Engineering Staff Advisory Council
January 25, 2007
Videoconference: 2228 SC and NADS Conference Room
8:30am – 10:30am
Attending members: Susan Beckett, Margaret Evans, Ginny Miller, Dawn Marshall, John
Millsap, Rebecca Whitaker, Mark Wilson, Chris Schwarz
Administrative Liaison: Janann Schiele
I.
II.
Approval of December 21, 2006 Minutes
a. Approved as distributed
b. “Approved” folder has been created on SharePoint and will be used
Old Business
a. Elections
i. Email will be sent to all staff, faculty and students encouraging
staff to put their names forward and to nominate people
1. List of ESAC accomplishments will be included
2. Mary Sheedy award announcement will be in a separate
email
ii. There are currently four one-year terms, which means there are
four open seats for the election. Some positions in the College of
Engineering will be filled in the near future, so another seat may be
open for the election
1. Janann Schiele will provide a current number of employees
to determine final number of open seats
iii. Nominations and election should be complete by end of February
iv. Web election format will be used, list of names needed
v. Packets for ESAC nominations will be distributed to units and
buildings
b. Mary Sheedy Staff Excellence Award Advertising & Packets
i. Janann Schiele reported that Dean Butler will appoint an
anonymous committee comprised of “arms length” members to
review applications and rank the candidates. The winner will be
the candidate ranked highest by the committee.
ii. Questions about the award and the process can be directed to
Janann Schiele
c. Staff awards
i. Award recipients will be posted on the ESAC web site
ii. ESAC would also like to request the Mary Sheedy award recipients
be included in the display outside the Dean’s office
1. Susan Beckett will draft request
d. Flat screen proposal update
i. Funding may be the issue for the CCAD and NADS buildings
1. The cost of each screen is $1500
2. Dawn Marshall will approach Director Karim Abdel-Malek
about obtaining flat screens for CCAD and NADS
ii. Mark Wilson reported that it is unlikely IHHR will participate
iii. Janann Schiele will revisit the possibility of partial funding for the
screens with Dean Barry Butler
e. Intranet report
i. No report, but Mark Wilson will continue to pursue issue
III.
Subcommittees
a. Action Items- none
b. Budget Requests – none
c. Reports
i. Explore Engineering Series
1. Discussion included that these events were well received
and several ideas for future occasions were generated:
Engineering Design and Prototyping Center, Prof. David
Wilder’s lab, Environmental Engineering labs, Wind
Tunnel annex, Model of Snake River
ii. Strategic Planning Committee, Susan Beckett
1. Susan Beckett reported an existing template is being looked
at for adaptation to staff activities
2. Janann Schiele reported that the University is working on a
software package, currently in development in the College
of Business. ESAC is interested in a member of the council
sit on the evaluation committee
3. Janann Schiele will contact Susan Johnson and Sue
Buckley to let them know that staff are interested in
addition to faculty
iii. Communications, Mark Wilson
1. Pictures of staff and functions and events are needed for the
web site
2. The suggestion of using the staff profiles included in
EWeek on the web site and the flat screens around the
College of Engineering with permission of individual staff
members
a. ESAC will work in conjunction with Fred Streicher
and Wendy Brentner
3. Bill Easton will be invited to an ESAC meeting to discuss
College of Engineering web site redesign and how the
ESAC may fit into it
iv. Social Committee, Margaret Evans
1. Grant application to help fund the Staff Appreciation
Luncheon will be submitted soon
a. Staff Appreciation Luncheon date: May 14, 2007
2. Entertainment ideas: Prof. Geb Thomas’ group, Prof.
Christoph Beckermann’s group
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Human Resources Update/Report, Janann Schiele
a. Janann reported there is a new appointment: Nancy J. Schneider will be
the Director of Professional Development. Three areas will be addressed
by this position: performance management, staff development, and staff
recognition
b. Nancy Schneider will be invited to an ESAC meeting to discuss her new
role, and be invited to join ESAC as an additional liaison
c. Some units are not utilizing Spot awards, so additional awards may be
applied for in other units
University Staff Council Update, Ginny Miller
a. University Staff Council will now present longevity awards
b. Final recommendation on University smoking policy is ready
c. Election process is in progress
d. There have been changes to the By Laws
e. Human Resources committee continues work on Parental Leave policy
New Business
a. Brown Bag with the Dean, March 7, 11:30am-1:00pm
i. Advertising – an email will be sent out, an announcement will be
posted on the ESAC web site and on the College of Engineering
flat screens
ii. Topic ideas – Nancy Schneider’s new position and how it affects
staff, no real budget issues, Dawn will ask staff at NADS if there
are any topics they would like to see addressed
1. Topics will be revisited and finalized during next ESAC
meeting
iii. Refreshments- desserts for 25 people
1. Margaret Evans will make arrangements
b. Announcements about the Mary Sheedy award nominations and then
recipient should be added to the information on flat screens
c. Professional Development Proposal
i. ESAC will work with Nancy Schneider to continue promotion of
staff participation in training on performance management and
staff development
ii. Mark Wilson asked if training for managers in performance
management will be available to supervisors prior to 2007
performance reviews. This is a question for Nancy Schneider as it
was included in the proposal submitted to her.
Announcements & Events
Mary Sheedy Staff Excellence Award Nominations, due March 1
Brown Bag with the Dean, March 7, 11:30am-1:00pm
ESAC Executive Committee meeting with Dean, March 9, 8:30am
ESAC meetings
February 22, 8:30am-10:30am, 3210 SC
March 22, 8:30am-10:30am, 3210 SC (invite newly elected members)
April 26, 8:30am-10:30am, IIHR
Staff Appreciation Luncheon, May 14, 2007
VIII.
Adjourn