June 2007

Staff Advisory Council
Minutes 
Thursday, June 12, 2007
1:00-3:00 p.m., 234 Grace Hall

 

Present: Lori Marsh, Penny McIntire, Amie Davis, Bobbi McMahon, Joy Schosker, Marie Revak, Patricia Smith, Sharon Konopka, Frederick Sonneborn, Diana Singleton, Kathy Stopczynski, Kevin Jones, Janice Owens, Joe Wheeler, Kathy Troth, Barb Wadley

 

Excused: Mo Marnocha,

 

Unexcused: Paula Muhlherr, John Mackowicz, Peggy Van Kirk, Paul Hendershott

 

HR Liaison: John Whelan

 

• Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 1:02 p.m. by Patty Smith.

 

• Approval of April 19, 2007 Council Minutes

Kathy Troth made a motion to approve the minutes and Lorie Marsh seconded.

 

• Committee Reviews

By-laws Committee

Various minor changes were proposed to the SAC by-laws, including reference of the organization as SAC rather than The Council.  The proposed changes were handed out and a vote to approve will be held July 12, 2007. 

 

Promotions Committee 

SAC has a lot of raffle items for the staff picnic.  All details around the picnic look good.

 

Webpage Committee 

Bobbi McMahon signed up for web training.  Christy Miller is helping Joy Schosker with website updates.

 

Compassion Fund

Going forward, there is more of a plan to market this fund.  To date, two Notre Dame employees have received money from the fund due to severe hardships. 

 

IV. Additional Business

 

• Parking for Staff on Football Weekends
  • Concerns have been raised about parking on football weekends for employees who are scheduled to work in places like the North Dining Hall and the Huddle.  A question was raised about a possible shuttle.  Employees at the Morris Inn currently have a shuttle from the parking lot by WNDU on football weekends.  John Whelan plans to look into this. 
• Transpo Change
  • A question was raised about the change in the Transpo route to campus and whether the buses will return to the Library Circle after the roadwork is completed. 
• Working in Extreme Outdoor Heat
  • A question was raised about whether accommodations can be made regarding Food Services employees when they need to work outside in extreme heat.  Specifically, the point was raised after the Alumni Reunion during which employees were in the sun for hours at a time.  While lots of water was provided as well as breaks, the question is whether there can be more frequent breaks.  John Whelan will pass on this information to the relevant people.
• Denise Murphy Regarding Employee Benefits
  • Beginning July 1, 2007, Notre Dame health insurance will begin covering the HPV immunization for cervical cancer.  While this is not mandated in Indiana, Notre Dame feels that it is important to make it available. 
  • Employees who leave ND can convert their life insurance coverage into an individual plan, but the rates are higher. 
  • Notre Dame life insurance for retirees is available, but it is limited coverage due to the rates that retirees would incur if the coverage was increased.  Most organizations don’t offer any life insurance for retirees.  Currently, retirees pay $10 per month.
  • This year, a 4th tier was added to the prescription drug program in response to the high costs of specialty drugs.  Adding this tier helps keep the costs lower for other drugs.
  • Several major health initiatives are underway at Notre Dame.  The goal is to have a healthy campus.  One component is that all fees have been eliminated for preventive care.  This includes the copay for an annual vision checkup. 
  • Club Health is a program that assists people with chronic conditions.  95% of individuals with chronic conditions have enrolled in this program and are receiving guidance about how to better address their medical issues. 
  • A Health Risk Questionnaire (HRQ) will be rolling out to campus soon.  This will be managed by an outside company, WebMD.  The HRQ includes a voluntary and confidential questionnaire about family and medical history.  The program also includes health screenings on campus to collect relevant information.  A personal and confidential report will then be sent to the employee showing their results with ideas to improve their health.  There will also be coaching by professionals if requested.  Notre Dame will see a high level summary report of the combined data for all employees to see what the trends are and better design programs where the need is greatest.  The program is completely voluntary and there is a financial incentive of a $10 per month credit to the cost of health insurance (employees who do not use Notre Dame insurance will receive a $10 monthly increase in their paycheck).  The screenings will run from September through October.  The coaching will then be available in the November/December timeframe.  At this point, spouses are not eligible to participate, but the goal is to roll this out to spouses by next year.

 

 

V. Adjournment

With no further topics to discuss, Barb Wadley made a motion to adjourn at 2:59 p.m.  The motion was seconded by Sharon Konopka and passed.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Human Resources