CEPAC 360 REVIEW, 2005
Summary of Comments
1. CEPAC relies on good communications, and constantly looks to improve methods:
a. E-mail contact and web access is of particular importance to off campus
constituents
b. Constituents regularly hear requests for help (e.g. committee member recruitment)
but very little with regards to what CEPAC actually does
c. Please provide hard copy for none-mail users
d. The CEPAC listserv is over used with nonessential messages
e. Information is not being spread by word of mouth
2. Is there something you feel CEPAC should be doing that we haven’t yet addressed?
a. Issue periodic mailings (e-mail and hardcopy as appropriate) summarizing
CEPAC’s work
b. Provide more information about issues that affect our work (e.g. Regent academic
policies, or those that dictate departmental issues)
c. Focus more on employee morale and retention
d. Increase new employee contact
e. Address the needs of the non-union staff
f. Encourage the advent of supervisor training
g. Cost of living!
h. Increase personal outreach and word of what CEPAC does
i. Offer ideas/initiatives for the Regents/MUS to consider
j. Increase sharing of best practices with other campus staff associations
3. Would you like to comment about CEPAC in general?
a. Please provide a periodic list of accomplishments/issues of interest
b. Please advance programs for supervisor training
c. We appreciate your keeping us informed!
d. please reflect more of the flavor of the meetings in the minutes
e. we have no time to get involved [with CEPAC, committee work etc] but want to
hear what’s going on
f. off campus employees have forced limited involvement and sometimes feel
forgotten, but want to know what’s happening
Some Meaningful Quotes
“Being Bozeman staff off campus…… we rely very heavily on the communications sent via
email but it is hard to fully understand the work of the university and its committees or to
become actively involved when you are unable to attend any meetings in person” (staff member)
“CEPAC is arguable one of the most effective organizations on campus…. I am always
impressed in my dealings with CEPAC” (shared governance partner)
“getting notification of things going on reminds me to go in to the CEPAC pages” (staff)
“I know little of what they do, in part because I cannot justify the time to find out such
information given that their role here is not well know. If not for some of my job related duties, I
would not know of their existence at all. Email and printed literature are only effective if the
intended audience actually uses them. Since CEPAC's role, importance is little known, or at
least endorsed by supervisors, etc., there is little reason to commit time to exploring the
unknown” (staff)
“CEPAC has grown in both professional and effective dimensions in the last 5 years! Very
impressive” (staff)
“CEPAC performs a very important service and from the web page minutes is doing a pretty
good job it looks like. The minutes don't give the "flavor" of the meetings though and that's as
important as the content” (staff)
“It's great to see the sense of caring and professionalism you bring to the university and to our
collective efforts to make the Montana University System a great place for our students and other
constituents. Your comments and suggestions are always offered in a respectful and
collaborative manner, which is appreciated” (Regents/Commissioner’s Office)
“In addition to your reports of the activities of CEPAC, continue to offer specific ideas or
initiatives that you believe the board or the MUS should consider. Also, if there are some
undertakings by CEPAC that have been particularly successful, be sure to share these ‘best
practices’ with other campuses” (Regents/Commissioner’s Office)
“I appreciate that CEPAC coordinated the recent Commissioner's visit...Professional Council,
Faculty Council, and ASMSU all benefited from your efforts, too!” (shared governance partner)
“[CEPAC-equivalent organizations] working and communicating together benefits everyone
concerned – staff, administrators, Regents” (CEPAC-equivalent organization)