of concern and had triggered a discussion about
the possibility of tuition increase.
Wellness Committee: A change in the Wellness program requires that the
1000 point goal must be reached by November 30. Cardio, Zumba and afterhours yoga classes are on-going and well attended. The noontime yoga classes
have been discontinued temporarily while searching for a replacement instructor.
Free flu shots under the United Healthcare program will be given on 14 October.
The Open Enrollment deadline for submission of forms is 31 October. The
planned Fall Hawk Walk has been cancelled. Premium credits to qualifying
individuals in the Wellness program will be given on pay checks, with tax
deducted.
Benefits Task Force: Megan Fazio has been elected to join Chris Dupuis as
Staff Association representatives to the University’s Benefits Task Force. The
next meeting will be 16 October.
Sustainability Committee: No representative from the Staff Association
has been in place for some time. The Committee itself has not been active of late,
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and several of those present expressed a desire for a resource where questions
about recycling and similar issues could be answered. The Chair conceded the
need, and will put the subject on the agenda of the quarterly meeting of the Staff
Association Board with the University of Hartford Administration.
II. Staff Association Reports
Web Advisory Committee: Barbara Dessureau. The launch of the new
University Web Site was a little more difficult than expected. The developer and
ITS are working hard to make changes.
Faculty Senate : Ben Ide. There was a report at the recent Faculty Senate
meeting from the three person transition team for Information Technology
Services, which is to be outsourced now to Ellucian. Ellucian is a national leader
in higher education technology service, but has a different corporate structure
and set of job descriptions than those that presently exist at the University of
Hartford. Two of the issues which will need to be discussed are the fact that
some IT staff members are funded by individual colleges and will need to remain
in place due to specialized needs, and also the establishment of a 24/7 Help Desk
with escalation paths.
Treasurer’s Report: Jessica Abbott. The balance, $2386.81, remains
unchanged from September.
Membership Director Report: Anne Marie Cirullo. There was one gain in
membership, which is now at 155.
IV. Old Business
The attempt to schedule a meeting of the Staff Association in the newly
refurbished Commons Dining Room’s special meeting space has not yet had
success. After student groups have had the chance to use the meeting room we
will try again.
V. New Business:
Invitations to Staff Association members for a Thanksgiving Luncheon at the
1877 Club Restaurant have been issued via email in early October. Later in
October invitations will be opened up to all non-union staff members through
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U Notes. November 5 is the RSVP deadline until a cap of 100 has been reached.
Reservations will not be held until payment is received ($7.50) by a member of
the Staff Association Executive Board or a Community Representative. The Staff
Association is subsidizing the Restaurant’s $12.50 cost, as it has on some previous
years, and Jessica Abbott has sent out a spread sheet to all Community
Representatives to facilitate keeping track of reservations and payments.
VI. Presentation: Christopher Lyons, University of Hartford Lieutenant for Evening
Operations and previously a veteran of 21 years on the Hartford Police Force, and
First Sergeant Michael Lovley, 19 years on the Public Safety Force, had been
invited to speak to Staff Association members about the University’s enhanced
public safety initiative. They described how the initiative began with a study by
the Margolis and Healey Consulting Agency, which included interviews with many
constituencies on campus, including the Staff Association Executive Board, and
concluded, after studying the many issues involved, including financial, with the
Administration’s approval for issuing arms. All current officers were offered the
opportunity to apply for the training program to carry arms. Those chosen,
through physical, psychological and other tests, were then given 80 hours of
physical training, partly in a simulation room with the Hartford Police, as well as
being given oral examinations. This training continues quarterly, and there are
now one or two armed officers on every shift.
Many colleges (Yale was the example given) have a “sworn police department,”
which has the ability to make arrests. At present, however, while the University
of Hartford’s officers can detain, they cannot make arrests. Public Safety is
continuing to work closely with the police forces in the three towns that make up
the University of Hartford campus: Hartford, West Hartford, and Bloomfield.
The meeting adjourned at 2:05 PM, after the expression of a great deal of
appreciation by those present, for the presentation they had just heard.
Respectfully submitted,
Anita Marchant
Secretary
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