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21 January 2020

 

Staff Advisory Council Meeting 

Tuesday, January 21, 2020 

Listening to and lifting staff voices to build an informed community 


Attendees: Susan Eagar, Paula MacDonald, Mel Leeds, Susan Romero, Jenna Rose, Ashley Turner, Garry Beauford, Pamela Borkowski-Valentin, Nabil Kashyap, Pam Harris, Roderick Wolfson, Oliver Hollocher-Small, Felicite Gibson

 

Calendar: 

Tuesday, Jan 21 SAC meeting, Bond Memorial Hall, 9-10:00 am

Tuesday, Feb 18 SAC meeting, 101 S. Chester Room 002, 9-10:00 am

Tuesday, Mar 17 SAC meeting, Bond Memorial Hall, 9-10:00 am

Thursday, April 2 Spring All-Staff Meeting, Lang Concert Hall, 10:30-Noon

 

Employee Resource Groups (ERG), Paula MacDonald, Ashley Turner:

  • How can we practice better communication with each other around resources and opportunities as well as explore how we can better support or promote group initiatives?
  • Resource groups [currently six groups] were created to have a shared sense of belonging, i.e., Women of Color have a shared Google folder with local and campus resources of interest.
  • Create awareness around campus resources [i.e., highlight a certain topic]. SAC is a resource that we want to share with employees, especially highlight All Staff Meetings.
  • Provide opportunities for socializing.
  • Sponsor opportunities for professional development.
  • QUESTION: Why is the ERG listed as a “pilot” on the website? Is it still a pilot program or does the website need to be updated?
  • IDEA: Invite a representative from each ERG to SAC to report out, either annually or once a semester. This could be a method of recruitment to SAC.

 

SAC & AAC January 9, 2020 Meeting
The meeting was well attended @40 members of each group.

  • AAC is by appointment, SAC is self-appointed.
  • AAC can be a sounding board for our queries [i.e., we propose an official holiday].
  • Whistle Blower Hotline exists on the Dash.
  • Conveners of AAC and SAC will meet for regular updates [i.e., let AAC know that we see many queries to SAC about salaries, benefits, national wage stagnation, and committee membership from our community].
  • QUESTION: Can the campus directory be linked to photos?
    ANSWER: ITS is working on this.

 

Comments/Questions/Suggestions: 

1) QUESTION: Relief for health care increases  - it doesn't seem like any action will be taken this year, but the administration may be open to proposals for next year?  If that is the case, I'd request the administration to consider the increase in health care costs for the employees in lower salary bands and provide a larger increase in compensation this July to help make up the difference.

  • ANSWER: Salary band models - See notes from Nov 10, 2019 SAC Meeting

2) QUESTION: Total compensation summary.  Was there any discussion of this issue? We had it in the past, so it seems like it should be possible to implement it.

  • ANSWER: Total Compensation Statement is in development
    • Need 2 years worth of data with the new system
    • Reflecting on 2020 and sharing in 2021
       

3) QUESTION: Create a Staff Compensation Committee. Was there any discussion of this issue? I don't recall hearing about any. This is an important topic to address the inequity in compensation practices. If there is any additional information you need from me, please let me know.

 

4) QUESTION: Proposal to open Matchbox open before 6:30AM. For those who get to work at 7AM (me and quite a few EVS folks), there is no way to workout before work and get to the office on time. 5:30AM or 6 would be preferable.  If you can present this to the group, I'm sure I'm not the only person that would appreciate having the gym opened earlier.

  • ANSWER: Thank you for reaching out and I appreciate your suggestion. Unfortunately, the building is not able to open earlier as the staff who are responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of the facility wouldn't be finished with their overnight work.

 

5) QUESTION: The rules, procedures and protocols in place for a person in the hospital suffering from a major trauma have been enforced and in turn, have caused a disconnect in our community. Can these be changed to bring people together and create a supportive community in a time of uncertainty? 

  • IDEA/ ACTION ITEM: Bring this up with Pamela PC to share as a ‘case study’ – what could we have done differently?
  • When a supervisor is a representative of the College and has limitations on what can be communicated:
    • Public information is limited based on HIPAA privacy rules 
    • What are the Supervisory Guidelines? What is the protocol?  

 

6) In December I, along with other career services staff, was attending a Tri-College meeting at BMC that happened to take place on the day when they were hosting their Holiday Bazaar.  Essentially it was an opportunity for their staff and faculty who may have a side business or hobby to showcase and sell their items. There were things like handmade quilts, jewelry, a woodworker who made cutting boards and kitchen utensils, handmade ornaments, paintings, and much more. 

I learned it was an event organized by their SAC and the vendors were all staff/faculty or spouses or students.  

Thought I would share in case there was interest here at Swat as I thought it would be a wonderful way to build more community on campus while supporting our fellow staff/faculty and students in their hobbies/side businesses

 

  • Thoughts?
  • Could we get funding for treats?
  • Use this as a way to meet SAC reps’
  • When would a good time of year for this?
    • Mid-Fall before Thanksgiving

 

  • Meeting with Val - Hopefully in May or June
    • Let’s prepare a report/questions to raise when we meet with her.
    • Focus on the goal and outcomes that contributed to our community