October 2002

 

Notre Dame Room, LaFortune Student Center 

 

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

 

Present: Martha Sue Abbott, Kimberly Ault, Debra Bennett, Becky Debruyn, Jim Gloster, Stephanie Maenhout, Susan McGonigal, Dee Milzarek, JoAnn Norris, Marv Pruett, Samantha Qualls, Diane Schlatterbeck, Fred Sonneborn, Kathy Stopczynski, Maria Wilk, Melodie Wise 

 

Absent: Amy Dorn, Tricia Ford, Paula Horne, Bobbi McMahon, Nancy Mitchell, Jane Nielson, Jim Sholty, Holly Webb 

 

HR Liaisons: Sarah Misener, Kathy Fischer 

 

Melodie Wise, Chair called the meeting to order at 1:08 p.m. and introduced Kathy Fischer who was filling in for Sue Prister as one of the HR Liaisons. 

 

I. Approval of the September 19, 2002 Council Meeting Minutes 

 

Diane Schlatterbeck corrected the spelling of her name. A motion was made by Marv Pruett to accept the minutes with corrections and seconded by Kathy Stopczynski. It was passed with a unanimous vote. 

 

Approval of the September 26, 2002 Special Council Meeting Minutes 

 

Maria Wilk made a motion to accept the minutes; Marv Pruett seconded the motion. It was unanimously passed. 

 

II. Committee Reports 

 

Promotion Committee 

 

Melodie Wise reported that Tricia Ford has asked for assistance in completing the name badges. Deb Bennett volunteered to complete that project. Tricia has also asked to temporarily step down from this sub-committee due to time constraints. Any representative who is interested in participating on the sub-committee should contact Melodie Wise. 

 

Parking Appeals 

 

Samantha Qualls has been processing approximately 30-40 parking appeals per week. Reformation of the Parking Appeals Committee will be complete in the next two weeks, which will ease the volume of appeals sent to Samantha for review. 

 

Ad-Hoc Committee on Women's Issues 

 

Maria Wilk reported that the October Lunch and Learn program, Football Fundamentals, was very successful with more than 100 people attending. The next lunch program, At the Library, will be November 13 and 14. It will be a walk through of the Hesburgh Library providing an opportunity for participants to learn where resources are and how to navigate through them. Because of computer use during this program, food will not be allowed. 

 

Typically Lunch and Learns are attended by women, but it was pointed out that men may attend if they are interested. In the instance where seating is limited, women will have preference. In this case Professional Development and Learning should be given their names and a program might be created for those who weren't able to attend. 

 

A question was raised as to whether there would be a Women's Fair this year and committee member Maria Wilk responded that one might be held next summer. A question was asked about the Lifestyle and Benefits Fair. Sarah Misener explained that a variety of health-related opportunities such as cholesterol screenings, blood pressure checks, glaucoma screenings, and bone density screenings are being conducted around campus this Fall. On November 6 there will also be a Benefits Open House showcasing the University's healthcare providers. 

 

By-Laws Committee 

 

Nothing to report. 

 

Web Page 

 

Nothing to report. 

 

Elections Committee 

 

Melodie Wise reported that there is no news on District 21 being filled. District 1 is now open and an election must be held. 

 

Parking and Shuttle Committee 

 

Effective Fall 2003 there will be a $25 fee to register a vehicle at the University. Certain lots will have a portion gated off for "Invitation Only" and "Preferred Parking" privileges. Invitation Only occupants will pay $350 annually; Preferred Parking occupants will pay $250 annually. A survey will be conducted to see how many people would be interested in the "Preferred Parking" spots to determine how large the segments of certain lots should be. If the requests for the spots exceed the spots available, a lottery will be conducted to determine who receives them. The members of SAC would like to discuss the contents of the survey before it is distributed and would like to have a follow up upon its completion. With portions of the parking lots being gated off, a question was raised as to possibly increasing the shuttle service. This concern will be passed on to the Parking Committee. 

 

Staff News 

 

Melodie Wise asked for opinions on the new publication, HR Connections. Some of the reponses were that articles were too long, and content was very dry, with no personal aspect to it. Sarah Misener pointed out that the goal of HR Connections is to inform the campus community on topics that will help them do their work for the University. She went on to state that in response to feedback, future issues will be shorter, with more concise articles. Human Resources will also be working to make the publication more eye-appealing. 

 

Since the Trading Post, service anniversaries, and SAC information are not in HR Connections a brief discussion ensued on the possibility of a newsletter created by SAC. Some SAC representatives pointed out that this would take a large amount of an individual's time. Another possibility would be to have a regular SAC article included in the HR Connections. Melodie will follow up with the editor of HR Connections to explore this possibility. 

 

Miscellaneous Discussion 

 

Sarah Misener asked the group's opinion of the current holiday gift certificates given to employees. All agreed that people enjoyed receiving them, and thought it was a nice token of appreciation to the employees. It was noted that some people donate their certificate to a charity or to another individual. They commented that the amount wasn't as important as the gesture itself. 

 

Diane Schlatterbeck asked for clarification of who needs to fill out the new 2003 Benefits forms. For those who will not be taking one of the insurance plans that the University is offering, a form does not need to be completed. Sarah Misner indicated that clear information will be included in enrollment materials. 

 

Jim Gloster asked for clarification as to what services MEAP provides to employees, and Sarah responded. A suggestion was made to have an MEAP representative attend a future SAC meeting. Sarah also offered that an MEAP representative could also visit his department and share information on services. Melodie Wise pointed out that MEAP flyers are available for posting in departments and that Sarah Misener will send some to the Morris Inn to be posted on their bulletin boards. 

 

Melodie distributed a list of issues from staff for discussion. After initial discussion, it was determined that the list should be reviewed by the SAC members to prioritize the topics in preparation for future discussion on each topic. 

 

III. Set the Agenda for the November 14, 2002 Council Meeting 

 

1. Approval of the October 17, 2002 Council Minutes 

 

2. Parking Survey - Doug Marsh 

 

3. Committee Reports 

 

- Promotions Committee 

 

- Parking and Shuttle Committee 

 

- Parking Appeals Committee 

 

- Ad-Hoc Committee on Women's Issues 

 

- By-Laws Committee 

 

- Web Page Article 

 

- StaffNews Article 

 

- Elections Committee 

 

4. Prioritized Issues List Discussion 

 

5. Set Agenda for December 12, 2002 Council Meeting 

 

A motion was made by Marv Pruett to adjourn the Council meeting at 3:00. Diane Schlatterbeck seconded the motion. All present Council members voted to accept the motion. 

 

Respectfully Submitted, 

 

Staff Advisory Council